The "other info that your app does not include" essay

[NYCmedschoolapp]

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I've seen various forms of this question on a few applications. In general, I've followed the assumption that they don't want to read "filler" that is not significant.

However, there is one school that asks this question and I was wondering if I should mention that many of my family members have attended this university. Both of my parents attended their graduate school and a grandparent, uncle and cousin have attended/attend the undergraduate school. None of them have attended the medical school. I just think it is significant because I am familiar with the campus, area and my family has close ties to the university.

This app did not ask if any relatives attended the university, by the way.

 

[NickNaylor]

I think you run the risk of sounding like a complete tool by trying to ride on the coat tails of your family. I definitely wouldn't mention it if they didn't attend the medical school specifically.

 

[PianoMajor]

I think you run the risk of sounding like a complete tool by trying to ride on the coat tails of your family. I definitely wouldn't mention it if they didn't attend the medical school specifically.

Do you realize how freaking close I was to posting "inb4NickNaylor"?

And sure as hell you posted b4 me!

 

[NYCmedschoolapp]

I think you run the risk of sounding like a complete tool by trying to ride on the coat tails of your family. I definitely wouldn't mention it if they didn't attend the medical school specifically.

I'm not "riding on the coat tails" of my family. I just thought it would be significant to mention that it just wasn't a random school I picked out of the MSAR, but a school I have been in/around my whole life.

 

[ceasefire]

I'm not "riding on the coat tails" of my family.

Actually, that's what you'd be doing.


Aside: Did you not already have a "why this school" essay on the secondary?

 

[FattySlug]

I think you should just explain your interests in the school. No where in the app you get to address schools specifically.

 

[NYCmedschoolapp]

They didn't have a "why us" question, or I would have mentioned more specifics about my relationship to the school there.
I see what you are saying about mentioning that relatives have gone to the school and I won't mention it since I am getting such a negative reaction. It's just that my family (including me!) is in love with the school, from their sports to their campus and academics. Since I am an out of state applicant, I wanted to show that despite my distance from the school, I am very familiar with them because of my family's relationship with them. I really wasn't trying to pull that card, but just provide an explanation for how I have been able to develop such a connection to the school even though I am OOS.

 

[dicer]

And if it is a state school...

...they'll have a good guess that you're going to move out of the state after your education.