Is is possible to travel abroad after you submit application?

[2ne1]

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I am planning to submit my app in early June, possible within a week after the application opens.
I am planning to travel abroad and am not sure if it would be possible because of secondaries (I don't know when to expect for secondaries to come to me)
I am applying to all california schools, columbia, penn, tufts, bu and etc..
Anyone who already went through all the application process, do you think it will be ok to travel abroad for about 2 months? I will be able to work on secondaries during the trip if I need to.
I am thinking leaving US around the end of June~early July and come back here in mid-August.
Any advice will be help. Seems like people around me do not really have the answer. Thanks!

 

[KarateTooth]

I did something similar to this with medical schools last year. Did you already take the DAT?

It was fine except for all of the lost time I spent studying for the MCAT and preparing my application. If you're okay with the possibility of holing up and filling out secondaries every once in awhile then it's okay. I had a lot of trouble focusing while I was abroad and regret a lot of awesome opportunities lost because I was sitting on the computer filling out things.

It may be possible to find the secondary prompts from previous years and write them ahead of time. They're similar across schools, and are the same from year to year often.

 

[rnbaxter]

I am planning to submit my app in early June, possible within a week after the application opens.
I am planning to travel abroad and am not sure if it would be possible because of secondaries (I don't know when to expect for secondaries to come to me)
I am applying to all california schools, columbia, penn, tufts, bu and etc..
Anyone who already went through all the application process, do you think it will be ok to travel abroad for about 2 months? I will be able to work on secondaries during the trip if I need to.
I am thinking leaving US around the end of June~early July and come back here in mid-August.
Any advice will be help. Seems like people around me do not really have the answer. Thanks!

I'm traveling abroad to Africa in same situation as you. I see no difficulties in it. Get the secondaries in when your back; the application process is long. If your AADSAS application is good you will get an interview if it is not the secondary is essentially irrelevant.

 

[2ne1]

Thanks for the replies. I am done with DAT and in process of collecting letters. So hopefully , I can submit the app in early June. Is there any secondary that I have to mail(using snail mail) in or have to physically "write" or sign? I am concerned about those ones.. I can work on some secondaries ahead of time, or submit them electronically but if I have to use snail mail, I would have to use international mailing.. Does anybody know the schools that have those kind of secondaries (need to use snail mail or sign)?

And how important is secondary app? If I submit my primary early, and secondary late, then would I be considered as a "late applicant"?

 

[SRS9]

I do think there are a few which require you to post the secondaries in, though many are online.
I believe once schools receive secondaries they look at the complete applicant file to decide if you should be called for an interview. So if you send in secondaries late, you will be called for an interview late and sort of be in the same pool as the "late applicants". Also, some schools have deadlines on when they need you to send in the secondaries, I know University of Washington asked me to send it in within 3 weeks and it was an application through snail mail.

 

[coolfez]

most secondary are already up, so for the ones that absolutely require snail mail, then do them before you leave and have someone mail them for you. Don't submit them earlier than they tell you to since some will throw them away if it's too early.

also, email the school and ask them if you have to do snail mail absolutely. I am sure some will allow you to send in an electronic copy.

 

[suhshi]

most secondary are already up, so for the ones that absolutely require snail mail, then do them before you leave and have someone mail them for you. Don't submit them earlier than they tell you to since some will throw them away if it's too early.

also, email the school and ask them if you have to do snail mail absolutely. I am sure some will allow you to send in an electronic copy.

do you know which schools require a secondary?
and how can i see what the secondaries look like so i can start on them?

thanks in advance

 

[coolfez]

I want to say almost every school out there requires a secondary?

Some of them are already on the website, and some of them, they will actually send you a link via email or something once they receive your application.

example: I know NOVA has a scondary up when you sign up for an account,you will have access to it. Frankly, I like schools with secondaries because you can explain any weakness in ur application hopefully come across as very likable.

 

[jbravo12]

Don't forget checks you'll need to send in to schools around that time. Unless you can get someone else to write em for you. Or if you can, try traveling after the whole process? If things work out, you'll have a lot more time that way. I got into school and am currently in the middle of a six month trip abroad before classes start.

 

[psi169]

Dental school secondaries are NOT like med school secondaries. I applied to a handful of schools. All the secondaries consisted of mailing them a check, signing a form that I swear I am not a felon, sending them my transcripts, and/or verifying my shadowing hours and DAT. Its not like you have to sit down and do essays; you just have to fill out a form or two and send money. Of course, some dental schools could have essays, that was just my experience.

Lots of kids in my program are going to med school and their secondaries are NO joke. One secondary may have 3 short essays, another secondary may have 1 long essay with a verrrrrry open ended prompt. And if you are applying to ten schools... A few of my friends never finished with some secondaries because they ended up getting overwhelmed with balancing the dozens of essays on top of their school work.

And you can include your studying abroad on your "planned" coursework section with the best intentions of going. If it changes, then you can change it when your academic update rolls around.

 

[DATlongshui]

Dental school secondaries are NOT like med school secondaries. I applied to a handful of schools. All the secondaries consisted of mailing them a check, signing a form that I swear I am not a felon, sending them my transcripts, and/or verifying my shadowing hours and DAT. Its not like you have to sit down and do essays; you just have to fill out a form or two and send money. Of course, some dental schools could have essays, that was just my experience.

I am also planning to travel abroad for 3 weeks after submitting applications (hopefully early June). When would be a good time window to do that?