2016-2017 SUNY - Downstate Application Thread

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I'm arriving here super early in the morning because of my flight...is there anywhere in or near the school where I can change and chill for a few hours? It looks like there's a Dunkin by the school, but idk how realistic/accessible of an option that is. I also have a car here, can I just chill in my car for a few hours before the interview, or can I not access it after the valet partking?
 
Does anyone have recommendations for decent hotels near the school? I've got an interview coming up but haven't been able to find any hotel suggestions on the school's website.

I personally stayed in The Brooklyn A Hotel. Great price for the location and quality of room. Wonderful continental breakfast of lox and bagels, cereal, fruit and usual breakfast beverages.

I had a morning interview and it took me roughly 20 minutes to arrive by Uber.

Also, really loved my interview. They really seem to give a comprehensive but individualized learning experience. Also thoroughly impressed by the clinical education mentioned here by the student tour leaders.
 
I'm arriving here super early in the morning because of my flight...is there anywhere in or near the school where I can change and chill for a few hours? It looks like there's a Dunkin by the school, but idk how realistic/accessible of an option that is. I also have a car here, can I just chill in my car for a few hours before the interview, or can I not access it after the valet partking?

I think you wont have access to the car after the valet parking. When I interviewed there last year, they drove off and parked it somewhere. I assume DD will be busy in the AM, since everyone will be trying to get their morning Joe. I believe there is CVS or Walgreens pharmacy with parking lot where you can park and wait if you arrive early.

IMHO:
If you are flying in to JFK, I would recommend changing and chilling at the terminal and then driving to the interview. Just give yourself enough time for driving, traffic is pretty bad in the AM. Most terminals are good at JFK and if you are flying with AA, you can buy a pass to Admirals club and change/relax there.

Good luck on the interview!






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Me too! Do you know what this means for MD? I know they said the two schools were independent of each other but I'm just curious how many people get into MPH but not MD?
Well we're about to find out!
 
I think you wont have access to the car after the valet parking. When I interviewed there last year, they drove off and parked it somewhere. I assume DD will be busy in the AM, since everyone will be trying to get their morning Joe. I believe there is CVS or Walgreens pharmacy with parking lot where you can park and wait if you arrive early.

IMHO:
If you are flying in to JFK, I would recommend changing and chilling at the terminal and then driving to the interview. Just give yourself enough time for driving, traffic is pretty bad in the AM. Most terminals are good at JFK and if you are flying with AA, you can buy a pass to Admirals club and change/relax there.

Good luck on the interview!






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Thank you, that was helpful! I drive in LA regularly, so hopefully it's not too much worse than that.
Do you know if the DD has seating so I can grab breakfast there?
 
Thank you, that was helpful! I drive in LA regularly, so hopefully it's not too much worse than that.
Do you know if the DD has seating so I can grab breakfast there?

Sorry, that I dont know.


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I personally stayed in The Brooklyn A Hotel. Great price for the location and quality of room. Wonderful continental breakfast of lox and bagels, cereal, fruit and usual breakfast beverages.

I had a morning interview and it took me roughly 20 minutes to arrive by Uber.

Also, really loved my interview. They really seem to give a comprehensive but individualized learning experience. Also thoroughly impressed by the clinical education mentioned here by the student tour leaders.

Thank you! I'm glad you loved your interview. It definitely seems to be a really amazing school!
 
