2016-2017 Baylor College of Medicine Application Thread

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OOS applicant here. Was my app a waste of money? There's a big in-state preference, right?
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Healer@1994 said:
OOS applicant here. Was my app a waste of money? There's a big in-state preference, right?
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About 25% out of state admitted, but expected scores are high. 2016 average GPA 3.86 and MCAT 514 according to Baylor's current admissions FAQ page.
 
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Well another Tuesday goes by and no email or status update...still being reviewed. How was everybody else's Tuesday?
 
Honestly really surprised/disappointed I haven't heard something more from TX. Been little over a month since I've gotten the application received emails from schools.
 
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TexasSurgeon said:
Honestly really surprised/disappointed I haven't heard something more from TX. Been little over a month since I've gotten the application received emails from schools.
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Sameeee. Not surprised about BCM but surprised about the other schools
 
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jgear645 said:
Sameeee. Not surprised about BCM but surprised about the other schools
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I mean I get that it's *only* September and that we still have October/November left but I know people who submitted back in May/June with good numbers that haven't gotten anything. What.
 
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II!!! Secondary submitted 8/1/16, Izzy score 71.7, Hispanic -- They have filled 10/14/16 interview and were doing 10/21/16. They send an email as notification with the date on it. You can change the date once. My status never changed and still says my application is under review. Don't worry so much about getting the II, worry about what you will do when you get there. Any advice to help me prepare?
 
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Puerto Rican chick said:
II!!! Secondary submitted 8/1/16, Izzy score 71.7, Hispanic -- They have filled 10/14/16 interview and were doing 10/21/16. They send an email as notification with the date on it. You can change the date once. My status never changed and still says my application is under review. Don't worry so much about getting the II, worry about what you will do when you get there. Any advice to help me prepare?
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Congrats on the II! I guess it is still good news if we still have the " is under review" and haven't heard anything (still in the running, I think) then the other way around of " had been reviewed" and nothing coming after that ( silent rejection, I think).

Advice on how to prepare....well it has been a while since I have been the interviewee, but as the interviewer some things that I would recommend with my 1 cent:

1. Be yourself!! It is a lot easier to be yourself than someone you are not (we can tell)
2. Know your CV ( application) as this is a good starting point for questions
3. Know some history of the school and be able to clearly explain what you can bring to the school
4. Current medical news
5. RELAX and take a few seconds before responding to collect your thoughts and not come across scripted.

Enjoy the experience!! That is just my 1 cent, sorry I can not give your the other cent.

Take care and good luck!

- Toxic
 
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Healer@1994:
OOS applicant here. Was my app a waste of money? There's a big in-state preference, right?

reply from wysdoc:
About 25% out of state admitted, but expected scores are high. 2016 average GPA 3.86 and MCAT 514 according to Baylor's current admissions FAQ page.

~~~~~~~

There is NO QUESTION that odds OOS are long...< 1% chance of matriculation per the numbers (7,000 applicants for 45-50 spots). BUT the rewards are great....even without a scholarship, the tuition could be well less even than your in-state public school(s).

A simple truth: BCM has recently been a top 5 school for average Lizzie M scores (Lizzy M scores of accepted applicants were recently # 4 behind Washington U., Hopkins, and Stanford). Since they do accept 25% OOS, it can be no surprise that 7,000 now apply OOS.

And BCM is at the top, or near the top, always on Step 1 averages, which in turn makes the match lists very solid.

They are too modest when they claim to be America's best private medical school value...we consider them the best value PERIOD in light of modest face tuition OOS
(< $20k) and availability of scholarship money, AND the best bang for the buck given BCM's stellar results.
 
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lodestar said:
Healer@1994:
OOS applicant here. Was my app a waste of money? There's a big in-state preference, right?

reply from wysdoc:
About 25% out of state admitted, but expected scores are high. 2016 average GPA 3.86 and MCAT 514 according to Baylor's current admissions FAQ page.

~~~~~~~

There is NO QUESTION that odds OOS are long...< 1% chance of matriculation per the numbers (7,000 applicants for 45-50 spots). BUT the rewards are great....even without a scholarship, the tuition could be well less even than your in-state public school(s).

A simple truth: BCM has recently been a top 5 school for average Lizzie M scores (Lizzy M scores of accepted applicants were recently # 4 behind Washington U., Hopkins, and Stanford). Since they do accept 25% OOS, it can be no surprise that 7,000 now apply OOS.

And BCM is at the top, or near the top, always on Step 1 averages, which in turn makes the match lists very solid.

