Did you receive a formal rejection from GW? I haven’t received anything from them yet - does that imply rejection?
Same here, nothing from GW.
DD- from TX (I see most of you are from east coast)
Interviewed with Penn state waiting to hear final decision
Interview rejection from Baylor to Baylor
Not heard anything from Rice Baylor, Case Western, Brown, BU, A&M. That’s all we have applied to.
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Single digits
S from Midwest
PSU- Interviewed and waiting for the decision
RPI/AMC- Interview scheduled
Pitt- Nothing received
BU, GW, Case, Drexel, Brown- Waiting
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WA Resident
Received Honors, waiting for interview invitation- Temple, FAU
Nothing From- BU, U of R, SBU, Brown, Case, Rice, GW
Interviewed for- Nova Southeastern (BS/DO)
Accepted- CNU
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Re: BU SMED
Writing this since noticed a lot of misinformation over the program being floated here for the past two days and there are a number of students/parents on this forum having applied to that program. This is not to promote this or any other program but just to counter lot of unnecessary noise, so if and when it comes time to take decisions, one can have a proper perspective. If not applying for BU SMED, you can ignore the rest of the post.
Some of the accusations:
GPA requirements: Yes BU has a relatively low requirement of 3.2 to be able to matriculate into the med school. But is a very rigorous school, so a 3.2 here can be compared to a 3.5 or even higher anywhere else. The overall acceptance rate of BU as a whole is in high teens (18-19%), so the students are bound to be of high caliber and competition intense. This program (SMED) is most competitive within BU. The faculty is world class (check out the physics and chem department faculty profiles who will be teaching the 1 st years) and they challenge the SMEDs, make sure every one comes to a level playing field in their classes even if they aren’t from rigorous high schools, and won’t let them slack. If that is not something pleasing, one can find some other program.
Secondly, the GPA requirement traces back to history. BU and Penn State are two of the oldest such programs. When they started in perhaps 80s these were 6 year programs, 2 + 4. Also BU is historically a tough school, back then a 3.5 was a very difficult thing. So a 3.2 was a very appropriate bar. Lately they have made the grading relatively easier. So whether a 3.2 at BU or a 60% ile MCAT requirement at Penn State, they just are carry forwards from history. They didn’t want to change requirements even as others like Northwestern kept changing their GPA requirement every year. It doesn’t mean people are choosing these programs because they are easy. I am pretty sure everyone in the Penn State program scores 30% ile or more on MCAT than what the requirement is. But they chose to leave it as it is from when they started.
Most of the students in BU SMED have gpas in 3.7 range by the time of matriculating to med school, though there are some in > 3.9 ranges too.
Opting out: Yes, at the end of second year if one has great GPA and MCAT score, one can inform the program director and opt out if want to try out. They can finish the undergrad by junior year with the help of AP and other credits, take a gap year and try applying elsewhere. No one is tying any one to the program. However in one batch I am most familiar with, no one including the > 3.9 gpa and 100% ile MCAT scores chose to opt out. Since they loved the whole experience, felt BUSM is a good place for them to continue. Also as mentioned earlier med school acceptances has many factors that go into play (as I listed earlier in this thread and last year’s) including luck. So doesn’t mean everyone with > 518 MCAT and a 4.0 GPA make into Harvard med school. In fact I know some one with all that takes to get into Harvard. A 528 MCAT (yes the max anyone can get), undergrad from Harvard, I am sure great GPA due to grade inflation (haven’t asked the parents the specifics), couple of gap years, yet didn’t get into HMS. The student ended up going to another equally well reputed med school close to home (not going to reveal which one). Some one may argue with their beaten down to death cliche, it is sample size of 1. Yes, but that is good enough to indicate there can be many such instances every year. Enough to check a rice grain in a cooking pot to decide whether rice is done or not.
