greyearl
Application cycles: 08/20/2012
Demographics: Male, 36, Caucasian
Home state: Massachusetts
Last Active: 04/04/2013

Brief Profile: In a nutshell: MCAT >30, <35 (good verbal and biology scores)
4 years of research experience
GPA >3.8
I am not as anonymous as I could be, but I think this website is very helpful for future applicants so I am okay with sharing this stuff. Some demographics are changed. I might post my personal statement at the end of the cycle.

I graduated from a private liberal arts college and started a research fellowship in 2011. I applied to mostly research-focused schools because I want to perform clinical research as a physician. In terms of area, I mostly applied to schools north of the Mason-Dixon but I am open to living in the Midwest or California.

I started this cycle not even sure I would apply until next year. My MCAT score was not as high as I wanted but I decided to give it a shot anyway. My stuff was finally marked complete in late August and then interview invites came anywhere from 3 weeks to 3+ months afterward. I attribute my success thus far to a stable GPA, good LORs, a lot of research experience, and an interesting background (low income, single parent family... I worked multiple jobs throughout high school and college to help out at home).

11/19/12-- First acceptance to one of my top choice schools! Now I won't feel as much pressure going into these other interviews. :)
1/11/13- accepted to BU and Maryland! Feels good, man!

// Applications //

Application Cycle One: 08/20/2012

Undergraduate college: Private Liberal Arts College
Undergraduate Area of study: Biological/Life Sciences

Total MCAT SCORE: 472
MCAT Section Scores: B/B 118, C/P 118, CARS 118
Overall GPA: 3.80
Science GPA: 3.80

Applied, Rejected

Vanderbilt University

Application Complete

Tufts University

New York University

Application Complete, Rejected

Case Western Reserve University

Columbia University

University of Rochester

Mount Sinai School of Medicine

Cornell University

Dartmouth College

Invited for Interview, Withdrew

Albany Medical College

SUNY Stony Brook

Temple University

Albert Einstein of Yeshiva University

New York Medical College

Georgetown University

Attended Interview

Stanford University

University of Massachusetts

Attended Interview, Rejected

Harvard University

Applying for combined PhD/MSTP? No
Submitted: Yes
Secondary Completed: Yes
Interview Invite: Yes
Interview Attended: Yes
Waitlisted: No
Accepted: No
Rejected: Yes
Summary of Experience: Rejected. Oh well! My interview was great but sometimes things just don't work out.
------------------------
My friend convinced me to apply here just for fun and now I am interviewing in December for the New Pathway program. At least it will give me another excuse to visit Boston. :)

-- After my interviews, I fell in love with Harvard. I had two faculty interviews and both were the best interviews I've had this cycle. Both interviewers knew my application very well, but the format of both interviews was very conversational and not stressful at all. My second interviewer praised my personal statement and seemed very impressed with me, but who knows what will happen. It will be really hard for me to not get my hopes up, as my stats are significantly lower than the averages at Harvard. I was worried that the students and faculty would be oozing with arrogance, but it was actually the opposite. The students, and especially my interviewers, were some of the most laid back and nicest people I've met on the interview trail. Why do I have to wait until March? :(

Pros- research, location (!), they match 50% of their grads with Harvard-affiliated hospitals, good financial aid, a huge network, I would learn from the best people in the fields I'm interested in, the students, block scheduling, P/F, scholarly projects, tons of opportunities to go abroad, student clinics, Starbucks right next to campus (this is huge for me), excellent clinical research, I could go on forever...

Cons- I don't think I will like the dorm-style housing, but I could always live off campus. I didn't get a chance to go on the tour because my interviews were scheduled so close to the tour time, but communal bathrooms are not my cup of tea.
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Attended Interview, Waitlisted

Mayo Medical School

Accepted

University of Maryland

University of Vermont

University of Wisconsin

Boston University

Applying for combined PhD/MSTP? No
Submitted: Yes
Secondary Completed: 08/21/2012
Interview Invite: Yes
Interview Attended: Yes
Waitlisted: No
Accepted: 01/10/2013
Rejected: No
Summary of Experience: ACCEPTED 1/11/13! I am ECSTATIC!

Applied to MD/MACI program.

So I will start this by saying BU was VERY high on my list even before I applied to medical school. When I saw BU on my interview day and got to know the school a bit more, I decided it's very different from how I first envisioned it but I LOVE it. BMC has a very social mission, "exceptional care without exception." While some schools tend to say that they are big on the social aspect of medicine, BU proves it. BMC is a giant safety net hospital and something like 30% of patients do not speak English as a first language. The school has a ton of healthcare outreach opportunities, ranging from a HIV/AIDS care program to a type of "healthcare on wheels" program (I forget the exact name of it). Also, I hear the new student residence is beautiful and around $850 a month per student, which isn't bad considering the area.

The South End of Boston is very up-and-coming, and while I wouldn't say that you should walk around by yourself at 1 AM with your iPhone out, it's generally as safe as any other urban area.

My interviewer was new to admissions so my interview was a tad awkward, but I think it turned out okay. I only had one ethical question and I fumbled a little because it was REALLY tough. Other than that, we just talked about my upbringing, my ambitions, the usual. He also spoke about his research and time at BU when he went there for med school. My student tour guide was very charismatic and showed a lot of pride for BU. I could definitely see myself here next year.
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MD Applicants

greyearl