2011-2012 SUNY Downstate Application Thread

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CheekyFellow said:
Haha, yea that's what he did. He went on for a good 10-15 mins about some Amish drug ring, with a few sidetracks here and there.

Just curious, what's your opinion on the school? The location is a bit rough, but I can imagine that the clinical experience you will get there would be great. What holds me back is the age of the facilities, seeing some of the other schools I've visited are well above it in that regard. But, can't judge the school solely on it's appearance.
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Who cares about the facilities? I agree that a lot of schools have much nicer facilities, but after a week or two it all looks the same. Our anatomy lab is brand new, but even that goes unnoticed after a while.
The neighborhood isn't all that nice, but plenty of students live in nicer, more expensive neighborhoods that are only 20 minutes away by subway.
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CheekyFellow said:
Haha, yea that's what he did. He went on for a good 10-15 mins about some Amish drug ring, with a few sidetracks here and there.

Just curious, what's your opinion on the school? The location is a bit rough, but I can imagine that the clinical experience you will get there would be great. What holds me back is the age of the facilities, seeing some of the other schools I've visited are well above it in that regard. But, can't judge the school solely on it's appearance.
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That should be the last thing to stop you. You're going to be in lecture, and you're going to be in anatomy lab. The lab rocks. Lecture hall is a bit old, yeah, but you'll forget all about your surroundings once you dive in. It'll become second nature to you, like the sky.
 
Hey guys,

I thought I'd share my experience for a little clarification. Completed late August, offered interview 9/20 for 10/6, got my acceptance letter in the mail 10/31. They were very speedy in their decision for some reason for me, despite other experiences posted.

I liked the school. There were a couple of flaws that could be deemed deal breakers - students weren't too enthusiastic, facilities are dated, technology (e.g. lecture recordings) is dated. I'm a NYS resident, so it's really a matter of a good school and money for me. And, to me, Downstate was a good school with good students and a great reputation.

My interview was actually very non-traditional. My interviewer spoke most of the time, although I tried to chime in often. Try to be active in conversation, but not overly pushy. Everyone on my interview day had positive interview experiences, so just relax and be yourself.

If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to ask.

Oh! My stats were 34S, 3.59/3.65 (reg/sci), from the University of Pennsylvania. I'm currently getting my MPH with a 4.00. Hope this helps you guys! And good luck!
 
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joshmd said:
Hey guys,

I thought I'd share my experience for a little clarification. Completed late August, offered interview 9/20 for 10/6, got my acceptance letter in the mail 10/31. They were very speedy in their decision for some reason for me, despite other experiences posted.

I liked the school. There were a couple of flaws that could be deemed deal breakers - students weren't too enthusiastic, facilities are dated, technology (e.g. lecture recordings) is dated. I'm a NYS resident, so it's really a matter of a good school and money for me. And, to me, Downstate was a good school with good students and a great reputation.

My interview was actually very non-traditional. My interviewer spoke most of the time, although I tried to chime in often. Try to be active in conversation, but not overly pushy. Everyone on my interview day had positive interview experiences, so just relax and be yourself.

If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to ask.

Oh! My stats were 34S, 3.59/3.65 (reg/sci), from the University of Pennsylvania. I'm currently getting my MPH with a 4.00. Hope this helps you guys! And good luck!
Click to expand...


Agreed. I also got my acceptance, but the students seemed very unhappy compared to upstate and many of the other schools I interviewed at. Not just the tour guides, but the students I talked to around the school. They almost all seemed like they regretted choosing to go there (if they had more than one acceptance) unless they lived in NYC anyway... then it was really just a matter of a convenience. Please don't pounce on me Downstate students, merely stating my experience there.
 
Did you get any insight as to why Downstate students regretted the choice?
 
On the contrary, my tour guides seemed to like Downstate.

To be fair tho, they were both native NYers, and they had a very NY-style kind of attitude. They didn't seem outwardly/overtly excited or impressed with the school, but I think that's just a NY kind of attitude. I think they'd be like that no matter where they went, haha.

