Is it just me or are secondaries taking a LOT longer to be released this year?

[kath00]

I went through some of the 22-23 class cycle posts and most schools had secondaries out by the 6th or 7th of July. It is now the 8th with only about 10 schools out of the 100+ schools that release automatic (not prescreened) secondaries?! Kinda odd. Just wondering why... And wondering if the SCOTUS decision has anything to do with schools rewording the diversity essay, etc. Although frankly the schools that have released don't seem to have reworded questions really. Or just had minor changes. Dunno...

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[Mr.Smile12]

Hard to guess. Schools should have anticipated the decision months ago after November arguments.

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[wysdoc]

I went through some of the 22-23 class cycle posts and most schools had secondaries out by the 6th or 7th of July. It is now the 8th with only about 10 schools out of the 100+ schools that release automatic (not prescreened) secondaries?! Kinda odd. Just wondering why... And wondering if the SCOTUS decision has anything to do with schools rewording the diversity essay, etc. Although frankly the schools that have released don't seem to have reworded questions really. Or just had minor changes. Dunno...

Impatience and being in a rush is not going to serve you well during your application year.
AMCAS schools received their first batch of primary applications less than 10 days ago, so those that screen have a lot of work to do before sending out secondary emails.

Work on the ones you know so far and take your time with the essays. Then remind yourself that after turning in the essay, there could be weeks or months of waiting to see whether you will be interviewed.
This is the normal process, there is nothing wrong.

 

[kath00]

Thanks for the post, wysdoc. Not impatience though. Just wondering. Also I said this does not apply to prescreening schools, for the obvious reasons you mentioned. But thanks for the reminder. I am actually grateful to have way more time to work on my secondaries without being inundated by them.

 

[Goro]

Thanks for the post, wysdoc. Not impatience though. Just wondering. Also I said this does not apply to prescreening schools, for the obvious reasons you mentioned. But thanks for the reminder. I am actually grateful to have way more time to work on my secondaries without being inundated by them.

Secondaries are not sent out in order of receipt of primaries.

 

[laaaaav]

Secondaries are not sent out in order of receipt of primaries.

they're not???

 

[wysdoc]

they're not???

well clearly if you haven't submitted a primary you can't get the secondary, while those who already submitted can.
Schools that send a secondary to every applicant will send them right away, but a lot of schools wait to see what caliber of applications they are getting this year before sending out secondaries.
Screening for state of residency in some schools, and taking time to read your primary before sending a secondary will of course add time.

 

[kath00]

Still no secondaries from at least 10 of my schools who in previous years did "auto-secondary" with no prescreens....
And I submitted on day 1, got verified within a week.
I looked back and in the prev cycle, it seems that most schools who don't prescreen have long sent out secondaries to applicants.
I guess I should be happy that I am not inundated by 25 applications right now.

 

[LizzyM]

Hard to guess. Schools should have anticipated the decision months ago after November arguments.

Read

While You Are Waiting: Processing Health Professions Applications - SDN

The Student Doctor Network provides free tools, resources, and advising services to help students become health professionals.

www.studentdoctor.net

Should have but AMCAS went ahead with the usual application and now the schools are scrambling to deal with applications that might be illegal for reviewers to review. Work arounds will be needed. Some schools may be running secondary questions past university lawyers now that the details of the decision are known. Be patient. This is a trip to Mars and you aren't getting there overnight.

 

[Rachapkis]

Because applying to medical school is a breeze, we've decided to raise the bar by delaying the issuance of secondary applications and demanding that you submit them the day after receiving them. Sleep well, children!

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Because applying to medical school is a breeze, we've decided to raise the bar by delaying the issuance of secondary applications and demanding that you submit them the day after receiving them. Sleep well, children!

But we might overlook updating our application so it appears you need to submit them yesterday.

 

[biomannnn007]

Just wondering why... And wondering if the SCOTUS decision has anything to do with schools rewording the diversity essay, etc.

From the decision:

"At the same time, as all parties agree, nothing in this opinion should be construed as prohibiting universities from considering an applicant’s discussion of how race affected his or her life, be it through discrimination, inspiration, or otherwise. See, e.g., 4 App. in No. 21–707, at 1725– 1726, 1741; Tr. of Oral Arg. in No. 20–1199, at 10. But, despite the dissent’s assertion to the contrary, universities may not simply establish through application essays or other means the regime we hold unlawful today."

A lot of people, the AAMC included, seem to have missed this key line. If you genuinely believe your race, and experiences because of it, will add value to the medical school class, you're still more than welcome to argue that in an essay. All SCOTUS said was that schools can't explicitly use race in admissions decisions. For example, they took issue with Harvard's system because it basically looked at the racial breakdown of people tentatively admitted and used this to make admissions decisions that adjusted the racial makeup of the incoming class. So the decision shouldn't affect most of the diversity essay prompts out there.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Should have but AMCAS went ahead with the usual application and now the schools are scrambling to deal with applications that might be illegal for reviewers to review. Work arounds will be needed. Some schools may be running secondary questions past university lawyers now that the details of the decision are known. Be patient. This is a trip to Mars and you aren't getting there overnight.

No one stops AAMC from doing anything.

I'm certain they have been developing toolkits and resources for admissions teams anticipating the decision. We've had schools that could not consider race in their admissions decisions since California 1997 at least, so it's not like we are completely starting from scratch. But I agree, one needs to be very patient.

More importantly, I anticipate legal to get insights on the interview process and perhaps sample some of the questions that are favorites.

 

[kath00]

What about the photo requirement? I am so curious about this...

 

[wysdoc]

What about the photo requirement? I am so curious about this...

That's so interviewers can remember you among thousands, and so you can't send an imposter to do your interview

 

[Dr_Pediatrics]

but a lot of schools wait to see what caliber of applications they are getting this year before sending out secondaries.

What schools do you know that do this?

 

[wysdoc]

What schools do you know that do this?

That is too broad a question to answer on SDN.
You should look at each of the schools on YOUR list and see if they send secondaries to all verified applicants or not.
Some will have a geographic, state resident, or statistics screen for example.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

What about the photo requirement? I am so curious about this...

Are you asking whether the photo requirement is prohibited? I don't think SCOTUS decisions commented on this.

 

[asdfjkl12321]

honestly I am totally fine with the slow secondaries to help space things out

 

[gonnif]

For the past 20+ years I have heard the same complaints, slower secondaries, less interviews, silent rejections, etc. this is a nerve-racking, neurosis inducing, and occasionally paranoia pandemonium in the worry and stress that this process causes. As I tell, everybody follow the zen method. Calm, Thoughtful, Focused, Ohmmmm. Or if it’s easier CTFO!