2010-2011 Dartmouth Application Thread

[loua0731]

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yay for distance running!

I envy all of you who can run long distances. For some reason, I simply cannot run, lol. I can bicycle 30 miles but if I try to run a mere 2 miles, my body just says no. 😛

 

[Eponymous]

Are you guys submitting a photo?

I might upload one...the question is whether to upload one from a muddy adventure race or a nice, graduation-type photo?

 

[x3r]

I called the Dartmouth Medical School admissions office to inquire about letters of recommendation and the individual I spoke to said that "Letters of Recommendation" under ":name: Application Status" never turns green. As long we submitted our letters to AMCAS, we should be fine.

 

[Asyouwereatrio]

I called the Dartmouth Medical School admissions office to inquire about letters of recommendation and the individual I spoke to said that "Letters of Recommendation" under ":name: Application Status" never turns green. As long we submitted our letters to AMCAS, we should be fine.

Thanks for checking! I was just about to post about that weird checkbox.

 

[addo]

I might upload one...the question is whether to upload one from a muddy adventure race or a nice, graduation-type photo?

Is it even an option? If it is, no matter what you look like, I think uploading a picture is a good idea.

If you dont, it might make them wonder, and when they wonder is usually for the worse.

 

[CougarMD]

Is it even an option? If it is, no matter what you look like, I think uploading a picture is a good idea.

If you dont, it might make them wonder, and when they wonder is usually for the worse.

Oh man...I didn't upload one. Great.

 

[CrossingFingers]

When they say to list the courses you'll be taking do you guys believe they actually want a list with credit hours and whatnot or should I take a more narrative approach? Also should I be talking about the extracurriculars and whatnot that I'll be involved in?

 

[barcoderider]

How many LOR are you guys sending? I was thinking one science, one non-science, one research?

 

[loua0731]

When they say to list the courses you'll be taking do you guys believe they actually want a list with credit hours and whatnot or should I take a more narrative approach? Also should I be talking about the extracurriculars and whatnot that I'll be involved in?

I just listed courses. Nothing else.

How many LOR are you guys sending? I was thinking one science, one non-science, one research?

I think as long as you meet the requirements you're fine.

Also...do we get an email when our app is complete? I submitted both my secondary and LOR today.

 

[FlowRate]

I envy all of you who can run long distances. For some reason, I simply cannot run, lol. I can bicycle 30 miles but if I try to run a mere 2 miles, my body just says no. 😛

The trick is doing it several times and pushing through the pain. I used to say ver batim what you just said. I'm still not a distance runner, but I can go a lot farther than a couple now =)

When they say to list the courses you'll be taking do you guys believe they actually want a list with credit hours and whatnot or should I take a more narrative approach? Also should I be talking about the extracurriculars and whatnot that I'll be involved in?

I put a summary of my credit hours at the end of each semester.

 

[mosbius designs]

Received a File Complete e-mail from DMS this morning, even though last cycle they didn't e-mail out.

 

[loua0731]

Received a File Complete e-mail from DMS this morning, even though last cycle they didn't e-mail out.

Wooo just got the complete email as well!

 

[x3r]

Wooo just got the complete email as well!

Ditto. Good luck!

 

[Eponymous]

Is it even an option? If it is, no matter what you look like, I think uploading a picture is a good idea.

If you dont, it might make them wonder, and when they wonder is usually for the worse.

Yeah but it's easy to miss - I missed it the first time scanning for prompts.

What do people think about word number for the essay? I know most places have between 250-350 words for 3 essays...so can we combine that and do one longer ~1000 word essay? There doesn't seem to be a limit on the app form.

 

[loua0731]

Yeah but it's easy to miss - I missed it the first time scanning for prompts.

What do people think about word number for the essay? I know most places have between 250-350 words for 3 essays...so can we combine that and do one longer ~1000 word essay? There doesn't seem to be a limit on the app form.

IMO, write however much you think you need to answer the prompt. Mine came out to about half a page, single spaced.

 

[leftcoastegg]

When they say to list the courses you'll be taking do you guys believe they actually want a list with credit hours and whatnot or should I take a more narrative approach? Also should I be talking about the extracurriculars and whatnot that I'll be involved in?

I think I'm personally going to take a more narrative approach, especially since I'm not completely sure what I'll be taking during my senior spring. I kind of wanted to explain what goals I had left for undergrad (finish my major, do a thesis, explore other interests of mine while I have the chance) and then explain what courses I would probably be taking to fulfill my goals.

