Speed of secondary turnaround as a barometer of interest.

[Wahed]

Do schools use the time it takes to return secondaries as a measure of an applicants interest in their school?

I'm submitting my primary app to ~40 schools, and am concerned about my ability to return secondaries in a timely manner. My plan is to prioritize the schools that I am most interested in, and write the lower interest secondaries as I'm able. Will schools look at how long it takes me and use it as a measure of my interest?

If so, does it make sense to stagger the addition of schools to my primary app? So like this week I'd add 10 schools, next week ten schools, the next week ten more (in the order of my interest).

I know 40 schools is a ton, but my stats are weird and I can't tell how competitive I am so I'm trying to max out my chances (515 MCAT - 3.43 cGPA, 3.74 sGPA, 3.87 Post-Bacc GPA)

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[WedgeDawg]

This doesn’t matter

 

[Wahed]

This doesn’t matter

Thanks for your reply. Just to clarify, would you say that turnaround time doesn't matter and that the only time sensitive factor on secondary completion is that the earlier the app is complete, the better your chances (along the lines of "first come, first serve" logic)?

 

[HomeSkool]

Do schools use the time it takes to return secondaries as a measure of an applicants interest in their school?

I'm submitting my primary app to ~40 schools, and am concerned about my ability to return secondaries in a timely manner. My plan is to prioritize the schools that I am most interested in, and write the lower interest secondaries as I'm able. Will schools look at how long it takes me and use it as a measure of my interest?

If so, does it make sense to stagger the addition of schools to my primary app? So like this week I'd add 10 schools, next week ten schools, the next week ten more (in the order of my interest).

I know 40 schools is a ton, but my stats are weird and I can't tell how competitive I am so I'm trying to max out my chances (515 MCAT - 3.43 cGPA, 3.74 sGPA, 3.87 Post-Bacc GPA)

No. The fact that you filled out a secondary at all is proof of your interest. Figuring out how many days it took you to submit it would require me to do math, though, and I can barely read in the first place.

 

[WedgeDawg]

Thanks for your reply. Just to clarify, would you say that turnaround time doesn't matter and that the only time sensitive factor on secondary completion is that the earlier the app is complete, the better your chances (along the lines of "first come, first serve" logic)?

Correcto

 

[Goro]

Do schools use the time it takes to return secondaries as a measure of an applicants interest in their school?

This is a common pre-med delusion. let's try to stomp it into the ground, for the benefit of future SDNers, OK?

 

[sunshinefl]

I got better with my secondary essay writing as time went on, BUT you also don’t want to be burnt out/never finish your favorites. So I suggest getting a few done, and then doing your favorites somewhere in the middle.

 

[LizzyM]

Well, it is indicative of your interest, isn't it?? Frankly, we don't care. Everyone who applies is interested and why we might be interested in you is in no way related to how interested you are in us.

 

[[Time]]

*Anxiously awaits your secondary*

 

[Unlimited Apps]

So to make things clear (especially for us students that are waiting for committee letters that probably won't be submitted to AMCAS till mid to late August), schools generally DO NOT use the time it takes an applicant to return a secondary (whether it be 1 hour or 3 weeks) as a factor in admissions?

For schools that specifically ask for (or highly recommend) a 2 week turnaround, it probably is a pseudo-requirement though, right?

Obviously, every premed should understand that if their letters are already in and the last thing remaining is the secondary then early submission will almost always be favorable along the "first come first serve" general theme.

 

[ciestar]

I only recall one school that I applied to with a “deadline” which was Wake Forest and they wanted it within 2 weeks

 

[Lucca]

I only recall one school that I applied to with a “deadline” which was Wake Forest and they wanted it within 2 weeks

Yah UCSD wanted it within a month for MD and 2 weeks for MSTP as well

 

[Unlimited Apps]

I only recall one school that I applied to with a “deadline” which was Wake Forest and they wanted it within 2 weeks

Hmm, I'm guessing cause you are a medical student that this wasn't this year? The secondary email from Wake Forest this year only mentions the November deadline.

