2018-2019 Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson

BU Medical Sciences
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sfs2468 said:
Is anyone else's showing up as "LORs not received" even though they were submitted when AMCAS was verified? Or just me?
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6/29 Secondary Received
I'm also having this problem... Any recommendations on what I should do - perhaps contacting Admissions? 🙁
 
did anybody add this school to their list today? I did earlier and still no secondary
 
owlsandturtles said:
Just "Do you have any additional information that hasn't been covered?" (4000 chars)

Interesting that they asked for SAT and ACT sub-section scores though
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I found it so interesting as well that they asked this. Had to call my undergrad college of science to get my scores because I had forgotten it after all this time.
 
Do you think it would be worth mentioning if you're not from PA what ties you have and why you want to attend?
 
Anyone else verified the first day AMCAS was open for submission but still haven't received a secondary?
 
Speedster2112 said:
Anyone else verified the first day AMCAS was open for submission but still haven't received a secondary?
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Still haven't received a secondary. But not too concerned. It will get here when it gets here (especially because I am still waiting on my letters lol).
 
Hi everyone! Like I said, I will be an incoming second year student this year. In response to some of the questions on this forum:

1. Jefferson is a great school. It is in Center City Philadelphia which is in a great area. Also, it is unbelievable how much the faculty listens to us and is willing to incorporate things that can improve the curriculum. Not only that, you definitely get to know many members of the class due to the way the curriculum is structured. There are many reasons why Jefferson is great, but these are just a few.

2. Secondaries are sent out in batches. I do not believe it really matters when you are verified on AMCAS, just that it takes time for Jefferson to send out the secondaries to people. Please do not worry if you have not received one yet.

3. The prompt for the secondary every year, is an optional essay. This is a forum in which you can write anything you want. A lot of people use it as a diversity essay or a "why me" essay etc. But, you can use it for whatever you want.

4. Like someone said, the SAT/ACT question I think is for research purposes. Please do not stress about it. A good rule of thumb is to call and ask the admissions committee if you have any questions about things like this however.

Please do not hesitate to reach out to me with questions! I will be happy to answer! Good luck to everyone!

Sincerely,
Chip1
 
Chip1 said:
Hi everyone! Like I said, I will be an incoming second year student this year. In response to some of the questions on this forum:

1. Jefferson is a great school. It is in Center City Philadelphia which is in a great area. Also, it is unbelievable how much the faculty listens to us and is willing to incorporate things that can improve the curriculum. Not only that, you definitely get to know many members of the class due to the way the curriculum is structured. There are many reasons why Jefferson is great, but these are just a few.

2. Secondaries are sent out in batches. I do not believe it really matters when you are verified on AMCAS, just that it takes time for Jefferson to send out the secondaries to people. Please do not worry if you have not received one yet.

3. The prompt for the secondary every year, is an optional essay. This is a forum in which you can write anything you want. A lot of people use it as a diversity essay or a "why me" essay etc. But, you can use it for whatever you want.

4. Like someone said, the SAT/ACT question I think is for research purposes. Please do not stress about it. A good rule of thumb is to call and ask the admissions committee if you have any questions about things like this however.

Please do not hesitate to reach out to me with questions! I will be happy to answer! Good luck to everyone!

Sincerely,
Chip1
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Would it be ok to leave the optional essay blank? My philosophy has always been if a school wanted to hear about something, they would ask about it. I certainly can plug in a diversity essay or what not but I feel like (based on stuff on here and conversations with people in the process) sometimes schools get slightly annoyed when optional essays are used by people that its not meant for.
 
Unlimited Apps said:
Would it be ok to leave the optional essay blank? My philosophy has always been if a school wanted to hear about something, they would ask about it. I certainly can plug in a diversity essay or what not but I feel like (based on stuff on here and conversations with people in the process) sometimes schools get slightly annoyed when optional essays are used by people that its not meant for.
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to play devil’s advocate, they also wouldn’t be giving you an optional prompt if they didn’t want to give applicants the chance to add something if they wanted to. I don’t think schools get annoyed if a student chooses to answer it and I don’t think schools get annoyed if a student doesn’t answer the prompt. They marked it as optional for a reason
 
Unlimited Apps said:
Would it be ok to leave the optional essay blank? My philosophy has always been if a school wanted to hear about something, they would ask about it. I certainly can plug in a diversity essay or what not but I feel like (based on stuff on here and conversations with people in the process) sometimes schools get slightly annoyed when optional essays are used by people that its not meant for.
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It really is for what you see fit. Since it is optional, it is perfectly fine to leave it blank. It is up to you to use the space if you want to. But, the essay is used by people in order to explain and show why they fit at the school. I would recommend writing something, but it is optional and should not hurt you to keep it blank.
 
