2006 Applicants Thread -- Where Will We Apply?

[tigress]

This is a thread to discuss where we want to apply and get advice from each other

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[tigress]

I'm debating whether to apply early admission to Drexel or to go ahead and apply to a bunch of places. I have about 10-12 on my list. I can only apply to places that accept transfer students or have nearby schools that accept transfers, since my husband is at Drexel now.

So I'm thinking of applying to:

1. Drexel
2. Jefferson
3. Penn
4. Temple (not sure, not too interested)
5. Penn State
6. Pitt
7. AECOM (would have a scholarship there from my undergrad)
8. MUSC (my home town!)
9. Emory
10. Tulane

I'm thinking I should add one or two more state schools, like maybe UMDNJ-RWJ and one of the SUNY schools, or U. Maryland? Not sure.

How are people deciding? I don't have the MSAR. The new one isn't out yet and it's also too expensive to buy. I'm mostly getting my info from the schools' web pages.

 

[Kiroro]

At this point, I only know that I'll apply to all 4 med schools in my state (FL).

I cannot believe you have already considered so many variety of schools to apply. I have been busy studying for the finals but maybe I should really start looking into different med schools

I just took the MCAT last week and applying for the first time. Are you in the same situation with me, or you have taken MCAT and applied before? Just wondering cause it seems like you are ready for everything

 

[tigress]

At this point, I only know that I'll apply to all 4 med schools in my state (FL).

I cannot believe you have already considered so many variety of schools to apply. I have been busy studying for the finals but maybe I should really start looking into different med schools

I just took the MCAT last week and applying for the first time. Are you in the same situation with me, or you have taken MCAT and applied before? Just wondering cause it seems like you are ready for everything

No, I also just took the MCAT. I suppose I've just been thinking about it a lot. I like to plan things far in advance, perhaps because I like to have as much control over my schedule and things as possible. Also, I'm not in school since I quit grad school after February, so I've had the time (hopefully getting a job soon to keep me occupied)

We have plenty of time to decide, I'm just a nerd

 

[DarkFark]

Schools I am Competitive for

Drexel University
UMDNJ- New Jersey
Jefferson Medical College
UMDNJ-Robert Wood
University of Maryland
Georgetown University
Yeshiva Albert Einstein
NYU
University Rochester
Mount Sinai School of Medicine
University of Chicago
Northwestern University
Cornell University

Hail Mary Category

Columbia University
University of Pennsilvania
Washington U of St. Louis
Johns Hopkins University
Harvard University


I'm looking for urban schools, leaning northeast, preferably NYC. I'm still tuning/trimming this list, but its 18 right now.

I couldn't find MSAR at a bookstore, so I've been using the princeton review knockoff, which isn't as good but gets the job done. I took the MCAT last August and my GPA has pretty much stablized, which is why I've been thinking about it for so long.

 

[MollyMalone]

Great idea for a thread!

This list won't be firm until I find out my MCAT score (obviously), but here's what I'm thinking right now.

Definite:
UWisc (my undergrad)
MCW
Rush
Loyola
RF
UIC
CWRU
(I'm a midwestern girl, what can I say?)

Dreaming:
Penn
Stanford
Yale
UCSF
Mayo
Northwestern
UChicago

I hate waiting.

 

[aumed22]

Took the MCAT in August and I'm not expecting much fluctuation in GPA, so here's my list:
University of Alabama, Birmingham
Emory
Vanderbilt
Wash. U
Duke
University of North Carolina
Cornell
Columbia
Miami
Tulane
South Alabama
NYU
Harvard
Maybe Wake Forest,

So now all I have to do is apply and see where the chips fall

 

[jammin06]

This is a pretty much exhaustive list of the schools i'm probably going to send apps to. It might be too many, but i'm just scared that my mediocre stats (3.5/30 in BME) won't impress anyone:

Univ. of Ala-Bham
Univ. of S. Alabama
Emory
Loyola-Chicago
St. Louis
Temple
Univ. of Chicago
Univ. of Pitt
Wake Forest
University of Texas Application system (UT southwestern, Houston, San Antonio and Galveston)
Cleveland Clinic
Georgetown
Case Western
Tulane
U. of Louisville
Drexel
Temple
U. of S. California
Vanderbilt (Pipe Dream I)
Baylor (Pipe Dream II)
Northwestern (Pipe Dream III)