I guess that doesn't exactly qualify as a "list," but I think it gives a better idea of what I'll be doing with my last year in school than a simple list would, and it still includes the course names. I never really thought of putting credit hours in there too, though...

Hmmm

 

[Eponymous]

IMO, write however much you think you need to answer the prompt. Mine came out to about half a page, single spaced.

Thanks. I ended up writing a narrative which is more of an anecdote than an essay, so it's a bit longer than my normal "Here is why I bring diversity" essay. It's an interesting read so I think it'll be alright. They can always stop reading, right? 🙂

 

[rrroddy]

.

 

[loua0731]

Okay, so IF we addressed virtually everything worthwhile about ourselves in the work/activities and personal statement.... would you all suggest maybe addressing something that maybe wasn't necessarily highlighted as much for the 2nd essay, even if it was part of your AMCAS?

I'm literally at a loss. I haven't been really "athletic" since high school, and as far as artistic endeavors, I heavily addressed it on my AMCAS (prime spot in my personal statement narrative since my undergrad degree is in music theatre), along with addressing meaningful shadowing/volunteering experiences in particular.

Any other suggestions?

hmm...any compelling story or anecdote you could tell that could reflect on your character or attributes?

 

[spartan89]

Yup, I also got complete email on July 8. GL everyone!

 

[rrroddy]

.

 

[jyoudan]

So I went to a school that works on a quarter system, and did all the prereqs for gchem and ochem, but the total semester hours only go up to 7.4. Do i just go ahead and submit anyways?

any help would be much appreciated.

 

[Asyouwereatrio]

So I went to a school that works on a quarter system, and did all the prereqs for gchem and ochem, but the total semester hours only go up to 7.4. Do i just go ahead and submit anyways?

any help would be much appreciated.

I also go to a school with a quarter system and this was not a problem for me. I added three classes worth (2.7 semester hours *3 clsses) + (2 labs* 1.3 semester hours)...Shouldn't be a problem?

 

[raab32]

Wow I just fell in love with Dartmouth. A little behind (by SDN standards) on the app process (just submitted the primary), but when I was looking over my final list of schools, I just completely connected with Dartmouth. I had liked it before but not like this.. this is some Shakesperean **** right now. I think it was the combination of the Google Earth tour + seeing pictures of Hanover that did the trick.

Is Dartmouth anyone's first choice here?

 

[jyoudan]

I also go to a school with a quarter system and this was not a problem for me. I added three classes worth (2.7 semester hours *3 clsses) + (2 labs* 1.3 semester hours)...Shouldn't be a problem?

2 gchem classes *2.7credits + 1 lab *2credits = 7.4

theres two lab courses in gchem and ochem labelled as "general and organic chemistry laboratory 1 and 2". i could list the classes twice under each category...

 

[Asyouwereatrio]

2 gchem classes *2.7credits + 1 lab *2credits = 7.4

theres two lab courses in gchem and ochem labelled as "general and organic chemistry laboratory 1 and 2". i could list the classes twice under each category...

I'm confused...if you're on the quarter system...did your school not have 3 quarters of gen chem and 3 quarters of o-chem? Also, did your school combined the gen and ochem labs? If so, you're going to be pretty light on units and technically didn't do "one year" of certain classes?

 

[jyoudan]

I'm confused...if you're on the quarter system...did your school not have 3 quarters of gen chem and 3 quarters of o-chem? Also, did your school combined the gen and ochem labs? If so, you're going to be pretty light on units and technically didn't do "one year" of certain classes?

sorry i made this confusing. I took the required 3 courses in gchem and 3 courses in ochem.

gchem 1 = 2.7
gchem 2 = 2.7
gchem lab = 2 (3 quarter hours)

ochem 1 = 2.7
ochem 2 = 2.7
ochem lab = 2.7 (4 quarter hours)

technically the course titles for both lab classes are "general and organic chemistry lab" but one is meant at the gchem lab and the other ochem.

perhaps I should just call the office tomorrow...

 

[Asyouwereatrio]

sorry i made this confusing. I took the required 3 courses in gchem and 3 courses in ochem.

gchem 1 = 2.7
gchem 2 = 2.7
gchem lab = 2 (3 quarter hours)

ochem 1 = 2.7
ochem 2 = 2.7
ochem lab = 2.7 (4 quarter hours)

technically the course titles for both lab classes are "general and organic chemistry lab" but one is meant at the gchem lab and the other ochem.

perhaps I should just call the office tomorrow...

