2009 - Declare your first choice school for the cycle

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glamqueen

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Hey 2009'ers...Declare your first choices in reality. Where are you applying and you have a shot at ...and are hoping they let you in!

My first choice: Tulane

I'm MD/MPH, and for some many reasons - Tulane is my heart. I want in so bad!
 
First choice: University of Michigan, my main in-state school. If they take me, I'm withdrawing from everywhere else I apply even if it is Hopkins or Penn. Its a nice combination of top flight research and relatively low tuition rates; my younger brother is a sophomore there and last but not least, I'm a HUGE Wolverines fan.

That being said, I don't think much of my chances there despite being in-state.. so I'll probably end up not having much choices to pick from due to my GPA. In the end I'll be good as long as I get into a medical school and can finally work towards being a physician in earnest.
 
MD: UWSOM (I'm instate)
DO: PCOM
 
Reach: Mayo or Emory
Realistic: Wake or LLU
 
The real HU, Howard University College of Medicine. I have been praying about Howard for the past 2 years. I love everything about Howard from the family environment, to the tradition and history, the campus, it is an HBCU, the students, DC, the tough love of the faculty......................as you can see I really really really want to be at HUCM. Go Bisons!!! God bless everybody!
 
UCB/UCSF dual program.

Droool....
 
In Love with: Harvard (Boston is my fave city), maybe Hopkins
Probably going to end up at: Baylor (who can resist the tuition? and instate?)
 
right now...UNC. even though i hate the tarheels (b/c i went to NCSU), it's a good school and close to all of my friends. too bad i'm OOS.

UCSF is a dream.

i don't know how i'm going to narrow down a reasonable list of schools
 
Case Western😍

...but I wouldn't complain about Duke either
 
Just a friendly piece of advice for you 2009ers:

Try VERY hard not to pick a top choice, no matter HOW glitzy the program. The process is SO random that you might end up interviewing at a school that you thought that you had no chance at... or you might end up rejected pre-secondary from a school that you were just starting to fall in love with (oh, Mayo, there's always residency <3). Even after you interview, try to prevent yourself from latching on to one school over the others. If you go into EVERY interview feeling like that school is your #1, you'll do a better job selling yourself. Picking a first choice can end with a lot of heartbreak...

Good luck guys :luck:. It's a long, hard road, but you'll survive. You WILL be doctors!
 
rowerlauren said:
In Love with: Harvard (Boston is my fave city), maybe Hopkins
Probably going to end up at: Baylor (who can resist the tuition? and instate?)
Click to expand...

Probably end up there? Wow, I wish I was that confident about any of my schools! 😉
 
copingmethods said:
Probably end up there? Wow, I wish I was that confident about any of my schools! 😉
Click to expand...

I wish I were that confident... my pre-med committee is that confident about me though.😎... I should get into my current school's med school, but I'm not feeling the STL for 4 additional years. And if you can figure out what my undergrad is you will understand that given the amount of pre-meds that come out of here every year the committee has a pretty good idea of where people should get in.
 
rowerlauren said:
I wish I were that confident... my pre-med committee is that confident about me though.😎.
Click to expand...

Nice...my premed advisor seems to think I'm going to do pretty well, I hope she's right!

Anyways, my top choices are probably UCSF and UCLA, but I would love to be at any of the 20 or so schools I'm applying to!
 
MSSM, NYU, Columbia, AECOM, NYMC

(I really want NYC...)

;-)
 
Mayo, a thousand times Mayo.

But it is the longest shot in the world. I am positive I won't get passed the primary, much less get an interview or acceptance. They don't accept people with 3.4 GPAs.

But if I got in, I would immediately drop everywhere else I think.

That said, I'd also LOVE to go to U of M. I would go there over anywhere save Mayo. It's my undergrad, so I'm used to it and I already work in the hospital so I know my way around.
 
Emory or Case or Duke

😍
 
Northwestern or UCLA! Take me pleeeeeeease
 
SBBunny said:
Just a friendly piece of advice for you 2009ers:

Try VERY hard not to pick a top choice, no matter HOW glitzy the program. The process is SO random that you might end up interviewing at a school that you thought that you had no chance at... or you might end up rejected pre-secondary from a school that you were just starting to fall in love with (oh, Mayo, there's always residency <3). Even after you interview, try to prevent yourself from latching on to one school over the others. If you go into EVERY interview feeling like that school is your #1, you'll do a better job selling yourself. Picking a first choice can end with a lot of heartbreak...

