can an adcom by any chance explain how strictly the two week rule is followed? i know that its probably not that strict but i just have seen the two week rule SO often and i am wondering how serious it is. will schools actually think you aren't interested if you took, say, two weeks and 5 days to return a secondary?
two week secondary rule
- Thread starter drdoof11
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(Generalizing)
It's a good rule of thumb to get the secondary applications back to the admissions office in a "timely" manner. Two weeks is enough time that we can move your application along for review for interview invitations, and usually that subcommittee will meet roughly every week to two weeks. So let's just say for every two weeks that go by, the fewer interview spots could be available. Once invitations go out, it is crucial to get your application reviewed quickly because it takes maybe a month to six weeks for all the available interview spots to be filled.
It's a good rule of thumb to get the secondary applications back to the admissions office in a "timely" manner. Two weeks is enough time that we can move your application along for review for interview invitations, and usually that subcommittee will meet roughly every week to two weeks. So let's just say for every two weeks that go by, the fewer interview spots could be available. Once invitations go out, it is crucial to get your application reviewed quickly because it takes maybe a month to six weeks for all the available interview spots to be filled.
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It varies. At my school, we don't keep track of how quickly (or slowly) you return our secondary after receiving it. The complete date is what matters.
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I was told this. I was also told you want to be done by end of July. IS that a good timeline or should I aim for even earlier? I feel like I am killing myself with all these secondaries + a full time job + raising a young daughter. I am hopeful that I can finish by end of July but will be hard to do all of them within the "2 week" mark which will be this week and next week for most of them.
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It's serious. As mentioned above, one school actually locked people out last cycle, and people were forced to beg for a reprieve, which seemed to be granted for some and not others. For applicants looking for every conceivable edge, and neurotic about every little typo, it's a good idea to turn secondaries around quickly. Especially anyone who went to the trouble to get their primary verified so early.
Most schools won't lock you out, and 2.5 weeks instead of 1.5 is not going to be the difference between receiving an II or not. But, for the schools who care about intensity of interest, yes, it matters, because you are signaling you have more important things to do, or schools you care more about being complete at first, than turning their secondary around quickly. This annoys some offices because they intentionally space out secondaries to manage work flow, and we then screw that up by submitting whenever we feel like it.
Others really don't care, so YMMV. The safe, conservative, SDN move is to turn secondaries around in 2 weeks. It's not a "rule" unless the school explicitly tells you it is.
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So is submitting anytime within 2 weeks still soon enough to convey the necessary interest? I’m working hard on my top-choice (which I got a few days back), and I’m planning to turn it around 10-11 days after it hit my inbox.
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U of Houston (Fertitta) is another one with a hard date for returning secondaries. You are told specifically that it must be returned within 14 days of the date on your secondary invitation email.
Read all your emails from medical schools word by word to look for details!
Read all your emails from medical schools word by word to look for details!
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Definitely. Again, it's not a formal rule, it's just a rule of thumb. It comes from suggestions some schools make, plus, the requirement UCLA laid out last cycle.
Sooner is always better than later, but no one turns into Cinderella on Day 15, except at UCLA last year. It's very far from the be-all here.
As a point of reference, last cycle my turnaround times ranged from same day to 13 days. While it is true that I did not receive an II from the 13 day school (most likely due to it being low yield, but, sure, the fact that I took almost two weeks was a sign of my lack of enthusiasm and prioritizing other schools, since we all can only work so fast), I also did not receive IIs from several same day schools, while I received IIs from schools that I needed 7-8 days to turn around.
Bottom line -- do your best and don't sweat a few days one way or the other on this.
Thank you so much for the help! I did note that one of my schools (SKMC) has a 2 week deadline, and I generally have been following the 2 week rule but there is one specific school that i am very interested in and my secondary just isnt polished yet so i was just wondering if it would be terrible to go a few days over. also, my committee letter from my school isnt in yet, so even if i hand in my secondary, i wont be complete yet... will this reflect badly on me? my school is somewhat known for having late committee letters, but i hit every early deadline so i am praying it comes out soon. i just wanted to know if the 14 day deadline is just for turning secondaries in, or if it also includes LOR/being completely done
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Adcoms are not standing around with stopwatches to see who is responding the fastest, like jealous prom dates.
It's just, as pointed out by my leaned colleague above, common sense.
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It's just for turning secondaries in. It cannot apply to items beyond your control, such as a committee letter.
