@kmn213 Fantastic profile. Good luck at HPME. I am sure you will do excellent. God Bless!
FYI … FAU has changed their MCAT requirement. It is now 513 !!!
regardless of your GPA.
Hello CC Community (and future readers)! I’ve been waiting for a while to share my experience with the BS/MD process. Honestly, getting into any medical program is a crapshoot, so I consider myself extremely lucky and blessed to have been accepted into 3 programs (especially when so many people doubted my chances).
GPA: 4.0 (UW) 4.2 (W)
Class Rank: 2/160
SAT : 2240: (710 CR, 730 M, 800 W)
SAT Subject Tests:
Physics: 720
Math 2: 720
AP’s at time of application: AP Physics, AP Language and Composition, AP US History
Senior Course Load: AP Literature, AP Biology, College Chemistry, AP Politics, AP Calculus, Advanced Theology
Teacher Recs: Got one from my AP Physics teacher/club moderator, one from my assistant principal/precalc teacher, and one from from my english teacher! They love me, so they should be pretty good!
State: NY
Gender: F
Ethnicity: Indian American
Income: 150K
Hooks: Nothing 
Major ECs:
- Varsity Cross Country - (varsity lettered 3x, Coach’s Award, Most Improved)
- Science Olympiad - Founder and President (2nd in Anatomy/Physiology at Regionals)
- School Wind Ensemble - 1st Chair Flautist
- Regional Youth Symphony - 1st Chair
- Acappella Choir - 2nd Soprano
- Executive Board for a national youth organization + journal (being ambiguous for privacy reasons)
- Church Youth Fellowship - Vice President
Community Service:
- Hospital - 300 hrs
- Church - 100 hrs
- Started a Valentine’s Day Card Collection Program for patients at the hospital I volunteered at - 100 hrs; I collected
over 700 cards total over 4 years. Ended up partnering with other high schools/colleges in the region
Medically related activities:
-Hospital Volunteering - 300 hrs (as stated above)
-Epilepsy Research at a medical school - 800 hrs. God, this project was my baby. Co-authored a paper to Epilepsia. 3rd at JSHS.
Awards
- (…) National Essay Contest - 1st Place (sorry, this would show up on google real quick)
- Dupont Challenge - National Honorable Mention (Top 20 out of 9000 essays)
- Ayn Rand International Essay Contest - Semifinalist
- USA Brain Bee Championships - National Finalist; 1st place regionals
- Presidential Community Service Award
- National Latin Exam - Perfect Paper, Summa Cum Laude
Applied to the following BS/MD Programs:
- Brown PLME - rejected
- U Rochester - rejected
- George Washington University - rejected
- Hofstra - rejected
- Drexel - rejected
- UConn - rejected
- Rutgers - rejected
- Siena/AMC - interview - ACCEPTED
- Union/AMC - interview - ACCEPTED
- Stony Brook - interview - ACCEPTED (tbh I had no idea how this even happened…)
Applied to the following undergraduate:
- Brown - rejected
- Penn - rejected
- Columbia - rejected
- Cornell - waitlisted
- Johns Hopkins - waitlisted
- NYU - waitlisted
- Northeastern - accepted with 30K
I got into all the related undergraduate schools with BS/MD programs except Brown.
DECISION: Stony Brook/Stony Brook
Scholarship: Almost full tuition
Reflection:
Applying to 16 schools was downright tiring. BS/MD applications are WORK. I felt like my hands were going to fall off writing all those essays/supplements. But, what carried me through was my love for medicine. It’s the same love that I was able to convey in every interview. I put everything into every interview I went to. I made sure every interviewer I had was able to see that despite my stats, I was an excellent candidate.
My advice for future applicants:
- Develop your story. Have your essays revolve around a specific theme you want to highlight. For me, I have a passion for neuroscience, so I was able to link my love for the brain with my love for medicine.
- Work on your essays EARLY! Do not procrastinate! Start them during the summer. The Common App prompts for the md programs are usually the same and revolve around why you want to be a doctor. In hindsight, I never should’ve applied to so many non-BS/MD undergrads.
- Rejection isn’t the end of the world. Don’t take it personally.
- Work hard. Hold your head up high and believe in yourself no matter what anyone says!
