Another student turned down Brooklyn/SUNY Downstate to attend MIT.
Thanks to everyone who provided their thoughtful responses! My daughter has decided to attend Case PPSP and not Yale. It was a difficult decision and she really liked Yale at their Bulldog Days. But thinking long term, she will have a more enjoyable college life at Case, without the constant worry preparing for med school application. She can play D3 sports, join fun clubs, and study abroad. Many of the PPSP students complete the requirements by year 3 and can major in any subject. They get to spend year 4 studying abroad, shadowing, etc. In addition, there is the great merit scholarship Case offered which makes her first four years the same cost as our state schools! Overall a win win for her and us parentsā¦We are finally done with both kids in college. Older son had to choose among Yale, U Penn and a state school with full scholarship four years ago. Thanks to this forum, many parents and students for all of their advice and helpful ideas!
I stand by my earlier assertion that each year most BA-BS/MD combined programs have at least one student that turned down HYPS.
@upstream - you have named 4-5 programs. There are hundred or more combined programs out there. Texas has more than 10 in total.
Lets start with majority instead of most - we need 50+ programs this year which had candidates turn down at least one HYPS school in order to stand by with proof.
Actually there are less of these programs now for out of states residentsā¦It is also very hard to get in oneā¦
I have been following the cc thread for long time and I am really thankful for all the support that cc has provided me through this topsy turvy ride. Also, congratulations to everyone on their admissions. I feel that the decision to choose the right school once you get into a couple of them is equally difficult and stressful. I also need some advice with regards to my D. She got into Ursinus/ drexel program, Stonybrook Medical Scholars Program along with Wise and St. Bonaventure/ GW. She really loves Stonybrook but St. Bonaventure has no MCAT. We live in central jersey. Stonybrook is about 3 hrs away for us and St. Bonaventure is about 6 hrs away. Couple of my friends told me that there is lot of uncertainty in regards with the new MCAT and it will get more and more difficult to get higher scores. I need some advice as to is it worth giving up school with no MCAT for Stonybrook which she has fallen in love with.
Congratulations. It is so nice to have choices. I think no mcat is the better option. Do you mind posting her SAT and gpa?
@sohamaditi My vote is for Stony program since your D has her heart set on it, and also its distance of 3 hrs is perfect for everyone. As far as MCAT requirement goes, Stony does not have unreasonable score requirement such as 36, which is the minimum at WashU program.If your daughter was able to get into multiple combined programs, I donāt think you have to worry about her achieving the national average while at Stony. Let her follow her heart.
@sohamaditi , upstream is dead on, and he is right ! go with Stony!!!
@upstream, @mdiqbal71, @mdbs2016 Thanks for your advice.
@anxiousdadbsmd and @jb9832: thanks for answering my questions and everybody else who have been posting on this thread. the comments were invaluable to navigate through the trying period of last year. Good luck to everybody.
We decided to go with TCNJ/NJMS over RPI/Albany, Stony Brook, And VCU. Is there a Facebook group of TCNJ bs md students.
@sohamaditi you should go to Stony Brook! Iāll be going there this fall too for the med program. PM me! The only thing though is that the deadline to accept the spot was april 24thā¦
Decided to go to UTSA Fame next yr (:
I got off the Stony Brook BSMD waitlist but still decided to stick with my decision of Brooklyn College/ SUNY Downstate BAMD. No matter what may seem like a ābetterā program, all of these opportunities are fantastic! Just a little reminder to everyone to follow their heart during these final hours, and good luck!!
Do I have a chance for these programs with a 2210 (1470) SAT?
@APScholar18 It would depend on what else you have accomplished thus far in such area as music, writing, science, acting, art, sports and other areas of your interst with leadership positions. If you have earned national recognition in area of your interest would greatly enhance your application to such program as Brown PLME. Ironically, mid-tier programs might pursue students with high test scores. It is also given that you need to have explored the field of medicine by volunteering in any institutions that would allow patient contact. Good luck.
Did you guys, who have been successfully accepted into a combined program, show any demonstrated interested in that particular program prior to applying? Demonstrated interest might include visiting the campus prior to the interview notice, writing a letter of interest to the program director and so onā¦
Hereās my situation
I have a 4.0 UW GPA and will have completed 15 APs by graduation. I have l the good stuff like leadership, awards, shadowing, research, hospital volunteering. 760 Bio M subject 790 WH subject. But my normal SAT is a 2210 (1470) will that hurt a lot?
