“How Will You Contribute To Our School” Secondary Tips

Introduction 

Due to the prevalence and importance of the “How will you contribute to our school?” secondary prompt, we are going to break this question down to uncover how one can successfully answer it. At this point, you have likely answered many variations of this question in one regard or another, perhaps without even knowing it. Due to the multitude of students with similar accolades and academic records answering this question, It is important to strengthen your essay to distinguish yourself from other applicants. Let’s dive in:

“Sub-questions” Associated With “How Will You Contribute to Our School?”

1. What makes you unique as an applicant?
   
   1. Is your journey to medical school atypical in terms of degree, extracurricular activities, or other accomplishments? It might be beneficial to capitalize on meticulously articulating these points to delineate you from other applicants.
2. What are your strengths?
   
   1. Including your strengths is one thing but also including an anecdote or example that demonstrates that strength is another. Be sure to paint a picture of you with that strength to “show” as opposed to “tell.” In other words, give evidence or proof that you do, in fact, possess that strength. Articulating your strengths by way of examples is immensely personalized and may also be a good way to have your application stand out among many others.

Looking at each of these questions, you can likely understand how answering the “sub-questions” can be personal to you and your journey. Take time to reflect on each of these questions as doing so may lead to more individualized answers that may stand out to admissions committees.

DO’s and DON’Ts When Answering “How Will You Contribute to Our School?” Medical School Secondary

DO:

• Personalize your essay, including specific anecdotes/examples since those stories will be unique to you.
• Reflect on what your strengths are and how they relate to the school’s overall purpose and mission in the community.
• Demonstrate how you would be a good fit by making the connection to how your personality, accomplishments, and journey thus far parallels that of the school’s overall philosophy.
• Include aspects about you that enhance the diversity of the school as well as address your overall cultural competence.
• Reflect on what you have contributed to other organizations: clubs, universities, etc. Will you continue any of those distinct contributions in your medical education?
• Address both your strengths and what makes you unique as an applicant to delineate your secondary application from others.
• Discuss your passions and interests in correlation with the school’s mission.

DON’T:

• Be vague, general, or tell the reader things that you think they are “looking for.”
• Forget to answer the question that is being asked: “How Will You Contribute to Our School?”
• Reuse another “similar” essay without tailoring it to the specific question being asked.

Remember, secondary essays are truly an opportunity for you to show admissions committees more about who you are. In that regard, because what they learn about you initially is through your written word, careful consideration of what you write is of the utmost importance. For this particular essay, be sure to show how you will be an asset to the incoming class or in other words, why should they accept you?