Thank you, that was helpful! I drive in LA regularly, so hopefully it's not too much worse than that.
Do you know if the DD has seating so I can grab breakfast there?

it does not. you can barely walk in it cause its real tiny and busy...though they do consistently get my money (especially during exams week...like now). There is a cafeteria at the school you can chill in for a little though (they also serve breakfast).Def use the valet and do not opt for street parking if you have a car with you.

edit: dunkin also doesnt have a bathroom lol
 
it does not. you can barely walk in it cause its real tiny and busy...though they do consistently get my money (especially during exams week...like now). There is a cafeteria at the school you can chill in for a little though (they also serve breakfast).Def use the valet and do not opt for street parking if you have a car with you.

edit: dunkin also doesnt have a bathroom lol
Haha, that's what I was afraid of. Thanks for suggesting the cafeteria, I'll probably hang out there for a while and get breakfast. Really wish I could just crash in my car for a few hours, I have a 11am interview and I fly in at 5😳
 
Just want to make sure.. Does the school have a place for interviewees to store their luggage? :/
 
I'm arriving here super early in the morning because of my flight...is there anywhere in or near the school where I can change and chill for a few hours? It looks like there's a Dunkin by the school, but idk how realistic/accessible of an option that is. I also have a car here, can I just chill in my car for a few hours before the interview, or can I not access it after the valet partking?

There's an Hourly parking garage right next to Kings County! (on Clarkson Ave) If you just want to chill in your car, I'd say idle until you get a park in front of SUNY Downstate (best option because then you wouldn't have to pay) or idle and park in the garage. You can always change inside Downstate right before your interview.
 
Thank you, that was helpful! I drive in LA regularly, so hopefully it's not too much worse than that.
Do you know if the DD has seating so I can grab breakfast there?

There's a subway that has seating next door! (There are multiple stations in there so people often bring outside in to eat)
 
There's an Hourly parking garage right next to Kings County! (on Clarkson Ave) If you just want to chill in your car, I'd say idle until you get a park in front of SUNY Downstate (best option because then you wouldn't have to pay) or idle and park in the garage. You can always change inside Downstate right before your interview.
Thanks! I'll keep that in mind!
 
There's an Hourly parking garage right next to Kings County! (on Clarkson Ave) If you just want to chill in your car, I'd say idle until you get a park in front of SUNY Downstate (best option because then you wouldn't have to pay) or idle and park in the garage. You can always change inside Downstate right before your interview.
Do you happen to know the rates for the garage?

Edit: found it. Any reason to not just go with that instead of the valet parking?
 
Do you happen to know the rates for the garage?

Edit: found it. Any reason to not just go with that instead of the valet parking?

I think the Valet parking is one flat rate of $10, whereas the garage can run you quite a bit depending on how long you're parked there.
 
They didn't love your app.. you still have a chance I'm just saying not everyone gets interviews lol. Even if you have great stats and they are higher than the school's medians


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okay i just figured if that was the case then they would just reject me no?
 
withdrew today and had to miss my interview b/c of sickness, and missed it last month b/c hurricane cancelled flight. feels bad 🙁
 
Authentic Caribbean food.??? Ha ha . Nothing authentic about the Caribbean food that they serve. But it's the best you are going to get in USA. I just don't think the restaurant around that area are particularly good .
Yeah I
Authentic Caribbean food.??? Ha ha . Nothing authentic about the Caribbean food that they serve. But it's the best you are going to get in USA. I just don't think the restaurant around that area are particularly good .
I guess I see what you're saying. But I grew up in that area, until age 15, and there are a lot of first generation Caribbean immigrants, and being Caribbean myself I think the food is pretty authentic, but that's just me. You have to walk to Flatbush Ave or even Church Avenue though, and know which stores to go to, I've had 15 years to shop around I guess. But there are some great authentic spots.
 
Yeah I

I guess I see what you're saying. But I grew up in that area, until age 15, and there are a lot of first generation Caribbean immigrants, and being Caribbean myself I think the food is pretty authentic, but that's just me. You have to walk to Flatbush Ave or even Church Avenue though, and know which stores to go to, I've had 15 years to shop around I guess. But there are some great authentic spots.
You talking to someone who is more than use to that area and have lived their whole life in the Caribbean. And spent most summers working in a so calleD authentic Caribbean restaurant. So I think i would have a good idea of what the area has to offer its the closest you can get but I wouldn't call it authentic. But this is drailing the thread ha ha ha. Nice to see another Caribbean person on here maybe that's why I'm not getting any love from Downstate. They already get their Caribbean fix 🙂 jk hopefully we can have this fight as classmates.
 