1 Like
GPA: 3.9 (UW), 4.4 (W)
Class Rank: N/A
SAT: 2360
ACT: 35
SAT Subject Tests:
Chemistry: 790
Math 2: 800
Biology: 800
AP’s (at time of application): 8
Senior AP’s: 4
Teacher Recs: Good
State:
Gender:
Ethnicity: Asian
Income:
Hooks: N/A
Major ECs:
President of a club and other random stuff
Medically related activities:
Physician Shadowing - 60 hours
Research - 400 hours
EMT - 100 hrs
Community Service - 200 hrs
Applied to the following BS/MD Programs:
- University of Rochester REMS - Interview - ACCEPTED
- George Washington - Interview - ACCEPTED
- Boston University - Interview - ACCEPTED
- Penn State - Interview - ACCEPTED
- University of Cincinnati DAP - Interview - ACCEPTED
- Virginia Commonwealth GAP - Interview - ACCEPTED
- NJIT/NJMS - Interview - Declined interview
- RPI/AMC - Interview - Declined Interview
- Northwestern HPME - Interview - Rejected post interview
- UConn - rejected - pre-interview
- UAB - rejected pre-interview
- Brown PLME - rejected
- Pitt GAP - Rejected pre-interview
- Case PPSP - Rejected pre-interview
Applied to the following undergraduate:
- UVA - accepted with Echols scholar
- Dartmouth - rejected
DECISION: VCU GAP
Scholarship / Aid:
Full Ride @ VCU
Full Tuition @ Pitt Undergrad with Chancellor invite
REMS - 20K
GWU - 25K
Cincinnati - half tuition
UAB - half tuition
RPI - 25K
Case - 27K
Reflection:
Plan early. Start writing essays in June/July. Apply early so that senior year work and application process do not affect each other.
GPA: 4.0/4.0 (UW), 5.0/5.0 (W)
Class Rank: School does not rank
ACT: 35
Subscores: English (36), Math (36), Reading (34), Science (34), Writing (33)
SAT: 1560 (new)
SAT Subject Tests:
Math 2: 800
Biology M: 800
U.S. History: 760
AP’s (at time of application)
U.S. History - 5
BC Calculus - 5
Macroeconomics - 5
European History - 4
Physics C Mechanics - 3
Senior AP’s: Biology, Chemistry, Psychology, Language and Composition
Teacher Recs: Did not see any of the letters, but my Biology teacher probably wrote a glowing letter because I worked with her for two years on a research project. AP US History teacher and counselor recs were probably fine. Also got a letter from my research mentor.
State: IL
Gender: F
Ethnicity: Asian (Indian)
Income: 300K+
Hooks: Honestly none…I think I was decently well-rounded in terms of having good stats, ECs, and medical activities. No big awards or anything though besides National Merit Finalist.
Major ECs:
- Science Olympiad - Co-Founder/President
- Writing Tutor at School - Senior Leader
- Math Team - multiple awards at regional and state competitions
- Badminton - Junior Varsity
- Indian Bollywood Dancing
- School Magazine for 1 year - publication won national award
- 2-year independent research program at school
- National Honors Society and World Language Honors Society
- IMSA RISE Research Program - state qualifier
Community Service:
- Hospital Volunteering (111 hours)
- Transitions Hospice Volunteering (about 50 hours)
- Interact Service Club (about 30 hours)
Medically related activities:
Physician Shadowing in underserved community - 60 hours
Research in lung cancer lab at the University of Illinois at Chicago - 300+ hours
Careers in Healthcare course at local community college
Applied to the following BS/MD Programs:
- Penn State/Jefferson - interviewed - ACCEPTED
- University of Oklahoma Medical Humanities Scholars Program - interviewed - ACCEPTED
- TCNJ/NJMS - interviewed - ACCEPTED
- University of Illinois at Chicago GPPA - interviewed - ACCEPTED
- University of Missouri at Kansas City - interviewed - waitlisted
- Case PPSP - rejected pre-interview
- University of Rochester REMS - rejected pre-interview
- George Washington University - rejected pre-supplement
- Drexel/Drexel - rejected pre-interview
- Virginia Commonwealth GAP - rejected pre-interview
Applied to the following undergraduate schools:
- University of Michigan - accepted
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign - accepted
- Georgia Institute of Technology - accepted
- Vanderbilt - accepted
- Northwestern - accepted
- Johns Hopkins - waitlisted
- WashU - rejected
DECISION: University of Illinois at Chicago GPPA!
