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Just wanted to make a point. It will help UB med school recruit a better class.
Have a good night.
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2013-2014 SUNY Buffalo Application Thread
Started by JJMrK
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Have a good night.
Everyone wants to take the best students. But if you accept up to twice the number of seats you have and use historical trends but if all of those people decide to attend your school, then what happens? The school will have to scramble in June and July to get do something about the extra people in the class whether you accommodate them or try to get them to defer for a year (this has happened several times in the past few years to a few different schools). Buffalo's admissions system is much more transparent than that of many other schools who don't tell you much at all about their admissions process. They don't make you wait months on end after an interview before you know where you stand. They tell you where you are on the waiting list. They do accept the people that they think would make a great addition to the class. Numbers aren't everything so having good stats and multiple acceptances doesn't mean that you were right for every school or that you will become a great doctor. There are very few people who are accepted everywhere they apply. This school keep spots open into the interview season for the folks who didn't get the chance to interview early by the luck of the draw. They are choosing carefully to build a class with the right balance. And accepting people doesn't mean that those applicants are going to choose your school (as seen in this thread). It sounds to me that you guys are upset because you want the security of having an acceptance and didn't get it. Your ego is bruised because a "bad medical school" didn't accept you outright.
Nah, already have a few acceptances in hand, and I never said it was a "bad medical school."
What I said was this: all else equal, I would rather attend a school that accepts me outright and is excited to have me as part of the class versus a school that designates me as second choice.
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it was a reply to this.
my point was that it's not that they're trying to crap on you for being a second rate applicant but that they're looking for people who fit the class. from what i've seen of the interviewees so far, it's pretty easy to tell who would be a good fit and who wouldn't. but they don't always make the right call. it's hard to choose in a contrived situation like an interview. some people can fake it til they make it and other people are nervous to the point where they can't make a good impression although they would be a great choice. there are people who are accepted outright that don't really belong and there are people who barely make it into a school off the waitlist who really add a lot to the community. try not to take it too personally because it's hard to get into medical school in the first place and there are a lot of different factors that come into play that can affect your chances (for example, if it's raining on your interview day, the chances of getting accepted are worse for people despite equivalent stats)
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For your kind information I already have a few acceptances from schools ranked higher than UB. So please don't make rude remarks. Please read our comments carefully, none of us said that UB is a bad medical school. What we are commenting about is UB's admission process. Every school has data on their past yield (actual enrollment/ Admission offered) and offer admission based on that data. If a school is regularly accepting 1/2 or 2/3 of its class from waiting list particularly from 2nd or 3rd tier of the list, the admission process is not working. I know number of good doctors who went to Case Western, Ohio State, Stony Brook and other schools because UB put them on waiting list. By the way UB is ranked #65 and Case Western is ranked #29, Ohio State #36 and so on.
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Anyone stay at the University Manor Inn on 3612 Main St.? It is the closest hotel to the med school (5-10 min walk) but it is not advertised on the interview packet they sent in the mail. About $71 after tax and student discount. I'm hoping to see others there this Tuesday evening.
Point check, this comment is beyond insulting. 1) Just because you were accepted at other schools (ranked higher than UB) does not mean you are a tier 1 student. Some schools solely look at stats like GPA/MCAT and forget that poverty has a direct correlation with succession on the MCAT, i.e. the MCAT score is directly proportional to your socioeconomic status. Thus, to say those said students are 2nd and 3rd tier students is ridiculous and wrong. It shows an arrogance that quite frankly, does not belong at UB.
Perhaps you were put on a waitlist, if you were, due to this aforementioned reflected arrogance that you clearly demonstrated on this board. UB clearly made the right choice and to be perfectly honest, I feel bad for the spots you did take, because arrogance has no place in medicine.
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before people start arguing, just wanted to point out that mpcolon is a troll. he trolled all over the harvard thread a couple months ago.
So, I am a troll because I stand up for lower socioeconomic status applicants, as I did in the Harvard thread? I didn't know that simply because someone is taking a stand and saying your GPA/MCAT isn't the be all to end all is someone who automatically equates to a troll. Grow up buddy, grow up.
I'd also like to point out that the comment regarding 2nd and 3rd tier students is also racist considering minorities receive lower scores than their white peers due to these socioeconomic status differences. But yes, I'm the troll. 😉
regardless of his troll status or not, I think he makes a valid point.
