<p>Hi guys. I’m a junior who is crazy about Brown PLME, and would like to apply probably early decision next year. I don’t want to know any SAT/AP statistics or grades or anything. I get it - just try your best. But I just wanted to know more aout the diversity of Brown PLME students in terms of what their extracurriculars were like. For example, do you know people who were amazing in the orchestra, or who just loved working with non profit organizations? Are there students with unusual activities or achievements? I just want to get a flavor of what admissions officers are looking or and whether what they are looking for matches my profile. Thanks in advance!</p>
<p>Brown is a very diverse school, so I would assume the 110 that got accepted last year varied greatly in every way. It’s impossible to find a formula to get in since essays count for so much, and I’m sure that with a 5% acceptance rate, PLME turned down many that would seem perfect to most, while accepting some with quirky passions who did not have flawless profiles.</p>
<p>Per my student, most, but not necessarily all of PLME have had significant medical exposure. Eg, done a year or more in a medical research lab (most common) , year or more of EMS volunteering, many years of hospital volunteering etc.</p>
<p>The above post may be true, but Brown has to know that hospital volunteering usually means pushing wheelchairs. Also, if you do a lot of research, why would that show passion for being physician and not to get a phd and pursue a research profession? In my opinion, essays are more important than EC’s, because no one really knows what you actually did in your “medical” EC’s and if they truly relate to being a doctor, but your essays can show genuine passion for medicine.</p>
<p>Many of us did things outside of medicine as well. I know some awesome jugglers, people who play sports, and lots of musicians. A good PLME is someone who is passionate about medicine, but will still take advantage of the open liberal-arts curriculum offered at Brown.</p>
<p>@ Bruno14: I’m curious as to what an informal survey of current PLME students you know etc turns up as to
- If ANY did not have an EC that was extensive/ medically related? If not were they “patients” ie diabetics or something that would also have them around medical offices, hospitals.
- If “minor” EC in medicine, what? Used to be that I saw occasional “doctor’s kid” with “minor” med EC accepted (the mission trip, or shadowing stuff) but haven’t in a while. </p>
<p>Long ago I was on the PLME /MedSci admissions team when I was at Brown. I have little idea how they do it now, but then there were med school students, faculty and undergrad bio faculty on the committee. We did accept some students who had “promise” re medicine, but did not have medicine related ECs. (High science students, who might not have had opportunity to do medical research etc, but a “good heart” shown through their apps.)
In the last dozen years, I just don’t see them from my area getting in without the high research etc. exposure, from kids I interview, and from what my premed student at Brown says about PLME in that class. I suppose Brown’s PLME has become so selective they can add that extra “qualifier” to help them sort down to admit numbers, but it seems a shame if that is true. I know that most of the PLME “have interests outside of medicine too”, but I think there are a lot of applicants that are given false hope?
Re the research comment: I agree that it is a poor criteria of who will make a good doctor! I wonder if since the faculty do depend on undergrads to help with their research, they have a bias toward getting excited about a pool of students with helpful prior experience? There is also the whole prestige number thing about wanting future grads who might be more likely to write famous things later?
I’ve also wondered if the PLME application factor is a way of getting some students who are very qualified for Brown, but not for PLME (because they haven’t done something extensive medically for a EC) is a sort of sneaky way of getting a larger pool of highly qualified students to look at Brown who would not otherwise.
Just some thoughts/observations/conjectures. Would love to see the more detailed stats re current students!</p>
<p>Thanks - so I assume, as zonis20 said (and Bruno14 probably implied), people with quirky passions would like it at Brown? For example: what if I’m part of the FFA (formerly known as Future Farmers of America) and I discuss that in my essay?</p>
<p>@BrownAlumParent: Do you think the “quirkiness” factor is slowly giving way to more “perfect” students? For example, I don’t own a business (but I worked with and researched microfinance organizations) or do any sports (I teach dance though). But do you think that my “variations” on otherwise “perfect student” extracurriculars could possibly make me stand out?</p>
<p>I think the “quirkiness” factor as you call it, is still something that stands out. I would call it “interesting” instead. If I was an admissions officer and had to read all those “perfect” folders, I would certainly enjoy the ones that looked a bit different!<br>
When I am on campus, (and it may be just the students my student is friends with, but I suspect not) I am always struck by what a great time I have talking with students at Brown because they are so varied and so interesting!
–by all means, if it is a significant part of who you are, tell them about FFA! (don’t if it is just to “pad” things though, they can tell!!)</p>
<p>Thanks BrownAlumParent. I love being a part of FFA and will be sure to mention it!</p>