TakingItOneDayAtATime
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How does this rule of thumb apply to schools who do not screen for AMCAS verification and simply send out their secondary (such as George Washington)? Still aim for the two-week window, or will they not review it until the primary is verified anyways?
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Unfortunately, we don't offer time bonuses to those who submit super early (unlike the Tour de France for stage wins, which is running right now).
On the other hand, if there is a policy the adcoms imposed, we have to do what policy says. If you have to submit after the deadline, don't wait until 10 seconds before the deadline to email us and expect there to have an extension granted to you. Connect with admissions staff early (more than 48 hours) if you think you will have a problem. The threshold (as an example) is that you can't complete your supplemental because a forest fire is going to consume your house if you don't evacuate now, and you're not sure how reliable your internet is in the shelter. (So far, no hurricanes are in the near forecast...). Even so, don't expect an extension.
TL/DR: Use common sense. Get it done.
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To follow up my learned colleague's words, early doesn't mean "more competitive" as apps aren't processed in order of receipt. Priority may go to those who fit the school's missions, local candidates, those who are in-state; those who went to the UG school of the parent organization, veterans, URMs etc.
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You should always aim for the two week window but, yes, nothing is going to be reviewed until the primary is verified, so feel free to take your time if that happens to be your situation.
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@LizzyM Could you elaborate on this, please? I'm worried that my committee letter will be the lagging factor in having a complete application, as they have only one person writing letters for everyone. What in particular makes September 8th an important date?
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Things really pick up after Labor Day when everyone is back from vacation and the academic year is in full swing. At that point, we are reviewing applications and issuing interview invitations and the interviews themselves have begun or will begin soon.
So, the latest Labor Day falls is September 7th so let's shoot for Sept 8th as the date when your application should be complete including letters and secondary and MCAT scores, etc. That's about 8 weeks from now.... do you have any indication from your school that it will take more than 8 weeks to crank out the letters being sent on behalf of yourself and your fellow applicants?
D
deleted1139574
@LizzyM
Your labor day rule makes sense, but you'd still say try to submit secondaries as early as possible right? But one's app won't be harmed that much if they submit before labor day, but after labor day it might be detrimental to the app.
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You didn't wait until the stated AMCAS deadline to submit your application so why would you wait here? I think we have pointed out how the process works in general terms. The only thing you are possibly doing is denying yourself a shot at an interview, which is essentially shooting yourself in the foot. Rolling admissions!
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Don't worry about your committee letter. Some schools really don't need the letters until much later in the process, and many will accommodate for programs that have an institutional letter process.
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Adding on: remember that not all schools have orientation at the same time. By September, all of the medical schools should have gone through matriculating their classes, and "normal" training and recruitment for interviewers and student guides should be complete. Give the admissions office about a month between first II's and the first interview days, and that puts September 1 as a good target date. Monday is a holiday, before we go into about 5 solid weeks of interviewing without a weekday holiday. Offers get decided for release by mid-October.
On the institutional letter side, the writers will likely want to be done before THEY have incoming student orientation. So most letters will be in by end of August. They are doing their best to get these letters sent in for you.
tovarishch
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[mention]LizzyM [/mention] [mention]Knightdoc [/mention] [mention]Mr.Smile12 [/mention] Heads up, University of Utah’s email and FAQ state that applications must be complete within two weeks including all letters of reference in order to be considered. My letter wasn’t in yet, so I emailed them and they extended the deadline for me, but the rule of only needing to submit everything by September isn’t as ironclad as I’d hoped.
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Get your stuff in as early as you can. The Labor Day rule is just there to remind folks that committee letters that arrive in late August/first week of September are not going to derail your application cycle (Utah being an outlier, it seems).
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Yes, and I think that is emphasized in their recruitment materials. That's why doing homework and networking before applying is important. Individual school adcoms set their own timelines.
The advising offices out West, including the flagship prehealth committees in Utah, are not happy.
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They also made this clear in the email inviting me to fill out a secondary. I definitely do not feel this information was hidden or anything, just thought it was an exception that bore mentioning.
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Oh, I appreciate pointing out a glaring exception. It is not lost among the advisors. They also don't mention the deadline clearly enough on their admissions requirements website under LOR's.
The admissions office does a good job with some videos for applicants (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXeywUsK3alTXt2pvdKVWtg/videos).
