"IS there anything else you'd like to share with admissions"

[KatieJune]

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So several schools are asking if "there's anything else you'd like to share with the admissions commitee" in their secondary applications. What are you guys writing about? I worked so hard to address as much as possible in my personal statement that I could elaborate on it, but I'm not sure if they care or not. Also, some schools have no space limit - should I write another essay? Please help. Thanks!

 

[crazy250]

yes you should write more. use this space to elaborate on anything you feel will make you stand out from the cookie-cutter premeds (30, 3.5, research, and volunteer stuff).

 

[VFrank]

Also, use this space to explain any inconsistancies in your application (i.e. a really low GPA one semester)

 

[thewzdoc]

Sell sell sell yourself. This is your chance to further persuade the committee to offer you an interview. Reinforce your strong areas or shore-up the weak ones in your application.

 

[Dr.LeoSpaceman]

I also had a thought about these types of questions, and I just thought I would include it in a similar thread. In my PS, I focused on some of the things I thought that made me stand out a bit more. However, I did this at the expense of omission of talking about how much I enjoy research I do (I have LOR from my PIs, and explained it in the ECs, so I didn't think it would be very necessary because it was a strength of my application already). Would it be ok to include a discussion of this in the "extra comments" section? And what about mentioned an interest in pursuing some clinical research becasue of this, even if I don't want an MD/PhD? I feel like thi can't hurt, especially to big academic medicine schools. Also, is a further discussion of my passion to become a doctor acceptable (I feel like there is more I could say in this regard)? Or will this stuff just make me too "cookie-cutter"? Any opinions?

 

[Realest]

How much is there to talk about though? Adcom's don't spend all that much time on apps, and I feel like belaboring certain points is just going to piss them off. Doesn't that question ask for the same things you should have addressed in your PS anyway? I feel like using personal problems to make excuses for bad grades can be somewhat risky. My policy thus far has been to say that my grades might have suffered here or there, but the personal growth that resulted from such an expense has more than compensated for them. I didn't go into details, because I don't even think that's any of their business, and besides, everyone has their share of problems.

The only other thing I can imagine somebody might want to elaborate on in that extra page is why they want to be a doctor. I feel like the personal statement should have been your main platform for pitching yourself to adcoms. I don't know, maybe I'm just being lazy????

 

[nomo15]

Yeah do I need to explain in this question why one year I had a lower gpa than the other years, if it wasn't terrible (mostly a lot of B's and B+'s)?

 

[ms2209]

The only other thing I can imagine somebody might want to elaborate on in that extra page is why they want to be a doctor. I feel like the personal statement should have been your main platform for pitching yourself to adcoms. I don't know, maybe I'm just being lazy????

I concur. I feel that my primary application does a good job of presenting the "whole me", and I don't see the necessity for blathering on just to fill up extra space. I'm sure there are others who have gaps in the application or feel the need to add something else, but personally speaking, I'd rather not waste the ad-com's time rehashing things that they can read in another part of my application.

 

[Quynh2007]

Yeah do I need to explain in this question why one year I had a lower gpa than the other years, if it wasn't terrible (mostly a lot of B's and B+'s)?

My friend who applied last year said that he explained why he had a C+ in gen. chem 1st semester frosh yr(and how he dropped some jobs so that he could get a B second sem.) and why his second semester soph year was so ****ty (again went from a B+ in orgo first sem. to C+ in orgo), and when interviewer asked him, he told them why in further detail. I would recommend explaining why grades are lower if they were significantly different. he got into UF

 

[nomo15]

thanks for your help!