Application Cycle One: 06/16/2017
- Undergraduate college: Top 5 in US Rankings
- Undergraduate Area of study: Biological/Life Sciences
- Institution: M.S. Program in Top 5 U.S. school
- Area of Study: Other
- Total MCAT SCORE: 508
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- MCAT Section Scores:
B/B 128,
C/P 127,
P/S 126, CARS 127
- Overall GPA: 3.70
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- Science GPA: 3.57
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Summary of Application Experience
8/22/17
So far so good, trying to stay calm throughout the process! Very grateful to have the support of friends and families.
On my last secondary
10/16/17 Update
Accepted to a medical school so far. Im gonna be a doctah!!!
Application Complete
Emory University
- Applying for combined PhD/MSTP? No
- Submitted: 06/16/2017
- Secondary Completed: 07/12/2017
- Interview Invite: No
- Interview Attended: No
- Waitlisted: No
- Accepted: No
- Rejected: No
- Summary of Experience:
Would love to return back home to serve my community. Plus I can live with and take care of my mom- though with med school time crunch maybe she'll be the one taking care of me :P I love my mama's homemade cooking.
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University of Pennsylvania
- Applying for combined PhD/MSTP? No
- Submitted: 06/16/2017
- Secondary Completed: 07/19/2017
- Interview Invite: No
- Interview Attended: No
- Waitlisted: No
- Accepted: No
- Rejected: No
- Summary of Experience:
A complete shot in the dark here, like many other schools on my list. High stats don't even guarantee so with my stats ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
However, I am motivated because I have a couple friends here and also hear that Philly is a great town. We'll see what happens
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Harvard University
- Applying for combined PhD/MSTP? No
- Submitted: 06/16/2017
- Secondary Completed: 07/30/2017
- Interview Invite: No
- Interview Attended: No
- Waitlisted: No
- Accepted: No
- Rejected: No
- Summary of Experience:
08/22/2017
Hey why not, secret dream so see if I can get in with my low stats and worldly life experiences
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University of California, San Diego
- Applying for combined PhD/MSTP? No
- Submitted: 06/16/2017
- Secondary Completed: 08/09/2017
- Interview Invite: No
- Interview Attended: No
- Waitlisted: No
- Accepted: No
- Rejected: No
- Summary of Experience:
08/22/2017
So, I was waiting on this school for the longest time to send me a secondary. Yes, they screen like all the UCs; however, when it was over a month and some people on SDN have received their secondary within a couple days, I decided to call. I spoke directly with an admissions person (I think David Sanchez?) and voila he personally sent me a secondary invite 5 minutes later.
This taught me that its OK to take initiative and bug the school. Its a very important time for us, and who knows, maybe it would have taken another month for them to get back to me if I had talk to someone else who wasnt so kind or if I had not called at all. Made me wish Id call earlier!
It was probably my low MCAT score that held up the application. Or the reviewer was on vacations. Ill never know. Im just grateful that the person I called took the time to personally review my application and approved me for a secondary.
I am in love with their Prime Health eq. program. Would definitely consider going here if I get accepted. I also love that I can just walk across the border to Mexico. Then again, who knows how the border control situation is like a couple years from now since Trump is president :/
10/26/17 Update
Its been 11 weeks (77 days to be exact but whos counting?) and I was supposed to hear back 2-6 weeks they said, its the unfunniest joke ever.
I tried emailing the admissions. Lets see what happens.
:(
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Yale University
- Applying for combined PhD/MSTP? No
- Submitted: 06/16/2017
- Secondary Completed: 08/14/2017
- Interview Invite: No
- Interview Attended: No
- Waitlisted: No
- Accepted: No
- Rejected: No
- Summary of Experience:
Yale, Yale, Yale, what can I say. LOVE the Yale system. However, not a fan of how long it takes for them to get back to applicants. I'll have to be patient.
I guess with these "up there" schools, my default thinking is a rejection so I probably should not waste too much time thinking about them. That didn't stop me from dedicating like a week to this application though. Still a secret dream of making it to these schools because they are very innovate,full of inspiring students, and with large endowment for financial aid for a low-income student like me.
