2008-2009 SUNY Downstate Secondary Application Thread

I personally feel it is almost silly for us to fill it out because it seems so obvious - went to school in NYC, work in NYC, volunteer in NYC, etc. They tend to get lots of applications from people OOS so maybe this is their attempt at weeding them out ?

ar2388 said:

Hi, so I found the suny downstate secondary:
http://sls.downstate.edu/admissions/pdfs/applications/COM2009Supplemental.pdf

I was wondering, if anyone knows, whether we it would hurt us if we dont answer any of those "optional" essays?

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I also thought it was a little excessive to do all the optionals, but my parents basically forced me to do it and I wound up getting called for an interview quickly (despite a very late app) and getting accepted without a waitlist position. I'm sure the effect of these optional questions played a minimal role their eventual decision, but I still think it can't possibly hurt to answer them - especially if you really do have some legitimate answers (which you probably should anyway).

Anyway, good luck

Soggun said:

I also thought it was a little excessive to do all the optionals, but my parents basically forced me to do it and I wound up getting called for an interview quickly (despite a very late app) and getting accepted without a waitlist position. I'm sure the effect of these optional questions played a minimal role their eventual decision, but I still think it can't possibly hurt to answer them - especially if you really do have some legitimate answers (which you probably should anyway).

Anyway, good luck

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That is good to know! Are you enjoying Downstate? Did you pick it over other schools?

If you are not attending college/university full-time as of September 15, 2008, please describe your activities for July, 2008 to June, 2009 (Attach an additional sheet, if necessary.)

[Only if this applies to you] If you are not from the New York City metropolitan area (Five Boroughs), describe what personal experiences
prepare you to live and study in New York City, and what will be your personal support system? (Attach an additional sheet, if necessary.)

[Only if this applies to you] If you have a specific reason (e.g., significant other, job transfer, family obligations) why you wish to attend
medical school in New York City, please explain (Attach an additional sheet, if necessary.)

[Optional] If you have a specific reason why you have chosen to apply to SUNY Downstate's College of Medicine, please explain (Attach
an additional sheet if necessary.)

SUNY Downstate LOR Requirements:

If you are currently enrolled in college, a letter of recommendation from the premedical advisor or committee at your undergraduate college is required. If your university/college does not have a premedical committee or advisor, two letters from college professors in two different departments are required. One of the letters must be from a professor in a science department, and the other should be from a professor in your major field of study. Both letters must be from faculty members who have had you in their classes and who are personally acquainted with you.


If you are enrolled in a graduate program, your faculty advisor/major professor must submit a letter of recommendation. This should be in addition to the letters specified above.


If you have graduated from college, and are currently employed or a non-traditional applicant, you may submit two individual letters of recommendation, if you are unable to submit a premedical advisor or a committee letter. One letter should be from a science faculty member who has taught you in one of the science courses required for admission, and the second letter may be from your supervisor at your place of employment.


If you have not taken any college course work recently (within the last six years) but are currently employed, then you should submit two individual letters of recommendation. One should be from your supervisor at your place of employment and the second may be from a physician or health professional with whom you have worked.
Please do not submit more than the specified number of recommendation letters, as this will delay the processing of your application. It is your responsibility to ascertain that your letters have been received by:

Adnama said:

That is good to know! Are you enjoying Downstate? Did you pick it over other schools?

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I had a few choices as far as schools and wound up going with DS primarily due to clinical experience, residency placement, and cost. All of those things I think makes DS stand out dramatically over many schools.

Now, after my first year, I am very glad I made the decision I did. My classmates get along great with one another and are very supportive (not really what I was expecting in medical school, but its a nice surprise), the area is definitely liveable and provides fantastic clinical opportunities, and it seems like the administration and faculty really goes out of their way to help students adapt to life in medical school.

Didn't even see this thread. Anyways, two questions.

What is classified as proper fee waiver documentation? There isn't a form on the FAP website to print out. It's just a paragraph stating that you have been approved.

The other would concern this:

If you have interdisciplinary or non-traditional English course sequences, attach a letter of explanation from your college.

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My writing/English courses were through the engineering school. What type of letter are they looking for, and who are they looking to have write it?

