2020-2021 Northwestern (Feinberg)

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

TheDataKing

Full Member
5+ Year Member
Joined
May 16, 2018
Messages
1,830
Reaction score
4,664
Please tag a pre-allo moderator when the secondary prompt is posted.

Good luck to everyone applying!

Interview Feedback: Northwestern University

Members don't see this ad.
 
Does anyone know whether last year's reapplicant question referred to reapplicants to Northwestern specifically?
 
For my fellow URM, just received an email from their diversity and inclusion office about waiving the secondary fee
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
Members don't see this ad :)
Do they send these to everyone with above a certain mcat?
 
I did too! It wasn't on my list but now i'm considering applying? Not sure if it's worth it though. My MCAT is right below their 10th percentile.

Yeah Im not sure either, even though the secondary fee is waived you still need to pay the $40 to add the school to your primary so keep that in mind.
 
Yeah Im not sure either, even though the secondary fee is waived you still need to pay the $40 to add the school to your primary so keep that in mind.
Was Feinberg on your app list already? Wondering if they sent the email about fee waiver only to people that didn't have Northwestern on their app list or not.
 
Was Feinberg on your app list already? Wondering if they sent the email about fee waiver only to people that didn't have Northwestern on their app list or not.

It was not on my list when I received the email.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
They might just send it to URMs above a certain MCAT? At this point it's an extra $40 which in the grand scheme of things isn't too much, so i'm just going to shoot my shot
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Members don't see this ad :)
@TheDataKing
  1. Given the distinctive educational philosophy and integrated curriculum at FSM, describe how your personal characteristics and learning style would fit the institution, and how Feinberg School of Medicine will help you achieve your professional goals.
  2. Describe the steps you take to manage your personal stress when confronted with difficult situations.
  3. Feinberg's mission is to impact the practice of medicine through discovery and education. With consideration of FSM's goal to train future leaders in medicine, please describe your career plans and goals. Be as specific as your current thinking will allow.
  4. (if applicable): If you have (or expect to have) a year or more between college graduation and medical school matriculation, describe your activities and/or plans. For REAPPLICANTS: Please also address steps taken to improve your application for medical school.
  5. Everyone has their own narrative. Please provide more detail about how your experiences would enrich the Northwestern community.
  6. Describe how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted your pathway to medical school. Include any academic, personal, financial or professional barriers, as well as any other relevant information.
All 200 word limits. After #5 there’s also some checkboxes about different identities/diversity.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 8 users
do we know if these guys screen?
The PDF from msar says they send secondaries to "all those who submit an amcas application," so I wonder why they only sent some invitations today. If they did screen, they probably only had time to screen stats because stuff was sent out so early after transmission, but my LizzyM is 82.5 and I don't get a secondary. Maybe it's in waves or something
 
The PDF from msar says they send secondaries to "all those who submit an amcas application," so I wonder why they only sent some invitations today. If they did screen, they probably only had time to screen stats because stuff was sent out so early after transmission, but my LizzyM is 82.5 and I don't get a secondary. Maybe it's in waves or something

My latest guess is that secondary are sent out in order based on when you add the school to your amcas app, not when you get verified. It sounds like some people are getting notified that schools received their app before they are verified.
 
Got this email from them after asking about my fee waiver.

Our office has received your AMCAS application, and we will sometime in the next week or so be sending you the supplemental invitation e-mail.
 
I got verified the first day. Didn’t add them until yesterday morning because I got a fee waiver & got my secondary later that afternoon. So I think it’s hard to predict why they’re sending them when. But everyone will get it eventually so don’t stress!
 
The fee waiver is processed on monday. I got the secondary day and they said to wait till Tuesday (when it will be done processing) to submit.
 
Also might be alpha order. I had them in my app rely but my last name begins with an early letter in the alphabet
 
Haven't received it either. Hoping that it'll arrive sometime Monday. I'm not certain if the roll-out is like this every cycle or whether the unique circumstances of this cycle have something to do with it. It's not really under my control though, so I'm trying not to worry too much.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Received mine just before noon today! I think they must be doing it in batches, but I don't know how they're selecting who gets put in each batch. My last name starts with C, so I don't think that's it...
 
Is anyone having issues with opening the supplemental app? I am pressing the "Begin application process" button on the Applicant Status page but it then just says "Thank you for your application to the Feinberg School of Medicine. You have now paid the $95 application fee."

