2009-2010 Harvard Application Thread

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Yup! one more week until we find out the big news! I have been praying a lot. Lets hope everything works out for the best! Goodluck guys!
 
Ahh... the wait is coming to a close!! I have already promised myself to withdraw from every med school I have applied to if I get in. If I don't, the fight will continue until I get into one of my top choices. I hate to sound too obsessed with HMS, but it really has all the qualities and the programs to suit my interests. I really cannot imagine another med school that I will happier in. 😳
 
uhh, i just read ur mdapps. you are amazing, amazingly hot i bet. too bad you're a woman and im a gay guy...

Lol, that's the funniest thing I've read on this thread. Im bettin she's pretty hot too.
 
Really quick question for all you HMS-lovers out there--what was so amazing about HMS? From what I hear the interview day is less than spectacular, and the curriculum a little challenged as well. I find it hard to believe the doctors/teachers are extra compassionate there, as some I think suggested (not to say they're not kind people, I'm just saying I met some great doctors at every school I went to).

Not trying to hate! I'm just curious what distinguishes the school and makes it such a good fit for people, beyond the opportunity to get a glimpse of amazing faculty (does anybody know if the med students actually get the chance to work with these docs? I'd love to chill with Atul Gawande).
 
Really quick question for all you HMS-lovers out there--what was so amazing about HMS? From what I hear the interview day is less than spectacular, and the curriculum a little challenged as well. I find it hard to believe the doctors/teachers are extra compassionate there, as some I think suggested (not to say they're not kind people, I'm just saying I met some great doctors at every school I went to).

Not trying to hate! I'm just curious what distinguishes the school and makes it such a good fit for people, beyond the opportunity to get a glimpse of amazing faculty (does anybody know if the med students actually get the chance to work with these docs? I'd love to chill with Atul Gawande).

IMO all of the top 6 schools are pretty similar. They all have good research opportunities, and apart from a different curriculum like Duke or Penn they're all the same. Harvard has a great name. I really think that the name is what convinces people that "this is the one and only school for me." Unless ur in HST, saying the program is completely unique is bull****. Yea sure, it's a good program but I doubt it's the one and only perfect fit. There's so much neuroticism in this thread.
 
Hello Calibro and others who ask why a few of us love HMS so much,
Of course the name and research are quite amazing, however what is more amazing is the faculty that makes up the school. I think one of the post mentioned that the faculty at Harvard themselves might not be as motivated, but my experience during my interview proved otherwise. I am not a spectacular student when it comes to GPA and MCAT score yet my interviewer was sincerely interested in my application. He asked about my family and such and was really trying to understand me as a person. At the end of our interview when I was opening the door. He opened his arms and gave me hug. I have never had an interviewer give me a hug at an interview. He invited me to go one of his classes that he was teaching and his main goal was not to show how smart he was but he was constantly reminding people and his students the importance of community awareness and the issues that are affecting the people in the communities around boston. That was my own experience at Harvard. My ultimate goal is to get into medical school to become the best doctor I can be but I felt something different during that experience.
I hope that helps explain my reason for being an "HMS-lover"
 
As for why I'm so invested in HMS, it's because of the curriculum. You say it's "nothing special", but what other schools have Paul Farmer teaching about global health and social medicine? The electives that are offered in this area of study are essentially unique to Harvard, and the networking opportunities for future work in the field of medical anthropology/social justice work are unparalleled.

I don't really care about research.
 
Hello Calibro and others who ask why a few of us love HMS so much,
Of course the name and research are quite amazing, however what is more amazing is the faculty that makes up the school. I think one of the post mentioned that the faculty at Harvard themselves might not be as motivated, but my experience during my interview proved otherwise. I am not a spectacular student when it comes to GPA and MCAT score yet my interviewer was sincerely interested in my application. He asked about my family and such and was really trying to understand me as a person. At the end of our interview when I was opening the door. He opened his arms and gave me hug. I have never had an interviewer give me a hug at an interview. He invited me to go one of his classes that he was teaching and his main goal was not to show how smart he was but he was constantly reminding people and his students the importance of community awareness and the issues that are affecting the people in the communities around boston. That was my own experience at Harvard. My ultimate goal is to get into medical school to become the best doctor I can be but I felt something different during that experience.
I hope that helps explain my reason for being an "HMS-lover"

So you love Harvard because of nice interviewers and the hug huh. That's hardly unique at all. My interviewer at Yale was probably the nicest one I've had so far, but pretty much all of my interviewers have been extremely kind. Most interviewers have been very interested in my app. I would be worried if they weren't.

As for why I'm so invested in HMS, it's because of the curriculum. You say it's "nothing special", but what other schools have Paul Farmer teaching about global health and social medicine? The electives that are offered in this area of study are essentially unique to Harvard, and the networking opportunities for future work in the field of medical anthropology/social justice work are unparalleled.

Paul Farmer teaches like 1 or 2 lectures from what a medical student said earlier in the thread. The medical student also said the lecture was nothing special. But yeah, a reason to go to Harvard would be all the cool faculty, but most of the other top 6 schools have equally cool faculty IMO.
 
