In this blog series we will be covering all aspects of Secondary Essays. Stay tuned over the coming weeks for guidance on writing compelling essays that will earn you a coveted interview spot.
There are two optional secondary questions that are common to most applications, one that you can always answer and one that you should only answer if it is appropriate. Let us explain.
Is there anything else we should know about your candidacy? If you have no issues to address and the prompt is this open-ended, you could recycle a Secondary Essay from another school to highlight an experience that didn't fit into your W&A. Or, if they didn't ask in another Secondary, talk about why you love this program.
But the secret purpose of this prompt is to give you a chance to take down some red flags. It is the school's nice way of saying: "What not-so-great thing did you do? Explain why we shouldn't be concerned about it."
Some schools will ask about it more explicitly: Please explain any inconsistencies in your college or graduate school academic performance and/or MCAT scores.
So, did you tank a class your freshman year? Does your lowish MCAT score not reflect your ability to thrive in a challenging academic environment? Don't make excuses. Instead, after you share your misstep, explain how you excelled in later courses or rigorous academic or work environments. You want to keep any answer concise: This is the issue. These are my accomplishments that mitigate that issue.
Test scores and grades aside, is there something else in your school record that needs to be addressed? Did you get a citation for underage drinking at a campus music festival two years ago? For topics like this, keep your answer very brief. Going on and on about every circumstance and how this is not really your fault, etc. is weak. Go to the pain: This is the situation. This is the action I took afterward. This is the result of that action and what I learned.
You do not have to max out this word count. And much like the adversity question that might pop up in your Secondary application, you want to avoid appearing too negative or overly critical of others here.
Have you experienced any hardships?
If you have experienced hardships regarding your health, family, finances, or any significant interruptions to your education, share them here.
If you have not experienced such hardships, don't exaggerate a small hurdle or massage any facts to answer this question. A hardship prompt is different from an adversity prompt. We've all faced adversity in our own way. But an optional secondary question about hardships is exactly that —optional.
We once had a client who considered writing about living in a medically underserved area. Her home state was in the top 10 medically underserved states, but this description applied to rural parts of the state and areas of her city deeply affected by poverty—not where she lived.
She had access to a local primary care physician and was less than an hour away by reliable public transportation from a specialist she saw. Including this obvious exaggeration of affiliation in her submitted application might have led to an awkward interview moment (best case) or an immediate rejection (worst case). We cautioned our client then, as we caution you now: avoid using embellished responses to prompts and interview questions.