User #10707
Application cycles: 2008
Demographics: Male, 14
Home state: New York
Last Active: 06/28/2011

Brief Profile: sGPA: 3.41
cGPA: 3.53
PS 10, VR 11, BS 11, WS R

Research:
-Research Assistant (732+ hours)

Volunteer:
-Adult disabled learning center (96+ hours)
-Shadowing an internal med doctor

EC:
-Orgo TA, mentor

LORs: 5 letters

GENERAL ADVICE AND TIPS:
1. Apply EARLY EARLY EARLY!!! If you can, I suggest you fill out and submit your primary AMCAS application the first day it comes out (usually the first week of June). It usually takes a few weeks before they process your primary app, so submitting it early takes less time (about 1 week to get processed). Also, you can submit your primary app before you take the MCAT (just let them know on the app that you have a pending score). Applying early definitely gets you, on average, more interviews than those who apply later, regardless of your stats.

2. Try to keep a GPA above 3.6 for the three years in undergrad. If you can't, then try to have an upwards trend from freshman year because schools will look at it. As for your MCAT, do your best to score at least above a 30. The national MCAT avg is 29-30 for these past couple of years. I know it's hard to score higher once you pass a 30, but it really matters.

3. Even though research is not required, make sure you have some because med schools will really look at this as a way to eliminate applicants. As for ECs, you don't need to have a lot of ECs like other gunners do on SDN. As long as you have meaningful ones and ones that stand out (ie. not volunteering at soup kitchens, saving HIV babies, etc), you're fine. Remember 'quality not quantity'.

4. Apply to a wide range of schools that match your stats, but don't overdo it. If your stats are mediocre, it will hurt you in the long run if you apply to mostly top-tier schools and no low-tier schools. A good number would be in the 13-15 range, so 'apply broadly but smartly.' Also, don't apply to places where you're hesitant to go if accepted, because a lot of people on SDN find themselves in a jam and complain when they get accepted to a med school where they don't want to go and then ask about their chances of reapplying.

5. The thing about this whole med process is that it is random yet askewed - askewed in terms of people with lower stats than you will get an interview at a top-tier school and random in terms of getting rejected at a state school while getting accepted at a private school.

6. The most important thing I've learned in this process is that you cannot compare yourself with other applicants, especially those on SDN, because if you do, it'll drive you nuts. The people on SDN represents less than 10% of total applicants. Use the forum as a resource but nothing else.

7. The only thing left is to be calm, patient, and hopeful, because that's the only thing you can do when you have done all you can as a candidate. If you have anything new to update schools throughout the process, just email it to them. Also, in some cases, writing letters of interest/intent can mean the difference between being waitlisted and accepted.

8. 'ALL YOU NEED IS ONE.' This is a great slogan I've cherished more and more ever since the start of this app cycle. Regardless of where you go, you are going to be a doctor. Don't worry how many interviews or acceptances people are getting, because in the end they have to choose only one. Remember, all U.S. allopathic med schools offer the same medical education. With that said, I know firsthand how deeply it hurts when you're accepted to a lower-tier med school than your friends with equal or lower stats then you. Solution? There's nothing you can do about it but hope to get into a top residency program.

RANKED FACTORS:
From my own experience in this app cycle, I believe, in order of importance, from highest to lowest, are how med schools look at your med application - URM (underrepresented minority) status, reputation of undergrad (ivy/top vs state), cGPA/sGPA, MCAT score, and lastly ECs & Research.

DISCLAIMER: not biased towards URM people, just towards the URM aspect of it.

If you're a URM (hispanic/black) and have at least avg stats (3.3+ GPA, 29+ MCAT) you're pretty much set for most of the med schools you apply to. Most of my URM friends who applied to ivy/top schools get interviews and have received acceptances, while those who are non-URM (white/asian) bite the dust.

If you happen to be non-URM with avg stats like me and have applied this cycle, I'm sure you know how shitty this feels right now in March and how hard it is to be unjudgmental and understanding towards the whole app process. No matter what admissions tell you, being URM is like having the golden ticket to Willy Wonka's factory. You can get into almost anywhere you want; it is only a matter of applying to the school. Schools have a separate applicant pool for them and if they say otherwise, they're just lying.

PERSONAL THOUGHTS:
This cycle has been a rather difficult one. This year, the avg national mcat is 31, avg cGPA is 3.60+ and from my analysis, the reason is due to a surge in smart applicants/reapplicants spilled over from previous years and the fact that due to the current economic recession, a decline in applicants with lower than avg stats. For what it's worth though, I feel blessed that I got into medical school amongst this overwhelming and impossible application cycle, but I can't help but feel depressed that I didn't succeed in terms of getting into a top medical school.