Strengths: stats, decent medical ECs and decent in-school ECs
Weaknesses: no hooks, not enough leadership or hours for medical activities, mediocre essays
Reflection: Wow…what a process. I’m definitely grateful towards College Confidential for keeping me sane, especially with BS/MD programs and their complicated applications. I know there are a lot of experienced and knowledgeable people on these threads, but I’d like to share what I thought about/learned from the process of applying to BS/MD programs.
Choosing Where To Apply: If your sole aim is to get admission into A direct med program, my best advice is to apply widely. I applied to 10 places in the hopes of receiving one admission. Fortunately, I received multiple offers, and I’m very happy about it. At the same time, I’d advise you to make sure you would actually consider attending the program if accepted. This could possibly help reduce the number of applications you need to submit. I think I applied to a wide range of schools in terms of top/middle/lower tiers. I applied to a few top programs, which I knew I had very little chance of getting in because I thought hey why not. In the end, I don’t regret applying anywhere because they really did not take up too much of my time. I also applied to a good number of schools where I think I had decent chances of receiving an interview.
Get started early on researching these programs. The applications are often not the most straightforward and in order to make sure you don’t miss anything, you should start reviewing what you need to do for each program the summer before you apply. This is especially true if you are applying to several programs. I, for example, did not realize Penn State needed a resume till about a week before the deadline.
Essays: I’d definitely advise future applicants to have solid Why Medicine essays because almost every program asks for some form of it. It’s a lot easier when applying if you have a great essay already at hand. For Why Medicine essays, my advice is to have a story of some sort. I don’t think just saying I volunteered at hospital and that’s why I’m interested in medicine is the best way to go. Really emphasize why they were meaningful experiences. I, for example, talked about being exposed to the disparities in healthcare through my experiences and why that inspired me to pursue medicine. Definitely have someone else read your Why Medicine and Common App essays. It never hurts to have a fresh pair of eyes read your work.
Interviews: Be sure to have strong answers to the standard questions (Why medicine? Why direct? Why us?). Strong responses do not mean memorized responses. Have a list of main points you want to speak about, maybe a few key lines. In the end, you have to sound genuine and not rehearsed. If you want additional practice questions, just look up what they ask in regular medical school interviews. Be very familiar with your resume and be able to speak about anything on it in great detail. If you did research, definitely be sure you can speak about it with great confidence/knowledge as it is very clear when applicants just spent a summer in a lab without knowing what’s going on. Also be familiar with current healthcare and news topics as I did attend a few interviews where some people were asked about them. Interviews will vary across the board. Some of mine were super serious. Some were pretty lighthearted. Some were straightforward. Some were not. Don’t be afraid to laugh. As hard as it may be while under pressure, try to come across as confident and personable. There definitely is an element of luck for interviews, so don’t beat yourself up for an interview you thought went poorly.
Overall: I realized how much of the application process is beyond the applicant’s control. I think the best one can do is present a well-rounded application and prepare well for interviews. Definitely try to get involved in various medical activities as this will give you a lot to talk about in your essays and at your interviews. Try to also have some good in-school ECs with strong leadership. Strong ECs doesn’t mean being involved in everything but rather getting really involved in a few ECs (depth not breadth). I sort of realized this halfway through my high school career. Have some good undergraduate backups and get started early. I am really happy with my decision to attend UIC GPPA (Chicago campus for medical school) and chose to attend it because I will be close to home and pay in-state tuition for both undergrad and medical school. Being located in Chicago, UIC also has plenty of opportunities for research and clinical experiences. Good luck to all future applicants! I apologize if a lot of this advice is given elsewhere, but feel free to PM me with any questions about the process or any specific program I applied to.
@chocolatina1001 Oh my gosh, what do your parents do? Asking so I can get the same jobs and make bank 
@labradoodle5 - Probably physicians or IT 
GPA: 3.95 (UW), 4.70 (W)
Class Rank: school does not rank, but top 1% in a large public high school
ACT: 36
SAT: did not take
SAT Subject:
- Chemistry: 760
- Math 2: 800
AP’s (at time of application):
- U.S. History, World History, Biology, Chemistry, Language & Composition, Spanish, European History, Calculus BC,
Senior AP’s:
- Physics, Literature & Composition, Psychology, Statistics, Macro/Micro Econ, Government & Politics
Teacher Recs:
- Really great, well-rounded letters from all 4 teachers. Didn’t see teachers’ LORs, but was told so. Strong LOR from research advisor.