 

[evljanevl]

All FL schools

Wake
Vandy
Emory
USC
NYU

Duke
Columbia
JH

 

[BaylorGuy]

Schools for sure:
All Texas schools (i think there are 8 or 9 of them...including the D.O. school...I love being a texas resident)
George Washington
University of Kansas
Boston University
Tufts University
Yeshiva U (Albert Einstein)
Jefferson
Medical College of Virginia
Rush
perhaps some of the D.O. schools...i haven't researched as extensively

Depending on MCAT score (read: in my dreams)
Columbia...i love this school
Cornell
Stanford
Duke
U Penn
U Pitt

For those having some trouble looking for factors on which schools to pick. I highly, HIGHLY recommend the US news and report. Besides the fact that the MSAR isn't out and it has all the rankings...it has a very extensive index of all accredited medical schools (MD and DO included....except only a handful). It has a bunch of stuff including app deadlines, av. MCAT, av. GPA, in state % acceptances. It has helped me a whole bunch.

 

[SanDiegoSOD]

The schools that I am looking at currently are:

Boston University
Case Western Reserve University
Cornell University (Weill)
Duke University
Drexel University
George Washington University
Harvard University
Mount Sinai School of Medicine
New York Medical College
New York University
Northwestern University (Feinberg)
Oregon Health and Science University
Stanford University
University of California--Davis
University of California--Irvine
University of California--Los Angeles (Geffen)
University of California--San Diego
University of California--San Francisco
University of Chicago (Pritzker)
University of Pennsylvania
University of Pittsburgh
University of Southern California (Keck)
Yale University


I have to thin this list out a little bit, probably knocking off a couple reach schools and a safety school or two. I think I'll probably apply to 18 or so schools, 7 of which will be in-state. But overall I think I have a good mix of schools. I only wish that one or two of the Cali schools could actually be considered a safety school. Did you know that UC Davis gets 4200 applicants a year, and can only accept about 150? That blows my mind.

 

[PhillyEaglesFan]

I'll bite.

The PA schools, the Maryland schools, the DC schools and maybe a straggler in Virginia or New York. I'd really like to stay in PA, though.

Penn, Pitt, Hopkins, and the DC schools are reaches for me.

The "most probable" list: Penn State, Temple, Drexel, Jefferson, Maryland

 

[riceman04]

This is a thread to discuss where we want to apply and get advice from each other

So right now my list includes like 49 schools, but that will be dwindled down to like 20 schools (maybe less)

So as you all can see: There are waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyy to many schools on here! I have alot of weeding out to do. Hey, I might as well get a chance to do some rejecting of my own before it is my turn.
Good Luck everyone!

I put "reach" next to all the schools that are statistically (which includes GPA, MCAT, and state for state supported schools) a reach for me. But you never know since people get into schools like Emory, but not into a school like Jefferson

Here are the schools I really like:
1. Baylor (why not, I am a Rice undergrad! Baylor has very strong ties to Rice) - reach for sure (they support so many in state programs)
2. Columbia-reach
3. Emory- reach
4. Duke- reach
5. UMich - reach
6. George Washington
7. Keck USC (so cal) - reach. My dad grauated from here though
8. Meharry
9. Mount Sinai
10.Temple
11. Northwestern - reach
12. U Chicago- reach
13. Yale-reach
14. UPenn-reach
15. Harvard-reach
16. Dartmouth-reach
17. Tufts
18. NYU
19. U Pitt-reach
20. Penn State
21.Wash U-reach
22. U Wash-reach
23. Morehouse-reach (b/c caters to Georgia Residents)
24. one of the UC's (I am a cali resident). Maybe two or three, but no more than three- even though I am a cali resident all these schools are reaches b/c so many damn people want to go to school in cali --> damn out of staters and excessively high state population
25. Loyola
26. Rush
27. Case - Reach
28. Alb. Einstein
29. UMDNJ-RWJ
30. Drexel
31.NY Med. College
32. Stanford-reach
33. Cornell-reach
34. Jefferson
35. UTH-reach- (texas and their country ass ways!!!! Lol. But I am still applying b/c my sister graduated from here--> she is a texas resident though)
36. UTMB (galveston)-reach (texas and their 98.9999999999999% reserved for residents crap
37. Albany

