<p>Looking for advice about this program. Is it truly a worthwhile venture? Seems like an awful lot of work to do while trying to complete med school applications and such. My daughter is graduating college this June and wants to join this program before trying to get into med school. First, I would imagine that it's difficult to teach all day (esp. as a novice teacher) and attend classes in the evening (possibly for certification requirements). There are grades to compute, papers to correct, etc. The two year committment seems tough. I may add that I am a teacher and it is exhausting to say the least! How can she prepare for med school apps. I noticed on the website that the partnerships talk about the deferral option, but what about the students who have not yet applied to med schools? How are they given preference in admissions?</p>
<p>So...how much is this worth? Anyone with experience with Teach for America and medical school applications? I do think that she needs to get some real-world experience (she has some excellent ECs already) but this seems like an enormous amount that work that will leave her little time to work on her applications, etc.</p>
<p>Thanks for any advice!!</p>
<p>Many med schools, including some top tier med schools, would look quite favorably on a 2 year commitment to such a worthwhile undertaking. At some schools recent 21-22 year old grads are at a disadvantage. That being said, it would not be something I’d do just as an app enhancer.</p>
<p>My D was recruited heavily by the Teach for America bunch and considered it. Had they approached her BEFORE app year , she may have done it. As to the practicalities of applying while serving, I can’t really speak to that from a knowledgeable vantage point but it does seem to be a difficult proposition if the student intends to apply to schools where lots of flying is involved to interview. Heck, my kid had trouble making time to go to interviews just going to college. Some of her interviews required missing 3 days of classes. I imagine missing 3 days of work would be an impossibility.</p>
<p>EDIT: I don’t think the apps themselves would be that bad. Just the interviews.</p>
<p>Should have said this to begin with…IMO the great “separator” and “decider” for most applicants at many schools is the MCAT. A mediocre MCAT can be overcome, but getting the highest score possible should be “a” (if not “the”) primary focus of the med school applicant. This is NOT something my D or I knew coming in. In her decision not to re-take a “good” score, “we” (because I advised against a re-take) bought in a little too much to the “holistic” review. The process is “holistic review” but you are going to be invited to a lot more dances if you have a gorgeous MCAT. Watching sdn results come in , and seeing only the top MCAT kids getting early acceptances to her top schools, my D is regretting her decision not to retake.</p>
<p>So, with that in mind, MCAT preparation is another consideration in her two year stint.</p>
<p>The TFA app process is just a couple of short essays, a phone interview and an in-person interview, which is several hours (and a couple of recs). Thus in and of itself, it’s not much effort and the essay part of the app can be completed in the summer. </p>
<p>But, to curm’s point about the mcat – there will be little time to prep for the mcat after senior year. TFA has a 5+ week training program, which is ~12 hours per day over the summer (including student teaching, “homework”, and training/teamwork building), and then the Corps member is off to school to teach. They also have required credentialing courses, depending on the state.</p>
<p>So mcat prep is really after Junior year of college, or after TFA is at least one year out. But then, no scores on which to apply…</p>
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<p>I really question that statement. (Not that I question curm, who one of cc’s more knowledgeable posters.) But as in the college admissions game, doing one thing precludes another. Thus, is it the age factor that med schools prefer, so doing something, almost anything, for two years is better? Would two years working in a scientific research lab or free health clinic with direct patient care be better (looked up more favorably) than two years in TFA?</p>
<p>Nah, TFA is one of the best things you can do regardless of what you’re replacing – or, for that matter, what you’re applying for.</p>
<p>One of the questions we get a lot is “How is activity X looked at by adcoms?” As I’ve always said, if it’s easy to do, adcoms won’t value it. </p>
<p>TFA, Peace Corps, etc. are grueling, both the nature of the work and the time commitment. That’s why they are highly regarded in the admissions process. The people who do them definitely have a passion for the work or else they’d choose something easier (like lab research or a normal job) for their 2 years.</p>
<p>thanks bdm & ncm…I knew curm would not steer us wrongly.</p>
<p>Not to pass over bb’s point, 'cause it’s a good one. There are less grueling options for service (or employment) and yes. I do think the 24 yo with two years _________(insert worthwhile experience here) is in better shape at some schools than the straight from UG grad. But still not in as good shape as the TFA/Peace Corps kid. Everyone knows it can be pretty brutal.</p>
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<p>uhhh…We are all in this leaky boat together, bb …and IIRC I have depended on you many times to bail water. 
