harvard medical school secondary essay examples

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February 12, 2024

Harvard Medical School Secondary Application Essay Tips and Deadlines [2023-2024]

The website of Harvard Medical School (HMS) is a treasure trove of information for applicants. Is HMS right for you? It could be if you are, as the school says , “self-motivated, visionary in …[your] ambition, and compassionate in …[your] approach to the art of healing.” HMS highlights the importance of diversity in its Mission Statement, as a critical component of campus culture, and as a factor in promoting excellence in medicine. As you approach your secondary application, aligning your answers with HMS’s community values will offer you the opportunity to highlight work you have done in global outreach, community engagement, social justice, teamwork, and academic discovery.  

Harvard Medical School 2023-2024 Secondary Application Essay Questions

Harvard secondary essay #1.

If you have already graduated, briefly summarize your activities since graduation.  (4000 characters maximum)

This essay is strictly for students who have already graduated from an undergraduate institution. Explain any work you have done in the interim, as well as any volunteer activities and MCAT plans, in whatever order you choose. Provide details about the level of your responsibilities, what you are learning, the impact you’re having on the community you are working with, and/or how the experience is influencing your life goals as a future physician. Provide clear and succinct summaries that  demonstrate HMS’s core commitments , as presented on the school’s website. If you are a reapplicant, highlight activities that might rectify any weakness in your earlier AMCAS application. Your answers should convey your engagement with the work that you’re doing, revealing what’s rich in opportunity, growth, and learning. Think about and convey why the work is, or has been, a wise way to use your time during the gap year.

Harvard Secondary Essay #2

If there is an important aspect of your personal background or identity not addressed elsewhere in the application that may illuminate how you could contribute to the medical school and that you would like to share with the Committee, we invite you to do so here. Examples might include significant challenges in access to education, unusual socioeconomic factors, or other aspects of your personal or family background to place your prior academic achievements in context or provide further information about your motivation for a career in medicine or the perspectives you might bring to the medical school community. Many applicants will not need to answer this question. (4000 characters)

This prompt is open-ended on purpose. As you write, keep the part of the prompt that says, “how you could contribute to the medical school” at the forefront of your mind. The admissions committee is providing you with an opportunity to share something unique about yourself. For example, were you raised by a relative? Were you raised by a single mom? Does someone in your family have a disability? Are you a person of color? Did your race or ethnicity influence what opportunities you had access to? Were you raised in a non-English-speaking household? Did you attend a diverse public school? Did any of these circumstances affect your educational opportunities or progress? Take care to ensure that the story you tell is not already shared in a different part of your application.

The words “important” and “significant” are key here. As the prompt itself notes, “Many applicants will not need to answer this question.” If you do not have an aspect of your background or identity you feel could genuinely be deemed “important” or “significant,” do not respond to this prompt. 

Harvard Secondary Essay #3 (Optional)

The Committee on Admissions understands that the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted applicants in various ways. If you wish to inform the Committee as to how these events have affected you and have not already done so elsewhere in your application, please use this space to do so. (This is an optional essay; the Committee on Admissions will make no judgment based on your decision to provide a statement or not.)

If you were personally affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, describe your – and, if relevant, your family’s — experience here. If you or a family member contracted the virus, this prompt gives you an opportunity to explain, as a future doctor, how you learned something from the experience of being a patient or related to a patient. (Generally, when someone becomes seriously sick, their whole family — and sometimes, their entire community — is afflicted.) Chances are, you had an experience that has helped you understand compassion, empathy, or sympathy on a deeper level. How was that a valuable experience for you as a future doctor?

If you were affected professionally or educationally, you might have chronicled this in your activities. What might not be evident on the activities list, though, is that even though COVID-19 might have curtailed your scribe work or delayed your taking of the MCAT, the disruption engendered other volunteer opportunities. If so, how did you help? And by helping, what did you learn about or from a vulnerable community (or those in need) by seeking and doing a selfless act to be of assistance to others during this time?

Harvard Secondary Essay #4

The interview season for the 2023-2024 cycle will be held virtually and is anticipated to run from mid-September through January 2024. Please indicate any significant (three or more weeks) restriction on your availability for interviews during this period. If none, please leave this section blank. (1000 characters)

Simply answer this question by providing the information requested.

Hopefully, the next step in the med school application process for you will be your HMS interview. And the best way to prepare for your interview is to practice, practice, practice with a med school admissions expert who understands the system and who will give you feedback and guidance throughout the process. Schedule a 30-minute free consultation with an Accepted consultant today.

Harvard Secondary Essay #5

ESSAY FOR APPLICATIONS TO THE HARVARD-MIT DIVISION OF HEALTH SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGY (HST) Instructions: The HST MD program draws on the combined resources of Harvard and MIT to provide a distinct preclinical education tailored to preparing students for careers as transformative physicians who will shape the future practice of medicine. Our students come from the full spectrum of disciplines including biological, physical, engineering and social sciences. HST classes are small, commonly include graduate students and have an emphasis on quantitative and analytic approaches. The unique HST pre-clinical curriculum prepares students well for the HMS clinical education while also emphasizing disease mechanisms and preparing students to solve critical unmet needs in medicine and healthcare (ranging from novel diagnostics and therapeutics to applications of ‘big data’ and systems engineering). Please focus on how your interests, experiences and aspirations have prepared you for HST (rather than identifying specific HST faculty or research opportunities).  (4000 characters)

Innovations in medicine abound across academic disciplines. In particular, Harvard is interested in sophisticated medical technology and data application systems that solve unmet health care needs. What experience or education in technology or engineering have you had? How does this tie into medical innovation? How has your experience with or education in technology or engineering prepared you to “fit” this hybrid program? What is the intersection of technology (or engineering or social sciences) and medicine for which you are a good fit? What research or experience do you have with this interdisciplinary intersection? Tell Harvard about that research/experience and its potential influence on health care in the future.

Take particular notice of the second parenthetical comment in the prompt: “rather than identifying specific HST faculty or research opportunities.” Avoid, at all costs, writing what the program can do for you . Rather,  how are you a good fit  for the HST MD track? How are you uniquely suited to thrive and succeed with this hybrid opportunity? Your answer should convey your knowledge of the program’s mission and a thorough understanding of the relevance of your hybrid expertise to healthcare innovation and improving healthcare outcomes.

Applying to Harvard Medical School? Here are some stats :

Harvard Medical School average MCAT score: 520.59

Harvard Medical School average GPA: 3.9

Harvard Medical School applications for the Class of 2027: 6,986

Harvard Medical School class size, Class of 2027: 164

Has this blog post helped you feel more confident about approaching your Harvard Medical School application? We hope so. It’s our mission to help smart, talented applicants like you gain acceptance to your dream school. With so much at stake, why not hire a consultant whose expertise and personalized guidance can help you take the next step on your journey to becoming a doctor? We have several flexible consulting options — click here to get started today !

Harvard Medical School application timeline 2023-2024

Source: HMS website

***Disclaimer: Information is subject to change. Please check with Harvard Medical School directly to verify its essay questions, instructions, and deadlines.***

As the former assistant dean of student affairs and career development at the William Beaumont School of Medicine, Dr. Valerie Wherely worked directly with the dean of the School of Medicine, the associate dean of student affairs, the associate dean of clinical curriculum, and the assistant dean of admissions, as well as with Year 4 students on both residency application reviews/critiques and mock interview preparation.

Dr. Mary Mahoney, PhD, is the medical humanities director at Elmira College and has more than 20 years of experience as an advisor and essay reviewer for med school applicants. She is a tenured English professor with an MFA in creative writing from Sarah Lawrence College and a PhD in literature and writing from the University of Houston. For the past 20 years, Mary has served as a grad school advisor and essay reviewer for med school applicants. Want Mary to help you get Accepted? Click here to get in touch!

Related Resources:

• Make the Most of Your Experiences for ERAS
• Do’s and Don’ts of Medical School Recommendation Letters
• Admissions Straight Talk Podcast for Med School Applicants

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Harvard medical school secondary essays: tips + examples.

Reviewed by:

Jonathan Preminger

Former Admissions Committee Member, Hofstra-Northwell School of Medicine

Reviewed: 4/25/24

If you’re preparing to write essays for Harvard’s medical school, this article is for you! We’ll give you key tips and provide examples that will help you stand out in your Harvard application.  

The Harvard Medical School secondary essays are a critical make-or-break component of your application. With an acceptance rate of just 3.4%, standing out is absolutely essential. These essays are your opportunity to highlight your journey, experiences, and passion for medicine in a way that admissions statistics alone cannot capture.

Imagine being in the shoes of an admissions officer reading thousands of applications from exceptional students. What will make yours unforgettable? A compelling personal narrative woven throughout your secondary essays. One that paints a vivid picture of who you are, what drives you, and why you belong at Harvard.

In this guide, we'll dissect each prompt, offering expert tips to craft responses that leave a lasting impression. You'll also find annotated examples, proving what works (and what doesn't) when striving to "wow" the admissions committee. By the end, you'll be equipped with the tools to transform your essays from good to extraordinary.

Get The Ultimate Guide on Writing an Unforgettable Personal Statement

Harvard Medical School Secondary Essay Prompts

Before giving you a few examples of a 2024 Harvard SDN essay, we will go through each prompt and give you tips on how to answer the questions. Though some of the essays are considered optional, you might want to write them all so that Harvard has more than enough to assess your readiness for medical school .

Two prompts require you to write a response no longer than 4,000 characters, so make sure to get as close to the limit as you can without going over. It’s important to be concise and to the point when answering each question, but remember to follow a general essay format. Each essay should have an introduction, several body paragraphs, and a conclusion. 

When talking about your experiences, there should be a logical flow from one to the next. Choose experiences that can be tied back to your decision to become a doctor. By doing this, you will be showcasing your passion for medicine and will be able to demonstrate why going to medical school is so important to you.

Below are the five essay prompts, followed by an explanation of what they are looking for. Read through these explanations and then read through the example essays following.

Harvard Medical School Secondary Essay Prompt #1

“If you have already graduated, briefly summarize your activities since graduation. (4000 characters)”

For this secondary essay prompt, it's important to concisely convey your post-graduation activities while providing insight into your current commitments. You don't need to delve into extensive specifics, but rather offer a glimpse of your typical weekly routine. 

Feel free to include a list of your weekly activities, along with the corresponding time commitments for easy reference.

Harvard Medical School Secondary Essay Prompt #2

“If there is an important aspect of your personal background or identity, not addressed elsewhere in the application, that you would like to share with the Committee, we invite you to do so here. Many applicants will not need to answer this question. Examples might include significant challenges in access to education, unusual socioeconomic factors, or other aspects of your personal or family background to place your prior academic achievements in context or provide further information about your motivation for a career in medicine or the perspectives you might bring to the medical school community. Many applicants will not need to answer this question. (4000 characters)”

For this prompt, try to be as honest as possible, while still connecting your experiences to how they influenced your decision to apply to medical school. The admissions committee is specifically interested in candidates who have a true passion for the field of medicine. 

As you compose your response, emphasize the link between your personal background or identity and your motivation to pursue a medical career. Demonstrating this passion and its impact on your decision to enter the medical field is pivotal for a compelling essay.

Harvard Medical School Secondary Essay Prompt #3

“The Committee on Admissions understands that the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted applicants in various ways. If you wish to inform the Committee as to how these events have affected you and have not already done so elsewhere in your application, please use this space to do so. (; the Committee on Admissions will make no judgment based on your decision to provide a statement or not.)”

Though this is an optional essay, you should answer the prompt to the best of your ability. Again, the admissions committee will be looking for you to be as honest as possible, even if that means you have to be a bit vulnerable. 

This question is less about your path toward medical school and more about how you deal with adversity. Everyone was affected by COVID-19 in some way, so even though they say the essay is optional, they are expecting an answer.

That being said, you do not have a character limit for this Harvard secondary essay, but make sure to keep your answer short and sweet.

Harvard Medical School Secondary Essay Prompt #4

“The interview season for the 2023-2024 cycle will be held virtually and is anticipated to run from mid-September through January 2024 . Please indicate any significant (three or more weeks) restriction on your availability for interviews during this period. If none , please leave this section blank.”

This last prompt is similar to the first one in that it is a straightforward question with a straightforward answer. If you have certain commitments that you would not be able to get out of, simply state them here with dates and what they are. Good examples would be if you have exams during this period or if you will be out of the country. 

Harvard Medical School Secondary Essay Examples

Read through the following Harvard Medical School secondary essay examples to have an understanding of what a good 2024 Harvard SDN essay would look like,

Example One

This example essay is in response to prompt number one.

After graduating, I decided to get some real-life experience before going to medical school. I was lucky to have a job lined up after graduation, working in a medical laboratory. I volunteered as I pursued my undergraduate degree and gained professional experience as an office assistant.

The medical laboratory was in a research facility that tested new drugs at various stages of development. I was able to observe how the researchers started their experimental drug trials and shared their disappointment if something had an unexpected result. It felt as though I was on the cutting edge of medical research, and that perhaps one day, I would be prescribing these drugs to my patients.

Though my job was mainly assisting the researchers, I was able to learn a lot about the importance of medical research and how certain drugs, when made available to the public, could change lives. I loved hearing about the different studies that were going on in the laboratory, and it inspired me to do my best.

When I wasn’t working, I was able to volunteer at a local children’s hospital. I spent a lot of time with the patients and gave their parents a much needed break. This volunteer opportunity allowed me to learn a lot about what it is like to be a patient and how difficult it can be when a loved one is in the hospital. 

During my time as a volunteer, I got to know some of the children who were there receiving cancer treatments. One of these patients had a huge impact on my perspective on medical care, including the difficulties our system is currently facing. 

This child was often left alone in the hospital, as their parents both had to work in order to pay for the treatments. I was at the hospital once a week and would always check in on my little friend during their six-week stay. 

Though we mainly played video games, I knew my visits had a great impact on their mental health; they were often left alone for long periods of time. Their parents did  everything they could to get them excellent care, but the hardship of their condition was still palpable.

Having the time to see what patients and their families go through when disease strikes made my resolve to become the best doctor I can even stronger. I don’t think I will ever forget the children I met during this experience. It will always remind me to put the care of the patient at the forefront of everything I do. 

As a medical school hopeful, I was also able to spend some time shadowing a local family doctor, Dr. Alice Richardson. Dr. Richardson was a friend of my parents and offered me this opportunity when she found out I was applying to medical school. 

The clinic she works in is located in the suburbs and is multidisciplinary; she works with other general practitioners, as well as two chiropractors and an osteopath. They try to work as a team and often refer clients to each other, if there is a need for consultation.

Dr. Richardson was very patient with me. I asked many questions about her experience and passion for medicine. I learned that working in a multidisciplinary practice can be both challenging and rewarding. I could see that she worked hard at making sure that her patients got the best care, no matter what type of specialist they may need. She always went the extra mile to make sure her patients were healthy.

My time between graduating and today has been very valuable. I have learned a lot about the medical profession, and I look forward to continuing to learn and grow within medical school and beyond.

Why Was This Essay Successful?

This essay was successful because the writer talked about the experiences that influenced their decision to attend medical school. They clearly convey their passion for medicine and their intention for their future career, while answering the question. 

Example Two

This example essay is in response to prompt number three.

Growing up in a rural community, it was not hard to tell my family didn’t fit in. Almost all of my peers came from farming families that had lived in the area for hundreds of years. Most considered the high school diploma was the pinnacle of higher education. 

Many of them were cousins or their parents had been playing Euchre together since they were teenagers. My family was the first of South Asian descent to settle in this small town. It was as if everyone was part of a secret group that I knew nothing about, except that I knew I did not belong.

Being the only non-white family also didn’t help. Though they would never mention the difference in the color of our skin and insults were not said to my face, I knew they judged me for it. Whispers were common, and people constantly stared.

The differences first became apparent to me on the playground. No one wanted to play with me; I spent most of my time on my own. I was lucky to have learned to read at a very young age, I was able to find solace in books. The library became my favorite spot. I would spend hours a day reading, and during most recesses, I would sneak off to look for something new to read.

Mrs. Caldwell, the librarian, was very sweet to me. She knew that I didn’t quite fit in with my peers and she let me browse the shelves almost every day. She would even suggest new books for me to try from time to time.

By the time I was in middle school, my fascination with science, in particular biology, had become my new obsession. Mrs. Caldwell brought out a book on human anatomy. It had colorful illustrations and in-depth descriptions that I read over and over again until I could recite the entire book by heart. With Mrs. Caldwell’s encouragement, I studied human biology. I knew in my gut that one day, I would become a doctor. 

Despite this solace, school was still very difficult. Sure, I was very popular in the teacher’s lounge, but my fellow students didn’t give me time of day. I had no friends, was always picked last in gym class, and people only seemed to acknowledge my existence when they wanted to copy my notes from class.

It is through this experience, though, that I learned just how strong I am. Growing up may not always be easy, but if you can find something to hold on to, something you’re passionate about, then you can make it through anything. I didn’t feel all that lonely when I had my books at my side.

When it came time to apply for college, my teachers helped me every step of the way. They believed in me wholeheartedly, and that allowed me to push through. Finding a good academic reference for my applications was easy, and I was able to get into a very prestigious undergraduate program.

When I think back on my childhood, I actually think I am rather lucky. I had a loving family and a great education from people who actually cared. They encouraged me to just be myself, which has led me to medical school, where I can finally put all that knowledge of human biology to good use.

As a step into this next adventure, I hope to learn and grow in ways I cannot even begin to expect. I will always have a passion for knowledge and attending this school will serve me well on my path to becoming a doctor.

This essay is successful as the writer skillfully ties their experiences back to their love of science. Their response shows just how dedicated the student is to becoming a doctor and their ability to thrive in the face of adversity.

The above examples should give you a good idea of what a successful essay looks like. Make sure to always get a trusted friend or family member to edit your essay before submitting it as a small mistake or unclear sentence can make a huge difference. 

FAQs: Harvard Medical School Essays

If you’re still confused about how to write your medical essays, refer to our below FAQ section for all you need to know.

1. Should I Write the Harvard Medical School Optional Essays?

Yes, you should write all of the Harvard Medical School essays, including the optional ones. This gives the admissions committee more opportunities to learn about your achievements, experiences, and passion for medicine.

2. How Long Should Harvard Optional Essays Be?

Harvard optional essays should be around 200-300 words or approximately 750 characters. This length allows you to provide a substantive response while remaining concise.

3. How Do You Answer Harvard Medical School Secondary Essays?

Answer Harvard secondary essays honestly and use a conversational, storytelling tone. Don't be afraid to show vulnerability. Avoid slang or offensive language. Craft your responses like compelling narratives to leave a lasting impression on the admissions committee.