I've known people who got accepted to schools like Yale, and really I think the biggest hurdle for me is that low MCAT score. When they have so many applicants, who can blame them coming down to quantifiable things like numbers.
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Duke University
- Applying for combined PhD/MSTP? No
- Submitted: 06/16/2017
- Secondary Completed: 08/28/2017
- Interview Invite: No
- Interview Attended: No
- Waitlisted: No
- Accepted: No
- Rejected: No
- Summary of Experience:
Oooh, dem secondary essay questions. I also applied for the Primary Care Leadership Track, so it was like 10 essays in total, mostly 600 words, and some 250 words. It was brutal and this application probably took me the longest to complete, saved worst for last :|
I had applied to Duke with a mixture of hesitation and hope. I know that Duke is selective, however I appreciated the school’s effort to recruit diverse students. It was the only school that explicitly encouraged me to apply even if I think my test scores or grades were not good enough. I thought about the myriad experiences I am bringing that and the characteristics that such scores or GPAs cannot capture. Albeit a very long secondary, Duke's thoughtful questions that explored my candidacy as a whole individual.
8/29/2017
Just submitted my secondary finally! Pretty much the last one. I kinda ran out of stem after these 9 essays :P
Based on last year's sdn threads, it looks like I can expect to hear back - IF I am fortunate enough to get an II around October. Fingers crossed!
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Application Complete, Rejected
University of Southern California
- Applying for combined PhD/MSTP? No
- Submitted: 06/16/2017
- Secondary Completed: 08/16/2017
- Interview Invite: No
- Interview Attended: No
- Waitlisted: No
- Accepted: No
- Rejected: 09/04/2017
- Summary of Experience:
Keck. Definitely also up there. However, I appreciate their effort to recruit diverse students so well see. Their secondaries were fun to work on, though I think I stressed more about these short responses than I should lol
Not my top choice, but then again, Ill love whoever willing to take me ;)
Update:
First rejection this cycle.
Rather disappointing. I thought I put together a good application for this. Perhaps MCAT was too low ? I dont think it can be yield protection. Who knows?
I guess you can never know what exactly didnt cut it when schools reject you. Rather a sobering experience.
Well at least I have an interview at the University of Michigan to look forward to.
I appreciate that at least they let applicants know as soon as they decide rather hanging on by a thin thread and finding out at the end. I much prefer this rolling admissions and knowing as soon as they make a decision.
I am curious what other news Ill be hearing this week. I better have more than one interview !!!
Fingers crossed.
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Application Complete, Withdrew
University of Rochester
- Applying for combined PhD/MSTP? No
- Submitted: 06/16/2017
- Secondary Completed: 07/17/2017
- Interview Invite: No
- Interview Attended: No
- Waitlisted: No
- Accepted: No
- Rejected: No
- Summary of Experience:
Applied here because a mentor of mine recommended it. Good school and good financial aid. I am not ecstatic about living here, but who knows. Shouldnt judge when I havent been there yet. I do love the outdoors so that is a plus. No II here so far though, cricket cricket....
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Tufts University
- Applying for combined PhD/MSTP? No
- Submitted: 06/16/2017
- Secondary Completed: 07/17/2017
- Interview Invite: No
- Interview Attended: No
- Waitlisted: No
- Accepted: No
- Rejected: No
- Summary of Experience:
LOVE Boston. Visited a friend, and you know I love Boston truly when I have seen its winter. It was chilly and as a person from a tropical area, I suffered physically. However, lots of cool things, cultural events, museums, etc.
So yeah, I should learn a bit more on Tufts so I am not just applying there because I like Boston... though thats kinda what happened. To be fair, the student body seems nice, and the resources connected to the undergraduate institution is also a plus. However, its not high enough on my priorities list to research into the specifics right now. Ill wait to see if that II pops into my inbox one of these days ...
