2016-2017 Weill Cornell Medical College Application Thread

Started by WedgeDawg
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II yesterday around 4pm EST! The only dates they gave me were in the first week of September
Complete 7/30/16 and LizzyM is 74
 
PB&Jam said:
Well just that I (and others, I'm sure) have a bunch of other schools to do this for as well, not to mention other confounding factors like work, vacation, summer classes, etc. I also probably could have done it in three days, but I didn't know that was a "deadline" and assumed I had a bit of a larger window. Plus, realistically, how many applicants do they actually expect to see/know about the presentation they did with AMCAS about needing a 3 day turnaround? The email they sent has a Nov. 15 deadline, and nowhere on their website that is easy to find states otherwise. I do understand that it is beneficial to have as quick of a turnaround as possible.
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Maybe I'm in the minority but I knew that since I worked full time (and still wanted to have a life throughout June and July) I started my apps early and had everything pre-written as to avoid this exact problem. Anyways, it's not an actual deadline and I doubt they care at all.
 
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Congrats everyone!! thats awesome. Still waiting on mine (my top school) does anyone happen to know if they send it via email, or portal update?
 
Apollo8 said:
Congrats everyone!! thats awesome. Still waiting on mine (my top school) does anyone happen to know if they send it via email, or portal update?
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robotfinches said:
Probably email. This is what it says on their info page: "Although the Admissions Committee would like to interview every applicant, we regret that this is not possible. Normally, some 800 applicants (13%) are interviewed each year. If you are selected for an interview, we will contact you via e-mail or telephone to arrange a date and time. "

I'm not sure if you've tried going into the portal after you've submitted, but the portal is pretty much useless--just gives the "your application is complete please be patient" message. You can't even see what you've submitted!
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It's email.
 
Anyone know if we should add html paragraph breaks? When I review my app (before paying) all of my paragraphs are bunched together. Any help would be appreciated 🙂
 
tkzangara said:
Anyone know if we should add html paragraph breaks? When I review my app (before paying) all of my paragraphs are bunched together. Any help would be appreciated 🙂
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I think Cornell automatically adds spaces between paragraphs when you use a hard return. No need to put in an empty line. I put an empty line between my paragraphs, and once I submitted the spaces looked miserably wide and goofy. Hope they add a preview option in the future
 
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They email you with four potential dates, and then ask you to email back ranking your preferences, and then confirm which one you get assigned. I also got next Tuesday as an option but ended up having Sept. 20th assigned to me. Talk about short notice for Tuesday people lol
 
I couldn't do the other dates because of work, so it was my own fault, but still very scared.
tjo422 said:
They email you with four potential dates, and then ask you to email back ranking your preferences, and then confirm which one you get assigned. I also got next Tuesday as an option but ended up having Sept. 20th assigned to me. Talk about short notice for Tuesday people lol
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NanaNutty said:
I couldn't do the other dates because of work, so it was my own fault, but still very scared.
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I'm sure you'll be great 🙂 you still have almost a week to practice including a whole holiday weekend, so just make diligent use of your time.



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Adcoms on here have stated the only difference between rolling and non-rolling is when applicants are notified. You can look up the advantages of interviewing early elsewhere on SDN, but if you're talking the difference between interviewing in September or October, probably no difference other than fresher eyes/ears looking at your app.


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tjo422 said:
Adcoms on here have stated the only difference between rolling and non-rolling is when applicants are notified. You can look up the advantages of interviewing early elsewhere on SDN, but if you're talking the difference between interviewing in September or October, probably no difference other than fresher eyes/ears looking at your app.

Are you sure about that, I think rolling matters with when you submit as opposed to non rolling. For example, with Harvard if u submit June as opposed to end of September makes no difference besides interview date since adcom makes those decision in February. But with rolling spots will be gone by the time you interview if u submit in September
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I'm just repeating what other adcoms on this board have stated. Just because they make a decision in February vs. September doesn't make that big of a difference. They are only accepting the best candidates regardless of when they make the decision.

Edit: essentially pre meds way over estimate the effect of timing on rolling vs. non rolling admissions.


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Answers to questions that keep coming up:

Hosting - we do host. Email admissions and inquire; it's not guaranteed but a lot of students try to host if we can (we live in NYC and have very small rooms).

II's- we're giving out IIs and they're both rolling and extend through the end of January. If you submitted already and haven't received one you can still reasonably expect to receive one as late as December or January, don't worry.

Updates - it's too early to send in updates unless you've authored a paper. Reasonable things to update admissions about: new grades (end of fall semester); awards/honors; publications.

