Time Between Primary and Secondaries Apps.

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lackoftalent

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For all of you who have submitted your primary AACOMAS, what are you doing in the meantime before you receive your secondaries? I think some schools may have their secondaries on their website, are you completing them now? Are you sending in your recommendation letters now, or are you waiting until your primary has been distributed to each school? Or are you relaxing until your secondary arrives? Just trying to get a feel for what people are up to...or rather, what I should be up to.:laugh:

Thanks!
 
Since sending in my primary I have called my previous schools and made sure they sent my official transcripts to AACOMAS, and contacted my letter writers politely saying that if they could get that done as soon as they could I would appreciate it. Im still 2 letters out.
 
For all of you who have submitted your primary AACOMAS, what are you doing in the meantime before you receive your secondaries? I think some schools may have their secondaries on their website, are you completing them now? Are you sending in your recommendation letters now, or are you waiting until your primary has been distributed to each school? Or are you relaxing until your secondary arrives? Just trying to get a feel for what people are up to...or rather, what I should be up to.:laugh:

Thanks!

The way secondaries work is school dependant. Some schools give them out to all applicants, some give it out only to those who are interviewed, and others are on the schools website. The ones on school websites you can begin filling them out but, check with the school if you could send them out before they recieve your primary. I hope you are accepted to the school of your choice. Good Luck!!!:luck::luck::luck:
 
It can take anywhere from 2-4 weeks to recieve a secondary. Most schools will not allow you to send them before they are requested, so check w/ them first. If you have access to the essay questions, start working on them while you wait to get the official green light. Almost every secondary will ask you "Why DO?/Why Medicine?", or a variation, so you can start on that one now. Good luck!
 
For all of you who have submitted your primary AACOMAS, what are you doing in the meantime before you receive your secondaries? I think some schools may have their secondaries on their website, are you completing them now? Are you sending in your recommendation letters now, or are you waiting until your primary has been distributed to each school? Or are you relaxing until your secondary arrives? Just trying to get a feel for what people are up to...or rather, what I should be up to.:laugh:

Thanks!

The way secondaries work is school dependant. Some schools give them out to all applicants, some give it out only to those who are interviewed, and others are on the schools website. The ones on school websites you can begin filling them out but, check with the school if you could send them out before they recieve your primary. I hope you are accepted to the school of your choice. Good Luck!!!:luck::luck::luck:

I agree with Kappy here. Any secondary you can get done now, do it. Even if you can't turn it in early, at least you will have the essays finished and you can have a short turn around time. Once those secondary apps start rolling in, it can feel kinda overwhelming, so anything you can do to help yourself out - do it. I know that DCOM has its questions online, so there is one you can work on. In terms of LOR's, get them written ASAP so you can send them out. Most schools allow you to send them in early while others want you to send them in after they send you a secondary. You can check the school's website or call to find out what they prefer.
 
Thanks for the tips! I will call around and see what I can do now. Better to get as much done now as possible!

Thanks again!!!
 
I was 2 weeks for me.
 
Just to elaborate on what some people have said - you should start to receive secondaries about two weeks after your AACOM app has been sent to schools. Last year, it took a month from the AACOMAS start date for them to send out the first batch to schools. Check out the link in my signature for a timeline of an early application submission.
 
I just looked at all of the schools that I'm applying to and none have thier secondaries available until AFTER they recieve your primary... LAME! I'm trying to brace myself for the forthcoming avalanche of work thats soon to dislodge... it's going to be a long summer.
 
I'm trying to brace myself for the forthcoming avalanche of work thats soon to dislodge... it's going to be a long summer.

I wouldn't be worried about the volume of work involved with secondaries. You'll come to find that you can recycle a lot of your writing points within each essay. Just be prepared for the standard topics:
Why osteopathic medicine?
Why our school?
Describe your involvement in healthcare.
etc...

Here's a thread from last year with each school's essay prompts. This should give you an idea of what ideas you can reuse.
 
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