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Nobody is born knowing how to swim.

Whether you take lessons or you're taught by a family member or friend, it takes time to learn how to keep your head above water. Now, picture this, savvy student: that water you're trying to stay afloat in is your secondary essays. You wade into the shallow water and you see that wave in the distance, but you think "that's a ways away, I have plenty of time." But the longer you stand there, the closer that wave gets until eventually you're up to your neck. No matter how hard you struggle, the current starts to sweep your feet out from under you.

SOS! Don't worry - our lifeguards are here to throw you a buoy (cue Baywatch theme music). While we won't be in red swimsuits, we are here to help teach you how to swim, or in this case, prepare for the wave of secondaries that's coming... and fast!

Just like learning how to swim, when you're dealing with secondaries it's best to start preparing before you're in deep water. Secondaries for MD schools started dropping on June 24th. But fret not dear student, you still have time! We're here to make this as stress-free as possible. Here's some tips on surviving your secondary essays:

‍1. Return your secondaries in less than a week. If you take over a week to return your secondary, you're better off not returning it at all. To schools, this reads "I'm not interested in your school." If you find yourself in this situation, don't panic! You're still treading water even if you're not making it to shore. Focus on the schools you can return in a timely manner. Maybe it's just not meant to be!

‍2. Don't waste too much time polishing! Spending too much time trying to edit your secondaries can do more harm than good. It's better to have several great drafts rather than one perfect essay and a handful of garbage.

‍3. Don't ignore your resources, use the secondary prompts! If you were caught in a riptide, would you tell the lifeguard to buzz off? Probably not. The Savvy Pre-Med Search Tool can help you view each school's page and the secondary prompts.

Best of luck! Don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube Channel.