Official 2008 Secondary Discussion Thread part 2

[FON86]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Does anybody know when people got secondaries from Drexel, NYMC, Rush, UMaryland, UToledo, and Wayne State last year? I haven't heard anybody getting these yet this year (maybe Toledo, but I can't remember now), so I'm just curious about how much longer it'll be. Thanks. 🙂

on rush's website they said it wouldn't be available until the 31st. I'm also waiting for Drexel and NYMC. checking last years thread it shows NYMC was out by the 19th but with the change in the MCAT idk how that will play this year. And Drexel's was out the 21st but of August.

 

[bullishMD]

if i submitted my LORs to a bunch of schools electronically today through interfolio how long do you think it will be til it is reflected on my status pages for these schools?

 

[UnderdogMD]

if i submitted my LORs to a bunch of schools electronically today through interfolio how long do you think it will be til it is reflected on my status pages for these schools?

If you sent them electronically (like I did) then they are available to the school immediately. Then it depends on when the school downloads them. One school I sent my LORs to sent me an email the very next day that my file is complete. I sent my letters to UIC 2 weeks ago and they are still not showing as received. So it depends on the school.

 

[viciouz]

Depends on the schools.

I know for a fact that university of cincinnati will not update the LOR's until they are finished with the previous cycle.

 

[viciouz]

What does it mean when your Wake Forest Status page says, "You will be receiving notification of your application status by e-mail."

 

[PermanentWaves]

I got the ETSU secondary today. Still waiting on: BU (for some reason), Maryland, NYMC, UNC, Wayne State and West Virginia.

The only one of those i'm really worried about it Boston. I know a bunch of people are complete at that school and I haven't even received a secondary yet. The MSAR says they don't screen, either.

 

[prznpremed]

I am still struggling with the RFU secondary. How horrible would it be to send in a paragraph when the space allotted is a page? Also, does anyone else find the phrase 'Life in Discovery' AND the explanation on their website to be incredibly vague... it's like it could be anything.

http://www.lifeindiscovery.com/lifeindiscovery/index.html

 

[viciouz]

OoOoO thats a toughie... I went about that by relating life experiences as life lessons, which ultimately led to me "discovering myself".

 

[Samus Aran]

so i just got a secondary app from vcu. lol @ them

i know there are lots of people on here who are way more qualified than me (in terms of mcat scores at least) to receive a secondary app, yet they didn't receive one and i just did. i'm not complaining though...

this process is just way too random.

 

[bullishMD]

do you think it is cheesy to write about a time during volunteering when you got to "scrub in" in the operating room? for the "If selected for an interview, what one life experience would you most like to talk about?" question on Albany's secondary

 

[UnderdogMD]

What does it mean when your Wake Forest Status page says, "You will be receiving notification of your application status by e-mail."

Mine has been saying that since last Wednesday night. I still have not received anything. I was looking through the SDN archives and I think it is a nice way of saying pre-secondary rejection. They are probably waiting to have enough pre-secondary rejected people so they can send out a mass email. Bummer man, I was down about it too.

 

[boo-yeh]

What does it mean when your Wake Forest Status page says, "You will be receiving notification of your application status by e-mail."

Not sure, but I sense it means a rejection (I'm not trying to be harsh...I got the same status page, too). The reason I say that is people who received the secondary had their status page change to something like "Congratulations, here's the link to the secondary!"

Sucks for us...🙁

 

[boo-yeh]

Mine has been saying that since last Wednesday night. I still have not received anything. I was looking through the SDN archives and I think it is a nice way of saying pre-secondary rejection. They are probably waiting to have enough pre-secondary rejected people so they can send out a mass email. Bummer man, I was down about it too.

Eh, Wake's loss.

 

[JKSD]

I saw some comments on this in the last thread, but I'd like some more advice.

BU's question: Please provide a narrative or timeline to describe any features of your educational history that you think may be part of particular interest to us.

Is this asking to discuss the summer class I took at X school and I've taken these 2 classes after graduating and why?

Or is it asking for us to give more description like how my transcript will show my maturation as a student, I took x classes for this reason...

Just not sure how to tackle this one.

 

[Bre]

I took BU's educational history essay as a chance to explain my low GPA. It seems like the kind of essay you can use to talk about basically anything you want as long as it makes your education look unique in some way.

 

[87138]

Students generally list anything medically relevant - Family members who are in the field, Volunteer/Work/Shadowing experience in the field, etc.

