How much time are you planning to allocate to Secondary Applications?

[MrBeans]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Just curious, how much time do you guys spend on your Secondary Applications relative to your Personal Statement and AADSAS application responses?

Despite having similar questions, it seems very time consuming to dedicate a lot of time to all schools one is applying to (say, approximately 12-20 schools).

Just curious; and thanks for your responses!

 

[GoldTigerPirate]

However much time it takes to comprehensively answer the questions asked. For your sake, I hope you don't ask silly questions like this during your interviews.

 

[2PacClone23]

However much time it takes to comprehensively answer the questions asked. For your sake, I hope you don't ask silly questions like this during your interviews.

Well I wanted to know too. Some schools like Western U want their secondaries due during the AADSAS application which can be quite time consuming

 

[Astros1fan]

Well I wanted to know too. Some schools like Western U want their secondaries due during the AADSAS application which can be quite time consuming

Well, let's see, what are your options? Do the secondary or not! Pretty simple I think. If you don't want to apply to that school then don't. If you need to do things that are required by the schools that you are applying to then quit complaining and just do them. Simple stuff people! That's life, sometimes you have to do things that you don't want to do but are necessary, get over it!

Completely agree with you GoldTigerPirate! That's exactly what I was thinking.

 

[solstice]

Just curious, how much time do you guys spend on your Secondary Applications relative to your Personal Statement and AADSAS application responses?

Despite having similar questions, it seems very time consuming to dedicate a lot of time to all schools one is applying to (say, approximately 12-20 schools).

Just curious; and thanks for your responses!

It depends on the school you are applying. Some will take just a few minutes as they only require you to answer simple personal question and write a check, some will take longer. For me UCSF took the longest. It has 5 essay questions and took me about two weeks to write something I was happy with (Of course I had other things to do during day).

 

[MrBeans]

It depends on the school you are applying. Some will take just a few minutes as they only require you to answer simple personal question and write a check, some will take longer. For me UCSF took the longest. It has 5 essay questions and took me about two weeks to write something I was happy with (Of course I had other things to do during day).

Thanks for your response!

I was looking at last year's secondary applications and some are quite involved; 5 essays like you said.

It's good to know that you spent some serious time considering what to write; I will do the same. It seems very easy for an applicant to just hammer something out in 5 minutes if the person is applying to 20 schools (half of which have 5 essay secondaries).

Personally I agree with your strategy, as I think the long secondaries bear as much importance as the, in example, PS.

 

[476515678234896]

2 weeks for 5 essays sounds really long

what was the word limit on the UCSF essays?
are they public knowledge or do schools not release the topics until secondaries come out?/do they change from year to year?

 

[Denteeth]

Just curious, how much time do you guys spend on your Secondary Applications relative to your Personal Statement and AADSAS application responses?

Despite having similar questions, it seems very time consuming to dedicate a lot of time to all schools one is applying to (say, approximately 12-20 schools).

Just curious; and thanks for your responses!

Dude, treat those 2nd apps like your PS and make sure they resonate with your PS as well. Solstice is correct - UCSF 2nd app was killer and it took me well over 2 weeks to finish but it was worth it though. All in all, make sure you treat them like your PS and have a couple of folks proof read them for grammar, spellings and all the other good stuff....

Good luck...

 

[MrBeans]

2 weeks for 5 essays sounds really long

what was the word limit on the UCSF essays?
are they public knowledge or do schools not release the topics until secondaries come out?/do they change from year to year?

The questions seems to be similar from year to year, although they can change!

The secondaries usually do not become available until after admissions opening.

 

[MrBeans]

Dude, treat those 2nd apps like your PS and make sure they resonate with your PS as well. Solstice is correct - UCSF 2nd app was killer and it took me well over 2 weeks to finish but it was worth it though. All in all, make sure you treat them like your PS and have a couple of folks proof read them for grammar, spellings and all the other good stuff....

Good luck...

Thanks for the encouragement and advice! 👍

 

[Vicviper]

Most secondaries that have spaces for a "short response" aren't looking for an essay, maybe just a paragraph or two. The nice thing about most "short response" questions is that almost all the schools ask the same question - so after you've written one, you just modify it slightly for the next school, so the first one takes the longest, after that it's downhill. Get them done ASAP, I took my time and suffered for it last year.

 

[DDSTX]

Well, let's see, what are your options? Do the secondary or not! Pretty simple I think. If you don't want to apply to that school then don't. If you need to do things that are required by the schools that you are applying to then quit complaining and just do them. Simple stuff people! That's life, sometimes you have to do things that you don't want to do but are necessary, get over it!

Completely agree with you GoldTigerPirate! That's exactly what I was thinking.

WOW...look who is talking

dear astro fan or should I call you V. -- do I need to remind how WELL you did in your interviews last year <hint- UTDB>

 

[476515678234896]

The questions seems to be similar from year to year, although they can change!