Dont be bitter, I also got Waitlisted at UB, but I have other acceptances. You guys have to remember that luck mays plays a major role in the admissions process and just because you have acceptances at "higher ranked" schools does not mean you are better than students at UB.
Also, I bet if look at the stats of people accepted at UB of the Waitlist, it won't differ much from people that were given an outright acceptance.
While I agree on your other points, there is nothing that human101 said that is racist. You should not infer that just b/c they refer to tier 2/3 students ( whatever those are) they are automatically referring to minorities and are thus racist. There's a disconnect with that logic (i.e. I grew up poor, quit high school, slept in my car during parts of college, my undergrad GPA and MCAT are just meh, and I'm white).
I do however agree firmly with your other points- especially that MCAT performance correlates with socioeconomic status. Let's also be clear here, if a student is waitlisted, they are exceptional (tier 1, 2, 3, ...whatever) because most med school applicants are exceptional...best of the best.
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lolwut. these are the kind of posts that make me believe you are a troll.
Hi--
Thank you for your input, but please allow me to clarify: Minorities, in general, tend to do worse on standardized examination, with respect to score, than White Applicants. This is fact; and AMCAS data supports me, specifically, with the MCAT scores and minority applicant data suggesting that just as most standardized examinations, the MCAT is no different with respect to score distribution. This is crucial to my next point when I stated human101's comments were racist and not that human101 is a racist. A staunch, but subtle difference. When human101 stated: "UB puts a candidate with good stats who have multiple acceptance from other school (ranked higher than UB) on waiting list and want him/her to wait till May/June to find out, they end up at other schools and UB end up admitting students from 2nd and 3rd tier of their waiting list," he implied that students with less than "good stats", i.e. MCAT scores and GPA, are "2nd and 3rd" tier students he meant just that: any student with less than his defined "good stats" were less than him. Does this include poverty stricken White students, yes, for I was one of them. However, where most White students score between 26 and beyond, most minorities score between 18 and beyond if not lower. Thus, the ratio of minorities to White scoring less than 26 drastically increases as the score decreases. Hence, when he said students with less than "good stats" are "2nd and 3rd tier students" he clearly meant some white, but the mass majority (just by number sake) of minorities. Thus, the logic on why his comments were racist. Does this mean human101 is a racist, no, but his comment generalizing a group of people that include a majority of minorities was definitely ill advised and can be interpreted as racist and arrogant.
As someone with a PhD in Biological Sciences, as well as 2 publications, and 2 M.S.'s, even I don't believe I deserve any particular medical school. I don't have a right to get in just because of what is behind my name; I have a right to compete, as do we all. I am better than no one and I feel human101's comments were arrogant, not well thought out, and frankly, whether the intent was there or not, racist. I believe any student is exceptional, personally. Some just have different extraneous circumstances which clearly cause differences in regards to score. If someone is willing to learn and better themselves, they should never be called "2nd or 3rd tier".
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No one called anyone 2nd and 3rd tier. UB specifies parts of their waitlist as 2nd and 3rd tier. My lord...no one was being racist.
The MCAT distribution of scores is clear- minorities score lower than their White and Asian peers.
Hence, when he said students with less than "good stats" are "2nd and 3rd tier students" he clearly meant some white, but the mass majority (just by number sake) of minorities. Thus, the logic on why his comments were racist.
However imo, to draw this conclusion is a stretch- you can, but I will not (to each his own).
Does this mean human101 is a racist, no, but his comment generalizing a group of people that include a majority of minorities was definitely ill advised and can be interpreted as racist and arrogant.
As you said, he's likely not a racist. Arrogant? Sounds it.
As someone with a PhD in Biological Sciences, as well as 2 publications, and 2 M.S.'s, even I don't believe I deserve any particular medical school. I don't have a right to get in just because of what is behind my name; I have a right to compete, as do we all. I am better than no one and I feel human101's comments were arrogant, not well thought out, and frankly, whether the intent was there or not, racist. I believe any student is exceptional, personally. Some just have different extraneous circumstances which clearly cause differences in regards to score. If someone is willing to learn and better themselves, they should never be called "2nd or 3rd tier".
We obviously agree here- PhD and all.
haha +1
In the spirit of switching gears on this thread. . . I interviewed here about a week ago as well 🙂 We were probably on the same day. It was a little fuzzy, but I think they said Nov. 20th - 22nd.