Good luck guys :luck:. It's a long, hard road, but you'll survive. You WILL be doctors!
Click to expand...

I'll remember this when it's my turn to apply... 🙂 Thanks.

Just to join in: my pick would be Johns Hopkins or Tufts. lol Sigh...a long shot...I can't really say right now what the realistic one would be...
 
UVA MSTP, love the school, love the people, if they accept me, they've got me
 
twostep376 said:
MSSM, NYU, Columbia, AECOM, NYMC

(I really want NYC...)

;-)
Click to expand...

hahah just like me!! my top 3 choices (i dont care where i end up out of these 3) are MSSM, NYU, and Cornell, and then COlumbia, NYMC... i want to stay in NYC> I probably have a good chance at SUNY DOwnstate but damn, do i not want to be in brooklyn. Its such a hassle to get there by train. Harvard would beawesome, but I won't get in. lol
 
John Hops said:
Mayo, a thousand times Mayo.

But it is the longest shot in the world. I am positive I won't get passed the primary, much less get an interview or acceptance. They don't accept people with 3.4 GPAs.

But if I got in, I would immediately drop everywhere else I think.

That said, I'd also LOVE to go to U of M. I would go there over anywhere save Mayo. It's my undergrad, so I'm used to it and I already work in the hospital so I know my way around.
Click to expand...

You never know, there are some with low GPAs or low MCATs. Mayo is DEFINITELY NOT a by the numbers school and figuring out what exactly they're looking for is next to impossible.
 
RapplixGmed said:
UVA MSTP, love the school, love the people, if they accept me, they've got me
Click to expand...

General question: for OOS is UVa a school that only takes people with significant ties to the area? I notice they do accept OOS in the MSAR, but didn't know if they were exceptions. (MD, not MSTP)
 
Soul for Michigan

Testicle for Emory, Vandy, or UNC

Probably a nipple or something for simply an acceptance.
 
dream: vandy top choice: university of arkansas medical sciences safety: meharry
 
Umiami (just finished bachelor's here) and FIU (cuz they're new and I wanna be a part of the start of a medical school). In state at both but low gpa may destroy me.
 
SBBunny said:
If you go into EVERY interview feeling like that school is your #1, you'll do a better job selling yourself.
Click to expand...

This is super important! A lot of times you'll have interviews before you tour the campus, talk to students, etc; a school that didn't impress you quite so much on paper might win you over in real life, and you may have already passed up your opportunity to make a great impression. It's also tempting to slack a little in your prep if you get an acceptance midway through the cycle, but the same thing applies -- there are a LOT of surprises in this process, and you should do your best to keep all of your options open until the very end.
 
I really don't have a #1 choice, I just hope I get accepted into a school at the least.
 
Just to give you guys an idea of how random this process is...

I started out with a 4.0 BCPM (3.99 overall), and a 37R MCAT.

These were my schools:

Johns Hopkins - I thought would be my favorite. I got an interview, liked it a lot, but didn't love it as much as some of the others, and was rejected.

Washington University in St. Louis - I thought would be my second favorite. Got an interview, loved half of the students, and thought the rest were stuffy. My least favorite curriculum of all schools. Rejected.

Oklahoma University - Thought it would be my last choice, ended up liking everything, but didn't LOVE it. My first acceptance.

Baylor College of Medicine - Thought it would be mid-tier as for my choices. Ended up having the most fun student body and my favorite curriculum of any school. Tied in top 3. Accepted off of waitlist.

Emory University - Thought it would be mid-tier as for my choices. Ended up as one of my top 3... Loved the curriculum and faculty beyond belief. On waitlist.

UTMB - MD/PhD - Thought I would really like. Really disliked. Withdrew after interview.

Georgetown - Thought it would be mid-tier as for my choices, and after interview, it raised a little in my opinion... Really, really liked it. GREAT student body and extracurricular opportunities. Accepted from competitive applicant pool.

Colorado - Thought it would be lower-tier amongst my choices, ended up as upper mid-tier. Accepted off waitlist.

