I think that is as high as my ACT is gonna get, lol (math is hard for me). I was hoping to major in German (something I really enjoy) and just get my MD through the 6 year program.
@tripledouble2000 Do you think I would even stand a chance in the application process with an ACT score that low? I have also been looking at the cost and it seems super high. Would I be able to qualify for any scholarships being an out-of-stater? If not after my senior year I will be 6 credits away from my associateās degree, and at that point I would finish my undergrad at Iowa State and hopefully finish med school in the same time I would with the program anyways, so I might just go that route to save $$$, if you guys donāt think I have a shot.
@REOSpeedwagon (great band by the way :))). If I can be honest with you, unless you are an URM, your chances are very slim for BSMD. Even if you are URM, your chances are not great because your ACT score is quite low for this competitive environment. Your GPA (you didnāt clarify if that was weighted or unweighted) is in the ball park if it is unweighted. Your extra curriculars are ok. I know becoming an Eagle Scout is quite an accomplishment , but everything else you wrote does not really stand out IMHO. If you could increase your ACT to 34-35 range your chances would be better. Also some tangible medical research would help you immensely.
@REOSpeedwagon If the programs you are applying to have minimum score requirements and your score surpasses them, then apply. I would recommend taking the ACT again since you have the entire summer. You never know. You might get lucky and the math portion might be easy. Just donāt let the comments on here dissuade you from even applying. Just craft a really stellar personal statement, apply, and then see what happens! Not getting into BS/MD isnāt the end of the world, and your plan seems pretty solid if getting into the program doesnāt work out. All the best!
@tripledouble2000 Drexel does not give any merit scholarship based on NMF status. One may expect a 20k merit based scholarship where as the COA is around 65k/yr for UG. One should not consider applying if one cannot afford to pay 45k/yr or more for UG. There are folks who are going to bsmd program at Drexel paying like 45k/yr with no need-based FA (No loans of any kind).
@grtd2010 thank you for correcting me, I just realized that also and I think I can pay that amount though it would not be ideal. @REOSpeedwagon I think that ACT score, like @misophoniax said, surpasses the requirements many programs have, but it would be optimal if you could raise it. I believe there are still 1 or 2 dates available to take it before the deadline for these programs; just practice really hard and see if you can raise it. Also, many colleges with bsmd programs do offer scholarships even for OOS students, two of them being UMKC (this is a 6 year program and I think they offer scholarships but Iām not too sure) and UAB.
Hi, I was thinking about doing volunteer work for an organization like homes for humanity or something, I was wondering if programs look any more favorably on your volunteering if itās local or someplace out of the country like Mexico or El Salvador? Also would homes for humanity be a good choice for volunteering, or does anyone have any better suggestions?
Donāt spend money (in thousands) to attend some camp in foreign countries just to show that you are doing some medical related activities. They will simply back fire. Show your true passion, help any one who are underserved (inner city kids or elderly people or any vulnerable population who get free health care by some local orgs). Do things in a consistent way and not just to pad your resume, which school folks can easily guess.
Does anyone know if we need to have taken physics to be accepted into these programs? I just got my class list today but it turns out that I wasnāt given a physics class.
@JayShayy I believ for some you must, however UMKC you do not.
Hi, I was wondering if you guys could rank these programs by quality and how well they fit my resume, and give me an estimate of my chances for each. Iām a rising senior looking for colleges in the Mid-Atlantic/Northeast that are primarily research-heavy (neuroscience?) as most of my ECs are research-based, and because I have only one leadership position (Chinese Honor Society Co-president), and my community service is poor.
RPI/AMC (alumni = a cousin)
TCNJ/NJMS
NJIT/NJMS
Penn/SKMC
Stonybrook/Stonybrook
Drexel 8 year
Lehigh/Drexel
Pitt 8 year
Case Western
GPA: 4.52W, 3.90 UW, school doesnāt officially rank but itās 2 or 3 out of 305
SAT I: 1580 (790/790), SAT Bio - 800, AP Bio - 5
Pending tests (what I think I got) - AP Chem (5), AP English Lang (4-5), SAT Chem (800), SAT Math 2 (750)
Research Experience:
-A class in junior year where we partnered with Rutgers to perform and present research. Resulted in 2x published sequences in NCBI (protein database). Pursuing it further in my senior year as an independent study for hopefully 2x more publications. Will also be helping teacher with her grad-level research and will get my name on her paper, but will most likely not have it published for years.
-105 hours at a human molecular genetics lab in India where I learned research techniques
-Have taken outside classes at a community lab in NY where I learned the use of CRISPR/Cas9 (cutting-edge molecular tech) and about the interface of technology and biological research.
