2015-2016 Georgetown University Application Thread

[misterwives]

---

Members don't see this ad.

My application only shows Why have you chosen to apply to the Georgetown University School of Medicine and how do you think your education at Georgetown will prepare you to become a physician for the future? (1-2 pages)...

Me too. Anyone else? Do the rest of the questions appear once you upload this essay and click "Save and continue?"

 

[mazarine]

@misterwives The other two questions can be found under "Personal Info," not "Essays."

 

[ch1cag0]

Hi everyone, I received this email:

Dear 2016 Applicant,

Our Secondary Application provider has changed this year and unfortunately, our former provider sent last year's invitation in error. Please disregard the ApplyYourself email and application entirely.

All verified AMCAS applicants will receive an invitation to complete our new Secondary Application in AMP, which may be accessed at apply.som.georgetown.edu.

We look forward to reviewing your application and appreciate your understanding.

Sincerely,

Office of Admissions
Georgetown University School of Medicine

This may be a dumb question but...when I click on the link to go to the secondary application, how do I know what my Login Name is? I've already tried my AAMC ID number and the PIN number I received from the "ApplyYourself" email...🙁

 

[nwts]

Hi everyone, I received this email:

Dear 2016 Applicant,

Our Secondary Application provider has changed this year and unfortunately, our former provider sent last year's invitation in error. Please disregard the ApplyYourself email and application entirely.

All verified AMCAS applicants will receive an invitation to complete our new Secondary Application in AMP, which may be accessed at apply.som.georgetown.edu.

We look forward to reviewing your application and appreciate your understanding.

Sincerely,

Office of Admissions
Georgetown University School of Medicine

This may be a dumb question but...when I click on the link to go to the secondary application, how do I know what my Login Name is? I've already tried my AAMC ID number and the PIN number I received from the "ApplyYourself" email...🙁

You should have also received another email that didn't talk at all about ApplyYourself that listed a Login Name and password. Those are the ones you should use. If you don't believe you have the other email, check you spam folder. If it isn't there, wait a few days, and if you don't get it, contact them and let them know that you never got the email with the correct login information.

 

[ch1cag0]

@nwts that makes sense, thanks!

 

[nwts]

@nwts that makes sense, thanks!

You're welcome!

 

[Jalby]

@Jalby wouldn't be impressed with their secondary mix up

Not impressed at all.

And in my day, what they did was the only people they ever actually accepted was people who were willing to write letters of intent. They did this so that their "selectivity" was way low and they could brag that "we are Georgetown, not everybody gets in." In reality tho, about 50% could get in if they wrote letters of intent.

Considering how they are gaming the system, if I were you I would write a letter of intent to get an early acceptance and then withdraw when you get into a better school.

 

[itsallgood123]

Is there any further information that you would like the Committee on Admissions to be aware of when reviewing your file that you were not able to notate in another section of this or the AMCAS Application? (1000 char)

Anybody find out what to do with this question?

 

[TurkDorian]

Is there any further information that you would like the Committee on Admissions to be aware of when reviewing your file that you were not able to notate in another section of this or the AMCAS Application? (1000 char)

Anybody find out what to do with this question?

I'm assuming you can talk about things such as bad grades, etc...

 

[toffee_bloom]

Ugh, I just can't myself to write the "Why Georgetown" essay...

 

[nRomaleos]

Ugh, I just can't myself to write the "Why Georgetown" essay...

Although we shouldn't try to fit the essay character count, but it does imply the amount of detail they want. I mean 2000 or even 3500 would be reasonable. 5000...

 

[toffee_bloom]

Although we shouldn't try to fit the essay character count, but it does imply the amount of detail they want. I mean 2000 or even 3500 would be reasonable. 5000...

I've literally gone through their site and the MSAR and gathered all the information I could about them. I haven't even read that though, no motivation. It will basically be a "let me kiss your rump by telling you how awesome you are."

I feel like that's what they want.

 

[RhinB]

Is there any further information that you would like the Committee on Admissions to be aware of when reviewing your file that you were not able to notate in another section of this or the AMCAS Application? (1000 char)

Anybody find out what to do with this question?

I've literally scoured through the previous year's Georgetown thread and found nothing that addresses this lol.

 

[nRomaleos]

I've literally gone through their site and the MSAR and gathered all the information I could about them. I haven't even read that though, no motivation. It will basically be a "let me kiss your rump by telling you how awesome you are."

I feel like that's what they want.

It appears that because they are high-yield, they're putting up this long one only to attract those who really like GT or are really determined.

