Applying to Top-Tier Without Research

[joshto]

Is it worth applying to these schools without a lick of research?
Harvard, Hopkins, Yale, Northwestern, Emory, Columbia, Cornell, Washington, Duke, Wake Forest


GPA - 3.95
MCAT - 35P

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[NickNaylor]

Yes.

 

[rockaction]

Wake Forest? Yes. You have a good shot there, provided the rest of your app is solid. The other schools? You don't have a very good chance, but that shouldn't dissuade you from applying there. Just have enough mid-tiers and state schools on your list and you'll get in. You just might not get into a Top-20 school.

You have good stats but so do the rest of the applicants who you will be interviewing with. And they'll have tons of research. For a research school, that's a more valuable trait.

 

[jbz24]

Agreed with what was said above. You can get into a top tier school without research provided you excel in other areas. However, it is still unlikely to be granted an acceptance with no research since a large focus of these schools is research. Wake Forest you have a great shot with those stats. Definitely apply to any top tier school you find to be a good fit for you since you have the stats - who knows, you may get lucky.

 

[bobsmith]

Sure, it's worth applying, but you'll probably have to explain why you're interested in attending these very research heavy institutions if you have no research or no interest in it (these schools presumably do have strengths in other areas, and one of them maybe aligns with your interests).

At least one of those schools you listed (Yale) does have a required research thesis, so that's something to be aware of before you apply if you have no interest in research whatsoever

 

[mspeedwagon]

I would NOT apply to Hopkins. In the five years since I have graduated I have not known a single person to get in without having done considerable research.

Definitely worth applying to all the rest, but realize these are your "reach" schools. In other words, make sure you have other safer schools on your list.

 

[zwitter]

I personally know a young lady at Harvard and a gentleman at Hopkins who did ZERO research. Dont let the SDN hype drag you down.

With your stats apply broadly to DO schools though.

 

[Rickybobby]

Is it worth applying to these schools without a lick of research?
Harvard, Hopkins, Yale, Northwestern, Emory, Columbia, Cornell, Washington, Duke, Wake Forest


GPA - 3.95
MCAT - 35P

You used Lick in a sentence. I feel like we are kindred spirits. As for research, Northwestern and Wake would be good choices but Duke and Harvard may not be. Can't comment on the rest. Good Luck

 

[pelliper]

Is it worth applying to these schools without a lick of research?
Harvard, Hopkins, Yale, Northwestern, Emory, Columbia, Cornell, Washington, Duke, Wake Forest


GPA - 3.95
MCAT - 35P

u have very very good stats..just make sure in ur primary/secondary/interviews to explain why u wanna go to a research-heavy institution

after all any medical school can train a good clinician, why should a research heavy institution waste a space on someone who doesnt intend to make full use of its resources?

it would help if u had some stellar other ecs since u can leverage that to say u had some awesome experience that u wanted to pursue in depth and had to sacrifice research opps for it

 

[NotAsking4Much]

Is it worth applying to these schools without a lick of research?
Harvard, Hopkins, Yale, Northwestern, Emory, Columbia, Cornell, Washington, Duke, Wake Forest


GPA - 3.95
MCAT - 35P

Yeah you can. I personally wasn't a big research guy either.

That being said - do a little bit, just enough to show you have the analytical or qualitative skills that research is associated with. If you can show that otherwise as well, by all means that is enough.

 

[ButImLETired]

Duke might be tricky. You'll have to have a pretty good reason for wanting to go to a school that makes you do an entire year's worth of research if you have no experience in it. Yes, I know you can get another degree or whatever during that year, but again, you should have some kind of scholarly pursuit to prove to them academia is really what you're into.

 

[Narmerguy]

Duke might be tricky. You'll have to have a pretty good reason for wanting to go to a school that makes you do an entire year's worth of research if you have no experience in it. Yes, I know you can get another degree or whatever during that year, but again, you should have some kind of scholarly pursuit to prove to them academia is really what you're into.

I would think many of the people that pursue the MPH route are often not too heavy on basic science research. I know you already stated that you can do other things with that year but that's a pretty big deal, it's no where near a required year of research and it's misleading to put it that way.

 

[iniquus]

Duke's mission statement is to produce research scientists. I mean I don't know if that's changed because I'm too lazy to look, but research is a core tenet of the school.

We even have a block called "Research Drive"

 

[Narmerguy]

Duke's mission statement is to produce research scientists. I mean I don't know if that's changed because I'm too lazy to look, but research is a core tenet of the school.

We even have a block called "Research Drive"

Which is fine but to suggest that a student HAS to do a year of research when students openly and frequently do other things with that year is very misleading. Although I did not realize that their mission statement had such a focus on research.

 

[flip26]

While there are always exceptions, lack of any research will be a problem at top research schools. Doesn't even have to be "scientific" research, but as someone with significant non science social research and pubs, and a prestigious fellowship to boot, I got zero love from the tippy top research schools - no interviews - but I got over it pretty quickly...but only because I applied broadly.

My advice: apply to every school that interests you, but apply broadly, and to plenty of schools that do not fall into that Top 10 to 15 on the USNews rankings.