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Waitlisted with a LizzyM of 71. Completely devastated that I have to wait until the end of spring and interview at more schools I don't have any intentions of going to. This whole process is such a waste of time.

if you don't like wasting time, you're going into the wrong field, my friend.
 
Me too! Do you know what this means for MD? I know they said the two schools were independent of each other but I'm just curious how many people get into MPH but not MD?
SAME! Anyone hear about the MD part? When did you interview?
 
Interviewed 9/27 and have not heard back yet
 
Can anyone who has interviewed tell me when the interview day finished? I just received an II for [copy and paste from interview email]: "Time: 2:00 p.m. - However, please arrive by 12:30 p.m."
but just bought a bus ticket yesterday to go home for Thanksgiving which departs Chinatown at 5:30 pm the same day. Should I reschedule the interview or do you think I can make it? Thanks in advance, I really appreciate it!
 
Can anyone who has interviewed tell me when the interview day finished? I just received an II for [copy and paste from interview email]: "Time: 2:00 p.m. - However, please arrive by 12:30 p.m."
but just bought a bus ticket yesterday to go home for Thanksgiving which departs Chinatown at 5:30 pm the same day. Should I reschedule the interview or do you think I can make it? Thanks in advance, I really appreciate it!

You can call the office and ask when your interview day will end. I personally had a morning interview and ended at around 1:30PM. I had called the office and they said I would end at roughly 1PM.
 
Can anyone who has interviewed tell me when the interview day finished? I just received an II for [copy and paste from interview email]: "Time: 2:00 p.m. - However, please arrive by 12:30 p.m."
but just bought a bus ticket yesterday to go home for Thanksgiving which departs Chinatown at 5:30 pm the same day. Should I reschedule the interview or do you think I can make it? Thanks in advance, I really appreciate it!

5:30pm is probably cutting it slightly close in terms of being comfortably on time, you'll likely be done by 3:00pm but if your interviewer is running late could potentially go to 3:30-4pm and then you have to make your way to the bus hoping nothing goes wrong traveling to manhattan.
 
Never got an interview, got put on Hold in august until I can provide them with my fall grades...LizzyM 73 in state URM...do you think being on hold until december is a huge disadvantage?
 
Never got an interview, got put on Hold in august until I can provide them with my fall grades...LizzyM 73 in state URM...do you think being on hold until december is a huge disadvantage?

No I don't think it will be an issue. Interview invites are extended all the way to March/April, so there are still many many months until the end of the Downstate cycle.
 
Called the admissions office today for status update and was told that, they don't really do status updates but I had been scheduled for an interview and my invitation will be sent to me a month before the interview date. Does anybody have a similar experience?
 
Called the admissions office today for status update and was told that, they don't really do status updates but I had been scheduled for an interview and my invitation will be sent to me a month before the interview date. Does anybody have a similar experience?
well that is interesting...makes me want to call them
 
Called the admissions office today for status update and was told that, they don't really do status updates but I had been scheduled for an interview and my invitation will be sent to me a month before the interview date. Does anybody have a similar experience?
That sounds awesome. You should be excited! 🙂
 
Called the admissions office today for status update and was told that, they don't really do status updates but I had been scheduled for an interview and my invitation will be sent to me a month before the interview date. Does anybody have a similar experience?
Interesting. My II came almost exactly a month before it was scheduled (exactly a month would have been a Saturday so it came the following Monday). That's kind of a weird way to do it.
 
I have a question for any accepted students: I was trying to fill out the New York State Residency form but i noticed its from last years cycle (2015-2016). So I called admissions but she told me it was fine to fill that out. I just wanted to know anybody else's input on this because it seems strange to me to fill a last years application. She also seemed to be in a rush, so I just want to make sure lol If anybody knows about this your input is much appreciated.
 
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