University of Cincinnati 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

   Have you ever been subject to any institutional action- such as discipline, probation, suspension, dismissal, or any other sanction- by any college, university or medical school for unacceptable academic performance or a conduct violation, even if the action may did not interrupt your enrollment or require withdrawal? If 'Yes' please explain fully in the space below.

   750 characters
2. 02

   Have you ever participated in a pre-conviction program, or been convicted of a felony or other criminal offense, or pled guilty or no contest to such an offense? Please include all instances, even if charges were dropped, dismissed, or otherwise resolved. If yes, please explain below.

   750 characters
3. 03

   Have you ever been convicted of, or pled guilty or no contest to, any moving traffic violation (including speeding violations)? If yes, please explain below. Please include all instances, even if charges were later dropped, dismissed, or otherwise resolved.

   750 characters
4. 04

   Are you a UCCOM re-applicant? Explain how you and your application have changed since your previous submission, and tell us what you have learned along the way. You may answer N/A if not a re-applicant.

   2000 characters
5. 05

   Discuss any elements of your application that you feel might be concerning to the Admissions Committee. (This could include explanation of metric trends, institutional actions, legal violations, etc.). You may answer N/A if there are no concerns you would like to discuss.

   2000 characters
6. 06

   Describe your interest in the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. Which opportunities or resources would you pursue as a student, and why are they important to your goals?

   2000 characters
7. 07

   Do you have any ties to the greater Cincinnati region and/or other areas of Ohio? Please describe. Examples may include personal, academic, professional/service, community, or other meaningful connections

   2000 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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