What is the relative importance of secondary app essays compared to one's Personal Statement?

[TrillyBassily]

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I'm doing some secondaries now and my answers are a little uninspired compared to the work of art I had for my PS, I literally poured my heart out onto the page.

For the secondary essays, the questions are kind of limiting, and it's very hard to make yourself stand out while answering these very generic prompts. As well, the character limit is much smaller than that of the PS and I'm having trouble incorporating personal anecdotes that relate to the question being asked.

For all these reasons, I can't help but think most schools put far less weight on the answers to these questions compared to all other aspects of the application. Am I correct in saying this, or should I be putting in much more thought and effort into my answers?

If anyone here has actual experience reading these apps for med schools, i'd love to hear your input.

 

[Dr. Trenb]

Your secondary is part of the picture you are trying to present to the committee, I doubt it being less important.

 

[Goro]

The ability to be concise with your language is an important skill for a doctor to master.

Schools do NOT place less weight on these, merely because they're smaller.

Every part of your app is important.

For the secondary essays, the questions are kind of limiting, and it's very hard to make yourself stand out while answering these very generic prompts. As well, the character limit is much smaller than that of the PS and I'm having trouble incorporating personal anecdotes that relate to the question being asked.

For all these reasons, I can't help but think most schools put far less weight on the answers to these questions compared to all other aspects of the application. Am I correct in saying this, or should I be putting in much more thought and effort into my answers?

If anyone here has actual experience reading these apps for med schools, i'd love to hear your input.

 

[gyngyn]

The secondary is often viewed as more important, since the odds that you wrote it yourself are higher.

 

[Crayola227]

The ability to be concise with your language is an important skill for a doctor to master.

Schools do NOT place less weight on these, merely because they're smaller.

Every part of your app is important.

I can second the misery you'll find in your career as a physician if being concise written/verbally is difficult for you.

If you want to see how much so, review my earlier post history and see how I get torn to shreds in the threads.

I like to think I'm improving, but it's probably just that the other posters gave up berating me.

Anyway, don't think for a moment those secondaries don't matter. They matter a great deal to many schools as they get to ask you deep questions pertinent to their school's mission and consider that before sending invites.

 

[777137]

The secondary is often viewed as more important, since the odds that you wrote it yourself are higher.

Do people really not write their own personal statements?

 

[Goro]

You would be surprised.

Do people really not write their own personal statements?

 

[777137]

You would be surprised.

Any ideas why they would do that? Also, would it even be about them then, or is it just stealing someone elses or something? I just don't get it...

 

[Goro]

It's a lot easier for people with limited intelligence, self-reflection abilities, and integrity to simply pay for the product.

Any ideas why they would do that? Also, would it even be about them then, or is it just stealing someone elses or something? I just don't get it...

 

[777137]

It's a lot easier for people with limited intelligence, self-reflection abilities, and integrity to simply pay for the product.

That's messed up, how the hell would they think they're getting in if they can't even write their own personal statement

 

[Lawpy]

The secondary is often viewed as more important, since the odds that you wrote it yourself are higher.

Say you see an applicant whose PS was horrible but his secondary essays and Work and Activities sections were the best, most memorable pieces you have read. How would you consider this applicant assuming everything else is great?

 

[gyngyn]

Say you see an applicant whose PS was horrible but his secondary essays and Work and Activities sections were the best, most memorable pieces you have read. How would you consider this applicant assuming everything else is great?

I've become accustomed to over-manicured PS's. They're de rigueur. If the rest is good, I'd be happy to interview.

 

[Lawpy]

I've become accustomed to over-manicured PS's. They're de rigueur. If the rest is good, I'd be happy to interview.

Good to hear! Now much of the effort can be spent on writing good secondary essays. The PS can just be an honest, personal answer to Why Medicine but no point in going all fancy with it.

 

[777137]

I've become accustomed to over-manicured PS's. They're de rigueur. If the rest is good, I'd be happy to interview.

I swear, every other post I read from you has me in google looking up the definition for something you said. And I used to think I had a sizable vocabulary...

 

[Goro]

I'll differ from my learned colleague gyngyn because this is a negative selecting process. Like the Cavaliers vs the Warriors, the team that makes the fewest mistakes wins. We've wait listed people with poor PS's. But keep in mind that what I'm referring to is post-interview for my school (we don't pre-screen, so you can get an II if your stats are good and your PS is written in crayon.)

Say you see an applicant whose PS was horrible but his secondary essays and Work and Activities sections were the best, most memorable pieces you have read. How would you consider this applicant assuming everything else is great?

 

[Espressso]

I've always heard that secondaries are just as important, if not more important than your PS. The prompts are often generic, yes, but I think that's why your responses to them are so valuable. Plus, let's just assume we take away all secondaries and the application process is simply the primary, then interviews. Think about how bland that would be. A bunch of gpas and mcats and some paragraphs on your EC's. Then adcoms have to choose who to invite. But when you add in another set of essays, the overall picture of an applicant gets so much bigger.

I mean , who knows. I always say the admissions process definitely has some black magic involved.

 

[gyngyn]

I'll differ from my learned colleague gyngyn because this is a negative selecting process. Like the Cavaliers vs the Warriors, the team that makes the fewest mistakes wins. We've wait listed people with poor PS's. But keep in mind that what I'm referring to is post-interview for my school (we don't pre-screen, so you can get an II if your stats are good and your PS is written in crayon.)

