Let’s talk secondaries. Earlier in the summer, when I initially wrote about my plan to tackle secondaries, I was determined to utilize all the Do’s and Don’ts I had gathered.

My goal: To make sure it was as stress-free as possible.

I’ve been done with them for quite some time now, so this post is definitely overdue. Here are five lessons I learned from writing secondaries:

1. Each school is unique in its approach to fulfilling its mission

I repeat, each school is unique. Don’t believe otherwise. Sure when you read the mission, it may appear to be very similar to the previous school you just read up on, HOWEVER, once you dig a little deeper, you’ll discover the unique programs the school has to offer. And yes, I’ll argue that each school has something unique and when you discover what it is, it’s like Aha! Definitely mention it in your secondary. You find this out by doing your research – their website, their Facebook page, their twitter and other outlets.

2. It’s a tango between showing what you have to offer and what they have to offer

Finding the balance is key. When I wrote my first secondary and had a friend read it, she gave me this key piece of advice:

 “When describing your interests in a school – try to strike a balance between talking about yourself/ interests/ attributes i.e what you can bring to the table with what the school can bring to you. It’s a 2 way relationship if that makes sense.“

I thought I did that but she noted that I was falling into the trap of regurgitating information about the school as I researched them.  This is no bueno, it’s important to talk about how you will enhance those features you like about the school. This key piece of advice early on in my process was immensely beneficial.

3. You shouldn’t rush a masterpiece. Slowly get it done

This one seems like common sense, but depending on your schedule, there may be some pressure to get those secondaries done ASAP. That’s fine BUT don’t sacrifice quality in that process. Personally, I never wrote and submitted on the same day. I usually waited at least a day to look it over again and make sure I caught all mistakes and was pleased with the final product. I definitely caught some mistakes utilizing that approach.

4. Deadlines make it all feasible

Remember my two week turn around plan for secondaries? I stuck to it! Because I had my two week deadlines written in my excel sheet, I was well aware of when I wanted to submit my secondaries; I could slowly work on each of them versus rushing to get it all done in one day. Again, everyone has a different schedule. I work full-time and I am involved in a host of other things, so the deadlines I established as I received the secondaries were immensely helpful. If I hadn’t set this game plan in the beginning, I’m sure I would have felt a lot more overwhelmed.

5. Have someone read it. Seriously. 

Shout out to my mom for this. She read a lot of my secondaries, provided constructive feedback, and helped me catch the silly mistakes. She’s not a doctor and really doesn’t know anything about the application process except from what I tell her, but her input on my secondaries was incredibly helpful. A second pair of eyes is VERY helpful. This could be a friend of yours in med school, a friend who’s an English major, or like me, a parent. My application process has been a family experience – essentially they’re all applying with me (and I feel blessed to have that family support!), so naturally, they were my second pair of eyes.

Did you learn some lessons as well? Leave a comment and share them below!
Ciao!