We are looking at how much of a sense of realism you have about the field of medicine.

And yes, brief means legible font and it must fit in that little 2-3 inch space please. I hate picking up an app that's filled to the max with words because my first thought is, "Great, I get to sift through the BS to get to the good stuff." 😴

Hope that helps. Good luck!

Thanks for the help (even though I wasn't the original question-asker).

Is it advisable to expand very slightly on what you did? For instance, would they rather read "I spent X months doing Y, followed by X months doing Z", or "I spent X months doing Y, where my duties included [medically-related task], [medically-related task], and [medically-related task]?

 

[doinmybest5840]

do you think it is cheesy to write about a time during volunteering when you got to "scrub in" in the operating room? for the "If selected for an interview, what one life experience would you most like to talk about?" question on Albany's secondary

If that's something you really would want to talk about, then I don't see anything wrong with that. I'm having trouble thinking of something to put for that question as well, though. 🙁

 

[doinmybest5840]

on rush's website they said it wouldn't be available until the 31st. I'm also waiting for Drexel and NYMC. checking last years thread it shows NYMC was out by the 19th but with the change in the MCAT idk how that will play this year. And Drexel's was out the 21st but of August.

21st of August? Oy. That's a while. But as long as I can get them all done by the time I start classes the day after Labor Day, I'll be happy.

 

[mvenus929]

Damn its quiet today... no new secondaries or emails in my inbox.

I got e-mails from the last two schools I sent secondaries to, saying that my file was complete. I've yet to hear anything from the 3 schools I sent things to first (including one of my top choices...).

 

[gobears1029]

Ok, I'm done writing my short answers for Johns Hopkins application and need someone to critique them. These are extremely personal so I want someone who will make a serious effort.

In addition, has anyone received secondaries from the following schools:
Duke, Harvard, Standford, or Mayo?

Do you mean STANFORD?

Make sure you get it right in the secondary (which isn't out yet, btw.)

 

[premeddick]

I submitted my secondary to Johns Hopkins a month ago and recently received a letter saying they received it. Today I got in the mail large white envelope from Johns Hopkins saying "Come Talk to Us about the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine." I thought for a minute that it was an interview invite and that they literally wanted to talk with me about the school but after opening it, it was just a form letter with an invite to complete the secondary that I have already completed.

 

[doinmybest5840]

I submitted my secondary to Johns Hopkins a month ago and recently received a letter saying they received it. Today I got in the mail large white envelope from Johns Hopkins saying "Come Talk to Us about the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine." I thought for a minute that it was an interview invite and that they literally wanted to talk with me about the school but after opening it, it was just a form letter with an invite to complete the secondary that I have already completed.

Good to know they're on top of things, eh?

 

[ShineForYou]

For some reason, I'm really stuck on the Mount Sinai question: .What makes you special, someone who will add to the Mount Sinai community?

Any suggestions? I'm tempted to write... "I just am. I've never had to explain it." But that doesn't really answer the question.

I feel like it's supposed to be an easy question and I'm just having a brain fart of sorts...
.

 

[Phoenix.]

For some reason, I'm really stuck on the Mount Sinai question: .What makes you special, someone who will add to the Mount Sinai community?

Any suggestions? I'm tempted to write... "I just am. I've never had to explain it." But that doesn't really answer the question.

I feel like it's supposed to be an easy question and I'm just having a brain fart of sorts...
.

I'm not applying there, but I would read that more as a broader diversity question. As in, what special background, perspectives, experiences, etc. will be contributing to our student body?

 

[jimmyl930]

I'm working in a research lab during my year off (I actually graduated a year early so this would have been my senior year). For secondaries that ask about what you're doing if already out of school, how in depth/technically do you think I should describe my research work? Also, should I explain why I wanted to graduate early or something like that?

Thanks a lot.

 

[viciouz]

I got e-mails from the last two schools I sent secondaries to, saying that my file was complete. I've yet to hear anything from the 3 schools I sent things to first (including one of my top choices...).

what schools?

 

[mvenus929]

I submitted my secondary to Johns Hopkins a month ago and recently received a letter saying they received it.

Yeah, I just got that a couple days ago too.

what schools?

NYU and USC (Carolina)

 

[ParvatiP]

I got NYMC's secondary (invitation via email) today. Luckily, no essays!

 

[Phoenix.]