But I have not paid yet and I have not completed the secondary app either. Very confused...
 
Is anyone having issues with opening the supplemental app? I am pressing the "Begin application process" button on the Applicant Status page but it then just says "Thank you for your application to the Feinberg School of Medicine. You have now paid the $95 application fee."

But I have not paid yet and I have not completed the secondary app either. Very confused...
I realize that it might be because I am a re-applicant and it is redirecting me to this page because of my completed secondary last year? I am going to email them and see if I can get it resolved.
 
Is anyone having trouble logging into the secondary? Like where it asks for the first name, last name, and AAMC ID? I put all this stuff in multiple times, but it's saying login failure.
 
Dumb question, but what did y'all put for the question "Current address and phone number are good until:" on the personal information page? Like what if I'm living at my permanent address currently?
 
When they ask what duel-degree programs I am interested in, does anyone know if that is just to gauge interest or if it's somewhat committing? I am interested in possibly getting an MD/MBA or MD/MPH, but I'm not positive yet and don't know if I should select these or just leave the boxes blank
 
Dumb question, but what did y'all put for the question "Current address and phone number are good until:" on the personal information page? Like what if I'm living at my permanent address currently?
I put until August 2021 like until I would be matriculating
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Is anyone having trouble logging into the secondary? Like where it asks for the first name, last name, and AAMC ID? I put all this stuff in multiple times, but it's saying login failure.
i am having the same problem
 
When they ask what duel-degree programs I am interested in, does anyone know if that is just to gauge interest or if it's somewhat committing? I am interested in possibly getting an MD/MBA or MD/MPH, but I'm not positive yet and don't know if I should select these or just leave the boxes blank

From the link provided on that page of the secondary it sounds like it is just to gauge interest. Pretty sure you apply to all of those programs at various points (depending on the program) after matriculation based on what I read.
 
I noticed they state that our letters should be from "preferably faculty members " how strong is this preference?
 
Last edited:
I submitted this morning and, looking over my essays again, just found a typo...

"...the whatever notwithstanding." Should have been "...the weather notwithstanding." Hoping they can glean from context what I'd intended to say.
 
I submitted this morning and, looking over my essays again, just found a typo...

"...the whatever notwithstanding." Should have been "...the weather notwithstanding." Hoping they can glean from context what I'd intended to say.
It's not the end of the world. Don't lose sleep over it. ADCOMS are people too and everybody makes mistakes.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
I realize that it might be because I am a re-applicant and it is redirecting me to this page because of my completed secondary last year? I am going to email them and see if I can get it resolved.

+1, let me know what they say about this issue because I can't access either as a reapplicant.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
For my fellow URM, just received an email from their diversity and inclusion office about waiving the secondary fee
Did you reach out to them prior? I haven't received said e-mail.
 
Did you reach out to them prior? I haven't received said e-mail.
I received that email with the waiver as well. I didn't reach out to them & they weren't even on my list. I'm not sure who they sent it out to
 
I received an email last night after submission that my secondary has been received. However, I am not marked as complete on their portal -- the only box that is unchecked is "Secondary Received." Is anyone else also seeing this?
 
I submitted my app yesterday but I haven't received an email it's been submitted and the checkbox is still unchecked on the portal. Anyone else?
 
Is anyone suddenly unable to enter their secondary portal? It keeps saying I've misspelled my name or entered the wrong AAMC ID but I definitely haven't
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Is anyone suddenly unable to enter their secondary portal? It keeps saying I've misspelled my name or entered the wrong AAMC ID but I definitely haven't

I haven't been able to access the portal at all since today morning, their website might be overloaded or something similar.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Is anyone suddenly unable to enter their secondary portal? It keeps saying I've misspelled my name or entered the wrong AAMC ID but I definitely haven't
+1 I thought it was just me lol, the site must be down
 
I received an email last night after submission that my secondary has been received. However, I am not marked as complete on their portal -- the only box that is unchecked is "Secondary Received." Is anyone else also seeing this?
Same. I submitted last night but "supplementary application received" box remains unchecked. I'll give it a couple days to hopefully let the system replicate/backup, whatever it needs to do, before I pester them. (Obviously not a computer guy here).
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Top