What are Secondaries??

[keno]

Hi all,
What are secondaries and when are they given out? I thought you just apply through AMCAS and send in your scores, LORs and then just wait (forever). Am I missing out on something? Can somebody give me few pointers here.

This is completely off topic, when is a good time to take the MCATs? I have fallen little bit behind my preparations and don't feel comfortable taking the April Cats. (I did take mcats before and did horrible, my score was in low 'teens, I don't wanna repeat it.) I do want to apply this year. Would August be too late to take the mcats? What do you guys suggest?

Thanks! Any help is much appreciated.

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[tinkerbelle]

After you submit your AMCAS, schools will send you a secondary application (although some schools screen applicants before they give you a secondary). The secondary application is just a way for schools to find out why you like their school in particular. It's also a way for them to charge you more money

When are you planning on applying to med school? This summer? If you don't take the MCAT in April, you can always take it in August.

 

[keno]

After you submit your AMCAS, schools will send you a secondary application (although some schools screen applicants before they give you a secondary). The secondary application is just a way for schools to find out why you like their school in particular. It's also a way for them to charge you more money

When are you planning on applying to med school? This summer? If you don't take the MCAT in April, you can always take it in August.

Thanks for the reply. Yes I'm planning to apply this year. I just hope aug is not too late. Can you send in your application in advance?

 

[virilep]

Hi all,
What are secondaries and when are they given out? I thought you just apply through AMCAS and send in your scores, LORs and then just wait (forever). Am I missing out on something? Can somebody give me few pointers here.

This is completely off topic, when is a good time to take the MCATs? I have fallen little bit behind my preparations and don't feel comfortable taking the April Cats. (I did take mcats before and did horrible, my score was in low 'teens, I don't wanna repeat it.) I do want to apply this year. Would August be too late to take the mcats? What do you guys suggest?

Thanks! Any help is much appreciated.

hey check out this sticky

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=168194

it'll answer every one of your questions.

 

[sdnstud]

If you submit your AMCAS in june, you will receive secondary applications as early as late July/August. Like tinkerbelle mentioned, the AMCAS application notifies a school that you're applying there and the secondary application is the actually application to the school. LORs are requested along with the secondary application, not the AMCAS

Take the MCAT when you're ready. If you don't think you can perform well in April, delay the test until August. Many August MCATers get accepted to medical school.

Hi all,
What are secondaries and when are they given out? I thought you just apply through AMCAS and send in your scores, LORs and then just wait (forever). Am I missing out on something? Can somebody give me few pointers here.

This is completely off topic, when is a good time to take the MCATs? I have fallen little bit behind my preparations and don't feel comfortable taking the April Cats. (I did take mcats before and did horrible, my score was in low 'teens, I don't wanna repeat it.) I do want to apply this year. Would August be too late to take the mcats? What do you guys suggest?

Thanks! Any help is much appreciated.

 

[keno]

Thanks. I appreciate the replies.

Don't the school send you secondaries based on your grades and especially MCAT scores?

 

[keno]

If you submit your AMCAS in june, you will receive secondary applications as early as late July/August. Like tinkerbelle mentioned, the AMCAS application notifies a school that you're applying there and the secondary application is the actually application to the school. LORs are requested along with the secondary application, not the AMCAS

Take the MCAT when you're ready. If you don't think you can perform well in April, delay the test until August. Many August MCATers get accepted to medical school.

When did you take your MCATs?

 

[45408]

When did you take your MCATs?

I took the August MCAT, but I'm applying starting this May.

 

[PBR727]

Secondaries = schools want some $ to look at your application

 

[DrYo12]

Secondaries are usually a series of questions that the school will send you after receiving your AMCAS app. The questions will usually be some variation on a challenge you've overcome, something that makes you unique, describing your extracurriculars, why do you want to go to our school...

 

[sunUCB]

some schools "screen" the applications before sending out secondaries - meaning that they look at your numbers, etc from your primary application before deciding who to send secondaries to.

but a vast majority of schools send EVERYONE secondaries, as sort of a fund raising device....they make a buttload off of our applications.

Thanks. I appreciate the replies.

Don't the school send you secondaries based on your grades and especially MCAT scores?

 

[ElKapitan]

Some secondaries don't really matter at all, like at BU where they ask you to send in $100 and that is all. They might only ask questions that don't pertain to you like: did a family member ever graduate from our school? I would suggest taking more time with the personal essay in the primary, then any of the secondary essays. In other words, they are nothing to really stress about.

 

[keno]

Thanks for the replies.

When do schools start intervewing? Wouldn't they want to see MCAT score before inviting me for an interview? Thanks.