They are too modest when they claim to be America's best private medical school value...we consider them the best value PERIOD in light of modest face tuition OOS
(< $20k) and availability of scholarship money, AND the best bang for the buck given BCM's stellar results.
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Hoping for good news :)
 
What are the interviews like (standard, stress, conversational)? Is it 2 faculty or 1 faculty 1 student? What types of questions do they ask (standard why med why baylor, ethical, healthcare news, etc.)? :luck::=|:-):
 
mmm_cats said:
What are the interviews like (standard, stress, conversational)? Is it 2 faculty or 1 faculty 1 student? What types of questions do they ask (standard why med why baylor, ethical, healthcare news, etc.)? :luck::=|:-):
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Mine were both very conversational...I didn't get any weird ethical questions. I had 2 faculty members but I also know a lot of people who had 1 faculty and 1 student. The students are usually MS3's or MS4's. For the large part it was just about various things on my application and personal statement they were interested in and wanted to know more about as well as just who I was as a person outside of all the premed stuff. One thing I noticed (and I don't know if this it something out of the norm that just happened to me or if this happened to others as well) is that neither of my interviewers wrote a single thing down the whole time I was talking. And there were interviewers right after me for both my people I interviewed with so it's not like they had time to write down anything afterwards either. Can anyone else who also interviewed here perhaps comment on this? I'm wondering how they're going to be advocate for/evaluate their interviewees if they have no notes whatsoever!
 
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So y'all will know...you will likely have 2 interviews @ BCM: 1 with a student and 1 with a faculty member. The student interview might even seem more daunting/probing, but generally the interview process is user-friendly @ BCM. It can be a long day...be prepared to walk. Can feel a bit like a cattle call...ask to stay with a student and probe her/him politely.

(from one actual recent BCM candidate):
Interviews obviously go according to the interviewer. My two people asked typical questions of why medicine, strengths and weaknesses, tell me about yourself, etc. Not too many weird questions out of the blue. They were nice, so I feel good about the interviews I had. I think that's the general consensus among us interviewees. Just make sure to smile and be polite!
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*******

Good stuff just above, folks. I have never heard complaints over 4+ application cycles here about daunting/intimidating interviews at BCM-- pretty user-friendly as such things go.

And, thank gawd, none of that weird group interview junk that some schools do (Emory, e.g.) where one self-absorbed idiot dominates the conversation, or gets off on pointless tangents.

Will follow with a post about interviewing generally...it is a learned skill, more intuitive for some than for others.
 
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Hey guys, just got my II today! NO BULLET POINT. I had the standard message before it switched to the new one. I'll be interviewing on Nov 4th!
 
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II! MCAT 516, GPA 3.74. IS. Complete end of July


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile
 
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Is it confirmed that baylor only sends out II's on Tuesdays?
 
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Asclepius1354 said:
Wow, congratulations guys!! Mind sharing stats/complete dates?
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3.75 cGPA (low, but maybe they cut me slack because of an Ivy undergrad?), 514 MCAT, Female ORM, Complete on 7/20 (secondary)
 
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Someone who interviewed at bcm recently told me they don't try to impress and felt like it was all about the weed out. Anyone have a similar experience?

Also, what's their decision schedule? How long/what month does it usually take to hear back?
 
mmm_cats said:
Someone who interviewed at bcm recently told me they don't try to impress and felt like it was all about the weed out. Anyone have a similar experience?

Also, what's their decision schedule? How long/what month does it usually take to hear back?
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What do you mean "all about the weed out?"
 
mmm_cats said:
Someone who interviewed at bcm recently told me they don't try to impress and felt like it was all about the weed out. Anyone have a similar experience?

Also, what's their decision schedule? How long/what month does it usually take to hear back?
Click to expand...

I definitely found Baylor's interview day to be more relaxed, but I think that's because it's more about showing off the culture and students. Baylor is obviously a very good school in an amazing medical center, so I think the interview day is more about getting the feel of the environment and how you feel you fit in here, which is why our interview day is almost entirely student-run. We try to accomplish this by having interviewees stay with students, come to lectures, student-led tours, incorporating students as interviewers, and the interviewee/student social. Please don't take it as Baylor not feeling the need to impress you, we just want to impress you with something different!

I do remember being confused though because Baylor was the last of my Texas interviews, and after lunch at the top of one of the UT Southwestern towers and going to the helicopter landing pad on top of UTH, I was understandably underwhelmed by Baylor's interview day. I did, however, get a better "vibe" from Baylor than the other schools, which ended up being a big factor in my decision. It wasn't until I got to the other side that I realized that this was what Baylor was trying to accomplish.

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As for decision schedule, after your interviews you "score" a certain number of points, which is added to another score that I assume is made from your MCAT, GPA, ECs, essays, recs, etc. No idea how those are weighted. A list is then generated and students are added after each interview day. So a student who interviews late can still get accepted earlier than a student who interviewed early by accruing enough points during the interview. Students are taken off the top of the list and offered acceptance as spots become available. This usually goes until April. (For reference, I interviewed in October and got accepted in February)

That is how it was explained to me by an upperclassman before my interview day, but it may have changed since then because my interview was almost 2 years ago!
 