Final Thoughts

Writing the Harvard Medical School secondary essays might not be easy, but following our advice should make the process easier. Give yourself enough time to think about the essays and what you will say so that you are not rushing to get them in by the application deadline. 

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• 2024 Medical School Secondary Essays Examples

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Our team of physician and medical student editors had the pleasure of helping students craft the following medical school secondary essays. 

“Why This School” Essay

Adversity essay, diversity essay, “how will you contribute to our school” essay, “future goals” essay, “academic lapses or breaks” essay, “why d.o.” essay, why are secondaries important, tell us about any specific reason(s) (personal, educational, etc.) why you see yourself here at the wake forest school of medicine..

The ending of the motto of the Moravian church, which has a strong historical connection with Winston-Salem, is “…in all things, love.” This concluding statement is an apt description of how I attempt to live my life. Wake Forest upholds such values of inclusion and love through the Lovefest tradition and programs such as the student-run DEAC Clinic. After working at free clinics in rural areas, I am committed to becoming a physician that will promote systems of care in the community. With my exposure to rural primary care, I want to use the Rural/Underserved Health experience offered to Wake Forest students through the North Carolina Academy of Family Physicians to further my understanding and training in this career path. Furthermore, as an extension of working in primary care, I am interested in being a geriatrician. Wake Forest, as one of the best geriatric hospitals in the country, has a curriculum that aligns with my interests. I am confident that through research, service, and patient care, Wake Forest will shape me into a leader of rural health care for the geriatric community.

Application Status: Accepted |School of choice: Wake Forest School of Medicine | Class of 2024

More Examples and Writing Tips for a Convincing  Medical School “Why Us” Essay | Click Here

Describe a significant challenge you have experienced in your life, share the strategies you employed to overcome the challenge, and what you learned from the experience..

One personal adversity I have overcome is my lack of self-confidence. I was always a quiet child who grew up with two older sisters doing most of the talking. As I aged, I came out my shell to an extent and became more outgoing. I have always struggled in one particular area: public speaking. My passion for medicine grew early as I observed my eldest sister work alongside physicians during her nursing training. However, my shy nature led me to select pre-nursing as my major, since nursing does not require the ability to speak publicly like being a physician often does. I did not truly consider a career as a doctor until my anatomy and physiology professor suggested I do so after recognizing my drive, aptitude, and passion. Even so, it took introspection and time to recognize that I held the potential to become a successful physician.

Over my undergraduate career, I have participated in many group presentations during classes without the benefit of being taught how to successfully prepare. On every occasion, I would become so nervous that I was unable to sleep the entire night prior. By the time I presented, I would be so distracted that I could not think straight, let alone get my point across clearly. This went on until I had the opportunity to participate in a class called Peer Instruction in Laboratory Occupational Training (PILOT), which was an extension of a class that I had succeeded in, Quantitative Biological Methods.

PILOT was designed to expose students to research articles and assist with laboratory techniques and homework. A large part of the grade for the class consisted of teaching a laboratory section of around 40 students for 15 minutes. I almost opted out of the class because of this requirement, but ultimately decided it was a great opportunity to work through my personal fear of public speaking and build my self-confidence.

I set a schedule six weeks ahead of the presentation to begin preparing. A few helpful peers offered advice, telling me that knowing what I wanted to say verbatim was a good way to improve confidence. Thus, I practiced daily until three weeks before the class. I found another tip online: practicing in the actual location of the presentation can help reduce nerves. Subsequently, I approached one of my laboratory teaching assistants and asked if he would let me practice in the laboratory. He was an excellent teaching assistant and took the time to watch me practice and provide feedback.

Ultimately, I felt that I was able to present eloquently and received an excellent grade. Life is full of challenges, and I learned that preparation is key to success. I planned and prepared early, pulled from available resources, and implemented advice from faculty and peers. This experience taught me that I do have the aptitude, strength, and drive to succeed in medical school and overcome any obstacle that I might face. I am eager to embrace more personal growth and realize my full potential as I continue on to medical school.

Application Status: Accepted |School of choice: Nova Southeastern University College Of Osteopathic Medicine | Class of 2024

More Examples and The 6 Steps for Writing the Medical School Adversity Essay | Click Here

“do you consider yourself a person who would contribute to the diversity of the student body of tufts university school of medicine” if yes, briefly explain why..

I am a Muslim, Saudi woman, but I am not the preconceived notions of being close minded, uncultured, or oppressed. I’m a passionate helper, an open-minded extrovert, and a curious explorer of the world. 

Though I grew up attending a school that taught me to be a leader and encouraged competition, and though travelling the world allowed me to explore new cultures, homogeneity was the ‘norm’ everywhere I went until I attended school in the US. George C. Marshall High School showed me how enriching diversity is. There, in a mixture of backgrounds and ethnicities, I was an ‘other’ among many ‘others’. The following year in Nebraska was different, and I experienced the damage of prejudice when I was the only ‘other’. My experiences drove me to work to bring different people together to give back. Years later, at NYU, this personal passion pushed me to create a volunteer tutoring nonprofit organization. 

I believe the ‘other’ in me, with the uncommon background, the unique experiences, and the interesting perspectives, will contribute to the diversity of the student body at Tufts.

Application Status: Accepted |School of choice: Albert Einstein College of Medicine | Class of 2024

Click here for More Examples and Steps on How to Write an Effective Medical School Diversity Essay

Explain how interactions with people who are different from you have shaped your worldview and relate how you would enrich the VTC community.

From my academic and work experiences, I have frequently worked with people who are different from myself. Working with students and professors from different backgrounds through college helped me appreciate different viewpoints, especially during my bioethics training.  Listening to my classmate, who was a Catholic hospice nurse, explain her differing stance on end-of-life care showed me to appreciate the legitimacy of different opinions. Likewise, I learned from sociology graduate students about the issue of the medicalization of mental illness, which I had not had to consider prior to speaking and working with them. These experiences will help me contribute to the community by enabling me to approach problems from multiple lenses and to listen to and value the input of experts in different fields.

My experiences engaging with different individuals will help me to enrich the community at Virginia Tech. As a tutor, I have been able to work with students of different ages and backgrounds with unique learning goals. For example, my student, Danny, was an adult student taking classes at a community college and had failed his statistics course three times before meeting with me. Even though I had excelled in math classes during school, I was able to listen to his frustrations and identify different ways to help him learn the content and be able to apply it for quizzes and exams. I helped him navigate through the material, and he ended up passing the course comfortably. By working with a wide variety of students like Danny, I have been able to understand the importance of listening actively to individuals’ struggles and unique experiences to learn about how to best help them and I am excited to apply this skill to help future individuals.

In addition to my experiences tutoring, I have been able to interact with individuals different from myself through volunteering. For example, at Judson Park, I volunteered by helping one resident, Ron, participate in art therapy. Ron had suffered two prior strokes and was wheelchair-bound and hemiplegic. I was able to help bring him down to the art room and organize supplies for him. Ron was unique in his needs, which was why he required individualized care to be able to participate in the art therapy. He also struggled with communicating verbally due to deficits from his prior strokes. I adapted by patiently waiting for him to respond at his own pace and looking for body language cues for what he needed at the moment. He was able to make incredible art creations, showing me the resilience of differently abled individuals.

These experiences have shown me the importance of valuing everyone’s unique perspectives and utilizing that consideration and compassion to help others. I can enrich the VTC community by providing this diverse perspective to help my peers and ultimately serve the greater community as a physician.

Application Status: Accepted |School of choice: University of Virginia School of Medicine | Class of 2024

Click here for tips on writing the “How You’ll Contribute” secondary essay.

Need help writing your secondary essays?

After residency, describe the community in which you see yourself practicing medicine..

Currently, I can see myself practicing medicine in a variety of clinical settings: a private specialty care system, a nonprofit medical facility, individual practice, or a different setting. I am open to all of the new experiences that medical school will bring, including exposure to a variety of clinical settings.

I have worked as a medical scribe at the largest non-profit health care provider in Seattle and have also volunteered for a private specialty hospital. Both of these experiences have exposed me to a different type of medical practice, and I have enjoyed both although in different ways. I loved the diversity of patients I encountered at the nonprofit and enjoyed experiencing different clinic visits whether for constipation or throat pain. At the specialty hospital, I was able to encounter unique and rare medical cases that I’ve only read about in books such as spina bifida or hydrocephalus. I was also able to witness the very specialized and personalized care. I am excited to explore the various clinical setting options in medical school and residency, and figure out which environment best suits my strengths and interests!

Application Status: Accepted |School of choice: Stanford School of Medicine | Class of 2024

Use this space if you’d like to address any identified deficiencies in your application.

When I suddenly lost my father to pancreatic cancer shortly before starting college, I was confused and frustrated about my loss. Although I had dreamt of becoming a doctor since I was a little girl, I was newly unsure of whether medicine was right for me. Because I lacked a tangible goal and motivation, my studies and grades suffered during my first years of college. However, once I began volunteering at the Children’s Hospital during my sophomore year, I developed a renewed sense of appreciation and passion for medicine. I started to care a lot more about school and enjoyed learning again. I began working extremely hard in my classes, and slowly but surely, my GPA rose.

Application Status: Accepted |School of choice: Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine   | Class of 2024

How do your professional ambitions align with osteopathic medicine?

My professional ambitions have always aligned with a medical career, ever since I observed my childhood hero and oldest sister, Brittany, work alongside physicians as a registered nurse. At the time, I was only eight years old and not yet privy to the nuances of allopathic versus osteopathic medicine.

Throughout my experiences with the medical profession as a patient and mother, I have found myself disappointed with some of the allopathic medical treatments. I have myself been treated pharmaceutically with medications and became non-compliant with my treatment due to side effects. Several years ago, I was diagnosed with herpetic neuralgia. My neurologist prescription Neurontin, which helped with the symptoms but left me in a fog. I found myself questioning whether there could be a better method.

As an undergraduate student, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to listen to a presentation by a doctor of osteopathy from Lake Eerie College of Medicine in Bradenton, FL. The speaker discussed osteopathic medicine, its principles, and manipulative medicine (OMM). He talked about a time when he bumped into an old friend who had been diagnosed with plantar fasciitis. His friend’s condition was so severe that he needed a cane to ambulate independently. The D.O. performed OMM for his friend and provided him with a set of exercises to perform daily at home. Ultimately, the friend did not require the surgery his allopathic physician had recommended.

After listening to his presentation, I felt as though I had a breakthrough. I realized that I wholeheartedly supported these principles as the better solution that I had been looking for. With osteopathic medicine, I could practice medicine in a traditional manner while wielding a valuable skill set that could spare patients from invasive surgeries and pharmaceutical therapeutics causing undesired side effects.

Furthermore, while studying for the MCAT a year ago, I developed a constant waxing and waning neck pain that would radiate to my right shoulder and down my arm. This worsened over a period of four weeks, and I took increasing amounts of ibuprofen to calm the symptoms. A good friend of mine is a physical therapist who manipulated my spine and sent me home with instructions for an exercise plan. She also taught me how to self-evaluate my posture, which has been valuable in preventing additional episodes. I was incredibly impressed with the outcome of the treatment that used my own body and its muscles to treat the pain without using pharmaceuticals or leaving me with residual deficits. As such, my personal trust in natural treatments has emphasized to me that osteopathic medicine is the path I am meant to follow. 

The more I learn about osteopathic medicine, the more excited I am to incorporate its principles into my future practice. I am thrilled to learn and practice medicine with a holistic approach to evaluate and treat patients. As a healthcare partner to my future patients, I feel inspired to encourage the implementation of prevention, maintenance, and natural remedies into their treatment plans.

Application Status: Accepted |School of choice: Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine   | Class of 2024

Click here for examples and tips on writing the “Why Osteopathic Medicine” secondary essay.

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• Schools ask these questions for a specific reason
• It’s your final chance to make a strong impression
• When they’re done right, you will lockdown an interview spot

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Ansel N., MD,PhD

The ohio state university college of medicine.

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University of Cincinnati College of Medicine

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Ansel N., MD/PhD

Radiation Oncology Resident Former Medical School: Ohio State

My name is Ansel Nalin. I am a current Radiation Oncology resident at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX. I graduated from the Ohio State University College of Medicine MD/PhD program.

While in medical school, I tutored first- and second-year medical students, helping them review lecture material and prepare for block exams. I taught study strategies to first-year students adjusting to the medical school curriculum. I worked individually with students during board exam preparation. I also led a review course for MD/PhD students prior to taking Step 1. In addition to my role as a tutor, I was also selected by the Ohio State College of Medicine Academic Office staff to serve in a leadership role for two years. In this role I led the team of 40 students on the peer tutoring team. I met weekly with College of Medicine staff to plan academic programs benefitting first- and second-year medical students. Together we organized and managed academic resources for medical students including our peer tutoring programs, group review sessions, and student-led review lectures. I coordinated the tutoring assignments for medical students involved in the program; over 100 students utilized the programs. We oversaw the creation of new student-led anatomy review sessions that were incorporated into the medical school academic program.

While enrolled in the MD/PhD program, I completed my PhD in cancer immunology studying natural killer cell development. I also collaborated on translational research projects seeking to identify new cell-based therapies for cancer. I published multiple papers in high impact journals and had the opportunity to present my work at both local and international conferences. I continue to pursue research that develops immune-based therapies for cancer and plan to pursue a career as a physician-scientist.

I joined the team at Motivate MD to help students achieve their goals in medicine. I have benefitted from the support of many outstanding mentors, and I strive to have a similarly positive impact in helping students succeed. My experiences as a tutor and teaching assistant, in both undergraduate and medical school, have helped me develop excellent skills in communication and mentoring. In addition to my teaching and leadership experience, I have developed specific skills to help students with the application and interview process for medical school and residency programs.

Not only am I familiar with what makes a strong application, I am prepared to help students highlight their strengths in their essays and interviews. I have extensive writing and speaking experience from my graduate studies. I have coached other students in communicating effectively. From my own experience in interviewing for medical school and residency, I can help students gain confidence in their communication skills and clearly express their motivations and goals. As a member of the Motivate MD team, I am passionate about helping students work toward their goal of a successful career in medicine.

I am an OBGYN resident and graduate of the University of Cincinnati. Throughout medical school, I engaged in research at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and UCCOM’s OBGYN department. I have a strong background in mentorship. In medical school, I was a part of an organization that would mentor local Cincinnati youths. I was also involved in mentoring medical students in the years below through her medical scholar’s program. I also have a lot of experience editing medical school essays and mentoring my scribes when I was a chief scribe during my gap years. I took two years off prior to applying for medical school. During this time, I completed research at WashU with a neuroimaging lab as a clinical research coordinator and scribed in an emergency department. The medical application process was daunting for me. I went through the process of taking the MCAT multiple times and struggled to figure out where I would be a competitive applicant. I chose to work for Motivate MD to assist students with this intimidating process and help in areas where I felt I was lacking guidance prior to medical school! I am very excited to get the opportunity to work with you!

Jisoo is a medical student at Harvard Medical School. She has a background in neurobiology wet-lab research, and has a strong interest in mentorship, especially of underserved populations. Everyone has a unique journey to medical school, and Jisoo is committed to helping applicants present their own unique journeys in a meaningful and comprehensive manner. She has lots of experience working with individuals that have diverse pathways to medical school and closely collaborates with applicants from the beginning to the end of their application process, providing individualized support for each applicant.

Hi! My name is Rhys (pronounced like “Reese’s Pieces”) and I am a medical student at Yale School of Medicine.

I have upwards of 9 years experience mentoring peers, most recently aiding students through the premedical path at my undergrad. I also have worked as an executive function/planning tutor for Los Angeles area high school and college students. Earlier in college, I worked as a research aide/teaching assistant helping students leverage “writing-to-learn” in order to improve their understanding of complex concepts.

After graduating  Summa Cum Laude  with a Bachelors of Science in Biomedical Engineering and Health Policy from the University of Southern California in 2021, I took a gap year primarily to scribe at a pediatric clinic to boost my clinical experience hours and to continue to work on a philanthropic start-up I co-founded while at USC.

At USC, I had multiple research experiences ranging from biomedical device research in a hybrid wet lab to policy analysis. I also was heavily involved in pro-bono consulting for non-profits and social enterprises.

I have personal experience approaching the common “Why Medicine?” question from a non-traditional angle (engineering major/activities and low clinical hours compared to non-clinical), tying in a non-standard major “X factor” extracurricular into the overall theme of an application, and expressing interest in dual degrees/interdisciplinary medical careers (policy, public health etc).

I look forward to helping you plan for and execute your unique path to medical school!

George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences

Hi Everyone! My name is Anthu Gnanakumar and I am a medical student at the George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences. I majored in neuroscience and minored in English at the University of Virginia prior to taking a gap year and attending medical school. During my gap year, I worked as a medical assistant (MA) at endocrinology and pediatric primary care practices. I really value the hands-on experience I got through being an MA and would highly recommend taking a gap year if you are at all considering it!

I remember being daunted by the significant uptick in medical school applications during the pandemic and can empathize with the ever-increasing competitiveness of getting into medical school. I have mentored and advised multiple peers and friends from high school and college as they navigated the application process and look forward to extending that mentorship to many of you. It is my hope that we can work together to shape your narrative into meaningful essays and interview responses!

Duke University School of Medicine

Hi all! My name is Arthi and I’m a medical student at Duke. I am originally from New Jersey and went to Duke for undergrad where I was able to discover interests in medical humanities, global health, and peer mentorship. Having previously taught in an art studio, I found ways to engage with medical humanities through storytelling and creative arts with elders with dementia. In medical school, I help run a program that allows admitted patients to share their life story and with cartoon creations to simplify medical diagnoses. I also majored in global health and worked on projects in based in Uganda and India during undergrad that focused on studying how evidence-based interventions actually function in practice. I spent my gap year as a global health research assistant which allowed me to gain experience with all stages of project initiation, management, and dissemination. I’m working towards spending Duke’s MS3 research year engaging with global health implementation research on site. I don’t have any family in medicine so I asked for a lot of advice from upperclassmen and medical students throughout. I was a peer tutor for over 3 years and during my senior year, I started a peer advising program that’s goal was to reach beyond just academics. During that time, I mentored many premed students on course choice, finding research and volunteering experiences, applying to summer program and gap year jobs, MCAT, and building a school list. I continued many of these relationships since graduating and have been able to provide continued support through brainstorming and editing primary and secondary applications, interview prep, and ultimately decision making. One thing I’ve come to learn from my process and that my classmates is that there isn’t one right way to do things and it can be valuable to talk through and understand your priorities and the things that make you the most excited and craft your application around those. I know how stressful and draining each step of the application process can be and I would love the chance to provide some of guidance and support I received at whichever turn you need.

