Many of my med school applicant clients have been emailing me about their frustration over the number of secondary essays they have to complete. It might sound like a nice problem to have but remember that many schools send out secondaries indiscriminately – to all applicants from whom they received primary applications. It’s cynical but true: Secondaries are a way for schools to make a little cash.

I recommend the following to keep your workload to a manageable level:

1. Start to prioritize where you want to attend school. If you’ve applied to fifty schools (some people do) and have received an equivalent number of secondaries, this is the time to consider which schools you want to eliminate. Don’t be flattered by the fact that you were asked to complete secondary (especially because, as mentioned above, some schools send them out to all applicants).

2. Try to use the same essay for several secondaries. With some small changes (or better yet, none at all) an essay may be versatile.

3. Get help from a professional. I edit scores of essays every month. I offer secondary essay editing as part of my services.

For individualized help on your secondary essays, go to http://www.insidermedicaladmissions.com/applicants/medapplicant.shtml .