Health Admissions IQ
All Schools
STRITCH

Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine

Maywood, IL

Historical and predicted secondary essay prompts. Use these to understand how schools have framed their questions over time.

Not sure how to approach these prompts?

Explore example essays, strategy breakdowns, and expert guidance inside the Secondary Essay Example Hub.

Access the Secondary Essay Hub

19 prompts in the archive

just minor questions (crime + program question)

No character/word limit2022-2023Historical

Medical education is characterized by long hours of study, a steady cadence of course exams, subjective and objective assessment of performance, licensing exams, and sometimes demanding and stressful educational contexts in the clinical environment. How has your chosen undergraduate course of study prepared you for the rigor and demands of the medical school curriculum? What additional skills have you learned as a pre-med student to help you balance your educational and personal responsibilities, including managing your time and relieving stress? (500 word limit)

500 words2025-2026New

Describe your leadership style. Provide a specific example of how you have applied your leadership style. (Minimum 100 Words)

100 words2021-2022, 2022-2023Historical

Please explain in more detail (in less than 1500 characters) anything that would help us understand any gaps or delays in your education, academic missteps, or personal challenges not listed elsewhere.

1500 charactersOptional2021-2022, 2022-2023, 2023-2024, 2024-2025, 2025-2026School Staple

As you consider Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, please tell us what resonates with you regarding our mission as a Jesuit, Catholic medical school? Consider also what you may be curious about regarding our institutional mission and identity. (500 word limit)

500 words2025-2026New

Relate a situation within your professional formation in which you determined that something you did or said did not go over well with someone else. How did you know? What did you do? What did you learn from the experience?

100-500 words2024-2025Historical

If you did not submit an advisor or committee letter, please tell us why.

No character/word limitOptional2021-2022, 2022-2023, 2023-2024, 2024-2025Historical

Have you or any of your relatives attended or been employed by Loyola University Chicago or the Stritch School of Medicine? If yes, please list the name, affiliation, school, and years of attendance.

No character/word limitOptional2021-2022, 2022-2023, 2023-2024, 2024-2025Historical

Are you currently, or have you been, enrolled in any of the following programs?

No character/word limitOptional2021-2022, 2022-2023, 2023-2024, 2024-2025Historical

Considering all that you could do with your life, how have you discerned your decision to become a physician? What is particular to the practice of medicine and the vocation of a physician that draws you to apply to medical school versus another helping/caring profession? What experiences, conversations, and encounters have informed your decision to apply? (500 word limit)

500 words2025-2026New

If you have not been enrolled in coursework for over two years, please let us know what you have been doing since your coursework ended.

100 to 500 wordsOptional2021-2022, 2022-2023, 2023-2024, 2024-2025, 2025-2026School Staple

Have you applied to SSOM prior to this application? If so, please list the years of your previous application submissions to SSOM and tell us how your application has improved since your previous submission.

100 to 500 wordsOptional2021-2022, 2022-2023, 2023-2024, 2024-2025, 2025-2026School Staple

Have you ever been convicted of a crime other than a minor traffic or parking violation? If the answer is yes, please explain below.

No character/word limitOptional2021-2022, 2023-2024, 2024-2025Historical

Social justice, in the Jesuit tradition, justice due to each person's inherent human dignity, is an essential dimension of education at SSOM. Describe an impactful experience working with and for under-resourced communities. Explain what you have learned about yourself through this service and/or what has hindered your efforts to serve others in these environments. (500 word limit)

500 words2021-2022, 2022-2023, 2023-2024, 2024-2025, 2025-2026School Staple

Explain how you know that you want to spend your life studying and practicing medicine. Describe how the Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine (SSOM) can help you develop into the person and physician you hope to become.

100-500 words2021-2022, 2022-2023, 2023-2024, 2024-2025Historical

Describe a non-academic personal/professional challenge or conflict that you have experienced. Explain what skills, resources and/or strategies you employed to resolve the problem.

100-500 words2021-2022, 2022-2023, 2023-2024, 2024-2025Historical

Please indicate additional grades earned, amendments to your proposed coursework or graduation date, address changes, additions to your list of experiences, and anything else you feel we should know.

100 to 500 wordsOptional2021-2022, 2022-2023, 2023-2024, 2024-2025, 2025-2026School Staple

Serving underserved and under-resourced communities is an expression of social justice. Describe an impactful experience in working with and for under-resourced communities. Explain what you have learned about yourself through this service OR what has hindered your efforts to serve others in these environments.

No character/word limit2021-2022, 2022-2023, 2023-2024Historical

Describe a time you received feedback about your performance and disagreed with the feedback. What did you disagree with? How did you handle it? (500 word limit)

500 words2023-2024, 2024-2025, 2025-2026School Staple