2006 Applicants Thread -- Where Will We Apply?

[diosa428]

Not sure yet, but bumping this thread

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[iwutitan]

OMG... you guys are gonna spend a fortune if you want to apply to 30 schools. I am thinking 10ish... I really don't have any preference about which state so here is my list
1. Wash U (love this school, hope my MCAT score will support me)
and the rest no preference:
2. SUNY Upstate
3. Northwestern
4. Baylor
5. Mount Sinai
6. Georgetown
7. Columbia
8. Havard (not so interested...in cocky schools)
9. Albert Einstein
10. Emory
may be a couple more...
I apply to most of these schools' summer programs for the coming summer... kinda disappointed that I got in only two... but I am happy that one of the two is my babe Wash U.

 

[bebella24]

I'm an illinois resident, so i'm applying to all of the med schools there:

Loyola (number one choice- i will cut off my arm to go there)
UIC
Rush
Chicago Med
Southern Illinois

Other than that, I still have to do some research and find schools that fit my numbers, but that won't happen until after i get my MCAT results. sigh...

But for now, I'll keep Loyola in my dreams.

 

[wetlightning]

hey guys, where should i apply??
gpa: 3.89, mcat 30 + (not sure how much +), english/german double major, interesting EC's, good LOR's, volunteer experience, research experience
tx resident
but i want to go back to the midwest or up north (i originally lived in michigan)

i know it's a total crapshoot, even though my stats are decent, so i don't want to apply only top 30 schools, but i don't want to sell myself short either

need your advice guys

 

[vinisew]

Hey everybody, this thread sounds like a great idea. I've been waiting for this moment for so many years and I can hardly believe its finally come, applying to medical school. It just sounds a bit scary once you say it to yourself, well atleast for me. Anyways, my stats are ~3.7 Overall, ~ 3.8 BCPM and a 30 O on the mcat last august. I'm from NYC so I'm applying to all the state schools, minus columbia cause I have a snowballs chance in hell of getting in there (so says my prehealth advisor, though he didnt say is as eloquently as me)

1. Mt. Sinai (#1 school I want to goto)
2. NYU
3. Cornell Weill
4. SUNY Stonybrook
5. SUNY Downstate
6. Albert Einstein
7. NYMC
8. SUNY Upstate
9. SUNY Buffalo
10. SUNY Albany

I am a little hesitant on applying to the state schools in upper NY b/c I am currently at an undergrad school in the same area. I really didnt enjoy the environment or the weather over the past 3 years so I'm pretty sure I wont enjoy med school as much if my only choices were upstate, buffalo and albany, though i would be still be ecstatic that I'm got into med school.

11. Boston University
12. Drexel
13. Temple

I'm still compiling my list so there should be some more schools that will be added, most likely schools in the northeast.

what exactly didnt you like about the environment?

 

[Shredder]

1 Harvard
2 Pennsylvania
2 Columbia
4 Duke
5 UCLA
6 Yale
7 Cornell
8 Northwestern
9 Chicago

I'm going to one of the best schools, no hail marys or reaches or dreams. If I don't get in, I'll apply again next year and do something meaningful in the interim. There are some glaring omissions because these schools also have good business schools where I can get a top tier MBA to do good things with.

3.84 BME, impending 35-40 MCAT, lab stuff and etc

 

[willthatsall]

1 Harvard
2 Pennsylvania
2 Columbia
4 Duke
5 UCLA
6 Yale
7 Cornell
8 Northwestern
9 Chicago

I'm going to one of the best schools, no hail marys or reaches or dreams. If I don't get in, I'll apply again next year and do something meaningful in the interim. There are some glaring omissions because these schools also have good business schools where I can get a top tier MBA to do good things with.

3.84 BME, impending 35-40 MCAT, lab stuff and etc

What kind of business background do you have? Some of the MBA programs you have mentioned require you to apply to the MBA program separately from the MD program, there is no joint admissions. Obviously, those MBA programs (especially Penn and Harvard) are almost as hard to get into as the med schools. You would rather sit out a year than go to a school ranked outside the top 15?

 

[Shredder]

I'm minoring in business with about 20 hours of courses; that's about as much as I can do as a premed who needs to also do enough to get into competitive med schools. Med students have higher numbers than b students (3.8 vs 3.6 at top schools), so there is an edge. The GMAT is a blowoff compared to the MCAT too. They say you apply independently, but there has to be some leniency for the poor med students otherwise none of them would be able to match up with the hardcore business applicants with their years of workforce experience. There are no joint admissions, but all of those schools do have officially declared MD/MBA joint degrees, unlike Stanford which is truly independent and I consequently omitted.

