Withdraw pre-secondary or just don't submit?

[happypenguin28]

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I ended up not completing 5 of my secondaries because I overestimated my capacity to apply to nearly 30 schools while working a demanding full time job that requires a lot of weekends. I didn't finish even the last of the secondaries I really wanted until mid-September and I was lucky to already have a handful of interviews by the time I was turning in my last few secondaries, so from I strategic standpoint I think it made since to stop.

I assumed it was okay for me to just not submit them, but I've been getting a few reminder emails from some of the schools over the last few months. I feel kind of guilty (I know it doesn't cost them anything so the cost-benefit is in favor of them just sending these out and getting those fees but still) and I wonder if I was supposed to formally withdraw from the school instead of just not submitting? I know it probably doesn't ultimately matter much, but I don't want to be rude. What's the etiquette here?

 

[edawgmd]

You should withdraw so it gets off their work flow list. Its the professional thing to do

If you withdraw/do not submit a secondary and end up reapplying to the school, are you considered a reapplicant? How likely are they to pull up the primary from the previous year and is this viewed upon negatively? Thanks!

 

[happypenguin28]

You should withdraw so it gets off their work flow list. Its the professional thing to do

Oh okay, thank you for letting me know! Do the application portals usually have a place to withdraw or should I just email admissions? I was poking around the application portal (apparently, for some of these schools, I never even actually logged in before...) and couldn't seem to find an obvious place to withdraw since it just directly me through the secondary application. I guess I could also ask on school-specific forums?

 

[LacrosseFit]

You should think about the "long game" here. It's possible that you don't get into medical school this year, in which case you will want to apply to these programs again next year. Withdrawing with some sort of explanation that doesn't say they are your safety school would leave them as an option the following year. If you end up applying next year and they realize you just sort of dropped off this year without explanation, I could see that as a red flag.