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2015-2016 Harvard Medical School Application Thread
Started by Ismet
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At least I don't have to keep constantly checking my email today...but who am I kidding...
Even if we don't get in, the fact is that we were offered an interview at the Harvard. That means that they thought we were good enough to get into one of the best schools. That's still a great feeling no matter what. I would happily frame my waitlisted or rejection letter 🙂
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*sigh* haha, I still have my dad's acceptance letter sent in Feb 13 , 1981....at least I kinda know what an acceptance letter looks like?
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...nah, it's still pretty important to get in 😉
You legacies are so cool
The apple doesn't fall far from the tree and good grief medicine is a small ass orchard
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Sarcasm?
Haha well I have two siblings and they went down the law and engineering track. When I told my dad I wanted to be a doctor he was pretty shocked and jokingly said, "What did I do wrong?"
I'm sorry, but I have to ask you legacy folks: did your HMS interviewers bring it up? I have a friend who was a legacy applicant at Johns Hopkins this year, and he tells me it came up in a big way.
For those inclined to wonder: he was rejected post-interview.
For those inclined to wonder: he was rejected post-interview.
I realize my responding makes me the pot calling the kettle black here, but what did this add to the discussion and why did we all need to read it? You just really don't need to post rude/sarcastic/condescending in your postings all the time.
No worries! I have always said I am pretty sure it's a huge (if not the only) reason I received an interview. Neither of my interviewers really brought up his having attended Harvard. I believe one commented on it but that was because I had mentioned that my father and I also attended the same undergraduate institution (very conversational interview). The second didn't touch on my legacy at all. I have to add that my case may be different from most - my father passed away. On top of that, my biggest EC is something I started because of his passing (my PS was about this.) So basically, he was a huge topic of conversation at all of my interviews.
No, I just really appreciate it when people offer such useful information about themselves in a time of need on a thread like this
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You really are unbelievably snide and rude.
The joy of public forums is that they're for everyone. Which means that they're free to discuss what they'd like, and it isn't up to anyone but the mods to decide if it's appropriate for the thread.
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I was under the impression that we weren't expecting any more news today.
Anyways, speaking of dads and given that many of us have pokemon avatars, and to distract people, thought I'd post my favorite pokemon comic of all time:
lol this is ridic. Bad attitude is about 1000x more important a factor in an admissions decision than legacy.
Let's just drop it, guys. Every time I see a new alert on this thread, I expect to hear that someone did get in today and that my chances are kaput. I imagine there's a similar reaction for many others on here. The small ego-satisfaction anyone could win in this argument is not worth the anxiety.
what are you guys talking about i got the email today?! i got in 🙂🙂🙂🙂
Check your spam
Check your spam
Stop.
Hahaha not cool dude... X )
Did you find this in your spam folder while taking a break from starting multiple forums to look for personal statement editors? Seeing as you haven't even applied, why don't you just slip out of here before you're completely torn to shreds...
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LOL LOL "torn to shreds" thats hilarious
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@Kylie317 is kylie a female name right?
I'm intrigued to see how you work my gender into this... But please, by all means, continue derailing the thread.
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Well Honestly the way i was going to work your gender into this was by asking you if your attractive and if you are, i was going to invite you to come look at my spam folder and sort through my acceptances with me and it would be a fun date 😉
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Lmaoo oh thank you @Regina_Phalange lol loving the friends reference btw
After the weird direction this thread took today, I looked at this thread from years prior and found some great posts:
@luckystr1ke
Hi Guys,
A few words from someone who lived this process last year:
First and foremost, congratulations. The fact that you are still waiting for acceptances in March means one thing and one thing only: you have interviewed at the some of the greatest institutions of medical education in the world. You are among the finest applicants in the entire 2013-2014 application pool. For that, you deserve to be proud.
As you may have already experienced, the medical school application process is extremely unpredictable. There are so many subjective variables that go into whether or not you are accepted at a given school. Far too often, we make the mistake of interpreting the list of schools we are accepted/rejected from as a reflection of our intrinsic worth. However, that’s the wrong way to think about things. The fact that you’ve been selected for interviews means that you’ve been identified as folks who have demonstrated excellence to this point and who are projected to continue demonstrating excellence for the rest of your careers. THAT is what you should take away from this process. The dreams that you have of impacting this world are no longer just far-fetched ideals – they should now be realistic expectations.