// Applications //

Application Cycle One: 2008

Undergraduate college: top dream school
Undergraduate Area of study: Biological/Life Sciences

Total MCAT SCORE: 472
MCAT Section Scores: B/B 118, C/P 118, CARS 118
Overall GPA: 0.00
Science GPA: 0.00

Summary of Application Experience

KEY:
SS - submitted secondary
C- complete (waiting for MCAT scores)
AC - application complete (under review)
II - interview invite
I - interview
R - rejected
WD - withdrew
W - waitlisted
A - accepted

FEES AND EXPENSES:
AMCAS primary app to 13 schools: $0 [waived]
MCAT (2x): $170 [discounted]
secondary apps: $0 [waived]
study prep materials and course: $590
LIRR: $19.50
Metro North: $13.00
study prep materials: -$120

GRAND TOTAL: $673

stress and anxiety: priceless
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OVERALL APPLICATION PROCESS:
1/11/08 - AMCAS FAP 2008 approved
5/15/08 - all LORs written and on file at my school
5/28/08 - requested transcript from 1 school
6/03/08 - AMCAS transcript received
6/13/08 - submitted AMCAS application
6/20/08 - received Yale secondary (essay)
6/21/08 - submitted Yale secondary online and fee waiver via snail mail
6/24/08 - AMCAS application verified
6/25/08 - received and submitted UMDNJ-RWJ secondary (no essay) and fee waiver via snail mail
6/27/08 - received Columbia secondary (essay)
6/29/08 - filled out SUNY Downstate secondary (no essay)
6/30/08 - submitted SUNY Downstate secondary and fee waiver via snail mail
6/30/08 - pre-med committee packet (with LORs) sent out via VirtualEvals
6/30/08 - submitted Columbia secondary online and fee waiver/photo via snail mail
7/01/08 - UMDNJ-RWJ application is complete (official)
7/01/08 - received and submitted Jefferson secondary online (no essay), automatic fee waiver
7/02/08 - received and submitted UMDNJ-NJ secondary (no essay) and fee waiver via snail mail
7/08/08 - received Cornell secondary (essay)
7/09/08 - submitted Cornell secondary online, automatic fee waiver
7/09/08 - Jefferson application is complete (unofficial)
7/09/08 - received Mount Sinai secondary (essay)
7/10/08 - received and submitted NYMC secondary online (no essay) and fee waiver via snail mail
7/14/08 - submitted Mount Sinai secondary online, automatic fee waiver
7/15/08 - AMCAS received premed-committee packet (with LORs) for its LORs pilot program
7/15/08 - received and submitted SUNY Upstate secondary online (no essay) and fee waiver via snail mail
7/16/08 - Cornell application is complete (official)
7/17/08 - received NYU (essay) and Albert Einstein (no essay) secondaries
7/18/08 - SUNY Downstate application is complete (unofficial)
7/18/08 - Yale application is complete (unofficial)
7/20/08 - submitted NYU secondary online and fee waiver via email
7/20/08 - submitted Albert Einstein secondary online and via snail mail and fee waiver via snail mail
7/21/08 - UMDNJ-NJ application is complete (official)
7/21/08 - Mount Sinai application is complete (official) after calling them
7/21/08 - SUNY Upstate application is complete (unofficial)
7/21/08 - NYU application is complete (official)
7/23/08 - NYMC application is complete (unofficial)
8/04/08 - received SUNY Stony Brook secondary (3 essays)
8/07/08 - submitted SUNY Stony Brook secondary and fee waiver via snail mail
9/10/08 - NYU application is under review.
9/12/08 - NYMC application is under review.
9/19/08 - SUNY Stony Brook application is under review.
9/23/08 - NYMC interview invite!!!
9/25/08 - Columbia application is under review.
10/8/08 - SUNY Upstate application is under review.
10/8/08 - Yale application is under review.
10/21/08 - SUNY Downstate invite.
10/29/08 - SUNY Stony Brook invite.
12/04/08 - AECOM application is under review (after emailing them about it)
12/09/08 - AECOM invite.
12/12/08 - 1st rejection from SUNY Upstate. (snail mail)
1/14/09 - rejected from Cornell.
1/28/09 - SUNY Downstate ACCEPTANCE. 1st one!!!
2/04/09 - rejection from Stony Brook. (snail mail) WTF?!?!?
5/02/09 - waitlisted at AECOM.
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TRACKING BLOG:

8/04/08 - Just received my last secondary. WOOT! All I have to do now is take the Aug. MCAT and get it over with. My goal is to get at least a 30 - PS 11 VR 8 BS 11 knowing how my verbal sucks. Out of the 8 practice AAMC tests, my best for each section is PS 12 VR 8 BS 11.

9/09/08 - Took forever, but finally got my score back!!! 32R WOOT! I definitely broke the 30 barrier.

9/23/08 - Got my first med interview at NYMC!! Excited, but at the same time a little nervous. Good thing it's not till in December after finals.

10/17/08 - The great interview drought....So far, nothing after only one invite. I can only wait ever patiently until I crack!

10/21/08 - Finally, got my 2nd interview from SUNY Downstate! Also, got a pre-interview hold for SUNY Upstate, which is fine, since I want to stay in NYC.

10/29/08 - Got SUNY Stony Brook!!

