I wish I could answer your questions but I am also a first time applicant to the program. Do you guys know if it’s okay to apply to the SIMR program as well as the Arthritis Foundation program? I think they are the same program depending on where you get assigned. Can one apply to both and possibly have a greater chance of getting accepted to one? Thanks.
Hey guys–do you know if you can apply to both the Arthritis Foundation program and the SIMR program? I know they are connected but are you allowed to apply to each one separately? Thanks.
I was wondering if I have a chance of getting in because all the institutes are biology based, but I have no biology background besides taking Biology in freshman year. But I have taken AP Physics 1, AP Physics C, AP Calculus, and I teach Python at libraries to elementary/middle school kids.
Just submitted the app! Good luck to everyone!
Does anyone know what the hours are like?
Like, interns have to be there from (for example) 8AM-4PM.
@kattymiao http://simr.stanford.edu/content/dam/sm/simr/documents/SIMR%202016-%20Program%20Information%20Doc.pdf has all the details. The day-to-day schedule will be discussed between you and your mentor, but you must work about 40 hours every week during the program.
I keep hearing that the essays are really important, would anyone mind telling me if my essays are unique/interesting enough? This program sounds really interesting and I wanted to know if I have a real chance of getting in before I get my hopes up. Any advice would be hugely appreciated.
Stats:
-SAT: 2240
-PSAT: (11th grade score) 1470, (10th grade score) 212
-GPA: 92.67/100
-Letter of Rec: really good?
-Race: Female Indian (well aware my race/gender hurts me more than helps)
-Editor of my school’s yearbook, recipient of Columbia Univ. Scholastic Press Gold Circle Award for News Writing
-International DECA qualifier
-Currently conducting an indep. research project at UT
-Intern at a neuropsych lab at UT
-Section Leader in Orchestra, All-Region qualifier
-1st place in cell bio event in regional Science Olympiad competition
-Volunteer in an animal clinic vaccinating and microchipping cats/dogs postoperative
-relevant courses taken or currently taking: AP bio, AP chem, AP compsci, AP Calc. AB, Pre-IB bio, Pre-IB chem, Pre-IB physics, AP statistics, Pre-AP algebra II, Pre-AP precalculus.
For the tweet, I wrote something like “To be continued” in the sense that I am not fully grown and I am still developing as a person. Idk, it’s hard to convey yourself in 140 characters.
For the “why do you want to apply here” I wrote about my 14 yo cousin who died in a coma. I structured the essay around the metaphor of chess, lose the king (i.e. the brain) you lose the whole game, regardless of any other piece. Lose any of the other pieces, you’re still functional. My main argument for what made me a good candidate was that I have a realistic view of medicine. So many teenagers have the image that medicine is constituted of leaping progress and messiah-esque doctors, whereas I was introduced at a young age to the many futile battles and slow, incremental progress. I didn’t make any grand claims to wanting to change the planet or anything for why I wanted to attend SIMR. With my background, I thought it was evident that I’ve been doing my best to get as much exposure to science before I head to college. But, AP level classes offer a really holistic view of things and barely scratch the surface of most topics. Similarly, I work in a lab, but it’s nothing compared to grad students who spend their whole day there. All I want out of the program is finally get the thorough, in-depth experience my education has been lacking thus far, as well as some conditioning to the rigor and prestige of the road ahead of me. (lbr, medicine isn’t an easy field to do well in)
For the diversity prompt, I wrote about the psychological isolation I underwent as a child. The prompt defined diversity as “racial, economic, experiences etc.” and I made a point to say that the institutionalized definition of diversity contradicts everything I am as a person – as a child, I never was able to identify as part of a whole and changed who I was to fit in, diversity wasn’t a good thing for me. As I grew older, I was finally able to shed the lies I had been touting to myself and finally accept who I am. I finished it by saying that my race makes me seem groomed to pursue a career in STEM field; I’m just following the precedent that my race has set. But, coming from a place where I knew I was different and I hated myself for that, for someone to tell me that I am not noteworthy bc I happen to satisfy the imaginary expectations of my race/economic bracket is ridiculous. My last sentence was something like “If I don’t happen to satisfy the accepted definitions of diversity, I can live with that.” (slightly indignant, I know).
I remember reading that they prefer bay area applicants (idk why, but that’s what it is). They recommend that you stay with a family member/friend since housing in that area is so expensive. I’m also out of state, I’m considering an extended stay type arrangement, idk.