So you love Harvard because of nice interviewers and the hug huh. That's hardly unique at all. My interviewer at Yale was probably the nicest one I've had so far, but pretty much all of my interviewers have been extremely kind. Most interviewers have been very interested in my app. I would be worried if they weren't.



Paul Farmer teaches like 1 or 2 lectures from what a medical student said earlier in the thread. The medical student also said the lecture was nothing special. But yeah, a reason to go to Harvard would be all the cool faculty, but most of the other top 6 schools have equally cool faculty IMO.

For me it's about location. My family is in Boston; my friends are in the city; I have several research mentors at Harvard that I would like to continue working with them. I have various service and mentoring commitments to my alma-mater and to various institutions around Boston, and I would like my medical education to enhance my activities. Hence, being at HMS would provide me both with emotional and professional support and also continuity. It is true that all the top-6 (even the top 20) schools have excellent resources (that an average medical students will not be able to take advantage of), but I think that location makes Harvard ideal for me.
 
For me it's about location. My family is in Boston; my friends are in the city; I have several research mentors at Harvard that I would like to continue working with them. I have various service and mentoring commitments to my alma-mater and to various institutions around Boston, and I would like my medical education to enhance my activities. Hence, being at HMS would provide me both with emotional and professional support and also continuity. It is true that all the top-6 (even the top 20) schools have excellent resources (that an average medical students will not be able to take advantage of), but I think that location makes Harvard ideal for me.


+1

Same here. Although Harvard is not my alma-mater, I have been in Boston for the last 5 years (Northeastern University) and have similar research ties here. Right now I am working at Brigham and Women's Hospital on a project I would like to stay involved in. Harvard is great but to say it is in a league above all other schools is a bit much. I don't think anyone really believes that it is. I think the name goes straight to everyone's head.
 
For me it's about location. My family is in Boston; my friends are in the city; I have several research mentors at Harvard that I would like to continue working with them. I have various service and mentoring commitments to my alma-mater and to various institutions around Boston, and I would like my medical education to enhance my activities. Hence, being at HMS would provide me both with emotional and professional support and also continuity. It is true that all the top-6 (even the top 20) schools have excellent resources (that an average medical students will not be able to take advantage of), but I think that location makes Harvard ideal for me.

THIS is a great reason why Harvard is better for you than other schools.

+1

Same here. Although Harvard is not my alma-mater, I have been in Boston for the last 5 years (Northeastern University) and have similar research ties here. Right now I am working at Brigham and Women's Hospital on a project I would like to stay involved in. Harvard is great but to say it is in a league above all other schools is a bit much. I don't think anyone really believes that it is. I think the name goes straight to everyone's head.

I couldn't agree more.
 
Something that impressed me about Harvard was a lot of the "extra stuff" going on there. I don't know if any of you who had an interview saw the various bulletin boards scattered throughout the med buildings. But they were completely blanketed by pamphlets announcing guest lecturers, symposiums, etc. I saw some very big names and world figures speaking at these things.

An example for those who applied to the Harvard + M.I.T HST program and who are also into sports. There was a conference on sports analytics at M.I.T over the weekend attended by big shots in this field (sports GM, high profile media guys, etc). This was put on and attended by M.I.T and Harvard students. I get that sense that whatever your academic fancy is (social justice, global health, medicine or something unrelated like sports analytics), you will be very very engaged at Harvard.

Obviously this isn't enough to base your choice of med school on, it was just something that impressed me about the school (esp cause I did undergrad at a smaller school that doesn't have a lot of this stuff).
 

I'm sad you deleted that post. 🙁 It was well stated. I think everyone on this thread half thinks someone from the HMS admission committee might be reading. Probably the reason there's so much brown-nosing around here.
 
Paul Farmer teaches like 1 or 2 lectures from what a medical student said earlier in the thread. The medical student also said the lecture was nothing special. But yeah, a reason to go to Harvard would be all the cool faculty, but most of the other top 6 schools have equally cool faculty IMO.

Yeah, I know he only teaches one or two lectures (I'm actually the one who asked about him teaching earlier in the thread), but he is one of the professors who helped design the curriculum and reading list for that course. Even if he isn't the one lecturing, his ideas will be comprehensively presented throughout the course. Also, even though I really admire Paul Farmer specifically, there are a lot of faculty there working on a wide variety of issues but coming from the same political ideology. Just talking to my student host, I learned about two or three really amazing projects all headed by Harvard faculty, all with the same mindset of solidarity as Farmer. I'm sure that some faculty like that exist at most schools, but it seems like Harvard has gone out of their way to attract these folks and to encourage students to follow that line of work.
 
Really quick question for all you HMS-lovers out there--what was so amazing about HMS? From what I hear the interview day is less than spectacular, and the curriculum a little challenged as well. I find it hard to believe the doctors/teachers are extra compassionate there, as some I think suggested (not to say they're not kind people, I'm just saying I met some great doctors at every school I went to).

