Have you done any medical related ECs yet ? Have you taken SAT I/ACT and/or SAT II ?
If you have been doing all this, visit (virtual) the schools you want to apply and find out details. Do your own work like writing essays.
Paid service will not do any work for you like writing your essays etc. The admission committee will find out very easily that it is not your work but someone else like hired folks have written it. CC does not recommend any paid service so do not ask for any references.
Read my q before jumping to conclusions. I have asked how about taking college application support services to help with college application not writing essays and Idonât think acceptu will write essays for you anyway/ I am weighing out if any one has an opinion about these services , and if they help in admission process about selling you better than you would apply on your own. Donât pretend to be Mr. Right. if you can help answer my q answer otherwise donât waste your time as well as mine
Read it and move on. It is a public forum. Mentioned the CC policy for the benefit of all not for you. The user handle @force1 and @ug111 are different. So Is it the same person using these two user handles ?
@ug111 - You are asking two questions-
How long does it take to complete the BSMD applications?
The work involved will depend on the number of applications submitted for BSMD. On an average, students have known to submit 18+ applications. Out of these some will be BSMD and others will be undergrad. UG applications require less work.
There will be some work that is common for all, such as preparing Resume, requesting recommendation letters or talking to teachers, filling out the Common or Coalition Application and writing Common App essays (approx. 6-7).
Each college will have a - Why particular college essay
BSMD applications require additional essays (Why medicine, Why BSMD program)
Start working on applications early during the summer of junior year. Start with a resume, some staple essays (Why medicine, Why BSMD program, Why particular college) etc.
Tests, college visits and researching about each college/program is common work.
In order to produce better quality essays, you need more time. Most students start applications at the end of Aug for Nov 1st deadlines. BSMD deadlines for State Universities usually is in November. Some private universities have either Dec 1 or Jan 1-2 deadlines. Stony Brook has a deadline of Jan-15.
A few students started their application process in Summer after junior year. This is ideal.
Do we need a paid college advisor?
Paid advisors have been known to cost 5k-10k or more! This is a personal choice.
Personally, I am not aware of the additional benefits paid advisor would provide that students cannot obtain from College Confidential forum for free. Like @grtd2010 mentioned, students need to do the work themselves. No shortcuts!
Although essays are written by students, your student would sometimes need someone to help brainstorm ideas/topics for their essays and also review the essays to provide some feedback. Many students depend on family (siblings, parents), friends or teachers for this.
Particularly in the current environment, personal essays will make a lot of difference and will set apart applicants. Please concentrate on your essays - be original, thoughtful, and show your passion in your essays. Good writing and communication skills are highly valued by ad comm. Everyone will have stellar stats and ECs. Writing score in ACT and SAT I may be helpful to show your writing strength.
Thank you both for your thoughts, as far as my username CC changed my username after I signed up. weird but whatever.
I was curious about paid services since they mention 96 % success rate not sure how and was just wondering; again thank you
Most participants in this forum have been through bsmd cycle and have C admitted into at least ONE bsmd program. Ask yourself for 5-10k what would you get ?
to my knowledge, Rick Singer has 100% success rate!
We chose to invest in an advisor. This is why:
- My son will be applying to 15 BSMD programs and 12 traditional. It will entail a significant amount of writing and revising those essays. In todayâs admission cycle, those essays are going to play a critical factor, in my opinion even more than usual.
- I am a school counselor, at his school. I am also HIS school counselor per alpha. Itâs a difficult position for him and that extra set of eyes that he would typically have access to are still his Momâs. So while I am very involved in his process, there are still pieces for which he needs outside input. Our school doesnât have a college counselor, and he is probably one of the first kids to apply to these schools in both paths.
- That extra accountability helps him. He is motivated in a way that transcends parent nagging .
- We can afford it. He is an URM and his father and I worked very very hard to get out of poverty and give him these opportunities. We have the money for it so it doesnât cause a financial hardship. Af the end of the day is an advisor necessary? No. But helpful? Yes.
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Just a heads up:
In my job, we got notified that College Board is not going to offer online SAT.
I personally think it was because the AP process was a disaster. But regardless, that potential option is now not available.
Your 12th grade kids and those who had a test rescheduled get priority registration right now so I suggest you get that done ASAP. We went ahead and registered for both his Subject tests and his SAT, two dates for the latter.
Privilege is not tied to a RM. I wish all kids in your school have same opportunity.
@PPofEngrDr
I do too. I spent 8 weeks from end of Aug to beg of Nov staying afterschool to offer my college application camp (Unpaid and I lure them in by buying pizza). It has morphed into a post graduation help as sometimes they need advice on things like joining the military. My caseload is around 450 as fluctuating with enrollment since transiency is common in depressed school zones. That one on one time is much harder to carve out during the day. I spend a lot of my own money to feed, clothe, and help my students with things like yearbooks and proms and school supplies. And I am grateful everyday for the education that allowed me to come out of such an environment, get my degrees, and go back into it as someone who can help.
When I pointed out my son is URM, what I am pointing out is that people from his community, like his cousins and aunts and uncles, donât always have the opportunity for things like an advisor. And itâs a damn shame. We are grateful for that privilege more than you will ever knowX
Sorry thatâs my rant on education and access and given that my county is looking at cuts (though we are already parsed down to pennies when we need dollars), itâs little raw right now.
Just got word the two local community college systems in our county and the adjoining one are staying online for fall.
Temple University going in-person in Fall 2020 until Nov 20, 2020, then online for the rest of the semester.
https://news.temple.edu/announcements/2020-06-02/update-plans-fall
Majority of colleges will do hybrid (some combination of in person and online) model for upcoming fall classes. Very few will do in person only. We learned today that UofI will do fall sem in person until Thanksgiving break, November 20, reminder of sem online including finals, come back on campus after winter break, colleges are trying to minimize students travel across country during breaks to avoid any outbreak on campus return. This is subject to state of IL phase opening, otherwise online only. Ofc, depending on region, there will be different solutions for upcoming fall classes.
Glad to see you speak your mind.
I donât have a ton of hospital volunteering, but I have a lot of shadowing and research hours. I have some outside, non-hospital volunteering but not as much as shadowing or research. My local hospital doesnât allow anyone under 18 to really volunteer at the hospital. Would the shadowing and research make up for the lack of hospital volunteering?
somebody may be in opposite camp, too much volunteering and less others, so I wonât loose my sleep over something that you canât do in current environment. Every college understands this environment, there are no short cuts to create eye popping profile in current environment. Go with flow, you will end up with college where you will be happy.
Thank you so much!
Folks
A thought experiment -
If you are a parent, and your child is a smart, intelligent, hardworking kid who can get A+ but the college decides that all students will get a B.
(Assume normal conditions I.e. no pandemic.)
Will you like it?
Why? Why not?