I know what three days I'll be obsessively checking my email/status
In the spirit of switching gears on this thread. . . I interviewed here about a week ago as well 🙂 We were probably on the same day. It was a little fuzzy, but I think they said Nov. 20th - 22nd.
I know what three days I'll be obsessively checking my email/status
The committee meets on Wednesdays and posts results on Fridays so only obsessively check your status on the 22nd 😀 good luck!
In the spirit of switching gears on this thread. . . I interviewed here about a week ago as well 🙂 We were probably on the same day. It was a little fuzzy, but I think they said Nov. 20th - 22nd.
I know what three days I'll be obsessively checking my email/status
Yeah we probably were on the same day. Thanks for the update!
I didn't interview at UB. So I am not on their waitlist. Once I was accepted by a few schools, I declined interview invites from two other schools and thinking of withdrawing from a number of schools. However, I am still interested in getting interview invites from a few NY state schools. I am humbled by the whole experience of applying for admission, interviewing and then waiting to find decisions of the admission committees. So I am not arrogant but rather thankful. Please don't judge others and don't get personal. Keep your discussion to the issue at hand.
My argument about UB's admission policy has nothing to do with arrogance or race. The 2nd and 3rd tier waiting list is created by UB not based on race, rather based on students stats (yes that means MCAT and GPA) and their performance at interview. My question is why not admit your 1st tier waiting list students directly without putting them on the waitlist. Because if you put them on waitlist and offer admission in May or June, by then they have accepted offer from other schools and already made other arrangements. With the present system UB looses some very good students to other schools. Yes 'very good students' is based on their stats and performance at the interview. Please don't bring race into this discussion.
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So...just putting this out there-- I was accepted here and was kind of on the fence based on a few of the students I met at the interview day (though it was a small number, so I'm trying not to make sweeping generalizations) but the fact that some of the current students are still involved in this ugly, and rather unnecessary, conversation is really disconcerting :/ just saying. How about everyone just drops it? I keep getting notifications for this thread...only to find it's ppl still fighting. I just want to see who my potential future classmates are! Is that too much to ask?
The majority (say about 70%) of UB's 2nd and 3rd tier waitlist students are white, not minorities. Please check MSAR for UB's last year's admission data ( 107 Whites, 3 Hispanics, 7 Blacks, 30 Asians) for verification. Thus, my comments has nothing to do with race (intentionally or unintentionally).
Also, I am not the one bragging about my Ph.D, papers or MS's. My comments about being accepted at other school were in response to 'HeyNumber2' and 'yehhboii's comments of 'sour-grape' and 'bruised ego', I expected more civilized discussion from current UB students.
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Don't judge a school by comments from a few of its students. UB is a very good school with extremely friendly faculty and staff. I know this because I am from Buffalo, NY and I have family members who are graduates from UB medical School. Please don't make your choice based on your interaction with a few. Visit UB on 'second look' and then make your decision. Congratulations and best of luck!
In the effort to try and push the thread back to where it was, I will drop this, but if you read my comments, which you seemed to in order to receive my stats, you will notice, I said I was better than no one. I did not brag, I simply said I didn't have a right to anything. You claim to have been "humbled" by the experience yet, your comments poorly reflected this. We are all entitled to our opinion, but I never "personally" attacked you so I suggest before making such accusations you read everything I said with a fine tooth comb and realize this. Lastly, MSAR does not tell you the applicant racial composition of waitlists so I am confused why you asked me to check MSAR.
UB is a great school, but it is not everyone's cup of tea. I will agree completely with human101 when he states don't judge a school on the experience with a few. The best thing you can do for yourself, if indeed you were accepted into multiple schools, is the following: 1) Figure out cost of living. Not only with respect to the said school's expenses, but daily living expenses, i.e. rent, food, insurance, etc. and see if this budget matches your budget, 2) Do you know people within an hour distance in case of emergencies or the quick get away that sometimes is needed due to stresses of life, 3) For summers, particularly 1st and 2nd year, are there research opportunities/work opportunities for you that you'd be interested in, 4) What is the social life like and does it match your needs/want, 5) Is ranking important to you, and 6) Make an objective list of all the pros and cons of each of your final selections and decide which program has more pros than cons.
Just things I've learned to take into account. I hope it helps. Most are obvious, but I do hope maybe I offered one or two things you might have not though of.
