Terrible Secondary Answers?

[deleted969405]

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Not tryna start a war here, but I was just curious. Has anyone else half-assed some of their secondary answers and still got an II?
AGAIN I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS NOT IDEAL, BUT WHAT IS DONE IS DONE!!!!!!
This thread is no different from the <70 LizzyM thread to give applicants hope.

 

[Engrailed]

Not tryna start a war here, but I was just curious. Has anyone else half-assed some of their secondary answers and still got an II?
AGAIN I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS NOT IDEAL, BUT WHAT IS DONE IS DONE!!!!!!
This thread is no different from the <70 LizzyM thread to give applicants hope.

What makes you think that you submitted a bad secondary? (Or are you just talking about a hypothetical)

 

[deleted969405]

What makes you think that you submitted a bad secondary? (Or are you just talking about a hypothetical)

I haven't lol. But it's been a month so far and I just want to submit my secondary at this point. Otherwise I would have to write a completely new essay

 

[Engrailed]

I haven't lol. But it's been a month so far and I just want to submit my secondary at this point. Otherwise I would have to write a completely new essay

What do you mean "my secondary"? Are you referring to a specific essay for one school or a more general prompt

 

[KnightDoc]

Not tryna start a war here, but I was just curious. Has anyone else half-assed some of their secondary answers and still got an II?
AGAIN I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS NOT IDEAL, BUT WHAT IS DONE IS DONE!!!!!!
This thread is no different from the <70 LizzyM thread to give applicants hope.

I'm not an expert, and haven't even applied yet, but it stands to reason that it can and has happened. If one is particularly skilled as a writer, it's entirely plausible that one can "half-a**" a few essays and still do a better job than a less skilled person who puts a lot of effort into the same task. Also, probably depending on the particular school and the rest of the application, the importance of the secondaries probably varies greatly from person to person. That said, given the high stakes and the large amount of time, money and effort that goes into the process, it is probably inadvisable to "half-a**" any part of an application that is within your control.

 

[Engrailed]

I'm not an expert, and haven't even applied yet, but it stands to reason that it can and has happened. If one is particularly skilled as a writer, it's entirely plausible that one can "half-a**" a few essays and still do a better job than a less skilled person who puts a lot of effort into the same task. Also, probably depending on the particular school and the rest of the application, the importance of the secondaries probably varies greater from person to person. That said, given the high stakes and the large amount of time, money and effort that goes into the process, it is probably inadvisable to "half-a**" any part of an application that is within your control.

Are you not applying this cycle @KnightDoc

 

[KnightDoc]

Are you not applying this cycle @KnightDoc

Nope. Just taking it all in, contributing where I think I have something to add, and patiently waiting my turn.

 

[Moko]

Sloppy applications can sink otherwise competitive applications. Would you want to interview someone who has demonstrated laziness and/or inattention to detail?

 

[Bonne Nuit]

I haven't lol. But it's been a month so far and I just want to submit my secondary at this point. Otherwise I would have to write a completely new essay

Do you need to submit this secondary? I tried really hard on all my secondaries because I was worried about wasting $100. Maybe just skip this secondary and save yourself the cash.

 

[djiboutiman]

n=1, but the only school I interviewed at last cycle was one where I half-assed the secondary the most. Possibly the crappy secondary cost me an acceptance. Work hard on your secondaries. It is the part of the application you have the most control over.

 

[Rachapkis]

It is important to determine whether you are half-assing your response to a secondary application, or whether you have given it your best but still have lingering doubts about your essay. If the former is true, you are acting in a self-destructive fashion. If the latter is true, I would share your essay with those you trust, address their comments, and let the chips fall where they may.

 

[AnMDtoB]

Not tryna start a war here, but I was just curious. Has anyone else half-assed some of their secondary answers and still got an II?
AGAIN I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS NOT IDEAL, BUT WHAT IS DONE IS DONE!!!!!!
This thread is no different from the <70 LizzyM thread to give applicants hope.

You realize schools are trying to whittle down their applicant pool to the top ~10-20% of the *thousands* of applications they get... right??

 

[Cornfed101]

If one is particularly skilled as a writer, it's entirely plausible that one can "half-a**" a few essays and still do a better job than a less skilled person who puts a lot of effort into the same task.

This.

Each of us has a different skill set. I returned all of my secondaries within about a day of receiving them and while I didn't feel like I really half-assed any of them, I can't say that I worked excessively hard on any of them. But secondaries can be very difficult for some people. Take the proper amount of time you need and understand that some of your secondaries will fall a little flat. It's part of the process.