Yea..it's what I had thought. Your university should have offered, or in the least, you should have taken one full year of general, organic chemistry...in our case on a quarter system, it should be 3 quarters...In the case of semester, two semesters (as that is ONE FULL year from August-May/Sep-June)

Technically speaking, you haven't met the requirements for most medical schools..which my understanding tells me is one year of lecture and then another year of labs...I could be wrong here, so maybe someone from schools that do things differently can chime in.

I would definitely call the office...

 

[OneTyme]

Yea..it's what I had thought. Your university should have offered, or in the least, you should have taken one full year of general, organic chemistry...in our case on a quarter system, it should be 3 quarters...In the case of semester, two semesters (as that is ONE FULL year from August-May/Sep-June)

Technically speaking, you haven't met the requirements for most medical schools..which my understanding tells me is one year of lecture and then another year of labs...I could be wrong here, so maybe someone from schools that do things differently can chime in.

I would definitely call the office...

My school only had one semester of organic chem labs but there were two lab every week instead of the usual one. We got credit for a whole year in one semester that way. It looks like maybe that is what their school did?

 

[Asyouwereatrio]

My school only had one semester of organic chem labs but there were two lab every week instead of the usual one. We got credit for a whole year in one semester that way. It looks like maybe that is what their school did?

If that were the case, his credit unit hours would show up as "one year's worth"...or 6 semester hours..or whatever the number should be.

 

[jyoudan]

If that were the case, his credit unit hours would show up as "one year's worth"...or 6 semester hours..or whatever the number should be.

Sorry guys I got it figured out. I called the office and apparently my school (UCLA) includes our biochem course credit into the gchem course requirements.

so if u go to ucla, include
gchem: 14A, 14B, 14BL, 153A
ochem: 14C, 14CL, 14D
phy: 1A-C or 6A-C
bio: LS1-4
math: at least on calc course, other can be stats.

 

[RB93]

I'm really a little stumped by the open-ended essay. Do you think it would be ok to talk about how my experience as an immigrant and interest in working with underserved populations? Or are most people going with something more "fun" like a hobby or something?

 

[Asyouwereatrio]

I'm really a little stumped by the open-ended essay. Do you think it would be ok to talk about how my experience as an immigrant and interest in working with underserved populations? Or are most people going with something more "fun" like a hobby or something?

That's exactly what the question is..open-ended. It's a chance for them to get to know another dimension of you...put whatever you feel has not been adequately addressed in your AMCAS application or any other portion of your application.

I put an experience which is completely unrelated to medicine, but has developed and shaped my interpersonal skills.

 

[masterwolfie]

nvm I found the answer

 

[physicsnerd42]

Thx a lot, and it didn't say anywhere on the MSAR that you can supplement it with something else eh? I'd buy my own MSAR but I am Canadian so I'm not all that sure U.S. schools is a good idea.

Hi everyone. I'm a fifth year (scary) MD/PhD student at Dartmouth. The class I started med school with just matched. Let me know if you have any questions.


I did substitute a term (trimester) of biochem for gen chem and they were fine with it. Just contact the admissions office and ask.


Good luck with the app process! 👍

 

[nvk89]

Is anyone else not able to access the supplement right now? I was prepared to fill it out today after finishing my essays, but I can't gain access anymore. I was able to with Google Chrome a while back, and now I can't login with chrome, IE, or firefox.

 

[DoC352]

idk if this is the problem you're having but when I try to log on to see the status of my application it says:

"Please ensure all fields are filled out correctly.
If you have any questions regarding the login process,
please contact the Office of Admissions at (603)-650-1505."

 

[nvk89]

Weird. I just logged in successfully. Thanks for your reply, though.

 

[washupremedSV]

I called the Dartmouth Medical School admissions office to inquire about letters of recommendation and the individual I spoke to said that "Letters of Recommendation" under ":name: Application Status" never turns green. As long we submitted our letters to AMCAS, we should be fine.

not true, mine's green and says LORs received

 

[BiochemGuy]

not true, mine's green and says LORs received

They initially told me that on the phone as well, but mine eventually turned green.

 

[Thom1986]

All three are green for me as well.

 

[green247]

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[Kbrock]

Hey guys, question about the open ended prompt here. One of my friends who matriculated at Vermont recently proof read my draft and said it was a "good essay", but should talk more about why Dartmouth interests me, so it "doesn't look like I picked them out of a hat [or MSAR]". My understanding from a couple posts here was that it should just tell them something interesting about you that you don't think was on there [and doesn't necessarily relate to medicine ]...