I'm OOS (MA) and answered all 3 optional essays and ended up getting interviewed in November and accepted soon thereafter. I think these essays are useful if you're OOS.

ar2388 said:

I just printed out the first page you get once you sign into FAP. thats what i did for Yale as well.

are you at the engineering school? my english classes were a little weird too. one was a normal english one and the other was a "first year seminar" but i did not have enough room on the app to write both the dept and the course #, so i just wrote the course number.. i think the name of the courses will help determine things? if it sounds like an english class, hopefully it will be ok? my two classes were:
1) studies: language and literature
2) Legacy of the Mediterranean

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Awesome for the FAP.

I am in the engineering school. I'm going to email them now and see what they want for my English course explanation. Hopefully a written explanation by me accompanied by the course description is good enough.

eagle34 said:

I'm OOS (MA) and answered all 3 optional essays and ended up getting interviewed in November and accepted soon thereafter. I think these essays are useful if you're OOS.

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Thanks for the advise! I'm from MA and applying as well.

Got a response already about the letter for interdisciplinary/non-traditional English courses.

A letter of explanation from the English department stating that they consider the interdisciplinary or nontraditional English course sequence equivalent to English 1 or 2 will suffice.

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So I'm going to stop by the department and ask for a letter in a sealed envelope with their stamp, and then mail it in with the rest of my application.

shemarty said:

If you are not attending college/university full-time as of September 15, 2008, please describe your activities for July, 2008 to June, 2009 (Attach an additional sheet, if necessary.)

[Only if this applies to you] If you are not from the New York City metropolitan area (Five Boroughs), describe what personal experiences
prepare you to live and study in New York City, and what will be your personal support system? (Attach an additional sheet, if necessary.)

[Only if this applies to you] If you have a specific reason (e.g., significant other, job transfer, family obligations) why you wish to attend
medical school in New York City, please explain (Attach an additional sheet, if necessary.)

[Optional] If you have a specific reason why you have chosen to apply to SUNY Downstate's College of Medicine, please explain (Attach
an additional sheet if necessary.)

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When they say "If you are not from the New York City metropolitan area (Five Boroughs)..." do they mean in terms of history? I.E. I would be considered OOS because I am currently a Florida resident, however I am from brooklyn (lived there 19 years moved to queens for 1 year then moved to Florida). Would I be required to answer that question?

TamarMD said:

When they say "If you are not from the New York City metropolitan area (Five Boroughs)..." do they mean in terms of history? I.E. I would be considered OOS because I am currently a Florida resident, however I am from brooklyn (lived there 19 years moved to queens for 1 year then moved to Florida). Would I be required to answer that question?

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Similar question, but if you're on Long Island which is close enough to the city, would you have to answer that?

so why did you guys pick suny downstate vs upstate or nymc??? or maybe u picked them all.

whateva07 said:

so why did you guys pick suny downstate vs upstate or nymc??? or maybe u picked them all.

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Well I'm not applying this year. In fact I'm not applying for another 2 years. I am just wondering how they would see it. I know state schools prefer IS applicants. However Downstate is truthfully the only med school I knew of while living in NYC because my HS had a program with them. I was able to take classes there in the afternoons so I guess I feel at home there.

Anyone know approximately how long these answers should be? Thanks.

dwc929 said:

Anyone know approximately how long these answers should be? Thanks.

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Since they don't include a maximum length, as with any question I would use as little or much room as it takes you to answer the questions. I'm no adcom, but I would imagine they aren't looking to read fluff.

TamarMD said:

When they say "If you are not from the New York City metropolitan area (Five Boroughs)..." do they mean in terms of history? I.E. I would be considered OOS because I am currently a Florida resident, however I am from brooklyn (lived there 19 years moved to queens for 1 year then moved to Florida). Would I be required to answer that question?

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No, you're not required but how hard is it to say exactly what you just wrote? "I grew up in NYC, currently live in Florida, and want to go back to my home state"

From what I've heard, Downstate really likes people from Brooklyn/Queens and it's to your advantage to mention it. They're pretty concerned with whether or not people are going to feel comfortable in that environment. I know lots of people who interviewed there from OOS and they all got grilled on the "how are you going to handle this area of brooklyn? Do you have a support network? Are you going to be comfortable?"

