2015-2016 Rutgers University - NJMS Application Thread

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MCATUMOR said:
I had my interview this week and here's my experience. It was my first of the season and I didn't know what to expect. My interview was 75 minutes long and the last 15 minutes was spent with me asking questions. The other 60 minutes was a hold different story. The first 20 minutes of my interview I was literally being quizzed on molecular biology stuff. What's DNA,RNA ? What is the different. What does DNA stands for etc. I was shocked because I didn't expect that. I remembered some of it, the rest I couldn't remember, I felt like I was taking an oral molecular biology quiz or exam. When it was time to speak about myself I literally had a brain freeze. I couldn't remember anything. Then the interviewer told me to relax and take a deep breath then I was able to gather my thoughts and move on. The other 20 minutes was spent speaking about healthcare and how it can be fixed.. I felt so dumb after that interview, I have Know how I did. I guess time will tell.
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Did they mostly ask things that you probably would have encountered studying for the MCAT? (And forgotten, because I know I forgot most of the information by the next week.)
 
USSWasteland said:
Did they mostly ask things that you probably would have encountered studying for the MCAT? (And forgotten, because I know I forgot most of the information by the next week.)
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Yeah they were all basic stuff that I did in genetics but geez I forgot all that stuff...I was like is this an interview or an exam .
 
krnkid1213 said:
was it all with one interviewer? and did you have a student interview?
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You only get 1 interview with a faculty member.
My student interview was way more relaxing although it seems like the student didn't want to b there
 
krnkid1213 said:
just wondering, does anyone know if most interviewees opt to have the student-led interview? do you think it would reflect negatively at all if you don't have the student interview?
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I'd encourage you to opt for a student interview. My student interviewer and I talked a lot about the "softer" aspects of my app, like motivations for medicine and volunteer work. My faculty interviewer focused on my transcript, research, and educational background.

Also, be proactive about asking the lady at the desk about your interview! I was in the waiting room by 1:15PM for a 2PM interview. Everyone else was picked up by their interviewer except me. I was sitting there waiting assuming that someone would pick me up as well...at 2:02PM I was given the office I was supposed to report to. I got there at 2:05PM and got chided for being late :|
 
krnkid1213 said:
just wondering, does anyone know if most interviewees opt to have the student-led interview? do you think it would reflect negatively at all if you don't have the student interview?
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I think most people do sign up for the student interview since it's a nice way to get to know more about the school from an actual med student. Mine was very relaxed and the student seemed to love NJMS, which was nice. But if you don't have time for it, I don't think it will reflect negatively on you at all.
 
Just got an II here. Decided to add this school really late. Got the secondary 9/18 and submitted it about 30min later. IS
 
RV900 said:
Did you get a "bad" grade in Molecular Bio or not do as well on MCAT BS, etc.? Can't figure out why you were asked those Qs.
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No to both either of your questions. I think it was mostly like to see how I would react. Idk just my guess
 
RV900 said:
@MCATUMOR That's strange. I guess they're looking for whoever fits NJMS' vision for its school/students. ...Whatever that means, their mission is unclear to me.
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Having gone to grad school there, I can say with confidence that their mission is to have students with MCAT scores 32 or higher. Sad but true
 
amc896 said:
Having gone to grad school there, I can say with confidence that their mission is to have students with MCAT scores 32 or higher. Sad but true
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I was flipping through their Strategic Vision or whatever it is, and holy crap it was hilarious. I would totally believe it if they wanted exclusively students above a 32. They literally referenced US News and World Report, and also said that "Stature and reputation are important to RBHS". Like lolwut, try harder.

That being said, I guess there's a nonzero chance I end up here, so maybe I should embrace the tryhard and buy American Flag chubbies now.
 
RV900 said:
@amc896 If true- unfortunate, for a state school located where it is.

@USSWasteland Didn't you get an II?
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Yeah, I did. I don't mean to defame the school or anything; like I said, I might even end up going there. But if you read through their strategic plan thing, you definitely get a "social climbing" vibe.
 
amc896 said:
Having gone to grad school there, I can say with confidence that their mission is to have students with MCAT scores 32 or higher. Sad but true
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Yeah, from my interactions with some of the adcom members at NJMS, they definitely want a 32 or higher and even discouraged me from applying ED here because of my mcat score. At least they were honest with me!
 
Based solely upon this thread, it seems like most IIs go out Fridays. Is that really the case, or is that just a coincidence?
 
njtrimed said:
Based solely upon this thread, it seems like most IIs go out Fridays. Is that really the case, or is that just a coincidence?
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Got mine on a not Friday, so I'm gonna go with probably not? However, it was also right after I sent an update e-mail/indicated interest, so maybe that's atypical. No idea. My pre-health advisor led us to believe that sometimes schools will wait to see some interest if they aren't convinced you're interested. Who knows?
 
for those of you who have already interviewed, any advice on how to prepare and what to expect (other than open file format)? appreciate it!
 