Students at other schools I interviewed at in Chicago and Philly were incredibly enthusiastic and cheerful about their schools. Then again, at Hofstra I got the sense of un-enthusiasm as at SUNY, and again, all the students were NYers... hahaha.
 
I definitely agree with the last few assessments. I couldn't figure out why Downstate felt so different from my other interviews until I remembered - uh, because it's New York, and my tour guides are New Yorkers.

One of my guides mentioned that one of the reasons that he chose Downstate over other NYC schools because it was less expensive in the long run - and, of course, it's a great school. I really got the impression that selecting Downstate was partly a decision of practicality since he was more than confident in his ability to succeed anywhere.

That's the New York state of mind.
 
Harlan Miles said:
I definitely agree with the last few assessments. I couldn't figure out why Downstate felt so different from my other interviews until I remembered - uh, because it's New York, and my tour guides are New Yorkers.

One of my guides mentioned that one of the reasons that he chose Downstate over other NYC schools because it was less expensive in the long run - and, of course, it's a great school. I really got the impression that selecting Downstate was partly a decision of practicality since he was more than confident in his ability to succeed anywhere.

That's the New York state of mind.
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billy joel.......................
 
CheekyFellow said:
Haha, yea that's what he did. He went on for a good 10-15 mins about some Amish drug ring, with a few sidetracks here and there.

Just curious, what's your opinion on the school? The location is a bit rough, but I can imagine that the clinical experience you will get there would be great. What holds me back is the age of the facilities, seeing some of the other schools I've visited are well above it in that regard. But, can't judge the school solely on it's appearance.
Click to expand...

using facilities as a reason to attend an institution is not the best idea. anatomy lab is anatomy lab; it sucks everywhere, even if you have 40 LCD screens (like we do). i rarely see the lecture halls because lecture is a waste of time. the only thing that I would say matters with regard to facilities is study space. besides the carrels, we seem to have a dearth of good study space, but we make do.
my advice (if you end up coming here) would be to go off campus so you don't get depressed by this place and try to have a life outside of school; It's difficult but manageable.
 
joshmd said:
Hey guys,

I thought I'd share my experience for a little clarification. Completed late August, offered interview 9/20 for 10/6, got my acceptance letter in the mail 10/31. They were very speedy in their decision for some reason for me, despite other experiences posted.

I liked the school. There were a couple of flaws that could be deemed deal breakers - students weren't too enthusiastic, facilities are dated, technology (e.g. lecture recordings) is dated. I'm a NYS resident, so it's really a matter of a good school and money for me. And, to me, Downstate was a good school with good students and a great reputation.

My interview was actually very non-traditional. My interviewer spoke most of the time, although I tried to chime in often. Try to be active in conversation, but not overly pushy. Everyone on my interview day had positive interview experiences, so just relax and be yourself.

If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to ask.

Oh! My stats were 34S, 3.59/3.65 (reg/sci), from the University of Pennsylvania. I'm currently getting my MPH with a 4.00. Hope this helps you guys! And good luck!
Click to expand...

rhcp90 said:
Agreed. I also got my acceptance, but the students seemed very unhappy compared to upstate and many of the other schools I interviewed at. Not just the tour guides, but the students I talked to around the school. They almost all seemed like they regretted choosing to go there (if they had more than one acceptance) unless they lived in NYC anyway... then it was really just a matter of a convenience. Please don't pounce on me Downstate students, merely stating my experience there.
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Hmm, I find it very surprising that you guys found a lot of the students to be "unhappy" and that they regretted going to Downstate. Many of my friends and classmates (MS1) that I've talked to do not regret their decision to go here at all. While we all do have "gripes" about certain things that go on here, those are in no way making us think "oh my god if I went to School Y, I wouldn't have had to deal with this and now regret going to Downstate".

I think there are plenty of schools with better _________ (insert criteria for choosing a school here), but at the end of the day, Downstate is not only a cheaper alternative for most, but it also has a great clinical experience that you can't get in very many other places, dedicated faculty, and strong training even in pre-clinical years that will build a strong foundation for your future career. I only say that because in talking to other MS1 at other schools, I've already learned things in my first year that they have not (radiography and intubation, as examples).

