2011-2012 SUNY Downstate Application Thread

BU Medical Sciences
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Anyone else just pay by credit card and end up with a receipt that has blank fields next to "Credit card number" and "Expirtation Date"? Now I don't know if my payment went through :-/
 
ghostman said:
Anyone else just pay by credit card and end up with a receipt that has blank fields next to "Credit card number" and "Expirtation Date"? Now I don't know if my payment went through :-/
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mine did that also but it shows a checkmark next to my payment on the checklist so it went thru if ur payment doesnt show up on ur checklist within a few days u can always call them up
 
Regarding the optional question why SUNY Downstate, are we expected to only give one single reason? With a 100 word, I dont know how to write Or elaborate on anything significant...😕
 
Did anyone do the digital signature? Just curious because I've never had to do it before. I assume the self-signed digital ID is okay and doesn't need to be created through verisign?
 
tushara said:
Regarding the optional question why SUNY Downstate, are we expected to only give one single reason? With a 100 word, I dont know how to write Or elaborate on anything significant...😕
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I just put down that my dad is an alum and told me about how great the program is...etc
 
I'd say find something on their website- a program or person, for example- that grabs you and talk about that.
 
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CaliBalla said:
What's the deal with this paper AMCAS application not being received yet? Everything else is complete...
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Ditto, is AMCAS going to do that or do they want the print out version that we could supply them?
 
angleslam08 said:
Ditto, is AMCAS going to do that or do they want the print out version that we could supply them?
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I didn't get a green check mark next to "Paper AMCAS" until I submitted the secondary and they acknowledged receipt. The "date received" next to it is even the same as the date they received my secondary. So it might be that they take them together as one unit and only mark them received once they have both.
 
thejoshdude said:
i didn't get a green check mark next to "paper amcas" until i submitted the secondary and they acknowledged receipt. The "date received" next to it is even the same as the date they received my secondary. So it might be that they take them together as one unit and only mark them received once they have both.
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+1
 
Hey guys, i have a few questions regarding this school's secondary:

A) I would like to send in the application electronically (through email or one of those log-in applications such as those of many other school). However, I only see a PDF file of th esecondary (a file that cannot be saved). How would I send this in electronically? Print it and scan it? Or is there another way I'm missing?

B) On items 15 and 16, the text boxes for me are corrupted or something. When i click in those response areas, the cursor starts in the center of the field. When I type, the response does not move to the next line when I reach the limit. Instead, it keeps on going (so the response is one long line rather than a paragraph, list, etc). Did this happen to any of you? Should I just handw rite it for those sections, and type for the rest?

C) Can somebody post the link where I can check the application status? I never got an email from them (i hope that's not a bad thing) and simply searched for the secondary online. What does it mean if i didnt get an email from them?

D) For the first question it asks you (was there any period longer than 3 months during which you were not a full-time student), does a 3.5 month summer vacation during which I didnt work count?

Thanks for any help, i really appreciate it.
 
docpar said:
Hey guys, i have a few questions regarding this school's secondary:

A) I would like to send in the application electronically (through email or one of those log-in applications such as those of many other school). However, I only see a PDF file of th esecondary (a file that cannot be saved). How would I send this in electronically? Print it and scan it? Or is there another way I'm missing?

B) On items 15 and 16, the text boxes for me are corrupted or something. When i click in those response areas, the cursor starts in the center of the field. When I type, the response does not move to the next line when I reach the limit. Instead, it keeps on going (so the response is one long line rather than a paragraph, list, etc). Did this happen to any of you? Should I just handw rite it for those sections, and type for the rest?

C) Can somebody post the link where I can check the application status? I never got an email from them (i hope that's not a bad thing) and simply searched for the secondary online. What does it mean if i didnt get an email from them?

D) For the first question it asks you (was there any period longer than 3 months during which you were not a full-time student), does a 3.5 month summer vacation during which I didnt work count?

Thanks for any help, i really appreciate it.
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A. According to the application instructions you must either snail-mail it or print it, scan and email.

B. Those were corrupt for me too. I just hand wrote those since who knows how long, if ever, before they get fixed.

C. http://spelunker.downstate.edu/admissions/admissions-checklist/source/portal_logon.asp However, you need a username and password which is sent in the email. You should receive it but you might have not just depending on when you were verified.

