secondary application essay vs. personal statement

It's different for every school, but many of them ask why you want to go to that particular school.

 

Your personal statement you get to write whatever you want -- It's just a blank spot on your AMCAS. Your secondary essays will have specific questions, such as "Why do you want to go to school X" "What contribution would you like to make to the field of medicine" "Discuss an ethical dilemma you have personally been involved in, and how you handled it." "How do you deal with stress" "What is your personal belief system. Discuss influences." and so on.

I'd start writing your AMCAS personal statement as soon as possible. Worry about your secondary essays as soon as you get them. Be warned that U Chicago's has four longish essay questions. Other schools are just "send a check."

Anka

 

please please do a search. there was a thread on this topic within the last month.

 

which schools have killer 2ndary? which ones are ez

 

If you search, I believe there have been threads on this. The worst secondary for me personally was UCSD (write an autobiography). I hear Duke and University of Chicago are pretty bad.