What I find more common than a badly written PS is the over-refined over-finished essay written in the voice of an 80 year old thesaurus.

 

[Lawpy]

I'll differ from my learned colleague gyngyn because this is a negative selecting process. Like the Cavaliers vs the Warriors, the team that makes the fewest mistakes wins. We've wait listed people with poor PS's. But keep in mind that what I'm referring to is post-interview for my school (we don't pre-screen, so you can get an II if your stats are good and your PS is written in crayon.)

I mean if it's a negative process, underdog applicants and applicants with red flags won't be getting interviews and acceptances.

But aside from that, I realize the PS is important but if applicants can throw free money to get their PS polished, the value of it is basically lost. Secondaries seem to have a lot more importance here, so i thought it would be okay to not put much hard work and effort into crafting an amazing PS

 

[Goro]

Oh, it's a negative process alright. But this is why schools that do screen have Adcoms. Screeners will emphasize different things. They don't all look at a single thing and say, "next!"


And keep in mind that for, say, Drexel, ~15000 apps, 1100 IIs for 262 seats.

I mean if it's a negative process, underdog applicants and applicants with red flags won't be getting interviews and acceptances.

 

[777137]

Oh, it's a negative process alright. But this is why schools that do screen have Adcoms. Screeners will emphasize different things. They don't all look at a single thing and say, "next!"

This thread is slowly making the think I have no chance at med school with my IA's, regardless of my stats...

And keep in mind that for, say, Drexel, ~15000 apps, 1100 IIs for 262 seats.

This thread is slowly making me think my IA's will bar me from medical school regardless of my stats...

 

[Goro]

Not all IAs are the same. Adcom members were young and stupid once too.

This thread is slowly making me think my IA's will bar me from medical school regardless of my stats...

 

[777137]

Not all IAs are the same. Adcom members were young and stupid once too.

Agreed, but my issue is quantity rather than quality I mean most will be 5 years ago by the time I apply, but its one of those things that is going to make sleeping hard until I am accepted

 

[Goro]

Long periods of exemplary behavior do tend to be quite helpful!

Agreed, but my issue is quantity rather than quality I mean most will be 5 years ago by the time I apply, but its one of those things that is going to make sleeping hard until I am accepted

 

[777137]

Long periods of exemplary behavior do tend to be quite helpful!

The problem is the last 2 (being too loud on a Saturday night and disrespecting my RA) will be only 2.5 years in the past. I swear, by the time I am done posting about these you'll know my app on site if I apply to your school 🤣

Please don't throw it out

 

[DokterMom]

The secondary is often viewed as more important, since the odds that you wrote it yourself are higher.

I've become accustomed to over-manicured PS's. They're de rigueur. If the rest is good, I'd be happy to interview.

Exactly! Most personal statements don't even sound 'human', let alone "personal" by the time they've been hyper-reviewed and polished to death for submission.

It's the secondaries that give a more realistic portrayal of the applicant and how s/he writes and thinks.

Please note this is NOT to say you should focus on your secondaries and over-polish them too; but rather, to keep your own voice. Be "the real you" in a mature, cleaned-up version.

 

[CognitiveSci]

You would be surprised.

So how do adcoms distinguish between the professionally written PS and the original/genuine ones? Style? Tone of voice?

 

[gonnifreah]

What I find more common than a badly written PS is the over-refined over-finished essay written in the voice of an 80 year old thesaurus.

I've read some of my friends' PS and most of them have at least 2-3 words swapped by a thesaurus every other sentence and they sound really ornate. Mine, on the other hand, is easier to read (read: not much thesaurus-ing), but I threw in a few "big-people" words in so it doesn't sound like I'm a 5-yr old applying to med school.

But in your opinion, how fancy is too fancy?

 

[gyngyn]

I've read some of my friends' PS and most of them have at least 2-3 words swapped by a thesaurus every other sentence and they sound really ornate. Mine, on the other hand, is easier to read (read: not much thesaurus-ing), but I threw in a few "big-people" words in so it doesn't sound like I'm a 5-yr old applying to med school.

But in your opinion, how fancy is too fancy?

Use words that you normally say IRL. Even if you actually use panoply or plethora in daily conversation, I would still caution against using them in the application! Finding what appears to be the writing of a Victorian spinster in the application of a 22 year old college senior is jarring and inevitably inauthentic.

 

[Goro]

Writing style is one giveaway.

Personally, one PS looks like another nowadays.

So how do adcoms distinguish between the professionally written PS and the original/genuine ones? Style? Tone of voice?

 

[Crayola227]

When adcom are assigned to read PS, can they just quit reading as soon as they stop liking it or is there some duty to finish them??

 

[gyngyn]

When adcom are assigned to read PS, can they just quit reading as soon as they stop liking it or is there some duty to finish them??

When you have enough information to make a decision you may stop.
Sometimes you just can't stop yourself, though.

 

[MADD!!!]

Not to be a bearer of bad news, but for those who assume (and probably rightfully so) that some pay others to write their PS's for them, it's also equally valid to say that said people are also paying said persons to write their secondaries!

Also, I forgot who was asking this, but Adcoms know how to read these things. It's their job! When they read thousands of apps and interview hundreds of ppl year after year, trends start to emerge and they have their ways to determine who falls into what category.

 

[MADD!!!]

Haha basically bottom line -- for applicants, do your part and let the Adcoms do theirs. Do your part to the best of your ability, and have faith that the system will work.