My
Please do quote the correct person. 🙂
I broke MPColon's argument into sections and bolded my text.
Please do quote the correct person. 🙂
I broke MPColon's argument into sections and bolded my text.
Following are some of your comments:
"It shows an arrogance that quite frankly, does not belong at UB."
"Perhaps you were put on a waitlist, if you were, due to this aforementioned reflected arrogance that you clearly demonstrated on this board. UB clearly made the right choice and to be perfectly honest, I feel bad for the spots you did take, because arrogance has no place in medicine."
"but his comment generalizing a group of people that include a majority of minorities was definitely ill advised and can be interpreted as racist and arrogant. "
Instead of discussing the issue of placing a large number of candidates on waitlist versus accepting the top tier of the waitlist outright after the interview, you went on calling me arrogant and feeling bad for the spots I did take. If this is not personal what else is? Like you I don't claim to be better than anyone. However, I strongly feel that UB's current admission process have dishearten a number of good local students who would have stayed at UB. Lets drop this argument. Good luck to you in your medical school admission. Best of Luck!
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Sorry "BlackBox". It was intended for "mpcolon".
No probs.
As a side-
How about that Mr Rosso guy? He's awesome! I had a question about my application and he got back to me within the day! I haven't even been offered an interview, but this guy took the time to respond to me. That alone was worth my app fee!!
Wait til you meet him in person. You could solve the world's energy crisis if you could harness his unlimited enthusiasm.
Thanks! I definitely would not base my decision on limited interactions with a small number of people. I will go to second look and spend a lot more time there in an effort to get to know people better. I was simply trying to get the posters to know that their actions (fighting via sdn) wasn't helping the school win over potential students like myself :/ I'm excited to learn more about UB and would love anyone's input regarding the school--it's strengths, weaknesses, etc. 🙂 thanks for the encouraging post!
Dude, SDN school threads should play no negative role in your decision-making process.
Thanks so much for the insightful post. Those really are things I'll have to sit down and think about very carefully. I'm waiting for a couple more admissions decisions, and even have an interview lined up late in the season (January), but I'm slowly dwindling down my list of schools to consider based on those I've been accepted to. The distance factor does worry me as I'm from about 5 hours away and wouldn't have family closer than that...how do OOS or students from downstate NY deal with the distance generally? Is it easy to make friends quickly on campus (and them latch on to their families lol)? 🙂 Again, thanks for the info. I really appreciate it! I'm excited to learn more about UB--it seems like a great place!
Haha! Have to get that ii first!!
This is so true. Although somehow he's less energetic on the phone?! But still, really entertaining. And really concerned about Alzheimer's disease... Hahah 🙂
Interview invite yesterday!
Complete 8/12
MCAT 11/11/11 sGPA 3.49 cGPA 3.63
Edit: In-state applicant
Complete 8/12
MCAT 11/11/11 sGPA 3.49 cGPA 3.63
Edit: In-state applicant
A current medical student at UB can provide you better information
Congratulations!
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Mpcolon that advice was not for you. I don't pretend to know everything about the UB med school.
If you want to say something to me please respond to my earlier post for you. But you can't because you don't know how to have a civilized discussion
I don't want to continue anything with mpcolon. I had enough.
I was about to reply to his wall of text "describing" UB & the Buffalo community, but figured everyone already realizes what a troll this guy is
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I love how you all keep calling me a troll for having a differing opinion. Do you really believe, honestly, that you know more than someone who has lived 4 years in Buffalo?
On a side note, if anyone is interested in visiting UB, I can get you a hotel right near North Campus for $39/night. From there I'll be happy to show you the North Campus shuttle that delivers you straight to South. I know what it is like to not want to spend hundreds of dollars for hotel+transportation per interview. So, for anyone interested just PM me and we'll get you a nice room + transportation to South and back to your hotel w/out problems. As well as transportation to and from Amtrak/Airport.
Sheesh. Come on. Can we drop this? I think almost everything on here is a valid opinion (and not meant to be inflammatory). The consensus is: UB is a great school, so do your best to find out about it and see if it's also a great fit for you. The city of Buffalo or the culture of the school/community may not be a perfect fit for you, as is the case with any school you may look at.
Thanks! This is my top choice! I was worried that since my GPAs were a bit lower than their posted average I would get screened out. I think my MCAT saved me.
