Secondary timing

[kiwifriend]

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Hi! A couple of questions about the secondary application process.

I'm applying to a lot of schools (~30) and I have already sent the primary to half of them (and my app has been verified). I'm wondering whether to add the rest before the 24th so my app is sent out everywhere at the same time or to stagger sending them out over the first few weeks of July. I'm worried about receiving an influx of secondaries and not being able to finish them all within a reasonable window (2 weeks from what I have heard).

I guess my question is this: Do schools care how long you took to send in the secondary or just the date that you are complete by? If I am complete by August 1, does it matter how long I took for each school?

Am I completely overthinking this?
Thanks!

Also: Is there a thread for general secondary questions like there was for AMCAS? If so, sorry!

 

[soswim]

I applied to 30 schools last cycle and I found it manageable to apply to 15 and complete those secondaries, then added 5 more when those were done, then 5 more, then 5 more. I tried to complete secondaries within 1-2 weeks of receiving them so this system kept me from being overwhelmed. All my secondaries were in by mid-August (which is when my undergrad released my committee letter) and I was fine. I definitely could have bumped it so I did 15 in the first 2 weeks of July, then 8 more in 1 week, then 7 more in 1 week and gotten everything in before August 1, so that's also an option you could try.

General rule of thumb is to complete the secondaries within 2 weeks of receiving them, otherwise you risk looking disinterested in the program. Not all schools send their secondaries immediately (Drexel, Temple, any schools using CASPer come to mind), however, and some schools only require $ and no essays (Mayo comes to mind).

I hope that answered your questions 🙂 Good luck!

 

[al22al22]

I'm applying to 30 schools too and I went ahead and just sent my primary to them all (we'll see how that works out) and I'm currently pre-writing my secondaries for all of the schools that send them out automatically first. Once I finish those up (or at least have solid outlines written) then I will start pre-writing the ones that pre-screen just in case they send me one! Not sure if one way is better than the other, I just know I don't have the best stats so I want to have everything out asap and written beforehand to give myself the best chance possible. Hope this helped!

 

[neekzg]

The two week rule is a myth, although it is generally better to have your app be complete earlier so you are under consideration for interviews earlier.

The plan you have sounds fine, if you feel like having all of the secondaries come at once will be overwhelming. It can certainly feel that way, but they will likely come in manageable waves. Just prioritize your favored schools first, and adhere to any specific deadlines the schools set (some schools I applied to explicitly ask for a two week or four week turnaround). If there is no stated deadline, just get them in as soon as you can without sacrificing the quality of your responses.

 

[XxThaDoggxX]

Been pre-writing like a fiend this year for all the ones that normally don't change secondaries annually (fingers crossed they decide to continue this trend)...having extra time to look over these again and again to make concise, strong responses has really helped.

Looking back at my last year's responses/application as a whole, I'm honestly not completely shocked I wasn't accepted, hoping for a much better cycle this time around 🙂

 

[kiwifriend]

The two week rule is a myth, although it is generally better to have your app be complete earlier so you are under consideration for interviews earlier.

The plan you have sounds fine, if you feel like having all of the secondaries come at once will be overwhelming. It can certainly feel that way, but they will likely come in manageable waves. Just prioritize your favored schools first, and adhere to any specific deadlines the schools set (some schools I applied to explicitly ask for a two week or four week turnaround). If there is no stated deadline, just get them in as soon as you can without sacrificing the quality of your responses.

So if the 2 week rule is a myth, then I could just submit everywhere and send them in order of priority even if it takes longer than 2 weeks for some. My goal is to be completely done by August 1 (which is when my committee letter will be submitted) so does that seem like a decent plan?

Been pre-writing like a fiend this year for all the ones that normally don't change secondaries annually (fingers crossed they decide to continue this trend)...having extra time to look over these again and again to make concise, strong responses has really helped.