When the news of your admissions decisions comes forward, remember to be gracious in all things. You may be unbelievably excited by your results, and that’s okay. Just always remember that there are others who worked every bit as hard as you but haven’t enjoyed the success you’re enjoying. You may be heartbroken by your results, and that’s okay too. Just always remember that you have still already been tremendously blessed.
No matter what happens this month, always remember that you are the pride and joy of your family. You are the fulfillment of the dreams your parents have dreamt since the days they prepared to bring you into this world. You have completed a grueling process and have been accepted to medical school. You have represented your loved ones proudly and carried your family's legacy one step forward. You should be proud of yourselves. I, for one, am proud of you.
With love,
Luckystr1ke
@Anonymous1991
Figured I would post my thoughts before you all hear back today.
I came into this application cycle feeling as if I was a very strong applicant, and that a school like Harvard was well within my reach. What I have learned, however, both through my cycle results and from fellow applicants on the interview trail, is that I was quite mistaken. At first I was incredibly bitter about being passed over for other applicants because of clinical exposure, volunteer experience, etc. - things that at the time I considered all "part of the game" of medical school admissions. Looking back now, though, I am truly humbled as I consider the accomplishments and experiences of people like you, sitting here waiting to hear back from such a prestigious school.
I would be lying if I said it didn't hurt to not even get the chance to interview at Harvard, but truthfully I have now grown to think that I probably didn't deserve to. You all have done amazing things with your lives thus far, and will, without a doubt, grow to become amazing physicians - something you should remember regardless of the content of your decision today. In short, take a second today to think back to all that you have done up to this point in your lives, and all you have done to get to where you are now. I think sometimes we all get so caught up in the stress and insanity of this process that we don't ever stop to give ourselves credit for what we have already accomplished. You are all deserving of a great medical education, and should know that your experiences and success thus far inspire people like me to continue to push ourselves throughout our education and to strive to achieve even more. So good luck today - I hope to work with some of you down the line in our careers!
tl;dr: Congrats on your success so far - don't let today's outcome change your perception of what you have already accomplished!
@TheKDizzle
I just want to take this minute to remind everyone that the limiting factor in the admissions process at most schools, Harvard included, is the number of seats available, not the talent in the applicant pool. Each and every one of you is incredibly talented and capable of just about anything. Whether you get in or not at one particular school does not change that AT ALL. Harvard could fill its class over again with qualified people who would succeed and do great here.
It is hard not to take these things personally with the amount of work and effort we all have put into our medical school goals, but medical school decisions are NOT reflective of our qualities, abilities, or "worthiness". Those are things that are demonstrated with dedication over long periods of time, and you have all already done so. Tomorrow doesn't change that. We would be lucky to have you guys join us!
Sorry if I'm rambling, but I think it's important to set aside a moment and reflect on the possible outcomes and how you will internalize them before they occur.
Best of luck for tomorrow everyone (or whatever day of the week we hear back)!
@luckystr1ke
Hi Guys,
A few words from someone who lived this process last year:
First and foremost, congratulations. The fact that you are still waiting for acceptances in March means one thing and one thing only: you have interviewed at the some of the greatest institutions of medical education in the world. You are among the finest applicants in the entire 2013-2014 application pool. For that, you deserve to be proud.
As you may have already experienced, the medical school application process is extremely unpredictable. There are so many subjective variables that go into whether or not you are accepted at a given school. Far too often, we make the mistake of interpreting the list of schools we are accepted/rejected from as a reflection of our intrinsic worth. However, that’s the wrong way to think about things. The fact that you’ve been selected for interviews means that you’ve been identified as folks who have demonstrated excellence to this point and who are projected to continue demonstrating excellence for the rest of your careers. THAT is what you should take away from this process. The dreams that you have of impacting this world are no longer just far-fetched ideals – they should now be realistic expectations.
When the news of your admissions decisions comes forward, remember to be gracious in all things. You may be unbelievably excited by your results, and that’s okay. Just always remember that there are others who worked every bit as hard as you but haven’t enjoyed the success you’re enjoying. You may be heartbroken by your results, and that’s okay too. Just always remember that you have still already been tremendously blessed.