 

[toffee_bloom]

Honestly, if I had looked at the secondary prompt beforehand I probably would have gone with George Washington...but this is one of the schools I added at the last minute so I really do want to at least give it a shot.

 

[nwts]

Although we shouldn't try to fit the essay character count, but it does imply the amount of detail they want. I mean 2000 or even 3500 would be reasonable. 5000...

Where are you seeing a character count? I know last year's was 5000, but my secondary just says 1-2 pages. This can be interpreted to mean single-spaced or double-spaced, but I assumed double-spaced since that is the standard for most pieces of writing. Mine is a page and a half double-spaced, and it is just a little over 3000 characters.

 

[RhinB]

Where are you seeing a character count? I know last year's was 5000, but my secondary just says 1-2 pages. This can be interpreted to mean single-spaced or double-spaced, but I assumed double-spaced since that is the standard for most pieces of writing. Mine is a page and a half double-spaced, and it is just a little over 3000 characters.

The 5000 character count is what you said - from last year's. Honestly I don't think you need to use 5000 characters and your 3000 is probably great. I think they made it only say 1-2 pages this year so that people write less than before...if you say "5000 character limit" most people tend to reach that limit assuming it's some requirement. 3ooo - 4000 sounds like the perfect range to me and that's what I'm planning on doing.

 

[yicksin]

Is there any further information that you would like the Committee on Admissions to be aware of when reviewing your file that you were not able to notate in another section of this or the AMCAS Application? (1000 char)

Anybody find out what to do with this question?

I just used this to update them on my summer and to tell them about my gap year plans, since the thing I'm doing this summer started after I submitted AMCAS so I didn't get a chance to mention it anywhere.

 

[orangetea]

can they reject you based on your headshot.....

 

[justadream]

can they reject you based on your headshot.....

Well appearances do matter (see Legally Blond).

 

[nwts]

can they reject you based on your headshot.....

I am going to assume this question was asked in earnest. If it wasn't, my apologies.

Anyways, yes, they can look down upon you and even reject you based on your picture. However, schools don't really do that unless your picture shows poor judgment. If it is a selfie taken in your bathroom, a picture of you in a bathing suit, a picture that includes lewd hand gestures, etc., then you very well could get rejected because of it. If you are just worried because you feel that your shirt isn't the most flattering or your smile looks weird, they won't notice.

 

[orangetea]

I am going to assume this question was asked in earnest. If it wasn't, my apologies.

Anyways, yes, they can look down upon you and even reject you based on your picture. However, schools don't really do that unless your picture shows poor judgment. If it is a selfie taken in your bathroom, a picture of you in a bathing suit, a picture that includes lewd hand gestures, etc., then you very well could get rejected because of it. If you are just worried because you feel that your shirt isn't the most flattering or your smile looks weird, they won't notice.

I took a "professional" picture but at my house.. I am put together and everything but it's not one of those linkedin type of head shots.

 

[grey_wind]

I took a "professional" picture but at my house.. I am put together and everything but it's not one of those linkedin type of head shots.

Exactly what I'm planning to do!

 

[nwts]

I took a "professional" picture but at my house.. I am put together and everything but it's not one of those linkedin type of head shots.

As long as the background is neutral and you are dressed professionally, I doubt anyone will notice anything.

 

[MarcyTweets]

I took a "professional" picture but at my house.. I am put together and everything but it's not one of those linkedin type of head shots.

I just took a picture from the shoulders up against a plain wall in my house - wore a blouse and blazer!

 

[parachichi]

Most schools won't have your letters yet, even if they have been on the AMCAS for a while. My status for every school I've gotten a secondary from says they don't have mine, even though the AMCAS has them. I think most schools are trying to get caught up with sending out secondaries before they start downloading letters.

So to be clear - we don't have to do anything with letters, correct? AMCAS will just send them to all our schools?

 

[nwts]

So to be clear - we don't have to do anything with letters, correct? AMCAS will just send them to all our schools?

As long as they were sent to the AMCAS and you designated those letters to Georgetown, they'll get them in due time.

 

[kinda_desperate]

anyone else having technical issues with secondary payment?

 

[neonghost]

Is anyone else completely stumped by the Why Georgetown Essay. And it's length?? How are you guys "formatting" it?

 

[nwts]

Is anyone else completely stumped by the Why Georgetown Essay. And it's length?? How are you guys "formatting" it?

