"Not addressed elsewhere in your application" secondary question

[hebrewBAMmer]

I'm pre-writing secondaries and had a question about the optional essay topic to address something to the admissions committee about something not in the rest of the application. I wanted to use this section to talk about the diversity I'd bring to the school as an LGBT individual.

However, one of my activities listed is an extracurricular about how I joined a once-per-week discussion forum for both LGBT and non-LGBT individuals to talk about issues that face the LGBT community at large.

Would the diversity statement count as something "not in the rest of the application" or is that too close to count? If it's too close, then I will just replace this extracurricular with something else. Thanks!

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[efle]

Would the diversity statement count as something "not in the rest of the application" or is that too close to count? If it's too close, then I will just replace this extracurricular with something else. Thanks!

I'm not sure I follow. You don't feel it would be enough to have the LGBT activity entry and discuss it in the diversity prompt that is in almost every secondary? You absolutely positively want to use this "anything else" space on the primary?

 

[LizzyM]

The "anything else" is usually reserved for a situation that doesn't otherwise have a place on the application:

1) some odd situation that didn't fit in your PS that caused you to miss a semester of school.
2) you are a super-legacy (at least 3 generations before you have attended that university)
3) you have an identical twin who is also applying to medical school

You get the idea.

 

[Goro]

I'm pre-writing secondaries and had a question about the optional essay topic to address something to the admissions committee about something not in the rest of the application. I wanted to use this section to talk about the diversity I'd bring to the school as an LGBT individual.

However, one of my activities listed is an extracurricular about how I joined a once-per-week discussion forum for both LGBT and non-LGBT individuals to talk about issues that face the LGBT community at large.

Would the diversity statement count as something "not in the rest of the application" or is that too close to count? If it's too close, then I will just replace this extracurricular with something else. Thanks!

I hate to be harsh, but what part of "Not addressed elsewhere in your application" don't you understand???

Keep the LGBT forum EC in the list of ECs, and save something else for this prompt.

 

[hebrewBAMmer]

I'm not sure I follow. You don't feel it would be enough to have the LGBT activity entry and discuss it in the diversity prompt that is in almost every secondary? You absolutely positively want to use this "anything else" space on the primary?

Oh sorry, let me clarify. In the primary application, I was considering adding one of my ECs for the LGBT activity entry. For some secondaries that don't include diversity, some ask if there's anything else I want to include not discussed in the rest of the application. In those secondaries, I wanted to discuss the diversity. However, I couldn't do so if the LGBT activity entry would count as "addressed elsewhere in your application" when discussing my ability to bring diversity as an LGBT individual. If that was the case, then I would consider dropping the EC entry on the primary so I could discuss diversity in the secondary for schools that don't directly ask it but ask if I want to tell the admissions committee anything.

I agree with the above. Why wouldn't use this as your primary diversity essay?

Oh, I am! This is more for schools that don't ask a diversity question but just ask if there's anything else I want to share with the admissions committee (e.g. Dartmouth)

The "anything else" is usually reserved for a situation that doesn't otherwise have a place on the application:

1) some odd situation that didn't fit in your PS that caused you to miss a semester of school.
2) you are a super-legacy (at least 3 generations before you have attended that university)
3) you have an identical twin who is also applying to medical school

You get the idea.

Oh interesting, because a different adcom told me that the diversity statement was appropriate for this section (and I've read that even though this section is "optional", it shouldn't really be left blank)

I hate to be harsh, but what part of "Not addressed elsewhere in your application" don't you understand???

Keep the LGBT forum EC in the list of ECs, and save something else for this prompt.

I was more wondering how strictly interpreted "Not addressed elsewhere in your application" is. In this case, the activity itself was an E.C., but that activity doesn't explain how I would bring diversity. Hence the diversity aspect would be something to bring up that wasn't really brought up previously (even though the LGBT theme is similar)

 

[LizzyM]

If there is nothing that hasn't already been covered in your application, why would you waste your time writing an essay about what has not been covered previously and why would you want me as an adcom to waste my time reading it.

 

[hebrewBAMmer]

If there is nothing that hasn't already been covered in your application, why would you waste your time writing an essay about what has not been covered previously and why would you want me as an adcom to waste my time reading it.

Because of this thread: "If there's anything else you'd like us to know"

Mainly the part where you had mentioned that leaving a blank implies the applicant doesn't care enough to spend time on the application since the questions for that thread and this thread are very similar.

 

[Toutie]

Because of this thread: "If there's anything else you'd like us to know"

Mainly the part where you had mentioned that leaving a blank implies the applicant doesn't care enough to spend time on the application since the questions for that thread and this thread are very similar.

I know a couple people who left that blank and were accepted to UCSF. If you have nothing to add, don't add anything.

 

[Lawpy]

If there is nothing that hasn't already been covered in your application, why would you waste your time writing an essay about what has not been covered previously and why would you want me as an adcom to waste my time reading it.

Because of this thread: "If there's anything else you'd like us to know"

Mainly the part where you had mentioned that leaving a blank implies the applicant doesn't care enough to spend time on the application since the questions for that thread and this thread are very similar.

hmmm that's interesting how views change over 10+ years

Make the effort to tell something about yourself that you haven't elaborated on in the other secondary questions and how this ties in to your particular interest in that specific school. Basically "this is who I am and this is why I'm attracted to you" -- sort of a love letter to the school. Schools are particularly interested in attracting applicants who will accept the offer of admission even if they have other offers on the table, so pointing out your particular interest, while also highlighting your strongest attributes is a win/win. Don't waste the opportunity to show the school some

I try not to leave any questions blank unless absolutely necessary. If I were on adcom...if would take it as that the applicant doesn't care enough to spend time on the application.

And that is how many adcom members interprete a blank.

is it better to risk being redundant while answering thoughtfully or is it better to be concise and risk giving off impressions that i'm not interested?

 

[LizzyM]

Because of this thread: "If there's anything else you'd like us to know"

Mainly the part where you had mentioned that leaving a blank implies the applicant doesn't care enough to spend time on the application since the questions for that thread and this thread are very similar.

That was 10 years ago. Times change.

 

[Lawpy]

That was 10 years ago. Times change.

wait so the following is no longer commonly held?

I try not to leave any questions blank unless absolutely necessary. If I were on adcom...if would take it as that the applicant doesn't care enough to spend time on the application.

And that is how many adcom members interprete a blank.

so leaving this essay prompt blank and optional essays blank is acceptable?

 

[LizzyM]

If something is optional, it is optional. I wouldn't force an answer into an optional box. Everyone is being pressed to do more and I'm seeing a lot of fatigue in admissions folks. Have mercy.