Weill Cornell Medicine Secondary Application Essay Tips [2021 – 2022]

By Mary Mahoney on September 1, 2021

Weill Cornell Medicine secondary application essay tips and deadlines

Cornell Medical School secondary application essay questions 2021-22

Weill Cornell Medical College’s Dean explains their mission with three key words: care, discover and teach.

Here are the prompts (all have a 1,525 character limit).

Weill Cornell essay #1

Please write a brief statement giving your reasons for applying to Weill Cornell Medical College.

First, know WCMC’s mission and values. Know their plans for the future. When writing your reasons for applying to WCMC, be sure to explain your fit to their mission and vision. They see health care as a global enterprise that embraces diversity and social justice.

In addition to “care, discover and teach” as key goals for their medical college, WCMC also values research as the pathway for “discovery.” The future of research will include innovation facilitated by interdisciplinary collaboration. For instance, research partnered with technology could move a research discovery out of the lab and directly to patient care. WCMC prides themselves on getting research discoveries to the bedside quickly. If you are entrepreneurial, this is where you could explain in just what way your entrepreneurial interests contribute to the future of medicine.

Weill Cornell essay #2

Please describe a challenge you faced and how you addressed it.

This secondary prompt is a common one. Since medicine is rife with challenges, WCMC is looking to see how you resolve a challenge or conflict. This is a leadership skill. Do you see a challenge as an opportunity? Do you see a challenge as a moment for growth? Tell them about one of these challenges. Only one. Whether you rose to the challenge out of necessity or due to a surprising circumstance, show how and why you rose to it. Be sure to explain the outcome. Strong leaders reflect on their decisions and actions. Be mindful of your tone for this prompt. Avoid pity. Avoid self-flattery. Stay level-headed.

Weill Cornell essay #3 (optional)

If applicable, please tell us about any special circumstances related to COVID-19 that could help us understand you better.

An applicant should answer this prompt only if there’s a real situation, personally, academically or professionally, that arose due to COVID-19. If you do have a story that speaks toward “special circumstances related to COVID-19,” conclude reflectively, conclude with a realization of growth, or conclude with a new passion, opportunity or interest that presented itself because of COVID-19.

Listen: How to Address COVID-19 and the Events of 2020 in Your Application >>

Weill Cornell essay #4 (optional)

If you are not attending college during the upcoming (2020-2021) academic year, what are your plans?

It is in your best interest to answer this question if you have a gap year. It’s critical to demonstrate engagement with healthcare and medicine during this time. You could work for pay in a related medical arena, shadow, volunteer, join a relief organization, earn an EMT license or attend graduate school – or several of these. Most applicants who have a gap year load this time with relevant work in healthcare. Conclude with “the value” of these experiences. Since we are in the midst of a pandemic, any and all activity to assist in this pandemic in your gap year should be represented in your application. If you haven’t included this information in your activities, be sure to explain involvement in COVID-19 efforts here.

Applying to Weill Cornell Medicine? Here are some stats:

Cornell Medical School average MCAT score: 518

Cornell Medical School average GPA: 3.84

Cornell Medical School acceptance rate: 4.3%

U.S. News ranks Weill Cornell #19 for research and #51 for primary care.

Has this blog post helped you feel more confident about approaching your Weill Cornell Medicine secondary application? We hope so. It’s our mission to help smart, talented applicants like you gain acceptance to your top choice medical school. With so much at stake, why not hire a consultant whose expertise and personalized guidance can help you make your dream come true? We have several flexible consulting options—click here to get started today!

Weill Cornell Medical School application timeline 2021-22

Deadline for AMCAS application	October 15, 2021
Deadline for secondary application and all additional application materials	November 15, 2021

Source: Weill Cornell Medicine website

***Disclaimer: Information is subject to change. Please check with individual programs to verify the essay questions, instructions and deadlines.***

Dr. Mary Mahoney, Ph.D. has over 20 years of experience as an advisor and essay reviewer for med school applicants. She is a tenured English Professor with an MFA in Creative Writing from Sarah Lawrence College and a PhD in Literature and Writing from the University of Houston. For the last twenty years, Mary has served as a grad school advisor and essay reviewer for med school applicants. Want Mary to help you get Accepted? Click here to get in touch!