I don't quite understand what you're asking. Do you want to know more about their specifications for length, or are you asking how people are able to write that much? When you ask how people are formatting it, which specific formatting issues are you referring to?

 

[IlyaR]

I'm not entirely understanding this prompt:
The Georgetown University School of Medicine strives to ensure that its students become respectful physicians who embrace all dimensions of caring for the whole person. Please describe how your personal characteristics or life experiences will contribute to the Georgetown University School of Medicine community and bring educational benefits to our student body.

Don't really see how the first sentence has anything to do with the other. Seems like a mission statement thrown in before the question

 

[nwts]

I view it as being something along the lines of: "We want something kind of like a diversity statement, but please don't just tell us something that makes you different from others without providing any real significance to the medical field. We want to hear about something that makes you uniquely able to offer quality medical care."

 

[spiderqueen]

This one and Duke are seriously festering in my figurative secondary pipeline (read: Google doc).

 

[spiderqueen]

They have a **** ton, and no word or character limits. Somehow, I need to find the restraint to be concise. Same goes for the Why Georgetown? behemoth essay.

 

[G.NA]

Haha I've heard that Duke is a pain. Do they really have about 12 or so essays?

Hardly...they have 4 required, 1 optional. I think people just complain because they're boring premeds and don't have enough material to write about lol

 

[Affiche]

I can't fit my answer into the 1,000 character limit for the first response yet I won't even use half of the allotted space for second one. I wish they gave ~2 pages to answer both questions and left it up to us how to allocate our space!

Update: I sound like such a kiss @ss in the long essay.

 

[overanxiety93]

Anyone that submitted the secondary have the complete application? I submitted on 7/2 but it still says my application is incomplete due to my letters. Anyone got their letters in?

 

[neonghost]

I don't quite understand what you're asking. Do you want to know more about their specifications for length, or are you asking how people are able to write that much? When you ask how people are formatting it, which specific formatting issues are you referring to?

They say 1-2 pages formatted any way we want. So is that double spaced? Single? 6000 characters? Word limit? Is there too little or too much?

 

[MarcyTweets]

Anyone that submitted the secondary have the complete application? I submitted on 7/2 but it still says my application is incomplete due to my letters. Anyone got their letters in?

I am in the same boat! Submitted last week but my letters still are not there for some reasons

 

[nwts]

They say 1-2 pages formatted any way we want. So is that double spaced? Single? 6000 characters? Word limit? Is there too little or too much?

I think the issue of single-spaced vs. double-spaced is really open for interpretation. I assumed double-spaced since that is generally the standard for pieces of writing. I think you could probably also do 1.5-spaced. I probably wouldn't go for a full 2 pages single-spaced, though, as that is significantly longer than your personal statement. Since they are having every one of their thousands of applicants write these, I don't think they want to read over 1,000 words of writing from each person. As far as character and word limits, there aren't any. They don't state a character or word limit and you submit it by uploading a file (not pasting into a text box), so that means they don't have a formal word or character limit.

 

[Master3930]

I am in the same boat! Submitted last week but my letters still are not there for some reasons

same problem with me too

 

[breezy16]

same problem with me too

They said to wait approximately 10 days for notice of completion (aka checking LOR is in)

They get such a high load that the time doesn't surprise me

 

[BurghMed]

Just received email confirming complete application. "...has been forwarded to the Committee on Admissions for review"

 

[ProperPurplePeopleEater]

Just received email confirming complete application. "...has been forwarded to the Committee on Admissions for review"

+1

 

[hrbird]

It took me forever to write this essay, but I have finally done it... I'm going to have my advisor look it over on Monday before I submit it though.

 

[spiderqueen]

I did single-spaced, about 1 page and a bit over. Around 5000 characters with spaces.

That $130 application fee stung, though.

 

[nwts]

Just received email confirming complete application. "...has been forwarded to the Committee on Admissions for review"

I received this email as well.

 

[grey_wind]

For the essay- can we abbreviate (aka call it Georgetown or maybe GUSOM...if that's a thing..) or should we refer to the school in its entirety each time as "Georgetown University School of Medicine" ?

 

[mk2015]

For the essay- can we abbreviate (aka call it Georgetown or maybe GUSOM...if that's a thing..) or should we refer to the school in its entirety each time as "Georgetown University School of Medicine" ?

I think the general consensus is to use the same abbreviation the school uses. In this case, I'm pretty sure it's GUSOM. I've just been using the whole name the first time, then abbreviation.

 

[FRoz34]

Has anyone else had trouble getting the application fee to submit?