Secondaries : to type or not to type

[njdesi]

Ok, I recieved secondaries from UHS, DMU, and TUCOM. DMU, thank goodness was online! Is it better to type out all my secondaries???

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[WishUponAStar]

NJDesi,

I handwrote all of my secondaries, and I did receive an interview at every school I applied to, including one acceptance and the rest waitlists. Assuming that you can write neatly, I think it is perfectly acceptable to hand write paper secondaries.

•••quote:•••Originally posted by njdesi:
•Ok, I recieved secondaries from UHS, DMU, and TUCOM. DMU, thank goodness was online! Is it better to type out all my secondaries???•••••

 

[JerseyBelle]

Although it is perfectly acceptable to handwrite your applications, it says a lot about your PROFESSIONAL behavior if you TYPE your applications. If you are even a bit unsure about your handwriting, TYPE IT!

 

[Yosh]

I couldn't imagine handwriting....I think it is imperative to have them typed. This is their 1st impression of you, and after sifting through thousands of secondaries...I am not sure how well handwriting would go over.
If you are serious about getting into school, minimize the possible gray areas...and maximize your potential...

One other piece of advice.....make copies of all of your secondaries....so when you get an interview...you can read over what you wrote to them....it is a great stress reliever the nite before the interview....TRUST ME!!!

Best of luck!

 

[WishUponAStar]

I don't disagree,

You can't go wrong with typing. I just didn't have access to a typewriter or the neccessary skills to line up and fill in those boxes. We're applicants, not secretaries! But if you can type them without much trouble, I would go that route. I just don't think you NEED to.

•••quote:•••Originally posted by yosh:
•I couldn't imagine handwriting....I think it is imperative to have them typed. This is their 1st impression of you, and after sifting through thousands of secondaries...I am not sure how well handwriting would go over.
If you are serious about getting into school, minimize the possible gray areas...and maximize your potential...

One other piece of advice.....make copies of all of your secondaries....so when you get an interview...you can read over what you wrote to them....it is a great stress reliever the nite before the interview....TRUST ME!!!

Best of luck!•••••

 

[conmantlc]

I think that it is absolutely imperative to make copies, as Yosh said. During your interviews, your secondaries are usually the only things the interviewers have access to, and they will ask you detailed questions about it. I think typing is important, although some of my typing was so hard to get lined up in the boxes, with corrections all over the place that it looked worse than if I had just written neatly. Type if you can do it neatly, otherwise print, but do it as well as you can. I think the fact that you typed alone does not make it look professional, its how well the application looks whether you typed it or printed. Typewriters arent cheap either.

 

[DOtobe]

As someone else said, I think you should type your applications, especially if you have messy handwriting. While the adcoms won't hold it against you if you hand-write your applications (the first year I applied I hand-wrote, and the second year I typed, and I got interviews both years), your application will look neater as well as be easier to read.

njdesi, I laughed when I saw your name because when I used to frequent the Princeton Review forums, someone asked if desi = Desi Arnaz...

 

[Dr JPH]

TYPE EVERYTHING

MAKE COPIES OF EVERYTHING

SEND EVERYTHING CERTIFIED MAIL

 

[SoCal]

I am glad this thread was started...I had not even thought about typing the secondary (for some crazy reason) I was only going to type the supplemental essay. Although now...I think I will take JP's advice.

 

[SoCal]

some advice...some schools will have the secondary app. on their web page, where you can fill it out, print it, and then send it back with your $$$. So, check the particular schools web page before you wrestle with the typewriter.

 

[Wahoo07]

What about paper? Is it advisable to use fancier paper, or should we stick with plain old white office paper? Thanks.

 

[oldman]

some provide apps that are hard to type on. i usually printed out my responses on thin paper and glued it on the apps. i went to office supply places to match the paper color (damn those schools with funny colored paper!). who knew there were so many shades of white!