Not trying to hate! I'm just curious what distinguishes the school and makes it such a good fit for people, beyond the opportunity to get a glimpse of amazing faculty (does anybody know if the med students actually get the chance to work with these docs? I'd love to chill with Atul Gawande).

Well, as the revisit season has started , can I join to do my share of advertising for HMS here? ;-D(Disclosure: because i'm a student here I'm of course conflicted lol)

Reasons I liked HMS last year:
+ The Name (of course)
+ Research opportunities
+ Location(Boston is awesome)
+ Awesome people of the new class that I met at revisit

Reasons why I still like HMS now:
+ Awesome classmates!
+ Great dedicated and talented professors (well there are a few exceptions :-D)
+ So much activities/opportunities to participate
+ Curriculum - some classes are very cool. Some are so so. I have positive experience overall.
+ Lots of works but surprisingly much less stressful than I ever expected

So as some of you have rightly suggested, many of these factors can be found at many if not all other med schools too. I think what matters the most is probably the chemistry of the class, which at every school might vary from time to time. I guess we're very lucky that we have had such a good class so far, as before the school year started no one could really know how the class would be like. You can probably sense it by your impression during revisit, but I think the big part is that the new class need to get together quickly during the first few weeks of the term and somehow maintain the close relationships throughout the year. At our school, the second year class will try to help with this process in the beginning of the year.

Opportunities are certainly great at HMS.

The "Big Name" of course makes big impression. But once you're in the middle of the year you'll probably forget about it (at least temporarily). It does, however, have some weight on residency placement in our current system (which is not necessarily a good system)

I'm sad you deleted that post. 🙁 It was well stated. I think everyone on this thread half thinks someone from the HMS admission committee might be reading. Probably the reason there's so much brown-nosing around here.

Please don't worry. I don't think the admission committee would take time to find out who you are in this forum. I myself and a few classmates of mine who have posted here are certainly not having any tie with the admin committee, and hence have absolutely no say on the decisions. I really hope you guys don't feel that you have to engage in self-censorship. If my presence on the forum makes you guys uncomfortable, I'll refrain from posting.

Again, good luck everyone. Hope to see all of you some time in Boston.
 
I did get nervous about posting. I suppose at this point it shouldn't matter. Here is the gist of what I said:

People "love" Harvard because of the name, and out of self-justification for dishing out the cash for an education there. The school may very well be great, but it will be on par with a number of great schools - for reference points, check Hopkins, Mayo, Wash U., Penn, Michigan, the UC's, Columbia, etc.

Anybody who thought that the school was fantastic after the interview day is self-deluding (not that I won't rethink my opinions if I get in, like the weak-willed pre-med I am). Harvard's interview day was an insult to every applicant who interviewed. There is no excuse - plenty of prestigious schools interview similar numbers of applicants as compared to Harvard, and they have no problem organizing impressive interview days. The lack of effort put into recruiting legitimizes the widely spoken rumor that HMS feels that their name precedes them. Why try to impress applicants when Harvard has the best name? Because other fantastic schools outdo them by 100% in appearing to care about students, and because the name of the school is not as important as the experience and the education.

On that note, for those of you who are worried that getting into Harvard (or any particular school) will make or break your career, understand that every physician I have consulted has said that where you go to medical school doesn't count, residency does. Yes, you may have a better chance of getting a good residency coming from a top name medical school, but students from lower tier schools can do just as well. I am proof of this principle. Coming from a state university of no particular renown, I have gained admission to a number of "Top 10" medical schools, as have a number of my friends from the same university. Medical schools and residency programs look at the student, not the school, as they should. Just as the MCAT made the distinction between Ivy Leaguers and "the others" ambiguous, the medical boards will do the same for residency programs.

In conclusion, just choose a school you can be happy at, and leave it at that. If Harvard floats your boat and you get in, great. But if you don't get in, don't cry. Choose a school that loves you back, and buy a Harvard bumper sticker if you feel like showing off. That only costs $10 - much cheaper than the $200,000 education.

That said, good luck to all, and I hope you get what you want out of this process. If what I've said annoys you, console yourself with the knowledge that I am shorter than you, and that left-handed people die sooner than righties, on average.
 
I don't know what was bad about the interview day. It wasn't all people coming to pick you up from a central location like at many schools, but I liked going to MGH to interview, and my tour guides and the students that came over were all great. There was some time between interviews for some people (and perhaps they were worse for others), but I didn't see any longer breaks than I've seen at some other schools.

Then again, there were like 4 applicants on my day, so maybe it ran smoother.
 
I did get nervous about posting. I suppose at this point it shouldn't matter. Here is the gist of what I said:

People "love" Harvard because of the name, and out of self-justification for dishing out the cash for an education there. The school may very well be great, but it will be on par with a number of great schools - for reference points, check Hopkins, Mayo, Wash U., Penn, Michigan, the UC's, Columbia, etc.