I guess you did not read the post written by a student who got into Brown PLME with ACT score of 29. Although it is only one example, that gives hope to others who might not have āstellarā test scores.
Here is the post:
1
lax1997Posts: 126Registered UserJunior Member
03-19-2015 at 9:41 pm Ā· edited March 19
Rank: Valedictorian 1/165
Unweighted GPA: 4.00
Weighted GPA: 4.57
SAT I (breakdown): Did not take
SAT II: Did not take
ACT (breakdown): 29 Composite, Highest subscores (multiple sittings): Math 32, Reading 32, Science 31, English 25
I was the first person to apply to a BS/MD program from my high school, therefore, my school does not have any track record with these programs and a very weak track record for Ivies ā all but one person ever accepted to any Ivy from my school (which is about 8 in 20 years) were recruited athletes.
APās taken at time of application (place score in parenthesis): Did not submit AP scores. AP Spanish Language, AP Chemistry, APUSH, AP Calc AB, AP Calc BC, AP Human Geography, AP Psychology, AP Government, AP English Language
Senior Year APās: AP Bio, AP Physics 1 and 2, AP Computer Science A, AP Stats, AP Micro, AP Macro
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): Won a National Award in Science (wonāt say which one as it will identify me on Google), World Championship qualifier in Robotics, World ranked in Robotics, multiple robotics awards, Student-Athlete award (also wonāt say which as it will identify me)
Extracurriculars: Robotics Team (Captain), Student Council (Senior Class President, Junior Class President, Sophomore Class President, Freshman Class VP), Foreign Language Club (VP), Academic Decathlon Team, Boys State Delegate, NHS, Varsity Baseball, club travel baseball, play an unusual instrument.
Job/Work Experience: Youth baseball umpire
Volunteer/Community service: Hundreds of hospital volunteer hours, American Red Cross High School Leadership Team, volunteer for a service mission that provides items for the homeless, peer tutor (calculus, Spanish, chemistry, physics)
Summer Activities: Shadowed physicians in many different specialties during the summers, volunteered a lot of hours, worked a lot on Robotics, played travel baseball
Research/publications: NONE
Essays: 10/10. Everyone who read my Common App essay loved it. I felt my Why Brown supplement was also excellent since I truly love Brown and visited multiple times so I had a lot to say.
Teacher Recommendations: One was amazing from a teacher who knows me very well. The other one was probably very strong but the teacher isnāt an overly expressive man so probably was very low key.
Counselor Rec: Probably good, since I have gotten to know her pretty well, but she is new, soā¦
Additional Recs: Submitted two additional. Both were excellent. One was from a Doctor I shadowed and really spent a lot of time with and the other was from the CEO of the American Red Cross where I put in a lot of volunteer time. I submitted the one from the Doctor to support my PLME application.
Strengths: Letters of recommendation, robotics successes, awards, Valedictorian, course rigor, GPA, love for Brown, passion for medicine.
Weaknesses: ACT English score, period.
Why you think you were accepted: Brown and the PLME admissions are truly holistic. I am living proof! Important: I made the most out of everything that my high school had to offer. My one letter of recommendation was over the top amazing and I strongly feel that it probably nudged me into the āacceptedā pile. I am shocked I got in, as there are so many great applicants and I was bracing myself for a deferral at best. But I know I can, and will, add to the Brown and PLME communities and I think they saw that. Also, I just think I am one of the luckiest people in the world to have gotten a spot in the PLME!
General Comments: MAKE SURE YOUR APPLICATION HAS A COHESIVENESS TO IT. Do what you love and be the BEST at it that you can be. I never did anything that I wasnāt genuinely interested in. BE YOURSELF! SHOW your passion for medicine in a genuine way (not what you āthinkā they want to read). I had so many family/friends read my essays; they all recommended changes here or there and I didnāt make any of them! Be genuine is all I can say and donāt underestimate the power of the letters of recommendation, essays, and the INTANGIBLES! They truly can show who you are in ways that the application canāt. Good luck to everyone waiting for decisions! Keep your heads up and think positive! Thank you to everyone here on CC. If anyone has any other questions, feel free to message me.
Applied to the following BS/MD programs:
- Brown PLME ā ACCEPTED (Early Decision)
- NEOMED ā Withdrawn
- Siena/AMC ā Withdrawn
Other schools:
@upstream yes but that is just PLME in fact PLME seems to care the least about scores despite being one of the most prestigious.