5 Tips For Spectacular Secondaries

 Read the questions very carefully to make sure your answers are on target.

At this point, most schools have already sent out secondary applications – so let’s jump right into the important advice you need to tackle them!

The following 5 tips will help you write spectacular secondary essays:

1. Create complementary content. The stories that you choose to tell in your secondary essays should complement the material you already provided in the AMCAS essay, not repeat it. You are a unique individual with loads to say; don’t waste space by saying the same thing twice.

2. Say something school-specific. Research the school’s strengths, values, mission, method, and philosophy, and then slant your secondaries towards the program by using your life experiences to show that you are a perfect fit for the school based on those things.

3. Tackle that timing. You should begin work on your secondary essays as soon as they are available. Not only will this give you a more leisurely writing experience (which will likely improve your quality of writing), but it will give you the opportunity to submit early, which med schools like.

4. Answer accurately. Seems obvious, I know, but many applicants need the reminder: Answer the questions as they are written and not as you wish they were written. You may write a lovely essay about your shadowing stint at your local ER during high school, but if the question was about extracurricular activities in college, then you still haven’t gotten the job done right. This also means that if you’re trying to reuse stories in multiple applications, you need to read the questions very carefully and make sure you’re on target.

5. Edit effectively. You don’t just want to tell your story; you want to tell your story well – this includes choosing the right topic, writing about your experiences with interesting and relevant details, and – last but not least – editing the essay so that it gleams. A successful secondary essay isn’t messy with typos and poor grammar; it’s neat, organized, and error-free. If English is not your first language – and even if it is – you will most definitely benefit from having another set of eyes (or more) look over your essay to ensure that it’s top-notch and ready for send-off.

Related Resources:

• Writing Secondary Essays That Get You Accepted [On-Demand Webinar]
• School-Specific Secondary Essay Tips
• Attn Med Applicants: A Class Is Matriculated Every Single Year  [Podcast]

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Tags: Medical School Admissions, secondary essays

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