Anybody who thought that the school was fantastic after the interview day is self-deluding (not that I won't rethink my opinions if I get in, like the weak-willed pre-med I am). Harvard's interview day was an insult to every applicant who interviewed. There is no excuse - plenty of prestigious schools interview similar numbers of applicants as compared to Harvard, and they have no problem organizing impressive interview days. The lack of effort put into recruiting legitimizes the widely spoken rumor that HMS feels that their name precedes them. Why try to impress applicants when Harvard has the best name? Because other fantastic schools outdo them by 100% in appearing to care about students, and because the name of the school is not as important as the experience and the education.

On that note, for those of you who are worried that getting into Harvard (or any particular school) will make or break your career, understand that every physician I have consulted has said that where you go to medical school doesn't count, residency does. Yes, you may have a better chance of getting a good residency coming from a top name medical school, but students from lower tier schools can do just as well. I am proof of this principle. Coming from a state university of no particular renown, I have gained admission to a number of "Top 10" medical schools, as have a number of my friends from the same university. Medical schools and residency programs look at the student, not the school, as they should. Just as the MCAT made the distinction between Ivy Leaguers and "the others" ambiguous, the medical boards will do the same for residency programs.

In conclusion, just choose a school you can be happy at, and leave it at that. If Harvard floats your boat and you get in, great. But if you don't get in, don't cry. Choose a school that loves you back, and buy a Harvard bumper sticker if you feel like showing off. That only costs $10 - much cheaper than the $200,000 education.

That said, good luck to all, and I hope you get what you want out of this process. If what I've said annoys you, console yourself with the knowledge that I am shorter than you, and that left-handed people die sooner than righties, on average.

I love your post. A lot of us students feel exactly the same way you do about how the interview days are run here at HMS, and people have complained with the administration about it. So if they read what you wrote here (which I don't think they will 🙂) it wouldn't be their first time.
Nevertheless I can tell you that the admission office (not the admission committee) is an exception rather than a norm at HMS, and is completely separated from all the offices and resources that I think are taking great care of the students here. I really don't want the bad interview day experience reflect the real experience of the students going to the school. And although the admission office might not see that they need to sell the school, we students and many faculty members really want to let you know that you'll be very much welcome here. So please don't feel that you'll be insulted in the same way once you join us here at HMS.
I hope this would be accepted as an apologize for the lack of respect that any of you had felt. So if you get to come, don't skip us on the revisit weekend . 🙂
 
I love your post. A lot of us students feel exactly the same way you do about how the interview days are run here at HMS, and people have complained with the administration about it. So if they read what you wrote here (which I don't think they will 🙂) it wouldn't be their first time.
Nevertheless I can tell you that the admission office (not the admission committee) is an exception rather than a norm at HMS, and is completely separated from all the offices and resources that I think are taking great care of the students here. I really don't want the bad interview day experience reflect the real experience of the students going to the school. And although the admission office might not see that they need to sell the school, we students and many faculty members really want to let you know that you'll be very much welcome here. So please don't feel that you'll be insulted in the same way once you join us here at HMS.
I hope this would be accepted as an apologize for the lack of respect that any of you had felt. So if you get to come, don't skip us on the revisit weekend . 🙂


👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

ZebraDX is the man.
 
I want to go to HMS to be a student at MIT...my nerdy lifelong dream. For the longest time I was going to pursue a PhD in computer science until I took a windy turn towards medical research.

Edit: I have other reasons...that's just the one thats gets me a tad excited.
 
Hey guys,
I think everyone has their own personal reasons for everything. Also, I think we can confidently say that the admissions committee has other things to do than to read our posts. Goodluck guys.
 
can we please stop the badgering because it only makes me more anxious reading this thread..its clear we all are already nervous and in our vain attempt to lower our hopes just in case we get the dreaded rejection letter some of us have now resorted to saying all these negative things with only a few days left before they release decisions...the wait is painful but only a few days more left guys..its almost over (unless you get waitlisted :laugh: )...on that note anyone call to confirm the exact date when they'd be releasing decisions??
 
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Anybody who thought that the school was fantastic after the interview day is self-deluding (not that I won't rethink my opinions if I get in, like the weak-willed pre-med I am). Harvard's interview day was an insult to every applicant who interviewed. There is no excuse - plenty of prestigious schools interview similar numbers of applicants as compared to Harvard, and they have no problem organizing impressive interview days. The lack of effort put into recruiting legitimizes the widely spoken rumor that HMS feels that their name precedes them. Why try to impress applicants when Harvard has the best name? Because other fantastic schools outdo them by 100% in appearing to care about students, and because the name of the school is not as important as the experience and the education.

Finally someone said it! I totally agree.
 
Finally someone said it! I totally agree.

I know, I was so tired of all the ass-kissing in this thread. I wondered if most of the people here were delusional or if it was just me.
 
can we please stop the badgering because it only makes me more anxious reading this thread..its clear we all are already nervous and in our vain attempt to lower our hopes just in case we get the dreaded rejection letter some of us have now resorted to saying all these negative things with only a few days left before they release decisions...the wait is painful but only a few days more left guys..its almost over (unless you get waitlisted :laugh: )...on that note anyone call to confirm the exact date when they'd be releasing decisions??

