Saint Louis University School 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 describe your gap activities (past and/or future):

   1000 charactersOptional
2. 02

   Why did you apply to Saint Louis University School of Medicine?

   1000 characters
3. 03

   Do you wish to include any comments (other extenuating circumstances not addressed in your primary application, updates, clarifications, etc.)? If yes, please explain:

   1000 charactersOptional
4. 04

   Describe a meaningful experience that expanded your viewpoint or deepened your understanding of individuals whose backgrounds, circumstances, or life journeys differ from your own.

   1000 characters

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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