3/23: I'm going to Northwestern.
3/17: I had finally decided on Mt. Sinai. But now I'm thrown back into a state of disarray because I GOT INTO NORTHWESTERN! I am so excited. I'm sitting at work, crying like a loser (I'm the only person in here anyway).
3/14: I thought maybe the revisits would suddenly enlighten me as to whether Sinai or Einstein would be right for me, but I'm still as confused as ever. I'm about to go update my pros&cons chart and see if a winner emerges.
3/6: I'll be revisiting Einstein and Mt. Sinai in a few days; looking forward to it. Also, I think it will be great to see them back-to-back for direct comparison. I'm pretty sure I'd go with Northwestern if they accepted me, but if they don't, I definitely need to figure out which New York program is better for me. Also, I got some news last week that is making me second-guess how far away I should go... nothing I can explain, but it factors in, and makes Chicago somewhat less attractive.
2/24: I'm getting sick of waitlists. Waitlisted at Mt. Sinai. Atleast they told me my rank order.
2/21: Alternate list at Northwestern. Just sent them something between a letter of interest and letter of intent. Basically stating that they're my 1st choice, but I'd like to revisit before committing in writing. I have trouble making decisions; what can I say? Hopefully they don't mind indecisive people. Also got my Harvard rejection... thinking of framing it. :)
2/3: Mt. Sinai was supposed to inform me today, but they e-mailed this morning to say that they didn't get to me in their meeting, so I have to wait until the 24th. However, my interviewers' comments were 'strong' and they anticipate a 'positive discussion.' I'm going to take that with a grain of salt until I have an actual acceptance in hand. In other news, Maryland SOM offered me a $100,000 scholarship, which would have had me jumping for joy if I weren't already accepted into a fully funded MSTP. I wish I could give it to someone else; I feel a little guilty, but it is a nice ego boost. lol. I thought only super stars got scholarships for med school. Maybe I am a *cue Molly Shannon voice* Superstar!
1/24: Got my UWash rejection yesterday. Post-interview rejections really sting. If I'm being honest with myself, the only thing that I truly loved there was the quality of the ID research, but in all other ways, it didn't feel like the right place for me. It's probably a good thing the decision was made for me b/c moving to Seattle, such a different place, so far away would have been a big gamble, and I'm not sure I would've been happy there. I'm so grateful for my acceptance at Einstein, but I really hope I have a choice. One more interview, and hopefully I'll hear from Northwestern by Feb., and NYU will tell me my place on the waitlist in Feb. apparently, and who knows how long Sinai will take to get back to me. I hope my interview goes well. I felt a little off my game at UWash, to be honest... I think I'm just worn down by interviews.
1/18: I feel a lot better about yesterday's decisions b/c now I have an interview at Mt. Sinai and fortunately still have the $$ for a flight up there. Out of the few schools I haven't heard from yet, Sinai is the one I most wanted an interview at. One more chance at Manhattan!
1/17: After intense agonizing (I've been at work for 3 hours and haven't accomplished anything yet), I finally decided to withdraw from Tufts. Although the school has a good rep and I love Boston, the program is just too small (4 students/yr) and most importantly, they don't have research that matches my interests. I feel like I may have just killed any shot of ending up in Boston, but it seems like the right choice. I wanted to decide pre-interview b/c it would've been an expensive trip and I've already missed a lot of work this month... so it seemed silly to drag out my decision until after the interview. UWash called some people this weekend, but not me, so I think that may be a rejection. I really liked the school, and they had AMAZING research there (better than any other school I've visited), but it looks like that may not be an option. I guess I'll find out soon. This profile is getting really long, but perhaps all of the details will help someone else make a decision in future years, so I guess I won't edit the older entries.
1/10: I withdrew from a few schools that I wouldn't choose over Einstein: BU and Jefferson. Maryland's committee met yesterday, so I hope to hear from them this week, and I have UWash this week, which I'm really excited about. Mentally debating daily whether I should attend Tufts.
12/30: Well, I'm waitlisted at NYU MSTP. Atleast I wasn't rejected. I'm disappointed, but not terribly so b/c I just didn't get a great feeling from NYU. I'm probably most upset that it further lessens my chance of ending up in Manhattan. I heard from Mt. Sinai this week that they wanted an LOR from my PI at NIH before deciding to interview me. The up side is that they didn't flat-out reject me, but the downside is that they didn't immediately interview me either. I'd really like to interview there, so we'll see what happens.
12/22: I did it. I'm into Einstein MSTP. Thank you God.
12/15: Rejected by Tr-I. So sad.
12/10: I'm going to be a doctor... but I'm still waiting for an MSTP acceptance. Trying to be patient.
11/21/05: 9th interview invite: Tufts. Someone pinch me. Jefferson was great, but maybe not the best fit for me research-wise. Cornell was amazing; if I get in, it is very likely that I'll go there. They're calling on Dec. 7th, the day I fly to Chicago for my Northwestern interview. If they do call me (oh please oh please oh please), I hope I get the call in my hotel, not during the interview activities b/c I want to be able to scream.
11/14/05: Got an invite for BU today!!! The prospect of moving back to Boston is exciting, but BU only funds the PhD years, so if I get accepted elsewhere, I may cancel the itnerview before February. They invited me to interview next month or January, but the dates conflicted with other interviews, so I had to push it back. I guess I'll see where I'm at in January and decide then. I AM excited though. :)
I have Jefferson and Cornell (aaaaahhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!) this week; it's going to be a loooong week, but within the next few weeks, I should hear from a few schools. I can't wait for an acceptance; I already know how I'm going to celebrate.
11/2/05: My Einstein interviews went well; I loved the program. Even though the area around the school was really boring, I'd be ecstatic if I got in. I just got the schedule for my Cornell interview and it looks intense: 5 interviews, none of which are informal research interviews. eek.
10/26: One interview down, 6 to go. NYU was mostly a good experience, though I did have one really rough interview. I'm looking forward to visiting Einstein. Now that I've been through it once, my stress level is down by about 6000% I finally submitted Harvard today. I kept worrying that it would be a waste of money b/c let's face it, I have no chance.... but I didn't think I had a chance at Cornell or Northwestern or UWash either, and I have interviews at those places. In the long run, isn't a shot at Harvard MSTP worth $85?
10/13: Nothwestern!!! Numero 7! This is the 2nd interview I've had to reschedule... this is crazy.
10/11: Maryland: my 6th interview. This is unbelievably exciting. I'm really looking forward to starting the actual interviews.
10/7: Cornell Interview!! YYYYYEEEEESSSSSSSSS
10/5 addendum: Unbelievable! I got another interview invite today! Geez, and I thought I was such a mediocre applicant.
Just goes to show: prayer changes things! :D
10/5: UWash was a last minute addition that I've become increasingly excited about, and I now I get to interview there! I'm so psyched to see Seattle!
9/30: Another interview. Looks like I'l be spending some quality time in New York. :D
9/29: Added UPitt to AMCAS. Dropped Georgetown (realized I just wasn't excited about it). Need to submit Rosalind Franklin and Harvard this weekend. Got my first interview today. I cannot stop grinning.
