Zucker SOM at Hofstra/Northwell Secondary Application Essay Tips [2022 – 2023]

The Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell is a nationally recognized leader in medical research, partnering with the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research and the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, specializing in immunology, bioelectronic medicine, neuroscience, cancer biology, genetics and genomics. Their medical school is highly competitive. The average metrics for the 2021 M1 class of approximately 100 students are MCAT 519 and GPA 3.84.

To learn more about Zucker SOM, listen to our interview with Dr. Rona Woldenberg, Associate Dean for Admissions.

Zucker SOM at Hofstra/Northwell application essays

Zucker SOM secondary essay #1

Please indicate what you have been doing since the time of graduation until now. (1500 characters)

All applicants, traditional and nontraditional, should explain continuity or advancement in research, community service, volunteer opportunities and/or clinical experience. Hopefully, these experiences demonstrate an immersion in hands-on work, paid work in research or clinical settings, volunteer work in hospitals and clinics, and community service work that correspond in some way with the specializations of the Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell. Even applicants who have not yet graduated from their undergraduate education should have meaningful involvement in health and community activities and research, including some experience serving the underserved and some active engagement helping others during the pandemic, directly or indirectly related to vulnerable communities, vaccinations or hospital care. Consider Northwell Health’s hospitals in New York faced incredible challenges during the height of the pandemic. 

Zucker SOM secondary essay #2

Please use this space to describe any challenge or obstacle you have faced prior to your application to medical school and how you addressed that challenge. (1500 characters)

Everyone overcomes an obstacle; everyone faces challenges. Explore your past experiences and consider how those challenges changed you, what you learned from them. The key to telling this story is to frame it as a phoenix-rising story, rising from the ashes, or one that instills deeper confidence about achieving a goal against odds. Stories about obstacles can knock us down, but the narrative for this story, most importantly, is the manner in which you got up again and carried on. The tone of this story should be meditative and insightful, not boastful, not competitive, but human. Challenges humble us, and humility is a desirable characteristic in a physician.

Zucker SOM secondary essay #3 [Optional]

Given the COVID-19 pandemic, we are aware that there may be certain challenges you have encountered during the application process. Please use this space to describe any of those challenges. (1500 characters)

It is fair to say that nearly all medical school applicants have had to make adjustments to some aspect of their academic studies, community involvement, service trips, research commitments, MCAT schedules, graduation plans, or gap year plans. This answer should be straight-forward, matter of fact, and in the end it should reveal your ability to adapt and adjust to these challenges. Watch your tone in this answer; you want to sound level-headed and thoughtful rather than convey a tone of self-pity, excuses or annoyance. Doctors, by definition, adapt. Hopefully you did too. In conclusion, close positively. Was there a silver-lining to this adjustment in your preparation to be a physician? Did you surprise yourself in uncovering a new understanding about community or global health and its impact on the future for physicians?

Watch: Dr. Rona Woldenberg, Associate Dean for Admissions shares tips for the Zucker SOM secondary application essays

Applying to Zucker SOM? Here are some stats:

Zucker SOM median MCAT score: 517

Zucker SOM median undergrad GPA: 3.82

Zucker SOM acceptance rate: 6.5%

Check out the Med School Selectivity Index for more stats.

For professional guidance with your Zucker SOM application materials, check out Accepted’s Medical School Admissions Consulting and Editing Services, which include advising, editing, and interview coaching for Zucker’s application materials.

Zucker SOM 2022-23 application timeline

	Regular Decision	Early Decision
AMCAS Application Deadline	November 1	August 1
Secondary Application Deadline	December 1*	August 31*

* All application materials, including the $125 secondary application fee, a Premedical Committee Letter or at least three letters of recommendation, a CASPer™ score, and an MCAT score are due by this date. (Application Requirements.)

Source: Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell

Dr. Mary Mahoney, PhD, is the medical humanities director at Elmira College and has more than 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 past 20 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!

Related Resources:

• School-Specific Secondary Application Essay Tips
• How to Get Into Zucker SOM at Hofstra/Northwell, a podcast episode
• Different Dimensions of Diversity, a podcast episode