Florida State University Secondary Essay Prompts
These are the secondary application essay prompts for Florida State University College of Medicine. To put your best foot forward and maximize your chance of an interview invitation, visit our secondary application editing page.
about Florida state University College of medicine
Secondary Deadline: December 10, 2025
Secondary Fee: $30
FAP Waiver: Yes
Casper Required:
Screens Applications:
Accepts Application Updates:
Mission
The Florida State University College of Medicine will educate and develop exemplary physicians who practice patient-centered health care, discover and advance knowledge, and are responsive to community needs, especially through service to elder, rural, minority, and underserved populations.
The FSU College of Medicine will lead the nation in preparing compassionate physicians to deliver the highest quality 21st Century patient-centered medicine to communities of greatest need.
2025-2026
1. Please provide a description of your family.
2. 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?
3. Tell us what you do for fun and diversion (hobbies, special interests, etc.)
4. What is a unique trait, experience, or interest that we would not normally learn about you?
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. What do you feel are your personal and scholastic qualifications for the study of medicine?
9. How do you feel you will contribute to the success of the FSU College of Medicine and our unique mission?
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 have applied previously, we ask that you describe any specific steps you have taken to strengthen your application.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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?
2024-2025
A. Personal Background. (500 word limit for all).
1. Please provide a description of your family.
2. Please provide a description of where you grew up (i.e. rural area, large city, etc.)
3. Indicate what you do for fun and diversion (hobbies, special interests, etc.).
4. What is a unique trait, experience, or interest that we would not normally learn about you?
5. If there is an important aspect of your personal background or identity, not addressed elsewhere in the application, that you are comfortable voluntarily sharing with the Committee, we invite you to do so here. Many applicants will not need to answer this question. Examples might include significant challenges in access to education, unusual socioeconomic factors, identification with a minority culture, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender identity. Briefly explain how such factors have influenced your motivation for a career in medicine.
All of the above questions are optional.
B. Academic Background and Pre-Medical Course Requirements
Choose the appropriate response for each required prerequisite. As a reminder: All prerequisites must be completed with a “C” or better and BEFORE matriculating at the FSU COM.(there is a list of questions about pre-reqs and whether you attended or applied to FSU college (undergrad)
C. Self-Critical Analysis (500 word limit for all).
1. Why are you choosing to apply to the FSU College of Medicine? Please be specific describing what is particularly attractive about FSU COM.
2. What do you feel are your personal and scholastic qualifications for the study of medicine? (optional)
3. If you have previously interviewed or applied to the College of Medicine, what steps have you taken to improve your application? (optional)
D. Additional Questions.
1. In what field/specialty of medicine do you envision yourself working ten years from now? Please LIST no more than three (3) specialties. (500 character limit)
2. Write a short statement describing how you envision using the specialty/ies you listed above to advance our unique mission and contribute to the success of the FSU College of Medicine. (9999 character limit)
2023-2024
A. Personal Background (500 words)
1.Please provide a description of your family. (Optional)
2.Please provide a description of where you grew up (i.e. rural area, large city, etc.) (Optional)
3.Indicate what you do for fun and diversion (hobbies, special interests, etc.). (Optional)
4.What is a unique trait, experience, or interest that we would not normally learn about you? (Optional)
5.If there is an important aspect of your personal background or identity, not addressed elsewhere in the application, that you are comfortable voluntarily sharing with the Committee, we invite you to do so here. Many applicants will not need to answer this question. Examples might include significant challenges in access to education, unusual socioeconomic factors, identification with a minority culture, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender identity. Briefly explain how such factors have influenced your motivation for a career in medicine. (Optional)
B. Self Critical Analysis (500 words)
1.Why are you choosing to apply to the FSU College of Medicine? Please be specific describing what is particularly attractive about FSU COM.
2.What do you feel are your personal and scholastic qualifications for the study of medicine? (Optional)
3.If you have previously interviewed or applied to the College of Medicine, what steps have you taken to improve your application? (Optional)
C. Additional Questions (500 words)
1.In what field/specialty of medicine do you envision yourself working ten years from now? Please list no more than three (3) specialties.
2.Write a short statement describing how you envision using the specialty/ties you listed above to advance our mission.
3.The Admissions Committee understands that the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted applicants in various ways. If you wish to inform the committee as to how these events have affected you and have not already done so elsewhere in your application, please use this space to do so. (Optional)
D. Florida Resident (200 characters)
1.The Florida State University College of Medicine accepts very few out-of-state applicants. Except under rare circumstances, out of state applicants are considered for admission only if their county of residence is geographically contiguous with the State of Florida, or if they can demonstrate significant ties to the State of Florida.
a.Is Florida currently your legal State of residence? (Yes/No)
b.Has it ever been your legal state of residence? (Yes/No)
c.If “yes,” please briefly explain: (Optional)
d.If you have never been a Florida resident or are not currently residing in Florida
(answered “no” to both questions above), please briefly describe any significant ties that you have to the State of Florida (Examples of significant ties include- but are not limited to- attending college within Florida; having strong family ties to Florida, owning property in Florida, etc.) (Optional)
E. Disclosures (500 characters)
1.Have you ever been charged with a violation of the law which resulted in, or is still pending could result in, probation, community service, a jail sentence, or the revocation or suspension of your driver’s license (including traffic violations which resulted in a fine of $200 or more)? If “yes”, please explain. (Optional)
2.Have you ever been or are you now under investigation for any academic or legal/conduct problems at any undergraduate or graduate institution? If “yes”, please explain. (Optional)
2022-2023
500 word limit per prompt
1. Please provide a description of your family. (Optional)
2. Please provide a description of where you grew up (i.e. rural area, large city, etc.) (Optional)
3. Indicate what you do for fun and diversion (hobbies, special interests, etc.). (Optional)
4. What is a unique trait, experience, or interest that we would not normally learn about you? (Optional)
5. If there is an important aspect of your personal background or identity, not addressed elsewhere in the application, that you are comfortable voluntarily sharing with the Committee, we invite you to do so here. Many applicants will not need to answer this question. Examples might include significant challenges in access to education, unusual socioeconomic factors, identification with a minority culture, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender identity. Briefly explain how such factors have influenced your motivation for a career in medicine. (Optional)
6. Why are you choosing to apply to the FSU College of Medicine? Please be specific describing what is particularly attractive about FSU COM.