Community Service:
-25 hours at a hospital (boring, filing work, not much patient interaction), about 50 more coming up this summer in hopefully a better department (med/surge)
-~20 hours at Alzheimerās facility in a retirement home. Extremely enriching experience and the highlight of my essays. 50 more hours coming up this summer.
-Planning to shadow a pediatrician for ~20-25 hours this summer as well.
Other important awards/honors:
-Nominated by teachers for New Jersey Governorās School in the Sciences (waitlisted)
-Chinese Honor Society, National Honor Society
I am also planning to start a chapter of Science National Honor Society at my school.
Race/Gender/Sexual Identity - Indian-American/Male/Heterosexual
Please add suggestions for research/physician-scientist BS/MD programs if you have any. I tried to keep things as concise as possible, but I can clarify or elaborate on anything. Thank you all so very much!
Just to give an idea. Not in any particular order within each category. Also some may go in to different tier
Top: Northwest, Wash U, Rice/Baylor, UPitt, U of Rochester, CWRU
Mid: Boston U, RPI/AMC, Penn, StonyBrook, xxx/NJMS
Bottom: Connecticut, U of Cincinnati, Drexel,
@mouse2 It looks good, but programs like these may want to see some community service. I would try and get some service hours in just to beef up your ECās. If at all possible, you may also want to get try and fill a leadership position in one of your clubs as well.
@empire007 I am as white as sour cream so itās probably a no go for me, lol. I thought some of my ECās were kinda cool and definetley unique, but they are mostly ag related (Iām a farm kid, whaddya expect lol). I did do some cancer cell research at DMU, and presented my findings at DUCURS 2017, which is an undergraduate science fair at the Drake School of Pharmacy The 3.9 is my unweighted GPA. I think I may just go undergraduate and dental school instead. I will graduate debt-free from undergraduate in two years and finish dental school in four (if I get in). Dentistry also means working less hours and still getting to help people, which is my main goal in life. Thanks for the response!
@GoldenRock Thanks!
@REOSpeedwagon Yeah, Iām hoping to get about 100 more hours this summer. Do you think that would be enough? For leadership Iām Chinese Honor Society co-president and Iāve contacted my principal about setting up a Science National Honor Society. Hopefully that works out. Thanks!
@REOSpeedwagon you didnāt mention anything specific in your earlier post about your researchā¦cancer cell research and presenting your work at a conference definitely changes things. Having presented your work at a state, regional or national level is a big plus. As I stated earlier, I still feel if you want to have a āserious shotā at BSMD, try and raise your ACT score to at least 34, and really push the specifics of your research in your common app and specifically your supplemental apps (that is a great talking point). 3.9 unweighted is definitely a competitive GPA as well. Also judging by the demographics I saw when my DC had multiple interviews, being white may not be such a detrement. Most people we saw in the interviews were of Asian decent (either Chinese or Indian). Otherwise going undergrad and later trying for med or dental is of course a personal preference. I wish you luckā¦
@mouse2 your stats look strong. Make sure you have the required SAT II exams for each program (ex/ RPI requires SAT II in both Math 1 and Math 2 or at least did during 2016 app cycle). IMHO judging by your stats you probalby have a very good chance at interviews (I would never predict acceptance, just too many variables such as interview skills etc) for all but Stony Brook, UPitt and CWRU. Even those 3 you may have a chance for interview call but they are far more competive. StonyBrook because it is such a sought after program for NYS residents because of the extremely reasonable tuition and their very limited number of seats (plus it is an excellent program), UPitt and CWRU are both top tier programs that are very desireable. But certainly apply to all.
Drexel is no longer BSMD itās now an early assurance program so you might want to look into that if you are looking to be guaranteed medical school when you are accepted 
Alright @Empire007 , thanks a lot for the info and especially for your honest opinion. Is there anything specific that you thought I could improve on my app (besides GPA etc. that I wonāt really be able to fix) to possibly improve my chances?
Also, according to RPIās website IF youāre taking the SAT and not the ACT, for SAT IIs they just want āone in math and one in science-studentās choice.ā
@mouse2 quite honestly this whole process is a crapshoot, you have stats that are very competitive for many programs, but then again none of us know what the program directors are really looking for. As Iāve said before each program looks for different kinds of candidates. Your research experience will be very attractive to RPI/AMC, your lack of shadowing and hospital hours will hurt you if you were applying to schools that weigh that heavily like UConn or VCU. though neither of those schools were on your list so it wonāt matter to you. Also none of the schools on your list will penalize you because you are OOS (I assume you are NYS resident so Stony Brook being a SUNY school works in your favor). Perhaps the biggest thing with every program is the candidate show a real passion for medicine whether that be lots of research or lots of hours shadowing. Your strength appears to be your academics and your research so exploit those strengths in the programs you choose. All this being said apply broadly and let the chips fall where they may.