@upstream - thanks for sharing the info. Can you please elaborate a bit on “UIC GPPA…Oxford(MS)…anesthesiology” as to what that entails? My D is seriously considering the GPPA (as opposed to PSU/Jeff, UMKC, SLU and other brand name undergrad programs) so it would be very interesting to know the details. How does one prepare for applying for that MS at Oxford? Thanks!
With AP credits, an UIC GPPA student was able to complete her undergraduate portion in 3 years. As one of top students at UIC (top dog), she was able to land a research position rather easily at UIC, where she learned lab techniques that were useful in her master’s program at Oxford. Her lab PI was extremely helpful when he realized that she was highly gifted and motivated in learning. She was a finalist in Rhodes Scholarship Program. I believe she might have received a partial merit scholarship from Oxford… but I am not certain of this fact.
Good luck!
Thank you @upstream for clarification. That’s awesome!
Did anyone hear from Case Western PPSP yet?
Hi,
D got waitlisted into RPI/AMC program. I believe this program has 15 positions to be filled.
Does anyone know how many of them are offered acceptance/waitlist into this program? Just trying to figure out her chances of making it into this program. Thanks.
@hkr2018 congrats on the WL status…since these programs are so very selective a WL spot is a very decent place to land. I would call RPI/AMC directly and say this program is your top choice so you would like to understand the #s…how many were accepted, how many on the WL and also ask if the WL is ranked, whereabouts on the WL your student is.
Asking these Qs does not impact your status and if they are willing to share more…you can ask how many were offered spots off the WL last year. GL.
@hkr2018 I personally know someone who is accepted at both RPI/AMC and Boston SMED and will be going to Boston. So at least 1 spot in RPI/AMC will open up. Keep in mind colleges do not call from WL until mid-May. They do not start the process before 1st May the national acceptance day.
@bsmd1826 - Last year RPI/AMC asked students to inform them quickly if they are not joining and based on that they did second round of interviews and/or offers.
@Shine27, @bsmd1826 & srk2017 - Thanks for your inputs.
They said that they’ll determine by 27th if they can accept any students from the waitlist. I guess they are counting on hearing from those not interested by then.
What AP courses you must finish before Aaplying to BS/MD program? Our school does not allow to take Any AP in Sophomre.
Just take extra AP tests if you can. Most of these programs typically expect you to have at least some credit (preferably 15+), regardless of whether or not your school offers the actual courses, since there are so many applicants with already 30+ creds.
@GreenPoison when you refer to 15+, are you talking about the number of AP class credits or just credits in general?
Just 15 credits in total. Like most AP classes (besides BIO and maybe Chem) only count for 3 credits if you get a 4 or 5 on the exam. Personally I would recommend most people to have 15 at a minimum or 30+ optimally
@GreenPoison - I hope you mean actual AP courses and not just AP tests. My experience is that this is another factor that separates candidates who get the interviews and who do not. Rigor of classes along with essays and LOR is what determines if you can the interviews, once you pass the GPA and SAT bar. My experience tells me that simply taking AP tests is not beneficial at all.
What if your school doesn’t offer AP courses, or only a very limited amount? I have a friend who goes to a magnet school that only offers 6 AP classes in total, and he ended up getting into TCNJ/NJMS even though he didn’t have that many AP classes or skyhigh weighted gpa.
Oftentimes, for 7 and 6 year programs, unless the major requirements are drastically shortened or summer classes are required, AP credit can be highly beneficial in finishing on time.
By no means am I saying not to take both the AP class and test. But I certainly do think that adcoms know which high schools limit their students from higher-level courses, and these students will be fine as long as they attempt to pursue higher-level classes (i.e. through things like dual enrollment at community college or taking AP tests).