I just got off the phone with the admissions office, and he said "Within the next week or so," but he didn't have an exact date.
 
can we please stop the badgering because it only makes me more anxious reading this thread..its clear we all are already nervous and in our vain attempt to lower our hopes just in case we get the dreaded rejection letter some of us have now resorted to saying all these negative things with only a few days left before they release decisions...the wait is painful but only a few days more left guys..its almost over (unless you get waitlisted :laugh: )...on that note anyone call to confirm the exact date when they'd be releasing decisions??

Paki, take a deep breath. (A) What I said wasn't meant to make anyone more anxious, and (B) it was genuine. I didn't say negative things about other schools I was waiting on before the decisions came out, and I was definitely more anxious about those than I am about this (why should anybody with at least one acceptance be anxious at this point?). It's just hard to watch all the brown-nosing on here, especially when we all know that the interview day was sub-par. Zebra seems really nice, and he (or she?) says that HMS treats students better than the admissions office. That's a good thing, and those of us who are accepted can check the school and the students out at 2nd look weekend.

Just don't dismiss any critiques of the school as being based on the same exaggerated anxiety that you are feeling. That was really the point of my post - you shouldn't let so much ride on Harvard's decision. Just see what happens, and be happy with it.
 
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I want to go to HMS to be a student at MIT...my nerdy lifelong dream. For the longest time I was going to pursue a PhD in computer science until I took a windy turn towards medical research.

Edit: I have other reasons...that's just the one thats gets me a tad excited.

:eyebrow: What? Seriously? Whenever I hear about a pre-med whose main motivation is to go into research, I can't help but wonder "then why the hell aren't you doing a PhD?" And now we have a case where someone was originally planning to go to graduate school in their desired field...but then changed their entire professional track to gain admission to HMS and somehow, during the throws of medical school, get a backdoor entry into the MIT research they wanted all along. Please explain your other reasons, because this one has my head spinning from the impracticality...
 
Paki, take a deep breath. (A) What I said wasn't meant to make anyone more anxious, and (B) it was genuine. I didn't say negative things about other schools I was waiting on before the decisions came out, and I was definitely more anxious about those than I am about this (why should anybody with at least one acceptance be anxious at this point?). It's just hard to watch all the brown-nosing on here, especially when we all know that the interview day was sub-par. Zebra seems really nice, and he (or she?) says that HMS treats students better than the admissions office. That's a good thing, and those of us who are accepted can check the school and the students out at 2nd look weekend.

Just don't dismiss any critiques of the school as being based on the same exaggerated anxiety that you are feeling. That was really the point of my post - you shouldn't let so much ride on Harvard's decision. And, maybe I'm reading too much into your post, but your little emoticon suggests that you would laugh at people who get wait-listed at Harvard. I don't know about anyone else, but I see that as a sure-fire sign that you have the selflessness and compassion that characterize only the greatest future doctors. Best of luck.

Can't we all just get along?
 
:eyebrow: What? Seriously? Whenever I hear about a pre-med whose main motivation is to go into research, I can't help but wonder "then why the hell aren't you doing a PhD?" And now we have a case where someone was originally planning to go to graduate school in their desired field...but then changed their entire professional track to gain admission to HMS and somehow, during the throws of medical school, get a backdoor entry into the MIT research they wanted all along. Please explain your other reasons, because this one has my head spinning from the impracticality...

who gives a crap about other peoples' motivations. tell me how that affects you again?

all you hahvad applicants must be PMSing (or HMSing? LOL!)

take a step back...relax...realize that the world would still exist if you didn't get into harvard. but regardless, good luck everybody:xf:
 
Paki, take a deep breath. (A) What I said wasn't meant to make anyone more anxious, and (B) it was genuine. I didn't say negative things about other schools I was waiting on before the decisions came out, and I was definitely more anxious about those than I am about this (why should anybody with at least one acceptance be anxious at this point?). It's just hard to watch all the brown-nosing on here, especially when we all know that the interview day was sub-par. Zebra seems really nice, and he (or she?) says that HMS treats students better than the admissions office. That's a good thing, and those of us who are accepted can check the school and the students out at 2nd look weekend.

Just don't dismiss any critiques of the school as being based on the same exaggerated anxiety that you are feeling. That was really the point of my post - you shouldn't let so much ride on Harvard's decision. And, maybe I'm reading too much into your post, but your little emoticon suggests you would laugh at people who get wait-listed at Harvard. I don't know about anyone else , but I see that as a sure-fire sign that you have selflessness and compassion that characterize only the greatest future doctors. Best of luck.


oh hot damnnnn....I have absolutely no beef with you but just to clarify a few points:

Listen my point was that we all know that we would all be insanely happy to get into a medical school that is regarded as one of, if not, the best in the world. I doubt anyone is going to be sad that they got accepted to HMS, right? And if you deny that and had such a negative interview day then why didnt you withdraw from Harvard post-interview, like you did after your negative cornell experience, per your mdapplicant profile, especially since you have such AMAZINGacceptances already and would be doing everyone here a favor lol. But obviously you're not going to do that because you clearly want to go to HMS (or are at the very least considering it) which is why you deleted your original post due to paranoia that HMS is reading this thread. That is TOTALLY understandable and logical but then you're posts bashing HMS and the reasons for why people like HMS come off the wrong way and is a bit hypocritical.

