GPA: 3.99 (UW), 4.24 (W) at the time of application
Class Rank: 4/484
ACT: 36 (34 Math, 36 all else; 8/12 Essay)
SAT: 1550 (750 RW; 800 M; 15/24 Essay (6 Reading 4 Analysis 5 Writing)
SAT Subject Tests:
Chinese w/ Listening: 800
Math 2: 770
Bio: 770
World History: 760
Math 1: 750
Chemistry: 740
AP’s (at time of application)
AP World History: 5
AP Calculus AB: 5
AP Calculus BC: 5
AP Lang: 5
AP US History: 5
AP Human Geography: 5
AP Biology: 4
AP Chemistry: 4
Currently taking: AP CSA, AP US Government, AP Physics C (Mech & E/M), AP Statistics, AP Literature
Teacher / Counselor Recs: I saw one teacher rec and the counselor rec and honestly, I don’t think they’re too strong… very obviously seemed to follow a generic template and had information from my resume quite awkwardly squeezed in there. If I could redo, I wouldn’t give them my full resume because 80% of what they put in the recommendation was from my resume which had activities that I put in my Common App so it seemed like a waste/repetition.
State: WA
Gender: F
Ethnicity: Asian
Income: >200k
Hooks: Used my experience of moving across the country several times to exemplify several of my best character qualities; also provided a good talking point during the interview
Awards:
- National Merit Semifinalist
- National AP Scholar
Major ECs:
- Key Club (Secretary + Community Liaison)
- Knowledge Bowl (ASB Representative)
- Varsity Swim + Club Swim
Other:
- Boeing Internship in Business
Community Service:
- Local hospital volunteer
- Food bank
- Blood bank (just a little)
- Camp for children with disabilities
- Key Club service events
Medically related activities:
- Physician Shadowing
- Lab volunteer and later, research
- Hospital volunteer (1 yr; >200 hrs)
Mentoring/ Teaching:
Peer Tutoring: Tutor other students at school in the subjects of Chemistry and Calculus AB.
Applied to the following BS/MD Programs:
- Union College/Albany Medical College: interview - ACCEPTED
- Drew/NJMS: skype interview for undergrad (NJMS feeder schools have 2 interviews), forwarded to NJMS
- Stevens Institute of Tech/NJMS: skype interview for undergrad, haven’t heard back yet
- Drexel: interview invite - decline interview
- Penn State/Jefferson: rejected pre-interview
- Baylor: rejected pre-interview
- Boston U: no communication, so rejected pre-interview
- U Pittsburgh: rejected pre-interview
- U Rochester: rejected pre-interview
- Hofstra: received supplemental - no communication yet, so probably rejected pre-interview
- Case Western Reserve U: rejected pre-interview
- George Washington U: rejected pre-interview
Applied to the following Undergraduate:
- University of Washington: –
- University of NC Chapel Hill: ACCEPTED OOS
- UC Berkeley: –
- Rice: –
Decision: Union/AMC
Scholarship: $20k/yr @ Union
Reflection: I realize that my list isn’t quite complete as I am still waiting for several UG schools and for interview invites from NJMS, but since I am so fortunate to be accepted to Union/AMC this early and it’s my top choice program, there’s no need for me to interview or wait for any other programs/schools. Throughout the application and interview process, just don’t get discouraged! It’s a loooong process (4-6 months) but remember that all you need is ONE acceptance. Plus, even if it ultimately doesn’t work out, I strongly believe that all who apply for BS/MD programs and/or receive interviews are well-qualified to succeed in the traditional route as well, so as long as you’re set on the path of becoming a physician, you will find a way to get there, regardless of any obstacles.
Things I would’ve done differently:
- Start earlier. I know every single person who has applied to college says this, and I heard this advice many times, yet I still ended up starting in mid-August, which led to a ton of stress later on. Just start early and don’t think that you’ll have enough time once school starts because chances are, you’ll be overwhelmed.
- Call schools to confirm if you’re unsure if they want official SAT/ACT score reports. I sent my official report to every school because I thought that every BSMD program required the official ones, but there are some that do not require it. I probably could have saved at least a couple hundred dollars if I called to make sure.
I’d be happy to help if anyone has questions now or in the future, please reach out!