Secondary Application

What are Secondaries?

While the primary application is centralized, secondary applications are submitted through schools' individual application portals.  

The secondary application requires applicants to answer additional questions to evaluate the applicants’ “fit” for the school. Individual medical schools can vary a great deal in how they evaluate a candidate.  

Secondary Application Timing

Most secondary applications will be sent to applicants shortly after a school receives the verified primary application, but others may take longer. You can expect to receive secondary applications from all the schools you have applied to, since most schools do not screen at this stage.  

Once a secondary request is received, you should plan to complete and submit it within two weeks or by the beginning of August.

CASS Resources 

Secondary Essay Workshop: Learn how medical schools evaluate secondaries and how to approach common questions and prompts. We will also share tips on how to manage your time and complete your secondaries in an efficient, effective manner.  

Secondary Essay Review appointments are available with CIH advisers in June, July, and August each year.  

For more tips on mastering the secondary application, visit here.