Why do you want to go to our school?

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nekrogg

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Can adcoms honestly expect us to provide a sincere answer to that question? Most of us are obtaining our information from the website, saying we are interested in this program, this research opportunity. But having never seen the school, how can we get a feel for the strength of curriculum, faculty supportiveness, etc.? I really hope the adcoms do not look for a solid response in this department, beyond listing programs or teaching methods and saying how they relate to you..

how is everyone else approaching this issue?
 
nekrogg said:
Can adcoms honestly expect us to provide a sincere answer to that question? Most of us are obtaining our information from the website, saying we are interested in this program, this research opportunity. But having never seen the school, how can we get a feel for the strength of curriculum, faculty supportiveness, etc.? I really hope the adcoms do not look for a solid response in this department, beyond listing programs or teaching methods and saying how they relate to you..

how is everyone else approaching this issue?
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To some extent that is really a weedout question to see if someone is interested enough about their school to figure out what they do that is unique.
 
nekrogg said:
how is everyone else approaching this issue?
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I think that adcoms are expecting you to do perfunctory research. See what the strengths are and play up to it. Don't mention their research focus if they are known for doing little. Don't talk about their emphasis on quality primary care if they're known for having little. Etc.
 
nekrogg said:
Can adcoms honestly expect us to provide a sincere answer to that question? Most of us are obtaining our information from the website, saying we are interested in this program, this research opportunity. But having never seen the school, how can we get a feel for the strength of curriculum, faculty supportiveness, etc.? I really hope the adcoms do not look for a solid response in this department, beyond listing programs or teaching methods and saying how they relate to you..

how is everyone else approaching this issue?
Click to expand...

I don't know about this either. A lot of the schools I'm applying to I don't really want to go to but added them because I didn't want to get stuck not getting in anywhere. I figure most schools ask about this so I'll just spew off something from the website... but this really doesn't help either. Every med school claims to have excellent research, curriculum, reputation... whatever... 😴
 
Yes, probably just looking to see if you did your background work. Personally, an interview visit would make a final decision for me. I'd like to see and facilities and meet the current students/profs in person to decide. Until then, I'd only be interested, just not set on "I want to go here."
 
nekrogg said:
But having never seen the school, how can we get a feel for the strength of curriculum, faculty supportiveness, etc.? I really hope the adcoms do not look for a solid response in this department, beyond listing programs or teaching methods and saying how they relate to you..
Click to expand...

I think you hit it right on the head. Generally speaking -- especially if the school is out of state -- people won't have been there and they're applying to the medical school based on

MSAR
Pictures
Website
Word-of-mouth

They know this. They just want to make sure that you didn't just throw darts at schools and put SOME thought into what schools you thought matched your interests and your professional aspirations.
 
after filling out most of my secodnaries, I can see why they ask these questions. For georgetown and Stanford, for example, after ttrying to answer their questions I realized that i didn;t want to go to their schools. For Weill and Sinai, it really made me want to go to them that much more, and i think this added enthusiasm will be visible in the interviews.

Now questions like "why are you special" are another story...
 
answer: i want to go to medical school...you have one
 
notdeadyet said:
I think that adcoms are expecting you to do perfunctory research. See what the strengths are and play up to it. Don't mention their research focus if they are known for doing little. Don't talk about their emphasis on quality primary care if they're known for having little. Etc.
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how can i tell if they are doing little research? its hard to infer from the website, unless they overtly state "hey kid, we dont do research here".. i should have bought peterson's guide. 🙁

all i do is click on the website, whatever they have on their front page, i skew it to relate to myself (most of the time it turns out bad) and click the submit button

i really hate doing a half assed job with this type of essay though 🙁 and it only adds to stress levels
 
ChymeChancellor said:
I don't know about this either. A lot of the schools I'm applying to I don't really want to go to but added them because I didn't want to get stuck not getting in anywhere. I figure most schools ask about this so I'll just spew off something from the website... but this really doesn't help either. Every med school claims to have excellent research, curriculum, reputation... whatever... 😴
Click to expand...

exactly!

i guess everyone is in the same boat as me 👍
 
nekrogg said:
how can i tell if they are doing little research? i
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Research dollars tend to be something a school will brag about if they get a lot. If they don't mention it, or play up their committment to primary care, they probably aren't a big research school. (This is not a hard and fast rule, though). Also they tend to get ranked highly by US News Research rankings if they are a research powerhouse.
 