This school is really special and I hope we get to meet some of you and show you what it means to us.
 
Señor Científico said:
Answers to questions that keep coming up:

Hosting - we do host. Email admissions and inquire; it's not guaranteed but a lot of students try to host if we can (we live in NYC and have very small rooms).

II's- we're giving out IIs and they're both rolling and extend through the end of January. If you submitted already and haven't received one you can still reasonably expect to receive one as late as December or January, don't worry.

Updates - it's too early to send in updates unless you've authored a paper. Reasonable things to update admissions about: new grades (end of fall semester); awards/honors; publications.

This school is really special and I hope we get to meet some of you and show you what it means to us.
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Can you go over why you choose Cornell and some of the best things about it?

Also, as a student, what do you dislike about it? I want both the good and bad about it!
 
Has anyone who was complete in mid August heard back yet? I submitted my app earlier, but my committee letter wasn't sent in until then:/
 
GrumpyGus said:
Can you go over why you choose Cornell and some of the best things about it?

Also, as a student, what do you dislike about it? I want both the good and bad about it!
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Pros:

Resources: Probably the most underrated med school in rankings and outside opinions because none of them take into account the Tri-Institutional relationship. As a Cornell student you have the entirety of Weill Cornell and the NYP Hospital system as a resource, which alone are great resources, but you also have Rockefeller University and MSK; we're also closely affiliated with the Hospital for Special Surgery. What this means is from a resource standpoint we have the best of the best at our disposal for clinical and research experiences.

Support: Do you want to research after your M1 year? We have funding to pay for you. Want to go abroad? We'll work with our collaborators in different countries (Peru, Tanzania, India, etc.) to get you a research project. We'll pay for your ticket and we'll also pay you a salary while you're there. One classmate had an unpaid internship at the WHO this summer and Cornell paid his salary so he could do it. Interested in presenting your work at a conference? We've got money to send you and the people in charge of whether you receive the funding are your peers. Want to start an interest group and invite speakers? Here's some money. Our school supports what our students do because it's an investment that pays off in the long run.

Living: We get subsidized, guaranteed housing in NYC directly across from our school and hospital. This comes with two gyms and a basketball court. If you stay at Cornell for residency we also have housing for that.We did have a bit of a housing mishap this summer but that was more related to student preference than a housing limit.

Classmates: We have a very small class and we all get along.

Cons:
If you map any housing on Manhattan and the distance to the nearest subway station we're in the top 1% of farthest away. It's like 0.7 mile to the nearest so that's a bit of a pain.
Much of our school is from the northeast and California so if you're not it's a bit of an adjustment.
Class is from 8-1 but it's mostly optional.
 
Señor Científico said:
Pros:

Resources: Probably the most underrated med school in rankings and outside opinions because none of them take into account the Tri-Institutional relationship. As a Cornell student you have the entirety of Weill Cornell and the NYP Hospital system as a resource, which alone are great resources, but you also have Rockefeller University and MSK; we're also closely affiliated with the Hospital for Special Surgery. What this means is from a resource standpoint we have the best of the best at our disposal for clinical and research experiences.

Support: Do you want to research after your M1 year? We have funding to pay for you. Want to go abroad? We'll work with our collaborators in different countries (Peru, Tanzania, India, etc.) to get you a research project. We'll pay for your ticket and we'll also pay you a salary while you're there. One classmate had an unpaid internship at the WHO this summer and Cornell paid his salary so he could do it. Interested in presenting your work at a conference? We've got money to send you and the people in charge of whether you receive the funding are your peers. Want to start an interest group and invite speakers? Here's some money. Our school supports what our students do because it's an investment that pays off in the long run.

Living: We get subsidized, guaranteed housing in NYC directly across from our school and hospital. This comes with two gyms and a basketball court. If you stay at Cornell for residency we also have housing for that.We did have a bit of a housing mishap this summer but that was more related to student preference than a housing limit.

Classmates: We have a very small class and we all get along.

Cons:
If you map any housing on Manhattan and the distance to the nearest subway station we're in the top 1% of farthest away. It's like 0.7 mile to the nearest so that's a bit of a pain.
Much of our school is from the northeast and California so if you're not it's a bit of an adjustment.
Class is from 8-1 but it's mostly optional.
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Pro: one of the best, well-connected medical institutions on the planet.
Con: a little farther to walk

That's why I love Cornell 🙂.
 
