reapplicant questions on secondaries

[dudewheresmymd]

If you apply to one school A this cycle without knowing your MCAT score are successfully verified, and then decide to withdraw from the cycle, I am aware that you will not be considered a reapplicant w/ respect to the primary AMCAS for the next cycle to any school which did not receive your primary (schools B, C, D etc).

But I have heard from a few friends that schools sometimes ask whether you have applied previously to any medical schools in general on their secondaries. Can anyone verify this as beng true? Do a lot of secondaries ask this? And if you did not send out your primary to schools B, C, & D last cycle, and they have a question like this on their secondary, how do you answer it if you applied to school A last cycle and not B,C or D?

I'm wondering if this questions is school specific or applies to any other school to which you may have applied? I know a lot of people say send out your primary early to one school and if your MCAT doesn't pan out you can withdraw after being verified, but what about these apparent secondary questions that ask if you have applied to medical school before?


Thanks!

 

[mirimonster]

If you apply to one school A this cycle without knowing your MCAT score are successfully verified, and then decide to withdraw from the cycle, I am aware that you will not be considered a reapplicant w/ respect to the primary AMCAS for the next cycle to any school which did not receive your primary (schools B, C, D etc).

But I have heard from a few friends that schools sometimes ask whether you have applied previously to any medical schools in general on their secondaries. Can anyone verify this as beng true? Do a lot of secondaries ask this? And if you did not send out your primary to schools B, C, & D last cycle, and they have a question like this on their secondary, how do you answer it if you applied to school A last cycle and not B,C or D?

I'm wondering if this questions is school specific or applies to any other school to which you may have applied? I know a lot of people say send out your primary early to one school and if your MCAT doesn't pan out you can withdraw after being verified, but what about these apparent secondary questions that ask if you have applied to medical school before?


Thanks!

Yes, there are a few schools that ask if you have previously applied to ANY medical school, but i think I only got that question once out of the 30 or so secondaries I completed this cycle, so it's really not common and easy to avoid if you're really worried about it.

More often, the question came up for me during interviews. The older MCAT and gap after undergrad were a giveaway, and a few schools figured it out even when I wasnt a reapplicant for them. Just answer honestly. If they ask why you didn't apply to their school previously, say something along the lines of how you realized you weren't ready to apply so you withdrew, but now that you are ready this is the school you want to go to. The key is to turn everything positive. Don't dwell on your shortcomings from last cycle - redirect the focus to all the awesome things you've done since and why you're such an awesome fit for their school and how you're 100% ready now.

 

[dudewheresmymd]

Yes, there are a few schools that ask if you have previously applied to ANY medical school, but i think I only got that question once out of the 30 or so secondaries I completed this cycle, so it's really not common and easy to avoid if you're really worried about it.

More often, the question came up for me during interviews. The older MCAT and gap after undergrad were a giveaway, and a few schools figured it out even when I wasnt a reapplicant for them. Just answer honestly. If they ask why you didn't apply to their school previously, say something along the lines of how you realized you weren't ready to apply so you withdrew, but now that you are ready this is the school you want to go to. The key is to turn everything positive. Don't dwell on your shortcomings from last cycle - redirect the focus to all the awesome things you've done since and why you're such an awesome fit for their school and how you're 100% ready now.

Wow excellent reply. Thanks so much. Saw your MDapp profile, congrats on the acceptances this cycle!

 

[OhHey]

Yes, there are a few schools that ask if you have previously applied to ANY medical school, but i think I only got that question once out of the 30 or so secondaries I completed this cycle, so it's really not common and easy to avoid if you're really worried about it.

More often, the question came up for me during interviews. The older MCAT and gap after undergrad were a giveaway, and a few schools figured it out even when I wasnt a reapplicant for them. Just answer honestly. If they ask why you didn't apply to their school previously, say something along the lines of how you realized you weren't ready to apply so you withdrew, but now that you are ready this is the school you want to go to. The key is to turn everything positive. Don't dwell on your shortcomings from last cycle - redirect the focus to all the awesome things you've done since and why you're such an awesome fit for their school and how you're 100% ready now.

Just don't lie. If u didn't withdraw, don't say you did.