Oculus Sinistra said:
I think you hit it right on the head. Generally speaking -- especially if the school is out of state -- people won't have been there and they're applying to the medical school based on

MSAR
Pictures
Website
Word-of-mouth
Click to expand...

how can you go by word of mouth? I have a few friends in some medical schools, but I find it generally hard to incorporate word of mouth testimonies. It most likey is pertaining to helpful faculty, etc. but how can i actually rate the faculty if i havent been there? its almost like heresy on my secondary 😛 (i hope i used that word in the right context)
 
keepdreaming said:
answer: i want to go to medical school...you have one
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Totally 👍


I think the "I could really see myself living here. The students are friendly and appear to work together...etc." is a good way to side-step the random fact regurgitation that most people will come up with (ie: faculty:student ratios, classes offered, emphasis on research, etc.)
 
Zoom-Zoom said:
I think the "I could really see myself living here. The students are friendly and appear to work together...etc." is a good way to side-step the random fact regurgitation that most people will come up with
Click to expand...


Im thinking of taking this approach.. its hard to judge from just internet material though
 
Is it bad to base it on location?

In my personal case, the University of Kansas is in Kansas City, KS and that is very close to a large part of my family. Is it OK to say that rather than specific strengths of the medical school?

I guess a combo of the two is probably the best choice.
 
RokChalkJayhawk said:
Is it bad to base it on location?

In my personal case, the University of Kansas is in Kansas City, KS and that is very close to a large part of my family. Is it OK to say that rather than specific strengths of the medical school?

I guess a combo of the two is probably the best choice.
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I hear no adcom wants to hear about location, but rather why you are interested in their school itself.. Some schools though have a portion on location, and instate connections.

maybe you can work it out, it seems like a good point (your family and everything)
 
nekrogg said:
I hear no adcom wants to hear about location, but rather why you are interested in their school itself..
Click to expand...

Agreed. Location is probably the single worst answer, particularly if there are other schools in the same region. A med school works hard to make itself "world class" and thus doesn't want to hear that the best thing they have to offer is their zip code, something they had nothing to do with. And this suggests you would be just as happy at the med school on the other side of town, likely the place the school is trying most to distinguish itself from.
 
Law2Doc said:
Agreed. Location is probably the single worst answer, particularly if there are other schools in the same region. A med school works hard to make itself "world class" and thus doesn't want to hear that the best thing they have to offer is their zip code, something they had nothing to do with. And this suggests you would be just as happy at the med school on the other side of town, likely the place the school is trying most to distinguish itself from.
Click to expand...
I have to wonder if I disagree with this. I know a few OOS students who would mention they were applying to a public state school for various reasons but not soley based on that is where their family was. I wonder how much this got them into the school. Also not a SOLE reason I think its a good one. But that is just my view.
 
geno2568 said:
after filling out most of my secodnaries, I can see why they ask these questions. For georgetown and Stanford, for example, after ttrying to answer their questions I realized that i didn;t want to go to their schools.
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Exactly! So many folks do not know anything about the school until they come time to do secondaries. Some folks were complaining about not knowing Loma Linda had a religious bent before filling out the secondary questions. That's part of why they're there.
 
Law2Doc said:
Agreed. Location is probably the single worst answer, particularly if there are other schools in the same region. A med school works hard to make itself "world class" and thus doesn't want to hear that the best thing they have to offer is their zip code, something they had nothing to do with. And this suggests you would be just as happy at the med school on the other side of town, likely the place the school is trying most to distinguish itself from.
Click to expand...


I don't know if I entirely agree. I think it's fair to say that you might be interested in a particular region if you are from that area of the country. I've always tried to dig up specific clinical programs I might be interested in too. For example, I talked somewhat about oncology in my PS, so if a school has a great cancer center, that always gets mentioned.
 
Schools all want to increase their "yield" (the proportion of offers accepted).

Last year University of Chicago make 289 offers and matriculated 112 for a yield of 39%. Narrowing down the 7,520 applicants to those who are both well suited for the school (the school wants them) and who are motivated to attend (they want the school for a reason besides "it is an LCME accredited school") are those to whom the school would like to address the offer letters.