No matter what happens this month, always remember that you are the pride and joy of your family. You are the fulfillment of the dreams your parents have dreamt since the days they prepared to bring you into this world. You have completed a grueling process and have been accepted to medical school. You have represented your loved ones proudly and carried your family's legacy one step forward. You should be proud of yourselves. I, for one, am proud of you.
With love,
Luckystr1ke
@Anonymous1991
Figured I would post my thoughts before you all hear back today.
I came into this application cycle feeling as if I was a very strong applicant, and that a school like Harvard was well within my reach. What I have learned, however, both through my cycle results and from fellow applicants on the interview trail, is that I was quite mistaken. At first I was incredibly bitter about being passed over for other applicants because of clinical exposure, volunteer experience, etc. - things that at the time I considered all "part of the game" of medical school admissions. Looking back now, though, I am truly humbled as I consider the accomplishments and experiences of people like you, sitting here waiting to hear back from such a prestigious school.
I would be lying if I said it didn't hurt to not even get the chance to interview at Harvard, but truthfully I have now grown to think that I probably didn't deserve to. You all have done amazing things with your lives thus far, and will, without a doubt, grow to become amazing physicians - something you should remember regardless of the content of your decision today. In short, take a second today to think back to all that you have done up to this point in your lives, and all you have done to get to where you are now. I think sometimes we all get so caught up in the stress and insanity of this process that we don't ever stop to give ourselves credit for what we have already accomplished. You are all deserving of a great medical education, and should know that your experiences and success thus far inspire people like me to continue to push ourselves throughout our education and to strive to achieve even more. So good luck today - I hope to work with some of you down the line in our careers!
tl;dr: Congrats on your success so far - don't let today's outcome change your perception of what you have already accomplished!
@TheKDizzle
I just want to take this minute to remind everyone that the limiting factor in the admissions process at most schools, Harvard included, is the number of seats available, not the talent in the applicant pool. Each and every one of you is incredibly talented and capable of just about anything. Whether you get in or not at one particular school does not change that AT ALL. Harvard could fill its class over again with qualified people who would succeed and do great here.
It is hard not to take these things personally with the amount of work and effort we all have put into our medical school goals, but medical school decisions are NOT reflective of our qualities, abilities, or "worthiness". Those are things that are demonstrated with dedication over long periods of time, and you have all already done so. Tomorrow doesn't change that. We would be lucky to have you guys join us!
Sorry if I'm rambling, but I think it's important to set aside a moment and reflect on the possible outcomes and how you will internalize them before they occur.
Best of luck for tomorrow everyone (or whatever day of the week we hear back)!
Will we know tomorrow? Will the truth be set free?
This is great. Thank you so much for compiling these. I'm sure you will be a great classmate to those around you, wherever you go. [emoji4]
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As the day comes to a close it seems fitting to post this:
Best of luck to everyone, I hope we get good news soon!
Best of luck to everyone, I hope we get good news soon!
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Thanks for calling! They're probably going to stick to March 3rd as noted on the MSAR. Until then I'll be reminding myself to relax and respira.
The HMS financial aid application opens on 3/5. I wrote that off some time ago as an indication that decisions would come out 3/4--although I understand that's just conjecture.
https://nlbsp.med.harvard.edu/FinAidApp/
https://nlbsp.med.harvard.edu/FinAidApp/
This is an impressive level of stalking and I mean that in the most supportive possible way. Sweet.
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Hi guys! I'm a current student (Pathways), and I've posted on here under a different name before but for the sake of anonymity I'm using a different account now. I'm involved in admissions and I wanted to say that current students were told that decisions are being released tomorrow (3/2), so for those of you that prefer a firm date, that is what we were told today. Remember, one school doesn't mean anything about your quality as a future doctor - a large part of this is random, unfortunately, and HMS gets a lot of great applications so decisions can be really difficult. There are certain things they look for that really change year-to-year, so even for us involved in admissions it can be very tough to say what an applicant's decision would be before discussing him or her in the context of the rest of the class. Good luck!
PS: Revisit looks like it's going to be awesome, so anyone who can should definitely come! Also, I'm happy to answer any questions about Pathways, Boston, etc. over PM.
PS: Revisit looks like it's going to be awesome, so anyone who can should definitely come! Also, I'm happy to answer any questions about Pathways, Boston, etc. over PM.
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