Worst Secondary Essay Topics

[vtucci]

As an applicant for the Class of 2009, I was wondering if y'all could share some of the worst (either silly or too detailed in the time frame given) secondary essay topics you have come across. Please list the topic and the school.

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[Heal&Teach]

Hehehe... Here are some interesting ones, thinking questions... definitely not the worst... (paraphrased)

Mt. Sinai: What makes you special?
UPitt: Describe an ethical/moral dilemma you've encountered and the outcome.
UVA: Briefly describe yourself and medical career as you see it ten years from now. (could be a pretty loaded question, but at least you've got most of it covered with school and residency)
UMd: What does it mean to be entering a profession?

 

[Kashue]

Originally posted by Heal&Teach
Hehehe... here are some interesting ones... maybe not the worst... (paraphrased)

Mt. Sinai: What makes you special?
UPitt: Describe an ethical/moral dilemma you've encountered and the outcome.

Uchicago's questions - what a waste of time for a rejection:

If you have been involved in research, what did you learn that makes this type of experience worth recommending to others? (1300 characters)

Relate an experience in which you felt you truly helped someone. (1300)

Most individuals live by a system of values and beliefs which serve as a guiding principle for daily living. What influences have been particularly important to you? Please describe both values and influences. (2400)

Tell us about a difficult or challenging situation that you have encountered and how you dealt with it. In your response, identify both the coping skills that you called upon to resolve the dilemma, and the support person(s) from whom you sought advice. (2400)

 

[Heal&Teach]

You're right Kashue, those questions really suck.

 

[Kashue]

This is one of Stony Brook's question:


In your intellecual development and perparation for a medical career, which non-science college course has been most valuable? Why?

 

[Heal&Teach]

Originally posted by Kashue
This is one of Stony Brook's question:


In your intellecual development and perparation for a medical career, which non-science college course has been most valuable? Why?

I forgot about that one... but it does pale in comparison to what you had to go through with Chicago...

 

[joker]

Two that sucked for me:

1) Vandy - 2,000 word autobiography

2) MD - What does it mean to be entering a profession? (It's not really hard, but it took me forever to figure out the right way to answer it)

 

[Kashue]

Originally posted by Heal&Teach
I forgot about that one... but it does pale in comparison to what you had to go through with Chicago...

Especially if you get rejected after spending some time writing them...bleh

I've heard Duke's questions are killer, a reason why I didn't apply =).

 

[MedAppGurl]

sinai asks: why are you unique?
i thought that one was a killllllller!

 

[Kashue]

Originally posted by MedAppGurl
sinai asks: why are you unique?
i thought that one was a killllllller!

I was so tempted to write:

Coz I was the lucky sperm to make it.

 

[boomuntilnoon]

The kicker about UChicago's essays is that "many applicants have commented that they have learned a great deal about themselves in answering these questions."

I guess that says a lot for the school where "fun comes to die."

 

[Supadupafly]

Originally posted by Heal&Teach

UPitt: Describe an ethical/moral dilemma you've encountered and the outcome.

It took me over a month to figure a way to answer this without sounding "fluffy". Everything that could challenge somebody's ethics is either taboo or very controversial... uncomfortable to discuss.

 

[Swiper]

Originally posted by Supadupafly
It took me over a month to figure a way to answer this without sounding "fluffy". Everything that could challenge somebody's ethics is either taboo or very controversial... uncomfortable to discuss.

One month is pretty good. Tomorrow makes 4 months I have been staring at that question - I'm not a fan of it at all. I decided a while back to not complete the Pitt secondary (for a variety of reasons, definitely not because of the essay), but that question still haunts me to this day.

Ok, I'm over it.

 

[Brickhouse]

Pritzker's entire secondary was BS. I didn't even finish it, I can't believe I got as far as I did....
What was that question.....something about where my values came from....I'm like "Uh....Bea Arthur, Bob Barker, Madonna and the baby Jesus."

 

[pika7]

UChicago was one of the first secondaries sent to me, but I just kept putting it off. I hated the essays. It ended up being the last secondary I started and one of two I never finished (the other being UMaryland - I thought the profession question was a little pretentious).

I'm left guessing though if it was the goal of each school to weed out many applicants through tough or length essay questions. Oh well - guess I'll never know.

 

[ForensicPath]

The two schools that stand out in my mind for worst essay topics were Stony Brook and UConn. I don't remember exactly what they were, but I remember having to spend a lot of time on those two applications. I do remember that Stony Brook had 3 essays and UConn had 6 essays that you had to fit on 3 pages.

 

[ewing]

I actually did the Chicago questions...and got the interview...and the bubble pen! Still waiting on the acceptance, though.

Stony Brook, though, I gave up on them after I wrote one of their three page-long essays. A big part of it was hearing how high in-state tuition was going to be...and realizing that they're in the middle of nowhere. Where do they come off asking 3 pages of essays as a mediocre state-school back-up program?

Edit: I also rejected Georgetown pre-secondary...though I forget what their essay was about. I think it was the credit-report thing that got to me...

 

[Kashue]

Originally posted by ewing
I actually did the Chicago questions...and got the interview...and the bubble pen! Still waiting on the acceptance, though.

Stony Brook, though, I gave up on them after I wrote one of their three page-long essays. A big part of it was hearing how high in-state tuition was going to be...and realizing that they're in the middle of nowhere. Where do they come off asking 3 pages of essays as a mediocre state-school back-up program?