12/09/08 - AECOM invite after a 1.5 month hiatus!! my fourth one1!!

12/12/08 - Got back from my 2nd interview and 1st rejection thru snail mail for SUNY Uptstate. Definitely not going to lose sleep over this since I was going to withdraw anyways.

1/08/09 - New year started and still no more interview invites, so I sent out my fall grades update to all the schools.

1/11/09 - It's looking bleak here, so I decided to show my appreciation and sent Letters of Interest to Columbia, NYU, and Mt. Sinai. Here's to hoping. ::fingers crossed::

1/28/09 - Got my acceptance letter from SUNY Downstate snail mail after 12 weeks post-interview!! MY FIRST ONE!!! YES!! I'm going to be a doctor! =)

2/04/09 - Read on SDN forum that Mt. Sinai will tell you if you're rejected or still under review when you call, so I called them and luckily I still have a fighting chance, since they interview till mid-March. Hopefully they're sending an invite my way (fingers crossed).

2/05/09 - Feeling a lil shitty right now. After finally hearing some good news from Downstate and thinking that this year was going to start out right, NO, stony brook had to ruin it and send me a rejection...Now I feel like my brain's over-rationalizing by thinking that stony is in the boonies, the middle of nowhere, and I wouldn't have enjoyed it if I went there. However, the devil's advocate is saying that I should be content with 1 acceptance, and I am, which I am truly blessed with, seeing as how many others had interviews and still zero acceptances in feb. sighs...we'll see how it goes.

2/22/09 - It's been a while since I updated but still no news on the home front. It's been 9 weeks since NYMC interview and still no decision has been made. Their turnover is usually 8-12 weeks, so maybe next week? In other news, I paid the deposit for holding my place at Downstate as well as the Housing fee. I'll be matriculating there (b^.^)b unless I get a better offer from somewhere else.

3/28/09 - I've been so busy with classes recently but here's a quick update. So far, I've been placed on waitlist for NYMC recently and just interviewed at albert einstein 2 weeks ago. I really liked albert einstein a lot and felt a good vibe when I went there. Now I just got to wait at least 4 weeks before hearing back from them. And oh yeah...received a couple more rejections. With my luck so far, who knows what's going to happen?

5/08/09 - Waitlisted at AECOM. At this point, I think the decision has been made for me. Here's to hoping to getting off the waitlist come 5/15.

6/26/09 - Been a while since I updated. No waitlist movement for me, so SUNY Downstate here I come!
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INTERVIEW FEEDBACK:

Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Absolutely fell in love with the school and its pure P/F grading system for the first 2 years. Housing is really cheap (avg $420/month for a 2-bedroom apt that you share with another roomie) on campus, admissions staff people were really nice, and students look happy and close-knit, something I have been looking for in a med school. My interview was off campus, but they arranged a car ride for me to the interview and back, which was nice, and something that NYMC was lacking. AECOM has a Global Health program where they pay for some expenses (usually $2000+) for you to do research/clinicals at other countries (France, Sweden, Japan, Latin America, Africa) 2 months at a time. Tuition is hefty, a $42,000/year with some financial aid.

New York Medical College
The campus is very insulated and feels college-like. Some people don't like it bc it reminds them of their undergrad years, but I don't mind. You definitely need a car to get around. They have the best VENTILATED anatomy lab compared to other schools that I interviewed at. The room is ventilated with several vents 24/7 and you can hardly smell the formaldehyde. Students are very close-knit, but the $40,000/year tuition with almost non-existent financial aid is a turnoff.

SUNY Stony Brook
Great school!! I liked how the buildings are connected (weird architecture). Students and faculty seemed really nice and helpful to each other. They just finished constructing a building, a state-of-the-art clinical learning facility with sim robots. Suburban area's safe, but you need a car to get around. Most first years live off-campus because on-campus housing is not worth it. Tuition is about the same as SUNY Downstate for IS and OOS, respectively.

SUNY Downstate
Facilities are a little run-down, but they have a new spacious anatomy lab installed with plasma screens. Has a good reputation for clinical experiences (you get the same experience as you would at Columbia's Presbyterian or NYU's Bellevue Hospital due to diverse patient population). Has an Honors/High Pass/Pass/Fail grading system for the first 2 years. Housing is not cheap, ~$720/month for a single bedroom with toilet and you cannot have an A.C. installed. Communal showers and shared kitchens on each floor. Tuition is ~$22,000/year for IS and double that for OOS.
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Application Complete, Rejected

Yale University

Columbia University

Jefferson Medical College

Mount Sinai School of Medicine

New York University

Cornell University

Application Complete, Withdrew

UMDNJ - Robert Wood Johnson

UMDNJ - New Jersey

Attended Interview, Rejected

SUNY Stony Brook

Attended Interview, Waitlisted

Albert Einstein of Yeshiva University

New York Medical College

Attended Interview, Waitlisted, Rejected

SUNY Upstate

Accepted

SUNY Downstate

MD Applicants

User #10707