I do, but the algorithm is adjustable and each medical school can choose how they want to set a wide variety of parameters. It’s not “one size fits all.”
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That is exactly what they should do…and they should have their current plan with them, plus other options available to them.
Excellent idea.
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Thanks for sharing! I am really intrigued by this!
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The algorithm can be tailored to each med school’s specification AND to specific criteria, ie., add filters and criteria for those within the pool thus filtered in addition to common criteria: world language spoken, experience in Peace Corps, varsity athlete… it can be anything they wish beyond the basic GPAxMCAT combination threshold for various groups (“over represented in medicine”, “under represented in medicine” in particular.) Often times, the more subjective elements only appear once the application gets to human eyes though.
It’s not that different from applying to jobs nowadays, with key words filtering candidates out before anyone in HR sees their resumes.
The process is very complex and kids whose parents are themselves doctors definitely have a leg up.
“Campus” is being generous. UM-Balto is the professional schools in downtown Baltimore. Most of the schools have their own buildings and there isn’t a lot of interaction (except that the dental school throws the best parties and invite everyone). There are undergrads, but most of them are also professional focused (nursing, social work, pharmacy).
This makes me think: UMBC would be a great choice for this student! More urban than St Mary’s, less competitive and less large than UMD-CP, super strong in STEM, likely affordable = winning combination!
Kalamazoo is a great suggestion, too: collaborative, lots of support, close to many medical/health opportunities, urban, successful Jewish Studies program (where interested students are both Jewish and non Jewish), excellent merit aid.
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Here is an older thread describing the medical school application reading process at one medical school. This is after the initial automated sorting (GPA, MCAT, …) into priority groups for human application reading, and is used to further sort applicants into priority levels for interviews that occur afterward.
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That is a superb thread to link - anyone interested in applying to med school down the road (even as a high schooler) should be aware of what lies ahead.
At the time of that thread my guy was, fortunately, already in med school - though not yet doing interviews of his own. I just re-read most of it for old times sake. Not much has changed. I wonder what happened to the students of some of those parents - how they are doing along the path, etc.
To cut and paste one post summing a bit up courtesy of @WayOutWestMom (from March of 2018 - and let me know if you aren’t ok with me reposting it - I’ll edit it out if you prefer):
"Getting into med school is a real gauntlet. Approx. 75% of freshmen premeds end up never applying to med school, Of those persist and apply, 60% each year end up with no acceptances. In some ways, acting may be a safer career choice. 
The road to med school is a very, very long slog with many pitfalls along the way. And at the end, one can be a perfectly good candidate for med school and still end up shut out just because there are so many other well qualified applicants and not enough seats for them all.
Because of this, every pre-med needs to have a Plan B.
Encourage your D to keep an open mind and to educate herself about other healthcare careers. There are dozens of healthcare careers she has never even heard of out in the world. Medicine today is really a team sport with many different team members each of whom has important role to play."
To those reading, take heart. It can be done and my son tells me it isn’t work if you love what you’re doing (even as a resident working crazy hours). 40% who make it to the end of the race and apply do get an acceptance somewhere. (Note this is not 40% of pre-meds entering college! Many opt for something else along the way for various reasons and others realize they don’t have the grades to get there.)
Just be sure you love what you’re doing and be sure you even want to enter the race, then enter knowing what lies ahead and with the strongest preparation you can get.
Oh, and keep undergrad as inexpensive as you reasonably can. Med school is expensive.
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Think $400k total for most privates, $200k-320k if you get lucky enough to go to an in-state public (Maryland is in the upper end of the range).
@momsearcheng My son who is Jewish is at W&L. He is very happy there. Although the Jewish population is small they have an active Hillel with a wonderful director. He initially wanted a medium size school in a city or suburban setting but is enjoying being in such a beautiful area. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions about the school.
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OP, did you look at Quinnipiac? I know it was mentioned, but I don’t think you opined. She would probably get 30k there, and they have an in house med school.
Netter Med School at Quinnipiac (it’s not an “in house” med school- it’s a standalone medical school which is part of the university, just like Harvard, Yale, U Conn…) has not yet shown a bias towards students from its own undergrad. Yet. It’s a relatively new school though… grapevine has it that they are aggressively looking for students from under-represented medical communities, i.e. Tribal/Native American, diverse ethnic groups, etc.
Quinnipiac is a very nice school, but even with the top award (which is not guaranteed) it will not come down to UMD costs.
I like the idea of UMBC- seems like a great safety and it is smaller than UMD.
Once there is an affordable safety that the student likes, she can apply anywhere she wants. Those schools will be affordable…or not. I like the idea of 2 acceptable safeties- not sure if that will happen.
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UMBC will cost us $30k extra for housing (UMD is close enough to live at home after 1st year). DD probably will get some scholarship there… But given that this is still huge school I am not sure it would be better than UMD for DD.
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But at all of the other schools on your daughter’s list (the exception being UMD-CP) you will be paying for housing for four years…right? And the others don’t offer instate tuition like UMD B does.
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UMBC has about 10,000 undergrads. It’s smaller than some schools on your list (Pitt, Tulane, GW).
UMBC is considerably smaller than UMD.
Total cost of attendance is less than $30,000 per year. UMBC will be less costly than most of the schools that are currently on the list (not including UMD).
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Will this younger daughter get the 1/2 tuition money at any college? Will she get this at UMD or UMBC or anywhere?
Seems like that would make her costs the same or less than her older sister at GA Tech…and would enable her to live on campus all four years.
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Agree with you 100%
UMBC has 10,000 students, is now primarily residential, and has grown to be as respected for STEM as UMD-CP at the undergraduate level.
It feels totally different from the 30,000 undergrads at UMD-CP! And since you’re concerned your daughter may get lost in the crowd and suffer from crushing competition at UMD-CP, she’d get the right amount of challenge and support at UMD-BC.
BTW, if she is to be premed, she needs to be on campus in order to participate in study groups, review sessions, medical clubs/activities, volunteering, etc. she’ll be busy from early morning till late at night every day.
BTW, there’s an Honors College, which would provide extra opportunities and a more personalized experience.
And, unlike St Mary’s, it’s not isolated at all.
STEM Maryland students are really lucky to have that university – a bit like SUNY Stony Brook.
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Technically yes, practically no. It is 50% on paper before taxes. After taxes it is a quarter. You pay to schools after taxes… Leaving on campus is not covered.
Sorry, but paying for UMBC to leave on campus are not in our plans…
With older one we cut many many corners to afford it (that was the plan from day one). Older daughter had a lot of classes taken in CC and in summer to cut tuition. She is also going to study abroad not to pay OOS… We cannot do this with premed kid…