-
CycleTrack and SDN are teaming up to make medical school admissions more transparent and accessible! Read the announcement to learn how we’re supporting the future of CycleTrack’s free application-tracking tools .
2014-2015 Harvard Medical School Application Thread
Started by gettheleadout
Get help with your application
Use all the free resources available to you from SDN: articles, guides, expert advising, forums discussions, and school research.
Congrats on the interview and on passing MJ, Kobe! The meet and greet is a casual pizza-centric gathering with students in the dorm, in my n=1 experience.
Advertisement - Members don't see this ad
Lol yes, at my meet and greet, some of the students were in sweat pants 😉 couldn't get more casual!
You can interview anytime from Sept. to Feb (Invites from Aug. to Feb.)
Rotations. I have no idea how this is gonna work. Trust me, if I knew I would tell you.
Rotations. I have no idea how this is gonna work. Trust me, if I knew I would tell you.
anyone sent an post-interview update?
According to the HMS threads for the last two cycles no interview invites seemed to have been given out after Jan 1st... so I was wondering if there are some spots or actually any possibility to be invited within the next coming weeks? Thanks!
Last edited:
After the interview send a thank you email to admissions directly and each of your interviewers (3 emails). Send in a big update in Jan if you need too.
Big updates = Big updates
I am not formally on the admissions committee yet but I wouldn't send anything that isn't major like publications, completion of a huge project at your consulting gig etc.
Don't send in an update earlier than 2 months after your interview (unless you are a late interviewer). You want to UPDATE not ADD ON lol
Big updates = Big updates
I am not formally on the admissions committee yet but I wouldn't send anything that isn't major like publications, completion of a huge project at your consulting gig etc.
Don't send in an update earlier than 2 months after your interview (unless you are a late interviewer). You want to UPDATE not ADD ON lol
Gah, good call on thank you directly to admissions -- should have thought of that before. Do you think it matters when in Jan the update is sent? Not sure when interviewing ends and deliberations begin.
Thanks for the great advice -- and enjoy your break!
What about an update on an internship I accepted for new semester? Working with a non-profit? And a new job I took on this semester with the human rights program at my school?
I want to show them the increased community work I am doing and tell them I will be traveling to Peru to work in the Amazon. Is this considered major?
And fudge, I didn't send a thank you to admissions ... is it too late? Interviewed on 10/10. Sent one directly to my interviewers and they both replied in length. Didn't even think about one to admissions as well...
Why is this even "necessary"? They probably get hundreds of these and if you feel forced to send one, doesn't that defeat the whole purpose of a thank you note?
I am pretty sure of the answer to my question but, have individuals received invites for the January 13th MD-PhD interview slot???
Yea sure
To be clear, thank you notes are in no way/shape/form necessary and in no way bolster your application - just do it if you want to, not for any other reason (I personally didn't send any during the application season).
Advertisement - Members don't see this ad
+1, not giving up until the date passes lol
Hahaha I like that attitude. It ain't over until it's over. I'd take a short notice interview invite. LOL sigh
How did you find out it was the first Monday in March? I would love to be able to put this date in my calendar and start the tortuously long countdown.
I looked at the past 2013-2014 interview thread 😀 Its not set in stone, but thats when I'll start my emotional breakdown.
No, but I emailed Harvard's Admissions office and they said they typically extend interview invites until the end of January. So faint glimmers of hope remain...
very very faint...
The last interviews are next Thurs.
D
deleted480019
Has anyone got a rejection letter from Harvard? I submitted my secondaries, but haven't heard anything from them yet.
6
632460
.
Last edited by a moderator:
D
deleted480019
Do you know when they send out rejection letters? I have submitted my secondaries, but I haven't heard anything from them. Should I stop hoping?
Advertisement - Members don't see this ad
totally agree!
Anyone know when it's "too late" to send in an update letter (post-interview)? I'm hearing back from a part-time job soon, and I'd like to include it if possible...but I also don't want to include it too late.
EDIT: Should've mentioned the job isn't the only update; there are two publications as well.
EDIT: Should've mentioned the job isn't the only update; there are two publications as well.
Last edited:
I would figure it is not too late. I was under the impression that decisions are made in February during committee meetings. Not entirely sure but that was my sense.
