<p>Just curious to see if there is anyone on this board who is or has been in HMS...number 1 med school (in med research) according to US news...because its something I aim for, although it will be a reach...</p>
<p>anyways, what did you do thats different? Obviously (for most people) you had amazing grades and EC's but what else did you do/can i do to strengthen my chances?</p>
<p>thanks in advance.</p>
<p>I go to Harvard Med.</p>
<p>...as a PhD student. :)</p>
<p>My med student classmates seem pretty normal, as people go -- smart, for sure, but they seem to have had a variety of experiences as undergrads.</p>
<p>I'll be going to HMS next year. I'd be happy to share my advice if you PM me but I'll tell you up front that I'm skeptical of the notion that one can "design their life" to suit an admissions commitee. I think if your passions come from within, a lot of the rest falls into place. I'm also skeptical of the notion that you know you want to go to Harvard without getting to know the school. Like colleges, med schools all have different characters to them and you need to find one that is right for you.</p>
<p>I am not sure, but from what I've heard Harvard has an amazing Medical School.
I'd say you should really look into it.</p>
<p>first off, i would just like to thank you all for the responses so far!</p>
<p>Zipper, I understand I cannot change myself and shouldnt just to get accepted into a certain college but i just want to kno what I can do to help me get in, little things. Im not saying I will change my lifestyle from beginning to end, as some ppl might try. Also, i definitley have a passion for biology and sciences of the like, especially neurology which is my main area of interest. And what you said about not knowing I want to go to Harvard...is somewhat true. I would say it depends on the person, some ppl might just say "oh i have to go to that school" for no reason, but I have looked into Harvard and im not saying if i dont get in, i wont go anywhere else, but i almost need to go to HMS. </p>
<p>For me, I can say that i have already chosen a college i would prefer to go to, whether i get in or not, i have made that decision.</p>
<p>Not to sound negative in response to ur post, but im just getting that out there. Although I really appreciate your posts so far and the feedback does help because it will help me to understand different viewpoints such as yous.</p>
<p>Once again, thanks!</p>
<p>Nice Post Brah</p>
<p>Rip, I absolutely don't mean to dissuade you if you think HMS is a great place where you can thrive and are fortunate enough to know this already. I just mean to discourage the notion that there is a right way to medical school (or college for that matter) admissions. In the end, the people who I've found to be most successful both in the process and in life have been the people who have ignored the perceived norm for admissions and have gone and done other things that they're passionate about. In stark contrast, are the mothers like one at my high school who asked our college counselor what steps her kindergarten-aged son needed to take to get into Harvard. If you're truly passionate, interesting, and interested, I feel that you should be afforded all the opportunities that such schooling can permit, and I don't mean to discourage you one bit. If you'd like specific advice, feel free to PM me.</p>
<p>yes, i understand what you are saying...i guess that my goal to go to HMS may have transformed (just a bit) into a plan to please the Harvard admissions officer just to get it. It's just that all I keep hearing is in order to get into a place like that, you need something (an X factor) to differentiate yourself from other applicants, i.e. curing cancer...</p>
<p>and i will definitley PM you soon, thanks!</p>
<p>wow
do you know that they only accept 4%</p>
<p>Yes, but most medical schools have admit rates that are comparable. When you apply to medical school, you apply to something on the order of 20 schools on average so the application numbers are high and thus the admit rates comparably low.</p>
<p>thug, its not like i dont kno that already, lol</p>
<p>its not the only college i am applying to, obviously, its my reach...my very far reach.</p>
<p>I used to be on the admissions committee of HMS. I would suggest that you try your best to get into medical school first. Gaining admittance into a particular medical school, particularly one like HMS, may be even more unpredictable than getting into a particular elite college. There are so many strong applicants that it is very hard to differentiate among them. Moreover, your acceptance may hinge on intangibles on whether your interviewer clicked with you or not. Nothing you can do about that-and it happens in other stages of ones' career. Going to Harvard College may give you a slight advantage only because premed counselors, profs, and curriculum will be well-known by the admissions committee. Having said that, I remember one candidate who graduated summa from Harvard writing to me asking why she was not accepted to HMS. I honestly could not give her an answer; however, I definitely would say that academic excellence does not mean automatic admission-almost all appliants are academically qualified. Most top medical schools require top grades, MCATs, and I would say excellence or leadership in at least one activity. I think this ensures that students can juggle a demanding schedule and still have a normal life, something that all physicians must wrestle with professionally. It really doesn't matter what you do-athletics, theater, student government, community service, tutoring, etc. Do it and do it well. I also think some research and clinical exposure is important to show that you have explored medicine as a career. Although it happens only rarely, medical schools do not want students to drop out. Perhaps more commonly, they do not want students to burn out, but to be passionate and commited to their chosen career. Last, medical schools do have different characteristics (e.g., HMS has the New Pathway curriculum); on the other hand, there are not many students that will hold multiple acceptances to top medical schools. Additionally, medical schools are, in a certain sense, a trade school where students gain some core knowledge, clinical reasoning skills, and clinical experience. A lot of what you learn is from a large pool of teachers, housestaff, fellow students, and patients. Ultimately, you become your own best teacher. Finally, unlike law, where your law school degree is an important marketing tool for the firm, where you graduate from medical school is not as critical unless you go into academic medicine. Your patients generally do not care where you graduate from as long as you provide excellent and compassionate care.</p>
<p>wow, I really appreciate all of you taking the time to talk to me about this. It seems I have given the wrong idea, or maybe have the wrong idea. I will take all of your advice when it comes time for me to apply. </p>
<p>Just to clear anything up that may be cloudy, I will try to get into med school first. I will apply to 20 or so colleges, and I know that Harvard has a very small acceptance rate. I also understand that I can not be a certain type of student to please an admissions officer. </p>
<p>When I go on College Confidential and look at posts about Harvard, usually I see something like "its impossible" and "its too much of a reach" and many variations of those. Still, there ARE those who get in, so it is not impossible. And I was just curious as to what, if anything, was on their application that stood out amongst other students. Not that I will go out and do those things, but I am just curious. Most that apply DO have top notch grades, thats a fact, but something distinguishes the accepted from the rejected...</p>
<p>Again, thank you all for taking the time to talk to me about this. You dont (or probably do) understand what this means to me.</p>
<p>Hi pmyen,</p>
<p>This is kind of general, but do medical schools take into consideration a student's course load in college, i.e. if he took advanced courses versus regular courses?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>They take a close look at the premed required courses because everyone has to take them. They they make sure that you have achieved excellence and depth in your academic area of interest-it could be biology, biochemistry, music, history, or even English literature. The major doesn't matter as long as one does well in the premed courses.</p>
<p>I understand the requirements, but, for example, suppose one took advanced organic chemistry rather than regular organic chemistry, and consequently earned a lower grade in the class. I've also heard that some schools simply have a cutoff GPA for narrowing down applicants. Although I would probably take the harder, more in-depth course, would that be recommended with my GPA at risk?</p>
<p>If you are a science major (particularly Bio or Chem), I would take the advanced organic chemistry. If not, I don't think it makes much difference. Remember the key is excellence in your chosen field of study in addition to the required premed courses.</p>