Most applicants apply to 10 or more schools. Most highly qualified applicants manage to acquire 3-5 offers of admission. If every applicant held 4 offers of admission and acceptance of the offers were random you'd expect schools to have a yield of 25%. Schools want to improve their yield (it goes to bragging rights & desirabililty, also efficiency of the admissions process) and thus the questions to assure themselves that you really want to matriculate there even if you wind up holding other offers.
 
Law2Doc said:
Agreed. Location is probably the single worst answer, particularly if there are other schools in the same region. A med school works hard to make itself "world class" and thus doesn't want to hear that the best thing they have to offer is their zip code, something they had nothing to do with. And this suggests you would be just as happy at the med school on the other side of town, likely the place the school is trying most to distinguish itself from.
Click to expand...

What about schools like Univ. of Washington which is the only medical school in a 600 mile radius (except OHSU)? I think if you really are committed to working in a specific region, location of a medical school could be relevant.
 
jillibean said:
I think if you really are committed to working in a specific region, location of a medical school could be relevant.
Click to expand...

Not really. This is more of an issue, perhaps, for residency.

If you are going to be sitting in a classroom for the first 2 years, does it matter if it is in New Haven, Miami, or Omaha? It is far more important to match your learning style (do you prefer pass/fail or no exams at all or do you need the motivation that frequent exams and grades bring), your preferences with regard to research (not emphasized/highly valued/required), your particular interest in the university environment (ice rinks available to med students, or a student orchestra, or guest speakers on issues of public policy).

Would you go to a school in your preferred location even though the curriculum, academic policies, and resources are not a good fit for you in comparison with a school in a less desirable location?
 
Good point....I think half of that question "why ____" is still about you and why YOU would be a good fit for them. Pick up whatever it is that you can emphasize (i.e., ties to the state/region, your research experience at a research school, your interest in ___ because of ____ program..).
Know your audience...if you were on the com, you'd know if someone truly didn't care.

Bottom Line: Adcoms want you to think they are worth your time and you want them to think you're worth theirs. 👍 <---there should be a high-five icon.


LizzyM said:
Not really. This is more of an issue, perhaps, for residency.

If you are going to be sitting in a classroom for the first 2 years, does it matter if it is in New Haven, Miami, or Omaha? It is far more important to match your learning style (do you prefer pass/fail or no exams at all or do you need the motivation that frequent exams and grades bring), your preferences with regard to research (not emphasized/highly valued/required), your particular interest in the university environment (ice rinks available to med students, or a student orchestra, or guest speakers on issues of public policy).

Would you go to a school in your preferred location even though the curriculum, academic policies, and resources are not a good fit for you in comparison with a school in a less desirable location?
Click to expand...
 
LizzyM said:
Not really. This is more of an issue, perhaps, for residency.

If you are going to be sitting in a classroom for the first 2 years, does it matter if it is in New Haven, Miami, or Omaha? It is far more important to match your learning style (do you prefer pass/fail or no exams at all or do you need the motivation that frequent exams and grades bring), your preferences with regard to research (not emphasized/highly valued/required), your particular interest in the university environment (ice rinks available to med students, or a student orchestra, or guest speakers on issues of public policy).

Would you go to a school in your preferred location even though the curriculum, academic policies, and resources are not a good fit for you in comparison with a school in a less desirable location?
Click to expand...


I would imagine that one of the most difficult problems facing first year med students who have gone far from their original home would be the lack of a nearby support system.

"Having my family nearby would make me a better medical student because due to the strenuous requirements of a medical education I will not simply go home to an empty nest and wallow in a pitcher of ale every night."

I don't know if med schools ADCOMs are so detached as to no longer recognize the importance of family.

Saying that "I feel like I would mesh with the students there" after never meeting your classmates or taking a course is literally feeding the ADCOM freshly produced BS.

And I don't plan on it being my only reason, but rather as a complement to the rest of my application.
 
RokChalkJayhawk said:
I would imagine that one of the most difficult problems facing first year med students who have gone far from their original home would be the lack of a nearby support system.
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But if you are applying in Boston, New York, Philly, or Chicago or even any area with 2 or more med schools you need to be more specific "why xyz".
 
LizzyM said:
But if you are applying in Boston, New York, Philly, or Chicago or even any area with 2 or more med schools you need to be more specific "why xyz".
Click to expand...