State: Flyover Country
Gender: F
Ethnicity: Asian American
Income: > 250K
Hooks: None
Major ECs:
- Science Olympiad, Model UN, Youth & Gov., Junior State of America, Spanish National Honor Society
Community Services:
- Many different community volunteerings – 150 hours
Medical Extracurricular Activities:
- Research in a prestigious cancer research institute for two summers - 640 hours
- Local Hospital/VA Hospital Volunteering - 550 hours
Applied to the following BS/MD Programs:
- Rice/Baylor – interviewed – ACCEPTED
- Brown PLME - rejected
- Northwestern HPME - rejected pre-interview
- Pitt GAP - rejected pre-interview
- Case PPSP - rejected pre-interview
- George Washington – interviewed – Alternate – WITHDRAWN
- Penn State/Jefferson - interviewed - ACCEPTED
- RPI/AMC – interview invite – interview DECLINED
Applied to the following undergraduate:
- Michigan – EA - ACCEPTED
- Yale – SCEA deferred - rejected
- Duke – ACCEPTED
- Northwestern – waitlisted after rejection from HPME
Scholarship:
- U Pitt: Full Tuition
- GWU: 25K/year
- Case: 30K/year
DECISION: Rice/Baylor Medical Scholars Program
Reflection: (from a parent’s perspective)
DD is still busy with some AP exams, senior finals and of course, Prom preparation! So I will write up something as a parent.
The application process is time consuming and tedious, be prepared mentally and it is very important to keep disciplines. There will always be Ups and Downs, don’t get stressed out, don’t lose confidence, and don’t lose hope. Like many BS/MD applicants here, DD has solid academic credentials, strong research background and extensive dedication to medical related volunteering, which she loves dearly. She was able to convey her feeling from volunteering experience into her Why Medicine essays. Through hundreds of hours of hospital volunteering and patient interactions, she deeply understood what the medicine is really about and determined that is the career path she wants to embark on. Her research internship in cancer institute exposed herself to the top notch medical research and front line of science. It was superb and eye opening.
DD had memorable interview experiences in Jefferson, GWU and Baylor. All events were very well organized, and Interviewers were all friendly and professional. Conversations were broad, sometimes deep; and DD believed that she was able to connect with interviewers with her true feelings. Philly, DC and Houston are all great vibrant American cities full of opportunities and activities, so DD could see herself in any one of those three great institutes for future training in medicine. Finally, she simply fell in love with Rice and Baylor during her interview; and she is extremely grateful for the opportunity to pursue her dream in Rice/Baylor and Texas Medical Center.
As a parent, I could not be more thankful for the information, advices and supports from BS/MD CC community. I believe that all the dedicated CC BS/MD applicants, in the BS/MD program or not, will eventually meet each other on the path of medicine in the future, as long as they stay focused and keep doing things they love wherever they are.
Good luck to everyone!
DD is busy with her IB exams this and next week. I am helping her to post the result. Hopefully, future students can benefit from this.
GPA: 4.0 (UW), 4.5 (W) (by end of junior year)
Class Rank: school does not rank
ACT: 34
SAT:Math 780, Reading:750
SAT Subject Tests:
English literature: 770
Math 2: 800
IB full diploma
(Physic HL, English HL, US history HL, Biology HL, math SL, World religious SL, Chinese SL)
AP’s
U.S. Gov – 5
Cals BC-4
Teacher Recs: Really great I think, very good relationship with the school counselor and teachers, also hospital doctor she worked during the research project.
Gender: F
Ethnicity: Asian American
Hooks: Nothing
Major ECs:
- Key Club: co-founder, president
- Paid Math Tutor
- STEAM Makers co-founder
- Science Olympiad
- Medical Society
Community Service:
- Volunteering through ECs – 200+ hours
- Local church - 100 hours
Medically related activities:
Physician Shadowing - 50 hours
2 Researches – 400+ hours- one of project will have name published on the paper as co-author
Hospital volunteering – 4 hours per week since age of 15. (300+ hours)
AWARDS:
Piano- national Guild Audition since 2005 to present.
Drawing since the age of 8- Won multiple Art drawing competitions.