 

[shuzee]

i want to stay in california, just took the Mcat ....so in the iffy state. I want to apply to all california schools and i really want to make it to atleast one....but my problem is my GPA is on the lower side (I have a 3.4) and i hear that getting into a school here is close to impossible......but is that the case even if you apply early? I'd like some feedback.,..does anyone know of people with a lower GPA getting into med school in Cali?

 

[tacrum43]

So right now my list includes like 49 schools, but that will be dwindled down to like 20 schools (maybe less)

So as you all can see: There are waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyy to many schools on here! I have alot of weeding out to do. Hey, I might as well get a chance to do some rejecting of my own before it is my turn.
Good Luck everyone!

Here are the schools I really like:
1. Baylor (why not, I am a Rice undergrad! Baylor has very strong ties to Rice)
2. Columbia
3. Emory
4. Duke
5. UMich
6. Goerge Washington
7. USC (so cal)
8. Meharry
9. Mount Sinai
10.Temple
11. Northwestern
12. U Chicago
13. Yale
14. UPenn
15. Harvard
16. Dartmouth
17. Tufts
18. NYU
19. U Pitt
20. Penn State
21.Wash U
22. U Wash
23. Morehouse
24. one of the UC's (I am a cali resident). Maybe two or three, but no more than three
25. Loyola
26. Rush
27. Case
28. Alb. Einstein
29. UMDNJ-RWJ
30. Drexel
31.NY Med. College
32. Stanford
33. Cornell
34. Jefferson
35. UTH
36. UTMB (galveston)
37. Albany

For University of Washington, you have to be a Washington state resident (or part of that WICHE thing) to be considered. If you're a California resident, you would just be wasting your money.

 

[jammin06]

So right now my list includes like 49 schools, but that will be dwindled down to like 20 schools (maybe less)

So as you all can see: There are waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyy to many schools on here! I have alot of weeding out to do. Hey, I might as well get a chance to do some rejecting of my own before it is my turn.
Good Luck everyone!

I put "reach" next to all the schools that are statistically (which includes GPA, MCAT, and state for state supported schools) a reach for me. But you never know since people get into schools like Emory, but not into a school like Jefferson

Here are the schools I really like:
1. Baylor (why not, I am a Rice undergrad! Baylor has very strong ties to Rice) - reach for sure (they support so many in state programs)
2. Columbia-reach
3. Emory- reach
4. Duke- reach
5. UMich - reach
6. George Washington
7. Keck USC (so cal) - reach. My dad grauated from here though
8. Meharry
9. Mount Sinai
10.Temple
11. Northwestern - reach
12. U Chicago- reach
13. Yale-reach
14. UPenn-reach
15. Harvard-reach
16. Dartmouth-reach
17. Tufts
18. NYU
19. U Pitt-reach
20. Penn State
21.Wash U-reach
22. U Wash-reach
23. Morehouse-reach (b/c caters to Georgia Residents)
24. one of the UC's (I am a cali resident). Maybe two or three, but no more than three- even though I am a cali resident all these schools are reaches b/c so many damn people want to go to school in cali --> damn out of staters and excessively high state population
25. Loyola
26. Rush
27. Case - Reach
28. Alb. Einstein
29. UMDNJ-RWJ
30. Drexel
31.NY Med. College
32. Stanford-reach
33. Cornell-reach
34. Jefferson
35. UTH-reach- (texas and their country ass ways!!!! Lol. But I am still applying b/c my sister graduated from here--> she is a texas resident though)
36. UTMB (galveston)-reach (texas and their 98.9999999999999% reserved for residents crap
37. Albany

hey man
i'm totally with you on being from Rice and being an out-of-state student as well. What college are you from? This application process would have been SO much easier if i was a texas resident. Internesting note for next year though. We don't have to go through the match system. They changed it so out of state students get notified on a rolling basis, which i guess is a little better. THough i think that just means i wil be getting my rejection letters earlier rather than later.

