2011-2012 application cycle secondary1 min read

Word on the street is that the OUWB secondary has been released to candidates who passed the “pre-screen.” I quoted that because the admissions team stated that they are only screening out candidates with extremely subpar statistics [Dean Grabowski cited MCAT scores of below 20, so I’m assuming that’s around where they set the bar].

Here are the prompts if you haven’t gotten a chance to see them yet [in 400 words or less]:

  1. Why the OUWB School of Medicine? And why you?
  2. Optional: Is there anything you want the admissions committee to know about your qualifications for medical school that is not already represented in your application materials? Note: This space is provided for new information only, not to promote qualifications already highlighted in your other materials.

I find it somewhat interesting that they moved away from the specific prompts and more toward a pretty generic, open-ended one. I can only speculate on why, but it seems like a good way to filter out candidates that actually researched the school and found reasons for why it’s a good fit vs. the generic, tweaked secondary essay. While it’s nice that they also moved to a single prompt [I don’t find it necessary for everyone to answer all of the optional essays that medical schools leave room for], I personally liked last year’s prompts.

Anyway, good luck to all applicants and I hope to see/meet you on-campus during the interview season. =)