For anyone else in the same position, if you took the June 15th MCAT and previously received the Loyola pre-secondary hold letter, they are currently screening our applications right now and we should be receiving a letter inviting us to complete the secondary (or not) in 1 to 2 weeks. That info is from someone at Loyola's admissions office.

 

[bullishMD]

anyone else get an under construction message when they try to check their university of rochester status

 

[cac08]

anyone else get an under construction message when they try to check their university of rochester status

yeah, I've been getting that for a week. But right before that I saw that my application was complete. phew!

 

[Daydreamer2008]

Do you mean STANFORD?

Make sure you get it right in the secondary (which isn't out yet, btw.)

geez! Relax 😛

 

[bullishMD]

yeah, I've been getting that for a week. But right before that I saw that my application was complete. phew!

yeah i want to check if my application is complete

 

[Samus Aran]

usc-keck's secondary just arrived via email

 

[silverlining1]

usc-keck's secondary just arrived via email

Here are the prompts http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=5410244&postcount=202

 

[Phoenix.]

usc-keck's secondary just arrived via email

For anyone else who is confused by this:

For USC's secondary, in the required courses section you have a choice between two boxes to check: that you've completed a pre-req course, or that you are "in progress." I called and asked about that since I intend to take Biochem before matriculating at USC if I should be so lucky as to be accepted, but the class is not actually "in progress" at the moment since I would be taking it in 2008. The guy in the admissions office said that if you intend to take a required course before matriculating, to just check off "in progress" even if you're not currently enrolled.

 

[wutwinb]

has anyone been complete at any of these schools:


temple
penn state
columbia
pitt
albert einstein



i sent in my secondaries and LOR about ten days ago, and haven't heard anything yet. thanks!

 

[viciouz]

has anyone been complete at any of these schools:


temple
penn state
columbia
pitt
albert einstein


i sent in my secondaries and LOR about ten days ago, and haven't heard anything yet. thanks!

Complete at Penn State... but no idea on AECOM

 

[DianaUT06]

Geez, my inbox has been terribly quiet the last 2 days...what gives? I know more of my secondaries are out there...probably floating around cyberspace. 🙄

 

[pennquaker08]

Geez, my inbox has been terribly quiet the last 2 days...what gives? I know more of my secondaries are out there...probably floating around cyberspace. 🙄

Same here...I know NYU and Brown are out there, yet I have not yet received them. I'm getting bored!!!

 

[relf]

I called AECOM today, and they said "nobody is complete yet"....

 

[mvenus929]

I called AECOM today, and they said "nobody is complete yet"....

Well, I should hope not, since they received my secondary like a week ago (a little more, I think), and they haven't cashed my check yet. I think that they're one of the slower schools.

 

[DocNick]

University of Maryland secondary is out.

 

[Daydreamer2008]

I got NYMC's secondary (invitation via email) today. Luckily, no essays!

umm. NYMC where are youuuuu!!??

 

[waitforme]

yeah just got Univ. Maryland's today.

does anybody know how to check mount sinai status? thanks!

 

[whateva07]

Yup got umd today. do they screen? for some reason I dont think they do.

Also, I could not find the secondary proof readers thread on sdn? I saw it one time, if any of you could post a link for that thread it would be a grand help!

 

[cruz21]

is anyone complete at loyola yet? i sent my application in over a week ago (snail mail) and called today and they said they don't have it yet and to call back thursday...so maybe they "have" it but just haven't sorted their mail and stuff? i really hope it didn't get lost in the mail

 

[MahSpoon]

I was verified 7/19 and using a link to the Michigan secondary, I can log in and it recognizes my name. However, I never got an email from them inviting me to start. Did anyone else get an email or did you guys just start filling it out?

 

[dancinRN1022]

Is there a thread that states which schools sreen for secondaries?? and which ones don't...my AMCAS was verified on 7/13th and I am still waiting from some MD secs... for instance...Albany,Drexel,Harvard, Howard, MYmed, Northwestern, Rosalind, Stony Brook, Upstate, Toledo, UCLA, and wakeforest... uh oh I think I applied to too many schools...🙂
what would would the minimum cutoff for screened because now I am getting worried:-(...well kind of🙂

thanks Mel🙂

 

[whateva07]

So I sent in my application to vcu on the 18th, and my LORS were submitted the 16th. Then I emailed vcu today bc I saw my application was incomplete, and later my status was updated to complete...but it said complete on the 24th, and I was actually complete on the 18th. Should I email them back, would it make a difference?? bc it says candidates are granted interview based on priority score and date complete....so I dont know.