Using Artificial Intelligence, AT ALL
You've probably wondered, "Can I use AI for my medical school secondary applications?" If you read the instructions for each of your secondary applications carefully, there's often a section mentioning artificial intelligence. The vast majority of schools either recommend or require that you don't use AI to write or edit your essays. Here’s an example of an AI policy from the Medical College of Wisconsin:
It’s also common to see it phrased as:
“Applicants are required to submit original work. Any assistance from artificial intelligence (AI) in writing or editing your essays is prohibited.”
I get it—the temptation to use AI to write your essays is real. It can help organize your thoughts and narrow down what's most important. But it’s just too risky. You’ve invested too much time and money to jeopardize your application by not following the rules. There are plenty of AI trackers out there, and to be honest, admissions committees probably don’t even need them. After reading hundreds of essays, they can usually tell the difference between AI-generated and human-written content. There’s a clear pattern to how AI writes. Don’t risk it.
Reading Sample Essays Too Soon
This is probably the first thing you think to ask Google. But let me tell you, don’t do it. Reading other people’s essays should come after you’ve nailed down the content you want. You don’t want other people’s answers to sway yours just because they were "successful" essays. Every premedical student asks the same question, reads the same essays, and subsequently writes very similar papers.
Now is not the time to blend in with the crowd. You might be worried about writing something that adcoms won’t agree with or that doesn’t meet their expectations. In reality, it’s too risky not to be yourself. The most important point is to come across as genuine in your answers. Why would you want to be generic? This is your story; write it as such.
Procrastinating
Waiting too long to start writing your essays, waiting too long to start pre-writing, waiting too long to open your secondaries and look at the questions, waiting too long to submit, and waiting too long to get feedback—there are plenty of ways to procrastinate with secondary applications. Everyone posts the same processes because they work:
Submit your primary application early.
Look up last year’s questions for the schools you’re applying to, as well as the most common questions from all schools.
Know the most common mistakes to avoid in your secondary applications.
Pre-write your essays. Avoid AI and avoid finding samples at first. The hardest part is starting, but starting early means you don’t need to worry about failing. Just get your thoughts down on paper or in a document and nail down the ideas you want medical schools to know about you.
Have someone edit or review your essays and give you feedback.
When you receive the secondary application in your email, open it and make an account right away.
Read the questions and decide which essays would best answer them.
Know the school’s mission statement, values, etc.
Tailor your pre-written essays to the specific school, keeping character or word counts in mind.
Have someone edit or review your essays again.
Double-check that the information in these essays isn’t redundant with other parts of your application.
Quadruple-check that you actually answered the question.
Copy and paste your essays into the secondary application.
Do a final read-over, read your essays out loud, and then submit.
Prepare for interviews early.
Completing your secondary application essays early shouldn’t be difficult. They’re all short essays and don’t take a lot of time. The earlier you start writing, the stronger your ideas will be. Remember, the goal is not to be generic. Be yourself and show them what you have to offer and who you are as a person.
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us at support@premedits.com. Also, make sure to browse our website for other valuable information or editing services. Getting your essays edited and getting feedback is much cheaper than reapplying to medical school.
Good luck!
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