NYU Grossman School of Medicine Admissions Committee Experience

Hi! My name is Kate and I’m a current medical student at NYU Grossman School of Medicine in New York City! I’m originally from Kingsport, Tennessee and attended Clemson University where I completed my undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering and a master’s degree in Applied Health Research. I have many years of experience as an advisor and mentor, mainly through working as study abroad ambassador and as a peer tutor and peer mentor through a Women in Engineering organization at my school. Later in college, I also worked as a teaching assistant for a challenging chemical engineering course in my degree. I also volunteered my time as a tour guide and was able to provide loads of advice and guidance to future students through that role. While finishing my master’s degree at Clemson University, I worked as a scribe at a gastroenterology clinic to boost my clinical experience hours. During this time, I also served as a mentor and health coach for a local volunteer organization with a mission to help people get off of government assistance. At Clemson, I had multiple research experiences ranging from social psychology to OB/GYN clinical research. I was also heavily involved with STEM outreach at local schools, ran a pitch competition, and volunteered as a conversational partner for international students who were learning English. I also spent the summer after I graduated college working at Interlochen Arts Camp as a camp counselor and reigniting my passion for theatre and the arts. I have had a slightly more non-traditional path to medicine (engineering degree/extracurriculars, taking a year to do a master’s, working at an arts camp), and I have a lot of experience in how to best weave together your own unique story in order to stand out to admissions committees. As a current medical student, I now spend my time working as an Admissions Ambassador and serving as a mentor to incoming students. I also currently interview for my medical school and so I can provide a lot of insight as I’ve sat on both sides of the Zoom interview screen. I look forward to helping you put your best foot forward in your applications and interviews for medical school!

Hello! I am a medical student at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons planning to apply into neurology this upcoming fall. I have extensive mentoring and advising experience both prior to medical school, when I served as a peer advisor for my undergraduate institution’s pre-health club, and as a medical student, continuing to advise undergraduates on essay writing, interview preparation, and general application and career advice. I also work as a mentor in the local community, tutoring and advising 8 th grade and high school age students interested in the health sciences. I have significant research and publication experience beginning as an undergraduate and continuing throughout medical school, having published four first-author manuscripts while contributing to multiple others. Prior to medical school, I spent a gap year as a National Institutes of Health Post-baccalaureate Intramural Research Training Award fellow, a role in which I studied Alzheimer’s disease proteomics and metabolomics. Currently, my research focus has shifted towards neuroinfectious diseases and contributions of infectious exposures to lifetime dementia risk. In addition to clinical medicine, I have a strong interest in public health and anthropology that informs my research and clinical pursuits. 

Hello! My name is Jessica, and I am a medical student at the University of California San Francisco School of Medicine. I completed my undergraduate degree in Molecular & Cellular Biology at Johns Hopkins University, along with a minor in Entrepreneurship & Management. At Hopkins, I played on the varsity tennis team, served as a peer tutor, and volunteered at the JHH Sickle Cell Infusion Center. After graduating from college, I took on a full-time position at the Sickle Cell Infusion Center as a clinical research coordinator. I stayed in this role for one gap year, where I ran the largest registry of sickle cell disease patients in the United States, helping to characterize disparities faced in health outcomes and access to care. Since starting medical school, I have become heavily involved in cervical cancer research, volunteering at the Chinese Hospital in downtown San Francisco, and advocating for vulnerable populations. As a first-generation medical student, I understand how overwhelming the application process is and how vital near-peer guidance can be. I’ve helped several applicants through their application writing and interview process, who will all be matriculating to medical school this upcoming fall. I look forward to helping you curate your own story, put your best foot forward, and pursue your dream career!

• Secondary Essay Prompts

Secondary Essay Prompts – Harvard Medical School

Secondary Essay Prompts for the Harvard Medical School

Below are the secondary essay prompts for the Harvard Medical School in Boston, MA.

2019 – 2020

• If you have already graduated, briefly (4000 characters max) summarize your activities since graduation.
• If there is an important aspect of your personal background or identity, not addressed elsewhere in the application, that you would like to share with the Committee, we invite you to do so here. Many applicants will not need to answer this question. Examples might include significant challenges in access to education, unusual socioeconomic factors, identification with a minority culture, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender identity. Briefly explain how such factors have influenced your motivation for a career in medicine.(4000 character maximum)
• Our interview season runs from mid-September through January. Please indicate any significant (three or more weeks) restriction on your availability for interviews during this period. If none, leave blank.

2018 – 2019

ESSAY FOR APPLICATIONS TO THE HARVARD-MIT DIVISION OF HEALTH SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGY (HST)

Instructions: The HST MD program draws on the combined resources of Harvard and MIT to provide a distinct preclinical education tailored to preparing students for careers as physician-scientists across the full spectrum of disciplines including biological, physical and engineering sciences. HST classes are small, commonly include graduate students and have an emphasis on quantitative and analytic approaches, centered on understanding disease mechanisms and preparing students to solve unmet needs in medicine ranging from novel diagnostics and therapeutics to applications of ‘big data’ and systems engineering as they relate to healthcare. Please focus on how your interests, experiences and aspirations have prepared you for HST (rather than identifying specific HST faculty or research opportunities). Limit your comments to the equivalent of one page of single spaced text with a font size of 10 or 12. (4000 Char)

• Briefly list your research interests/areas; use keywords only. This information is not binding. (100 character limit)
• Please list publications, indicating for each whether it is published, submitted/under review, or in preparation
• For PhD’s in the social sciences only, please complete the following and upload where indicated:

Statement of Purpose:

Describe your reasons and motivations for pursuing a graduate degree in your chosen program of study at Harvard. What experiences led you to your research ambitions? Concisely state your past work in your intended field of study and in related fields. Briefly indicate your career objectives. Your statement should not exceed 1,000 words. Health Policy applicants should indicate the concentration(s) and policy area(s) of interest.

Please see Program Details to determine whether the program to which you are applying requires a writing sample, CV, or other documents. Please follow departmental requirements on type and size of writing sample. Unless noted, writing sample is limited to 20 pages.

Below are the secondary essay prompts for the Harvard Medical School.

2017 – 2018.

• The Harvard Medical School strives to ensure that its students become respectful physicians who embrace all dimensions of caring for the whole person. Please describe how your personal characteristics or life experiences will contribute to the Harvard Medical School community and bring educational benefits to our student body. (1000 characters)
• Is there any further information that you would like the Committee on Admissions to be aware of when reviewing your file that you were not able to notate in another section of this or the AMCAS Application? (1000 characters)
• Why have you chosen to apply to the Harvard Medical School and how do you think your education at Harvard Medical School will prepare you to become a physician for the future? (1 page, formatted at your discretion, upload as PDF)
• If you are re-applying, briefly (4000 characters max) summarize your activities since your previous application.
• HST Only: The HST MD program draws on the combined resources of Harvard and MIT to provide a distinct preclinical education tailored to preparing students for careers as physician-scientists across the full spectrum of disciplines including biological, physical and engineering sciences. HST classes are small, commonly include graduate students and have an emphasis on quantitative and analytic approaches, centered on understanding disease mechanisms and preparing students to solve unmet needs in medicine ranging from novel diagnostics and therapeutics to applications of ‘big data’ and systems engineering as they relate to healthcare. Please focus on how your interests, experiences and aspirations have prepared you for HST (rather than identifying specific HST faculty or research opportunities). Limit your comments to the equivalent of one page of single spaced text with a font size of 10 or 12. (4000 characters)

2016 – 2017

MedEdits advises against using outdated prompts for the current season.

• If you have already graduated, briefly summarize your activities since graduation. Limit response to 4000 characters.
• If there is an important aspect of your personal background or identity, not addressed elsewhere in the application, that you would like to share with the Committee, we invite you to do so here. Many applicants will not need to answer this question. Examples might include significant challenges in access to education, unusual socioeconomic factors, identification with a minority culture, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender identity. Briefly explain how such factors have influenced your motivation for a career in medicine. Limit response to 4000 characters.
• Our interview season runs from mid-September through January. Please indicate any significant (three or more weeks) restriction on your availability for interviews during this period. If none, leave blank. Optional

Secondary essay webcast with Dr. Jessica Freedman, founder and president of MedEdits Medical Admissions.   Read more about Dr. Freedman.

Harvard Medical School

Topics covered in this presentation:

• When should I submit my secondary essays?
• Pay attention to the word/character limits.
• Can I recycle secondary essay prompts for multiple schools?
• Identify topics that you left out of your primary application.
• And, much more.

Harvard Medical School Admissions Requirements

Learn more about this school:

Secondary Essay Prompts for Other Schools

Do you want to see secondary essay prompts for other medical schools?

Select a school below:

Secondary Essay Prompts By School

*Data collected from MSAR 2022-2023, 2022 Osteopathic Medical College Information Book, and institution website.

Disclaimer: The information on this page was shared by students and/or can be found on each medical school’s website. MedEdits does not guarantee it’s accuracy or authenticity.

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Secondary Essay Prompts – University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine

Secondary Essay Prompts – Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons

Secondary Essay Prompts – Mayo Medical School, Rochester, MN

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Medical School Secondary Essays: Popular Prompts and Tips To Answer Them

• Cracking Med School Admissions Team

After your AMCAS primary application is transmitted, you will begin to receive medical school secondary essays. While most schools send secondaries to all applicants, certain med schools will screen applicants by academic metrics like GPA and MCAT score and/or content listed on your primary application before extending secondaries. Regardless, submission of your secondary is a prerequisite for interview invitation and subsequently acceptance to medical school, so it’s important for you to stand out in your essays!

In this blog post, we’ll answer all your questions about medical school secondary essays:

• Why this medical school?

Autobiography

• Meaningful extra-curricular activity
• Other prompts
• 7 Medical School Secondary Essay Tips
• Medical school secondary essay examples and resources
• Frequently Asked Questions

OUr Students Were Accepted at These Medical Schools the Past 2 Years!

What are medical school secondary application essays?

Secondary applications will typically ask for the following information:

• Payment (~$100)
• General questions (family information, demographics, disciplinary record)
• Course information (classes taken, prerequisites, etc.)
• Extracurriculars (like work and activities, but abbreviated)
• Logistics (special programs of interest, ID photo, technical standards)
• School-specific essay prompts (the bulk of your efforts will be spent here)

  Most medical schools use the same application portal for their secondaries. Some common portals are shown below . Additionally, read popular medical school secondary essay prompts below .

Popular Med School Secondary Essay Prompts

Our Cracking Med School Admissions team has organized the medical school secondary essay prompts into various categories:

• Why our medical school?
• Extra-curricular activity

Why Our Medical School?

Example “Why our medical school” essay prompts:

• 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. – 200 words (Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine)
• Why have you chosen to apply to the Georgetown University School of Medicine and how do you think your education at Georgetown will prepare you to become a physician for the future? – 1 page, formatted at your discretion (Georgetown University School of Medicine)
• How will you take advantage of the Stanford Medicine Discovery Curriculum and scholarly concentration requirement to achieve your personal career goals? Please limit your answer to 1,000 characters including spaces. (Stanford University School of Medicine)

Tips to answer “Why Our School” medical school application secondary essays:

“Why our school” prompts will ask you to demonstrate your suitability for that specific medical school and/or an aspect of it (i.e. curriculum, mission). The best way to approach this is to research and highlight specific aspects of that school and connect it to your own background and experiences . Do you have a strong teaching background? Then maybe a peer-based learning curriculum would be suitable for you. Or maybe you have done lots of research in a certain field which is strong at that school. Be specific and name programs, physicians, and organizations which you believe would be a good fit for you . Remember: your essay should ultimately focus on who you are and why you would thrive at the school.

“Why our medical school” examples and additional tips:

• Why this Medical School? Secondary Essay Example

Example Diversity Prompts:

• The Committee on Admissions regards the diversity (broadly defined) of an entering class as an important factor in serving the educational mission of the school. The Committee on Admissions strongly encourages you to share unique, personally important, and/or challenging factors in your background, such as the quality of your early educational environment, socioeconomic status, culture, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, and life or work experiences. Please discuss how factors have influenced your goals and preparation for a career in medicine. Please limit your answer to 2,000 characters including spaces. (Stanford University School of Medicine)
• Yale School of Medicine values diversity in all its forms. How will your background and experiences contribute to this important focus of our institution and inform your future role as a physician? – 500 Words (Yale School of Medicine)

Tips to answer “Diversity” medical school secondary application essays:

As a doctor, you will need to empathize and connect with patients from a wide range of backgrounds. Therefore, students with unique backgrounds, life experiences, and perspectives are highly sought after in building a diverse class. When approaching diversity essays, think broadly about what experiences and insights you have had that would positively contribute to a medical school class. Have you worked with a unique population of patients? Do you come from an underrepresented group in medicine? Have you faced any hardships or experiences that have given you a unique life perspective? Remember, diversity in not limited to racial and ethnic identity (although this can certainly be a strong focus of your diversity essay). As long as you can convincingly articulate a point of view that is specific to you and supported by relevant experiences then you will be able to craft a strong diversity essay!

“Diversity” essay examples and additional tips:

• Cracking Med School Admissions book: 50 Essays from Accepted Students

Example Autobiography Prompts:

• AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH This should be a true autobiographical statement. Topics to be included are family, childhood, primary and secondary school years, undergraduate years, and, if applicable, what you’ve done since completing your bachelor’s degree. You should also discuss the motivational factors which led you to a career in medicine including any disadvantages or obstacles which might put your accomplishments into context. A repeat of your AMCAS statement will not be acceptable. Please note: if you are applying to the MD/PhD program, please include why you are specifically interested in seeking MD/PhD training at UCSD. (UCSD School of Medicine)
• Write a brief autobiography. As completely and precisely as possible, give a picture of yourself, your family, and events you consider important to you. In doing so, identify the values that are of greatest importance to you. If you have completed your undergraduate education, please comment on what you have done or have been doing since graduation. – 1200 words (Vanderbilt University School of Medicine)

Tips to answer “Autobiography” medical school secondary application essays:

While the prospect of writing an autobiography for medical school may initially seem daunting, once you begin the process you will see that it can be one of the easier and more enjoyable types of secondaries to write (besides the length). One strategy to tackle to autobiography essay is to brainstorm relevant anecdotes from different stages of your life. For example, consider anecdotes from…

• Early childhood or your family: these may reflect your background or life experiences
• Your collegiate years: these should capture your values and beliefs
• Your clinical extracurriculars: these should reveal your skills and character traits, ultimately convincing the reader you are well suited for a medical career
• Your nonclinical extracurriculars: these demonstrate that you are compassionate, and care about serving others
• Any major life events: particularly formative events can reveal a lot about you

Afterwards, identify common themes or threads in the different anecdotes you have brainstormed and patch the pieces together. Ideally, these themes could tie into or predate the themes of your medical school application.

Finally, many autobiographical medical school secondary essays will include a section about future goals. This is a great place relate your past experiences to your future aspirations and provide a compelling argument for why you want to attend that medical school in particular. 

For more tips, read our entire blog post:  How To Write An Autobiography For Medical School

Example Challenge Prompts:

• Please describe a challenge you faced and how you addressed it. (Weill Cornell Medical College)
• Share with us a difficult or challenging situation you have encountered and how you dealt with it. In your response, identify both the coping skills you called upon to resolve the dilemma, and the support person(s) from whom you sought advice. We suggest that you limit your essay to about 550 words. (Pritzker School of Medicine)
• Challenge: Please discuss a challenging situation or obstacle you have faced in the past. Why was it challenging? How did you handle it? Knowing what you know now, would you do anything differently? What did you learn? – 500 words (Vanderbilt)
• Briefly describe a situation where you had to overcome adversity; include lessons learned and how you think it will affect your career as a future physician. (Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine)

Tips to answer “challenge” medical school secondary application essays:

Medical school is hard, so admissions committee members want to know that you are resilient and prepared to take on a challenge. Think back to your experiences in undergrad or afterwards. What situations were particularly difficult for you to overcome? When did you have to step outside of your comfort zone? Have you ever had to resolve a serious conflict or ethical dilemma? Make sure you can reflect on what you learned and how insights from the experience may benefit you in the future. Talk about why overcoming that challenge, or even failing to, has made you better having gone through the experience. Remember- medical schools do not expect you to be perfect! But they want to see that you are reflective and can grow from adversity.

One question we frequently hear from students is whether or not to write about mental health issues such as dealing with depression or anxiety in their challenge essay. Or, others write about a challenge in time management and prioritizing their tasks. It’s okay to write about these topics as long as it sounds like you will still thrive in medical school.

Meaningful Activity

Example “Activity” Prompts:

• If you wish to update or expand upon your activities, you may provide additional information below. – Word Count 500 (UCSF School of Medicine)
• Explain an activity that you have been involved in with for at least 6-12 months. What was it about that activity that kept you motivated to continue? What did you learn from that activity? – 1000 Characters (Wayne State University School of Medicine)
• Briefly describe your single, most rewarding experience. Feel free to refer to an experience previously described in your AMCAS application. (Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine)

Tips to answer “activity” medical school secondary application essays:

Take advantage of the open-ended nature of this prompt to expand on one or more of your activities to pique an admissions committee member’s interest in meeting you. It’s important that you don’t copy and paste your “most meaningful essays” in your AMCAS application. The activity you choose for this prompt might be the same as your “most meaningful” AMCAS activity, but you should convey a different.

Medical schools can learn the following from your response to this extracurricular activity secondary essay:

• In what do you invest your time?
• What’s important to you?
• Do you show leadership and potential?
• What impact did you have in your activity?
• Are you able to execute on a goal you have?
• What are the results that you produce?

Example “Gap Year” Prompts:

• If you have taken a gap year(s), please explain what you have been, or will be, doing since graduating from your undergrad institution. – 2000 characters (Baylor College of Medicine
• If you have already graduate, briefly (4000 characters max) summarize your activities since graduation (Harvard Medical School)
• Please use the space below to tell us what you have done since completing your undergraduate degree. – 350 words (University of California, San Francisco)

Tips to answer “gap year” medical school secondary application essays:

Gap year essays are open-ended questions which ask you to describe something you have been involved with either during your gap year. While these seem straightforward, it is important to not make the mistake of approaching these essays as you would a resume description. The bulk of your content should still focus on what you learned and how those insights have prepared you for a career in medicine. For example, if you scribed, you can talk about how working closely with your attending allowed you to gain insights into clinical decision making through a more involved role. Or if you worked in a research lab, you can connect your research interests with your future academic interests as a physician. Similar to the activities essay, take advantage of the open-nature of this prompt.