 

[riceman04]

For University of Washington, you have to be a Washington state resident (or part of that WICHE thing) to be considered. If you're a California resident, you would just be wasting your money.

True, but I thought it said they welcome applications from URM's too (that were not in state?)

If not let me know.
And thanks for the info tacrum43

 

[riceman04]

hey man
i'm totally with you on being from Rice and being an out-of-state student as well. What college are you from? This application process would have been SO much easier if i was a texas resident. Internesting note for next year though. We don't have to go through the match system. They changed it so out of state students get notified on a rolling basis, which i guess is a little better. THough i think that just means i wil be getting my rejection letters earlier rather than later.

What a change! Maybe they will consider all of us out-of staters in a separate pool.


You know that it is all about MARTEL!!!!!!!!
And I have to give props to Lovett too b/c I did actually matriculate into Edgar Odell Lovett and then transfered to Martel when it opened.

I just graduated in May (2004). I will be back down there for graduation this year and to meet the new premed advisor. I heard she is nice, but it sucks that Michelle Daley decided to change things around and then did not notify students.

Who is this by the way?

 

[zero2hero]

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.

 

[crys20]

Yay I was waiting for this! I'm planning on 16-17 allo schools plus 3 DO schools. I'm sort of a borderline applicant though. I'm an OH resident so the 5 OH schools are at the top of my list. Also applying to out of states like Drexel, Finch, MCW, NYMC, SLU, Temple, Tulane, Vermont, Wake Forest...I think I'm making Vandy and Yale my two reaches

 

[CoffeeCat]

.

 

[tigress]

Can anybody tell me about University of Maryland? I'm about to go to their website, but anybody know some details about curriculum and acceptance stats?

CofeeCat I'm pretty much location locked as well, but I'm still thinking about applying to other places just in case. The only places I could go to without my husband having to transfer are Drexel, Penn (no way I'm getting in), Temple, Jefferson, and Pitt (because Drexel has a clinical site in Pittsburgh). I guess when I see my MCAT score (not gonna be pretty) I'll decide what to do.

 

[rugirlie]

After looking at some of your school lists, I thought I'd throw in my two cents about NYU. A lot of you, I noticed, don't seem to think that NYU is a reach school, while places like Emory are. I thought I'd offer a little advice about that school... I was waitlisted there while I got into Upenn... My friend who was interviewed at Harvard and waitlisted at Columbia did not even get offered an interview at NYU. Med school admissions are tricky, as I'm sure you all know, but just keep that in mind. Things turn out whacky. Look at my mdapps profile for more proof. Good luck to you all!

 

[eliscord]

Wow, you guys are really applying to that many schools, are mom and dad picking up the tab?

Anyways, Im taking the MCAT in August because I was working full time this spring, am I going to be at a disadvantage?

 

[tacrum43]

True, but I thought it said they welcome applications from URM's too (that were not in state?)

If not let me know.
And thanks for the info tacrum43

Yeah, you're right. I didn't think about that. It says they also look at MD/PhD program applicants regardless of residency and minority status.

 

[Mediculous]

I've been looking at schools for over two years now and fortunately or unfortunately(depending on how you look at it), I've compiled a very long list of schools that I like. They all seem so unique and offer different advantages that make it hard not to apply to them, even though it wil be very expensive. Oh yeah, and they're not easy to get into, either, so applying to more hopefully increases my chances of getting in somewhere. Since I don't know what I got on the MCAT(almost afraid to find out) I plan on initially applying to about 30 schools and then adding depending on my score. My GPA is solid at ~3.85(overall and BCMP). I'm including the reach schools in my initial AMCAS application because they would be reach schools independant of my MCAT score anyway. To finance everything, I'm taking out additional Perkins loans and additonal Stafford loans after the eminent decline of the PLUS loan to my mom. I probably be able to bypass the PLUS loan hoopla in the Fall since the government will finally recognize me as financially independant, which I have already been for 5 years in reality. Ok, so here's my list:

