I have one more Question. Colleges granting merit scholarships do require FAFSA right?
Pitt GAP app (I believe this is the case with several other programs) comes with an individualized deadline for each applicant. It is very important to pay attention to these deadlines. There is also a recommendation required from someone who knows about your medical related (?) activities. This is kind of problematic since no single person would be able to attest to all of the kidâs outside activities.
Thanks @texaspg - My DS received a letter stating that he will get GAP application but hasnât received the actual email link. So they only expect one letter for all medical related actitivies?
@srk2017 - If I remember correctly, they ask for a letter which canât be written by a teacher or counselor since it is not school related. However, if you volunteered in one place, did research somewhere else, shadowed some doctors, who can write a single letter for you?
Btw, I am going from memory and my D never completed the app and my only memory is giving her advise about how to get this letter. If @goldenrock or anyone thinks this is incorrect, please go ahead and provide the right answer about the rec.
My son got the Pitt GAP snail mail letter. He did not receive the email yet. Pitt GAP website and they say 2 letters and one from the activities. I am thinking if you can get one outside rec that should be good.
Two letters of recommendation (1 from either a school counselor or and teacher and the other from a person who knows the applicant through their participation in the activities above)
Activities are: Medically related experiences, Research Experience, if available, Community Service
@chick5 - Thanks for the update. DS has multiple experiences. Need to figure out how to get one letter to show all.
@chick5 If a school states âNeed Basedâ, it means you need to apply FAFSA to get any financial reward. In general most of the top 20 schools (all the Ivies) are need-based with the exception of few like UChicago and Vanderbilt etc., But they may offer merit scholarship but very selective and need to make a separate application. Lower ranked universities, offer merit and may not require separate app and few examples like UPitt, UR, CWRU etc.
When ever it is referred âMeritâ scholarship it means no need to apply FAFSA.
I need to run and will post on Pitt MD app tonight after checking what we did.
@srk2017 Pitt & Boston are pain since need to send by postal mail. Pitt my D got the reco from her summer guide and from her Spanish teacher. I remember, it took lot of follow up because for some reason,it took a long time by the time her guide told she mailed and by the time Pitt BS/MD program office ackâed (few weeks!). So nothing to panic but the whole pitt process will test your patience. The pain with Boston is they wanted reco from english teacher and they also had postal mail. Of course Miami also had postal mail and also they added another step to ask selective students some video clip. But this year first we need to know if Miami plan to have that program or not.
Thank you very much @GoldenRock - Aware of Boston evaluation forms. In fact DS gave them to the teachers 2 days back. He is also getting from Spanish teacher.
I believe NU HPME also asks for English teacher rec.
Hey Iâm currently a student in the Pitt GAP program. I was also accepted into Stanford, Cornell, Brown PLME, BU SMED, and Miami HPME. I also interviewed a bunch of places like Rice/Baylor, Northwestern HPME, and Case Western PPSP. So if you have any questions feel free to just message me or post here and Iâll try to answer!
Good luck to everyone! Hope I can help!!
@bsmdprep - very impressive list of acceptances! Why did you choose Pitt GAP? Did you get any scholarship?
@bsmdprep Congratulations on your outstanding accomplishment and thanks for your offer to help parents and students. Probably it will help if you can post your stats with the details in one of the results threads or in this thread in the that format. Also it may help you to save lot of time by pre-emptying questions which may come your way. Thanks.
@srk2017 I chose Pitt GAP it has arguably the best medical school ranking among BS/MD programs and they also gave me a full tuition scholarship for the undergraduate years of my education. Also no MCAT and the flexible 8 yr program.
@bsmdprep - All good reasons 
GAP is my Sâs first choice. My only concern is maintaining 3.75 GPA.
@bsmdprep - Pitt GAP is a great program and full tuition scholarship for undergraduate education is certainly a plus. I have the same question as that of @srk2017 â is it hard to maintain 3.75 GPA?
@srk2017 @dadofd - The GPA is not really an issue. The hardness of the course load is what you make of it. You can major in whatever you want, and the courses here are not as heavy/difficult as in other places (from what I have seen so far). I am pretty sure no one has been booted from the program due to GPA issues. The cumulative GPA is calculated at the end of junior year, so students have plenty of time to manage their GPAs and take âGPA Boosterâ classes if needed. Also, Dr. Rao, the head of the program, is very understanding and offers lots of guidance for such issues.
@bsmdprep thanks a lot! The GPA requirement sounds manageable.
@Bsmdprep, wow, those were are all REALLY GREAT programs, both in terms of acceptances and where you were able to interview. I would have gone with Pittâs GAP program as well, in terms of your acceptances, and with a full tuition undergrad scholarship, itâs really a no-brainer. Itâs great that you have a full 4 years to actually experience undergraduate life, especially at a great university, in terms of student life and available opportunities, before entering their medical school. Huge congrats to you!
Hey guys can you please tell me my chances
GPA: 94.0 (schools doesnât weight grades or use 4.0 but I think its like a 3.9 since I have like 2/3 Bâs)
Class Rank: School does not rank but it is extremely competitive
ACT score: 34C (35E 35M 34R 30S)
SAT: retaking in October for 1500+ hopefully 1530+
SAT Subject Tests: Math 2 - 800, Chemistry - 730
APâs:
English Language and Composition (5)
US History (3)
Chemistry (3)
Senior Year APâs:
Calc AB
English Literature and Composition
Biology
(school doesnât let you take a lot)
State: NY
Gender: Female
Ethnicity: Asian/White(middle eastern)
High School Activities and Leadership
-Founder+Treasurer of two clubs that are tech/medicine related where we teach underclassmen but havenât done any competitions for
-Theater (200-300 hours)
-Red Cross (50 hours)
-Tutoring (50 hours)
-Member of some other clubs
Medicine related
-Working in a doctorâs office doing front desk, nurse work, and behind the scene billing (1000+ hours??)
-Shadowing one pediatrician (250+ hours)
-Shadowing another pediatrician (150+ hours)
-Hospital volunteering (50+ hours)
(couldnât do research at my hospital until I was 18 :/)
LORs: AP Chem and AP USH teacher, theyâre both really good at writing recs
BAMDs Im interested in
-Basically all the schools with NJMS (7 of them)
-Brooklyn College
-Sophie Davis
-Hoftra
-Stony Brook
-Drexel
-Temple
Questions
- Will the 30 in science act hurt me?
- Is a 730 in chemistry okay?
- Do they look at APâs for admission? Iâm only going to submit my 5 and then senior ones for credit later possibly
- I think my paid work in a doctors office stands out, itâs like 6 hours per week every year and more in summer as well