Optional Medical School Secondary Essays

Example “Optional” Prompts:

• Describe a time or situation where you have been unsuccessful or failed. (optional) – 3000 characters (Washington University School of Medicine)
• Do you wish to be considered for the Program in Medical Education for the Latino Community? (UC Irvine School of Medicine)
• If there is an important aspect of your personal background or identity, not addressed elsewhere in the application, that you would like to share with the Committee, we invite you to do so here. Many applicants will not need to answer this question. Examples might include significant challenges in access to education, unusual socioeconomic factors, identification with a minority culture, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender identity. Briefly explain how such factors have influenced your motivation for a career in medicine. – 4000 character maximum (Harvard Medical School)
• Is there anything additional that you would like to address that is not already reflected in your application? – 250 words or less (University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine)

Tips to answer “Optional” medical school secondary application essays:

We recommend applicants maximize their chances for an interview by completing all secondary essays including optional ones (unless the prompt does not apply to you). Some optional prompts will be very specific, but most are very open ended. Think of these as an opportunity to showcase something you have not already talked about in your application. You do not necessarily have to write about a different activity; instead, you can approach an activity you have already written about from a different perspective. For example, if you talked about how your research experience shaped your future goals as an academic physician, you can instead highlight how research allowed you to hone your work ethic and think about research questions methodically. Ultimately, think of optional prompts as an opportunity to show medical schools another aspect of you . 

Cracking Med High Yield Tip: ALWAYS answer optional medical school secondary essays!

7 Medical School Essay Tips

Secondary essay tip #1: organize your secondaries.

It is extremely important to create an excel spreadsheet or a google sheet to stay organized! Medical school secondary essays are sent in quick succession after your primary application is received. You will literally get a floor of emails from medical schools you applied to with several essays to complete. Don’t panic! Amidst a growing number of essays to complete, it can be extremely helpful to have a system to organize secondary essays by school and date. We recommend making a spreadsheet or similar system to keep track of secondaries.

This same system can be used to keep track of interview invitations and application decisions. Ultimately, what you choose to include in this system is up to you!

A sample secondary organizer is below:

Secondary Essay Tip #2: Include your application themes

While your secondary application should not repeat elements included in your primary, it should be thematically consistent with common threads you highlighted in your work & activities and personal statement. Think of your application as a cohesive narrative—your secondary application should enrich and substantiate that narrative rather than deviating from it.

In doing so, ask yourself what you have not already covered in your primary? Are there any areas where you could expand on what you have written? Or look at an experience from a different perspective? Are there any areas where you feel additional explanation is required? For example, if your personal statement focused more on your volunteering experiences, you may choose to talk more about your research experiences in your secondaries. Your goal should be to cover new ground in a consistent manner with what you have already written.

Secondary Essay Tip #3: Be creative

With such a wide range of medical school secondary essay topics, most applicants will inevitably feel like they have run out of topics to write about. Many medical schools have several secondary essays. The first important things is to make sure you include Tip #2: the main threads and application themes conveyed in your primary application.

Then, our advice is to think creatively about each prompt and outside of the box. For example, one of our students wrote about instructor evaluations they received as a teaching assistant in response to a prompt asking about a significant honor or award. Other premeds we advise have written short stories or poems as part of their secondary essay responses. Your essay will make a positive impression if you can still answer the prompt while being more creative with your topic choice. 

Secondary Essay Tip #4: Re-purpose the same essays for multiple schools

Medical schools will commonly ask the same types of secondary essay prompts. As a result, something that most pre-meds do not realize until they apply is that you can re-purpose many your already written essays for other schools. Look out for wording that suggests you are dealing with the same “type” of secondary. For example, “diversity” essays commonly include phrasing such as “contribute to the coming class”, “unique background or life experiences”, and/or “differences”. Recognize that these all fundamentally fall within the same category of secondaries.

When re-purposing essays, we recommend going through all of your secondaries and grouping essays by type. From there, you can start with one prompt for each category that has the highest word/character limit for your first version of the essay. Then, you can shorten that first draft in order to fit the length limitations of subsequent schools.

For a full list of different types of medical school secondary essays, check out our other blog post:  Complete List: Medical School Secondary Essay Prompts 2020 – 2021

Secondary Essay Tip #5: Tailor your response to each school

Even if you re-purpose your secondary essays or use a template for a common essay, make sure you do not write generic responses for different schools! Even essays like your diversity/activity essays, which may be largely similar because your background/extracurriculars have not changed, can be specified for each school by relating elements of your response to opportunities/characteristics of that school. For example, if a school has a primary-care focus, you can tie in your background coming from a medically underserved region with your future career goal to serve your community.

Secondary Essay Tip #6: Carefully read over and edit your medical school secondary essays

While you will not have the same amount of time to work on your secondaries as your primary application, you still need to deliver a product of similar quality in writing, content, and insightfulness. As such, it is recommended that you get a few trusted readers to review your secondaries before submitting them. If you have other friends applying, it can be useful to form secondary reviewing groups so that you can share essays with one another and receive timely feedback. When having your secondaries reviewed, focus on grammar, clarity of writing, and content.

Secondary Essay Tip #7: Pre-write your medical school secondary application essays

At this point in the application cycle, with AMCAS yet to open and no secondaries sent out, the number one tip we have is for you to pre-write your secondary essays! This will give you a strong list of essays to work with once secondaries begin to come in, which can make a huge difference for the quality of your essays and their turnaround time. Secondary prompts rarely change from year to year and can be found online. Check out our blog post of secondary prompts from 2020-2021!

FREE AMCAS Work & Activities Workbook

Use this workbook to write STELLAR AMCAS descriptions. This section is as important as your personal statement.

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Medical School Secondary Application Resources

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• Personal Statement examples
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• 50+ essays from accepted students

Additional Resources:

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FAQs - Med School Secondary Applications

When you submit your AMCAS application, the application fee is $170 for one medical school and then $41 for each additional medical school. Additionally, each medical school also has a secondary application fee. On average, each medical school application is $100.

When your AMCAS application officially transmitted to medical schools, then medical schools start sending their applicants an invitation for a medical school secondary application. It’s important to note that some medical schools send all applicants a secondary application, whereas other medical schools are selective with who they send secondary applications to.

Our Cracking Med School Admissions team tell our student advisees that medical school secondary essays are extremely important . We highly recommend submitting only “A” quality secondary applications. This is the standard we hold ourselves to and the standard we hold our students to. If you would like help with your medical school secondary essays, look at our secondary essay editing services here.

Medical schools look for different things:

• Your commitment to medicine
• Experiences that make you unique
• Specific interests or passions in healthcare
• Intellectual interests
• Unique talents

Medical school secondary applications vary greatly. On one extreme, there are still a handful of schools that have 0 additional required essays. On the other extreme, there are medical schools that have 10-12 secondary essays, including optional essays.

No. Some medical schools will read your primary application first and decide whether to send you its medical school secondary application. Other medical schools screen out students based on its GPA or MCAT cut-off.

We recommend using the full character or word limit on most of your secondaries. Why not take full advantage to increase your chances of success? If you have essays pre-written, you can even reduce this time to a couple of days! Remember, medical school admissions is a rolling process, so the earlier your application is marked complete the higher your chances of interview invitation and acceptance. But remember, you have to have “A” quality secondary essays so that you stand out!

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2023-2024 Harvard

• Thread starter chilly_md
• Start date Mar 17, 2023

Full Member

• Mar 17, 2023

Harvard Medical School Interview Feedback

toastedbutter

• May 8, 2023

HMS says they want a letter from 'every significant research experience'. How should I consider the word significant? I'm listing six different research experiences on my AMCAS. Of those, three have 400 or more hours, two I started in the last few months and have lower hours but a lot more projected, and one will be my honors thesis work which was in a non-clinical domain related to my major. Do I need letters from all six of these supervisors? How did others who applied in the past approach this? My issue is I only asked for letters from two of my supervisors since that's what fits in line with the vast majority of other schools, and I'm not sure if the four other supervisors would even consider writing a letter in such short notice, let alone one that would add value to my application.  

deleted1163194

• May 10, 2023

toastedbutter said: HMS says they want a letter from 'every significant research experience'. How should I consider the word significant? I'm listing six different research experiences on my AMCAS. Of those, three have 400 or more hours, two I started in the last few months and have lower hours but a lot more projected, and one will be my honors thesis work which was in a non-clinical domain related to my major. Do I need letters from all six of these supervisors? How did others who applied in the past approach this? My issue is I only asked for letters from two of my supervisors since that's what fits in line with the vast majority of other schools, and I'm not sure if the four other supervisors would even consider writing a letter in such short notice, let alone one that would add value to my application. Click to expand...

RuggedShark

• Jun 9, 2023

I actually did not get a letter from my research supervisor (missed this requirement). Is it even worth paying for a secondary without one? I do have some research experience but it is not a significant part of my application. I also don't have any special X factor to impress them. Just kind of on the fence.  

6'0 OGFLYERCI

• Jun 10, 2023

Rugged Shark said: I actually did not get a letter from my research supervisor (missed this requirement). Is it even worth paying for a secondary without one? I do have some research experience but it is not a significant part of my application. I also don't have any special X factor to impress them. Just kind of on the fence. Click to expand...

roundgarlic

• Jun 13, 2023

opabiniafan

• Jun 29, 2023

roundgarlic said: I'm just now seeing the stuff about research supervisors as well. I have a letter from my main PI, but I didn't ask my supervisor for my thesis for one since we've only been working together academically since March. Would it be worth having her write one and send it within the next couple months at this point? I'm also doing a summer research program where my supervisor is faculty at Harvard Med. If I ask her for one at the end of the program would it be likely to significantly affect my application, or is it not that big of a deal since it's a 2 month program? Any insights appreciated!! Click to expand...

• Jul 1, 2023

Looking at this conversation about the research letters. I'm a nontraditional student without much research. If I don't have significant research or just started a research job in the past 4 months before applying, should I consider my app DOA or not waste my time/money? Totally fair if the answer is yes, just want to know.  

• Jul 9, 2023

Have the secondaries been released yet? I haven't found anything online.  

reese2023 said: Have the secondaries been released yet? I haven't found anything online. Click to expand...

• Jul 13, 2023

Just received OOS secondary!  

notanorthobro

Written prompts: If you have already graduated, briefly (4000 characters maximum) summarize your activities since graduation. If there is an important aspect of your personal background or identity not addressed elsewhere in the application that may illuminate how you could contribute to the medical school and that you would like to share with the Committee, we invite you to do so here. Examples might include significant challenges in access to education, unusual socioeconomic factors, or other aspects of your personal or family background to place your prior academic achievements in context or provide further information about your motivation for a career in medicine or the perspectives you might bring to the medical school community. Many applicants will not need to answer this question. (4000 characters) The Committee on Admissions understands that the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted applicants in various ways. If you wish to inform the Committee as to how these events have affected you and have not already done so elsewhere in your application, please use this space to do so. (This is an optional essay; the Committee on Admissions will make no judgment based on your decision to provide a statement or not.) (4000 characters) The interview season for the 2023-2024 cycle will be held virtually and is anticipated to run from mid-September through January 2024. Please indicate any significant (three or more weeks) restriction on your availability for interviews during this period. If none, please leave this section blank. (1000 characters) @chilly_md  

OOS received  

John Summit

do we put courses we took online due to COVID for the question on page 1?  

T Swizzle said: do we put courses we took online due to COVID for the question on page 1? Click to expand...

OreoLover365

Prerequisite courses.

OOS secondary received  

I feel like none of these questions apply to me, the only one I could maybe write something for would be the second prompt. Should I write fluff or is it better to leave it blank?  

garnmonster

nublets said: I feel like none of these questions apply to me, the only one I could maybe write something for would be the second prompt. Should I write fluff or is it better to leave it blank? Click to expand...

amdocahe said: OOS secondary received Click to expand...

ranmasaotome

For manuscripts in preparation (f), please request that your PI reference such manuscripts in their recommendation letter. For all other stages of submission (a-e), please provide the journal’s official email documentation. For published papers (a), please also provide the citation and article link. Click to expand...

dumplingsloth

Anyone know the HST prompt?  

Also, there seems to be a character limit for the manuscripts/publications field that is far too short to put in more than 1-2 citations? I'm trying to get in four with reasonably long author lists.  

ranmasaotome said: Also, there seems to be a character limit for the manuscripts/publications field that is far too short to put in more than 1-2 citations? I'm trying to get in four with reasonably long author lists. Click to expand...

zzzhaozhuye

Anyone knows if the online classes include the ones due to COVID? I mean I was on campus the whole time but a couple of my classes were fully online while some were hybrid  

doughnutcommerical

Chronic overthinker.

zzzhaozhuye said: Anyone knows if the online classes include the ones due to COVID? I mean I was on campus the whole time but a couple of my classes were fully online while some were hybrid Click to expand...

• Jul 14, 2023

ilovedumplings said: Anyone know the HST prompt? Click to expand...

additionalrabbit

I am just learning about the HST program now. I have years of experience in clinical research and several pubs, abstracts etc, but my quant and STEM background is lacking (I was a psych/anthro major and did a postbac for all my premed prereqs). That said, I feel like I can learn anything and I AM hoping for a career in which I can be a physician and investigator... Just probably more on the translational-clinical front than basic. Is it worth applying? It seems like since the two paths are considered separately we should just apply to both (if interested). But I'm just having a hard time imagining what it really entails, like is it going to force me to stay in basic science, ML/big data, or physics/bioengineering if I think ultimately I'm seeking a more clinical research career?  

• Jul 15, 2023

Thank you @gobearsssss for sharing the MD questions and @g__23 for sharing the HST specific one.  

MSTP-specific question: anyone else having difficultly uploading PDF's under the "Manuscripts/Publications" tab? I can't see if anything has successfully uploaded and I'm worried I may have uploaded the same document many times... the view file button only generates a 'document not found' error.  

PatentForamenOvale

• Jul 17, 2023

Has anyone who submitted gotten an "application complete" email? I got one saying my secondary was received, but nothing about it being marked as "complete" like at other schools...  

PatentForamenOvale said: Has anyone who submitted gotten an "application complete" email? I got one saying my secondary was received, but nothing about it being marked as "complete" like at other schools... Click to expand...

• Jul 18, 2023

anyone not seeing the option to write / submit the HST essay? is it on a separate application portal or email? thanks!  

bright_forest_12

• Jul 19, 2023

sssss2023 said: MSTP-specific question: anyone else having difficultly uploading PDF's under the "Manuscripts/Publications" tab? I can't see if anything has successfully uploaded and I'm worried I may have uploaded the same document many times... the view file button only generates a 'document not found' error. Click to expand...

BaileyBoo20

How important do y'all think it is to reach the character counts for each essay? I normally do, but it seems kind of hard to do here, given that most essays are just opt-ins.  

BaileyBoo20 said: How important do y'all think it is to reach the character counts for each essay? I normally do, but it seems kind of hard to do here, given that most essays are just opt-ins. Click to expand...

How strict is the one letter of rec from each research experience requirement if you are applying regular MD?  

• Jul 21, 2023

Does anyone know if Adcoms read both the Pathways and the HST essays together? Or, does each program read their specific application separately? I'm trying to figure out how much my gap year essay can overlap with the HST essay.  

nocostcoads

• Jul 22, 2023

g__23 said: Does anyone know if Adcoms read both the Pathways and the HST essays together? Or, does each program read their specific application separately? I'm trying to figure out how much my gap year essay can overlap with the HST essay. Click to expand...

• Jul 28, 2023

applied2toomanyschoolsxd

• Jul 29, 2023

Did anyone receive a confirmation email of "Application Complete" after submission? Other than the one that says "Application Received?" Most of the other schools that use similar programs auto-send the "Application Complete" email so just wondering  

aesyu said: Did anyone receive a confirmation email of "Application Complete" after submission? Other than the one that says "Application Received?" Most of the other schools that use similar programs auto-send the "Application Complete" email so just wondering Click to expand...

• Jul 31, 2023

OOS secondary today. I only had one prompt to write something for (the additional info to share one, I wrote about growing up internatioanlly) because I felt weird not putting any writing on my application. I'm still in undergrad, so no post-grad activities or anything else to add.  

incomingmd11

• Aug 1, 2023

For the question "If there is an important aspect of your personal background or identity not addressed elsewhere in the application that may illuminate how you could contribute to the medical school and that you would like to share with the Committee, we invite you to do so here..." Would it be inappropriate to talk about aspects of my academic career (i.e. specific programs of study) that are unique and furthered my motivation towards medicine? I feel like it is part of my "academic" background but wasn't sure if this question was concerned only with personal identity (household, ethnicity, etc.). Can someone provide thoughts?  

• Aug 20, 2023

In an email, they said that there was no impact on your chances of being accepted as long as the application was submitted before October 22 due to rolling admissions. Are they suggesting that we take as long as we need on the supplemental? Or is it still safer to submit earlier?  

@wysdoc I see that Harvard allows only 2 updates to your app during the whole cycle. I just got one of my papers officially published (3rd author). Should I submit an update to them now, pre-II? Or wait a bit since I still have 2 other papers kind of in the works (both where I am 1st author)? Any thoughts and advice, esp since II's have not been given out yet? TY!  

kath00 said: @wysdoc I see that Harvard allows only 2 updates to your app during the whole cycle. I just got one of my papers officially published (3rd author). Should I submit an update to them now, pre-II? Or wait a bit since I still have 2 other papers kind of in the works (both where I am 1st author)? Any thoughts and advice, esp since II's have not been given out yet? TY! Click to expand...

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Get Expert Help With Your Secondary Essays!

