Thread for BSMD 2020-2021 Applicants (Part 1)

Well said.

We did freeze the list after debating over too many schools…adding few feeders and removing other. There is really no way to know if one can possibly land into any given bsmd program.

Our list is much larger than yours as we choose more than a couple of feeders for upstate program and some of them are UG safety (state) schools. So we are not particularly applying to UG alone safety schools. If bsmd works out willing to shell additional green, but otherwise will choose UG from one of the schools on our bsmd apply list.

@ttb1263 @love4bsmd

As long as you are comfortable with your criteria and your list, it is fine.

The “ideal” college list is the one you are comfortable with.

@Vicky2019 Thanks for suggestion about the Upstate feeder. Another question for experts again can we apply for more than 1 feeder schools for Upstate as well as Rutger’s NJMS? Will it be a disadvantage when the med school in case receives application from more schools?

@vves20 from what i’ve heard, the only medical school that frowns upon/straight up throws out the application if you apply to more than one feeder school is AMC. otherwise, you should be fine applying to more than one feeder for NJMS and Upstate

@vves20
You can definitely apply to multiple feeders for both Upstate and NJMS.

However, you will be considered for one feeder for Upstate and you will know which one when you get the supplement and you have to go with it if you are selected into the program. Whereas for NJMS you can choose, among all feeders that you applied, after you are selected into program.

And, I don’t believe there is any disadvantage in choosing multiple feeders. I have been told that they choose from either by relative ranking for you assigned by referred feeders (if more than one feeder referred at the same time) or if one of the feeders submitted earlier as its a rolling interviews at Upstate.

For AMC, you have to apply through one and only one feeder among Union/RPI/Siena. If you apply for more than one, will be automatically rejected.

Feeder policies of different BS/MD programs:

  • AMC, automatically disqualified and removed from consideration if applying from more than one.
  • Upstate, can apply from any number, and out of whichever feeders that recommend your candidacy and forward your application, Upstate chooses the feeder for you, probably taking into consideration uniform distribution and other factors. If selected by Upstate, have only one option for the undergrad, the feeder they picked your application from.
  • NJMS, any number of feeders, but only one interview by NJMS. If selected, you are at liberty to attend any feeder that recommended you for the interview.
  • Drexel, used to have feeders but they discontinued that practice 3 years ago. It is direct with them now.

@9the0girl7, @love4bsmd , @rk2017 thank you all for the information. Any of the NY, NJ based BSMD schools like NJMS, Upstate, BU, Drexel (nearby) and others give instate preference (I read the previous discussions in earlier years, but couldn’t get anything definite) as we are out of state

@vves20 BU and Drexel are private schools, so they don’t give preference to in-state students. NJMS and Upstate ARE state schools, so they do give preference to in-state students by-law (at least for the traditional route.)

For the BS/MD route, OTOH, NJIT states on their FAQ about OOS students that “as far as we are aware, there is no preference given to in-state students by the NJMS Admissions Committee.” I could not find any information on Upstate’s BS/MD review policies, but keep in mind that at some state BS/MD schools, out of state tuition is much higher than in-state, AND that it’s extremely difficult to become eligible for in-state tuition in many states short of you and your family moving there. There may or may not be scholarships available for the medical school portion.

NJIT BS/MD FAQs: https://honors.njit.edu/content/njms-accelerated-bsmd-program-faqs

Hope that helps! Good luck with admissions!

If you haven’t read a previous related post of mine on the same thread and at the cost of repetition, one of the objectives of state med schools having BS/MD programs is to attract and recruit top talent from across the nation and diversify their student population in that respect. Doesn’t normally happen in traditional route considering the out of state tuition is between 1.5 times (NJMS) to 2 times higher (Stony Brook) which is either prohibitively expensive or not any better than private med schools for OOS students.

To attract students to BS/MD programs, most of these state BS/MD programs also ensure that the students matriculating to med schools in this route will be treated as in state for tuition purposes either due to their residency in the state during undergrad or some other technicalities. The only exception I have heard of is UAB, but to counter it pretty much they give away free rides for undergrad anyway. UConn is one program that specifically says preference will be given for instate but believe uphold the same in state tuition policy for med school portion.