I simply talked about my summer travels in Brooklyn, learning the art of pizza making from some of the legendary chefs, and a project building my own brick oven in the backyard to continue my passion. I also talked about diverse interactions I had...people speaking Hebrew, Russian, Italian, French, Portugese... and how cooking is both a cultural centerpiece there and in my life as well. With that I tied in moving along the east coast multiple times, and how I finally ended up in a cuisine-driven area where cooking became my way of dealing with starting over.


I didn't think they were asking for an essay explaining why you think you are specifically a match for their school. Does anyone feel differently? Should I integrate and list the things that draw me to the school? Or does what I wrote about present something interesting enough to satisfy the prompt? Opinions greatly appreciated.

 

[Prateek]

Hey,

So my friend wants to know for the part where it asks for SSN, what would you put if you were a Canadian? There's not enough room to write our SIN #

Thanks

 

[loua0731]

Hey guys, question about the open ended prompt here. One of my friends who matriculated at Vermont recently proof read my draft and said it was a "good essay", but should talk more about why Dartmouth interests me, so it "doesn't look like I picked them out of a hat [or MSAR]". My understanding from a couple posts here was that it should just tell them something interesting about you that you don't think was on there [and doesn't necessarily relate to medicine ]...

I simply talked about my summer travels in Brooklyn, learning the art of pizza making from some of the legendary chefs, and a project building my own brick oven in the backyard to continue my passion. I also talked about diverse interactions I had...people speaking Hebrew, Russian, Italian, French, Portugese... and how cooking is both a cultural centerpiece there and in my life as well. With that I tied in moving along the east coast multiple times, and how I finally ended up in a cuisine-driven area where cooking became my way of dealing with starting over.


I didn't think they were asking for an essay explaining why you think you are specifically a match for their school. Does anyone feel differently? Should I integrate and list the things that draw me to the school? Or does what I wrote about present something interesting enough to satisfy the prompt? Opinions greatly appreciated.

I agree with you. I wrote about a hobby that I didn't include on my AMCAS. Besides, I feel like NOT writing about what attracts you to Dartmouth would show them more of who you are and your unique attributes.

 

[physicsnerd42]

Hey guys, question about the open ended prompt here. One of my friends who matriculated at Vermont recently proof read my draft and said it was a "good essay", but should talk more about why Dartmouth interests me, so it "doesn't look like I picked them out of a hat [or MSAR]". My understanding from a couple posts here was that it should just tell them something interesting about you that you don't think was on there [and doesn't necessarily relate to medicine ]...

I simply talked about my summer travels in Brooklyn, learning the art of pizza making from some of the legendary chefs, and a project building my own brick oven in the backyard to continue my passion. I also talked about diverse interactions I had...people speaking Hebrew, Russian, Italian, French, Portugese... and how cooking is both a cultural centerpiece there and in my life as well. With that I tied in moving along the east coast multiple times, and how I finally ended up in a cuisine-driven area where cooking became my way of dealing with starting over.


I didn't think they were asking for an essay explaining why you think you are specifically a match for their school. Does anyone feel differently? Should I integrate and list the things that draw me to the school? Or does what I wrote about present something interesting enough to satisfy the prompt? Opinions greatly appreciated.

I didn't mention Dartmouth at all in my secondary essay. I just told them about something that wasn't in the rest of my app. It worked out.

 

[Kbrock]

I didn't mention Dartmouth at all in my secondary essay. I just told them about something that wasn't in the rest of my app. It worked out.

Great! Thank you for the helpful replies guys.

Honestly I wouldn't have trouble finding nice things to say... the way the school dedicates tremendous resources to student's personal life and enjoyment is just beyond me. The outdoor lifestyle...the activities...everything is offered that I do, it's like reading a description of my hobbies!!! Skiiing, rock climbing, trail hiking, mountain biking, gosh the list goes on. And that type of healthy atmosphere is huge to me! Okay I'll stop ranting. Clearly I love this school. 🙄

 

[Kbrock]

I agree with you. I wrote about a hobby that I didn't include on my AMCAS. Besides, I feel like NOT writing about what attracts you to Dartmouth would show them more of who you are and your unique attributes.

I agree with your agreement and logic 😀 Thanks for the encouraging reply, I think I'll have more confidence to pull the trigger and submit now! Best of luck to you.

 

[loua0731]

I agree with your agreement and logic 😀 Thanks for the encouraging reply, I think I'll have more confidence to pull the trigger and submit now! Best of luck to you.

Thanks! Good luck to you too!

 

[imyahuckleberry]

This may be a stupid question, but when you're filling out the Premedical Requirements part, under College, do you put the University name, or something like "Arts and Sciences"?