Won 1st and 2 places in State Science (Protein Model, Anatomy, and Disease Detectives so on).
Applied to the following BS/MD Programs:
- Brown PLME - Rejected
- Pitt GAP - interviewed – ACCEPTED
- Case PPSP – Rejected pre-interview
Applied to the following undergraduate:
- UVA- Accepted EA
DECISION: PITT GAP
Reflection:
from DD’s thought:
“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer” Romans 12:12
These last few weeks have been filled with so much hope! Hope in God and hope for the future … Being one of 9 students accepted into UPitt’s GMed program has seriously been a dream come true! Seriously so blessed to be part of the University of Pittsburgh’s class of 2021 and University of Pittsburgh’s Medical School class of 2025! I am so humbled and excited by what’s to come!
It has been a long journey since DD decided in medicine when was a 9th grader. All I can say is GOD’s work. DD did not have time to apply more BS/MD programs . We decided if she did not make into
BS/MD, she will just go to State school to save money for later traditional route.
Her credential is not high compared with many competitors, But here is our summary about her strengths:
- Maybe her essay.
- Also, all her actives involved very deep.
3, Maybe her volunteer at the hospital has directly connected with patients after surgery care. - Well prepared interview. her talking points connects into her essay emphasize on maturity and compassion.
We have no doctor in our family, we have no medical connection, all her medical related activities were she took initiative by writing the email to random hospital doctors. then she got some response. My advice is, be more proactive, there are doctors are willing to help motivated students to full fill their dream.
Hi CC community. If there are any people wishing to apply to BS/MD programs this upcoming fall and need advice/guidance please PM me. I have a lot of time to kill before college starts, so I’d like to help out in any way!
Hi, do you think you can help me? I have a lot of questions about applying for this program
GPA: 4.0 (UW); 4.67 (W)
Class Rank: N/A
SAT: 2380
Subscores: Math (790), Reading (800), Writing (790)
SAT Subject Tests:
Biology: 800
Chemistry: 800
Math 2: 800
AP’s at time of application (11 total, 5 on all AP exams):
Biology
Calculus AB
Calculus BC
Chemistry
English Language and Composition
Macroeconomics
Microeconomics
Physics 2
Spanish Language and Composition
Statistics
United States History
World History
Senior AP’s (6 in senior year):
Physics C Mechanics
Computer Science
English Literature and Composition
United States Government and Politics
Psychology
Environmental Science
Teacher Recs: (Hopefully) Excellent
State: PA
Gender: M
Ethnicity: Indian American
Hooks: Don’t think I had any major “hooks,” like URM, low-income, etc.
Major ECs:
- Research (since freshman year; oral, poster presentations at professional scientific conferences)
- Future Business Leaders of America (national and state award winner)
- Flute (award winner)
- Science Competitions (USABO, USNCO, Science Bowl, science fairs, etc.)
- Speech/Debate, Model UN - Parliamentarian
- Mu Alpha Theta (National Math Honor Society) - Treasurer
- Science Bowl Team - Founder & Captain
- Chess Club - President
- Musical Outreach Club - Secretary
- Boy Scouts - Life Scout Rank
- Tennis
- Spanish Club
- National Honor Society
Community Service:
- Physical Therapy volunteer at local hospital
- Teach chess at local elementary school
- Volunteer w/ local rotary club at VA Hospital
- Perform music at local venues like retirement communities, hospitals, libraries w/ Musical Outreach Club
Medically related activities:
- 4 years of biomedical research at University of Pittsburgh (worked in the lab during school year and summer); 2 years in a transplant immunology lab; 2 years in a molecular imaging lab
- Volunteered at local hospital, VA hospital
- Shadowed transplant nephrologist
- Shadowed cardiologist
Major Awards/Honors (Did my best to cut it down from my CV, sorry for the length):
Academic
- 2017 National Merit Scholar
- Coca-Cola Scholars Program Semifinalist
- National AP Scholar Award
Research
- Oral Presentation, American Medical Informatics Association 2016 Annual Symposium (12th grade)
- First & Presenting Author, Poster Presentation at University of Pittsburgh Science 2016 (12th grade)
- First & Presenting Author, Poster Presentation at University of Pittsburgh Science 2015 (11th grade)
- Coauthor, Poster Presentation at World Transplant Congress 2014, Poster of Distinction (10th grade)
Science/Math
- Semifinalist, United States of America Biology Olympiad (11th grade)
- Semifinalist, United States National Chemistry Olympiad (11th grade)
