<p>You have to respect them for being honest about their cutoff numbers, rather than hint at a lower 1300 but with their average acceptance at 1485…not very holistic and quite misleading!</p>
<p>That is why it is “BS” to claim that all applications are reviewed holistically. There have to be some guidelines and it is only after sieving through those who satisfy the minimum guidelines that the holistic part comes into play, when faced with candidates of the same stats.</p>
<p>anybody know WHY exactly these programs have specific numerical cutoffs (im not complaining, im above the cutoff) for their programs while top schools like harvard/stanford don’t have cutoffs? I know they get alot of applicants for less spots, but there must be more easier ways to make a decision about the first cut…</p>
<p>@matrixsurgeon, probably because these are all “lesser” schools (do get me wrong, I am not belittling these schools but just using the term for comparison). So they want to make sure that applicants know that admissions to the combined programs are not going to be as easy as if you are applying for general admissions to the schools. Whereas, everyone knows that it is difficult to get into the Ivies and the top league schools unless you have very high scores (or if you have connections or an athletes, for Harvard). So, there is not the need to specify the cutoffs.</p>
<p>Pretty much. I mean ask nearly anyone and they’ll say they’re not cut-out for getting into harvard despite amazing everything. It’s just become a socially accepted thing that ivies are at this godly high standard as everyone sees it. With the BS/MD programs, there’s still lots of people who don’t even know that they exist…</p>
<p>@IMGDAD: “That is why it is “BS” to claim that all applications are reviewed holistically.”
was that an intentional pun there? Had to read it twice LOL good one.</p>
<p>Just had my interview with NJIT today!
The campus, I’d have to agree with the rest of you, is not great. We know that, they know that, everybody knows that Newark isn’t exactly safe so the campus would be just average. Honestly though, with the heightened security all over campus, I think as long as I’m smart about it, I’ll have a pretty safe experience but it sucks that I have to worry about that 24/7.
The Interim Dean spoke for, I think, an extended and unnecessary amount of time as most of the information she said was already listed on the website or she was probably just trying to scare all of us. Of course, we all know it’s highly competitive and I have to say I was pretty intimidated when she started mentioning the caliber of this year’s applicants. The people around me seemed to be pretty strong candidates; some of the applicants knew each other and the parents were very knowledgeable about the programs as I listened to their gossip haha. The interviews were shorter than I expected but the questions are very basic. I was so nervous before my interview, but once I started talking, the nerves faded lol</p>
<p>Anyone know how many applicants they send to NJMS to be interviewed?</p>
<p>has anyone received an info packet about what materials Upittsburgh wants from students who indicated pre-medicine and are interested in GAP for medicine? i sent my application in like in august and received my acceptance letter to the university and for any honors things i want to do, but i haven’t gotten anything related to GAP yet so i’m kind of getting worried :3</p>
<p>has anyone received an info packet about what materials Upittsburgh wants from students who indicated pre-medicine and are interested in GAP for medicine? i sent my application in like in august and received my acceptance letter to the university and for any honors things i want to do, but i haven’t gotten anything related to GAP yet so i’m kind of getting worried :3</p>
<p>@IMGDAD hahah I like that. “BS” 
@GreenSage I’m sure your ECs outweigh your scores. Also, a lot of this is a crapshoot, and you know you tried your best, so it’s the schools loss if they don’t accept you. The only reason I can think of that they might have cut-offs in addition to what IMGDAD said is that SAT scores are <em>supposedly</em> a good indicator of future MCAT scores, and they want to get students who are <em>good</em> at standardized testing? IDK it’s all “BS” lolz</p>
<p>I’m starting to get nervous about all this…</p>
<p>A college admissions officer I know once told me that a low GPA reflects that the student has been a slag, a high GPA means the student has diligent, and a high test score means the student has a higher academic caliber. ??? When my daughter applied to the United Kingdom last year, we found that all the schools (including Oxford) ignored the GPA because “GPA are not standardized”, whereas SAT or ACT are standardized.</p>
<p>APs and IBs are also considered standardized.</p>
<p>@IMGdad
good point you made earlier about some of them not being that wellknown and can’t practically do holistic review. In a way this is gonna sound radical, but i thikn a reason why sometimes our education system lacks that standardized component which is VERY VERY VERY important (test scores are miportant but not most and grades differ school vs school depending on inflation/deflation) that most systems have in other countries like India, most of europe, etc. for example the IB stuff? A-levels? pretty heavily standarized. and sure the APs are standardized here in america but they def are not constant across the board… even the IB schools here have a wierd way of doign IB which is completely off what the rest of hte world does. US’s college and higher education system is THE best in the world, but secondary system? i doubt it… just my opinion.</p>
<p>@IMGdad
good point you made earlier about some of them not being that wellknown and can’t practically do holistic review. In a way this is gonna sound radical, but i thikn a reason why sometimes our education system lacks that standardized component which is VERY VERY VERY important (test scores are miportant but not most and grades differ school vs school depending on inflation/deflation) that most systems have in other countries like India, most of europe, etc. for example the IB stuff? A-levels? pretty heavily standarized. and sure the APs are standardized here in america but they def are not constant across the board… even the IB schools here have a wierd way of doign IB which is completely off what the rest of hte world does. US’s college and higher education system is THE best in the world, but secondary system? i doubt it… just my opinion.</p>
<p>@matrixsurgeon, well said. Having educated in the United Kingdom and been used to only looking at standardized test scores, I agree to a certain extent what my college admissions office friend told me about the differences between GPA and test scores. Although SAT are really a lot easier than the standardized tests in the United Kingdom (e.g. A levels), SAT is nevertheless the standardized tests for this country and so one has to accept that. APs are okay but viewed outside the US as of lower standards to IBs, which in turn is viewed as lower standards to A-levels.</p>
<p>I thought I had read an article on a study did in California and how that GPA and SAT II subject tests turn out to be a better indicator of college success compared to SAT tests. No mention of AP’s in that report… just interesting</p>
<p>@shadow… thanks for starting a thread for the 2014 applicants. It will be nice to know whats happening with the application process. Hope there are similar threads for the 2014 application cycle for other BS/MD programs too, so it is easier to see whats happening with the application process for each of the popular programs.</p>
<p>Hi All
If any of you are applying for this program please post whats happening with the application progress, like received email confirmation, received interview notification etc… so others can monitor their applications as well. </p>
<p>Each year there is some one or the other who misses a deadline or did not see an email from the college because the email went to spam folder.</p>
<p>Good Luck</p>
<p>Any one else having issues editing to fill out Drexel Med school supplement?</p>
<p>Any one filling out Drexel med supplement have issues with editing the pdf?</p>
<p>@chillychews, around 60 were interview at NJIT and about 30 applications will be forwarded to NJMS. However, only 15 of those will get the medical school interview in March.
@starlight27, definitely agree. It’s hard to not be nervous. Such severe fluctuations of emotions ahaha
@matrixsurgeon, I definitely agree with you. I have studied in various other countries and going to school in America is academically not as great or “equal” in perspectives. But the country definitely is known across the board for the University education. All my foreign friends just would love to be able to study here, it’s amazing in a way.
In terms of AP classes: they are ridiculously overrated. At my school, the AP classes far exceed the actual rigor of college classes for the corresponding subjects. It varies between schools, yes. But it’s important for colleges to note that every student is still getting a different AP experience at their school.
If any of you are from New Jersey, do you guys remember the NJ ASK? That’s what the SAT seems like, except high school version.</p>