Looking back at my last year's responses/application as a whole, I'm honestly not completely shocked I wasn't accepted, hoping for a much better cycle this time around 🙂

Yeah I've been trying to pre-write too but it's killing me ahah. I went through and pulled all the prompts from last year from my schools and it is 129 essays... Although of course there is a fair amount of overlap in the topics (challenge, diversity, etc.) but still quite overwhelming.

 

[DocJuan]

I've been working on mine in chunks. I organized my school list by the date last years secondary was sent out and I've pretty much finished the ones that came out July 1st (or in one case before that). I'll casually work on and refine the others from here through August

 

[neekzg]

So if the 2 week rule is a myth, then I could just submit everywhere and send them in order of priority even if it takes longer than 2 weeks for some. My goal is to be completely done by August 1 (which is when my committee letter will be submitted) so does that seem like a decent plan?



Yeah I've been trying to pre-write too but it's killing me ahah. I went through and pulled all the prompts from last year from my schools and it is 129 essays... Although of course there is a fair amount of overlap in the topics (challenge, diversity, etc.) but still quite overwhelming.

Yes, you can just submit everywhere. They'll come in waves and just prioritize the ones that matter most to you. Don't count the amount of essays total you have! That sounds like a sure way to feel overwhelmed. Take it one school at a time. This process is a marathon.

 

[soswim]

Thats mostly a myth

Good to know, thanks for correcting me! 🙂 Myth or not, it definitely motivated me to get my secondaries in faster last year haha

 

[Crayola227]

Been pre-writing like a fiend this year for all the ones that normally don't change secondaries annually (fingers crossed they decide to continue this trend)...having extra time to look over these again and again to make concise, strong responses has really helped.

Looking back at my last year's responses/application as a whole, I'm honestly not completely shocked I wasn't accepted, hoping for a much better cycle this time around 🙂

wow

sounds like real humility on this board I was not prepared for that

 

[makingthatmcatpur]

Been pre-writing like a fiend this year for all the ones that normally don't change secondaries annually (fingers crossed they decide to continue this trend)...having extra time to look over these again and again to make concise, strong responses has really helped.

Looking back at my last year's responses/application as a whole, I'm honestly not completely shocked I wasn't accepted, hoping for a much better cycle this time around 🙂

How many did you apply to last year? What do you think hindered any acceptances (MCAT, gpa, LoRs)?

 

[doctorinthesky]

I applied to 30 schools last cycle and I found it manageable to apply to 15 and complete those secondaries, then added 5 more when those were done, then 5 more, then 5 more. I tried to complete secondaries within 1-2 weeks of receiving them so this system kept me from being overwhelmed. All my secondaries were in by mid-August (which is when my undergrad released my committee letter) and I was fine. I definitely could have bumped it so I did 15 in the first 2 weeks of July, then 8 more in 1 week, then 7 more in 1 week and gotten everything in before August 1, so that's also an option you could try.

General rule of thumb is to complete the secondaries within 2 weeks of receiving them, otherwise you risk looking disinterested in the program. Not all schools send their secondaries immediately (Drexel, Temple, any schools using CASPer come to mind), however, and some schools only require $ and no essays (Mayo comes to mind).

I hope that answered your questions 🙂 Good luck!

Hey all, I am about to send in my primaries just now, is it too late to split up schools into groups of 15, 5, 5, etc? or should I send in all of them at once? My committee letter and LORs will be uploaded by mid-late August. Please advise! Thanks 🙂

 

[soswim]

Hey all, I am about to send in my primaries just now, is it too late to split up schools into groups of 15, 5, 5, etc? or should I send in all of them at once? My committee letter and LORs will be uploaded by mid-late August. Please advise! Thanks 🙂

if your LORs won't be in until mid-August I don't think there's any real harm in splitting it up. You won't be as overwhelmed, it'll be easier to pay for everything, and you'll have more time to spend on each essay. Your application won't be marked "complete" until those LORs are in anyway, may as well keep your sanity and split things up. Good luck! 🙂