State University of New York Upstate Medical University Secondary Essay Prompts
Avg GPA
3.82
Avg MCAT
513
Class size
182
SJT required
None
State University of New York Upstate Medical University is a public school, so NY residents have a meaningful admissions advantage here.
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.
- 01
Please describe your gap year plans.
No stated limit - 02
Which medical specialty do you currently plan to pursue?
No stated limit - 03
Are there any areas of weakness in your application that you would like to clarify for the Admissions Committee? If yes, please describe.
1800 characters - 04
What experiences have you had with underserved communities/populations? What have you learned from these experiences?
1800 characters - 05
Describe any ties or meaningful experiences you have had related to Central New York or SUNY Upstate Medical University.
1800 characters - 06
How will you contribute to the diversity of your medical school class and The Norton College of Medicine?
1800 characters - 07
The Norton College of Medicine is committed to improving the healthcare of Central New York. How do your career plans advance this mission?
1800 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.
Draft your State University of New York Upstate Medical University secondaries in your own voice
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