D. I would say don't list it unless you did something significant that you would want them to know about. They are not going to look at your school's calendar and reject since your break is 3.5 months.
 
Anybody else the school still hasn't gotten your paper amcas application? Who would you call to rush this? AAMC or Downstate?
 
Hey, quick question about the prerequisites chart.

When it says "Semester & Year Taken", does that mean the actual year (like 2010) or what year you were in college?

thanks.
 
TheGloaming said:
A. According to the application instructions you must either snail-mail it or print it, scan and email.

B. Those were corrupt for me too. I just hand wrote those since who knows how long, if ever, before they get fixed.

C. http://spelunker.downstate.edu/admissions/admissions-checklist/source/portal_logon.asp However, you need a username and password which is sent in the email. You should receive it but you might have not just depending on when you were verified.

D. I would say don't list it unless you did something significant that you would want them to know about. They are not going to look at your school's calendar and reject since your break is 3.5 months.
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Thanks for the help man. it really cleared things up
 
aspiringdoctor1 said:
Hey, quick question about the prerequisites chart.

When it says "Semester & Year Taken", does that mean the actual year (like 2010) or what year you were in college?

thanks.
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I wrote the actual year - not sure if it's what they want though
 
FattySlug said:
Anybody else the school still hasn't gotten your paper amcas application? Who would you call to rush this? AAMC or Downstate?
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Dont worry about the paper app it just means they need to print it out from the electronic version they alrdy have been sent from amcas just send downstate an email saying it hasnt been updated (especially if u sent them ur secondary) and theyll update it fully complete...they r rly nice about it
 
IDFsoldierboy said:
Dont worry about the paper app it just means they need to print it out from the electronic version they alrdy have been sent from amcas just send downstate an email saying it hasnt been updated (especially if u sent them ur secondary) and theyll update it fully complete...they r rly nice about it
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Thanks. I love SDN.
 
dpsPanda said:
Hi everyone, I just found BU's pre-verification secondary in my junk mail and was a bit worried if maybe SUNY's was sent and deleted by hotmail (for being over 10 days old) since I submitted mid-June-ish. Did anyone receive a secondary application pre-verification? Thanks. Bleh, I hate hotmail's junk filter..
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they dont rly send a pre-verification...they have their secondary on their website for download and they send u an email with ur checklist login info
 
so for the residency question, does "legal resident" mean that you already applied for NYS residency? b/c i qualify for NYS residency (for tuition purposes), i just haven't applied yet. also for the time in NYS, do you think it would be OK for me to write "1 year as of 8/2011" or something like that?
 
Is anyone actually mailing this or just scan and email it? Do you list the most basic biology courses to fulfill the requirement or any biology class will do?
 
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aspiringdoctor1 said:
Hey, quick question about the prerequisites chart.

When it says "Semester & Year Taken", does that mean the actual year (like 2010) or what year you were in college?

thanks.
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They probably want actual year since the year you were in college is so random (ex/ I was a senior for the last 3 of my 7 total semesters in college because they base class standing on credits, not actual time spent in school).
 
about these two questions:

10. (Only if this applies to you) If you are not from the New York City metropolitan area (Five Boroughs), describe what personal experiences
prepare you to live and study in New York City, and what will be your personal support system. Limit your statement to a maximum of 100 words. Attach an additional sheet, if necessary.

Should I talk about my independence after getting a full time job this year? Or do I need to talk about NYC specifically...?

11. (Only if this applies to you) If you have a specific reason (e.g., significant other, job transfer, family obligations) why you wish to attend medical school in New York City, please explain. Limit your statement to a maximum of 100 words. Attach an additional sheet, if necessary.

I really don't know how to answer this, I visited NYC before and found it amazingly diverse in cuture but have no ties to the state.
 
kautionwirez said:
about these two questions:

10. (Only if this applies to you) If you are not from the New York City metropolitan area (Five Boroughs), describe what personal experiences
prepare you to live and study in New York City, and what will be your personal support system. Limit your statement to a maximum of 100 words. Attach an additional sheet, if necessary.