7. What do you feel are your personal and scholastic qualifications for the study of medicine? (Optional)
8. How do you feel you will contribute to the success of the FSU College of Medicine and our unique mission? (Optional)
9. If you have previously interviewed or applied to the College of Medicine, what steps have you taken to improve your application? (Optional)
10. In what field/specialty of medicine do you envision yourself working ten years from now? Please list no more than three (3) specialties.
11. Write a short statement describing how you envision using the specialty/ies you listed above to advance our mission.
2021-2022
Please limit your answers to 500 words per question.
Please provide a description of your family. (Optional)
Please provide a description of where you grew up (i.e. rural area, large city, etc.) (Optional)
Indicate what you do for fun and diversion (hobbies, special interests, etc.). (Optional)
What is a unique trait, experience, or interest that we would not normally learn about you? (Optional)
If there is an important aspect of your personal background or identity, not addressed elsewhere in the application, that you are comfortable voluntarily sharing with the Committee, we invite you to do so here. Many applicants will not need to answer this question. Examples might include significant challenges in access to education, unusual socioeconomic factors, identification with a minority culture, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender identity. Briefly explain how such factors have influenced your motivation for a career in medicine. (Optional)
B. Academic Background and Pre-Medical Course Requirements
Choose the appropriate response for each required prerequisite. As a reminder: All prerequisites must be completed with a “C” or better and BEFORE matriculating at the FSU COM.
English (or other writing intensive course): 6 credit hours
Completed with a “C” or better
In Progress
College Mathematics (Statistics is recommended): 6 credit hours
Completed with a “C” or better
In Progress
Biology with Lab: 8 credit hours
Completed with a “C” or better
In Progress
Organic Chemistry with Lab: 4 credit hours
Completed with a “C” or better
In Progress
Physics with Lab: 8 credit hours
Completed with a “C” or better
In Progress
Biochemistry (MUST require at least one Organic Chemistry course as a pre-requisite; lab is recommended): 3 credit hours
Completed with a “C” or better
In Progress
Please enter your ACT and or SAT scores if you have taken these exams. (Optional)
Have you previously attended FSU or applied for admission? (Not to the College of Medicine) (Optional)
Yes
No
C. Self-Critical Analysis
Please limit your answer to 500 words per question.
Why are you choosing to apply to the FSU College of Medicine? Please be specific describing what is particularly attractive about FSU COM.
What do you feel are your personal and scholastic qualifications for the study of medicine? (Optional)
How do you feel you will contribute to the success of the FSU College of Medicine and our unique mission? (Optional)
If you have previously interviewed or applied to the College of Medicine, what steps have you taken to improve your application? (Optional)
D. Additional Questions
Please answer the following additional questions.
In what field/specialty of medicine do you envision yourself working ten years from now? Please list no more than three (3) specialties.
Write a short statement describing how you envision using the specialty/ies you listed above to advance our mission.
COVID-19: The Admissions Committee understands that the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted applicants in various ways. If you wish to inform the committee as to how these events have affected you and have not already done so elsewhere in your application, please use this space to do so. Optional
E. Florida Residency
The Florida State University College of Medicine accepts very few out-of-state applicants. Except under rare circumstances, out of state applicants are considered for admission only if their county of residence is geographically contiguous with the State of Florida, or if they can demonstrate significant ties to the State of Florida.
Is Florida currently your legal State of residence?
Yes
No
Has it ever been your legal state of residence?
Yes
No
N/A – Answered “yes” to previous question
If “Yes”, please briefly explain: (Optional)
If you have never been a Florida resident or are not currently residing in Florida (answered “no” to both questions above), please briefly describe any significant ties that you have to the State of Florida (Examples of significant ties include- but are not limited to- attending college within Florida; having strong family ties to Florida, owning property in Florida, etc.) (Optional)
2020-2021
Please limit your answers to 500 words per question.
1) Indicate your significant travel experiences and include the circumstances. (500 words)
2) Indicate what you do for fun and diversion (hobbies, special interests, etc.) (500 words)
3) Identify any other traits, habits, experiences, interests, etc., that a professor or advisor would not normally learn about you. (500 words)
4) For both mother and father, give the following:
Where they were raised
4-5 traits that would describe him/her to a stranger
Traits you get from him/her
Your rapport with him/her
His/her hobbies or interests
(500 words)
5) Give names, ages and a few brief comments about your brothers and sisters. (500 words)
6) In what field of medicine do you envision yourself working ten years from now? (500 words)
7) Write a critical analysis of your personal and scholastic qualifications for the study of medicine and the realization of your professional ambitions. (500 words)
2019-2020
2018-2019
2017-2018
The secondary application essay prompts from this medical school application cycle are the same as above.
2016-2017
Disclaimer: The information on this page was shared by students and/or can be found on the medical school’s website. Med School Insiders does not guarantee the accuracy of the information on this page.
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