<p>Secondaries:</p>
<p>Yes, they are short or long essays.</p>
<p>The TMDSAS/AMCAS/DO etc all do a single primary online app where you fill in all your info in one central location (TX & AMCAS are similar, but different word counts etc).
This is usually a list of coursework & grades; ECs, etc.</p>
<p>From there that primary is disbursed to the schools you choose.</p>
<p>Some of those schools send a secondary to every one, some screen and reject you rather than asking you for a secondary. They usually run anywhere from $35-$100+ each!</p>
<p>Some schools ask for nothing more than the check, others have several questions.</p>