Dartmouth - Had no idea what I'd think, but I LOVED it, and it tied in my top 3. Accepted off waitlist.

Duke - Thought it would be my number 3. I started to lean away from it after applying and hearing things. Rejected with no interview.

Columbia - Thought it would be my number 4. I started to lean away from it after applying and hearing things. Rejected with no interview.

So you can see... There are no guarantees and no safeties. My opinion of every school changed throughout the process, and none of my three favorites were actually in what I predicted to be in my top 4. I also was categorically rejected from the schools I THOUGHT I would love most.

In addition, even with a great GPA, MCAT, ECs, LORs, PS, etc... I only had one acceptance up till May, and then I came off 4 waitlists to my shock and surprise.

Just don't build up one school in your head as the perfect one for you. You may decide you don't like them, or they may decide they don't like you. Just do your best, enjoy the craziness, and pray you get in somewhere.

There's nothing wrong with having goals, just don't set your sights on something you can't come close to controlling (like which schools accept you)... Set your sights on becoming a doctor, and whatever school you go to will get you there.
 
DoctorDreamer said:
Just to give you guys an idea of how random this process is...

I started out with a 4.0 BCPM (3.99 overall), and a 37R MCAT.

These were my schools:

Johns Hopkins - I thought would be my favorite. I got an interview, liked it a lot, but didn't love it as much as some of the others, and was rejected.

Washington University in St. Louis - I thought would be my second favorite. Got an interview, loved half of the students, and thought the rest were stuffy. My least favorite curriculum of all schools. Rejected.

Oklahoma University - Thought it would be my last choice, ended up liking everything, but didn't LOVE it. My first acceptance.

Baylor College of Medicine - Thought it would be mid-tier as for my choices. Ended up having the most fun student body and my favorite curriculum of any school. Tied in top 3. Accepted off of waitlist.

Emory University - Thought it would be mid-tier as for my choices. Ended up as one of my top 3... Loved the curriculum and faculty beyond belief. On waitlist.

UTMB - MD/PhD - Thought I would really like. Really disliked. Withdrew after interview.

Georgetown - Thought it would be mid-tier as for my choices, and after interview, it raised a little in my opinion... Really, really liked it. GREAT student body and extracurricular opportunities. Accepted from competitive applicant pool.

Colorado - Thought it would be lower-tier amongst my choices, ended up as upper mid-tier. Accepted off waitlist.

Dartmouth - Had no idea what I'd think, but I LOVED it, and it tied in my top 3. Accepted off waitlist.

Duke - Thought it would be my number 3. I started to lean away from it after applying and hearing things. Rejected with no interview.

Columbia - Thought it would be my number 4. I started to lean away from it after applying and hearing things. Rejected with no interview.

So you can see... There are no guarantees and no safeties. My opinion of every school changed throughout the process, and none of my three favorites were actually in what I predicted to be in my top 4. I also was categorically rejected from the schools I THOUGHT I would love most.

In addition, even with a great GPA, MCAT, ECs, LORs, PS, etc... I only had one acceptance up till May, and then I came off 4 waitlists to my shock and surprise.

Just don't build up one school in your head as the perfect one for you. You may decide you don't like them, or they may decide they don't like you. Just do your best, enjoy the craziness, and pray you get in somewhere.

There's nothing wrong with having goals, just don't set your sights on something you can't come close to controlling (like which schools accept you)... Set your sights on becoming a doctor, and whatever school you go to will get you there.
Click to expand...

What were your ECs?
 
I'm gonna have to go with Stanford atm.

That could change though, since my knowledge of it all is very superficial at this point.
 
with no hesitation, UTSW
 
No question, Arizona: great weather, manageable course load, MD/MPH option, in-state tuition, happy people.
 
Pitt or UWSOM (even though I hate the huskies)
 
Hi DoctorDreamer,
I was wondering which school you actually chose...
Thanks!
 
Also, I learned that it is very difficult to pick a top choice program without visiting and seeing the school first hand. I thought Columbia P&S would be my first choice getting in, but I quickly realized that I really had no love for the place (didn't get in anyways, but I did get an interview extremely early in the process). I fell in love with other schools and am ecstatic to start.
 
Hopkins is my dream school.....I love that place. But who gets in, honestly?
 
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