Is getting a part-time job a couple of months before matriculation substantial enough to warrant an update letter? (idk myself, but thought the question was worth asking)
I was under the impression that it should be something really significant like a publication or a fellowship grant. That being said, I think it is school specific. For example, at one interview I had they specifically said to be in touch with updates including things like new grades in coursework. Based on the secondary app and my interview day, I get the feeling that Harvard doesn't want to be bothered with things that are not extremely significant. But if you feel like you have to give it everything you've got, then why not go for it? Another option is wait for a decision, and if it is a wait list, send a letter of intent including updates. I doubt an update about a part-time job would make the difference in the case of rejection. It's worth pointing out I have no privileged information on any med school adcom anywhere.
It's on top of two publications and it's a job in my field of interest. The pubs are the primary update, I'm just debating whether I should send now or wait until I hear back from this job.
Awesome! Congrats. You should def let them know about your pubs. I would not mention the job if you haven't been offered a position yet. If it were me, I would send the update with just the articles. I don't know how prestigious/interesting the job is, but that's my instinct. I got offered authorship on a paper, but haven't updated because it hasn't gotten published; I'm thinking close, but no cigar isn't enough. Plus you could always save it in case you need to write a letter of intent later (hopefully you won't).
I'm gonna go out on a limb based off of applied knowledge of what adcoms say on this site that a part-time job this late in the game (1. it's part-time, 2. it's really short-term) ain't gonna do anything. Much, much, more important for a research school like Harvard to get the news of the pubs in ASAP to up the chances of it being considered in committee.
Top schools do not care for letter of intents. It will get laughed out of the inbox into the trash. Hell, most schools do not care anymore for LOIs, because they're usually just a desperate gasp from worried applicants who will say anything (and DO anything, if you look at the poop hot dog thread....) to get a thick school packet in the mail. Common SDN knowledge (from adcoms' mouths, of course)
I obviously have zero knowledge of what matters to adcoms (if we did would we be on here?), but an admissions rep at Penn told me letters of interest and intent do matter.
Yeah, that's why I emphasized that the source of this stuff comes from the 10+ regular adcoms who frequent these forums. The overwhelming impression that here is that letters of interest that reiterate your interest in a school and why you think you fit even more so than you did after visiting for the interview can do some good, but that letters of intent which swear that you will enroll if admitted are useless. YMMV, every school/officer is different, but there's a lot of evidence here on this site regarding this topic.
I had no idea there was a difference between a letter of intent and a letter of interest. I understand that they are different based on your definitions above (in one you are promising to go somewhere, and I'm not sure that's smart in case you end up changing your mind due to aid etc) but it seems kind of weird that one would be ok and the other would be trashable. Aren't you essentially making the case for why you would be a good addition to the class in both? I don't think a letter of interest after the initial decision would significantly hurt you as long as you're not pestering the admissions office constantly. They are busy and probably get a zillion emails anyway. Sometimes I think we feel pressure to fill out everything; like on my secondary I really had nothing to add, so I didn't and felt bad about it after, but ended up getting an interview. I think the takeaway is that most applicants won't have amazing things to update the adcom on (and that's ok) and it's best to realize you've already made your case for admission, and not waste their time. In your case OP it seems like you've got reasons to update. Also, if you already spoke to an adcom that you trust, why not take their advice?
Can any of the HMS matriculants comment on how they felt their interviews went?
@unfloopy, just send it to the admissions e-mail address: [email protected]
You can write the letter as a pdf or word document and address it to the HMS admissions committee.
You can write the letter as a pdf or word document and address it to the HMS admissions committee.
Hello,
I am a freshmen in college. And I am looking for tips, as they say the early birds gets the worms. You all seem like pleasant people. So can you briefly outlined, the type of activities I should dive into. I will greatly appreciate any advices, so fire away!
I am a freshmen in college. And I am looking for tips, as they say the early birds gets the worms. You all seem like pleasant people. So can you briefly outlined, the type of activities I should dive into. I will greatly appreciate any advices, so fire away!
Advertisement - Members don't see this ad
1. Start with the SDN search function. pls
2. Enjoy college. Do what it is you like, and faceless committees will respond in kind.
3. And remember – sometimes the early bird freezes to death in the cold.
I would add to that, keep an open mind! By all means keep med school on your radar, but you never know what other health care opportunities might await (or maybe not even in health care at all). This is now out of the scope of this forum, but I think good advice going into college 🙂1. Start with the SDN search function. pls
2. Enjoy college. Do what it is you like, and faceless committees will respond in kind.
3. And remember – sometimes the early bird freezes to death in the cold.
Study as hard as you can, then drink equally hard (note: and responsibly) to forget the trauma of the studying you did. Repeat.
Maybe email it too?
Similar threads
