2014-2015 Brown University Application Thread

[ksyhe]

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https://brown.edu/academics/medical...ility-scholarships-and-loans/ams-scholarships

Brown has both need-based and merit-based scholarships/grants. I think that about half of those receiving financial aid (e.g. federal loans) will also receive a need-based institutional scholarship. The average award is somewhere around $25-30k.

Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it), some of the need-based scholarship money is disbursed in a semi-wonky way, based on the stipulations and personal interests of the various donors the scholarships are named for (see the list on the link above). You'll notice on the Brown financial aid form that there are a number of check boxes asking very specific things like if you are of Japanese ancestry -- that's what this is for. So while awards are roughly based on need, there are some other criteria that go into the formula.

I personally was/am very happy with my financial aid package. But I know some of my classmates were/are not. The financial aid office can't please everyone everyone, but they do the best they can.

And merit-based aid is a totally different pot of funding -- the admissions office controls that, not financial aid.

 

[ksyhe]

Probably of interest:
http://www.brown.edu/academics/medical/about/facts-and-figures/md-2015-match-list

🙂

 

[tamman55699]

Has anyone gotten off the wait list recently?

 

[marvelous31]

Has anyone who applied to the MD-ScM program heard anything?

 

[asterix531]

Has anyone who applied to the MD-ScM program heard anything?

I was accepted into the program last Friday. It's not over -- they did give us a more limited time frame to accept the MD-ScM program so that they could offer more acceptances before the April 30th deadline.

 

[beems901]

I was accepted into the program last Friday. It's not over -- they did give us a more limited time frame to accept the MD-ScM program so that they could offer more acceptances before the April 30th deadline.

Congrats! Were you already accepted into the regular MD program, or were you offered a spot off the wait list?

 

[asterix531]

Congrats! Were you already accepted into the regular MD program, or were you offered a spot off the wait list?

I was accepted to the regular MD program back in October.

 

[BengaliBrat]

Just sending an inquiry into cyberspace. . .planning to go to Second Look and hoping to meet up with someone(s) who might be interested in sharing space with a bratty Bengali should we both (all) end up in Providence. . .

 

[MobiusEspresso]

For those accepted MD-ScM: when the ScM was offered, were you allowed to turn down the ScM acceptance but remain just MD?

 

[JRDBRNBLU]

For those accepted MD-ScM: when the ScM was offered, were you allowed to turn down the ScM acceptance but remain just MD?

Yes! I asked about this on my interview day

 

[cardsorbust91]

Anyone recieve finaid packages yet?

 

[BengaliBrat]

Anyone recieve finaid packages yet?

I have not. The financial aid will be a deciding factor, so I am eager to see what I am awarded.

 

[elizabetts]

brown does a base loan like many other schools (around $30k). don't know how common merit $$ is for incoming students, but i have my fingers crossed.

 

[technician]

Anyone recieve finaid packages yet?

They said those who submit by priority deadline a week ago will be notified by the end of April.

 

[wjk12]

I know Brown is P/F, but does anyone know whether it is a true P/F? Like there are no internal rankings? Thanks!

 

[MobiusEspresso]

I know Brown is P/F, but does anyone know whether it is a true P/F? Like there are no internal rankings? Thanks!

They have AOA, therefore there must be internal ranking.

 

[aedeza]

Anybody else in the MD/ScM program nervous about being part of a brand new endeavor? I'm excited but...still nervous about any possible unforeseen issues.

 

[Angulimala]

I know Brown is P/F, but does anyone know whether it is a true P/F? Like there are no internal rankings? Thanks!

As far as I know, there is no official internal ranking, and on the MSPE, there is no "5th in his class of X". I asked about this explicitly.

I'm not sure how the AOA group picks people, but I suspect it's something like: Step 1 Score + # of Honors in 3rd year + Ability to demoralize classmates & inhibit class cohesion and goodnaturedness = AOA.

 

[MrMe123]

So I have a question. If I want to get an MBA during my medical career, how would I go about that? I know Brown does not offer it, but do any current students know of people that have done this? Did they go to another institution after 2nd year / complete it online?

 

[cardsorbust91]

^Don't do it online. Go to real b-school. One dude apparently did his MBA at Harvard while at alpert. I'd also be interested in an MBA but rt now I don't think I can take on that much debt.

...Speaking of debt, anyone get finaid packages?

 

[aedeza]

^Don't do it online. Go to real b-school. One dude apparently did his MBA at Harvard while at alpert. I'd also be interested in an MBA but rt now I don't think I can take on that much debt.

...Speaking of debt, anyone get finaid packages?

Not yet, I'm still waiting on mine as well.

 

[BengaliBrat]

Not yet, I'm still waiting on mine as well.

As am I. I know that the financial aid decisions must be difficult. . .but how can we decide on our One True Love without checking whether that romance is affordable? 🙂

 

[aedeza]

As am I. I know that the financial aid decisions must be difficult. . .but how can we decide on our One True Love without checking whether that romance is affordable? 🙂

I spoke with somebody at the financial aid office earlier who said that they are hoping to send out aid packages this Thursday. Hopefully it will be worth the wait!

 

[BengaliBrat]

I spoke with somebody at the financial aid office earlier who said that they are hoping to send out aid packages this Thursday. Hopefully it will be worth the wait!

Brave and helpful you! Thank you! Will you be at Second Look? Will there be a group of us there from sdn? Very much looking forward to the weekend!

 

[srirachaking]

deleted.

 

[BengaliBrat]

Got the news from Brown. Well, attending will not be free . . .or even cheap. However, the money is pretty consistent with what I've been offered elsewhere. For every school, the expectation is that my parents will contribute much more than the FAFSA suggested would be expected from them.