- National Winner, President’s Environmental Youth Award (11th grade)
- Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science (PJAS):
o 1st Place in State Competition (11th, 9th grade)
o 1st Place in Regional Competition – Perfect Score (11th, 9th grade)
o Director’s Award in Biology (11th grade)
o Provost’s Award from Duquesne University (11th grade)
o Multidisciplinary Science Award (11th grade)
- 3rd Place & Regional Finalist, Southwestern Pennsylvania Science Bowl (11th grade)
Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA)
- National Awards:
o National Finalist in Economics (11th Grade)
o 5th Place in Introduction to Business (10th grade)
- State (Pennsylvania) Awards:
o 3rd Place in Economics (11th grade)
o 2nd Place in Introduction to Business (10th grade)
Forensics and Model United Nations
- Best Large Delegation, University of Pittsburgh Model United Nations Conference (12th grade)
- 1st Place in Impromptu Speaking, Penn State Erie Speech and Debate Tournament (10th grade)
- 2nd Place, University of Pittsburgh Model United Nations Conference (10th grade)
Flute
- Selected as 1st Flute, 2nd Chair in PMEA District Orchestra (11th grade)
- Selected as 1st Flute, 3rd Chair in PMEA District Honors Band (11th grade)
- Selected as 1st Flute in PMEA District Band East (11th grade)
- Selected as 2nd Flute, 4th Chair in Allegheny Valley Honors Band (9th grade)
Spanish
- Silver Medal, National Spanish Exam Level IV (10th grade)
Applied to the following BS/MD Programs:
- Northwestern HPME - interview - ACCEPTED
- Brown PLME - Rejected RD
- University of Pittsburgh GAP - interview - Rejected
- Washington University in St. Louis USP - Rejected pre-interview
- Case Western PPSP - Rejected pre-interview
Applied to the following undergraduate:
- Yale - ACCEPTED (Likely Letter)
- Duke - ACCEPTED (A.B. Duke Scholar - Full-ride merit scholarship)
- Johns Hopkins University - ACCEPTED (Hodson Trust Scholar - $35K/yr merit scholarship)
- University of Pennsylvania Vagelos Program in Life Sciences and Management - ACCEPTED
- Case Western Undergrad - ACCEPTED
- University of Pittsburgh Undergrad - ACCEPTED (Honors College)
- WUSTL Undergrad - ACCEPTED
- Brown Undergrad - Waitlisted
- University of Michigan - Waitlisted
- Stanford - Rejected
DECISION: Northwestern HPME
Scholarship / Aid: None. Don’t qualify.
Reflection in next post.
Continued from previous post
Reflection:
More than anything, what I took away from this application process was an overwhelming impression of the unpredictability of college and medical school admissions as well as a much greater appreciation for my amazing peers all over the country. During the process of interviewing for BA/MD programs and undergraduate scholarships I met so many fantastic people with astounding accomplishments that truly blew my mind, but the truth of the matter is that none of them, no matter how successful they were, got into every school/program they applied to, underscoring the unpredictable nature of this process. So, don’t be disheartened by a few, or even many, rejections - all you need is one acceptance to the right place for you.
In terms of BA/MD admissions, I cannot stress enough the importance of the essays and the interview. While most of the applicants will have the same stellar scores and extracurriculars that you do, what differentiates those that are accepted from those that are not is the personal aspect of the application process - the passion, personality, and institutional fit that come through in your writing and during the face-to-face interactions on interview day. In my experience, I found the institutional fit to be a factor whose significance I underestimated in the BA/MD application process. In my applications, I clearly articulated not only my passion for medicine but also my strong interests in business and bioinformatics, stating my firm intention to pursue a career as a physician-scientist and physician-executive. While these auxiliary interests fit with the vision of Northwestern HPME, which aims to foster multi-dimensional physicians through flexible undergraduate curriculum and the immense accessibility of pursuing multiple degrees (like an MBA, MPH, etc.) during medical school, I felt that other programs, Pitt GAP and CWRU PPSP in particular, sought candidates with a desire to be purely clinicians. Similarly, I found Brown PLME to have a heavy preference for candidates with a strong inclination toward the arts and humanities. These selective preferences among programs are actually a benefit to the applicant, though, since it essentially saves you from potentially choosing a program that doesn’t fit your interests.