Should I talk about my independence after getting a full time job this year? Or do I need to talk about NYC specifically...?

11. (Only if this applies to you) If you have a specific reason (e.g., significant other, job transfer, family obligations) why you wish to attend medical school in New York City, please explain. Limit your statement to a maximum of 100 words. Attach an additional sheet, if necessary.

I really don't know how to answer this, I visited NYC before and found it amazingly diverse in cuture but have no ties to the state.
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I think for the first one its important to talk about how your'e going to be able to live in a city as gigantic as NYC is. Like, what makes you so sure you're going to be able to handle it? It's such a different culture than anywhere else that it can become extremely overwhelming very quickly. Are you very assertive? Do you thrive more with more people around you? Do you have friends who live there who can guide you till you get your sea legs so to speak? I went ot college in upstate NY and went into the city fairly frequently so I know what it's like. I also have like 5 friends who graduated and moved there. etc etc.

As for the second one, you could mention that you just really love NYC but you need to have concrete examples. Just saying I went there and loved it isn't enough of a reason to have the Adcoms read another essay, however brief it may be. If I were you, I'd leave it blank. I probably will too or mention that I have several friends living in the city that I would like to be close to. I think moreso they're looking for reasons why not being in the city would be a real hardship (My husband works in NYC, my grandma lives there and is ill, etc).
 
StephBee said:
I think for the first one its important to talk about how your'e going to be able to live in a city as gigantic as NYC is. Like, what makes you so sure you're going to be able to handle it? It's such a different culture than anywhere else that it can become extremely overwhelming very quickly. Are you very assertive? Do you thrive more with more people around you? Do you have friends who live there who can guide you till you get your sea legs so to speak? I went ot college in upstate NY and went into the city fairly frequently so I know what it's like. I also have like 5 friends who graduated and moved there. etc etc.

As for the second one, you could mention that you just really love NYC but you need to have concrete examples. Just saying I went there and loved it isn't enough of a reason to have the Adcoms read another essay, however brief it may be. If I were you, I'd leave it blank. I probably will too or mention that I have several friends living in the city that I would like to be close to. I think moreso they're looking for reasons why not being in the city would be a real hardship (My husband works in NYC, my grandma lives there and is ill, etc).
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Thank you so much. 🙂

I am pretty independent now, I handle myself well in all sorts of environments and I do have family around the state of NY who could show me around/support me if I were to attend SUNY.

Yeah I think I'll leave the second question blank.
 
Did anyone else on here sign up for the open house next Wednesday? I did, but never got an email about it or anything from them. Was just wondering if anyone else did.
 
If I attach a page for each essay, should I say - see attached page? I am prob sending this in via regular mail...
 
I just emailed it. Am I gonna get an acknowledged email or anything?
 
Hey guys!

I'm an incoming MS-1 here at Downstate and wanted to show my support for all of you who are applying to Downstate! Good luck and feel free to ask any questions! I'll be popping in and out of the thread as questions arise and will definitely try to answer what I can! 🙂
 
Asyouwereatrio said:
Hey guys!

I'm an incoming MS-1 here at Downstate and wanted to show my support for all of you who are applying to Downstate! Good luck and feel free to ask any questions! I'll be popping in and out of the thread as questions arise and will definitely try to answer what I can! 🙂
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👍 tx
 
Downstate is frustrating me.

When I took the MCAT in July 2009, I emailed them and asked if my MCAT would be valid for 2012 matriculation and they said yes.

I emailed them again this summer to check, and they've been so cryptic, while essentially saying my MCAT is valid. Their response:

Thank you for your email and interest in SUNY Downstate Medical Center. SUNY Downstate has a three year time limit on MCAT scores, counting from the date of matriculation, so your July 17, 2009 MCATs would be acceptable for admissions consideration for fall 2012.

But their website now says MCATs prior to August 2009 must be re-taken...
Can I just show them their 2 emails to me stating I was OK if they say my MCAT isn't valid?? Should I even email again to check? Or should I call? Or just send my secondary in and hope that a one-week difference in my MCAT and their oldest valid MCAT is ok...
 
