Brief Profile:
Being slightly vague for anonymity.
Non-trad. English major in undergrad. 3 years in significant service role (think AmeriCorps/Peace Corps/TFA), Multiple ECs related to this role. Did a formal post-bacc. Masters in non-science field (w/ Masters thesis, but no pubs)
Clinical volunteering (300+ hrs) and clinical research (250+ hrs) focused upon urban underserved (started during post-bacc year, continued into gap year). Bilingual. Gap year job of working in an outpatient clinic, started after AMCAS was submitted, but included job in updates sent to schools.
sGPA and cGPA: 3.8+ (4.0 post-bacc GPA) 2015 MCAT: 520+
AMCAS submitted first day to get verified with state school designated. Took a June MCAT date, so waited until mid-July/scores received to designate additional schools. All secondary essays complete and submitted within two weeks, but had to wait for my schools committee letter, so my application was technically complete and under review on 9/1/16 to all schools.
Summary of Experience:
With that, at the very very end of the cycle, UCLA seals my fate that I will not be attending school in CA for the next 4 years.
Summary of Experience:
Rejected post-secondary. Was slightly surprised because I thought that my application was a very good fit with the mission/focus of the school, but I guess not.
First two rejections = my two Bay Area schools. Goodbye, San Fran.
Summary of Experience:
I think this rejection (from arguably the lowest-ranked school on my list, if you're into that sort of thing) is just proof that the entire process is random and a complete crapshoot. Maybe it was yield protection? Maybe they didn't like my responses to their whacky secondary? Who knows.
Summary of Experience:
Withdrew due to other acceptances/logistics of travel. Hanover is out there, and by the point I was offered an interview, I had a couple of acceptances.
Summary of Experience:
Honestly surprised to have gotten an interview here. Looking back upon their LOR requirements, I don't even technically meet them because I didn't have a letter from anyone I did research with. And science research is definitely the weakest part of my application due to my non-traditional background.
I love Harvard's curriculum (1-year accelerated) and campus, but am not in love with Boston's weather and high cost of living.
First post-interview outright rejection, which stung a little, but can't say I'm surprised! Happy to have had the opportunity to interview here.
Summary of Experience:
Second choice post-interview, behind Duke. 18 month pre-clinical curriculum, major city but not cost-prohibitive to live there, affiliated with a wonderful hospital system.
Cons: Last 12 of 18 month curriculum are H/P/F (though there is no cutoff for how many people can get Honors, I just don't like this as much as true pass/fail). 18 month curriculum as opposed to 12/13 months.
Waitlisted post-interview (from what I can tell, they don't outright reject anyone post-interview).
Summary of Experience:
Timeline/waitlist post-interview is for the AZ campus.
I also applied to, and received an II to the MN campus in early Jan. I withdrew my interview to the MN campus due to the fact that, if I end up at Mayo, I would much prefer to be at the AZ campus, all things considered. (More diverse pt. population + weather / Mayo in general wasn't my top choice due to other interviews/acceptances)
Thoughts on the AZ campus: Mayo's facilities are amazing. The new campus was clearly designed to focus upon the students and being a part of the inaugural class would be a wonderful opportunity to craft the culture.
I didn't like how isolated the campus is. You're pretty much forced to drive to campus, which is out in the middle of suburbia, and you'd have to commute between the two Mayo Clinic hospitals. Phoenix is the epitome of urban sprawl. Only 50 students (and no other campus close to you) could be socially isolating.
I like the selective aspect of the curriculum, but I don't like the required attendance and the fact that the selectives stretch the pre-clinical curriculum into 2+ years.
Mayo is known for liking frequent updates/LOIs. I sent an activity update and a brief letter of interest about a month after I interviewed here.
After being waitlisted, I didn't send any other updates because I had acceptances from other schools I preferred.
Summary of Experience:
UChicago was a fun place to interview. It's true. The campus does look like Hogwarts. Hyde Park is a beautiful neighborhood. The university is affiliated with multiple hospitals, which allows for a diverse pt. population.
I didn't like their traditional curriculum (the lecture I attended on my interview day was a snoozefest, unfortunately, and my student interviewer confirmed my fears that it is a traditional, lecture-based curriculum), and the fact that it was single digits when I visited.
Continued (formal waitlist is created in May) on their last decision date. Didn't send any updates post-continuation due to other acceptances.
Summary of Experience:
Got to visit the arch and eat St. Louis BBQ = successful trip.
I'd rank WashU right there with UChicago in terms of upper-/middle-pack where I interviewed -- not super impressed with the traditional curriculum, but it is a great clinical/research opportunities and overall a very solid school located in a city with ample opportunities.
Was convenient to have my own place to stay when I visited (Olin), but there is no way I would want to live in the dorm if I attended there. I was put off by more than a couple of students saying that the reason they attended WashU was because it was 'the best school they got into.' I understand that rankings/prestige of a school does play a factor in where you attend school, but it makes me feel like WashU attracts students who are of the 'gunner' variety.
Summary of Experience:
Thoughts about BU: I applied here as a relative 'safety' school (even though they're considered 'low yield'), as I knew that my stats were higher than the average matriculant, and I felt like my background made me a good fit for their mission. They were the first school to offer me an interview invite (about a month after my application was complete), so I gladly accepted.
I feel very much aligned with the mission of BU as well as BMC being a 'safety net' hospital.
However, compared to the other schools I interviewed at, I found BU's campus/facilities to be somewhat lackluster. The lack of affordable housing in the area as well as the overall high cost of attendance at BU are huge cons. I will most likely not be attending here, as I prefer my state school to BU.
Summary of Experience:
Top choice post-interview. Loved the curriculum -- I learn best outside of the classroom (i.e. in real world settings), and Duke's 1-year accelerated pre-clinical curriculum couldn't be more appealing to me.
Students were extremely happy (P=MD), and I fell in love with Durham as a city. Cheap cost of living is a plus!
As an aside, props to Duke for covering the bill at a pre-interview happy hour at a very legit local coffee shop.
Summary of Experience:
State school, great place with IS tuition (though, if I'm being honest, not as good of a deal as some other IS tuitions around the country).
Cons: Same place I've lived my entire life. Campus isn't in a great part of the city, so if you want to live super close to campus, you're isolated from some of the stuff in the city. Skiing isn't that close and traffic is awful to get up there, anyway.