Baylor College-1.5 yrs preclinical, the Texas Medical Center, not cold
Case Western Reserve University-great hospitals
Columbia University-NYC, great hospitals, P&S Club, rugby
Cornell University-located within driving distance of Columbia(j/k)
Duke University-1 yr preclinical/3rd yr flexibility, great hospitals, mild climate
Emory University
Harvard University-great hospitals and unsurpassed connections, Boston
Johns Hopkins University-great hospitals and unsurpassed connections
Loyola University Chicago
Mayo Medical School- small classes/individual attention, great hospitals
Medical College of Ohio
New York University-great hospitals
Northwestern University- great location, great hospitals, great curriculum
Ohio State University
Oregon Health & Science University-great location and hospitals
Rush Medical College-nicer than I originally thought
Southern Illinois University-small class size,had a friend go here and he liked it
Stanford University-great hospitals and location
University of Alabama
University of California, Los Angeles-great hospitals, very nice environment
University of California, San Francisco
University of Chicago-great hospitals
University of Cincinnati
University of Colorado
University of Illinois-would choose either Peoria or Rockford campuses
University of Iowa-great hospitals
University of Michigan-great hospitals and nice location
University of Pennsylvania-1.5 yrs preclinical, great hospitals
University of Pittsburgh-seem VERY student friendly, great hospitals
University of Southern California-great hospitals, great location
University of Texas, Southwestern-great hospitals
University of Wisconsin
Wake Forest University-nice location
Washington University in St. Louis-great hospitals, close to home
Yale University-great learning envirnment, great hospitals

 

[tigress]

Embily123, I do have a few thoughts. You mention location for Einstein, but say you're cool being in NYC. I spent a summer at Einstein and have some friends there, and the location isn't bad. It could be prettier, but it's not dangerous or anything. Housing is very inexpensive and the dorm/apartment complex thing is right across the street from the school. A bus into Manhattan takes about 45 minutes and comes every hour at least (stopping right in front of the apartments). The school is great and has really nice research if you're into that. I also found out that they have this institute for social medicine, which I personally think is really neat.

Drexel: Great school, not great reputation. I think its rep will improve though. I love so much about this school. The only things keeping me from applying early decision are reputation and money. It's pretty expensive (but what private school isn't). The campus is nice, in a suburban Philadelphia location. Facilities all seem good. I love their curriculum, which is systems based, and the fact that before each block ("module") they hand out all of the notes for the entire module. Videos of lectures are posted online. The student body is nice and friendly, not competitive, and the faculty seem to really care about the students. Basically they try to make sure that everybody has the best opportunities for learning available. I can't rave enough about the school. Hopefully reputation will improve! (I don't know too much about their clinical training but match list doesn't look bad...of course who's does?)

Don't know much about Jefferson, other than that it has a pretty traditional curriculum. I don't think I like it much based on the students I've met, but I really have no real basis for that feeling. Temple supposedly doesn't have the best facilities, but it's supposed to have good clinical training.

Looking for info on Pitt, if anybody has.

 

[ajt2003]

Hey all! Best of luck with this process!

Also, regardless of your MCAT/GPA, definitely apply to at least a couple of reach schools. This process is not so much predictable as sometimes entirely random, and it can't hurt!

I'm envious that y'all get to do this!

(so totally just kidding. )

 

[crys20]

Well, I saved up $2500 thru college just for this so that should take a big chunk out of it...And credit for the rest!

I think 30 is a lot though because that is SO many secondaries to do. 20 would pry be sufficient. Embily...Temple, Jeff, GT, Albany are all great ones.

Right on for reaches...Vandy & Yale for me.

 

[nishi]

How are you guys selecting these schools? Is it based on their stats? cirriculum? location? prestigue? When did you start researching these things?

 

[MollyMalone]

I got a copy of the old MSAR and used that to start my research off with (so it's a year out of date, not THAT much has changed). Any school I thought I even might be interested in, I went to their website and looked around for the most recent info. Also went to Borders and checked out the schools I'm very excited about in the books there for free.

My choices are based on: location, avg. stats, prestige, opportunity to pursue studies in medical ethics, and rep. of affiliated hospitals, in no particular order. Being a nontrad and a nurse to boot, I'm looking at applying at a wider range of schools than I would otherwise have, probably. I really don't want to have to do this all over again next year.