Señor Científico said:
Pros:

Resources: Probably the most underrated med school in rankings and outside opinions because none of them take into account the Tri-Institutional relationship. As a Cornell student you have the entirety of Weill Cornell and the NYP Hospital system as a resource, which alone are great resources, but you also have Rockefeller University and MSK; we're also closely affiliated with the Hospital for Special Surgery. What this means is from a resource standpoint we have the best of the best at our disposal for clinical and research experiences.

Support: Do you want to research after your M1 year? We have funding to pay for you. Want to go abroad? We'll work with our collaborators in different countries (Peru, Tanzania, India, etc.) to get you a research project. We'll pay for your ticket and we'll also pay you a salary while you're there. One classmate had an unpaid internship at the WHO this summer and Cornell paid his salary so he could do it. Interested in presenting your work at a conference? We've got money to send you and the people in charge of whether you receive the funding are your peers. Want to start an interest group and invite speakers? Here's some money. Our school supports what our students do because it's an investment that pays off in the long run.

Living: We get subsidized, guaranteed housing in NYC directly across from our school and hospital. This comes with two gyms and a basketball court. If you stay at Cornell for residency we also have housing for that.We did have a bit of a housing mishap this summer but that was more related to student preference than a housing limit.

Classmates: We have a very small class and we all get along.

Cons:
If you map any housing on Manhattan and the distance to the nearest subway station we're in the top 1% of farthest away. It's like 0.7 mile to the nearest so that's a bit of a pain.
Much of our school is from the northeast and California so if you're not it's a bit of an adjustment.
Class is from 8-1 but it's mostly optional.
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Ugh stop reinforcing this as my top choice, now if I don't get accepted I'm gonna be upset 😛
 
Señor Científico said:
Pros:

Resources: Probably the most underrated med school in rankings and outside opinions because none of them take into account the Tri-Institutional relationship. As a Cornell student you have the entirety of Weill Cornell and the NYP Hospital system as a resource, which alone are great resources, but you also have Rockefeller University and MSK; we're also closely affiliated with the Hospital for Special Surgery. What this means is from a resource standpoint we have the best of the best at our disposal for clinical and research experiences.

Support: Do you want to research after your M1 year? We have funding to pay for you. Want to go abroad? We'll work with our collaborators in different countries (Peru, Tanzania, India, etc.) to get you a research project. We'll pay for your ticket and we'll also pay you a salary while you're there. One classmate had an unpaid internship at the WHO this summer and Cornell paid his salary so he could do it. Interested in presenting your work at a conference? We've got money to send you and the people in charge of whether you receive the funding are your peers. Want to start an interest group and invite speakers? Here's some money. Our school supports what our students do because it's an investment that pays off in the long run.

Living: We get subsidized, guaranteed housing in NYC directly across from our school and hospital. This comes with two gyms and a basketball court. If you stay at Cornell for residency we also have housing for that.We did have a bit of a housing mishap this summer but that was more related to student preference than a housing limit.

Classmates: We have a very small class and we all get along.

Cons:
If you map any housing on Manhattan and the distance to the nearest subway station we're in the top 1% of farthest away. It's like 0.7 mile to the nearest so that's a bit of a pain.
Much of our school is from the northeast and California so if you're not it's a bit of an adjustment.
Class is from 8-1 but it's mostly optional.
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Thanks! This is very helpful.

Do you have any tips for the interview? Some of the comments from SDN's resources say they had some bad encounters during their interview day.
 
FootballFoot said:
Thanks! This is very helpful.

Do you have any tips for the interview? Some of the comments from SDN's resources say they had some bad encounters during their interview day.
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Be yourself. That's so often said but it's especially true for our interview. Also know yourself and be confident about that. Don't pretend to be who you think the school wants because they'll see through it; they'll know your application well.

You should have (2) 30 minute conversations. It can be with anyone on the admissions staff, a 4th year, or a Weill-Cornell Faculty. They aren't going to grill you about recent medicine news or present an ethical dilemma, rather they're going to have a conversation with you and try to get a feel for who you are. They may ask you about details of your application, so know it perfectly (this applies to any interview though), but this is purely to get to know you better. If you have done research you may be interviewing with someone from your field. If you're interviewing here that means on paper you can handle our curriculum, you don't need to prove yourself anymore. We're looking for students that reflect our atmosphere, will contribute to the diversity, and most importantly are collaborative. One of the most unique aspects of Cornell and what most students and faculty will cite as their favorite characteristic is the collaborative atmosphere present. Everyone wants to make each other better.