Was interviewed last week. My interviewer was very relaxed and just really wanted me to elaborate on my activities list and motivations. Was a great experience.

For those who have been admitted, does anyone know how long I will typically wait to hear? For RD they start telling students on Oct 15th, but since my interview is so close to this date should I expect to not hear back for a while longer?
 
Anyone hear back? Interviewed mid-August and still nothing 🙁
 
I received the acceptance phone call this morning! Interviewed late August. IS 33 MCAT and ~3.8 overall/BCPM.
 
manj10 said:
when was your interview? And stats if you dont mind posting them?
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Sure!
Interviewed 9/21, OOS with strong ties to the state
c/sGPA: 3.92/3.86
MCAT: 35
 
Accepted! So happy 🙂
I am instate and interviewed late September. Thought the interview went badly but I was told on the phone that my interviewer actually gave me a good recommendation!
 
Hi all, just received a phone call of my MD/PhD acceptance to the school. Anyone else? They want me to make a decision in two weeks but I'm still waiting on two more schools and have a lot of factors to consider before deciding... They won't rescind the offer right? What's their policy on this/revisit options?
 
Nkim12 said:
Hi all, just received a phone call of my MD/PhD acceptance to the school. Anyone else? They want me to make a decision in two weeks but I'm still waiting on two more schools and have a lot of factors to consider before deciding... They won't rescind the offer right? What's their policy on this/revisit options?
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You have to submit your deposit within two weeks otherwise you will lose your spot in the class, but you can get a full refund if you tell the school that you will not be attending by April 30th.
http://njms.rutgers.edu/admissions/prospective/admitted_students.cfm
 
Should i call or email them since I interviewed early September but have not heard anything yet?
 
A7X said:
When were you complete?
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I never received a complete email from NJMS. My committee letter was uploaded to AMCAS late September, but I'm still getting complete notifications from other schools, so I'm guessing sometime this month.
 
amc896 said:
Having gone to grad school there, I can say with confidence that their mission is to have students with MCAT scores 32 or higher. Sad but true
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ayy lmao

A shame for a state school to be like that, especially when you consider its history and Newark riots.
 
itsogre said:
ayy lmao

A shame for a state school to be like that, especially when you consider its history and Newark riots.
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I mean my understanding is that Rutgers sees UVA, Ann Arbor, Chapel Hill and the like and asks itself, "Why can't I be like that?" New Jersey has the students to populate a medical school with incredible stats. It's just a matter of convincing the students to want to stay in New Jersey. I know I personally am not exactly enthused about returning to NJ after spending time in a different environment.
 
amc896 said:
Having gone to grad school there, I can say with confidence that their mission is to have students with MCAT scores 32 or higher. Sad but true
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So if someone had below a 32 MCAT but a really strong application otherwise (top 5 undergrad, great ECs, great LORs)...should they expect not to even get an II? I'm IS here and was really hoping to hear back but I've heard nothing yet (complete around 8/20ish). Do you guys think I should send in a letter updating my application and expressing more interest in the school?

Thanks and CONGRATS to everyone who got in! you guys are amazing!
 
soswim said:
So if someone had below a 32 MCAT but a really strong application otherwise (top 5 undergrad, great ECs, great LORs)...should they expect not to even get an II? I'm IS here and was really hoping to hear back but I've heard nothing yet (complete around 8/20ish). Do you guys think I should send in a letter updating my application and expressing more interest in the school?

Thanks and CONGRATS to everyone who got in! you guys are amazing!
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The average is like a 32.5 for the matriculating class according to their website. So almost half of the people that matriculate are below a 32.
 
I had my interview recently, and Dr. Heinrich (the dean of admissions) came and sat with us for about 30 minutes during lunch to talk to us and answer questions. My impression was that this doesn't happen at every interview day. Did anyone else who has already interviewed have the same experience?
 
bloob said:
I had my interview recently, and Dr. Heinrich (the dean of admissions) came and sat with us for about 30 minutes during lunch to talk to us and answer questions. My impression was that this doesn't happen at every interview day. Did anyone else who has already interviewed have the same experience?
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From my understanding, he's only there on Thursdays, but when he is there he is very involved with the whole process. Based on past years' threads, I think he also does interview some students.
 
njtrimed said:
From my understanding, he's only there on Thursdays, but when he is there he is very involved with the whole process. Based on past years' threads, I think he also does interview some students.
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I was on a Thursday and he came and talked with us. So n=1, maybe?
 
That's awesome that he sat with you guys and talked! Dean Heinrich is really leaving an impression on me. He's very welcoming and treats us like real people and not just fish in a sea.
 
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