May I ask when you interviewed or what exactly was said that made you think we were unhappy here? I suspect it may have been near exam time, which made us all stressed out--we have a huge exam coming up this Thursday/Friday, had one about a month before, another one a few weeks before that in mid October, and another one about 4 weeks before that.
 
ryuuzaki said:
That should be the last thing to stop you. You're going to be in lecture, and you're going to be in anatomy lab. The lab rocks. Lecture hall is a bit old, yeah, but you'll forget all about your surroundings once you dive in. It'll become second nature to you, like the sky.
Click to expand...

FIREitUP said:
using facilities as a reason to attend an institution is not the best idea. anatomy lab is anatomy lab; it sucks everywhere, even if you have 40 LCD screens (like we do). i rarely see the lecture halls because lecture is a waste of time. the only thing that I would say matters with regard to facilities is study space. besides the carrels, we seem to have a dearth of good study space, but we make do.
my advice (if you end up coming here) would be to go off campus so you don't get depressed by this place and try to have a life outside of school; It's difficult but manageable.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the response guys. I would never eliminate going to a school based off of the appearance of the facilities. I was merely just stating what I saw, and my opinion. I talked to a physician, who had attended the school many years ago, and the first thing he mentioned was the clinical experience.

Since I am out of state, are there areas you guys recommend for living, and what is a "reasonable" or average apartment rent when living in nicer parts of Brooklyn? What's definitely appealing is the idea of receiving NY residency after a year.
 
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CheekyFellow said:
Thanks for the response guys. I would never eliminate going to a school based off of the appearance of the facilities. I was merely just stating what I saw, and my opinion. I talked to a physician, who had attended the school many years ago, and the first thing he mentioned was the clinical experience.

Since I am out of state, are there areas you guys recommend for living, and what is a "reasonable" or average apartment rent when living in nicer parts of Brooklyn? What's definitely appealing is the idea of receiving NY residency after a year.
Click to expand...

Is this definitely true? When I interviewed at Upstate, the admissions director pretty much told an OOS interviewee that there's little chance of paying instate tuition (unless you BUY a house). Might be different at Downstate, though.
 
rhcp90 said:
Agreed. I also got my acceptance, but the students seemed very unhappy compared to upstate and many of the other schools I interviewed at. Not just the tour guides, but the students I talked to around the school. They almost all seemed like they regretted choosing to go there (if they had more than one acceptance) unless they lived in NYC anyway... then it was really just a matter of a convenience. Please don't pounce on me Downstate students, merely stating my experience there.
Click to expand...

I ain't pouncin' on youuuu.

Let me put something in perspective for you and anyone else who got the impression that downstate students were unhappy here. I am going under the assumption that you presumed this from the tour guides. In the beginning of the year up until very recently, the second years (those who mostly give the tours) were taking triple I and heme-onc--two super stressful blocks. Don't use their outward appearance as a cross-sectional indication of the happiness of Downstate students. Most of the students here love Downstate.

We are a happy bunch of people =D , except when tests are around the corner :scared:. Such is life.
 
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CheekyFellow said:
Thanks for the response guys. I would never eliminate going to a school based off of the appearance of the facilities. I was merely just stating what I saw, and my opinion. I talked to a physician, who had attended the school many years ago, and the first thing he mentioned was the clinical experience.

Since I am out of state, are there areas you guys recommend for living, and what is a "reasonable" or average apartment rent when living in nicer parts of Brooklyn? What's definitely appealing is the idea of receiving NY residency after a year.
Click to expand...

A lot of our classmates live in Park Slope. I couldn't really give you an estimate on how much rent is there, Asyouwereatrio might be able to give you some insight about that.
 
Velour Fog said:
Is this definitely true? When I interviewed at Upstate, the admissions director pretty much told an OOS interviewee that there's little chance of paying instate tuition (unless you BUY a house). Might be different at Downstate, though.
Click to expand...

100% true, provided you get your apartment off campus and apply within the outlined time. After a year you get in-state residency and pay whatever that tuition is--(26K and some change last I recall).
 