You'll either have a set of AM or PM interviews. There's lunch that all the interviewees attend and a tour. If you had the AM interviews you're done after that, if you have PM interviews that's the first thing you do.

Stay chill and enjoy the city.
 
Señor Científico said:
Be yourself. That's so often said but it's especially true for our interview. Also know yourself and be confident about that. Don't pretend to be who you think the school wants because they'll see through it; they'll know your application well.

You should have (2) 30 minute conversations. It can be with anyone on the admissions staff, a 4th year, or a Weill-Cornell Faculty. They aren't going to grill you about recent medicine news or present an ethical dilemma, rather they're going to have a conversation with you and try to get a feel for who you are. They may ask you about details of your application, so know it perfectly (this applies to any interview though), but this is purely to get to know you better. If you have done research you may be interviewing with someone from your field. If you're interviewing here that means on paper you can handle our curriculum, you don't need to prove yourself anymore. We're looking for students that reflect our atmosphere, will contribute to the diversity, and most importantly are collaborative. One of the most unique aspects of Cornell and what most students and faculty will cite as their favorite characteristic is the collaborative atmosphere present. Everyone wants to make each other better.

You'll either have a set of AM or PM interviews. There's lunch that all the interviewees attend and a tour. If you had the AM interviews you're done after that, if you have PM interviews that's the first thing you do.

Stay chill and enjoy the city.
Click to expand...
Interviewed here today. It was incredible! Definitely know your application. I was asked a question off my personal statement that I never even considered that I would be asked! I t took me half a second to realize what the interviewer was referencing! My second interview was an hour and was entirely focused on my research. Now for the six month wait to see if they liked me as much as I liked them! Please, please please! 😍
 
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Mocha19 said:
Interviewed here today. It was incredible! Definitely know your application. I was asked a question off my personal statement that I never even considered that I would be asked! I t took me half a second to realize what the interviewer was referencing! My second interview was an hour and was entirely focused on my research. Now for the six month wait to see if they liked me as much as I liked them! Please, please please! 😍
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Hey glad the day went well for you. I'm always happy to hear an interviewee enjoyed their day here!!! The 6 month wait will feel like forever, but once March comes and you start finalizing your plans everything will seem to magically speed up!!!

In reference to this example: your application is all we have to go on so if you put something in there we're assuming it was important and that may lead to questions. I was asked about non-medical research I had done 5 years prior on my app when I interviewed here, completely skipping over the med research I had been doing since then because my interviewer was interested in why I listed it.

Also, in regards to my above 'Pros' about Cornell. I don't think I mentioned NYC, probably because it's not unique to Cornell although it's worth mentioning.

There's a lot of great cities in the U.S. and depending who you ask some will say NYC is the best some will say others. However from a medical training standpoint I always recommend a NYC program because no city competes with the volume and diversity of the NYC patient population; it's the most diverse in the world. You get this whether you're at Cornell, Columbia, NYU, Einstein, Mt. Sinai, or SUNY downstate so it's not unique to Cornell but it is a very 'unique' pro.
 
Señor Científico said:
Hey glad the day went well for you. I'm always happy to hear an interviewee enjoyed their day here!!! The 6 month wait will feel like forever, but once March comes and you start finalizing your plans everything will seem to magically speed up!!!

In reference to this example: your application is all we have to go on so if you put something in there we're assuming it was important and that may lead to questions. I was asked about non-medical research I had done 5 years prior on my app when I interviewed here, completely skipping over the med research I had been doing since then because my interviewer was interested in why I listed it.

Also, in regards to my above 'Pros' about Cornell. I don't think I mentioned NYC, probably because it's not unique to Cornell although it's worth mentioning.

There's a lot of great cities in the U.S. and depending who you ask some will say NYC is the best some will say others. However from a medical training standpoint I always recommend a NYC program because no city competes with the volume and diversity of the NYC patient population; it's the most diverse in the world. You get this whether you're at Cornell, Columbia, NYU, Einstein, Mt. Sinai, or SUNY downstate so it's not unique to Cornell but it is a very 'unique' pro.
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Thanks for the additional feedback. And, yes, I will try (maybe not successfully -- LOL) to be patient. Every person I met was amazing (students, staff, doctors). My comment about my personal statement, was because it was a funny little anecdote from my childhood and I just never imagined someone would find that interesting to talk about. It was fun for me to share the experience, though, with my interviewer.
 
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Don't be scared just finished both interviews it's amazing here the staff is great and the interviews are sooo relaxed they really just want to talk!!! Excited to meet some students


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