So to answer your concern, yes apply to these programs by all means without worrying about not having instate status and once selected, make sure of their policies before final decision making in Spring.

Please look at 2024 class profile for NJMS.
http://njms.rutgers.edu/admissions/stats.cfm
Make your own conclusion- 29/178 (16%) were non-NJ residents matriculants (regular + bsmd).
There is a very large pool of NJ based ORMs applicants. It seems that there is a limit on the number of students selected from each high school in NJ. URMs have much better chance with NJMS ( 29% of total matriculants).
IMO, Non-NJ residents ORMs have to be very competitive( near 4.0 UW GPA, SAT near perfect score).

[quote=“grtd2010, post:1073, topic:2096007”]

@grtd2010 Only stated what’s on the FAQ.

Not all feeder schools to NJMS are created equal( # of seats allocated to each feeder school is not same)- apply to TCNJ and NJIT, IMO.

Not all feeder schools to NJMS are created equal( # of seats allocated to each feeder school is not same)- apply to TCNJ and NJIT, IMO. As it was pointed out, there is only one interview with NJMS.

@rk2017, about your comments above - BS/MD undergrad schools make every effort to make student in-state for Med school - this is something new I am hearing. Can you please elaborate on this? Any schools in particular that you personally know of? As far as I know about residency requirements, it is governed by state laws and schools cannot do much about it. And most states do not give in-state residency status to OOS full time students. I have heard - in some BS/MD programs which are 8 years - that students finish their undergrad portion is 3 years (because of AP credits etc) - and then work full time for 1 year in that state before entering med school. This way their become in-state. I have not heard of any other way and this way is not even possible with 7 year programs. Is this something we can ask the school or do they tell you during interview or when a student accepts admission?

It is the state regulations that determine residency. Please consult each state’s website. A university can not give residency to any non-resident student. Do your own due diligence. Do not rely on at random posts.

Hi all - couple of quick questions regarding the app process, Reco letters process etc

1). S high school uses Parchment for transcripts. Also his Counselor will not be proving Reco letter. So in this scenario, Does he still need to ‘Invite Counselor’ in the Common App, and if so for what purpose ?

2). Recommenders — when he adds “Invite Recommenders’ in the Common App for multiple colleges, will the Recommenders receive a request from each college and have to provide multiple recos OR will/can they write one common Recommendation for all the colleges In the Common App ?

Thanks all and hope everyone started sending out the Apps
Good luck !!!

@helperdad,

  1. You should still invite counselor as they upload school report/mid year report/final reports.
  2. You invite a teacher only once - say from one college. And when they complete that, it will show up in common app and then you should be able to attach that teacher’s “reco letter” to any school. So that particular teacher has to write only once.

anyone have any idea how to answer this for my kiddo and his Temple transcript issue?

He sent this to his adcom but thought I would ask here too:

  1. As I am a full time dual enrollment student (I only take classes on our local college campus). The options for course levels doesn’t offer a dual enrollment/college course option. Should I pick the “other” option? At my high school they are weighted the same as an AP course.
  2. Some of my college courses are awarded a full high school credit (though they only last a semester). How do I input that? They don’t last a full year but get a credit as if they do.

@rk1235rk

I think I already answered it. Think about it from these schools’ perspective. Why would they think any one of these super achiever kids choose to join their programs if they end up paying 1.5 to 2 times the fee that majority of their future class mates will be paying for medical school?

Either these programs or universities work it out with their local state departments to facilitate that or are located in states already with flexible regulations to make it happen. As far as I know NJMS is the most flexible in this regard and believe Upstate too is and most likely all of them are with probably one exception already pointed above. But I also did recommend to do double check if first selected to the program(s). I am sure the staff of these programs will clarify all questions without any ambiguity during counseling or open house or orientation. It is too early for you to start worrying about it.

@vves20 - The answer is “yes”. Many students apply to multiple feeders for NJMS (TCNJ, NJIT, Stevens, Rutgers etc.). This is similar with SUNY upstate as well.

AMC perhaps might be the only one that limits students to apply via one feeder. Most others allow students to apply via multiple feeders.

Infact I highly recommend you taking a look at the student profiles in the BSMD 2020 Results forum. Here you will find no only the stats but also the college list for most students. Also, this topic was discussed in the 2020 college confidential discussion forum as well…