Secondaries: A time to brag about yourself?

[JohnDO]

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ok so maybe not brag..

I'm finding myself having difficulty answering questions like: "What qualities do you bring" and "why should we accept you" without sounding like I'm bragging. Essentially, how do you go about tip-toeing around these questions; answering what they're asking without a string of "I am a team player. I do this, I do that. I represent this, I represent that. I bring this quality, I bring that quality"?

How are you guys approaching it?

 

[DD214_DOC]

Basically what you are trying to avoid is what they want. I talked about my personality and experiences and how they affect me as a person, and how my sort of "odd" premed experiences make me a unique addition to medicine.

This whole process is a giant BS session. Have fun with it.

 

[uclabruin2003]

i agree with the above posters. but i also think its a combination of putting in fun things and serious academic things if that makes sense. it will definitely make you stand out. good luck all!

 

[BklynWill]

The most effective way to stand out is to make your application interesting. I took a chance and added pictures to my essays. The pics may not have been pretty but I'm sure my essays stood out a little more than hundreds of other essays filled with monotonous text.
Adding pictures is a huge risk, though. You should at least try to sell your BS in a non-boring way.

 

[DD214_DOC]

I honestly think the secret to getting an interview/admission is not what you do, but who you are and how you sell yourself. The secondary essays, personal statement, and LORs all exist to provide evidence for or against who you portray yourself to be.

This is a game, and adcoms (I think) probably want to see people other than the, "Hospital volunteer, biology major, premed club president" applicants. Whatever you write, make sure it's consistent with the rest of your application. Be sure to talk about WHO YOU ARE, and not just what you have done. After the numbers game, nobody cares about what you've done -- all that matters is who you are. 👍

 

[OnMyWayThere]

Say all of the "I this and I thats" but be humble about it... just make sure you stay grounded in your essay and they will appreciate that. Remain humble but do point out what a bad ass you are!

 

[Freakingzooming]

i think if you think you're bragging too much in the secondaries, you might want someone to proofread it or look it over cuz that to me would be something like you're telling more than showing in your essay style or writing.

i hate writing why this school essays or what would you add cuz to me that would be me telling the school why I'm great. it's really hard to answer something like that without a story or a quote or something to hide the fact that im saying, "accept me please!"