How to understand secondary questions

[Red_Jay]

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For example, this one: Do you have unique experiences or obstacles that you have overcome that were not covered in your application about which you would like to inform our Admissions Committee? (maximum 3000 characters including spaces)

In my understanding, this is a diversity question and I can talk about what "unique experiences" I had. Or am I wrong? Is it specifically asking me to talk about an experience about me overcoming an obstacle?

Thanks!

 

[Pagan FutureDoc]

edit: how the heck did this post in the wrong thread?

 

[Goro]

How on Earth are you going to pass the VR portion of MCAT when you can't understand a very simple instruction???

For example, this one: Do you have unique experiences or obstacles that you have overcome that were not covered in your application about which you would like to inform our Admissions Committee? (maximum 3000 characters including spaces)

In my understanding, this is a diversity question and I can talk about what "unique experiences" I had. Or am I wrong? Is it specifically asking me to talk about an experience about me overcoming an obstacle?

Thanks!

 

[dinotso]

You can talk about either a unique experience or an obstacle... Or a unique experience overcoming an obstacle.

 

[radioactive15]

How on Earth are you going to pass the VR portion of MCAT when you can't understand a very simple instruction???

Do adcoms expect applicants to answer these questions? The prompt makes it seem optional, but I'm guessing not many people leave it blank

 

[LizzyM]

Isn't this an optional question?

If you didn't include something in your PS or disadvantaged statement but that is relevant (your house burned down, you were in the ICU for 4 weeks, horrible things happened in your immediate family and you were raised by relatives or in foster care, or something "unique" such as you sailed around the world with your parents when you were 12) then you should include it. This isn't an excuse for bad grades or anything but something autobiographical.

 

[ProspectiveKidd]

"Do you have unique experiences or obstacles that you have overcome? That you have not mentioned in your app?"

"Is this a diversity question where I can talk about what unique experiences I had? Or nah?"

"That will be all for today thanks m8."

 

[Red_Jay]

It is an optional question. I was going to talk about my entrepreneurship and my relevant experiences in undergrad but thanks everyone for the opinions.

 

[MaxPlancker]

Optional questions are TRULY optional. I think I left every optional question I came across blank 😀

What you don't want to do is come off as desperate, lacking thought, or in some way you didn't intend with you response. Unless you have something truly good for that question, leave it blank and save yourself the risk.

 

[nwts]

Optional questions are TRULY optional. I think I left every optional question I came across blank 😀

What you don't want to do is come off as desperate, lacking thought, or in some way you didn't intend with you response. Unless you have something truly good for that question, leave it blank and save yourself the risk.

What this person said. Part of the point of an optional question is to determine whether or not the person answering has decent judgment. If you answer all optional questions (even ones you don't have a good or relevant answer to) because you feel like you shouldn't leave anything blank, you aren't exhibiting good judgment. Optional questions that basically boil down to: "Is there anything pertinent to your application that we haven't heard about yet?" should only be answered by a small group of the applicant pool since most people don't have anything terribly relevant and important to add. If you do, though, by all means answer.