I realllly want to go here..I live in NYC and this is the ideal place. I got everything in nice and early🙂. BUT the pre-med committee at my school likes to screw people over and send the letter in mid-august😡. I don't know why schools do that...It may not be a huge difference but it still puts their students at a disadvantage. I heard some schools send in September. What is the point of screwing over your own student body?! Don't they want money from alumni??
 
capn jazz said:
Downstate is frustrating me.

When I took the MCAT in July 2009, I emailed them and asked if my MCAT would be valid for 2012 matriculation and they said yes.

I emailed them again this summer to check, and they've been so cryptic, while essentially saying my MCAT is valid. Their response:

Thank you for your email and interest in SUNY Downstate Medical Center. SUNY Downstate has a three year time limit on MCAT scores, counting from the date of matriculation, so your July 17, 2009 MCATs would be acceptable for admissions consideration for fall 2012.

But their website now says MCATs prior to August 2009 must be re-taken...
Can I just show them their 2 emails to me stating I was OK if they say my MCAT isn't valid?? Should I even email again to check? Or should I call? Or just send my secondary in and hope that a one-week difference in my MCAT and their oldest valid MCAT is ok...
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I'd suggest emailing them to double check. Say you're writing to double check to make sure there hasn't been a "change in policy" that would affect YOU as an applicant. 🙂
 
Asyouwereatrio said:
Hey guys!

I'm an incoming MS-1 here at Downstate and wanted to show my support for all of you who are applying to Downstate! Good luck and feel free to ask any questions! I'll be popping in and out of the thread as questions arise and will definitely try to answer what I can! 🙂
Click to expand...

I have trained you well 😀
 
If I'm still on the alt list for last cycle, should I go ahead and apply right away for 2012?
 
hockeyhy said:
If I'm still on the alt list for last cycle, should I go ahead and apply right away for 2012?
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I would say that this question should be a general question--but just keep in mind that, hypothetically, if this app cycle doesn't turn out how you expect, then not applying soon for the 2012 app cycle will put you at a disadvantage during that cycle in terms of submission time.
 
Asyouwereatrio said:
Umm, I sent in a letter packet with 5 letters of evaluation. Does it say two on the application?

Anyway, please reference Letters of Rec. I don't see anything that says there can only be two maximum.
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"Please do not submit more than the specified number of recommendation letters"
 
nebratu said:
"Please do not submit more than the specified number of recommendation letters"
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If it's in a committee packet, I wouldn't worry about it. Either way, I wouldn't worry about it; I doubt submitting more than the necessary or wanted amount of LOR's has much of a bearing on your chance at an acceptance, unless of the the said letters incriminates you somehow or is negative.
 
hockeyhy said:
If I'm still on the alt list for last cycle, should I go ahead and apply right away for 2012?
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Yes. I don't think applying now will negatively affect your chances for next year, the school can see you have no acceptances either way. If you're really unsure, why not ask the school?
 
nebratu said:
"Please do not submit more than the specified number of recommendation letters"
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I emailed them and they said they would accept my letter packet, even though it contains more than 2 letters. Don't worry about it.
 
nebratu said:
"Please do not submit more than the specified number of recommendation letters"
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1) If you are submitting a packet of letters (e.g. health professions advisor or health professions committee) through AMCAS, Virtual Evals, or Interfolio, we accept all the letters included in the packet.

-----If you are submitting a PACKET of letters, you're good to go.

2) If you are currently enrolled in college, a letter of recommendation from the premedical advisor or committee at your undergraduate college is required. If your university/college does not have a premedical committee or advisor, two letters from college professors in two different departments are required. One of the letters must be from a professor in a science department, and the other should be from a professor in your major field of study. Both letters must be from faculty members who have had you in their classes and who are personally acquainted with you.

-----If you are submitting a committee letter, you are good to go. If not, just write down two names and send them all into AMCAS, since they've been assigned to AMCAS already. It won't be a big deal. If you're really worried, call Admissions tomorrow and tell them you have X number of letters (greater than TWO), not assembled into a packet, and how you should handle it.
 
Yea, I was just posting the part if sending individual letters. If it's a letter packet I wouldn't worry.
 
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