CheekyFellow said:
Thanks for the response guys. I would never eliminate going to a school based off of the appearance of the facilities. I was merely just stating what I saw, and my opinion. I talked to a physician, who had attended the school many years ago, and the first thing he mentioned was the clinical experience.

Since I am out of state, are there areas you guys recommend for living, and what is a "reasonable" or average apartment rent when living in nicer parts of Brooklyn? What's definitely appealing is the idea of receiving NY residency after a year.
Click to expand...
Common areas are Park Slope and Prospect Heights. The former I think is too expensive if you're a med student. The latter should be moderately priced (like under 1k a month if you have roommates). Both are ~20 minutes by subway.

Velour Fog said:
Is this definitely true? When I interviewed at Upstate, the admissions director pretty much told an OOS interviewee that there's little chance of paying instate tuition (unless you BUY a house). Might be different at Downstate, though.
Click to expand...
I know for current students they can obtain NYS residency. I wouldn't be surprised if our state law is changing. Most other states have made state residency harder to obtain, so I'm sure it's only a matter of time before New York changes its laws (especially considering our annual tuition hikes). You should find out for sure from the school instead of relying on hearsay though.

And in case anyone is wondering, the dorms suck. They're convenient but that's about it.
 
wanderer100 said:
Common areas are Park Slope and Prospect Heights. The former I think is too expensive if you're a med student. The latter should be moderately priced (like under 1k a month if you have roommates). Both are ~20 minutes by subway.


I know for current students they can obtain NYS residency. I wouldn't be surprised if our state law is changing. Most other states have made state residency harder to obtain, so I'm sure it's only a matter of time before New York changes its laws (especially considering our annual tuition hikes). You should find out for sure from the school instead of relying on hearsay though.

And in case anyone is wondering, the dorms suck. They're convenient but that's about it.
Click to expand...


I think they may have changed the policies on obtaining NYS residency; this isn't the first time I've heard that you need to buy a house in NY to get residency.
 
wanderer100 said:
Common areas are Park Slope and Prospect Heights. The former I think is too expensive if you're a med student. The latter should be moderately priced (like under 1k a month if you have roommates). Both are ~20 minutes by subway.


I know for current students they can obtain NYS residency. I wouldn't be surprised if our state law is changing. Most other states have made state residency harder to obtain, so I'm sure it's only a matter of time before New York changes its laws (especially considering our annual tuition hikes). You should find out for sure from the school instead of relying on hearsay though.

And in case anyone is wondering, the dorms suck. They're convenient but that's about it.
Click to expand...

In my opinion the dorms are great but expensive.


And I don't think you need to buy a house to get residency status in NYS at this time. I've never heard of such a thing.
 
ryuuzaki said:
100% true, provided you get your apartment off campus and apply within the outlined time. After a year you get in-state residency and pay whatever that tuition is--(26K and some change last I recall).
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I don't know if this is true anymore. The requirements for becoming domicile changed. Here's the link for Downstate

http://sls.downstate.edu/admissions/est_residency.html

Note it said "One does not acquire a new domicile simply by a presence in New York State for attendance at an institution of higher education. The act of living within the State’s boundaries is, in itself, an insufficient demonstration of residency. The student must demonstrate establishment of a domicile (permanent place of abode) in New York State. Living in New York State solely for the purpose of attending a college or other postsecondary institution does not, in itself, demonstrate that legal residence has been established."

And here's the link to general SUNY system regarding paying in-state

http://www.suny.edu/student/paying_residence.cfm

So, look like OOS will have to pay OOS tuition for all 4 years...
 
Velour Fog said:
Is this definitely true? When I interviewed at Upstate, the admissions director pretty much told an OOS interviewee that there's little chance of paying instate tuition (unless you BUY a house). Might be different at Downstate, though.
Click to expand...

Since it's all part of the "SUNY" residency guidelines, the same rules will apply to all schools. That being said, I still consider it hearsay because the rules have always been outlined in the links provided below with respect to "having a permanent domicile" and whatnot, and students always get approved for in-state residency.

ryuuzaki said:
A lot of our classmates live in Park Slope. I couldn't really give you an estimate on how much rent is there, Asyouwereatrio might be able to give you some insight about that.
Click to expand...