 

[ciestar]

Hmm, I'm guessing cause you are a medical student that this wasn't this year? The secondary email from Wake Forest this year only mentions the November deadline.

Yes this was three years ago

 

[HomeSkool]

why we might be interested in you is in no way related to how interested you are in us.

This is exactly why insincere declarations of undying devotion (AKA letters of intent) are basically worthless.

 

[OneTwoThreeFour]

My rationale for why applicants are advised to get secondaries in sooner is because there are a finite number of interview slots and most schools review applications/hand out interviews in the order of secondaries received. As reviewers approach the end of the stack and there are fewer slots available the standards start to go up to get one of the remaining slots.

 

[Goro]

My rationale for why applicants are advised to get secondaries in sooner is because there are a finite number of interview slots and most schools review applications/hand out interviews in the order of secondaries received.

This is so false as to rise to the level of being malicious!

 

[letsgetstarted1234]

This is so false as to rise to the level of being malicious!

Ahh this thread is musics to my ears *puts laptop down and lounges* loll

 

[LizzyM]

My rationale for why applicants are advised to get secondaries in sooner is because there are a finite number of interview slots and most schools review applications/hand out interviews in the order of secondaries received. As reviewers approach the end of the stack and there are fewer slots available the standards start to go up to get one of the remaining slots.

This might have been true in the "olden days" when applications were paper and someone in the "file room" doled out applications to reviewers. Now the process is electronic and it is really easy to sort the applications and "skim the cream" off the top. More applications pour in every day and one can skim off the top again and again. What makes a "top" applicant might not be just top scores but can also include other characteristics the school is looking for (URM, EO-1, state residence, major, etc). Every applicant will get reviewed eventually but schools can target specifically in choosing how to review the huge mountain of applications.

 

[OneTwoThreeFour]

This is so false as to rise to the level of being malicious!

haha, not my intention! I don't see that far behind the curtain I guess (but that's why I said it was my rationale, not the facts!)

 

[sunshinefl]

I only recall one school that I applied to with a “deadline” which was Wake Forest and they wanted it within 2 weeks

When I applied in 2016-2017 cycle I recall either EVMS or VCU had a 30 day deadline. Just remember it was a Virginia school and it was my last one I finished.

 

[Unlimited Apps]

When I applied in 2016-2017 cycle I recall either EVMS or VCU had a 30 day deadline. Just remember it was a Virginia school and it was my last one I finished.

There are some schools this cycle that have "strongly recommended" timelines. Case Western and Mayo come immediately to mind. I believe UNC has a 14 day deadline (increased from 7 days in the past too I think!).

 

[Unlimited Apps]

Lets clear this up. These return by dates are primarily for used by schools to plan workloads of application review. Schools have thousand of application, must plan meetings to review, and therefore try to get a handle on it by having return dates. A school might say two weeks to return, then plan two weeks for eval, so your app will be on the agenda for the adcom meeting in a month. If your not there, you most likely get rolled over to next meeting. And if you miss that, likely your application gets put at bottom of pile under the assumption it wont be submitted. If it shows up, they will review.

My general sense of this, is if you get to not being there on the second “call” and you show up later they may notice it. But even then it is unlikely to be any impact. Your negative impact will just be from the lateness in the cycle

That is good to hear and makes a lot of sense. I also was thinking that with some schools approaching 15,000 applications, there is no way that they care that much about return dates to do all that extra work.

As my committee letter won't get released till August, it is not a big deal if for some schools I am closer to 3 weeks than I am 2 weeks because it probably doesn't even matter until my letter reaches the school (I don't have any crazy stats like >522 or so that would cause a school to review seriously for an interview slot before a complete application).

Now I (and everyone else in my situation) can stop stressing out so much about this and just focus on writing good quality secondary essays and not worry so much about time.

 

[[Time]]

not worry so much about time.