Georgia Medical Schools

• Emory University School of Medicine Secondary Application
• Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University Secondary Application
• Mercer University School of Medicine Secondary Application
• Morehouse School of Medicine Secondary Application
• Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine Georgia Campus Secondary Application
• Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine South Georgia Campus Secondary Application

Hawaii Medical Schools

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Idaho Medical Schools

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Illinois Medical Schools

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Indiana Medical Schools

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Iowa Medical Schools

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Kansas Medical Schools

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Kentucky Medical Schools

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Louisiana Medical Schools

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Maine Medical Schools

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Maryland Medical Schools

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Massachusetts Medical Schools

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Michigan Medical Schools

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Minnesota Medical Schools

• Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine Secondary Application
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Mississippi Medical Schools

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Missouri Medical Schools

• A.T. Still University Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine Secondary Application
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Nebraska Medical Schools

• Creighton University School of Medicine Secondary Application
• University of Nebraska College of Medicine Secondary Application

Nevada Medical Schools

• Touro University Nevada College of Osteopathic Medicine Secondary Application
• University of Nevada, Las Vegas School of Medicine Secondary Application
• University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine Secondary Application

New Hampshire Medical Schools

• Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine Secondary Application

New Jersey Medical Schools

• Cooper Medical School of Rowan University Secondary Application
• Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine at Seton Hall University Secondary Application
• Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine Secondary Application
• Rutgers New Jersey Medical School Secondary Application
• Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School Secondary Application

New Mexico Medical Schools

• Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine at New Mexico State University Secondary Application
• University of New Mexico School of Medicine Secondary Application

 New York Medical Schools

• Albany Medical College Secondary Application
• Albert Einstein College of Medicine Secondary Application
• Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons Secondary Application
• Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell Secondary Application
• Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Secondary Application
• Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at University at Buffalo Secondary Application
• New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine Secondary Application
• New York Medical College School of Medicine Secondary Application
• New York University Long Island School of Medicine Secondary Application
• New York University School of Medicine Secondary Application
• Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University Secondary Application
• State University of New York Downstate Medical Center College of Medicine Secondary Application
• State University of New York Upstate Medical University College of Medicine Secondary Application
• Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine New York Secondary Application
• University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry Secondary Application
• Weill Cornell Medical College Secondary Application

North Carolina Medical Schools

• Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University Secondary Application
• Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine Secondary Application
• Duke University School of Medicine Secondary Application
• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine Secondary Application
• Wake Forest School of Medicine Secondary Application

North Dakota Medical Schools

• University of North Dakota School of Medicine & Health Sciences Secondary Application

Ohio Medical Schools

• Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine Secondary Application
• Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine Secondary Application
• Northeast Ohio Medical University College of Medicine Secondary Application
• Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine Secondary Application
• The Ohio State University College of Medicine Secondary Application
• The University of Toledo College of Medicine and Life Sciences Secondary Application
• University of Cincinnati College of Medicine Secondary Application
• Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine Secondary Application

Oklahoma Medical Schools

• Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine Secondary Application
• The University of Oklahoma College of Medicine Secondary Application
• The University of Oklahoma- Tulsa School of Community Medicine Secondary Application

Oregon Medical Schools

• Oregon Health Sciences University School of Medicine Secondary Application
• Western University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine Pacific-Northwest Secondary Application

Pennsylvania Medical Schools

• Drexel University College of Medicine Secondary Application
• Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine Secondary Application
• Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine Secondary Application
• Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University Secondary Application
• Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine Secondary Application
• Perelman School of Medicine at University of Pennsylvania Secondary Application
• Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine Secondary Application
• Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University Secondary Application 
• University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Secondary Application

Puerto Rico Medical Schools

• Ponce Health Sciences University School of Medicine Secondary Application
• San Juan Bautista School of Medicine Secondary Application
• Universidad Central del Caribe School of Medicine Secondary Application
• University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine Secondary Application

Rhode Island Medical Schools

• Alpert Medical School of Brown University

South Carolina Medical Schools

• Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine-Carolina Campus Secondary Application
• Medical University of South Carolina College of Medicine Secondary Application
• University of South Carolina-Columbia School of Medicine Secondary Application
• University of South Carolina-Greenville School of Medicine Secondary Application

South Dakota Medical Schools

• Sanford School of Medicine at University of South Dakota Secondary Application

Tennessee Medical Schools

• East Tennessee State University Quillen College of Medicine Secondary Application
• Lincoln Memorial University DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine Secondary Application
• Meharry Medical College School of Medicine Secondary Application
• University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine Secondary Application
• Vanderbilt University School of Medicine Secondary Application

Texas Medical Schools

• Baylor College of Medicine Secondary Application
• Long School of Medicine at University of Texas Health Science Center-San Antonio Secondary Application
• McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Secondary Application
• TCU and UNTHSC School of Medicine Secondary Application
• Texas A&M University Health Sciences Center College of Medicine Secondary Application
• Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Paul L. Foster School of Medicine Secondary Application
• Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine Secondary Application
• The University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School Secondary Application
• The University of Texas Medical Branch School of Medicine Secondary Application
• The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine Secondary Application
• University of North Texas Health Science Center Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine Secondary Application
• University of Texas Southwestern Medical School Secondary Application
• University of the Incarnate Word School of Osteopathic Medicine Secondary Application

Utah Medical Schools

• Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine Southern Utah Campus Secondary Application
• University of Utah School of Medicine Secondary Application

Vermont Medical Schools

• Larner College of Medicine at The University of Vermont Secondary Application

Virginia Medical Schools

• Eastern Virginia Medical School Secondary Application
• Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine- Virginia Campus Secondary Application
• Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine Secondary Application
• University of Virginia School of Medicine Secondary Application
• Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine Secondary Application
• Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine Secondary Application

Washington Medical Schools

• Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine at Washington State University Secondary Application
• Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine Secondary Application
• University of Washington School of Medicine Secondary Application

West Virginia Medical Schools

• Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine Secondary Application
• West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine Secondary Application
• West Virginia University School of Medicine Secondary Application

Wisconsin Medical Schools

• Medical College of Wisconsin Secondary Application
• University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health Secondary Application

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Successful Harvard Medical School Essays | 2023

With a consistently competitive pool of applicants submitting essays to top medical schools each year, it is essential to gain a high-level understanding of what a successful application reads like. Browse through our list of successful medical school applications below from students who were accepted to elite universities and hear from expert college consultants on what made these pieces a success.

...and more!

Andrew's Essay

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Successful Harvard Medical School Essay

I vividly recall the surge of emotion and chills that ran down my spine as I wandered through the free health clinic in a rural, impoverished Salvadoran town. I met a kind nurse who cared for hundreds of patients by herself. She showed me her two tiny examination rooms, both littered with overly used equipment. It was sobering, but inspiring. No experience has been more impactful than witnessing the need for accessible, quality healthcare, especially in an area so close to my heart. Twenty-two years ago, my family adopted me from El Salvador. Over that time, they showed me how to care about people, keep a sharp focus on my goals, and always deliver on my word. Their teaching by example, coupled with the realization of just how fortunate I am, has led me to my passion. I want to spend the rest of my life helping others improve theirs, and believe that becoming a physician is how I’ll do it.

I want to spend the rest of my life helping others improve theirs, and believe that becoming a physician is how I'll do it.

My decision to pursue medicine began with a great deal of pain. It was the end of my eighth grade basketball season, in the semi-finals of a tournament. During the third quarter, I stole the ball from the other team, and dribbled up the court on a fast break. As I elevated for a layup, an opposing player charged into my body. SNAP! I immediately felt severe discomfort running up my leg, and knew something was very wrong. As the trainers helped me off the court, I watched the swelling around my ankle continue to grow. My first trip to the emergency room resulted in an inconclusive diagnosis, and a scheduled appointment with an orthopedic surgeon.

The next day, I was diagnosed with a fractured ankle, which unfortunately meant my season was over. The orthopedic surgeon’s vast knowledge of anatomy and physiology and explanation of my injury using X-rays captivated my attention, and sparked my interest in medicine. Over the next six weeks, I rehabilitated my ankle and returned to sports as healthy and quickly as possible. Grasping the impact of a medical profession, I set out to become a physician.

Setting goals was a habit growing up. Academics and sports were my primary focus, and in grade school, I dreamt of playing a varsity sport and set a goal in fourth grade to graduate as valedictorian of my class. These goals shaped the next eight years of my life, as I learned to balance schoolwork with playing sports. I was determined to excel inside and outside of the classroom, and worked very hard.

Throughout high school, I strove for academic and athletic excellence. Through dedication and perseverance, I started for three years in basketball and baseball, was named captain of both teams as a senior, led both teams to playoff appearances, and graduated as class valedictorian. While my academic and athletic experiences were very fulfilling, the highlight of my time in high school was sharing my love for sports and academics with children. Every summer, I volunteered to help my coaches run camps for kids in kindergarten through eighth grade. During these camps, I taught the fundamentals of the game and emphasized the importance of determination, commitment, and teamwork. Coaching the kids was extremely rewarding, and allowed me to develop an even temper and positive attitude, even in stressful situations. This experience also helped me discover a strong interest in teaching that I hope to develop as a physician.

In college, I’ve had extensive shadowing experience. One unforgettable moment came in the emergency room when a patient coded. I watched as physicians and nurses urgently tried to stabilize the patient, to no avail. I learned two challenging lessons from the patient’s passing: medicine affects patients, their families, and healthcare professionals equally, and witnessing death is unavoidable when working in medicine. These lessons, among many others learned through my shadowing experiences, have provided me with invaluable insight into the daily life of physicians and surgeons, as well as the demands and rewards medicine offers.

Medicine affects patients, their families, and healthcare professionals equally, and witnessing death is unavoidable when working in medicine.

Although my shadowing experience was enjoyable, I desired to learn more about the aspect of medicine that shapes clinical practice–research. Through my research experiences, I discovered the intricate relationship between research and clinical medicine. As I spent a summer studying tendon development with some of the world’s brightest minds in Boston, the importance of collaboration and perseverance in effectively translating research from bench to bedside became clear. Now, I hope to combine my love for medicine with my research interests to broaden the scope of my work. This approach will be personally fulfilling while enabling me to make a valuable contribution to biomedical science. Life experiences shape us as individuals. An unfortunate sports injury sparked my interest in medicine, while clinical and research experiences and a visit to a clinic in my birth country further strengthened my ambition. Ultimately, I hope to return to that Salvadoran clinic as a medical student and physician to provide quality healthcare to those in need. I’m excited about moving forward and the opportunities that lie ahead.

Professional Review by International Medical Aid

This great example of the AMCAS personal statement makes the thesis clear from the start which is that of the writer’s wish to ensure “good health” by “doing more”.

The narrative presents this thesis through specific examples that gradually broaden in scope: from “my little brother” to “the stranger in the grocery storey.” It also expands across social segments, when the writer finds myriad meanings for “good health” across “countries, cultures and individuals”.

Technical terms are used to show knowledge of medical practices while also revealing curiosity and aptitude for clinical research.

The second part of the thesis, which is to “do more”, is presented through two compelling arguments: that research and medicine are always evolving, and that there is always more to be done. Technical terms are used to show knowledge of medical practices while also revealing curiosity and aptitude for clinical research.

The essay then shifts to how being an ‘extraordinary physician’ involves being empathetic and paying attention to socioeconomic factors. The generalization that medicine is both a science and an art since it touches humans is well-situated in contextual examples of underrepresented groups in Guatemala and Kenya.

The wish to “do more” reveals the writer’s growth mindset as well as a passion for medicine in simple but effective words that befit the personal statement.

Keizra’s Essay

Every future doctor experiences some level of self-doubt when applying to medical school. We empower aspiring physicians to identify the unique qualities that make them great doctors of the future. Our MD admissions consultants help applicants like you weave these qualities into a compelling narrative in every aspect of the medical school application. Using a proven methodology that has been tried and tested over 15 years with more than 1000 successful applicants, we help you approach the admissions process with the confidence to get into your ideal medical school.

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I sat in the US Senate’s Hart Building, memo in hand, nervously awaiting my chance to explain the complexities of an FDA draft guidance to staffers working on the Senate counterpart to the 21st Century Cures bill. This FDA draft guidance would, if finalized, increase the regulatory burden on laboratories developing genetic tests. Although nearly all the scientists I interviewed felt this guidance would unreasonably slow the integration of Next Generation Sequencing genetic tests into diagnostics, I learned that their story ignored the many inadequacies which currently plague genetic testing.

As I began to explain my memo, I thought of the first time I watched a doctor offer a genetic test to a patient. Dr. Patel, a geriatric psychiatrist, was offering a test to help determine which drugs might be most effective for her schizophrenic patient. This test seemed to offer an alternative to a frustrating experience that many patients face: trying various medication regimens to see which works best. The patient’s excitement was palpable, but I couldn’t help but recognize the sad truth that for this patient, a person of color, the diagnostic tools could be less than perfectly reliable. In a world where 80% of the DNA in genetic databases is European, I struggled knowing that these tests are significantly less effective for people of color than for individuals of European descent.

These hidden inequalities in emerging diagnostic tools, when combined with existing inequalities in access to care, have solidified my desire to work as a physician to care for marginalized individuals. As a doctor, I hope to help vulnerable patients access the care they desire while treating them with the respect they deserve, a goal I have looked to advance prior to medical school. During my first two years at Duke, I had countless conversations with my peers about the pressure they felt to embody “effortless perfection.” This expectation, whether self or culturally imposed, created a stigma around speaking out about one’s struggles, fears, and insecurities, which in turn led to a wariness towards accessing campus mental health resources. While Vice President of Equity and Outreach on Duke Student Government, I made combating “effortless perfection” my priority. I felt it was time to give students a space to discuss their struggles and make mental health resources more accessible. These experiences led me to create Duke’s first Mental Health Awareness Month. One particular event, a panel for students suffering from mental illness to discuss their experiences, was attended by over 100 students. Through the month’s programming, students were able to find strength and support in the recognition that they were not alone in their struggles. As a physician, I hope to leverage this understanding to create a space in my exam room where I work to understand and affirm patients’ experiences in the hopes that I can make their illnesses less isolating.

I hope to leverage this understanding to create a space in my exam room where I work to understand and affirm patients' experiences.

Though it was extraordinarily fulfilling to create awareness of accessible mental health resources, I also sought to combat another impediment to care: access. This year, I have worked to provide abortion access to women who cannot afford their procedures through the DC Abortion Fund. As a case manager, I work with women in all stages of their abortion access process. For some, I simply help them close the gap in their funding. For others, I work with them from start, finding a clinic, all the way to finish, helping to fund the procedure. This work has revealed to me the mountain of circumstances that vulnerable women seeking funding for abortion face. Every time I call a patient, the first question I ask is, “Can I leave a voicemail on this phone and can I identify myself?” This question is a constant reminder that for many of these women, accessing this care is an act of resistance against circumstances outside of their control like homelessness, domestic abuse, and poverty.

One of the patients I aided, Ms. E, found out she was pregnant while at an urgent care appointment for debilitating anxiety. She only learned about the Fund because her physician sat with her in the exam room helping Google resources for abortion care. This physician recognized that without adequate resources, her patient would not have the agency to choose her next steps. As a physician, I will view it as my highest responsibility to understand patients’ lives and circumstances. Without understanding the systemic barriers many patients face, I do not believe one can optimally care for a patient. Even when a patient has access to care, I know that treating vulnerable patients demands cultural understanding. While shadowing Dr. Lo, a plastic surgeon in Philadelphia, I saw first-hand how physicians can utilize their knowledge to create a safe space. I watched Dr. Lo work with a transgender-identifying patient seeking cosmetic surgery as a part of her gender confirmation process. Dr. Lo treated this patient with dignity and respect through the simple act of using her correct pronoun, ignoring the fact that her birth name and gender were associated with her insurance. This simple act of recognizing a patient’s true identity reminded me of the vital need for good doctors: I can only hope to one day be among their number.

Professional Review by Admissions Helpers

Several features make Keizra’s essay strong and engaging. First, the essay contains a unifying theme that gives the reader a clear sense of the applicant’s motivations. Using different examples and anecdotes throughout the essay, Keizra demonstrates their commitment to working with “marginalized” and “vulnerable” individuals.

Keizra demonstrates their commitment to working with marginalized and vulnerable individuals.

This essay also demonstrates an awareness of some of the key challenges in today’s healthcare system. Specifically, Keizra discusses inequity in genetic testing for people of color, the impact of social determinants on access to critical healthcare services like abortion, and the need for inclusivity for diverse patients including members of the LGBTQIA+ community. The strength in this discussion is that Keizra directly connects each challenge to their lived experiences.

Finally, each of the different ideas presented in the essay are explicitly tied to the applicant’s desire to become a physician, allowing the reader to understand why and how their experiences have shaped their motivations. When writing about genetic testing, mental health services for college students, and caring for Ms. E, Keizra’s essay does an excellent job highlighting the kind of doctor they aspire to be.

While the essay is strong overall, there is opportunity for improvement. The explanation Keizra offers about why they want to be a physician (in the 3rd paragraph) could be further developed. In particular, one can’t help but wonder why Keizra wants to fight the inequalities as a physician and not through another career such as politics or public health? The reasons why Keizra wants to practice clinical medicine are not clearly articulated. The essay also ends fairly abruptly, failing to give the reader a cohesive and memorable closing argument. Ideally, a personal statement ends by providing reflections on the key ideas presented and pulling everything together with a powerful summative statement. This is difficult with limited space but could have nevertheless been achieved by rewording and omitting certain details in other areas of the essay.

Mark's Essay

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“You have all the time.”

"Jay" was an advanced heart failure patient, unsure whether to continue treatment. But he needed to make a decision quickly. His EKG read “ventricular tachycardia.” Dr. D, though, saw the situation differently: Jay had “all the time.”

I analyze conversations like this in the LAB NAME Lab, where we study patient-physician communication, trying to understand what it means to provide patient-centered care. My research begins with the question: What is interesting in this encounter? In this interaction, Dr. D’s remark—“you have all the time”—caught my eye. It didn’t make sense. Jay’s arrhythmia was potentially life-threatening: he had no time. Surely, Dr. D, a cardiologist, knew this. And while Dr. D was personable in his other encounters with patients, he had never prioritized talking over treating. Why then, with Jay, did he ignore the “medical” side of medicine? At the time, I thought patient care revolved around somatic intervention. I was an EMT, after all. My job was to save people: if someone was bleeding, I didn’t stop to chat. I wrapped their bleed.

However, months later, my perception of medicine slowly began to change. Working as an EMT, I was dispatched to “Leo.” UNIVERSITY NAME staff had dialed 911 as he was heavily intoxicated. Immediately, Leo announced that he was fine; “You can leave,” he said to me. The situation seemed strange, though: alcohol by himself on a Monday afternoon? I thought: Should I ask Leo why he was drinking? But, perhaps, Leo was unable to be vulnerable around all the strangers in their uniforms. Hesitantly, I asked my partner and the mass of firefighters to step outside. I thought I could get Leo to open up. I recall sitting at eye level with him, considering what to say, aware of everyone outside, unsure if I was wasting their time. But in the end, I just talked—student to student. I described my life: how it felt to be away from family; how I missed home. Leo said nothing; so I kept speaking, conscious of myself. There was more silence, but then he replied, “I miss home too.” I waited for more; and Leo continued, “I need help.”