One last piece of advice I have, which applies to both BA/MD and general undergraduate admissions, is to not lose sight of the end of the application process - choosing which school you want to spend the next 4 (or 7-8 yrs) at. In the stress of college admissions, with countless essays and interviews as well as ever-looming deadlines, it is easy to get swept into an “applicant’s mindset” - in the process of selling yourself to a school, you will focus on all the positives of every school you’re applying to and you will find yourself falling in love with all of these schools, and this is not necessarily a bad thing. However, when you get all of your decisions back by April 1st, you will only have a month to make a choice by May 1st. Having sold myself on all of the schools/programs I was applying to, it was especially difficult for me to choose between schools, especially between Northwestern HPME, Yale, Duke (A.B. Duke Scholar), and UPenn LSM. Ultimately, I had to take a step back and evaluate what was really important to me and what I valued in a school. Personally, this was a strange transition to make - from selling myself to schools, the dynamics shifted to schools selling themselves to me - and I found it somewhat difficult to look critically at these amazing programs. Nevertheless, I am confident I made the right decision in choosing HPME and I look forward to what awaits me during the next seven years at Northwestern.
Feel free to reach out and ask me any questions you may have. I am happy to help!
1 Like
@rc2017 - great post(s). I am little surprised that you gave up Duke and JHU scholarships for full pay at Northwestern.
Thank you @rc2017 for the stats. Wish more people had shared theirs. For my part I will share my daughter’s in a brief and useful fashion. She has opted to go to BU SMED program.
Here they are:
GPA at time of applying: 3.83 (UW); 4.26 (W)
Class Rank: N/A
ACT 1 sitting: 35(.25)
Subscores: Math 36, English 36, Reading 33, Science 36
SAT: Not taken
SAT Subject Tests:
Chemistry: 800
Math 2: 790
AP’s at time of application ( 5 on all AP exams):
Biology
Calculus BC
Chemistry
Microeconomics
Senior AP’s expecting 5s on all of them as well:
Physics C Mechanics
Physics C E&M
Macroeconomics
Statistics
Psychology
College courses at community college:
Business
College Composition
Teacher Recs: (Hopefully) Excellent
State: NJ
Gender: F
Ethnicity: Asian Indian American
Hooks: None
Major ECs:
- National Honor Society Executive Committee
Community Service:
- Multiple since freshman year
- President’s gold medallion
Medically related activities:
- Shadowed gastroenterologist in junior and senior years
Research
- Worked with a cognitive scientist at Johns Hopkins during summer of junior year and presented a paper at the conclusion (not published)
Science/Math
- Volunteer at Liberty Science center for 2 years.
Cultural:
- Learned classical Indian dance for 10+ years and graduated (Arangetram)
Other:
- Marching band, flutist and member of the 4 time state champion school team
- Performed at SuperBowl and Disney World
DECISION: Boston University Accelerated Liberal Arts Medical program
Scholarship / Aid: None
@rk2017 - Thanks for posting. Can you please also provide which BS/MD and UG programs your D applied and the outcomes.
Saw a news item in this week’s local newspaper. Bhavana a girl from East Bay area American HS is one of 6 selected for BS/MD at Rice/Baylor for 2017. (In 2015 cycle a girl from South Bay got selected for Rice/Baylor)
2017
GPA : 5.16 (w), 3.9 (uw)
Rank : 5/432
ACT : 34
Shadowing : Plentiful
Volunteer : Plentiful (Hospital, community events, etc)
Clubs : HOSA, Physics, NHS, Math Team, and many more
Work Experience: Med Tech (part time summer job), certified Life Guard
Physician Relative : none
Race : Multi
Applied at : UAB, USA, UAH (I applied only in-state)
Results :
UAH - Full tuition + Housing : No Medical School
USA - Full tuition + additional scholarship COMEAP : Selected
UAB - Full tuition + additional scholarship EMSAP: Interviewed but not selected
Decision : USA
Did not post sooner. Since I am only interested with in-state universities. I am very happy with my decision. There were some anxious moments of waiting. One of the physician I shadowed, he advises me to study hard, do well and follow my dream.
If you are interested in any of the three universities, they are all good. They are very generous with their scholarship funding. Specially if you are in-state. Nothing beats a full tuition undergraduate degree.