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Secondary turnover
Started by Sutter
The consensus is to get it done within 2 weeks. 3 days, you are golden.
I submitted my secondaries the last day of August and didn't see a problem. I interviewed later than a lot of other people, but it didn't seem to pose a huge hindrance. If you're submitting before August even begins, you're in great shape.
Don't worry at all. 3 days vs. 1 day really isn't going to affect your application at all. Don't try to do something to cut your turnaround time from 3 days to 2 days. Take the extra day and do the best job you can. There is seriously no difference.
Wait, I just realized, when you say 3 days on average, do you mean that you generally turn in a secondary 3 days after you receive it, or that it takes you 3 days to write each one and you have a bunch all at once, so it might take 4 weeks to turn one in?
I don't know my pattern yet because I've only received 3 secondaries, but after receiving them (all on the same day) it took me approx 5 days to turn them in.
So all of them were in by 5 days after you received them? This is totally fine. There is absolutely nothing to worry about.
Is it even possible for "secondary turnover rate" to hurt someone as long as they're still early?
I don't really know, but I think it may be a mark against you if you are applying to schools that have specific deadlines (such as Quinnipiac who says that you need to turn it in within 2 weeks of it being sent to you) and you don't meet the deadline.
On a good day, I'll get two essays completed, meaning it takes me multiple days to finish one secondary in most cases. My personal goal is to be done by early August, which I think is fine.
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It has been argued that taking a longer amount of time (i.e. 2+ weeks), shows lack of interest in a particular institution. How much truth there is to this statement, I do not know.
Is there really a difference between 2 weeks and say, 16 days? I had a secondary that hit the 2 week mark yesterday and I have been swamped with my job and secondaries for schools I am more competitive for so I'm not likely to turn it in until tomorrow. Also, my AMCAS app has not even been verified yet.
It depends on if you're speaking about the 2 week guideline that SDN users generally follow, or a deadline set by the school itself. If it's the former, it makes no difference at all. If it's the latter, I would really try to get it in by the date they specified because missing deadlines that were communicated to you by the school looks bad, even if you only missed it by a few days.
That's a relief. Their specified deadline isn't until November.
Definitely submit before November (and before October, and preferably before September). If you wait too long, most of the interview spots will be gone.
Haha I will be submitting tomorrow. For sure.
