“WashU - hardest to get into and hardest to meet the qualifications after entry. If someone can maintain 3.8 and get a 36 or whatever the new number is, they can just do undergrad anywhere else and get into WashU med.”
I’ve heard conflicting opinions about WashU and its stringent requirements. Some agree with @texaspg 's statement in that someone who can maintain a 3.8 and score a 36 on the MCAT has a good chance to get into WashU, but others say that a 3.8 and a 36 is by no means a guarantee (in fact, one site reports the median MCAT for WashU is 38; linked below), especially for an overrepresented med school applicant (I am a Chinese male).
Is anybody able shed a little bit more light on this issue? Thanks in advance!
@HS2DirectMed
Yes, personal interests, strengths and finance will definitely play a key role (among the many other factors being discussed here the past couple days) on each person’s rankings however when BALANCING all factors and risks I suggest focusing on the top three (the ones that most highly qualified applicants would choose over HYPSM; e.g. You see often selection of these two in particular: NW HPME and Brown PLME).
You already have early admission to MIT thus the BSMD alternative should definitely be from a Tier-1 group. I am surprised you left CASE PPSP (Cleveland Hospital, Research, etc) from the list (PPSP >> REMS). So based on your list IMO:
Brown>>>NW. Sorry, but for me, the GPA requirements of NW still would make it less palatable than Brown. And the residency placements at Brown are pretty equivalent to NW.
@jamini
Yes, I understand your point and being accelerated (I am in no rush) was another deal breaker for me but some have strong personal preferences AGAIN BALANCING ALL FACTORS.
NW HPME is going to make decisions, any thoughts regarding the email?
Dear HPME Interviewee,
We are currently wrapping up this year’s interview process and will begin making our selections in the upcoming weeks. We will be sending our final decisions out via email towards the end of March or early April.
If you are interested in attending Northwestern regardless of being accepted to HPME, I would encourage you to email the Undergraduate Admission Office at lmt@northwestern.edu to make them aware of this interest. This email will have no impact on your HPME decision.
As mentioned above, we have not yet begun the final review process and do not have any decisions available at this time. We simply want to make all of our interviewees aware of the ability to express interest in Northwestern to the Admissions team, as we have done with all of our other applicants.
It has been wonderful meeting all of you and we will be in touch soon.
If one wants to attend NW for undergrad even if they don’t get into HPME this is their opportunity to make it clear. HPME probably has about 70-90 people they need to turn down and unfortunately, NW has waitlisted them in the past. We have many coming and asking why they were waitlisted each year.
NW has also sent the same letter to HPME applicants who were not interviewed.
Hi, Can anyone rate Penn/jeff vs TCNJ/NJMS vs Drexel/Drexel ? Please give more info abt penn/jeff program and Jefferson med, as i liked Jefferson med/SKMC more than NJMS or Drexel because of better quality, more opportunity and high rankings. TCNJ is less money as I am instate.
So is SKMC/Jefferson’s reputation and quality worth paying much more than NJMS ?
@texaspg I wanted to add this when I posted, but my 15 minute edit time was up
I’ve also been told that WashU’s 3.8 GPA is manageable for the scholars in program medicine since if they choose you, that means they believe you can handle the course load (and from what I’ve been told, almost everyone in the combined program maintains a 3.8+ GPA).
Either way, if one were to go to WashU just for undergrad, get a 3.8 GPA and score a 36 MCAT, would that mean one would have a really good chance of getting into WashU’s med school?
FWIW: I know a girl who went to Harvard, got a 3.85 GPA/34-35 on the MCAT and was rejected by Pitt’s Med School; on paper, WashU has even tougher reqs (3.9 average GPA/38 median MCAT). She ended up going to Case Western Med School on a scholarship, so everything worked out really well for her!
@tenderp - If someone can get into the scholars program and work their tail off to keep up 3.8 at WashU (the fact seems to be lost they are picking those who they think can do it) they can get that at any other school in the nation and probably have more fun doing it than compete against all the other premeds at washU (Harvard GPAs are not all that big deal).
As for MCAT score, it is a one day test. People who are prepared well in their undergrad in the specific subjects do well. People who take fluff courses to keep up the GPA don’t. If someone has a 3.8 and 38 why should they limit themselves to WashU med?
@luv2bake - comes down to money usually from what I have seen since BU does not seem to offer the undergrad scholarships to SMED candidates.