And I am all for genuine and constructive reviews of schools but if I remember correctly, a few months ago you were brown-nosing Mayo like no other while putting down other top schools because of their "name brand" and for no other real reason. But after acceptances at some other top places seems like that blind Mayo-love has died down a little. Its none of my business nor do I care which school you love or are planning to attend but I am just saying lets try to tone down the unnecessary bashing of other schools because it comes off the wrong way. Mayo was amazing but their interview day wasn't that great either. It was long and had the most down-time and waiting of any other school that I interviewed at but that doesn't mean Mayo is a bad school. It truly is an amazing school but I'm not going to let a few hours of an interview day determine whether it is or isn't.

But I 100% agree with you that we shouldn't let so much ride on Harvard's decision, especially people who already have multiple acceptances at top schools which majority of you do (I'm one of the exceptions). It won't be the end of the world nor will any dreams be shattered because there is always residency and fellowships if someone is truly obsessed with Harvard. Getting an interview at Harvard is truly a feat in of itself so while yes it will be disappointing receiving a rejection (which is what I am expecting) I know it won't prevent me from being a great doctor. But my point is its not necessary to bash the school to realize this.

And that emoticon was not meant to laugh at other people being placed on the wait-list. Actually to be honest, I think being placed on the waitlist at Harvard is not a bad thing because they are not shy at all to reject post-interview and don't place that many on the waitlist in the first place. There is definitely movement so if you are placed on the waitlist you still have a good chance of getting accepted. Honestly, I typed that really quickly late last night so I don't know why I put that emoticon there but I know I was actually laughing out loud while typing that sentence and was laughing at my own luck because its sooooooo painful being on the waitlist. I am currently on 6 wait-lists (after receiving 8 interviews) with no post-interview rejections so yeah you can say I am being a little overly anxious (as I think we all have been at some point during this stage especially when we hadn't been admitted to places like Mayo or Hopkins early in the cycle) but trust me I would be the last person to get off on someone else's misery (but like I said being on the waitlist at Harvard is not a bad thing). But yeah good job on judging my selflessness and compassion as a future doctor over an emoticon.

But in all seriousness, I wish you all the best. You seem like an amazing applicant (congrats on yale!! you deserve it!) and I hope I have the pleasure of being classmates with you either at HMS or Mayo, if I am lucky enough to get accepted to either one of those two. I think you and I would surprisingly get a long real well, plus it would be nice to meet a fellow UConn person...
 
But I 100% agree with you that we shouldn't let so much ride on Harvard's decision, especially people who already have multiple acceptances at top schools which majority of you do (I'm one of the exceptions). It won't be the end of the world nor will any dreams be shattered because there is always residency and fellowships if someone is truly obsessed with Harvard. Getting an interview at Harvard is truly a feat in of itself so while yes it will be disappointing receiving a rejection (which is what I am expecting) I know it won't prevent me from being a great doctor. But my point is its not necessary to bash the school to realize this.

you're missing the point - the dissenters here are not saying that you shouldn't be upset if you don't get into Harvard, the best school in the world. What they are saying is that Harvard is actually not the best school in the world, it just has the loftiest reputation.

Personally, I thought Harvard was among the best schools at which I interviewed, but not in any way head and shoulders above Yale, Hopkins, Wash U, etc.

I think you and I would surprisingly get a long real well, plus it would be nice to meet a fellow UConn person...

Whoa- do you guys know each other in real life?! Drama!
 
oh hot damnnnn....I have absolutely no beef with you but just to clarify a few points:

Listen my point was that we all know that we would all be insanely happy to get into a medical school that is regarded as one of, if not, the best in the world. I doubt anyone is going to be sad that they got accepted to HMS, right? And if you deny that and had such a negative interview day then why didnt you withdraw from Harvard post-interview, like you did after your negative cornell experience, per your mdapplicant profile, especially since you have such AMAZINGacceptances already and would be doing everyone here a favor lol. But obviously you're not going to do that because you clearly want to go to HMS (or are at the very least considering it) which is why you deleted your original post due to paranoia that HMS is reading this thread. That is TOTALLY understandable and logical but then you're posts bashing HMS and the reasons for why people like HMS come off the wrong way and is a bit hypocritical.

And I am all for genuine and constructive reviews of schools but if I remember correctly, a few months ago you were brown-nosing Mayo like no other while putting down other top schools because of their "name brand" and for no other real reason. But after acceptances at some other top places seems like that blind Mayo-love has died down a little. Its none of my business nor do I care which school you love or are planning to attend but I am just saying lets try to tone down the unnecessary bashing of other schools because it comes off the wrong way. Mayo was amazing but their interview day wasn't that great either. It was long and had the most down-time and waiting of any other school that I interviewed at but that doesn't mean Mayo is a bad school. It truly is an amazing school but I'm not going to let a few hours of an interview day determine whether it is or isn't.

