Submitting Secondaries 3 weeks after getting them.

[TBRBiosadist]

Hey since Ive heard that 2 weeks usually is the hard and fast rule for secondary turnaround time, how bad is it that I am submitting them 3 weeks after getting them? I got them all at once and I was in the middle of a highly intensive and competitive REU, so I didnt have time to really start them until earlier this week. I really hope this hasnt hurt me to greatly.

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[sovereign0]

You heard wrong. There is no hard and fast rule for secondary turnaround time. Are you putting yourself at a disadvantage by not sending them in quickly? Maybe, that's just the inherent nature of schools with rolling admissions.

There have been tons of threads on this, and fairly recently if you want other perspectives.

 

[NYCdude]

I sent in a secondary for a school a month after I got it and there weren't even any essays or anything (it took like 10 minutes). I still got an interview.

In rolling admissions, you want to turn in things as soon as possible as a rule of thumb. Delaying for no reason will obviously hurt your chances.

 

[sharkbyte]

I don't think it will hurt. From what I remember you have very good stats with strong and unique ECs. You should be fine. Just send them in soon.

 

[ortnakas]

As soon as possible is good, but pick quality over speed if you have to choose. There's no hard-and-fast two-week rule.

 

[piii]

Did you use the search function? Because this question gets posted once a day. This is certainly not actually a rule. While it is good to adhere to a schedule to make sure you are productive, this "rule" was just made up on SDN and spread religiously by neurotic students.

 

[neekzg]

it's not a "hard and fast rule" but typically earlier is better. unless earlier means rushed and poorly written.

Just make sure you don't hit any deadlines that the schools have set! For example, Wake Forest specifically says the app must be turned in within 3 weeks. Some other schools have deadlines of a month from receiving the secondary.

 

[deleted642188]

Hey since Ive heard that 2 weeks usually is the hard and fast rule for secondary turnaround time, how bad is it that I am submitting them 3 weeks after getting them? I got them all at once and I was in the middle of a highly intensive and competitive REU, so I didnt have time to really start them until earlier this week. I really hope this hasnt hurt me to greatly.

I am in the same boat brother; I echo what everyone has said however make sure that there's no deadline on them some schools like EVMS and Wayne State have an actual deadline of 1 month though.... GL

Though out of curiosity, for your REU, was it at UT- Houston?

 

[Goro]

Yup! Kiss of death at my school. I'll skewer interviewees into the wall over mistakes like these.


But as been side time and time again, quality over time is way more important. Reading rushed "cut-and-paste" secondaries that are cobbled together from other school's applications show up all the time. Please edit carefully and check that you have put in the correct school name. Nothing turns off an adcom more when reading a secondary for School A that you talk about School B in the essay.

 

[GrapesofRath]

Yup! Kiss of death at my school. I'll skewer interviewees into the wall over mistakes like these.


But as been side time and time again, quality over time is way more important. Reading rushed "cut-and-paste" secondaries that are cobbled together from other school's applications show up all the time. Please edit carefully and check that you have put in the correct school name. Nothing turns off an adcom more when reading a secondary for School A that you talk about School B in the essay.

You would actually give an interview to someone who does this who you know you won't accept just for the chance of skewering the living hell out of them? Sounds pretty fun honestly.

 

[Goro]

Unfortunately, the wily old Admissions dean's mandate is to get bodies into seats, so he doesn't pre-screen.

The opinion I gave was mine alone, and my colleagues may be more lenient. The people who get rejected probably had other deficits.

Which pisses off the Adcom members to no end, since we have to waste out time with DOA candidates (and their time and money as well).

You would actually give an interview to someone who does this who you know you won't accept just for the chance of skewering the living hell out of them? Sounds pretty fun honestly.