Hi, I’m a sophomore trying to decide what to do this summer to help me get into BSMD programs:
These stats are either things I have gotten or [reaslitically] think I’ll get
SAT: 1560
GPA: 3.98/4.0 || 4.61/4.33
Class Rank: 8 - 11 /426
Math IIC: 800
Chem: 740 (… I need to get this higher)
Bio M: need to take
EMT w/ Local Fire Dept
Pub (but not about medicine, about fuel cells: will this still help my BSMD app??) - w/ awards at science fairs
Started HOSA Chapter
Habitat for Humanity Volunteer
Internship at orthopedic surgeons office (also shadowing at this same office)
President of after-school program that teaches kids STEM
Here is what I want to do this summer, but I’m not sure which options to pick to maximize my chances
Option 1: do research with a professor at the School of Medicine near me
Option 2: Work as a receptionist in a medical office
Option 3: Attend a Medical Lab Techniques course with my local college (will this help me at all in terms of admissions, BTW)
Option 4: Go to a Debate Camp (for regular colleges, not for BSMDs [considering their low %s] - I have gone to states and will almost certainly qualify for nationals next year)
Option 5: Physical Therapy Volunteering with Local Hospital
So I can do Option 3 and Option 4 and Option 5 with either Option 1 OR Option 2 (but I don’t want to be too overloaded)
I also had another question: How can I make Option 2, if I do choose it, make it sound like a patient contact experience).
ALSO: What else can I do to maximize my chances… I’m SUPER committed to doing anything I can to get into one of these (HPME, fingers crossed)
Thanks everyone for taking the time to read this!
@Hakhan I would definitely go for the Research Opportunity as you have already covered shadowing and volunteering (both medical and non-medical). If you can do research you will have a well-rounded application come application time. I’m not sure about the Medical Lab Techniques course helping your application, but I don’t see how it could hurt you. One thing I think you should consider is maybe cutting one of those activities, other than research, so you can take some time to study for your SAT Subject tests or for a retake of the SAT. Your SAT score is great, but a lot of the students you’ll be up against are going to have perfect or near perfect scores. Good Luck!
Hi @Hakhan! You have a really solid app overall.
Have you taken the SAT already (as a sophomore) or is this an estimated score? 1560 is a great score but you have time until the end of junior year - if you think that you can practice enough to get an even better score, I would say go for it. SAT scores really are the gateway into getting these programs. GPA and rank look great, keep it up. Try to score well on the Bio M and a better on the chem exam - both should probably be above a 750 or 760.
I would say that for extracurriculars, colleges/programs would much rather see a consistent commitment to a single or a few activities than a dabbling in multiple. Three summers (or more during school) doing EMT looks much better than riding a few times with the squad to put it down on your resume while you do other things. The latter option is fine except if you’re trying to sell your EMT experience as a strong point. Obviously, a wide range of health-related (and otherwise) activities is beneficial and recommended, but when in doubt, choose quality over quantity for your experiences. What this means is that this summer you should first prioritize continuing at least one activity or type of activity.
Most importantly, with your ECs, you should be weaving a STORY about yourself that makes you unique. To craft this story, you will be writing essays to expand upon your motivations and dreams, drawing from your personal life experiences as well as extracurricular experiences that have inspired you. This introduces a different idea of consistency - consistency with your story. If your dream is that you want to help provide care to people in impoverished nations, then devoting your summers to Habitat for Humanity, mission trips, or EMT is much more consistent with that idea than spending your summers locked up in a Harvard lab. This “building a story” mindset is what will help you stand apart from the 10k other applicants. Everyone has your academic record; no one shares your story.
It seems that your app seems to be more suited to a “primary care” story than a “research” story, since your app primarily includes volunteering/EMT experience. So I would say go for Option 2, and definitely get as much EMT experience in as possible, since volunteering like Option 5 falls under the same category as EMT, so
It’s always better to have a genuine experience than having to “spin” it a certain way. When you’re a receptionist, go out of your way to help patients - you are, after all, having direct contact with them. Take opportunities to help the doctor out. Make your own contact. Talk to them, help them out. If you find that you hate it or can’t do it, you might need to seriously reconsider the path you’re on 
I know from experience (VBI Swat '15) that camp is long and depending on which one you’re going to you might need a few days to recover. Additionally, if you’re competitive in Forensics it’s an enormously time-consuming activity. But if you think that you can continue your commitment to Forensics throughout HS while keeping your grades, med-related ECs, and mental health up I would continue the activity and go to camp to maximize your success. Maybe weave it into your story - Forensics is, after all, a character-defining activity. How has it shaped you? How has it shaped your aspirations?
I’ll probably be posting this “essay” in the end-of-cycle reflection thread. I wish you the best of luck!
@mouse2 @Undecided3494
SAT is estimated from Collegeboard official practice tests, scheduled for this August… will try to improve CR score (800 M, 760 CR + W)
Yeah, my chem needs to go up, HPME avg is 769 (BTW, I can’t take AP Chem until Sr. year, so this is just from reg. chem - which means a lot of self-studying