Thank you for your suggestion. We went test optional where possible and submitted scores for which they are required, because DD could not crack the benchmark SAT score in her only effort. And submitted subjects for Drexel and RPI only. RPI is farther than a long shot; but what the heck!
Agree with @NoviceDad post # 1357 ātest optional does not mean score-blindā. If there are two competing candidates, one with high stats (SAT I /ACT and/or SAT II scores), and the other with no test scores, IMO the medical school will go with the known quantity. Medical schools do send targeted emails to UGs with high MCAT score to apply to their medical schools similar to several Ivies sending targeted emails to high school seniors.
WUSTL and NU HPME may have accounted for nearly 25-30 BSMD seats.
Any ideas for MED extracurriculars during COVID?
SAT subject test scores came out: how is it that countless hours of studying only led to a 10 point increase on the test?? sorry, just a little frustrated rn 
It is ok to be frustrated but donāt let that one score define you. Keep faith in your ability.
Agree with @PPofEngrDr - Hang in there.
Let your frustration out, take a day off and get back to work.
Hi Experts, my D got SAT Chem = 740 by self-studying (test taken on Oct 3). She is taking AP Chem now in senior year. Now we are debating to send the score or not. Would it add any value if we send the score and mention in the additional section that she self studied for 4 months and put extra initiative to take the test? She also has SAT Bio = 800 and Math 2 = 800 which we are definitely sending.
Please advice.
All BS/MD programs are SUBJECT test optional or not required.
You will be okay sending Math and Bio test scores.
Only BU in current cycle prefers Chemistry but even they are test optional.
Please send only two SAT II 800 scores. Do not even mention or send SAT II Chemistry 740 (68 percentile) score, it will not help your cause.
There is not a much of difference in available research opportunities among most medical schools in spite of their USNWR rankings. One has opportunities to do visiting rotation/research in other medical schools/hospitals. USLME 1/2 step examination may be more important in the medical school. If one is interested in a particular medical school, do apply for the specific reason. Most folks apply to 20-25 medical schools on average during regular route MD. Most folks have no fixed idea what to specialize until they have done rotations during 3r and 4th year.
Thank you @NoviceDad and @grtd2010, BU and NU HPME were the only reason she decided to study at the start of the summer this year and attempt SAT Chem (since both of them needed it). And when HPME scrapped and BU went test optional, she had already put good amount of study time into it and she decided to give the test anyway. I guess it makes sense not to send it since it is only 68 percentile. But what about sending it to just BU? Since they needed it past, would it be any beneficial to BU application?
Canāt answer with as much experience as some of the others in this thread but my son got 740 or 750 (or similar, canāt remember) scores on BIO/CHEM subject tests and we arenāt sending. The culture on these subject tests is pretty crazy- Iām sure these scores translate to 1 or 2 or 3 missed questions and Iām surprised that schools wouldnāt want to see these scores and that they wouldnāt be happy with them. Percentiles aside, it helps make the case that these students would do well on MCAT, USMLE and then eventually board certification exams. My son got 36 across the board on ACT, which is nice, but if I was an admissions officer Iād rather also see his subject test scores in the 700s than have the students not submit. Iād realize how punishing these curves are for the elite students actually taking these subject tests.
USMLE step 1, which had been the most punishing of all tests in the US is going pass/fail next year, which I personally think is great, but it will make it far more difficult who to interview for our competitive residency program.
My suggestion is that, apart from the percentile, check out what is the value for Mean score + Standard Deviation (SD) and see how far away from it your score is. If it is off by about 20 or so points, it is still ok to send, especially considering the state of affairs this cycle
The mean and SD figures are given for every subject test at the bottom somewhere. (Donāt apply it Math2 subject test though, it is an anomoly by itself)
Overall as I dig into more details of these standardized scores, some of them are just non-sense. Losing 2 out of 58 questions in math can ding you by 40 points, what can you make out of it? Are they competitive or not comparatively!
Math2 790 is a pretty good score. Do self report/send it as required. Donāt be misguided by some bad information floating around here by the so called experts.
Undergrad can actually break oneās chances, especially at the likes of MIT, Princeton, Cornell or U Chicago, it may actually derail oneās hopes or plans of medical career altogether. May not happen to everyone but did happen to many. Either had to give up plans of medicine as a career completely or had to āsettleā for a path to medicine which they would never imagine going through, as they were entering undergrad.
I know someone sharing here or in last yearās, a blog from MIT written by couple of students who went there for premed. The articles were pretty old, like a decade or so. Donāt think the same students with similar credentials from MIT would get in anywhere these days.
So one has some hard thinking to do when jumping to join schools like above for undergrad, besides the financial part of it Will you be comfortable to let go medicine if things donāt go well at your dream school and be contended with the prestige of having attended the undergrad there? āDream schoolā or dream career?
@love4bsmd
IMO, no one has time to go and find out how many questions one got wrong when there are others with a SAT II MATH 800 scores in contention. If you are so sure, it will help you, do send it and see what happens.
This process happens in most standardized test by which scores are scaled so as to compare with past performances on similar tests. A SAT II MATH 790 is scaled score and it shows a 77% score i.e. there are 23% test takers (including present and past) who have scored better. A 77% means that you are not a top contender. IMO, it is the relative performance which matters.
The scaling process happens in MCAT/USLME step tests (some may be P/F) and board examinations.
But all BS/MD those highly skilled student can get in arenāt good.
So does high school can break chances for BS/MD or UG. Does it mean one shouldnāt do high school at all or go to safest school that will give you 4.0 GPA? This is precisely risk averse thought process and generation that grew up here is bold and takes risks, at least that is the case for my kids (n=1). Kids at tender age 17 gets an Ivy admission set for life skills necessary for any profession or change of heart along the way. Failure is a stoppage on success journey, not a dead end. To suggest that BS/MD students doesnāt fail/tumble or changes heart is equally naive thoughts.
It is a well known fact medical school admission standardize stats are going higher and higher as more applicants interested than available seats. It has been stabilized for last few years, but non-traditional (at least 1 gap year) pie in enrolled students is getting bigger and bigger in top schools.
You can have both with careful planning, but life is uncertain. To suggest BS/MD provides dream career at age 17 is untrue. At age 17 you are better shaped to pick your dream school than career.
Having said these, one has to ask this question, how serious am I to medical profession? (shake off parents/family desire/wishes, certainly take into account their thoughts, it is about you as an applicant what you want). If you have a little doubt about it, go to UG that you like, explore your options, before committing to medical or another career at more matured age. On the other hand, you have mom-and-pop shop available to run right after medical education and that is how you are groomed until this point, going to any BS/MD is a right choice (this are certainly minority of overall students body but relatively majority of BS/MD enrolls, still majority of those students choose alternative path to find their passion).
Does anyone know about Cincinnati Connections? The website says that the application is supposed to open in September but it still isnāt open. I tried to contact admissions - no response. Maybe the program is cancelled?
Whosoever it may concern:
Please check out Normal Distribution and find out (mean +/- 1SD), mean +/- 2SD etc) percentiles. These are pretty well known numbers in basic statistics.