It takes about two seconds to answer the optional questions but it will probably help you a LOT to play up your ties to NYC/Brooklyn if you have them.

redrumi said:

Since they don't include a maximum length, as with any question I would use as little or much room as it takes you to answer the questions. I'm no adcom, but I would imagine they aren't looking to read fluff.

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Yeah, I'm sure this is true, but at the same time being eloquent is always a good thing. All of my answers were around a paragraph long.

Or should we just go ahead to fill out this application? I have not received anything from SUNY Down State.

It takes a little while for the office to input your information into the system...wait a week or so, and then check the status website. Only as a last resort, give the admissions a call.

I wouldnt send in the application without some sort of email first.

Take it easy. Downstate, as are all schools, are currently still working on this year's class.

You can check your status here http://spelunker.downstate.edu/admissions/admissions-checklist/source/portal_logon.asp

So when it says attach an additional sheet, we put more than one continued essay per sheet right? It would be really wasteful to use a few lines on a whole sheet of paper multiple times...

shemarty said:

[Only if this applies to you] If you have a specific reason (e.g., significant other, job transfer, family obligations) why you wish to attend
medical school in New York City, please explain (Attach an additional sheet, if necessary.)

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So what other kind of reasons are valid for this Q?

Dr Roboto said:

Take it easy. Downstate, as are all schools, are currently still working on this year's class.

You can check your status here http://spelunker.downstate.edu/admissions/admissions-checklist/source/portal_logon.asp

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lol. that's assuming we already have a username and password for the website.

EDIT: nvm, I got it.

can someone tell me...how the hell I got an email from SUNY downstate at 10:50 pm??

ChubbyChaser said:

can someone tell me...how the hell I got an email from SUNY downstate at 10:50 pm??

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LOL. beats me. I got it too. guess there's people working the graveyard shift? hahaha.

dynezxice said:

LOL. beats me. I got it too. guess there's people working the graveyard shift? hahaha.

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man...and now i feel obligated to write the essays tonight, so i can submit tommorow

DAMN YOU SUNY DOWNSTATE!!!

Anybody know if one of the science letters HAS to be from faculty from your MAJOR?

dwc929 said:

Anybody know if one of the science letters HAS to be from faculty from your MAJOR?

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Refer to post 6 above. If you're a science major, that's what you should do.

So they dont want a research PI letter even if you were enrolled in a research "class" (ie it has units)??

so about a paragraph for each of those essays?

also, are you guys mailing it out certified or just regular mail?

ar2388 said:

i sent out priority mail from the post office.. however, i sentit out before amcas was verified and have not heard a word back from suny even tho they received it 6/25..

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they might have thrown it out since you werent in their system at the time. If you received the official secondary application i would send it out again.

ar2388 said:

seriously?!?! they could have thrown it out? they didnt say anywhere on their website that you needed to have received an email from them efore you submitted the secondary... ugh! f*cking med schools!

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yeh, probably b/c they dont expect people to mail it out prior to actually receiving the application.. haha

Does anybody have any received marks on their status page yet? They've received everything from me but I just have a bunch of red X's.

UVAbme2009 said:

Does anybody have any received marks on their status page yet? They've received everything from me but I just have a bunch of red X's.

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Same here, got a bunch of X's even though I submitted everything.

ar2388 said:

seriously?!?! they could have thrown it out? they didnt say anywhere on their website that you needed to have received an email from them efore you submitted the secondary... ugh! f*cking med schools!

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I also submitted before I received an official secondary invite and according to the invite, it says, and I quote, "If you have not already done so, please submit your secondary." So I doubt that they would "throw it out" or anything. Wait a couple more days and check the status page.

how long were your responses????? Thanks!!!!

tourniquet1963 said:

how long were your responses????? Thanks!!!!

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Since I'm a NYC resident, I didn't have to answer the first 2 questions. As for the last question, I wrote a paragraph.

dynezxice said:

Since I'm a NYC resident, I didn't have to answer the first 2 questions. As for the last question, I wrote a paragraph.

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Ok thanks!! i'll be filling out 3/4 questions.. hope to submit by the end of the week

tourniquet1963 said:

Ok thanks!! i'll be filling out 3/4 questions.. hope to submit by the end of the week

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sure, no prob!