Our ability to talk—student to student, not EMT to student—allowed us to be honest with each other.

My interaction with Leo was at odds with my own understanding of medicine at that point; not once did I offer him an assessment of his blood pressure or his multicolored vomit. But had I done those things—focused on Leo’s physical condition—our encounter might have ended differently. I may never have discovered his intent to commit self-harm. Leo chose to be open with me, I think, because he trusted me, because I was open with him. Our ability to talk—student to student, not EMT to student—allowed us to be honest with each other. A disconnect between Leo and me would have failed both to address the root of his problem and to treat him as more than a brief emergency.

Now, I think that I better understand Dr. D’s remark to Jay. Maybe, he sought to humanize Jay, to reinforce his agency as a patient in a place that dealt with his physical ailments. Jay’s choice would have implications for the rest of his life. Perhaps, Dr. D wanted Jay to know that he was the decision-maker, that he controlled his own future. To Dr. D, the other aspect of medicine—the human side—was just as important as all the medications and IVs and drugs and shocks. I’ve begun to see that a physician’s work is stereoscopic. There is the intriguing and challenging human element, the opportunity to form meaningful relationships with patients. Then there is the somatic aspect, the chance to treat difficult medical conditions. I am drawn to medicine because of this duality.

As a physician, I’d like to develop my own ability to simultaneously practice the technical and personal elements of medicine. I think that patient-centered care might give my patients more than a fixed knee or a lower heart rate. Hopefully, they would feel healed, helped, respected—not as if I were just interested in fixing their physical ailments. I also think I’d enjoy medicine more if I could connect with my patients: talk to them as people, not just patients.

But, through the LAB NAME Lab, I’ve seen how difficult it can be to combine the objective and human sides of medicine. In patient-physician encounters, one of these two sides is often left out—it is hard to ask patients about their dogs when their livers are failing. Moreover, I’m not sure I can deconstruct Dr. D’s ability to communicate with patients like Jay: put it into a single competency that all doctors must master. It isn’t just empathy, honesty, or authenticity. I might describe it as humanity, the ability to talk to others without a machine-produced script. However, textbooks don’t feature a “How to Communicate Like Dr. D” section, and it isn’t a skill I imagine I will ever be done learning. The challenge of medicine appeals to me, though. I want a career in which I can constantly discover more.

Ultimately, I don’t expect to learn only in the clinic or hospital as a doctor. I will continue to do research on patient-physician communication. My work will likely inform my future medical practice, and, maybe, eventually I could teach what I’ve learned to residents and medical students.

As Dr. D has shown me, a physician’s work is complex and demanding. But the result can give patients like Jay “all the time.”

Professional Review by Premed Advocates

The compelling Personal Statement you've just read exemplifies the power of introspective storytelling. The author's reflection, highlighting his evolving understanding of medicine and future ambitions, led to acceptances and scholarships from prestigious medical schools like Johns Hopkins, Yale, Duke, UCLA, Mayo, Vanderbilt, Northwestern, and Mt Sinai.

At PreMed Advocates, we help create personal statements that keep the applicant as the central figure of the narrative. While many personal statements tend to recount the applicant's journey to medical school, often involving personal illness experiences or “inspirational” patient-doctor interactions, these narratives can inadvertently shift the focus onto the stories of others, and away from you—the main character.

Our reflective storytelling approach keeps your unique perspective at the heart of your personal statement.

Our reflective storytelling approach keeps your unique perspective at the heart of your personal statement. Through collaborative brainstorming, meticulous editing, and interview preparation, we guide applicants in transforming their experiences into a compelling narrative. Our method is also deeply rooted in our thorough understanding of medical school admissions rubrics and processes, which we've derived from extensive research and detailed profiling of each institution.

The PreMed Advocates difference lies in our unique approach. We equip our applicants with the tools they need to succeed, and supplement this with personalized, one-on-one guidance.

Harvard Medical School Secondary Essay Prompts

These are the secondary application essay prompts for Harvard Medical School. To put your best foot forward and maximize your chance of an interview invitation, visit our secondary application editing page .

about harvard medical school

Secondary Deadline : October 22, 2023 Secondary Fee : $100 FAP Waiver:  Full Fee Waived CASPer Required : No Screens Applications : No Accepts Application Updates : Yes/Portal

To nurture a diverse, inclusive community dedicated to alleviating suffering and improving health and well-being for all through excellence in teaching and learning, discovery and scholarship, and service and leadership.

Collaboration & Service Diversity & Respect Integrity & Accountability Lifelong Learning Wellness & Balance

1. If you have already graduated, briefly (4000 characters maximum) summarize your activities since graduation.

2. If there is an important aspect of your personal background or identity not addressed elsewhere in the application that may illuminate how you could contribute to the medical school and that you would like to share with the Committee, we invite you to do so here. Examples might include significant challenges in access to education, unusual socioeconomic factors, or other aspects of your personal or family background to place your prior academic achievements in context or provide further information about your motivation for a career in medicine or the perspectives you might bring to the medical school community. Many applicants will not need to answer this question. (4000 characters)

3. The Committee on Admissions understands that the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted applicants in various ways. If you wish to inform the Committee as to how these events have affected you and have not already done so elsewhere in your application, please use this space to do so. (This is an optional essay; the Committee on Admissions will make no judgment based on your decision to provide a statement or not.) (4000 characters) 4. The interview season for the 2023-2024 cycle will be held virtually and is anticipated to run from mid-September through January 2024. Please indicate any significant (three or more weeks) restriction on your availability for interviews during this period. If none, please leave this section blank. (1000 characters)

HST Prompt: The HST MD program draws on the combined resources of Harvard and MIT to provide a distinct preclinical education tailored to preparing students for careers as transformative physicians who will shape the future practice of medicine. Our students come from the full spectrum of disciplines including biological, physical, engineering and social sciences. HST classes are small, commonly include graduate students and have an emphasis on quantitative and analytic approaches. The unique HST pre-clinical curriculum prepares students well for the HMS clinical education while also emphasizing disease mechanisms and preparing students to solve critical unmet needs in medicine and healthcare (ranging from novel diagnostics and therapeutics to applications of ‘big data’ and systems engineering). Please focus on how your interests, experiences and aspirations have prepared you for HST (rather than identifying specific HST faculty or research opportunities).

Harvard Medical School is committed to the enrollment of a diverse body of talented students who will reflect the character of the people whose health needs the medical profession must serve. The consensus is strong at HMS that the education of a physician is enhanced by diversity within the student body. At your option, please provide the following information not contained within the AMCAS application, to provide us with a more complete sense of your background:

A. Marital Status: Married Single Number and ages of siblings: Number and ages of dependents:

B. Are your parents/guardians Harvard Medical School alumni (MD or MD-PhD) or faculty members? Yes No

C. How many hours per week did you devote to employment during the academic year? Freshman: Sophomore: Junior: Senior:

D. If you have already graduated, briefly (4000 characters max) summarize your activities since graduation.

E. If there is an important aspect of your personal background or identity, not addressed elsewhere in the application, that you would like to share with the Committee, we invite you to do so here. Many applicants will not need to answer this question. Examples might include significant challenges in access to education, unusual socioeconomic factors, identification with a minority culture, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender identity. Briefly explain how such factors have influenced your motivation for a career in medicine. (4000 character maximum)

(optional) The Committee on Admissions understands that the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted applicants in various ways. If you wish to inform the Committee as to how these events have affected you and have not already done so elsewhere in your application, please use this space to do so. (This is an optional essay; the Committee on Admissions will make no judgment based on your decision to provide a statement or not.) (4,00 character maximum)

The interview season for the 2021-2022 cycle will be held virtually and is anticipated to run from mid-September through January 2022. Please indicate any significant (three or more weeks) restriction on your availability for interviews during this period. If none, please leave this section blank.

If applying to HST (Health Sciences & Technology Track): Instructions: The HST MD program draws on the combined resources of Harvard and MIT to provide a distinct preclinical education tailored to preparing students for careers as transformative physicians who will shape the future practice of medicine. Our students come from the full spectrum of disciplines including biological, physical, engineering and social sciences. HST classes are small, commonly include graduate students and have an emphasis on quantitative and analytic approaches. The unique HST pre-clinical curriculum prepares students well for the HMS clinical education while also emphasizing disease mechanisms and preparing students to solve critical unmet needs in medicine and healthcare (ranging from novel diagnostics and therapeutics to applications of ‘big data’ and systems engineering). Please focus on how your interests, experiences and aspirations have prepared you for HST (rather than identifying specific HST faculty or research opportunities). Limit your comments to the equivalent of one page of single-spaced text with a font size of 10 or 12.

If applying MD/PhD:

• Briefly list your research interests/areas; use keywords only. This information is not binding. (100 characters)
• Please list publications, indicating for each whether it is published, submitted/under review, or in preparation. Limited to 1,000 characters (including spaces).
• Describe your reasons and motivations for pursuing a graduate degree in your chosen program of study at Harvard. What experiences led you to your research ambitions? Concisely state your past work in your intended field of study and in related fields. Briefly indicate your career objectives. Your statement should not exceed 1,000 words. Health Policy applicants should indicate the concentration(s) and policy area(s) of interest. For other Social Science PhD Programs, please refer to Program Details for any additional instructions pertaining to this essay.

1. Briefly list your research interests/areas; use keywords only. This information is not binding. (100 character limit)

2. Please list publications, indicating for each whether it is published, submitted/under review, or in preparation.

3. For PhD’s in the social sciences only, please complete the following and upload where indicated:

4. Statement of Purpose: Describe your reasons and motivations for pursuing a graduate degree in your chosen program of study at Harvard. What experiences led you to your research ambitions? Concisely state your past work in your intended field of study and in related fields. Briefly indicate your career objectives. Your statement should not exceed 1,000 words. Health Policy applicants should indicate the concentration(s) and policy area(s) of interest.

5. Please see Program Details to determine whether the program to which you are applying requires a writing sample, CV, or other documents. Please follow departmental requirements on type and size of writing sample. Unless noted, writing sample is limited to 20 pages. 

1. If you have already graduated, briefly (4000 characters max) summarize your activities since graduation.

If you took time off between undergraduate and medical school, describe the experiences you had during that time. For each experience, explain how this helped you grow and become a better medical school candidate, which is the most important goal of the gap year in the admissions committee’s eyes. Focus on the lessons you learned and skills you gained during the time off. Do not repeat what is in your primary application. This is a key to all secondaries.If you use a prior experience from the AMCAS primary (which can be difficult to avoid given the nature of some secondary questions), try to adopt a new angle or describe a different aspect of the experience than has been presented before. Consider using an anecdote to spice up the answer.

2. If there is an important aspect of your personal background or identity, not addressed elsewhere in the application, that you would like to share with the Committee, we invite you to do so here. Many applicants will not need to answer this question. Examples might include significant challenges in access to education, unusual socioeconomic factors, identification with a minority culture, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender identity. Briefly explain how such factors have influenced your motivation for a career in medicine.(4000 character maximum)

If relevant to you, choose an aspect of this prompt which is particularly unique for you and helps define you as a person. Brainstorm how these unique traits affect your personal values and influence your desire to be a physician. One strong way to answer this question is describing how these traits will help you interface with diverse populations during your practice of medicine. It may be helpful to use examples or specific stories which exemplify this trait and demonstrate a lesson learned. Specifics always make an answer more compelling and convincing than generalities.

3. Our interview season runs from mid-September through January. Please indicate any significant (three or more weeks) restriction on your availability for interviews during this period. If none, leave blank.

Answer as appropriate based on your personal situation.

ESSAY FOR APPLICATIONS TO THE HARVARD-MIT DIVISION OF HEALTH SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGY (HST)

Instructions: The HST MD program draws on the combined resources of Harvard and MIT to provide a distinct preclinical education tailored to preparing students for careers as physician-scientists across the full spectrum of disciplines including biological, physical and engineering sciences. HST classes are small, commonly include graduate students and have an emphasis on quantitative and analytic approaches, centered on understanding disease mechanisms and preparing students to solve unmet needs in medicine ranging from novel diagnostics and therapeutics to applications of ‘big data’ and systems engineering as they relate to healthcare. Please focus on how your interests, experiences and aspirations have prepared you for HST (rather than identifying specific HST faculty or research opportunities). Limit your comments to the equivalent of one page of single spaced text with a font size of 10 or 12. (4000 Char)

The key to answering this question is not to focus on specific opportunities in terms of labs or research projects you are interested in at Harvard. The admissions committee knows that HST MD program applicants are well-versed in the research opportunities available to them as this is one of their primary focuses. Instead, focus on your background and experiences which have led to your desire to pursue this training. Do you have experience with technology, start-ups, business, engineering or other disciplines? If so, describe them in detail and how they influence your current career goals. Paint a picture of your prior experiences and your intellectual and professional interests which inform your desire to gain skills which will help you drive medical innovation. Also consider discussing prior experience with population data and epidemiology or research that help you understand trends in medicine, gaps in care or unmet systems needs.

This prompt has a very limited amount of characters and asks for keywords so be succinct and list your topics of research interest.

2. Please list publications, indicating for each whether it is published, submitted/under review, or in preparation

This prompt is self-explanatory. List prior publications as requested.

3. For PhD’s in the social sciences only, please complete the following and upload where indicated: Statement of Purpose:

Describe your reasons and motivations for pursuing a graduate degree in your chosen program of study at Harvard. What experiences led you to your research ambitions? Concisely state your past work in your intended field of study and in related fields. Briefly indicate your career objectives. Your statement should not exceed 1,000 words. Health Policy applicants should indicate the concentration(s) and policy area(s) of interest.

The key here is to tie your interests in another discipline outside of medicine to your desire to be a doctor in a cohesive and intelligent story. You likely have a compelling reason to pursue such in depth study in an alternative field, so be sure to clearly explain that. Show how that training will complement your skills as a doctor and help you achieve your career goals.

Please see Program Details to determine whether the program to which you are applying requires a writing sample, CV, or other documents. Please follow departmental requirements on type and size of writing sample. Unless noted, writing sample is limited to 20 pages.

Research the program which you are applying to in addition to the medical school and provide answers to prompts as appropriate.

3. If you are re-applying, briefly (4000 characters max) summarize your activities since your previous application.

4. Our interview season runs from mid-September through January. Please indicate any significant (three or more weeks) restriction on your availability for interviews during this period. If none, leave blank.

5. HST Only: The HST MD program draws on the combined resources of Harvard and MIT to provide a distinct preclinical education tailored to preparing students for careers as physician-scientists across the full spectrum of disciplines including biological, physical and engineering sciences. HST classes are small, commonly include graduate students and have an emphasis on quantitative and analytic approaches, centered on understanding disease mechanisms and preparing students to solve unmet needs in medicine ranging from novel diagnostics and therapeutics to applications of ‘big data’ and systems engineering as they relate to healthcare. Please focus on how your interests, experiences and aspirations have prepared you for HST (rather than identifying specific HST faculty or research opportunities). Limit your comments to the equivalent of one page of single spaced text with a font size of 10 or 12. (4000 char)

Disclaimer: The information on this page was shared by students and/or can be found on the medical school’s website. Med School Insiders does not guarantee the accuracy of the information on this page.

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Harvard Medical School Secondary Questions

Here are Harvard Medical School secondary questions.

1. If you have already graduated, briefly (4000 characters maximum) summarize your activities since graduation.

2. If there is an important aspect of your personal background or identity not addressed elsewhere in the application that may illuminate how you could contribute to the medical school and that you would like to share with the Committee, we invite you to do so here. Examples might include significant challenges in access to education, unusual socioeconomic factors, or other aspects of your personal or family background to place your prior academic achievements in context or provide further information about your motivation for a career in medicine or the perspectives you might bring to the medical school community. Many applicants will not need to answer this question. (4000 characters)

3. The Committee on Admissions understands that the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted applicants in various ways. If you wish to inform the Committee as to how these events have affected you and have not already done so elsewhere in your application, please use this space to do so. (This is an optional essay; the Committee on Admissions will make no judgment based on your decision to provide a statement or not.) (4000 characters)

4. The interview season for the 2023-2024 cycle will be held virtually and is anticipated to run from mid-September through January 2024. Please indicate any significant (three or more weeks) restriction on your availability for interviews during this period. If none, please leave this section blank. (1000 characters)

HST Prompt: The HST MD program draws on the combined resources of Harvard and MIT to provide a distinct preclinical education tailored to preparing students for careers as transformative physicians who will shape the future practice of medicine. Our students come from the full spectrum of disciplines including biological, physical, engineering and social sciences. HST classes are small, commonly include graduate students and have an emphasis on quantitative and analytic approaches. The unique HST pre-clinical curriculum prepares students well for the HMS clinical education while also emphasizing disease mechanisms and preparing students to solve critical unmet needs in medicine and healthcare (ranging from novel diagnostics and therapeutics to applications of ‘big data’ and systems engineering). Please focus on how your interests, experiences and aspirations have prepared you for HST (rather than identifying specific HST faculty or research opportunities).

(4000 character maximum)

On average how many hours per week did you devote to employment during the academic year?

If you have already graduated, briefly summarize your activities since graduation. (4000 characters)

If there is an important aspect of your personal background or identity, not addressed elsewhere in the application, that you would like to share with the Committee, we invite you to do so here. Many applicants will not need to answer this question. Examples might include significant challenges in access to education, unusual socioeconomic factors, identification with a minority culture, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender identity. Briefly explain how such factors have influenced your motivation for a career in medicine. (4000 characters)

(Optional) The Committee on Admissions understands that the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted applicants in various ways. If you wish to inform the Committee as to how these events have affected you and have not already done so elsewhere in your application, please use this space to do so. ( This is an optional essay ; the Committee on Admissions will make no judgment based on your decision to provide a statement or not.)

The interview season for the 2022-2023 cycle will be held virtually and is anticipated to run from mid-September through January 2023 . Please indicate any significant (three or more weeks) restriction on your availability for interviews during this period. If none, please leave this section blank.

Related posts:

• Baylor College of Medicine Secondary Questions
• East Tennessee State James H. Quillen College of Medicine Secondary Questions
• Florida International University College of Medicine Secondary Questions
• Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell Secondary Questions

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Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine at Marshall University Secondary Questions

6 Medical School Diversity Essay Examples (Ranked Best to Worst!)

Most medical school diversity essay prompts give little away when it comes to helping you with ideas on what to write. Without seeing examples? It’s incredibly difficult to know where to get started!

As a medical student with an undergrad in English, I thought I’d run my eye over some of the web’s popular medical school diversity essay examples.

Ranking these six examples from best to worst, I’ll give a critique of each along the way.