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<p>BTW That was good insider knowledge on the TFA app/training process and I’m sure it helped plenty.</p>
<p>Just wondering…the recruiter made it seem that it is ultra difficult to get into this program. I’m not sure why that would be the case but, you never know. It seems like these new college grads will be placed in difficult areas, classrooms, etc. Is it simply selective because they are trying to weed out students who will not be able to complete the 2 year committment? I’m cautious about the recruiting effort as my daughter was actively recruited for this program. Thanks again…I’m enjoying the input!</p>
<p>1.) It is; the recruiter’s pretty correct. TFA is particularly picky about undergraduate institution. My sense is that they go easier on Princeton kids (and similar schools) than the kids I know from Duke, and conversely easier on Duke kids (and similar schools) than the kids I know from everywhere else.</p>
<p>2.) That’s not the only reason it’s selective, although that’s part of it. It’s partly because the program doesn’t have enough money to accommodate all the folks who would otherwise want to work for such a prestigious unit.</p>
<p>jennsmom:</p>
<p>there is a thread on cc that addressed some of your questions. I’ll see if I can find it later.</p>
<p>TFA definitely wants kids who will STAY for two years, and perhaps consider education a career. Turnover is huge in the education world, and TFA’s critics say TFA is no better; thus TFA is sensitive to commitment. They want to ensure that some liberal arts kids are not just signing up to buttress a later law school app. STEM grads and quant jocks are in particular demand. Living in the 'hood for two years and dealing with all that goes on in such high schools is not for the faint of heart, so they are also seeking kids who have faced some sort of adversity in thier own lives (so they can relate). Finally, of course, just like selective undergrad college admissions, TFA seeks out the normal ECs demonstrating passion and leadership.</p>
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<p>You know, I don’t think this is right–or, at least, it wasn’t a few years ago when I was in college. TFA heavily advertises the rates at which its alums enter top law and medical schools. TFA considers itself a platform for launching professional careers while providing a public service.</p>
<p>They definitely want you committed for the full two years. I agree with that. But I think they often specifically aim for students who will go on to professional school.</p>
<p>The fact hat they push so heavily the resume building aspect of TFA is exactly why I didn’t do it.</p>
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<p>Sure they do, and its great spin for 22 year-olds. It’s no different than xx college “heavily” advertising its 90% acceptance rate to med school. :D</p>
<p>While TFA advertises one thing to college seniors, it advertises something totally different to funders, and the government – they tout their success rate of placing kids into education careers!</p>
<p>Nevertheless, my point was not as clear as it should have been: TFA doesn’t want kids who are solely trying to buttress their grad school app and/or take a couple of years off between undergrad and grad. Obviously, a great desire to serve the community must exist.</p>
<p>Here’s a link from parents much more knowledgeable than me.</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/453927-teach-america-any-one-done.html?highlight=TEach+for+America[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/453927-teach-america-any-one-done.html?highlight=TEach+for+America</a></p>
<p>Thanks so much. I forwarded this info/link to my daughter so that she will be better informed. As a teacher in an inner city, I have lots of concerns about placing young adults in difficult classrooms without any formal training. Knowing one’s content and being able to maintain an orderly classroom does not always go hand in hand. It takes time to develop classroom management skills, and if the “teachers” do not aspire to the teaching profession, I’m not sure it’s worth all of the effort needed to complete the two years. </p>
<p>Thanks again!</p>
<p>We did good, huh? Great job on the thread , guys and gals. This is the way it’s supposed to be done.</p>
<p>I’m not sure whether TFA puts their teachers through “formal” training, but they certainly put their teachers through extensive training. From my friends in TFA, it ends up being a 60- to 70-hour per week commitment because of the extensive review that TFA uses for them.</p>
<p>As best as we can measure, TFA teachers unambiguously outperform the preexisting school system. With that said, they also have unbelievably high burnout rates.</p>
<p>Yes, they do have formal training. It’s 5+ weeks in the summer after college graduation, which relates to my earlier point: little time to prep for mcat in the summer after senior year. TFA also sponsors ongoing professional development.</p>
<p>[Teach</a> For America - Training](<a href=“http://www.teachforamerica.org/corps/training.htm]Teach”>http://www.teachforamerica.org/corps/training.htm)</p>
<p>I wasn’t sure what JM considered “formal.”</p>