 

[crys20]

Mostly stats; trying to find schools whose avg MCAT and GPA coordinate well with mine. For instance, with a 3.5/30 it would be silly for me to just apply to top 10/top 20 schools. You need to apply to schools you have a good shot at, PLUS some reach-type schools who you select based on whatever; location, prestige, etc. As for me, I'll be choosy in regards to curriculum, location, etc. AFTER I have acceptances...In applying I just want to give myself a good shot to land a couple. the MSAR is a book you can buy thru aamc.org which will help you pick schools, it has a page on every single one.

 

[Daichi Katase]

How are you guys selecting these schools? Is it based on their stats? cirriculum? location? prestigue? When did you start researching these things?

Yeah....i had the same reaction. I only have ONE state school (UofA) and would either want to go there or some top tier school. So i am maybe looking at 7 schools MAX. Probably less. Is that a bad idea?

 

[MollyMalone]

Yeah....i had the same reaction. I only have ONE state school (UofA) and would either want to go there or some top tier school. So i am maybe looking at 7 schools MAX. Probably less. Is that a bad idea?

Depends on how competitive an applicant you are. And even with the best stats in the world, it's still a total crapshoot. There are no guarantees (unless you come in through one of the high school programs).

 

[Hoberto]

I am hoping to get into the Case/CCF MD/PhD program but will be applying to the state schools:

Ohio State U
Wright State U
U Cincinnati
Medical College of Ohio

I'd really like the CCF/CWRU program since I am in Cleveland with my husband and can't really move for familial reasons. If I don't get accepted at Case, my husband and I will be living in separate cities and that would just stink. I am hoping for the best.

I'm not sure what out-of-state places would be worth looking into with my engineering background.

 

[titoincali]

True, but I thought it said they welcome applications from URM's too (that were not in state?)

If not let me know.
And thanks for the info tacrum43

I heard that they do welcome applications from URM's and from those who demonstrate interest in working with certain populations (those with little or no access to healthcare). My friend is a CA resident and not a URM but got into U of Washington but thinks he got in because of his interest in working with in low-income and minority populations.

 

[QofQuimica]

I have ended up with double the number of schools than I originally planned on, but I think I may drop a couple in the next month. 15 schools seems to be a nice round number.

Definitely applying:
UF (state school)
USF (state school)
Emory
UAB (former AL resident and UAB alum)
Duke
Vanderbilt
Baylor
Wash. U.
U. Chicago
Mayo
Cleveland Clinic
U. Mich. (former MI resident, still have family here)
Yale

Considering applying:
Stanford
U. Miami
Harvard
U. Penn

Wow, that comes out to 17 schools. And no, Mom and Dad aren't footing the bill for this one.

 

[tigress]

Q, you should definitely apply to Harvard and U. Penn and all those! I would if I were you

 

[willthatsall]

Tentatively:
Penn
UNC
MCG
U Chicago
Northwestern
Yale
Vanderbilt
Emory
Columbia
Stanford
Duke
Wash U
Hopkins
Harvard

But I need to add a couple mid range schools and I will probably see how the process goes and cut down the number as I go. I won't go for interviews everywhere even if I get invited because I don't have enough money, but I doubt I'll get interviews everywhere so I'm applying to a few too many.

 

[criminallyinane]

Did you know that UC Davis gets 4200 applicants a year, and can only accept about 150? That blows my mind.

Does 150 include the waitlist? If not, they probably take 250-300, which is about a 5% acceptance rate, which is pretty standard, unfortunately, esp in California. Just remember that you'll get interviews at places you never dreamed, and get rejected from schools that are below your averages. Once you hit the interview stage, your chances of acceptance go up to as much as 50-60%, so just focus on choosing well, conveying interest in your secondaries and rocking the interviews. Forget about the numbers as much as you can!

 

[criminallyinane]

in terms of pitt, i have heard 2 things - that students there are happy with the school, but very unhappy with the location...but thats through someone who applied, not through the students themselves.

I don't think this is the case. I'm going to Pitt and I'm fine with the location. The students I talked to said that although it might be an adjustment for those coming from BIG cities like NYC, it's sufficient for most, and the affordability and good sports scene, bar scene, etc, make it a fun enough place to live. Not the greatest city in the world, but I think it gets an unfairly bad rap, myself. I think most students would agree. And being able to live so cheaply there is awesome.