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Jefferson Medical College
- Applying for combined PhD/MSTP? No
- Submitted: 06/16/2017
- Secondary Completed: 07/19/2017
- Interview Invite: No
- Interview Attended: No
- Waitlisted: No
- Accepted: No
- Rejected: No
- Summary of Experience:
I feel really silly about not submitting this secondary earlier. There were not any essay questions.
While its among the lower ranks, I think its one of the best schools in the country. Especially with the new JeffMD curriculum, super cutting edge, and I love their Design program. Know a friend who goes here and she loves the school and her classmates.
I am a little disappointed with no II here so far... maybe later? Would love a good excuse to visit Philly
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Invited for Interview
Stanford University
- Applying for combined PhD/MSTP? No
- Submitted: 06/16/2017
- Secondary Completed: 08/04/2017
- Interview Invite: 10/15/2017
- Interview Attended: No
- Waitlisted: No
- Accepted: No
- Rejected: No
- Summary of Experience:
Up there.
Would love Cali life, palm trees, and great research institution
Kinda unbelievable I got an interview here actually
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Attended Interview, Withdrew
Dartmouth College
- Applying for combined PhD/MSTP? No
- Submitted: 06/16/2017
- Secondary Completed: 07/16/2017
- Interview Invite: Yes
- Interview Attended: Yes
- Waitlisted: No
- Accepted: No
- Rejected: No
- Summary of Experience:
I liked the school and the nature around it. The facilities are a bit old, however not super outdated. I guess I am just so used to seeing shiny things at my undergraduate institution. Nice friendly people here, and very strong global health program.
What I wish couldve been better was the school was the terrible financial Aid. Lots of loans to be expected here, even if youre a low-income minority. Word on the street (or in the forest in Dartmouths case) is that the med school is bankrupt due to not getting some promised $$$ millions from Dr. Seuss wife.
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Accepted
University of Michigan
- Applying for combined PhD/MSTP? No
- Submitted: 06/16/2017
- Secondary Completed: 07/11/2017
- Interview Invite: 08/21/2017
- Interview Attended: Yes
- Waitlisted: No
- Accepted: 10/15/2017
- Rejected: No
- Summary of Experience:
08/22/2017
Yay!!! So happy to get the Interview invite! It was my first II.
Also the school is probably the most fun and collaborative Ive seen so far on paper. The website is full of interesting things, and dang so on it with the transparency!!! While it has caused anxiety among many applicants, I think the admission tracker shows that this school is in open communication with the rest of the world.
If I get accepted here, I would probably withdraw from some other schools. I think Id be very happy here. But then, lets see how the interview goes and if theyd even accept me! On the bright side, looks like they admit over 70% people they interview ;)
September Interview day
- I had an awesome host to stay with :)
-many thanks to the students who came out to chat with us over lunch, all the students were interactive and very authentic
- Meeting all the current students, and seeing how happy and friendly they are. I could see myself being in this supportive environment, where self-care and happiness are concurrent with competency.
- I would have liked a bit more of Ann Arbor. I think we mostly walked through undergrad campus, which I loved. I just felt that maybe passing by Main street for a bit more of Ann Arbor would have been nice
- Also, loved the care package we got at the interview day! Included bandaids, I forgot about them and put them on my blisters at the end. It would have been helpful to put them on earlier or to be reminded of them, loved the idea and so practical!
-For the wrap up at the end, I would have appreciated more effort from some med students who seemed to socialize among themselves rather than with applicants, although yes many of them did talk with applicants
Interview 2- I would say seemingly more austere. I was surprised that he asked me right off the bat about X, and I am not sure if I gave an adequate answer since it was difficult to read his facial reaction. Though that intimidated me at first, I thought by the end of the interview we had a stronger and more authentic connection. I think our conversation picked up when we talked about leadership and being change agents in medicine.
Interview 1: After a couple of minutes, the interview really took off! I really enjoyed her openness and her passion for pediatrics. We had a great conversation, and I felt that I was also able to express myself authentically.
10/16/17 Update
Actually, looks more like they accept about 25% of those they interview, and I/m ACCEPTED! So excited right now. First II and first acceptance. Woot woot!!!
Go Blue!
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