application advice

The personal statement is the only place in the AMCAS, AACOMAS and TMDSASprimary applications where you get to present yourself directly to the admissions committee. Here, you can persuade them to give you an interview, or – if you’re not careful – unknowingly reveal red flags that undermine...

Hello! So I applied to dental schools this year. At the moment, I am on one waitlist for Nova Southeastern University's School of Dentistry. I'm trying to figure out what to do next year on the chance that I don't get into their dental school. I'm about to meet with an academic advisor from my...

So I saw that UCSF has their supplemental questions posted on their website and was just curious if there were other schools that you know of that also do this? Also, are more dental schools including their supplemental questions in their primary app and doing away with the secondary app?

I've been wanting to post about this for a very long time. I have been busy with family, interviews, work, etc. So I haven’t been able to post on sdn. I have decided to post it now for the sake of future applicants. This is intended for future applicants and most importantly for those that did...

You have a goal: to get into medical school and enter the field of medicine armed with the knowledge you need to succeed as a physician. What are the steps you need to take in order to reach this goal? What can you do to boost your candidacy and get noticed by the adcom? In our new admissions...

Our webinar, The 5-Part Framework for a Successful Medical School Application, was a huge success! But if you missed it, don’t worry – you still have a chance to learn Linda Abraham’s strategies for your med school applications! The full webinar is now available to view – free, on-demand...

Hi! I am applying for med school in a few months so I am thinking about talking to med school admission offices and see if they can give some suggestion on what I can improve. Do you know any med school admission offices that allow pre-med students from other universities to have an appointment...

Hello everyone, After two failed application cycles to clinical psychology Ph.D. programs, I have started considering adding applications to counseling psychology Ph.D. programs in the next cycle. I'm trying to find information about the programs, but for some reason, there's significantly less...

Most schools ask for a LOR from a dentist. I have shadowed an Orthodontist and I know that he would write me a stellar LOR. Is it preferred to have a general dentist write the LOR? Or would it probably be looked at about the same? Did anyone do one or the other considering what would be better...

Get Accepted to Medical School in 2020 is now available on demand for anytime viewing! Guided by Accepted med expert Alicia McNease Nimonkar, you’ll learn how to approach each step in the med school admissions process – and start to formulate your personal application strategy. From the...

I'm looking for some advice on how to strengthen my application for this summer. GPA: 3.596 MCAT: 508 Volunteering: 3400+ hrs (2 yrs AmeriCorps, Hospital, and Clinic volunteering) Shadowing: currently shadowing weekly, and will continue until I apply (# to shoot for?) Lab work: 840+...

Currently, my school has a collaboration where undergraduate students can work alongside the medical students during gross anatomy labs. Personally, I was wondering the relevance this could have on the application process and whether it would help bolster my app if I do around 50-100 hours...

Hello fellow SDNers! I am a 2019 applicant (trying to get my PS written early) and I would really appreciate some help in brainstorming what I should write! This may be an odd thing to ask, as I do understand that PS can get very personal sometimes, but I was wondering if any past...

Hi guys! I am graduating Fall of 2019 and I'm curious if I would be able to apply June 1st 2019? If I apply in June 2019, is that cycle for Fall of 2020? Thank you:)

I'm finishing up my "Why do you want to attend X school" short answers and I was thinking I might mention some research that was done by the school's faculty that I find to be interesting. Is this okay to do? I don't want it to seem gratuitous. Thanks!

Interview with Ryan Crane, Entering Medical Student [Show Summary] Ryan Crane already knows he is going to medical school next fall, having been accepted at two schools in October! The medical school application process is long and ardurous, and Ryan knew he had some weaknesses to overcome...

“Tone” is often one of the aspects of writing that applicants find most difficult to pin down. And yet, when you’re writing, it is also one of the most important to control so that you maintain an appropriate tone for your purpose. One way to think about “tone” is to understand it as conveying...

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Hello, a few questions!! I am planning to take the March MCAT (I will be a second sem junior) so I have a little under 5 months to prepare. I am wondering what the best exam to take to find out my current standing is. I know that the AAMC materials are the best. Should I use the first exam as a...

Hi all. So I applied to 10 schools, all allopathic, during the 2017-2018 cycle. I got 2 interviews, which both resulted in waitlists and ultimately rejections. I am taking a year off and trying to improve my application, but need help deciding what to do during the upcoming year. Here was my...