I would definitely rather wait a year and probably do something business or research related to beef myself up. I was willing to compromise on undergrad but not again. Top 10 or thereabouts is important in the b world where I plan on exerting some influence, and that's a big reason, as well as peers and faculty. I don't see it as sitting out a year, I see it as growing a year. But I'm still not looking forward to having to do that.

 

[willthatsall]

Haha, I like your style. There is something to be said for sincerity. The MBA is an interesting idea too, I've never really thought about it. What kind of stuff is on the GMAT?

 

[45408]

is there a thread of people who will review personal statements? I'd like to read some other people's and edit mine.

 

[Daichi Katase]

I'm minoring in business with about 20 hours of courses; that's about as much as I can do as a premed who needs to also do enough to get into competitive med schools. Med students have higher numbers than b students (3.8 vs 3.6 at top schools), so there is an edge. The GMAT is a blowoff compared to the MCAT too. They say you apply independently, but there has to be some leniency for the poor med students otherwise none of them would be able to match up with the hardcore business applicants with their years of workforce experience. There are no joint admissions, but all of those schools do have officially declared MD/MBA joint degrees, unlike Stanford which is truly independent and I consequently omitted.

I would definitely rather wait a year and probably do something business or research related to beef myself up. I was willing to compromise on undergrad but not again. Top 10 or thereabouts is important in the b world where I plan on exerting some influence, and that's a big reason, as well as peers and faculty. I don't see it as sitting out a year, I see it as growing a year. But I'm still not looking forward to having to do that.

I really like your style. I am also a BME with about the same numbers. Well...I just took the MCAT, so i don't know about that but i was doing well on the practice ones. I was also considering getting MBA in addition to a MD. However, my reasons don't require me to get it from a top 10 program.

I wish you luck!

 

[Ambs]

Good luck and best wishes to everyone this coming cycle. Can't say I envy you. Keep strong!

 

[jeffsleepy]

Top 20 + CA sounds good. Right now, I don't really know much about any school so might as well apply to the top ranked ones.

 

[STUCKinUCR]

I was just wondering if anyone knows anything about deferred enrollment, for example if I am applying this summer, but dont want to start in fall 2006. Are there any schools that would accept you maybe spring semester, or even a year later? And if so, does that give you a better chance of acceptance?

 

[diosa428]

Ok - I have a list of 20 but need to narrow it down! $2,000 before I even start going on interviews is too much!

Harvard
Yale
Stanford
Columbia (might drop it and add Duke)
Cornell
UPenn
UCSF
UCLA
UPitt
URochester
Mt Sinai
Northwestern
UChicago
Case Western
UMASS
Boston University
Albert Einstein
George Washington
Drexel
Jefferson

I'm really interested in schools that have combined MD/MPH programs and also programs in global/international health. If anyone wants to look at my list and make suggestions on schools to drop (and reasons why), I'd appreciate it!

 

[LadyBulldog]

diosa428--hey! i'm interested in the same thing--my premed advisor suggested emory for public health stuff....and also vanderbilt...

here's my list:

1. yale (my undergrad)
2. harvard
3. duke
4. columbia
5. stanford (prob a major reach for a CT resident)
6. u mich (former umich resident, luv ann arbor)
7. uconn (current CT resident)
8. upenn
9. vanderbilt
10. emory
11. nyu
12. wash U
13. john hopkins

....my original choices were yale, harvard, duke, columbia, upenn, and umich (all incredibly tough esp for a ct girl) so i went to my pre-med advisor to get some advice on less competitive schools and he added the other ones based on my gpa.....somehow, i'm not too sure bout wash U, NYU, and JHU being in my reach but I guess i'll just have to wait on those darn MCATS....

 

[riceman04]

1 Harvard
2 Pennsylvania
2 Columbia
4 Duke
5 UCLA
6 Yale
7 Cornell
8 Northwestern
9 Chicago

I'm going to one of the best schools, no hail marys or reaches or dreams. If I don't get in, I'll apply again next year and do something meaningful in the interim. There are some glaring omissions because these schools also have good business schools where I can get a top tier MBA to do good things with.

3.84 BME, impending 35-40 MCAT, lab stuff and etc

UT sucks, UT sucks, UT sucks, UT sucks, UT sucks, UT sucks

Reminder: 2003 College World Series. Guess who won!!!!!!!........... That's right, Rice U. (the smallest D. I school)

 

[crazy_cavalier]

is there a thread of people who will review personal statements? I'd like to read some other people's and edit mine.

I can help critique yours, if you'd like. Just PM me if you are interested.

As far as this thread goes, all I can say is one thing: nothing is definite until mid-June. aaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrgggggggghhhhh!! I have a total of 30 schools in my "school pool", and I am sure this number will be weeded down once spring grades and the mcat rolls in. Looking back at my list, there's only really about 18 schools that I really have my heart set on applying to, and no, these are NOT the "top 20" schools (hahaha most of the "top tier" isn't on my list; I would be perfectly happy with middle tier.) I'll hopefully wind up applying to just these 18 if my MCAT score comes back good.