 

[MDhomieG]

Is it worth applying to these schools without a lick of research?
Harvard, Hopkins, Yale, Northwestern, Emory, Columbia, Cornell, Washington, Duke, Wake Forest


GPA - 3.95
MCAT - 35P

go for it, why not right Seems like you worked your ass off and got the results you deserved, would be a shame not to try. Also, I think your biggest problem is that your gonna need to convey to the committee exactly why you are interested in applying to these school other than the usual: prestige, ranking, reputation. I think the research component of the application gives other applicants the image that they want to use the vast research opportunities offered at the school, and thus make them more compatible. If you've done your research and know the school well, or the rest of the resume matches the school's fortes really well then even with a "lack" of research you should have a competitive shot.

just a little curious though, is your lack of research experience based on the fact that you /don't find it particularly interesting and didn't seek out any opportunities, or is it because you were unable to find any research/lack of time. if you did alot of other things with your time, productive and rewarding, and didn't have time for research but is genuinely interested in it, thats different than not been interested in it at all. In the latter case, I don't know if you would have as easy of a time transitioning into the heavily research based schools

 

[InLocoAbsentia]

after all any medical school can train a good clinician, why should a research heavy institution waste a space on someone who doesnt intend to make full use of its resources?

If I were you, I would read this sentence five times before moving any further with your applications. You don't need a degree from a top tier med school to get into a great residency, and even then, a great residency is neither necessary or sufficient to get into a good fellowship, if you think you will want one.

Your numbers are quite good. Apply also (at least!) to your state's medical schools and see if they will give you a medical education without charging you any money. If they do this, think very long and hard before going to a school that will charge you north of $40k/year for the privelege of becoming a doctor.

 

[addo]

I personally know a young lady at Harvard and a gentleman at Hopkins who did ZERO research. Dont let the SDN hype drag you down.

With your stats apply broadly to DO schools though.

Are you serious? with a 3.95 and 35P, why would he need apply to DO if he wants MD.
I have nothing against DO, in fact I am applying to DO as well as MD, but with his stats I think he can safely make the decision to apply to only MD if he wants to.

 

[RogueUnicorn]

don't know why you want to go to a "top" school when research is obviously not your thing anyway

 

[ButImLETired]

Which is fine but to suggest that a student HAS to do a year of research when students openly and frequently do other things with that year is very misleading. Although I did not realize that their mission statement had such a focus on research.

I didn't say a student HAS to do a year of research, not even close. I mentioned that you can in fact take that year to do another degree. And I certainly never once mentioned basic science research- I got into/interviewed at a few research powerhouses (Duke included) and I never once stepped foot in a lab. Basic science research =/= all research. What I'm talking about is scholarly work. They want to see that you have a curious mind and that you are at base an academic- what you actually do is relatively irrelevant. But you have to prove to them that the school is the best fit for you, and if you've never done anything but taken classes, shadowed and volunteered, they have no reason to think that you'll take advantage of their resources. Please don't exaggerate what I said.

 

[mspeedwagon]

I think you missed the sarcasm (sdn hype).

Are you serious? with a 3.95 and 35P, why would he need apply to DO if he wants MD.
I have nothing against DO, in fact I am applying to DO as well as MD, but with his stats I think he can safely make the decision to apply to only MD if he wants to.

 

[Geekchick921]

If you check out the MSAR, even the top-10 don't have a 100% research experience rate among their accepted students. It's worth a shot if you have other good ECs and your stats are up to par, IMO.

Personally, I'm hoping Penn still shows me some love. I have a little research experience from undergrad 6 years ago, and I wanted more, but I was hugely pregnant the last time I was in school part-time finishing my pre-reqs, and no one wanted me in their lab. I also tried to find a lab tech or similar kind of job last year, but I didn't have much luck there. My bachelor's is in theatre so, despite the fact that I've owned all my science courses, I don't think most places took my app seriously. I really am not opposed to doing research, but my primary goal is to be an excellent clinician and possibly use research to enhance that. Hopefully, I'll get the chance to express that.

 

[Narmerguy]

I didn't say a student HAS to do a year of research, not even close. I mentioned that you can in fact take that year to do another degree. And I certainly never once mentioned basic science research- I got into/interviewed at a few research powerhouses (Duke included) and I never once stepped foot in a lab. Basic science research =/= all research. What I'm talking about is scholarly work. They want to see that you have a curious mind and that you are at base an academic- what you actually do is relatively irrelevant. But you have to prove to them that the school is the best fit for you, and if you've never done anything but taken classes, shadowed and volunteered, they have no reason to think that you'll take advantage of their resources. Please don't exaggerate what I said.

Ok, since you seem to be misunderstanding my responses...

Duke might be tricky. You'll have to have a pretty good reason for wanting to go to a school that makes you do an entire year's worth of research if you have no experience in it. Yes, I know you can get another degree or whatever during that year, but again, you should have some kind of scholarly pursuit to prove to them academia is really what you're into.

I would think many of the people that pursue the MPH route are often not too heavy on basic science research. I know you already stated that you can do other things with that year but that's a pretty big deal, it's no where near a required year of research and it's misleading to put it that way.

My point is that while it's ok to say that Duke (and many other top schools) wants students that are interested in academia and research, it is completely not true that one can't fit the school if they have no prior research experience. My point is that research is not required to attend their school. I was wrong in my estimation about how much Duke cares about research as part of their mission and I've already conceded that. I'm aware that you threw in that you can do other things but the main drive of your post would suggest that a substantial amount of actual research work is a part of the curriculum. I don't think I can be any more clear about what I'm trying to say.