All with the hope of better helping you craft your own diversity essays with a bit more ease and expertise!

Ready to get started? Let’s go.

Want some quick writing tips first? Check out this article;  How To Write An Awesome Diversity Essay In Medical School (5 Quick Tips) .

I’ll be ranking each of these from, what I feel, is the worst to best.

Note : It’s not my intention to be disparaging (having any one of these examples is a huge plus), but rather entertaining. I hope it’ll be fun figuring out what I’d look for if I was part of a Med School Admissions Team!

Medical School Diversity Essay Examples

Make sure you click through the links on each of these essays. Not only does this help give credit to other people’s work, but you’ll also benefit from their own explanations and critique!

6. Diverse Backgrounds – Chronicles of a Medical Student

My father gave me two things when I was young: early exposure to diverse people and a strong desire to learn to work cross-culturally. But the most important thing he taught me was to be a life-long learner through interaction with people from diverse backgrounds. Our house was always a second home for international students studying at nearby universities. I can remember playing Jenga with Russian engineering students or seeing our kitchen taken over by Korean music students. During college, I continued to learn to relate to people from many backgrounds through an internship to Southeast Asia in 2006. I found that humility and a genuine desire to learn about someone’s culture opened doors to relationships that would have remained closed. If students fail to interact with people of different cultures, preferring to cluster where they are comfortable, the benefit of a diverse campus is lost. My cross-cultural experiences have prepared me to learn to embrace ethnic and cultural diversity. – Chronicles of a Medical Student

This is by no means a bad essay – and there’s a lot of personal relevance that shines through – it’s just that it misses the mark a little when it comes to drawing parallels between the past and the future.

Although the student shows they’ve had a range of experiences that’s brought them into contact with diverse peoples and cultures, it doesn’t really answer how this lends itself to medicine.

Personally, I find myself wanting to know more about how these experiences have shaped this person’s desire to become a doctor!

5. Connecting Through Cultures – BeMo

I am extremely fortunate to have a strong connection to my roots. Spending time in Italy throughout my life has allowed me to see how the ideology of this culture differs from that in the United States. The Italian society is often marred by the stereotype that they are lazy, or not willing to work. I believe that if one truly sees the society from an objective lens, they will see a society that derives their happiness less from material objects and more from love and companionship. Resultantly, there is a monumental emphasis placed on the health and well-being of others. There is always time for a family meal, a coffee with a friend, or an evening walk to clear one’s mind. Growing up my family always made sure everyone had enough to eat, and someone to talk to. I believe in this ideology and view the healthcare field as the opportunity to help others live a full, and fruitful life pursuing their own happiness. Throughout my life, healthcare professionals have consistently given my loved ones the ability to live autonomously and be present in my life. It is a service and a gift that they have given me and a gift I wish to spend my life giving others. My culture, upbringing, and life experiences have fostered my desire to purse medicine and my holistic approach to life. I will bring these elements of empathy and holistic care not only as a training physician, but as a fellow classmate who is there for others through the rigors of medical school.  – BeMo

There’s a lot to like about this essay, especially the way they talk about a different culture (Italy) and how it fuels that desire to become a physician.

Where I feel it could be lacking is in drawing upon specific experiences (extracurriculars) diverse enough to pair well with an application.

They perhaps waste the second paragraph a little by repeating a similar sentiment; “a desire to pursue medicine and a holistic approach to life.”

It’s maybe just a bit too unspecific and uncreative.

4. Sharing Passions – Shemassian Consulting

There are many things a girl could be self-conscious about growing up, such as facial hair, body odor, or weight gain. Growing up with a few extra pounds than my peers, I was usually chosen last for team sports and struggled to run a 10-minute mile during P.E. classes. As I started to despise school athletics, I turned towards other hobbies, such as cooking and Armenian dance, which helped me start anew with a healthier lifestyle. Since then, I have channeled my passions for nutrition and exercise into my volunteering activities, such as leading culinary workshops for low-income residents of Los Angeles, organizing community farmer’s markets, or conducting dance sessions with elderly patients. I appreciate not only being able to bring together a range of people, varying in age, socioeconomic status, and ethnicity, but also helping instill a sense of confidence and excitement that comes with making better lifestyle decisions. I have enjoyed encouraging kids in the inner city to combat similar issues of weight gain and low self-esteem through after-school gardening and physical activity lessons. Now, I hope to share my love for culinary nutrition and fitness with fellow medical students at UCLA. As students, we can become better physicians by passing on health and nutrition information to future patients, improving quality of life for ourselves and others. – Shemassian Consulting

This is an example of just how creative you can get when it comes to essay writing – especially when you might not consider yourself “typically diverse” too!

The experiences of this applicant are ones that most of us, growing up in the West, are familiar with. Yet they expertly turn these “standard problems” into something personal that communicates to the reader why they got involved with volunteering and community projects in the first place (i.e. not just because med school admissions teams told them they had to!)

Even if the bottom line is a little generic; “passing on health and nutrition information to future patients”; it’s that honesty at the beginning that makes it seem like a genuine essay.

The way it addresses the school specifically is another nice touch.

3. Multiple Identities – Motivate MD

In Peace Corps training, we learned a metaphor for our service.  If our home, America, was a circle, our new community could be described as a square. We, as volunteers, were triangles. The point? We were part of each; not quite one, nor the other, but able to recognize both as valid ways of being. Most of us have multiple identities. I also bring practice of inhabiting the middle; the boat in a channel between islands. In one of my favorite novels, Ann Patchett’s Bel Canto, the story of international diplomats held hostage at a party, the translator plays a central role. It is he who must interpret and communicate; give voice to space between characters. As a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, oldest child, and part of a mixed-race family, I’ve had many opportunities to translate; on behalf of my siblings (to my parents), my parents (to my siblings), Belizean villagers, & others in my health advocacy work. My “triangular” identity helps me approach problems differently. _______Medical School is a place for visionary thinking; a community of innovators. I want to be part of curiosity-driven inquiry; translating differences & supporting evidence based solutions to health problems. I see my role as one that can only be attempted through willingness to understand others. My greatest contribution to the medical school community at _________will be my ability to stand in two places, ears & heart open, facilitating dialogue & sharing my perspective from a place of collaborative appreciation. Growth cannot occur in a silo. It begins in learning from & with other people, recognizing the value of all identities. – Motivate MD

This is a really awesome example that’s formatted perfectly.

Compact, punchy, and making great use of metaphor, this does so many right things when it comes to putting together a strong diversity essay.

What I like most about it is the way it plays on the cultural background of the applicant to explain how they will contribute to the school’s community moving forward.

This is a really important thing to consider!

But what’s also neat is the way they link reading and literature to their own cross-cultural role. That’s a nice creative flourish.

2. Diversity Through Faith – University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

In the sweating discomfort of the summertime heat, I walked through Philadelphia International Airport with several overweight bags, tired eyes, and a bad case of Shigella. Approaching Customs, I noticed the intensity and seriousness on the faces of the customs officers whose responsibility were to check passports and question passengers. As I moved closer to the front of the line, I noticed someone reading a foreign newspaper. The man was reading about the Middle Eastern conflict, a clash fueled by religious intolerance. What a sharp contrast to Ghana, I thought. I had just spent three weeks in Ghana. While there I worked, studied their religions, ate their food, traveled and contracted malaria. Despite all of Ghana’s economic hardships, the blending of Christianity, Islam, and traditional religion did not affect the health of the country. When I reached the front of the line, the customs officer glanced at my backpack and with authoritative curiosity asked me, “What are you studying?” I responded in a fatigued, yet polite voice, “Religious studies with a pre-med track.” Surprised, the officer replied rhetorically, “Science and religion, interesting, how does that work?” This was not the first time I had encountered the bewildered facial expression or this doubtful rhetorical question. I took a moment to think and process the question and answered, “With balance.” Throughout my young life I have made an effort to be well-rounded, improve in all facets of my personal life, and find a balance between my personal interests and my social responsibility. In my quest to understand where I fit into society, I used service to provide a link between science and my faith. Science and religion are fundamentally different; science is governed by the ability to provide evidence to prove the truth while religion’s truth is grounded on the concept of faith. Physicians are constantly balancing the reality of a person’s humanity and the illness in which they are caring for. The physicians I have found to be most memorable and effective were those who were equally as sensitive and perceptive of my spirits as they were of my symptoms. Therefore, my desire to become a physician has always been validated, not contradicted by my belief system. In serving, a person must sacrifice and give altruistically. When one serves they sacrifice their self for others benefit. Being a servant is characterized by leading by example and striving to be an advocate for equity. As a seventh grade math and science teacher in the Philadelphia public school system, everyday is about sacrifice and service. I sacrifice my time before, during and after-school; tutoring, mentoring and coaching my students. I serve with vigor and purpose so that my students can have opportunities that many students from similar backgrounds do not have. However, without a balance my effectiveness as a teacher is compromised. In February, I was hospitalized twice for a series of asthma attacks. Although I had been diagnosed with asthma, I had not had an attack since I was in middle school. Consequently, the physicians attributed my attacks to high stress, lack of sleep, and poor eating habits. It had become clear to me that my unrelenting drive to provide my students with a sound math and science education without properly balancing teaching and my personal life negatively impacted my ability to serve my students. I believe this experience taught me a lesson that will prove to be invaluable as a physician. Establishing an equilibrium between my service and my personal life as a physician will allow me to remain connected to the human experience; thus enabling me to serve my patients with more compassion and effectiveness. Throughout my travels and experiences I have seen the unfortunate consequences of not having equitable, quality health care both domestically and abroad. While many take having good health for granted, the financial, emotional, mental, and physical effects illnesses have on individuals and families can have a profound affect on them and the greater society. Illness marks a point in many people’s lives where they are most vulnerable, thus making a patient’s faith and health care providers vital to their healing process. My pursuit to blend the roles of science and religion formulate my firm belief that health care providers are caretakers of God’s children and have a responsibility to all of humanity. Nevertheless, I realize my effectiveness and success as a physician will be predicated mostly on my ability to harmonize my ambition with my purpose. Therefore, I will always answer bewildered looks with the assurance that my faith and my abilities will allow me to serve my patients and achieve what I have always strived for and firmly believe in, balance. – University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

First things first, you’re incredibly unlikely to get the chance to write this much for a diversity essay.

Most of the prompts you’ll see from med schools are in the 500 words range. As evidenced in the following article…

Related : Medical School Diversity Essay Prompts (21 Examples)

What I love about this example here however is the narrative. This essay really paints a picture. And has an awesome hook in its opening about the writer experiencing shigellosis!

Other things it does excellently include discussing diverse experiences (teaching, preaching, illness, etc.) and showing a firm understanding of the roles doctors play across societies and cultures.

It shows real passion and drive, as well as someone struggling on a more personal level to make sense of their own journey.

I imagine this would stand out well from the crowd.

1. Exploring Narratives – Morgan (The Crimson)

I started writing in 8th grade when a friend showed me her poetry about self-discovery and finding a voice. I was captivated by the way she used language to bring her experiences to life. We began writing together in our free time, trying to better understand ourselves by putting a pen to paper and attempting to paint a picture with words. I felt my style shift over time as I grappled with challenges that seemed to defy language. My poems became unstructured narratives, where I would use stories of events happening around me to convey my thoughts and emotions. In one of my earliest pieces, I wrote about a local boy’s suicide to try to better understand my visceral response. I discussed my frustration with the teenage social hierarchy, reflecting upon my social interactions while exploring the harms of peer pressure. In college, as I continued to experiment with this narrative form, I discovered medical narratives. I have read everything from Manheimer’s Bellevue to Gawande’s Checklist and from Nuland’s observations about the way we die to Kalanithi’s struggle with his own decline. I even experimented with this approach recently, writing a piece about my grandfather’s emphysema. Writing allowed me to move beyond the content of our relationship and attempt to investigate the ways time and youth distort our memories of the ones we love. I have augmented these narrative excursions with a clinical bioethics internship. In working with an interdisciplinary team of ethics consultants, I have learned by doing by participating in care team meetings, synthesizing discussions and paths forward in patient charts, and contributing to an ongoing legislative debate addressing the challenges of end-of-life care. I have also seen the ways ineffective intra-team communication and inter-personal conflicts of beliefs can compromise patient care. By assessing these difficult situations from all relevant perspectives and working to integrate the knowledge I’ve gained from exploring narratives, I have begun to reflect upon the impact the humanities can have on medical care. In a world that has become increasingly data-driven, where patients can so easily devolve into lists of numbers and be forced into algorithmic boxes in search of an exact diagnosis, my synergistic narrative and bioethical backgrounds have taught me the importance of considering the many dimensions of the human condition. I am driven to become a physician who deeply considers a patient’s goal of care and goals of life. I want to learn to build and lead patient care teams that are oriented toward fulfilling these goals, creating an environment where family and clinician conflict can be addressed efficiently and respectfully. Above all, I look forward to using these approaches to keep the person beneath my patients in focus at each stage of my medical training, as I begin the task of translating complex basic science into excellent clinical care – Morgan, Harvard Med Matriculant; The Crimson

You can see why this student successfully made it into Harvard Med!

Again, they tell a story. They hook us in curiously with a statement that we want to know the answer to. And we continue reading while the greater narrative unfurls.

What this example does perfectly is interweaving the personal with the playful while showing a diversity of thought (writing about a local boy’s suicide etc) and a commitment to expanding her perspective.

Showing (not telling) how this pastime has enriched her staple extracurriculars (internships, research, clinical experience, etc.), it shows real thought as to the future of medicine and exactly where this future physician wants to take it.

The level of detail and specificity shows that she’s really thought about how she wants to develop her career based on her existing clinical experience.

This is the type of diversity essay I’d aspire to write!

Final Thoughts

Hopefully, in ranking these examples and discussing their finer points, you have some better ideas about how you might want to approach writing your own diversity essays.

While it’s impossible to really comment on the appropriateness of each example, namely because we don’t know the exact prompt, they still give plenty of food for thought.

Just remember to follow your own prompts where possible, and make sure to go over your school’s mission statements to help tailor your own essays.

I’m pretty confident you can write essays as effective as these!

Related Articles

• How To Conclude Your Medical School Personal Statement

Born and raised in the UK, Will went into medicine late (31) after a career in journalism. He’s into football (soccer), learned Spanish after 5 years in Spain, and has had his work published all over the web. Read more .

• Medical School Secondary Essays

How to Ace "Why This Medical School?" Secondary Essay

When writing your medical school admissions essay, you will likely have to answer the “Why This Medical School?” secondary essays prompt. It’s important to know why schools are asking this essay prompt, and how to answer it! Among other tips you’ll come across when learning how to make your medical school application stand out , having a well written, concise essay that expresses your passion and interest in a specific program is key to getting asked for an interview.

>> Want us to help you get accepted? Schedule a free initial consultation here <<

Article Contents 8 min read

The application process for medical schools can be daunting and stressful, especially if you're not sure about where to apply or what makes one school better than another. There are several components of each application, and in order to land yourself an interview at your top school(s), you’ll need to write enticing essays that follow the instructions of each prompt, and provide relevant details that will help you stand out among other applicants. One question that all applicants will get asked on their applications is, “why this medical school?” or, a similar variation of the question. This essay prompt can help you stand out from the crowd by showing that your interest in attending this school goes beyond just getting an education—you may have ties to the location and city, or researched their program extensively and find it to be the most unique and intriguing for you and your future goals. But what exactly should you include in your “why this medical school” essay in order to stand out? Read on to learn some tips for writing a strong response to this question, and view a few sample essays.

The "why this medical school?" essay is one of the most important parts of your medical school application. The prompt asks you to explain why you want to go to this particular school, and it lets the admissions committee get a deeper sense of who you are an if you’re a worthy of consideration for an interview. This essay allows them to learn more about your personality and interests, so that they can make an informed decision about whether or not they think you’d be a good fit for their program not simply because you wish to attend medical school, but because you’d fit in well, and are passionate about, their specific program.

In other words, if your goal is getting into your chosen medical school as quickly as possible (and what applicant doesn't want that?), then answering this essay well will dramatically improve your chances! This particular essay helps admissions committees weed out candidates who are impartial about which school they attend, and who may not align with their program’s values, culture and structure. Medical programs are competitive, and many are seeking the ‘best of the best’ applicants who demonstrate passion, intrinsic motivation, and determination to attend their program. That is why it’s crucial that you plan out your responses to your each of your prompts and medical school secondary essays throughout your application process. Taking your time, writing authentically, crafting several drafts, revising, asking a trusted individual or seeking medical school admissions consulting for support, and submitting your essays on time are all great ways to ensure your “why this medical school” essay is superb.

Are you applying to UCSD? Check out how to prepare your secondary for this competitive institution!

Your response to “why this medical school” must be genuine, personal, and most of all, convincing. You absolutely do not want to fabricate a response, as if you’re invited to interview, it will be clear that you weren’t honest and authentic in your essay, and this may result in a rejection. You must make your intentions and passion clear, and for eager future medical students, this should actually be quite easy to do!

Ask yourself: “Why do I want to attend this particular school? What do I like about the school and their program? What makes them better than another school with a similar program?” You can write down your thoughts first, or, even record yourself speaking as you share your thoughts with a family member or friend. This can be a good way of starting your writing process if you’re experiencing writers block. Additionally, preparing your essay responses aloud is a good way of indirectly preparing for other common medical school interview questions that will come your way if and when you get invited for an interview!

"Why This Medical School?" Sample #1, 500-750 words

“I recall the first time I knew, with confidence, that I would one day be a doctor. I knew I needed to be a doctor, in fact, because all I’ve ever wanted to do is learn, and help people. When I was seven years old, a child at the playground who had joined in on a game of tag with my friends and I plummeted from the top of the monkey bars and broke her arm. Many onlookers panicked and ran for help, but without hesitation, I ran to the aid of the injured child and comforted her. I knew, somehow innately, how to keep her calm, and the importance of keeping her injury still until help arrived. I felt excited and honored to help in that moment. For the months that followed, many parents complemented me on my composure and expressed how mature I was when all the other children cried and panicked. To me, it only felt natural to be a helper in my community, and to take charge of a situation, so that was when I realized not everybody felt so automatically inclined—or fascinated with—helping injured and ill people. I knew then what path I had to take, and began looking for opportunities to learn more about health care at my school, and in my community. My community is one that is historically underserved, and members of my community are underrepresented in the medical field, and after years of volunteering at various pop-up clinics and detox centers, I’m eager help to change that.