👍

exactly my thought. It doesnt matter what city the medschool is in imo (i feel that it should be saved for post-acceptance thoughts..). That essentially means if another medical school magically switched places, you'd consider the new one rather than the old one you are applying to.. and im sure institutions dont smile happily on that.
 
i'm just honest with em. I tell them what I like about the school. If the location is nice and safe. If it is cheap, if it's facilities are good, if it has a good rep from students. I try not to lie to em, even though i suppose there is some embellishment.
 
This is Kansas guys... medical schools aren't exactly sprouting up all over the place.

My native state of Kansas has a total population of 2.7 million people, well less than where I live in San Diego (County Population=3 million +). Most of West Kansas has less than 1 person per square mile.

There is a University of Missouri-Kansas City, but having no ties to Missouri, I'm not applying there.

FYI, the University of Kansas is also in Kansas City, but it is in the "Kansas side" of Kansas City, as the city is spread over the border of the two states.
 
RokChalkJayhawk said:
This is Kansas guys... medical schools aren't exactly sprouting up all over the place.

My native state of Kansas has a total population of 2.7 million people, well less than where I live in San Diego (County Population=3 million +). Most of West Kansas has less than 1 person per square mile.

There is a University of Missouri-Kansas City, but having no ties to Missouri, I'm not applying there.

FYI, the University of Kansas is also in Kansas City, but it is in the "Kansas side" of Kansas City, as the city is spread over the border of the two states.
Click to expand...

seems like you have your mind made up. go for it!! 👍
 
nekrogg said:
Can adcoms honestly expect us to provide a sincere answer to that question? Most of us are obtaining our information from the website, saying we are interested in this program, this research opportunity. But having never seen the school, how can we get a feel for the strength of curriculum, faculty supportiveness, etc.? I really hope the adcoms do not look for a solid response in this department, beyond listing programs or teaching methods and saying how they relate to you..

how is everyone else approaching this issue?
Click to expand...
Remember that the admissions committee must decide whether or not you're the right person for their school...I see this question as trying to make sure that the school is right for you. It has to go both ways. I agree though....I don't think most applicants have the time or resources to thoroughly research or even visit schools before applying. Most leave it up to the tour on interview day to get a good feel for the school. I see no problem with this, since most schools do try to sell the school on interview day. Still, you should have some reason you applied to a particular school. You could always just turn it into a "What, in your opinion, are the strengths of this school?" As long as you've thrown in a few personal statements you'll still accomplish the goal of the question.
 
JDUB44 said:
i'm just honest with em. I tell them what I like about the school. If the location is nice and safe. If it is cheap, if it's facilities are good, if it has a good rep from students. I try not to lie to em, even though i suppose there is some embellishment.
Click to expand...


If you are just planning on saying I want to attnd xyz school because "it is cheap and in a nice location", I would seriously suggest you err on the side of the embellishment.🙂
 
RokChalkJayhawk said:
I would imagine that one of the most difficult problems facing first year med students who have gone far from their original home would be the lack of a nearby support system.

"Having my family nearby would make me a better medical student because due to the strenuous requirements of a medical education I will not simply go home to an empty nest and wallow in a pitcher of ale every night."

I don't know if med schools ADCOMs are so detached as to no longer recognize the importance of family.

Saying that "I feel like I would mesh with the students there" after never meeting your classmates or taking a course is literally feeding the ADCOM freshly produced BS.

And I don't plan on it being my only reason, but rather as a complement to the rest of my application.
Click to expand...

Agreed. For schools that are in cities where I have family/close friends, I did mention location. It wasn't the focus of my essay, but I threw in a sentence or two about support systems, because I think that's important and may possibly tip the balance in favor of one school over another should I hold multiple acceptances. For schools in other cities, I didn't bring it up. Rambling about the attractions of a particular city (e.g. nightlife, sports, cultural events) seems irrelevant to the purpose of an application, which is to demonstrate aptitude for and commitment to medicine.
 
Writer1985 said:
Rambling about the attractions of a particular city (e.g. nightlife, sports, cultural events) seems irrelevant to the purpose of an application, which is to demonstrate aptitude for and commitment to medicine.
Click to expand...

But it is relevant to the "what do you do for fun" question. Consider two appliants: one is active in downhill skiing, flyfishing, and rock climbing. The other is a fan of opera, plays the violin and writes and performs poetry. Which one will be happy at NYU or U Chicago. and which might be happier at Dartmouth or Vermont?
 
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