Relatively low GPA at BUSM: About a third of BUSM enrollment comes from within BU via various streams/channels. EAP, seniors in traditional undergrad, SMED students, alumni, grad students. Also they have tie ups with historical black colleges etc. A 3.7 at BU is a pretty decent GPA, can qualify for Magna cum laude honor. Also BUSM takes a number of students from grade deflated schools like Cornell, Princeton, WashU and UC Berkeley every year. They are very holistic in their selections and don’t blindly go by some numbers. All these combined, result in the undergrad GPA of their med school matriculates a tad lower, probably 0.1 or so compared to other med schools.
Hope this helps. If anyone here needs more specific info or have any concerns about this particular program or in general can PM me since I don’t want to keep dragging this any further.
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Wow, thanks for the great info
No formal rejection, so I guess I’m still in the running but I don’t really know
Before interview.
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IMO, a very biased opinion with a lot of assertions by a parent whose kid is in BU BSMD. The fact remains that BU SMED has a minimum UG GPA 3.2 requirement for matriculation to BUSM and it allows to have multiple “C” grades for BSMD students. Please do your own due diligence about BU SMED. It is a very expensive BSMD program which may be fine for some folks. The cost of a BSMD program should be a relevant factor in any decision making process, IMO.
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The whole issue is due to one parent’s obsessive support of BU SMED , glorifying those students and giving one or two examples of Ivy League students failure to secure admissions in traditional path to advocate for BSMD. I have nothing against BU SMED program or students and my kid applied, got admission and had good experience at the interview. As I said several times he chose not to attend because of cost and he got better choices. Rankings may not matter to some students and parents but he wants to be at a more competitive and prestigious school. To constantly glorify BU here is a distraction. BU is a good school but if you want to be realistic it’s a 3rd rated school in the city.
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S, NJ
Penn State - Interviewed
RPI-AMC, Pitt, Syracuse, TCNJ - rejected
BU, GW, Case, Rochester, Temple - waiting
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I like to know and understand more. It may help if anyone knows how STEM classes grading, distribution, generally what percentage of class may get a particular grade etc…
Low Grade/GPA/MCAT requirements are used by majority of BS/MD programs, BUSM is not an exception to that. Other BS/MD programs have seen that an issue with caliber of traditional route candidates, hence either they increase the requirements or discontinue the program all together. If you want to see how a medical school can raise the profile, study NYU practice for last few years, a free tuition offering recently shoot up its profile
I see the irony to suggest lower GPA is due to all other channels but BS/MD.
Latin honors, are pretty much similar across all UGs and generally goes by percentages of class, not by hard GPA cut-off.
All applicants, if you are feared of grade deflation schools, at least you find contentment that BUSM will harbor you even if you attend so called grade deflated schools. Truth is there are plenty of medical colleges of BUSM caliber that may harbor you.
Speaking of rice grain, a Kohinoor shines irrespective of its position. Now you decide who is Kohinoor, a school or a student?
So no personal vendetta and stay on course for community sake.
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Never understood the accusations of personal vendetta since kids of all the senior participants are doing well whether it’s BSMD or Traditional path and participation here is to help the community only. I for one, don’t come here for accolades for my kid from strangers on internet!
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Just wondering how many kids are usually forwarded to NJMS via Caldwell route?
I kinda did this above but here we go:
DS
Florida (via the world lol, mil kid)
- Rejected: Pitt, Penn, NJIT, prob Temple
- Interview: VCU, GW
- Applications forwarded: Hofstra, Drexel
- Pending: Case, Brown, FAU, Rochester, BU
- Trad’l Undergrad Acceptance: Stanford, USF (Pitt, Penn, Temple, VCU, FAU, Hofstra)
Good luck everyone- the next few weeks will answer the question for everyone!!!
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@mom2boys1999
Good to know:-) one question… for Drexel, supplemental received or forwarded to Drexel Medical school? My S forwarded to Drexel medical school nothing for supplemental…
Thanks and good luck
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Didn’t they have to write something else? Maybe not. Maybe that was Hofstra. I will go edit. I try to keep track but seriously it’s a lot.
You’re right. All applicants had to fill out a supplement to be considered.