 

[Avenue Q]

I don't think this is the case. I'm going to Pitt and I'm fine with the location. The students I talked to said that although it might be an adjustment for those coming from BIG cities like NYC, it's sufficient for most, and the affordability and good sports scene, bar scene, etc, make it a fun enough place to live. Not the greatest city in the world, but I think it gets an unfairly bad rap, myself. I think most students would agree. And being able to live so cheaply there is awesome.

yeah - i think i may apply to pitt. my dad and i were talking the other day about how pitt is considered a "hidden jewel" city. however, it does have an older average age for the population, and disappointment is what my friend have said they have heard, but again, that is third hand at this point. but i have heard that people LOVE the school itself, and it seems like it is a great community.

 

[criminallyinane]

yeah - i think i may apply to pitt. my dad and i were talking the other day about how pitt is considered a "hidden jewel" city. however, it does have an older average age for the population, and disappointment is what my friend have said they have heard, but again, that is third hand at this point. but i have heard that people LOVE the school itself, and it seems like it is a great community.

Like I said before, I am going there and have met with/spoken to many, many students at Pitt. I am close friends with two Pitt Med students. I understand that your friend told you that students are unhappy with the location, but like you said, this is third-hand information. I have to say that after talking with so many Pitt students, I feel as though that's not the consensus. I wouldn't miss out on going there because of the location, and being immersed in the University and hospital system means there will be plenty of younger people to meet. But, to each her own -- you certainly don't have to apply! I am just stating my opinion.

 

[Daichi Katase]

University of Arizona
Stanford
Drexel
U of A (Phoenix)
Hopkins
Emory
Duke
Harvard
Mayo
St. Louis
U. Penn.
Vanderbilt

Aiming high? Hell yeah!

This will all change once I get my MCAT score

 

[tomorrowgirl99]

so how many reach schools, or top schools are you applying to? I feel like I don't want to waste the money on schools that wont even interview me... how do you decide when it's just not worth it?

I think the MSAR is a good resource in narrowing down the number of schools you apply to. Whatever school accepts out of state people and is in my range GPA and MCAT wise is where I will apply.

 

[Foreigner]

How would you go about choosing where to apply if you don't have all your stats? I am taking MCAT in august, so I can't figure that in. Being an international student, I don't have so many options anyways, but I cannot afford to apply to ALL the schools...

Any suggestions?

 

[Avenue Q]

How would you go about choosing where to apply if you don't have all your stats? I am taking MCAT in august, so I can't figure that in. Being an international student, I don't have so many options anyways, but I cannot afford to apply to ALL the schools...

Any suggestions?

do you have a general idea where your mcat school will fall? i had a good sense of about a 4 point range based on practice tests and my overall feeling on test day, and i got right in the middle of that range.

 

[Foreigner]

do you have a general idea where your mcat school will fall? i had a good sense of about a 4 point range based on practice tests and my overall feeling on test day, and i got right in the middle of that range.

I have no idea! What tests are a good predictors? What about the free practice test on the aamc website?

Thanks!

 

[QofQuimica]

Q, you should definitely apply to Harvard and U. Penn and all those! I would if I were you

lol, you gonna write me a LOR to get me into "all those"? It's kind of a fine line to walk, isn't it? You want to have the broadest range of school choices possible, bound by the constraints of your limited time and money available to apply to and visit all of them. You need to try to determine which schools are most likely to accept an applicant like you, but you are doing it with imperfect information as to what they're looking for, particularly with regard to the subjective aspects of your application. And then there are all of the intangibles of your own that are next to impossible to gauge without physically going to visit the schools, like their location, institutional personality, facilities, etc. Somehow, out of all this, you have to come up with a short list of schools that are "right" for you, whatever that means in practice. Selection of schools to apply to by pre-meds would make for an interesting sociological study if it hasn't already been done.

 

[superdevil]

hey everyone.

just wanted to share these 2 threads with you as a warning. good luck picking your schools, and enjoy the application process!

Anyone regretting their selection of schools applied to?

School You Would Never Apply to Again