I’m working on my secondary application to VCU. They ask for an essay. Usually schools ask why you want to come to this school, etc. They do not ask this question directly.
This is what they want me to do:
“The admissions committee requests that you write another essay that provides us with some insight into you as a person. The content should NOT repeat anything that we can learn from the AMCAS essay. However, other than that you may discuss any topic you choose. The essay has a limited length, so be certain that you know your material will fit in the allotted space (approximately 500-600 words).”
I was thinking about writing why I want to apply to VCU, + describe my positive experiece while I visited their school, + might write about my new job how I like it. But what else? Should I tell one more story? Or should it be more about my views/ opinions about medicne and the problems it faces?
- madkasia Said:
This is what they want me to do:
"The admissions committee requests that you write another essay that provides us with some insight into you as a person. The content should NOT repeat anything that we can learn from the AMCAS essay. However, other than that you may discuss any topic you choose. The essay has a limited length, so be certain that you know your material will fit in the allotted space (approximately 500-600 words)."
I was thinking about writing why I want to apply to VCU, + describe my positive experiece while I visited their school, + might write about my new job how I like it. But what else? Should I tell one more story? Or should it be more about my views/ opinions about medicne and the problems it faces?
Hi there,
Why don't you tell them about preparing for the MCAT as a non-native English speaker. Tell them how you learned your working knowledge of English and how you have been able to apply that to your studies, your work etc. You did well so you have a good story to tell here.
Good luck!
Natalie
Thank you Natalie, it might be a good idea.
I still have hard time getting all my thought together to come up with something I’m really happy with, but I already got few ideas down on the paper and I’m going to play with it a little bit.
Thank you for your suggestion,
Kasia
I got two more secondaries today… UVA and University of Maryland.
So far:
GW (sent)
Penn State (sent)
VCU (post-screened will go out tomorrow)
Georgetown (will go out tomorrow)
Temple (will go out next week)
Univeristy of Maryland (will go out next week)
UVA (will go out next week)
Kasia
Ps.Has anyone already heard from Eastern VA, Drexel, Howard or WV University ?
Kasia, you and I could end up at the same school I have sent secondaries to all the schools you mentioned except UVA, VCU, and Drexel, I havent heard from Howard. Good luck, only a few left to go for me.
Howard is notoriously inefficient with their application process. Mark your calendar to bug them about once a month. BE SURE to keep copies of everything you send to them (of course this is good advice for any school) because they’ve been known to lose stuff.
The school itself is fine, as Natalie can vouch for, but I have never, ever heard a good story about their admissions office.
Mary!
Thank you for letting me know! I’m going to give them a call on Monday or Tuesday, and ask if they were already sending their secondaries, and maybe mine got filtered out as a ‘junk’.
Kasia
Hey Kasia, I emailed Howard over the weekend and today I received the secondary. I think its available for download on their website.
I was going to give them a call today, and I received an e-mail with secondary instructions from before I called.
I’m getting sick of writing those essays…it takes forever! Hopefully I’ll get all of them out of the way today/ tonight…except from the three that I still haven’t received. I will e-mail Drexel and Eastern Virginia to ask. And it looks I have to wait for UWV to let me know what’s going on b/c they screen.
I’m flying home for 10 days on September 1st, and I’d like to have all the secondaries sent by then, so I can enjoy my time with my folks, instead of worrying about that.
Kasia
Kasia:
I’m not sure about the other schools you mention, but I just got Drexel application by e-mail yesterday 8-21-06. It doesn’t look like a long one (hooray!).
Regards,
RMG, Dr. 2B
I have all but 3 (which Im still waiting for) of my secondaries and LORs out!!! Now just to wait.
I got a secondary from Eastern Virgina today.
I e-mailed Drexel two days ago, but nothing happened yet. No response and no secondary…I’ll wait a day or two.
I’m still waiting for one from UWV.
My Secondary Update:
Medical College of Georgia (completed and sent)
Baylor
Howard
Meharry
SUNY Buffalo
I just started my last semester last week ! I can’t believe I am actually graduating from college FINALLY !! Now I just need to get motivated to finish these secondaries and get ALL 
my LORs in to the premed office…
Congrats to everyone receiving secondaries… I received a secondary from Rosalind Franklin/Chicago Medical School yesterday…
Just received my first for this year!!!
UNECOM
Gabe,
That is so cool. Get it out really fast, b/c the rest will start coming before you know, and they will pile up way too fast .
Good luck,
Kasia
Could somebody be so kind to explain the application process and all this discussion of secondary, to myself and others that are just starting out on our quest. I have to add that it is exciting and motivating to me to read all of your responses about applying and moving from the prep portion to the actuall medical school part of your pursuits.
- dreamchaser Said:
Dream Chaser,
it took me a while to wrap my my mind around the process as well. You start by filing a primary application with AMCAS (for M.D. schools) and AACOMAS (for D.O. schools). Mainly, these agencies will have your MCAT, school course grades, personal essay, and a list of medical colleges that you wish to apply to. When they have reviewed your course work against your transcripts for accuracy and calculated your overall GPA, science GPA, and received your MCAT scores, you are considered "complete" and they will send all of this information over to the schools you designated. That's phase one.
The schools receive this information and will decide whether to let you take the next step and send them a second, direct application, which is known as the secondary application. The secondary usually has a couple more essays and more biographical information to fill out (and, of course, another $50 to $100 to pay). You also need to have your school or premed program send your letters of recommendation directly to the colleges. Once they have your secondary application and your LORs, you are considered "complete" and they will consider you for an interview.
There are exceptions to this process,such as some schools that don't wait for the secondary but are impressed enough by your GPA and MCAT to invite you for an interview, but this is the way it seems to work in general. I found personally that by far the slowest part of the process was the LORs, which held up my secondary applications for many weeks. The lesson I learned is, don't wait on LORs; get them done as soon as possible. A year in advance is not too early to get going with LORs, or even longer.
Hope this helps,
- ttraub Said:
Terry did a nice job of condensing a complicated process into a couple of neat paragraphs; I would've been far wordier!
I would just add that many schools automatically send secondary applications and do not "screen" your AMCAS primary application before deciding to send you the secondary. You will see some bitter conversation about this on discussion boards, because it means that a school might cash your secondary check and then promptly reject you. It's good to find out which schools screen and which don't (I believe for M.D. schools it's about 50-50) -- can save some $$$ that way.
Mary
Just received Kansas City!!