The number of secondaries some medical school applicants receive can be overwhelming. Some institutions send out secondaries to almost all of their applicants; remember that the process is a money-maker for schools. To lessen the time sink, try to use the same essay for several secondaries. With some small changes an essay may be used for multiple purposes.
Contact me for editing help.
Here’s an oldie-but-goodie blog entry written by my colleague Ann Levine who is a law school admissions consultant. I have found these same errors in medical application essays, especially Ann’s number four “I believe” (and its corollary “I feel”). Along these same lines, please see my blog entry about the importance of brevity in essay writing.
For one-on-one help with your statement please contact me at insidermedical@gmail.com or see www.InsiderMedicalAdmissions.com .
I’ve blogged before about the importance of starting your essay with a “clincher,” something that will convince the reader your statement is worth reading: I found this short piece in the Stanford Magazine worth a read. The author compiled a list of first lines from the application essays of Stanford’s newest college class.
Some of my favorites:
Unlike many mathematicians, I live in an irrational world; I feel that my life is defined by a certain amount of irrationalities that bloom too frequently, such as my brief foray in front of 400 people without my pants.
When I was 8 years old, I shocked my family and a local archaeologist by discovering artifacts dating back almost 3,500 years.
As an Indian-American, I am forever bound to the hyphen.
For help with your medical school, residency or secondary essays contact me: www.InsiderMedicalAdmissions.com .
Many of my med school applicant clients have been emailing me about their frustration over the number of secondary essays they have to complete. It might sound like a nice problem to have but remember that many schools send out secondaries indiscriminately – to all applicants from whom they received primary applications. It’s cynical but true: Secondaries are a way for schools to make a little cash.
I recommend the following to keep your workload to a manageable level:
1. Start to prioritize where you want to attend school. If you’ve applied to fifty schools (some people do) and have received an equivalent number of secondaries, this is the time to consider which schools you want to eliminate. Don’t be flattered by the fact that you were asked to complete secondary (especially because, as mentioned above, some schools send them out to all applicants).
2. Try to use the same essay for several secondaries. With some small changes (or better yet, none at all) an essay may be versatile.
3. Get help from a professional. I edit scores of essays every month. I offer secondary essay editing as part of my services.
For individualized help on your secondary essays, go to http://www.insidermedicaladmissions.com/applicants/medapplicant.shtml .
Dr. Finkel is a graduate of Stanford University and Harvard Medical School. On completing her residency at Harvard, she was asked to
stay on as faculty at Harvard Medical School and spent five years teaching at the world-renowned Massachusetts General Hospital.
She was appointed to the Assistant Residency Director position for the Harvard Affiliated
Emergency Medicine Residency where she reviewed countless applications, personal statements and resumes. Read more