I sorta like Shredder's idea of just applying next year if all your top choices reject you. Why go somewhere you don't want to go to?? Why even apply to schools you don't intend to go to - this just drives the whole competitive nature of this already-nightmarish process. That's why I want my list to be really short, but my mom insists I should apply everywhere and anywhere. She's crazy!

 

[crazy_cavalier]

UT sucks, UT sucks, UT sucks, UT sucks, UT sucks, UT sucks

Reminder: 2003 College World Series. Guess who won!!!!!!!........... That's right, Rice U. (the smallest D. I school)

Do I sense a little Texas school rivalry????

We have the same thing here with William & Mary. To which I say: I don't see any difference between www.wm.edu and www.wm.com j/k, though.

 

[DarkFark]

I sorta like Shredder's idea of just applying next year if all your top choices reject you. Why go somewhere you don't want to go to?? Why even apply to schools you don't intend to go to - this just drives the whole competitive nature of this already-nightmarish process. That's why I want my list to be really short, but my mom insists I should apply everywhere and anywhere. She's crazy!

The thing about the top choice only approach is this: if you can't make a school once, what difference does a year make? You'll probably just get rejected again, unless you do something really significant in the interim. If you reapply with more schools to increase your chances- why not just do that now and save yourself the year? Another thing: if you're not interested in going to a school that isn't super well-rated, what does that say about your motivation to being a doctor? "I'd like to be one, but only if I can goto a prestigious school"? Wanting to go to a good school is one thing, but I don't know about this top-20-or-bust deal, especially because its hard to see much difference between #20 and #40 statistics wise.. Maybe someone can explain it to me.

 

[Hoberto]

So, uhm, where are all the Ohioans??

Does anybody know if med schools will consider your husband/family if you are accepted? I ask, because I am thinking of applying to out of state schools. My husband is currently a college faculty member but if we move he'd need a job. He could teach or do lab work at any med school...do you think the school would try to accommodate him?

 

[koalabear]

I'm hoping to stay in the Virginia, Maryland, DC area. Does anyone have good/bad things to say about UVA, Maryland, G'Town, GW, Hopkins? I'm interested in schools with good clinical background.

 

[wendywellesley]

ok, list, round two:

NYMC
NYU
Sinai
SUNY Upstate
SUNY Buffalo
Rochester
Einstein
BU
Drexel
GW
Georgetown
Tufts
Tulane
U Vermont
Yale

maybe list:
SUNY Downstate
SUNY Stony Brook
Columbia
Cornell
Oregon H&S
Temple
Penn
Pitt

are there any schools that are redundnt? any thoughts on v.2?

unless you have close to a 4.0 and 35+ MCAT, i think oregon H&S doesn't accept out of staters or many people out of that area. it seems as though you are from NY or from the eastern seaboard, so i would drop oregon (although it seems like a great school!).
if you are a NY resident, definatly apply to all the SUNY schools, stony brook is much better than buffalo or upstate.

 

[wendywellesley]

Stony Brook means living on Long Island...

eh, it ain't so bad, student at stony med frequent the city quite regularly. i'd rather live on the island than in buffalo or syracuse (of course i'm a bit biased).

 

[amand0r]

university of michigan
case western reserve
michigan state university
northwestern
harvard
Johns hopkins
tufts
boston university
washington university
wayne state university
dartmouth
wake forest
new york medical college
university of chicago
cornell
columbia
UofPenn
emory


3.9 BCPM/overall
36 MCAT
MI resident
Case undergrad (automatic interview )
good research +awards
ok volunteer/clinical
only prob: i have past "institutional actions"

 

[UCLAstudent]

unless you have close to a 4.0 and 35+ MCAT, i think oregon H&S doesn't accept out of staters or many people out of that area. it seems as though you are from NY or from the eastern seaboard, so i would drop oregon (although it seems like a great school!).
if you are a NY resident, definatly apply to all the SUNY schools, stony brook is much better than buffalo or upstate.

Actually, OHSU does take a good number of out-of-staters, and the number will likely continue to increase. At my interview, none of the 20+ interviewees were from Oregon, which kind of stinks since the state only has one medical school. You're right that it's a great school, though.

 

[63768]

my stats aren't so hot (3.32/32). but here are my schools. also rice university undergrad!

ut southwestern
ut houston
ut medical branch
ut san antonio
texas tech (backup)
texas a&m (backup)
TCOM (the DO school for backup)
boston univ
loyola chic
drexel
ny med
baylor (reach)
stanford (reach)

and maybe a few more. we'll see.