But I 100% agree with you that we shouldn't let so much ride on Harvard's decision, especially people who already have multiple acceptances at top schools which majority of you do (I'm one of the exceptions). It won't be the end of the world nor will any dreams be shattered because there is always residency and fellowships if someone is truly obsessed with Harvard. Getting an interview at Harvard is truly a feat in of itself so while yes it will be disappointing receiving a rejection (which is what I am expecting) I know it won't prevent me from being a great doctor. But my point is its not necessary to bash the school to realize this.

And that emoticon was not meant to laugh at other people being placed on the wait-list. Actually to be honest, I think being placed on the waitlist at Harvard is not a bad thing because they are not shy at all to reject post-interview and don't place that many on the waitlist in the first place. There is definitely movement so if you are placed on the waitlist you still have a good chance of getting accepted. Honestly, I typed that really quickly late last night so I don't know why I put that emoticon there but I know I was actually laughing out loud while typing that sentence and was laughing at my own luck because its sooooooo painful being on the waitlist. I am currently on 6 wait-lists (after receiving 8 interviews) with no post-interview rejections so yeah you can say I am being a little overly anxious (as I think we all have been at some point during this stage especially when we hadn't been admitted to places like Mayo or Hopkins early in the cycle) but trust me I would be the last person to get off on someone else's misery (but like I said being on the waitlist at Harvard is not a bad thing). But yeah good job on judging my selflessness and compassion as a future doctor over an emoticon.

But in all seriousness, I wish you all the best. You seem like an amazing applicant (congrats on yale!! you deserve it!) and I hope I have the pleasure of being classmates with you either at HMS or Mayo, if I am lucky enough to get accepted to either one of those two. I think you and I would surprisingly get a long real well, plus it would be nice to meet a fellow UConn person...


Haha, yes we could argue and troll SDN together until the sun rises every morning. I didn't mean any real offense - and I don't know if I know you (you go to UConn?), but I couldn't help but react to your post. And don't go hating on my Mayo love! If we both end up there, we'll probably have to hug the whole time because it's so cold. So we'd better be friends.

Ok, I'll stop antagonizing people on this thread. I've had my sadistic little pre-med fun.

Suerte a todos,
Nerday
 
Yo Paki20, what are your other acceptances? I want to know if I can attribute my failure to get into any schools to my Pakistaniness.
 
I just got off the phone with the admissions office, and he said "Within the next week or so," but he didn't have an exact date.

damn so around Wednesday then as some people said...was hoping monday

Yo Paki20, what are your other acceptances? I want to know if I can attribute my failure to get into any schools to my Pakistaniness.

hahah ill post my mdapplicant profile by the end of the cycle..am trying to remain anonymous for now...

and yeah should change your SDN name..only adds to the misconceptions..lol
 
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you're missing the point - the dissenters here are not saying that you shouldn't be upset if you don't get into Harvard, the best school in the world. What they are saying is that Harvard is actually not the best school in the world, it just has the loftiest reputation.

Personally, I thought Harvard was among the best schools at which I interviewed, but not in any way head and shoulders above Yale, Hopkins, Wash U, etc.

She's exactly right. If you look at the posts many previous users have written about HMS, they're over the top. The level of bull**** in some of the posts is unbelievable. I mean, dreaming about Harvard? OMG, I can't stop thinking about Harvard? WTF is this?

I've been arguing all along - Nerday too I think - the HMS is a great school but it isn't better than the other top-6 schools and that the fanatical posts of many other users are due more to its name than it having a curriculum that is truly better for them. I have a couple of top-6 school acceptances right now, and if I get into HMS, well, I'll have to see which is the best fit at 2nd look. A lot of that depends on the people I meet. If I did go to HMS, I'd probably do it because of the name. I think going to HMS can give you higher chances at going there for residency, which might help you in academic medicine. I in no way believe that HMS has a superior program to other top-6 schools though. I think they're all pretty much the same.

So, why would Nerday or any of the other recent posters withdraw simply because they didn't think Harvard was the one and only med school worth going to? This is like any of the other med schools. We'll see if we get in, see how the financial aid is, and see how we like the other students and the program at 2nd look. I've heard from many other people that 2nd look is much better than the interview day. Anyone who posted that the interview day was the best ever is obviously delusional or sucking up to the admissions committee, who they probably think is reading these posts. However, like the med student said earlier, the interview day is not a good representation of this school, so I'm sure 2nd look would be much better.
 
She's exactly right. If you look at the posts many previous users have written about HMS, they're over the top. The level of bull**** in some of the posts is unbelievable. I mean, dreaming about Harvard? OMG, I can't stop thinking about Harvard? WTF is this?

I've been arguing all along - Nerday too I think - the HMS is a great school but it isn't better than the other top-6 schools and that the fanatical posts of many other users are due more to its name than it having a curriculum that is truly better for them. I have a couple of top-6 school acceptances right now, and if I get into HMS, well, I'll have to see which is the best fit at 2nd look. A lot of that depends on the people I meet. If I did go to HMS, I'd probably do it because of the name. I think going to HMS can give you higher chances at going there for residency, which might help you in academic medicine. I in no way believe that HMS has a superior program to other top-6 schools though. I think they're all pretty much the same.