Edit: I also rejected Georgetown pre-secondary...though I forget what their essay was about. I think it was the credit-report thing that got to me...

SB's tuition is going to be around 18k, which is still pretty cheap compared to 30ish-K tuition at private schools. Stony Brook is actually NY's best state school imho, and ranks second in per capita faculty research to Berkeley among public research universities.

As to being in the middle of nowhere, it's actually in a quiet place in Long Island, easily accessible by the LIRR from the city. Stony Brook is a community and the university is what keeps the town running. Also, I find the location appealing because I want to live outside of NYC for some time but at the same time be close to the city because my family is in the city.

I may be biased because I got accepted there, but I really did get a good feel from the school and it's in my top 5 schools I'd like to attend.

 

[Amy B]

Originally posted by boomuntilnoon
The kicker about UChicago's essays is that "many applicants have commented that they have learned a great deal about themselves in answering these questions."

I guess that says a lot for the school where "fun comes to die."

I thought I would never finish UChicago's secondary. Those questions seemed to go on and on and on................

 

[ewing]

Originally posted by Kashue
SB's tuition is going to be around 18k, which is still pretty cheap compared to 30ish-K tuition at private schools.

As to being in the middle of nowhere, it's actually in a quiet place in Long Island, easily accessible by the LIRR from the city. Stony Brook is a community and the university is what keeps the town running.

I heard it would be up to ~25k by the time we graduate. And Kash, you know you rock, but I'd take Downstate in a heartbeat over SB. I agree though that SB has a slightly better reputation.

And, in terms of accessibility to downtown Manhattan, it's like two hours on the LIRR from Penn station to SB. You might as well go to school in Philly. At least when you get off the train you're in a city, and you can find a coffee, a newspaper, and a $5 hit of crack...breakfast of champions!!

Oh and congrats on acceptance there. If MSSM or where ever doesn't work out, I'm glad to hear you got into a school you'll be happy going to.

 

[Kashue]

Originally posted by ewing
I heard it would be up to ~25k by the time we graduate. And Kash, you know you rock, but I'd take Downstate in a heartbeat over SB. I agree though that SB has a slightly better reputation.

And, in terms of accessibility to downtown Manhattan, it's like two hours on the LIRR from Penn station to SB. You might as well go to school in Philly. At least when you get off the train you're in a city, and you can find a coffee, a newspaper, and a $5 hit of crack...breakfast of champions!!

Oh and congrats on acceptance there. If MSSM or where ever doesn't work out, I'm glad to hear you got into a school you'll be happy going to.

Hehe np bro. I liked SB alot and I think I'd prefer it over Downstate(although King's County rocks, yea baby!). I really liked the location and atmosphere, small class size, computer exams, etc. of SB.

 

[ewing]

Originally posted by Kashue
Hehe np bro. I liked SB alot and I think I'd prefer it over Downstate(although King's County rocks, yea baby!). I really liked the location and atmosphere, small class size, computer exams, etc. of SB.

They're also the only SUNY whose MD/PhD is MSTP (NIH funded)...did you apply for it?

 

[CharlesCA]

Originally posted by MedAppGurl
sinai asks: why are you unique?

Because my DNA is different than yours

 

[Kashue]

Originally posted by ewing
They're also the only SUNY whose MD/PhD is MSTP (NIH funded)...did you apply for it?

Nope, should have tho, but I can apply as an MS1.

 

[euphoria]

I did not apply to U Chicago, but from reading its essay questions, Duke was much easier.

Duke was the worst out of all my secondaries. Worst question was about moral/ ethical dilemma, how solved, what values helped to solve it, and so on.
Duke also had many short, 500 caracter essays.
Another essay was about life extending/altering technologies and stem cell research. I had to do the search at first on the issue, but this question was not as bad.

 

[mosfet]

U of South Florida:
Please provide the Committee with an essay profiling yourself and family, including, for example, work experience, travel experiences, fun and diversions, family traits, education, occupations, hobbies, and interests. If married, please include your spouse (and children). This essay should be different from your AMCAS essay (Please limit your essay to 20000 words).

Yes, 20000 words......Like anyone's gonna try to write more than that.

 

[Clemson Doc]

From the George Washington secondary:

"Please describe the specific factors that motivated you to apply to The George Washington University School of Medicine. Please include highlights of your experiences that demonstrate your commitment to medicine as well as role models, mentors or family members who influenced your decision to apply to GW (please restrict your answer to five lines)."

FIVE LINES!?! Thanks a lot, G-dub. I know that they receive 9,000 applications, but good grief.

At least the applications with more essays and larger space requirements give you a chance to sell yourself and differentiate yourself from other applicants. The complicated questions with tight space limits take a lot of creativity.

 

[chameleonknight]

LSU-NO has the greatest secondary in the world. No essays, two pages.

Suckers!

I seem to recall the Loyola one being kind of long and tedious...The Georgetown was a one-page "Why G-town?"
Thank God, I'm done with those...now just wait,wait wait....

 

[CalBeE]

The unofficial news was that Pritzker estimated that if they took out ONE of the secondary essay questions, they could expect 1000 more applicants completing the app.

Nevertheless, they decided not to do that...I think they only want people who have strong interest in them