With respect to off campus housing, it all really depends on how much you're willing to spend on an apartment. The area immediately next to school is also convenient, but it very much is a "get what you pay for" sort of deal. You can easily get a room or apartment for less than $1000/month, whereas Park Slope and Prospect Heights (I can only speak with more certainty about Park Slope since I live here) will cost you at least $1100-1300 per month. The variation from the low end to the high end will be due to size of the apartment and amenities included--heat/hot water included in the monthly rent or not, size of kitchen, size of bedrooms, etc. I live in a nearly 1000 sq ft 2 bedroom apartment in Park Slope and pay $2800/month. That was the norm when we were looking around May for a July apartment. Some people get lucky and find things that are cheaper, but I'd say that is the price range you can expect.

lnphan said:
I don't know if this is true anymore. The requirements for becoming domicile changed. Here's the link for Downstate

http://sls.downstate.edu/admissions/est_residency.html

Note it said "One does not acquire a new domicile simply by a presence in New York State for attendance at an institution of higher education. The act of living within the State’s boundaries is, in itself, an insufficient demonstration of residency. The student must demonstrate establishment of a domicile (permanent place of abode) in New York State. Living in New York State solely for the purpose of attending a college or other postsecondary institution does not, in itself, demonstrate that legal residence has been established."

And here's the link to general SUNY system regarding paying in-state

http://www.suny.edu/student/paying_residence.cfm

So, look like OOS will have to pay OOS tuition for all 4 years...
Click to expand...

That's always bbeen the "legal mumbo jumbo" as I call it that is used to "protect" them when reviewing an application. However, if you meet all the criteria of the paperwork requested, no reason for them to deny you.

1) Apartment lease shows you're "tied down" to NYS
2) Driver License and Voter Registration show you have established living here.
3) Bank Statements show you've opened up a bank account here
4) Utility bills prove you actually live here lol.

Reality is, they can deny you if you want, because they CAN assume you are living here for reasons other than school, but you can argue otherwise somehow...I wouldn't worry about it too much. Those have been the rules for past generations of students, so it's unlikely they'll start denying students that residency change now.
 
ryuuzaki said:
I ain't pouncin' on youuuu.

Let me put something in perspective for you and anyone else who got the impression that downstate students were unhappy here. I am going under the assumption that you presumed this from the tour guides. In the beginning of the year up until very recently, the second years (those who mostly give the tours) were taking triple I and heme-onc--two super stressful blocks. Don't use their outward appearance as a cross-sectional indication of the happiness of Downstate students. Most of the students here love Downstate.

We are a happy bunch of people =D , except when tests are around the corner :scared:. Such is life.
Click to expand...



My interview was the end of the october, and both tour guides were fourth years. And I decided the students seemed unhappy from talking to many students... not the tour guides. This idea has only been reinforced with the many PMs I received from downstate students basically saying that the first two years suck at downstate (for various reasons... location, facilities, the administration), but the 3rd and 4th years are great due to the many clinical rotation locations and the amount of interesting cases you see. They basically verified my assumption.
 
Asyouwereatrio said:
Reality is, they can deny you if you want, because they CAN assume you are living here for reasons other than school, but you can argue otherwise somehow...I wouldn't worry about it too much. Those have been the rules for past generations of students, so it's unlikely they'll start denying students that residency change now.
Click to expand...

Unless they are desperately needing more money (notice the tuition hike in the past 2 years?)... Anyhow, I hope you're right. Otherwise it would suck!
 
Considering that there have been people on SDN reporting that they were told while interviewing at Upstate that they would need to purchase housing, you really need to verify with the admissions office. Who knows what the circumstances were with those applicants (maybe they were Canadian, and the rules are stricter for Canadians), but why take that chance?