So, why would Nerday or any of the other recent posters withdraw simply because they didn't think Harvard was the one and only med school worth going to? This is like any of the other med schools. We'll see if we get in, see how the financial aid is, and see how we like the other students and the program at 2nd look. I've heard from many other people that 2nd look is much better than the interview day. Anyone who posted that the interview day was the best ever is obviously delusional or sucking up to the admissions committee, who they probably think is reading these posts. However, like the med student said earlier, the interview day is not a good representation of this school, so I'm sure 2nd look would be much better.

👍👍
 
She's exactly right. If you look at the posts many previous users have written about HMS, they're over the top. The level of bull**** in some of the posts is unbelievable. I mean, dreaming about Harvard? OMG, I can't stop thinking about Harvard? WTF is this?

Yes.

I think the general point of this discussion is that no one feels like this...

i love harvard so much it hurts.

i thought i can finally get some sleep without daydreaming abt harvard for a few hours each night... and now its just gotten worst. it was just so amazing. my second interviewer was sooo spot on. this is really the right fit.... the true fit... veritas. oh gosh. im going to cry so much harder in march, whether i get in or not..

thank you harvard, i am extremely honoured to be invited, extremely honoured to be commended, extremely honoured.

...because of an interview day, especially the so-so interview day this place runs. People feel like that because they really like how the phrase "I go to Harvard" feels rolling off the tongue. I mean, come on. Crying over the word 'veritas'? really? Really?
 
She's exactly right. If you look at the posts many previous users have written about HMS, they're over the top. The level of bull**** in some of the posts is unbelievable. I mean, dreaming about Harvard? OMG, I can't stop thinking about Harvard? WTF is this?

I've been arguing all along - Nerday too I think - the HMS is a great school but it isn't better than the other top-6 schools and that the fanatical posts of many other users are due more to its name than it having a curriculum that is truly better for them. I have a couple of top-6 school acceptances right now, and if I get into HMS, well, I'll have to see which is the best fit at 2nd look. A lot of that depends on the people I meet. If I did go to HMS, I'd probably do it because of the name. I think going to HMS can give you higher chances at going there for residency, which might help you in academic medicine. I in no way believe that HMS has a superior program to other top-6 schools though. I think they're all pretty much the same.

So, why would Nerday or any of the other recent posters withdraw simply because they didn't think Harvard was the one and only med school worth going to? This is like any of the other med schools. We'll see if we get in, see how the financial aid is, and see how we like the other students and the program at 2nd look. I've heard from many other people that 2nd look is much better than the interview day. Anyone who posted that the interview day was the best ever is obviously delusional or sucking up to the admissions committee, who they probably think is reading these posts. However, like the med student said earlier, the interview day is not a good representation of this school, so I'm sure 2nd look would be much better.

did anyone on this thread explicitly say that harvard is better than every other top-10 school and no other school even matches up?? why such insecurity??? if they did then yeah they're wrong..all the top-10 and even top-30 are REGARDED as some of the best institutions in the world...and i agree who cares what other people think of the school..as long as you feel its a good fit thats all that really matter...but i mean look at all the threads of schools and people are expressing an insane amount of love for that school..i mean what do you expect coming onto a school-specific thread?!?..i just feel like there is a lot of double standard when it comes to the top schools (harvard, hopkins) for some reason...its really weird..just look at the hopkins thread..same thing though some people mentioned some less superficial reasons than the ones being mentioned in this thread

if you read my post i never said anyone should actually withdraw and that it is actually logical and rational for them to not to but my point is coming onto a thread just to bash a school solely because the reputation of its name is pointless and comes off very hypocritical especially if you end up attending that school over other great choices while the entire application season you have been bashing that school..if there are legit reasons for why you didnt like harvard then feel free to post it..but i havent seen any real reasons besides superficial and petty ones such as them not reciprocating love to their applicants on interview day..which is weird to me...and then saying that people are just crazy about harvard because of its name is annoying..who cares even if they are?!? everyone has their own reasons and motivations for liking a particular school..just let it be..

and trust me i am not obsessed with harvard or anything like that..if this was any other school i would feel the say way...heck i dont expect to get in and many of you, who have already gotten into top-5 schools, and are STILL complaining will be getting into harvard and most likely attending and all im saying is you should all feel extremely privileged and grateful for what you have and not take it for granted because there are thousands of students who would do anything to be in your place right now..
 
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did anyone on this thread explicitly say that harvard is better than every other top-10 school and no other school even matches up??
.
i love harvard so much it hurts.

i thought i can finally get some sleep without daydreaming abt harvard for a few hours each night... and now its just gotten worst. it was just so amazing. my second interviewer was sooo spot on. this is really the right fit.... the true fit... veritas. oh gosh. im going to cry so much harder in march, whether i get in or not..

thank you harvard, i am extremely honoured to be invited, extremely honoured to be commended, extremely honoured.
 
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