Hello.
I am considering applying to brown’s PLME RD (I would have applied ED if it brown was need blind).
However, I am an Iranian, and volunteer work and Hospital internships are unheard of in Iran. Also, we do not have any research opportunities as HS students. The closest thing I have to something like that is a relatively short internship in an eye clinic. In fact, we don’t even have any actual ECs here. Would Brown consider my situation in comparing me with others? Do I even have a chance as an Int’l?
Here are my stats if you would like to have more information:
Intended Major : Biochem/neuroscience/Molecular Bio
GPA: I double majored in Junior year so I have two gpa’s: 19.20 for my theoretical major , 19.40 for my Experimental , 19.06 Sophomore, 18.76 Freshman. according to https://www.wes.org/gradeconversionguide/index.asp, all my GPA’s translate into 4 in the american system. will this upward trend be helpful?
Rank : 2/75. keep in mind that my school is extremely rigorous.
Course Load: Biology 3, Calculus, Physics 3, Advanced Algebra and Probability, Geometry 2, Geology 1, Chemistry 3, Persian Literature 3, Persian Linguistics 3, Islamic studies 3, Arabic 3, English 3, Contemporary History, Math for EXP majors.
ACT : 34 (34 34 33 34)
Sat ii : 800 Chem, 770 BioM 790 Math 2
AP or IB classes are not offered in Iran, and we all have the same curriculum however, I was in a NODET (national organization for development of extraordinary talents) school, which means that our curriculum was tough as hell. however, I did have some advanced extra curricular classes in Math, Physics and Astronomy. I will probably write it as an academic Extra curricular.
EC:
English Teacher at a prestigious language college.
I also have a certificate of English Teaching competency from Longman.
Arts and humanities club member.
Internship at a very prestigious Lens and Optics Lab.
part of high school National Computer Olympiad team, no medal though.
9th at Ferdowsi Univ. Programming contest.
5th at Team Math&Chem City Contest
Fluent in English and Persian, good at Arabic, Intermediate in French
c++, HTML, CSS, JS, PHP coder.
Web designer. (BTW, should I submit a portfolio for this?)
Amatuer Sketcher ( I am not submitting a supplement, but maybe this can make me look more well rounded?)
Swimming and Taekwondo, no awards though.
@bruno14 thank you for your honest answer.
In truth, you may be right. I gained my interest through books mostly, though the fact that a doctor I knew on a personal level saved my mother’s life when i was very young helped too. The interest grew in high-school because I loved both bio and chem and excelled in them. In short, I can only speculate that I will like it, but the good thing about US schools is that you don’t have to choose a profession right away. In Iran, I will have to enter med school right away, and I will not have a choice, because medicine is the only degree that guarantees employment in the current economic situation.
But in the case that I do decide to get a MD, a bs/MD makes my life much easier.
As for med school, I am hoping on getting a loan. I am not sure if I can get one with a Canadian co-signer though, and I will have to see if the person who I am counting on to co-sign me is willing to do so.(he is a close family member).
Also, my family recently started a business which is blooming , so I may not need aid in four years.
Brown always reviews applications in context with your high school and your environment – and they make sure they understand the school system of the applicants. The fact that you don’t have ECs typical to US students will not be held against you. Same with the lack of hospital time (there was a time, not that long ago, when students studied medicine without all this interning and job shadowing in HS).
Do you need financial aid? Brown is not need blind for internationals – so if you need a lot of money that could hurt your application. (If you are accepted, then your demonstrated need will be met.)
You are certainly a qualified applicant, given your scores and your grades.
@fireandrain thank you for your answer.
That is a relief. Thank you for that too.
Yes, I do need aid. Will the fact that Iran is not represented in brown help counter the need awareness? (I am basing this on https://www.brown.edu/admission/undergraduate/explore/admission-facts).
Would you recommend ed for me? I am currently applying early to princeton, mainly because it is need blind.
I just called the admission office. They said that they would almost definitely defer internationals, since their funds are limited and they would rather see all of them before committing. Let this be known to all int’l students.
It’s always nice to know when my educated opinion turns out to be correct.
Brown has a limited budget for financial aid for internationals. It makes sense that, unless a student is a totally amazing rock star, they will defer any international who needs financial aid and then look at the whole pool in March. It also makes sense that the budget is more important than geographic diversity.
If you are a full-pay international, then it makes sense to apply to Brown ED.
I can’t imagine it’s the same package throughout all 8 years. The landscape of available aid for undergraduates is very different than for medical school. Almost certainly you would be getting more aid during UG than MD.
American Medical school (in general) as an international is very, very tricky. Some schools flat out don’t accept internationals, others heavily weight their admissions against them, and others provide little to no aid for internationals. Some even require internationals to front the money to cover 4 years of med school into an escrow account.
No, the FA package you receive is only for undergrad. From the people I’ve talked to, the ones who received significant FA during undergrad got some sort of scholarship for med school that covered part of the cost (but not all), and others generally got no aid. I’m certainly paying the full tuition out of government loans.
I guess you meant international students with FA needs, when you said that “they would almost definitely defer internationals, since their funds are limited and they would rather see all of them before committing”, right?