Florida State University College of Medicine Secondary Essay Prompts

The 2026-2027 prompts

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Collected from public applicant reports. Prompts occasionally change mid cycle, so confirm against your own secondary portal before you submit.

1. 01

   Please provide a description of your family.

   500 words
2. 02

   Please describe the geographic, economic, and social environment in which you were raised. How did these aspects of your upbringing shape who you are today or influence your goals?

   500 words
3. 03

   Tell us what you do for fun and diversion (hobbies, special interests, etc.).

   500 words
4. 04

   What is a unique trait, experience, or interest that we would not normally learn about you?

   500 words
5. 05

   Were you employed during your college years? (Yes/No). If yes, describe why employment was necessary, how it impacted your college experience, and approximately how many hours per week you worked.

   500 words
6. 06

   Is there anything in your academic record that you feel requires further explanation or context for the Admissions Committee? If applicable, please include information about any academic challenges, course withdrawals, or grades lower than a B.

   500 wordsOptional
7. 07

   Why are you choosing to apply to the FSU College of Medicine? Please be specific describing what is particularly attractive about FSU COM and why you believe FSU COM is right for you.

   500 words
8. 08

   What do you feel are your personal and scholastic qualifications for the study of medicine?

   500 words
9. 09

   How do you feel you will contribute to the success of the FSU College of Medicine and our unique mission?

   500 words
10. 10

    If you are planning to take a gap year, are currently in a gap year, or have taken time off between college and medical school, please describe how you have spent (or are spending) this time. If you are have applied previously, we ask that you describe any specific steps you have taken to strengthen your application.

    500 words
11. 11

    Medical school requires significant personal commitment, including long hours, emotional challenges, and limited personal time. How have you prepared for these demands, and what strategies will you use to maintain a healthy work-life balance during your training? Please also share how your personal support system—family, friends, mentors, or others—will help you during this journey

    500 words
12. 12

    In what field/specialty of medicine do you envision yourself working ten years from now? Please LIST no more than three (3) specialties. Please do not include a narrative; simply list the specialties.

    500 characters
13. 13

    Write a short statement explaining how you envision using the specialty or specialties you listed above to advance the mission of the FSU College of Medicine. Please describe the patient population or community you are most passionate about serving and how your goals align with the College's commitment to underserved and rural populations.

    No stated limit
14. 14

    The FSU College of Medicine has 6 regional campus locations and 2 rural training sites across the state of Florida, serving multifaceted populations. Describe a time when you engaged with people from backgrounds different from your own. What did you learn from that experience, and how has it influenced the way you interact with populations that have differing values, customs, and life histories?

    No stated limitOptional
15. 15

    Please describe a community service experience, outside of direct patient care, in which you served an underserved or marginalized population. What drew you to this experience, and how did it contribute to your personal growth and learning? What aspects of your involvement did you find most meaningful or fulfilling?

    No stated limitOptional

How to write these well

• Turn secondaries around within 7 to 14 days of receiving them. Schools read speed as interest, and slow essays land in a bigger pile.
• Pre-write the universal question types (diversity, challenge, why us) once, then adapt per school. Adapting is rewriting the school specific half, not swapping the name.
• Name real programs. A why us answer that cites a specific clinic, track, or community partnership reads ten times stronger than praise for reputation or location.
• Stay under the limit without padding to reach it. Readers are working through thousands of these; a tight answer is a kindness they remember.

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