So now it is decision time. I hope this weekend will make my decision easy.

 

[cardsorbust91]

Brown made it so that it was 20k cheaper per year than my state school. Has made some decisions earlier.

 

[technician]

See you all tomorrow...

 

[BengaliBrat]

See you all tomorrow...

EXCITED!!

 

[marvelous31]

Very curious to hear, how is second look??

 

[BengaliBrat]

Very curious to hear, how is second look??

@marvelous31, Second Look was awesome, like the happy ending of a Disney movie. I am pretty sure that most of us there were already knee-deep in love, despite some difficult choices most people were making. (Alpert or Mayo? Alpert or Harvard? Alpert or Penn? Alpert or Michigan? Alpert or Stanford? You get the picture.) We were feted and feasted and friended and the place, the people, the programs--it all lived up to the highest expectations. I simply could not resist the charm and warmth. I have withdrawn from all of my other schools and am proud (and yet humbled) to be part of the class of 2019. I am hoping that many of you will be my "real life" friends beginning in August.

 

[nm03]

I withdrew from Brown a few days ago but have not received a confirmation email back from the admissions office and I'm also unable to log into the portal to check my status. Does this mean they have received our withdrawal?

 

[BengaliBrat]

I withdrew from Brown a few days ago but have not received a confirmation email back from the admissions office and I'm also unable to log into the portal to check my status. Does this mean they have received our withdrawal?

I think so. It took me some time to get acknowledgements of my withdrawals. Must be crazy busy in those offices!

 

[BengaliBrat]

By the way, anyone who is still checking this thread and planning to go to Brown, I am looking for a roommate, or roommates, and/or a place to live. Serial killers need not apply, 'coz I need to sleep soundly in order to perform well. I think I can get along with most other personality types.

 

[JRDBRNBLU]

Is there any sort of commitment paperwork/additional deposit we were supposed to fill out?

 

[beems901]

Any waitlist action?

I know last year they accepted people off the WL throughout the spring (like, starting in March), and there was little movement after the traffic deadline... maybe something similar happened this year?

 

[alafia]

I would like to know as well.

Anyone accepted off the waitlist prior to Second Look?

This process/being in limbo is very frustrating and tiring. I am trying to keep my mind off of it, but I can't. Also, at some point I just want to move on and go elsewhere...but I can't just give up haha, it is the fighter in me 🙂

 

[g-baby]

Looks like we're all in the same boat @beems901 @alafia. No one has yet confirmed to have gotten off the waitlist this cycle on sdn (to my knowledge). So yeah, fingers crossed for all of us!

 

[alafia]

thanks @g-baby, we will keep hoping! 🙂

I wonder if anyone on here knows someone, who has not posted on sdn, that has gotten off the waitlist? 🙂

 

[BengaliBrat]

thanks @g-baby, we will keep hoping! 🙂

I wonder if anyone on here knows someone, who has not posted on sdn, that has gotten off the waitlist? 🙂

@alafia, I have not heard of ANYone yet. If I do, I will definitely and absolutely post. You should be in Providence! (Not to slight others still waiting. . . let's all go!)

 

[moreliaspilota]

I got off the waitlist on Monday - email came with an application update of an acceptance letter

 

[alafia]

congrats @moreliaspilota ! Did you send any updates, letters, etc?

 

[moreliaspilota]

Thanks @alafia, I kept in touch with admissions through the spring with a couple of updates and expressed how and why I thought I would fit with and contribute to the school.

 

[BengaliBrat]

Thanks @alafia, I kept in touch with admissions through the spring with a couple of updates and expressed how and why I thought I would fit with and contribute to the school.

@moreliaspilota, I'll be looking for you on campus and hoping that @alafia will join us there!

 

[Pdoc387]

So I have a question. If I want to get an MBA during my medical career, how would I go about that? I know Brown does not offer it, but do any current students know of people that have done this? Did they go to another institution after 2nd year / complete it online?

I can actually give you a lot of advice on this. PM me if you want the info.

 

[HooksHook]

I didn't apply this year, but I'm considering doing so this cycle and I was wondering how many of you guys are non-trads or humanities majors. Apparently they favor those groups in addition to Brown graduates, but are they very numbers driven as well? Thanks in advance and congrats to everyone who got in!

 

[BengaliBrat]

I didn't apply this year, but I'm considering doing so this cycle and I was wondering how many of you guys are non-trads or humanities majors. Apparently they favor those groups in addition to Brown graduates, but are they very numbers driven as well? Thanks in advance and congrats to everyone who got in!

@zwozo, I don't know how typical or atypical I may be, but I am both a non-trad (graduated--not from Brown--in 2012) and a humanities major. From my very limited experience, Brown really does seek sort of "Renaissance physicians"--future physicians who have a sound foundation in science, but bring insight from other fields and perspectives. Hint: the personal statement and letters of recommendation are VERY important here. During my interview, I heard mine quoted/cited extensively. Brown Alpert wants more than "good" or even "great as proved by MCAT scores," I believe. Of all the schools at which I interviewed, this one seemed most shaped by what it claimed as its mission: "to produce physicians who are enlightened scientists and fully realized human beings" and dedicated to "admitting truly remarkable and committed students."

If you are one to be swayed by "rankings" and believe US News and World Report to be the Possessor of All Wisdom about School Prestige and Worth, don't consider Brown. The disdain for mere "numbers" has to go both ways. You'll have to be prepared for some sneers about Brown's "place." If you really are special, let your light shine through your application. Your words (and deeds) matter to the admissions folks here!

Good luck!

 

[tamman55699]

.

 

[alafia]

CONGRATS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!