In regard to what I said about the dorms, yes they are overpriced. There are other issues. The lighting in my room sucks. Work orders take forever to be fulfilled. The rooms are extremely hot from the summer until the end of September. They are frigid for the month of October. The water pressure in the shower sucks. The internet in the dorms is slow and doesn't allow for gaming (not that I'm a gamer, but it's a common complaint). TV reception is pretty crappy too.

I moved here for the convenience. For many the above complaints are relatively minor and the convenience outweighs all the negatives. You have to decide what you value most.
 
wanderer100 said:
Considering that there have been people on SDN reporting that they were told while interviewing at Upstate that they would need to purchase housing, you really need to verify with the admissions office. Who knows what the circumstances were with those applicants (maybe they were Canadian, and the rules are stricter for Canadians), but why take that chance?

In regard to what I said about the dorms, yes they are overpriced. There are other issues. The lighting in my room sucks. Work orders take forever to be fulfilled. The rooms are extremely hot from the summer until the end of September. They are frigid for the month of October. The water pressure in the shower sucks. The internet in the dorms is slow and doesn't allow for gaming (not that I'm a gamer, but it's a common complaint). TV reception is pretty crappy too.

I moved here for the convenience. For many the above complaints are relatively minor and the convenience outweighs all the negatives. You have to decide what you value most.
Click to expand...

Within this man there houses infinite wisdom and cognitive faculties. I would regard this post as being not only extremely accurate, but extremely well articulated. I dare any of you to top this.
 
rhcp90 said:
My interview was the end of the october, and both tour guides were fourth years. And I decided the students seemed unhappy from talking to many students... not the tour guides. This idea has only been reinforced with the many PMs I received from downstate students basically saying that the first two years suck at downstate (for various reasons... location, facilities, the administration), but the 3rd and 4th years are great due to the many clinical rotation locations and the amount of interesting cases you see. They basically verified my assumption.
Click to expand...

I didn't know fourth years did tours. They seem to be a pretty chill bunch based on the few I've met. Anyways, feel free to PM me if you guys have any questions since one's opinion isn't always well tolerated on a public forum.
 
I finally got some NY love this cycle! I was complete 8/9 so this was kind of ridiculous I thought. I'll be interviewing on 1/4! I'm really excited to get back to NY as I grew up there but have been living in Boston for nearly a decade!
 
blkwmnmd said:
I finally got some NY love this cycle! I was complete 8/9 so this was kind of ridiculous I thought. I'll be interviewing on 1/4! I'm really excited to get back to NY as I grew up there but have been living in Boston for nearly a decade!
Click to expand...

Good luck, what an exciting way to start the year!!! I hope I get some NY love too soon :-/
 
does anyone know how long after interview we're supposed to hear? i interviewed one month ago...
 
Did any non-minority with a 29 get an interview with Downstate?
 
What that poster said is true.
Tour guides sign up during the beginning of the year relatively, far in advanced. You most likely saw the 2nd years during the triple I and heme onc finals which are crazily intense.
 
Anyone who interviewed near the end of October hear anything yet?
 
Anyone who was completed in late October/early November has received an interview or rejection? It's been over a month since I was completed but haven't heard from them at all.

Not sure if I should consider this a good thing or not.
 
Interviewed 11/9 and just got an acceptance letter today. I guess they don't send emails...
 
Twink said:
Anyone who was completed in late October/early November has received an interview or rejection? It's been over a month since I was completed but haven't heard from them at all.

Not sure if I should consider this a good thing or not.
Click to expand...

I think you should. It appears those with low #'s and are URM gets looked at last. Just saying.
 
Kj615 said:
I think you should. It appears those with low #'s and are URM gets looked at last. Just saying.
Click to expand...

Then it's not looking good. Oh well, it is what it is.
Thanks for the info.
 
OOS, 38 MCAT, 3.9/4.0 GPA overall/science from MIT, also my father went to Downstate, so that might have helped
 
accepted 12/7 (letter arrived overseas 12/12)
!!
interviewed 11/7! exactly one month.

yaaaaay!
 
Congrats to everyone who has received acceptances! Welcome to the Downstate family!

To those who are still waiting, good luck!:luck::xf:
 
has it taken anyone who got accepted more than 6 weeks to hear?
 
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