The secondaries usually do not become available until after admissions opening.

thanks

WOW...look who is talking

dear astro fan or should I call you V. -- do I need to remind how WELL you did in your interviews last year <hint- UTDB>

stalker 😀

 

[Astros1fan]

WOW...look who is talking

dear astro fan or should I call you V. -- do I need to remind how WELL you did in your interviews last year <hint- UTDB>

That really isn't the same thing as what we are talking about here. But you don't need to remind me of how WELL I did because apparently after that interview I got in with the first batch after the Dec. 1st acceptances. So I guess I did do WELL! 😀

Again, I'm curious as to who you are. You apparently know who I am so this isn't really fair is it? If you were at that interview date then the only people I can think of are N, A, S, and R. Does your first name start with any of these letters?

 

[MrBeans]

That really isn't the same thing as what we are talking about here. But you don't need to remind me of how WELL I did because apparently after that interview I got in with the first batch after the Dec. 1st acceptances. So I guess I did do WELL! 😀

Again, I'm curious as to who you are. You apparently know who I am so this isn't really fair is it? If you were at that interview date then the only people I can think of are N, A, S, and R. Does your first name start with any of these letters?

How funny, it almost seems like an technological version of telephone tag or something!

 

[DDSTX]

That really isn't the same thing as what we are talking about here. But you don't need to remind me of how WELL I did because apparently after that interview I got in with the first batch after the Dec. 1st acceptances. So I guess I did do WELL! 😀

Again, I'm curious as to who you are. You apparently know who I am so this isn't really fair is it? If you were at that interview date then the only people I can think of are N, A, S, and R. Does your first name start with any of these letters?

May be your acceptance has something to do with your URM status because your mediocre and below average GPA/DAT definitely did not get you in…..

have a good weekend....

 

[Astros1fan]

May be your acceptance has something to do with your URM status because your mediocre and below average GPA/DAT definitely did not get you in…..

have a good weekend....

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Someone seems a little bitter. It seems that we are going to get along just fine classmate. Well since you seem to know all about me, how about you find me when class starts and we can sit down and have a cup of coffee and I can get to know you. Deal? Awesome. See you at orientation. 🙂

 

[DDSTX]

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Someone seems a little bitter. It seems that we are going to get along just fine classmate. Well since you seem to know all about me, how about you find me when class starts and we can sit down and have a cup of coffee and I can get to know you. Deal? Awesome. See you at orientation. 🙂

"bitter", why??? and what makes you think that I'm your classmate?or even a dental student for that matter 🙂

 

[GoldTigerPirate]

May be your acceptance has something to do with your URM status because your mediocre and below average GPA/DAT definitely did not get you in…..

have a good weekend....

"bitter", why??? and what makes you think that I'm your classmate?or even a dental student for that matter 🙂

With an attitude and borderline bigot mentality like yours, I sure hope you are not a future dentist; or any other health professional for that matter.

 

[2PacClone23]

lets stay on topic

 

[Sauce]

Attempt to bring it back...

In my opinion and experience secondaries are as important if not more so than your primary. The relevant posts earlier gave good information but I want to add a couple of things.

1. Timing is everything. Not taking to long is very important. If you are trying to Fedex your secondary the day before its due it may hurt you in the long run. Its kinda like when you call a girl to ask her out and she doesn't answer. Depending on how long it takes for her to call you back says something about her level of interest.

2. What you write is important. If a school has a detailed secondary it means for whatever reason they don't feel like the primary app is sufficient and depending on the detail they may or may not even really look at your primary. Do a good job but don't spend so much time that you take too long to get it back.

Some schools are really easy like was said earlier write you name on a piece of paper and write a check and some are much more difficult. (UCSF was a pain and UCLA was not walk in the park either.) Also don't buy your plane ticket for an interview when you get your secondary app. Some schools getting a secondary app means something but a lot of them just means that you get the privilege of spending more money to maybe get into their school.

 

[MrBeans]

Attempt to bring it back...

In my opinion and experience secondaries are as important if not more so than your primary. The relevant posts earlier gave good information but I want to add a couple of things.

1. Timing is everything. Not taking to long is very important. If you are trying to Fedex your secondary the day before its due it may hurt you in the long run. Its kinda like when you call a girl to ask her out and she doesn't answer. Depending on how long it takes for her to call you back says something about her level of interest.

2. What you write is important. If a school has a detailed secondary it means for whatever reason they don't feel like the primary app is sufficient and depending on the detail they may or may not even really look at your primary. Do a good job but don't spend so much time that you take too long to get it back.

Some schools are really easy like was said earlier write you name on a piece of paper and write a check and some are much more difficult. (UCSF was a pain and UCLA was not walk in the park either.) Also don't buy your plane ticket for an interview when you get your secondary app. Some schools getting a secondary app means something but a lot of them just means that you get the privilege of spending more money to maybe get into their school.

Excellent advice! Thank you!👍

 

[dctim211]

For what it's worth, of the 20 schools that I'm applying to this round, only 10 require a supplemental app. 5 of which are not due until they contact you upon receiving your AADSAS app (so you don't have to worry about finishing them by June 3). Also, as others have mentioned, many of the supplemental apps take very little time and the ones with multiple longer response questions are limited to a few schools.

My 2 cents.