Struggling to finish secondaries - quality v.s. speed

[Lifeblood_20]

I got most of my secondaries around 7/31. I have been prioritizing my in-state/target schools, polishing my essays until I am satisfied. I am telling myself, quality >>> speed, I don't have to be in the first batch of IIs...
At my current pace, I will be complete at all my schools around mid-Septemeber (with good essays). If I cut some slack in quality, I can probably finish within August (with rougher drafts). Which would theoretically give me better odds of admission?

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[corbse]

Just guessing - I would say that quality is more important in secondaries. I say this considering that most schools value secondary essays more than the AMCAS personal statement since the essays tend to be more focused on the specific mission of the school and how you contribute to that.

 

[KnightDoc]

I got most of my secondaries around 7/31. I have been prioritizing my in-state/target schools, polishing my essays until I am satisfied. I am telling myself, quality >>> speed, I don't have to be in the first batch of IIs...
At my current pace, I will be complete at all my schools around mid-Septemeber (with good essays). If I cut some slack in quality, I can probably finish within August (with rougher drafts). Which would theoretically give me better odds of admission?

Absolutely no substitute for quality. Period.

 

[proudofmykids]

People dont get because their application is first, they get in because their application is good

But at the same time, it has been said on SDN by adcoms, that there aren’t any benefits to more eloquent writing if the content is the same.

 

[deleted804295]

I got most of my secondaries around 7/31. I have been prioritizing my in-state/target schools, polishing my essays until I am satisfied. I am telling myself, quality >>> speed, I don't have to be in the first batch of IIs...
At my current pace, I will be complete at all my schools around mid-Septemeber (with good essays). If I cut some slack in quality, I can probably finish within August (with rougher drafts). Which would theoretically give me better odds of admission?

Write the longest secondaries first then tweak those based on the school for the rest of the schools.

 

[KnightDoc]

Eloquent? Just getting coherent and concise secondaries written is difficult enough and that is a minimum requirement. Applicants think its really just the same essays used over and over and its not. Each diversity and challenge question can be asked and focused different, each at widely varying lengths. You do not know how often I have read essays that were obviously cut... no hacked to fit character length or padded with repeated info. And how do I read things that do not answer the question asked!!!!! Eloquent? I would like to see things like complete sentences and thoughts that actually make sense. And you know, maybe a point to the paragraph without struggling to find it or wondering if this applicant has English as the second language. Like I said, applicants woefully underestimate the time and effort necessary to do secondaries and then lose the simple concept that MCAT comes first.

Yup! No matter how many times you guys (adcoms) stress how risky the behavior is, we candidates seem to insist on working back from a target submission date rather than organically working toward one.

 

[ParaMagic1]

First I would make sure the schools don't have a submission deadline.. Some schools are 2 weeks/3 weeks from secondary recieved...

Next, I think you have to find a happy medium... a good balance...

You don't want to rush through the secondary just to be first with garbage work... But you also don't really want to take 2 months to complete...

Finding balance seems to be the key to everything in life... Secondaries are no exception

 

[Lifeblood_20]

Thanks for the assurance/advice everyone. My goal is to complete everywhere by mid-September and between now and then I will make my essays as great as I am capable of.

 

[proudofmykids]

Eloquent? Just getting coherent and concise secondaries written is difficult enough and that is a minimum requirement. Applicants think its really just the same essays used over and over and its not. Each diversity and challenge question can be asked and focused different, each at widely varying lengths. You do not know how often I have read essays that were obviously cut... no hacked to fit character length or padded with repeated info. And how do I read things that do not answer the question asked!!!!! Eloquent? I would like to see things like complete sentences and thoughts that actually make sense. And you know, maybe a point to the paragraph without struggling to find it or wondering if this applicant has English as the second language. Like I said, applicants woefully underestimate the time and effort necessary to do secondaries and then lose the simple concept that MCAT comes first.

Well....I did give the benefit of doubt to the person I was responding to in that I assumed his current versions were / would be cohesive and that he wanted them better written if he took extra time. (Shrug)

 

[KnightDoc]

Like many premeds you make assumptions and view things in an optimistic light. I’m always amazed how the best and the brightest, the premeds, often can’t write a coherent and concise paragraph with a clearly stated theme or point, In reasonably correct grammatical English while answering the actual question asked in reasonably correct grammatical English within the limits of characters or words required.

I'm not sure why you are always amazed. Many of them come from households where excellence in the sciences is valued and everything else is considered fluff. They are brilliant, one dimensional students who have little to no exposure to the arts and humanities (other than the minimum required by the programs, from kindergarten through grad school), and consequently need to pay others to write applications for them, or, worse, write them themselves with their underdeveloped skills, believing that the quality of the writing isn't important, only the grade in the class. 🙂 The actual writing is done by paid hacks who have no vested interest in the outcome. Is this really news to you?