@pasc0751, thank you for the insight! I'm so excited to have the chance to visit such a great school :) Do you know if applicants who don't stay with a student host can still attend lectures? Also, for the acceptance dates, how early does one need to interview to be considered for the November acceptance date?
 
Skittsie13 said:
@pasc0751, thank you for the insight! I'm so excited to have the chance to visit such a great school :) Do you know if applicants who don't stay with a student host can still attend lectures? Also, for the acceptance dates, how early does one need to interview to be considered for the November acceptance date?
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You do not need to stay with a student to attend the lectures! You can contact the interview program admin, or just direct message me your email/ interview date, and I can have the MS1 student coordinators get in touch with you (probably more reliable than emailing the admins).

As for November acceptance, I have no idea how quickly the turn around is, sorry!
 
pasc0751 said:
As for November acceptance, I have no idea how quickly the turn around is, sorry!
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My understanding is that anyone who interviews before the last admissions committee meeting (typically on Fridays) before they start calling will be considered, but historically, few acceptances go out in that first wave. When I was applying, interviewed early on in the season, but didn't get acceptance until late spring
 
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re:
Someone who interviewed at bcm recently told me they don't try to impress and felt like it was all about the weed out. Anyone have a similar experience?

~~~~~~

BCM simply KNOWS that they are a top program all around...top 5 in Lizzy M averages AND typically #1 (or almost) in Step 1 average...AND a great cost value...and very impressive match lists...throw in the largest medical complex on Earth (the TMC) and Houston dining and activities, and what's not to like?!

It might not seem like a dog and pony show courting you when you interview at BCM. And if you get to interview, they are like all other schools-- trying to see if you fit their student profile. Your odds at that point are about 40%, so be affable/gracious/smile and interested, but not importunate/obsequious. Maintain eye contact. Thank everyone politely for their time and being considered. Have a couple of solid, program-specific questions ready...perhaps about their 18 month preclinical/class period or perhaps their student mentoring program (PRM?).

Dress professionally. Skip the black suits, guys (brings to mind an undertaker). Best to go with the famous IBM look (navy or gray suit; white or blue oxford cloth shirt; burgundy tie). Hide any tats. Hair properly groomed. Chew peppermint gum for your breath (before only).

Others are correct above...it could be MANY months from your interview until the offer might come. And do not fear interviewing late (even late February). You might not get accepted until May, but every MS1 starts classes on an equal footing.
 
mmm_cats said:
Why are the fees so high at BCM? Link: https://www.bcm.edu/education/financial-aid/tuition-fees

The tuition is about the same as other schools in TX but the fees are roughly $5000 higher. What does BCM include in the fees that other TX schools don't?
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So BCM just changed the way it presents its costs this year, so for current students the cost shift from "fees" to "tuition" this year. In truth, I suspect the added cost is purely a consequence of being a private school vs. a public school. Just a suspicion though, I have no evidence to back me up.

I also suspect the previous low-tuition, high fees structure was a marketing strategy to say "Our tuition is the same as other public Texas schools"

Still wickedly less expensive than the other Top 20 schools
 
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re:
Still wickedly less expensive than the other Top 20 schools

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BINGO! If you also look at Harvard, Hopkins, Vandy, Duke, Washington U., and even some state schools, they all also have fees apart from tuition. But if you look at all-in costs, BCM stands out for value/bang for the buck. If you get a 50% scholarship at some schools, you are STILL talking $30k a year in tuition/fees!
 
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Can anyone confirm that Baylor does two 30-minute traditional interviews, not MMI sessions?
 
II just now! So excited :)

AMCAS verified: 9/12
Secondary submitted: 9/23 (my LORs didn't get sent until 9/27)
Interview date: 11/11
 
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TexasSurgeon said:
Slowly giving up hope on BCM and all other TX schools....
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Hey, keep your chin up! BCM interviews until the end of February...and with a class of 185 to fill (~140 from Texas) and a methodical, gradual acceptance approach, there is reason to hope-- until there is not (no II by mid February). :xf: :luck:

Trust me, I know of several who interviewed the last week or so in February, but later got accepted (May) with nice merit scholarship assistance. It was worth the wait! BCM is the bomb.
 
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General Question/Curiosity about the application review stuff. When the Dean of Admissions sends the students application to the committee for consideration. What are the chances of someone getting an interview from that....does the committee sometimes disagree with the Dean? I am curious on this stage of the game What does the committee look at since it has past the Dean of Admissions screening?

Thank you!
 
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