I keep hearing that the essays are really important, would anyone mind telling me if my essays are unique/interesting enough? This program sounds really interesting and I wanted to know if I have a real chance of getting in before I get my hopes up. Any advice would be hugely appreciated.
Stats:
-SAT: 2240
-PSAT: (11th grade score) 1470, (10th grade score) 212
-GPA: 92.67/100
-Letter of Rec: really good?
-Race: Female Indian (well aware my race/gender hurts me more than helps)
-Editor of my school’s yearbook, recipient of Columbia Univ. Scholastic Press Gold Circle Award for News Writing
-International DECA qualifier
-Currently conducting an indep. research project at UT
-Intern at a neuropsych lab at UT
-Section Leader in Orchestra, All-Region qualifier
-1st place in cell bio event in regional Science Olympiad competition
-Volunteer in an animal clinic vaccinating and microchipping cats/dogs postoperative
-relevant courses taken or currently taking: AP bio, AP chem, AP compsci, AP Calc. AB, Pre-IB bio, Pre-IB chem, Pre-IB physics, AP statistics, Pre-AP algebra II, Pre-AP precalculus.
For the tweet, I wrote something like “To be continued” in the sense that I am not fully grown and I am still developing as a person. Idk, it’s hard to convey yourself in 140 characters.
For the “why do you want to apply here” I wrote about my 14 yo cousin who died in a coma. I structured the essay around the metaphor of chess, lose the king (i.e. the brain) you lose the whole game, regardless of any other piece. Lose any of the other pieces, you’re still functional. My main argument for what made me a good candidate was that I have a realistic view of medicine. So many teenagers have the image that medicine is constituted of leaping progress and messiah-esque doctors, whereas I was introduced at a young age to the many futile battles and slow, incremental progress. I didn’t make any grand claims to wanting to change the planet or anything for why I wanted to attend SIMR. With my background, I thought it was evident that I’ve been doing my best to get as much exposure to science before I head to college. But, AP level classes offer a really holistic view of things and barely scratch the surface of most topics. Similarly, I work in a lab, but it’s nothing compared to grad students who spend their whole day there. All I want out of the program is finally get the thorough, in-depth experience my education has been lacking thus far, as well as some conditioning to the rigor and prestige of the road ahead of me. (lbr, medicine isn’t an easy field to do well in)
For the diversity prompt, I wrote about the psychological isolation I underwent as a child. The prompt defined diversity as “racial, economic, experiences etc.” and I made a point to say that the institutionalized definition of diversity contradicts everything I am as a person – as a child, I never was able to identify as part of a whole and changed who I was to fit in, diversity wasn’t a good thing for me. As I grew older, I was finally able to shed the lies I had been touting to myself and finally accept who I am. I finished it by saying that my race makes me seem groomed to pursue a career in STEM field; I’m just following the precedent that my race has set. But, coming from a place where I knew I was different and I hated myself for that, for someone to tell me that I am not noteworthy bc I happen to satisfy the imaginary expectations of my race/economic bracket is ridiculous. My last sentence was something like “If I don’t happen to satisfy the accepted definitions of diversity, I can live with that.” (slightly indignant, I know).
@evanescent0129 You look pretty good! If you live in the Bay Area, I’m sure you could get in. I’m from OOS, and my ECs are pretty similar, so I’m probably not in lol.
@kattymiao I’m sure you could get into the Bioinformatics lab
@joeweller I’m from Texas lol. Idk how much that hurts my chances
@evanescent0129 I think OOS will hurt us quite a bit since they’re making the program almost exclusively local. We’ll see, though!
Does anyone know when applicants will be contacted with the decisions?
March 25th @photogeek8
@joeweller Bioinformatics is my first choice! Fingers crossed
@kattymiao Nice and good luck! Are you OOS as well? Part of me just hopes that the low chances for OOS gets rid of the extremely competitive OOS kids and lets us slightly normal ones get through.
@joeweller nope, I live in the Bay Area. I have no idea how competitive OOS is, but good luck!!
@joeweller imo a little unfair that they give so much weight on location. Maybe it’s because OOS have iffy housing plans, so those who are already nearby are more likely to actually attend? idk, regardless, if we say we have a solid housing plan or will somehow figure it out, we should be given equal opportunity. But then again, pretty sure I’d be cheering for this bias if I was a californian lmao
Perhaps not as many OOS applicants? When we read the eligibility rules, it says that the applicants needs to submit housing plans a few days upon admission. Being OOS, we felt like this is too difficult so didn’t apply thus self-selected out.