How bad is it to submit secondaries more than a month after receiving them?

[cms]

So I received secondaries from Mt.Sinai mid July, but completely forgot to take note of the email..


I just realized that I received them, and got started on them. Looks like I'll be submitting them some time this week or next week (so after about 1.5 month of receiving them...)

How badly would this affect my status as an applicant?

I feel so stupid and angry at myself...

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[theseeker4]

So I received secondaries from Mt.Sinai mid July, but completely forgot to take note of the email..


I just realized that I received them, and got started on them. Looks like I'll be submitting them some time this week or next week (so after about 1.5 month of receiving them...)

How badly would this affect my status as an applicant?

I feel so stupid and angry at myself...

Well, submitting them will be better for your chances than not submitting them......

Fill them out, what is done is done. Unless there is a disclaimer saying you will not be considered for admission under any circumstance if you don't return with x days, why wouldn't you submit and hope for the best?

Yeah, it might hurt you, but you can't change what happened......

 

[BABSstudent]

Well, submitting them will be better for your chances than not submitting them......

Fill them out, what is done is done. Unless there is a disclaimer saying you will not be considered for admission under any circumstance if you don't return with x days, why wouldn't you submit and hope for the best?

Yeah, it might hurt you, but you can't change what happened......

I totally agree. As long as it doesn't say, submit by X date, then you are fine.

Granted, submitting it earlier would have been better to help you get interviews but not submitting guarantees you won't get an interview. So submit it ASAP!

 

[Stagg737]

I've heard some people say that 2 weeks is the timeline that a lot of schools look at and submitting it later makes them think they are not a top choice. Some schools explicitly say that in their secondary e-mails, others it's assumed, and I've heard that some don't care. I have several that are over 2 weeks since I got 20 secondaries back over the course of just 2 days.

It might hurt you, might not. I'd apply anyway. As long as it's in relatively early I think a lot of schools will still take you seriously (mid-septemberish is what I was told by several admissions counselors). Obviously the sooner the better, so I'd get it in ASAP.

 

[IncognitoGuy]

I remember reading NickNaylor sent his UChicago secondary a month after he got it. And now he goes to school there.

If it's a well-written one, then it likely won't matter. I doubt it'll go against you that much (if at all).

EDIT: I would also like to add that support for a quick turnaround is more in the interest of your own sanity and workload - nobody wants to juggle 15+ simultaneous secondary essays. And of course for being complete and ready to be reviewed as soon as possible, which is part of the rolling admissions game.

 

[Stagg737]

edit: I would also like to add that support for a quick turnaround is more in the interest of your own sanity and workload - nobody wants to juggle 15+ simultaneous secondary essays. And of course for being complete and ready to be reviewed as soon as possible, which is part of the rolling admissions game.

+1

 

[riseNshine]

Does anyone know which schools the 2 week turnaround applies to?

 

[mcloaf]

Does anyone know which schools the 2 week turnaround applies to?

Every school where you can complete the secondary in two weeks...

 

[kyamh]

EDIT: I would also like to add that support for a quick turnaround is more in the interest of your own sanity and workload - nobody wants to juggle 15+ simultaneous secondary essays. And of course for being complete and ready to be reviewed as soon as possible, which is part of the rolling admissions game.

+2

There are a lot of factors to all of this. Many schools don't look at your application until all parts are in. I could have submitted secondaries until I'm exhausted but that wouldn't help me complete at schools earlier since my LOR committee letter wasn't sent out by my school until 3 days ago.

Plus, what's the point of stressing out at this point? You will be on equal footing with people who complete at the same time that you do once you submit this secondary. Right now, that's not a bad place to be.

 

[OCDOCDOCD]

If the school specifies they want the secondary back by a certain date and you miss it, then your chances at that school are zero. If the school says nothing but they have rolling admissions, then you want it in ASAP. If the school says nothing and does not have rolling admissions, it doesn't matter when you turn the secondary in.

 

[TheLadyVanishes]

OP - I submitted a secondary 19 days after receipt and received an interview invite last week.