I was wondering if you think I should retake my DAT and try to score higher? I took my test the first week of July and started submitting my apps immediately. Almost all my schools were sent out by the first week of August. I have one interview so far, so naturally I am getting antsy and...

I am applying to urology this cycle and only have 2 letters of recommendation uploaded so far. I am waiting on my other letter writers to upload. I sent my application in with the 2 letters before the release date Sept 15th. Will programs consider my application incomplete and either not look at...

Hello, I am a nontraditional student looking to apply to medical school in the coming years. I was originally undecided after highschool and decided to attend a local state university part time while I explored my options. After three semesters I withdrew. I completed 32 credits with an...

Hey everyone, I just had a few questions about the timeline of the application process. I finished my AMCAS application in June, but I had some issues getting transcripts and it did not get completed and sent to schools until July 31 (I had taken a community college class in high school, and I...

Hi All, From a lot of the reading and advice I have seen on this forum and other articles, it is apparent how important shadowing a D.O. will look on your application. As a former medical scribe who worked in an urgent care setting, I had the opportunity to assist with many different MD's...

Hi, I was wondering if I should go ahead with my application or if I should wait to apply next year after I take the MCAT again? I haven't submitted my primaries either because I'm waiting on my letters of rec so I'm already late to the game. My MCAT is a 504 (C/P: 128, C/R: 125, B/S: 127...

Hello! I was wondering how important it would be to my medical school application whether or not I volunteered in the clinical field for a majority of my hours. I'll be soon starting the second year of my undergrad education and so far I have shadowed and recently obtained a lab internship...

Hey guys, I have a plethora of AACOMAS questions, but I have not found solid answers on the forums. So, please feel free to answer what you know! Thanks! 1. My mother and my father attended community college; but neither received an associates degree. They only attended to get certificates back...

I'm a re-applicant with Washington State residence, and I am looking to apply to more dental schools. I have limited application funds, so I'm reaching out for suggestions on what school I'd have the best chance at. Any additional advice is appreciated! I hope it's wise to apply now so I can...

I am finalizing my experiences section on the AADSAS application.... 1.) Is this section to merely provide what I did when volunteering/working/etc or should I be including skills I learned from these experiences and how it related to dentistry? 2.) How much is "too much" to add to this...

Hello, I was hoping to receive some advise on how to make my application more competitive post-graduation. I received a 3.7 GPA at UCSD in neuroscience and physiology. By the time I apply, I will have ~4,000 hrs of experiencing scribing for physicians in 3 different specialties (occupational...

Hello I recently graduate from the University of Georgia with a 3.66 GPA and am debating applying this cycle. I am studying for the MCAT now and taking it early August. I have my letters of recommendation, a years worth of lab experience, volunteer hours (clinical and nonclinical), but only...

What's the best way to go about this? My second semester sophomore year was difficult and really lowered my GPA. My mom lost her job because she got sick, and I had to take on many extra hours at work. However, I made a comeback and my GPA significantly increased afterwards. Do I mention this...

Hello, So I'm currently having a mental breakdown because I think I majorly screwed up my chances for med school. I graduated with a BA in Biochemistry and BS in Molecular & Cellular Biology. I graduated early, in 3 years instead of 4 (most people advised me to graduate rather than stay.) My...

It can be confusing: Half of the advice you read urges you to stand out in your application, while the other half advises you to explain how you’ll fit in. So which is it? Should you stand out or fit in? The answer, unsurprisingly, is BOTH. You need to show your distinction and demonstrate fit...

I am currently preparing to reapply and I need some advice! For letters of recommendation, I am planning to get two new LORs and use two old LORs from the last cycle and ask my professors to update those. Also, should I ask my professors to update just the date or should I ask them to revise the...

Hi all, I am applying for the 2019 cycle with a lower cumulative GPA 3.5 ish, higher science GPA 3.68ish, and pretty good MCAT 514 (non-urm and Massachusetts Resident). I am a non-traditional student and I did a post-bac so my GPA is very upward trending. My post-bac GPA was 3.88. I have a...

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Hi there! So I am writing my disadvantage statement and I was wondering. If we mention that we are economically disadvantaged, Could it backfire at private schools? As in, could the schools read it and think "we should not accept him because if he won't be able to afford our schools...