Thread for BSMD 2020-2021 Applicants (Part 2)

See the Official AAMC data as a GPA-MCAT grid with probability of at least one medical school acceptance.

Hi! I am also highly considering the GW/GW BAMD program and was hoping to connect with others attending the program. Let me know if you would like to connect :grinning:

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Thank you @rk2017 . Yep will need to think about all that competition. It’s going to be cut-throat for neuroscience!
Also TJ does not rank.
I will like for the same effort, SLU will have better results than UVA. She wants to try being big fish at SLU vs UVA. But giving UVA is being hard.

Thank you @Vicky2019 . C is thinking along the same lines. I feel comfortable hearing from you seniors. Thank you!

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Yes, that is the trick. Ask her to go to SLU and pretend she is attending UVA :slight_smile:

Let her put the same effort as she would at UVA, both academics and ECs wise, but without all the stress for every exam. I won’t be surprised 3 years down the road her stats will be like a 4.0/525. Then she can decide what to do. If for some very odd reason if turns out not to be the case, she will have the safety net of SLU anyway.

Also, she will still be considered instate, both with respect to preference and tuition, while applying to UVA med school despite attending SLU.

Of course you should leave final decision to her, giving all such inputs, that way no regrets later on by anyone.

On a side note, and a repeated one, during C’s cycle we came across this fellow BS/MD aspirant who would bump into C every so often during the interviews and other activities. Apparently was selected for TJ for high schooling, but chose not to attend, went to her local public school where was a super star, could do everything s/he loved to. Had a perfect SAT, subject SATs, tonnes of APs, great ECs s/he could get because of saving all that time of not having to commute to TJ etc.

Ended up with about half a dozen accelerated BS/BA/MD (7 yr) acceptances (chose not to apply to any 8 year ones). Went with GWU.

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@rk2017 , thank you.

I think there is no right or wrong with choosing TJ. We knew it was going to different from base school and yet both my kids chose it knowing it all.
All of it depends on the kid. C gives TJ a lot of credit going there and still would follow the same route even if a given chance to change.
TJ gave her best work ethics and wonderful research opportunities at NIH which will be cherished for the whole of Cs educational path.

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Exactly. One should know their own limitations and chose accordingly rather than come up with bad examples. HS is a good foundation. Like TJ kids, kids who went to our HS and weren’t in top 2 still do better at schools like UCB than top 1% from other schools in the area. The example provided above is not a great example of big fish in small pond since that kid seems to have an average BSMD cycle (no acceptance list provided) and didn’t even dare to apply for 8 year programs or good UGs and ended up with bird-in-hand choice.

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Sure, C’s cousin is in TJ, and is a top student there. Went for some competition at MIT a year or two back, perhaps representing their school.

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IMO, choosing SLU instead of UVA (in-state tuition) will be a risk-averse (bird-in-hand) choice. A TJ student can do much better than SLU, IMO. Neuroscience is a wonderful major and will give a lot of research experience at UVA.

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@rk2017
Thank you for all the information you bring to this forum!

@Vicky2019 Thank you!

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@Bamd2023 You are right about there not being a right or wrong answer to everything!
I’m a TJ dropout myself
lol.
It’s a thing in the NOVA area to get into TJ and so did I. One week in, with the daily long commute, 6 days a week skating commitment, and being at one of the top high schools in the country, I didn’t think I’d have done justice to my sport or my education and so, I made the decision to choose my sport and went to a reasonable high school.
I’d like to think that I came out OK in terms of keeping my short and long term goals intact while also living this thing called life.

My advice from my personal experience is that if you know where you want to go and are willing to put in the effort, you will go there no matter where you end up in the short term. Whatever the decision is, fully commit to it. UVA, SLU are all great options and most times, I don’t think it’s the place that has a say about anybody’s future.

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@okeokkadu - Congratulations on getting accepted to multiple BSMD offers. After the emotional roller coaster, it’s time to relax and enjoy. Have fun and wish you the best at TCNJ/NJMS and beyond!

Congratulations @okeokkadu!

Yes, looking at your D’s background and how widely applied to, would have definitely anticipated few more interviews with all the research exposure and to the Columbia SHP program for high schoolers. Such as research focused RPI/AMC. But we never know. As you rightly said, the important thing is to give the best shot and keep the head high irrespective of end result.

Congratulations on VCU GMED. Is it not true that there is a lot of risk involved in your sport of choice- “speed skating” ? VCU BSMD is a fine choice, but nonetheless, a “bird-at-hand” type decision. You had ivies like Columbia, Yale as alternatives.

So we visited Columbia this weekend ( JHU/UPenn last) and met large number of UG in premed. Yesterday fortunately was a graduation at Columbia and met several Indian kids ( as expected either in Science or Engg.). As D was in SHP program, we know Columbia for several years.

Most UG had wonderful experience ( actually All) and they indicated premed/MCAT was piece of cake- One UG ( parents and sister doc and lives in Long Island) did UG in Neuroscience and joined MS BME. He indicated most BME planning med schools heading to top med schools - Harvard, Columbia, Penn, JHU etc. He also added he maxed MCAT and said if my D can make to top schools now, she will easily do well later- Most of his friends did ( there were 4 of them).

So in nutshell, atleast 3 graduating desis from Columbia were of opinion that either Columbia or JHU for D and they indicated flexibility at Columbia Engineering is perhaps better although Engineering is tougher than pure sciences/other premed subjects.

A Korean PhD MechE indicated that his sister is in UCONN BS-MD plan and is in 2nd year MD and seems to enjoy it.

Bottomline, multiple views and kids should be happy whatever they choose- Dont be scared of top schools if those are your choices- if you made it there, you will make to top MD schools ( no guarantee though- High Reward for risk). You only do UG once.

So enjoy wheather top school or BS-MD whichever you choose.

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Would you please post your D’s decision with stats, reflection on results thread once D has decided.

Posted my reflection on results thread :slight_smile:

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@okeokkadu
thank you for posting your stats+perspectives in the results thread.
Congratulations on TCNJ/NJMs.

@gracewins
Thank you for posting your reflections.

Anyone still debating BSMD vs traditional path check the latest post in

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