Attending X University Medical School, means I’ll be learning and getting clinical experience in my own community, and will be able to take part in community outreach programs, and eventually, propose my own ideas for outreach. I know first-hand the medical and mental health care support this community surrounding X University is lacking, and, I know the wonderful people who reside in it that make it the incredible place it is. I would be elated to be a part of a renowned learning environment where I could enhance and develop my technical skills, partake in initiatives throughout my program and beyond, and give back to my community by providing compassionate care.

Throughout my time in secondary and post-secondary, I immersed myself in life sciences and sociology—my other favorite subject, which I will receive a double-major in. I started volunteering in various groups and shadowing with other pre-med students in my second year of study, most notably, the local women’s health facility and shelter. There, I learned the importance of accessible care, and came to understand the systemic inequity that exists in healthcare, especially for women and minorities in underserved communities. I was also able to put my understanding of sociology and social systems to use as I helped women navigate next-step programs, whether they were escaping abusive partnerships or recovering from an addiction. As an eager and accomplished self-started, I feel I could bring forth my existing knowledge and passion to help people, and would excel in X University’s interdisciplinary, self-directed components of the medical program. I also look forward to learning alongside a team of likeminded professionals in your clinical, team-oriented experiences offered as both a part of the program, and as extracurricular opportunities. I feel that although there are many medical schools in the state, X University offers the most comprehensive, appealing program to professionals like myself who want to learn the from the best faculty, and apply what I’ve learned throughout my time in your program, and bring the best care to our budding and evolving community when I one day become an MD.”

"Why This Medical School?" Sample #2, 250-500 words

“Attending X University as a medical student means that I would be able to immerse myself into a community renowned for its supportive culture, research alongside incredible faculty, and attend one of the top programs in the country. Because I have a special interest, and experience working with patients with, XYZ, a notoriously under-researched and underfunded area of medicine, I know that X University will provide me with the opportunity to flourish as a future medical professional, and as a future clinical researcher. I have many ground-breaking ideas to explore, and because I’ve followed X University’s research for nearly a decade, I know I would be among like-minded individuals at your institution. Last year, my lab team was awarded the University of Newtown Award for Excellency in Biology and Life Sciences for our project that explored the relation and co-existence between celiac disease and sickle-cell anemia. I enjoyed this extensive research project, and partaking in it only affirmed my dedication and passion for this field of medicine.

My goal as a future medical student it to absorb all learning materials in every form, and take each moment of field experience as both a challenge and an opportunity to shine. Not only will I learn how to best provide care, but to also make the current system better for patients. Whether I do so through my combined passion and knowledge obtained through X University’s program, or through my future research on diseases like XYZ, I will strive to make a difference, and feel the inclusive, non-competitive, supportive learning community at X University is the best place for me access the tools and gain the experiences in order to do so. Because X University has a wonderful reputation for making breakthroughs in the field of medical research, specifically with auto-immune diseases, I am eager and prepared to relocate across the country and begin my professional journey as a member of a prestigious medical school community.”

It might sound like a basic question, but the “why this medical school” essay prompt carries a lot of significance and your response must be well thought out! This prompt is asking you to explain why you want to attend a particular institution, and your response will let the admissions committee understand you, your goals, and get a deeper sense of who you are. This essay will be used to help them assess whether or not you’re worthy of consideration based on your interests, passions, personality, and goals as they relate to the particular medical program you’re applying for.

It isn’t uncommon for students to apply to several medical schools. You likely have one or two ‘top’ choices, but in order to secure a chance of admission, you may apply to your ‘plan B’ schools as well. You should never communicate that a school is not your top choice, but rather, focus on what each school and program offers, what you’ll gain from the experience—should you be accepted and attend—and what makes them unique from other schools. Admissions teams know that many students apply to several schools, so be honest in your answer to the extent of why you want to attend the school, but never state that you are applying because a particular school is “close to home”, “is known for easy admittance”, or “because it’s an option”. Take the time to research and get excited about each school individually before you write each essay.

When drafting and writing your “why this medical school?” essay, and any secondary essay, it’s important that you:

• Stick to a legible, professional and consistent format and font (no colors or creative fonts)
• 1.5-2.0 spacing is always preferred
• Adhere to any specific instructions outlined on your application
• Ensure that you proofread and edit your essay several times to ensure it’s error-free
• This is a personal, professional essay. That means you should write in your own authentic voice, portray yourself as a professional, and include an introduction, body section with appropriate details, and a brief conclusion that reiterates and wraps up your response and prompts the admissions committee to—hopefully—proceed with next steps in your application process.

This can vary by school, and every application is different! In general, most admissions and secondary essays span anywhere from 250-1000 words. Always double check your application/essay instructions and stick as closely to the word count as you can.

Your essay should outline what personal experiences, goals and values you have that align with a particular aspect of the school’s program, culture, reputation, and/or curriculum. You should highlight specific aspects of the medical program that are appealing to you and unique to the school, and detail why this is important to you! This is a brief essay, so it’s best to research and decide on a few key points about the school that are relevant to your interest, and detail them, along with a bit about who you are as a prospective medical school student.

As noted above, this is a brief essay, and schools are trying to get a clear idea of who each applicant is, and why they are interested in their specific medical school program. Avoid detailing irrelevant events, as well as going in-depth about your experience, grades or GPA accomplishments, as a lot of this information was likely already reviewed in your initial application. Along with this, don’t simply regurgitate information from the school’s website! They already know what they offer, so if you’re opting to discuss a specific point, such as a unique curriculum, get specific and detail why it matters to you and aligns with your goals! Finally, it’s important to remember that the admissions team is looking to select candidates with a genuine interest and passion for medicine, and for their school. It’s crucial that your essay is written in your voice, and includes honest details about what entices you about the chosen school specifically.

You may benefit from seeking help from a medical school admissions tutor . The application process, as well as the interview process, for medical school can be extensive and overwhelming! BeMo Academic Consulting can help you prepare for various components of your medical school application by offering 1-on-1 preparatory consulting services to guide you through every step of the application process!

Not always! Although it’s a good sign that the admissions committee has reviewed your initial application and would like to learn more about you, some schools send secondary essay prompts to every applicant, and others opt to send them to applicants whom they have interest in. Because it varies by school, it’s important that you prepare and submit your secondary materials as soon as you can to show that you’re eager and interested in the school!

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Harvard business school announces 3 new application essays.

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Harvard Business School.

Harvard Business School announced a surprising departure from its single, open-ended application essay to three short essays with specific prompts. The HBS website sums up the kind of applicant the school is seeking: “We are looking for future leaders who are passionate about business, leadership, and growth.”

The prompts for the class that will begin in fall 2025 instruct applicants to address each topic in turn.

• Business-Minded Essay : Please reflect on how your experiences have influenced your career choices and aspirations and the impact you will have on the businesses, organizations, and communities you plan to serve. (up to 300 words)
• Leadership-Focused Essay : What experiences have shaped who you are, how you invest in others, and what kind of leader you want to become? (up to 250 words)
• Growth-Oriented Essay : Curiosity can be seen in many ways. Please share an example of how you have demonstrated curiosity and how that has influenced your growth. (up to 250 words)

The prompts ask applicants to go beyond simply asserting their allegiance to the ideals of business, leadership and growth. Each of the three questions asks for evidence: “experiences,” “experiences” and “an example,” respectively.

The prompts do not expect a straightforward list of what happened in the past. Rather, they encourage reflection on how these experiences affected present realities and future goals.

Applicants are asked to reflect on past, present and future as an ongoing process of becoming who they are now and who they wish to become. Even the “Business-Minded Essay” is about past choices and future impact; it also assumes you “plan to serve.” The “Leadership-Focused Essay” does not ask applicants to recite a list of titles, but to discuss who they are and how they relate to others; not what title they aspire to, but “what kind of leader you wish to become.”

Perhaps the most surprising essay prompt is No. 3, which asks about curiosity. It opens the door for applicants to discuss a more personal aspect of their candidacies. The prompt asks not about end result, but about the process of change. Once again, the emphasis is on “growth.”

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In short, the prompts ask about person and process.

How The 3 New Prompts Differ From Last Year’s Single Question

This year’s prompts give applicants more direction than the previous open-ended instruction, which was: “As we review your application, what more would you like us to know as we consider your candidacy for the Harvard Business School MBA program?”

Applicants may find it easier to follow these more detailed instructions and to stay on topic. They no longer need to face an open question and a blank page.

Another aid is the shorter word limit. The essay on being business-minded has a limit of 300 words, and the essays on leadership and growth through curiosity are limited to 250 words each.

A third difference is the specific inquiry about business. Last year’s prompt allowed candidates to choose anything they thought would be important for HBS to consider. Some applicants struggled to decide whether to focus on business or something beyond work. While the “Business-Minded Essay” is still personal, it does ask applicants to reflect on their careers.

One might also speculate that the new, more directive prompts makes it easier for the admissions committee to compare essays across applications, while still leaving room for considerable variation in how applicants choose to address the essay prompts.

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Harvard Business School New MBA Essay Prompts (2024-2025)

Your essential guide to the latest HBS MBA essay prompts, featuring expert advice, strategic insights, and additional resources to help you craft standout essays for your Harvard Business School application.

Posted July 1, 2024

Featuring Charlotte W.

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Table of Contents

Harvard Business School (HBS) has once again set the stage for aspiring leaders to showcase their potential with the release of its new MBA essay prompts for the 2024-2025 application cycle. This extremely rare update presents both a challenge and an opportunity for applicants to showcase their unique experiences and perspectives. In this article, we’ll explore these new prompts, provide strategic advice on how to approach them, and offer tips to help you craft top-of-the-barrel essays that can enhance your application.

New Harvard MBA Essay Prompts (2024)

The old HBS essay prompt was, "As we review your application, what more would you like us to know as we consider your candidacy for the Harvard Business School MBA program?" Instead of one, longer essay, aspiring candidates of the class of 2027 have three, shorter essay prompts to respond to:

• Business-Minded Essay : Please reflect on how your experiences have influenced your career choices and aspirations and the impact you will have on the businesses, organizations, and communities you plan to serve. (up to 300 words)
• Leadership-Focused Essay : What experiences have shaped who you are, how you invest in others, and what kind of leader you want to become? (up to 250 words)
• Growth-Oriented Essay : Curiosity can be seen in many ways. Please share an example of how you have demonstrated curiosity and how that has influenced your growth. (up to 250 words)

Prompt 1: Business-Minded Essay

Please reflect on how your experiences have influenced your career choices and aspirations and the impact you will have on the businesses, organizations, and communities you plan to serve. (300 words)

Breakdown: The main goal of this prompt is to connect your past experiences with your future career goals. That said, it’s an opportunity to show how your journey has shaped your professional ambitions and commitment to making a positive impact. HBS wants to see that you know where you've been and where you're going and that there is a narrative that ties it all together. Here’s how to approach it:

• Identify Core Motivations: Start by reflecting on 3-4 pivotal experiences that you feel significantly influenced your career choices. These could be professional roles, projects, volunteer work, or personal challenges. Then, consider how your interests, passions, and motivations have evolved over time because of these experiences.
• Connect Past to Future: Clearly explain how the experience(s) you selected helped shape your career goals. How did you navigate those experiences as you did? Why did you make the decisions you made? Be specific about what you aim to achieve and why these goals are important to you.
• Make Your Essay Forward-Looking: Create a forward-looking narrative that ties your past experiences to your future goals. Show how these experiences have prepared you to make an impact on businesses, organizations, and communities. As a bonus point, use this moment as a chance to show your awareness of broader social and economic movement and demonstrate your overall desire to contribute meaningfully to your anticipated industry. Note: When looking at your application, AdComs want to see proof that you will do and accomplish what you say you will. Having a cohesive theme and clear goals will help you make a persuasive argument.
• Keep It Professional: Remember that the prompt specifically asks to see how your past experiences have impacted your career choices and how you see yourself fitting into the professional world in the next several years. With that in mind, make sure you stick to talking about your future job prospects in this essay.

Prompt 2: Leadership-Focused Essay

What experiences have shaped who you are, how you invest in others, and what kind of leader you want to become? (250 words)

Breakdown: This prompt asks you to explain your personal development and leadership philosophy. It’s all about introspection and understanding how your experiences have molded your approach to leadership.

• Examine Your Leadership Journey: Reflect on the various stages of your leadership journey. Identify key moments where you had to step up, make decisions, or influence others, and think about how these experiences have shaped your leadership style.
• Use Personal Anecdotes: Use personal anecdotes to illustrate your points. Stories about how you have invested in others, facilitated a strong work environment, or even reached a breakthrough while working as a team can be very powerful in showing your leadership potential. With each example you provide, make sure to explain what you’ve learned from those interactions using the STAR Method.
• Show Investment in Others: As you’re outlining your response, an example of how you have supported and developed others will likely come to mind (i.e. mentoring, team leadership, community involvement, etc). Remember, however, that you’ll also need to show how you want to continue acting as a leader and investing in others.
• Define Your Leadership Style: Clearly describe the type of leader you aspire to be. Highlight qualities like empathy, resilience, innovation, or inclusivity, and explain how your experiences have reinforced these traits.

Pro Tip: If you’re having trouble nailing down or putting words to your particular brand of leadership, try taking a leadership style quiz. Lucky for you, Harvard has its own page for this exact dilemma! Using the resources provided here by HBS – and perhaps even mentioning them in your essays or interviews – will help you stand out as an applicant familiar with the resources HBS has to offer.

Prompt 3: Growth-Oriented Essay

Curiosity can be seen in many ways. Please share an example of how you have demonstrated curiosity and how that has influenced your growth. (250 words)

Breakdown: HBS is using this prompt to see how the gears turn in your head. They want to know if you have intellectual curiosity and if so, how it drives your personal and professional growth. Treat this prompt as an invitation to highlight a specific instance where your curiosity led to significant learning or development.

• Identify a Defining Moment of Curiosity: Reflect on a time when your curiosity led you to explore new ideas or opportunities. Think about moments of genuine interest when you went beyond the surface to deeply investigate a topic, problem, or question.
• Describe Your Process: Explain what sparked your curiosity and how you pursued it. Detail the steps you took, the questions you asked, and the challenges you faced.
• Highlight the Impact: Discuss the outcomes of your efforts. What did you learn? How did it change your perspective or abilities? How has it influenced your approach to other situations?
• Show Benefits: Highlight the long-term and tangible benefits of your curiosity. Discuss how this experience has influenced your growth, changed your perspective, or contributed to your success in other areas.

HBS Essay Tips for Success

1. be specific and concrete.

Avoid vague generalizations and instead focus on giving specific examples that illustrate your points. Use detailed anecdotes to bring your experiences to life. Whether you’re discussing a professional achievement, a leadership challenge, or a moment of curiosity, specificity will make your essay more engaging and memorablee. Writing descriptive stories with clear points and imagery allow the admissions committee to better visualize your experiences and understand your unique journey, and will ultimately benefit your application in the long run.

2. Focus on Leadership and Growth

Leadership and growth are central themes in the HBS essays. Highlight instances where you’ve demonstrated leadership, invested in others, and pursued personal and professional growth. Reflect on how these experiences have shaped your leadership style and growth mindset. By letting your leadership potential and commitment to continuous improvement shine through to the admissions committee, you’ll prove that you’re a perfect match with HBS’s core values.

3. Maintain Professionalism

While it’s important to be authentic and personal, make sure your essays maintain a professional tone. Especially for the business-minded essay, focus on professional experiences and how they have influenced your career choices. Striking the right balance between personal insight and professional achievement is crucial for a compelling narrative.

4. Seek Feedback

Once you’ve drafted your essays, seek feedback from trusted mentors, peers, or professional advisors. Fresh perspectives can help provide valuable insights and help you refine your narrative. Be open to constructive criticism and use it to enhance the clarity, coherence, and impact of your essays.

5. Edit and Proofread

Keeping any given feedback in mind, carefully edit and proofread your essays to ensure they are free from any grammatical errors and typos. Clear, error-free writing tells the admissions committee that you have a strong attention to detail and commitment to excellence. Reading your essays aloud or using text-to-speech tools can help catch errors you might miss while reading silently. A polished essay enhances your professionalism and credibility.

By following these tips, you’ll be on the right track to write essays that not only meet the HBS application requirements but also perfectly embody your unique strengths, experiences, and aspirations. Good luck with your application process!

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At Leland, we have a broad network of world-class coaches who can help with any part of the MBA application. Many of them are experts in essay writing, browse them here. Want to work with an HBS alum who has first-hand experience with the Harvard application process? As for some of our highest-rated MBA admissions coaches, you can browse them all here .

HBS New Essays FAQs

How do Harvard’s new essay prompts differ from last year?

• The essay prompts for the 2024-2025 application cycle differ drastically from the previous year. Instead of HBS' traditional one essay requirement - "Is there anything else we should know about you?" - applicants now have three, shorter prompts to respond to, all targeting a different characteristic (business, leadership, and growth).

How many essays are required for the HBS application?

• For many years, HBS required only one main essay. Starting in 2024, applicants now have three essays.

What is the word limit for HBS essays?

• The word limit for the new HBS essays is as follows: 300 words for the business-minded prompt and 250 words each for the leadership-focused and growth-oriented prompts. As you’re writing your essay, remember to stick to this limit to keep your essay concise and focused. Being able to stay within the word limit while still writing a strong essay is the best way to demonstrate your ability to communicate effectively.

Can I reuse essays from other applications?

• While it may be easy to draw inspiration from essays written for other applications, each response should be tailored specifically to HBS’s prompts. Doing this helps you better present yourself as the kind of hard-working, dedicated student HBS is looking for and highlights why you are a good fit for their program. Likewise, admissions officers can quickly spot when someone is using a fill-in-the-blank style of essay, so always make sure your essay is original and direct.

How important are the essays compared to other application components?

• Essays are a critical part of the HBS application as they offer the only opportunity for you to trusly share your voice with the admissions committee. Because of this, the essays represent your chance to showcase your personality, values, and potential fit with the HBS community. While other components of your application such as test scores, resumes, and recommendations are also important, the essays help provide personal context and depth to your overall application.

When is the deadline for the HBS application?

• Deadlines for this year’s application cycle are September 4th, 2024 for Round 1 and January 6th, 2025 for Round 2. Admissions decisions will be released by December 10 and January 6 for each respective round.

For more expert advice on writing your essay and other critical components of your MBA program applications, take a look through the following articles:

• Harvard Business School: MBA Program & Application Overview
• How to Write a Powerful MBA Essay
• A Comprehensive MBA Timeline–With Chart
• How to Ace the HBS MBA Interview
• The HBS Waitlist Strategy
• Harvard Business School MBA Application Deadlines
• How I Got Into Harvard Business School With Low Test Scores

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