Chip1 said:
It really is for what you see fit. Since it is optional, it is perfectly fine to leave it blank. It is up to you to use the space if you want to. But, the essay is used by people in order to explain and show why they fit at the school. I would recommend writing something, but it is optional and should not hurt you to keep it blank.
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do you think one essay would be better than another? Such as a "why us" vs a diversity essay? Right now I have a diversity essay talking about my rural conservative background and facing homophobia from family and peers. And how I have an "insiders perspective" as to how we can decrease LGBT+ health disparities (which is part of my long term goals stated in the essay as well) and will help my classmates learn about these disparities so we can address them in our practices. Or maybe I combine the 2 and talk about how Jefferson can help me work towards this goal?
 
buckoh24 said:
do you think one essay would be better than another? Such as a "why us" vs a diversity essay? Right now I have a diversity essay talking about my rural conservative background and facing homophobia from family and peers. And how I have an "insiders perspective" as to how we can decrease LGBT+ health disparities (which is part of my long term goals stated in the essay as well) and will help my classmates learn about these disparities so we can address them in our practices. Or maybe I combine the 2 and talk about how Jefferson can help me work towards this goal?
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I really like the idea of combining the two! It is always a good idea to tie things together.
 
I have to wait until Monday to submit because it’s been 10 years since I’ve taken the ACT, so I’ll call them on Monday... I realize you can leave it blank but I’m not sure if it looks bad??


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rigal said:
where can I find my SAT and ACT scores...I took it 5 years ago
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If you have a copy of any college applications or the common app this should have it!

Also- just saved my progress without it and it doesn't appear that you actually have to put anything for the scores to be "complete"
 
sfs2468 said:
Is anyone else's showing up as "LORs not received" even though they were submitted when AMCAS was verified? Or just me?
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In my experience it usually takes about 48 hours for the status for a LOR or MCAT scores that were sent with the primary to appear as received
 
initialize said:
I have to wait until Monday to submit because it’s been 10 years since I’ve taken the ACT, so I’ll call them on Monday... I realize you can leave it blank but I’m not sure if it looks bad??


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It doesn't look bad to leave it. If you are worried about it, you can always submit it later within any updates that you send the school.
 
Chip1 said:
It doesn't look bad to leave it. If you are worried about it, you can always submit it later within any updates that you send the school.
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You can also guesstimate the scores as well
 
Chip1 said:
It doesn't look bad to leave it. If you are worried about it, you can always submit it later within any updates that you send the school.
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Ok thank you! Random question, but how’s Philly in general? I hear very mixed opinions of it. Some people like the city, others say they hate it (mostly because of rude people / crime).


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I like philly, moved here for a post-bacc. Hope my random opinions help!

Jefferson is an an accessible area of the city with a lot of things to do/places to eat around it. Not as safe as the area around Penn or Drexel but safer than Temple's campus. It's a city of medical schools- there are 5 within city limits so there are a ton of students in general here which makes it easy to live in areas that are appealing to young professionals/grad students. There is a neighborhood called Grad hospital...
Weather is east coast- humid summers, snowyish winter (not midwest), and really beautiful fall/spring usually.

I don't personally find people rude here but that probably depends on where you are in the city and/or where you come from. I'm from the west coast and people on the east coast in general seem less friendly (been here 6 years). However, compared to other places on the east coast everyone seems fairly nice and friendly.

I think Philly would generally be a great place to go to med school in my opinion just because of the amount of students and the accommodating nature of the area- lots of coffee shops/places to study, lots of apartments and ability to find other students that may not go to your school. I think coming from a rural area it would be hard to adjust to Philly- specifically Jefferson as it's in the heart of the city and not in one of the more "suburban" neighborhoods within the city.

I'm no expert but if you have questions about the area PM me.
 
yogidoc19 said:
I like philly, moved here for a post-bacc. Hope my random opinions help!

Jefferson is an an accessible area of the city with a lot of things to do/places to eat around it. Not as safe as the area around Penn or Drexel but safer than Temple's campus. It's a city of medical schools- there are 5 within city limits so there are a ton of students in general here which makes it easy to live in areas that are appealing to young professionals/grad students. There is a neighborhood called Grad hospital...
Weather is east coast- humid summers, snowyish winter (not midwest), and really beautiful fall/spring usually.

I don't personally find people rude here but that probably depends on where you are in the city and/or where you come from. I'm from the west coast and people on the east coast in general seem less friendly (been here 6 years). However, compared to other places on the east coast everyone seems fairly nice and friendly.

I think Philly would generally be a great place to go to med school in my opinion just because of the amount of students and the accommodating nature of the area- lots of coffee shops/places to study, lots of apartments and ability to find other students that may not go to your school. I think coming from a rural area it would be hard to adjust to Philly- specifically Jefferson as it's in the heart of the city and not in one of the more "suburban" neighborhoods within the city.

I'm no expert but if you have questions about the area PM me.
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Dante Alighieri said:
I would also like to know the answer to this.
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Dante Alighieri said:
I would also like to know the answer to this.
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I couldn't have answered this question any better!
 
yogidoc19 said:
In my experience it usually takes about 48 hours for the status for a LOR or MCAT scores that were sent with the primary to appear as received
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So even though the LOR's show up as "not received" you can still submit the secondary correct?
 
mrl17mvp said:
So even though the LOR's show up as "not received" you can still submit the secondary correct?
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Yep, you just wont be "complete" until their system reflects that they have been "received". Again usually seems to take a day or two, in this case it may take until the next business day. I did have one school that asks that you email them if you used a committee letter and it has been uploaded but that seems like a rare occasion. Usually you just have to wait and it should automatically update. If a few days go by without it updating and you've already submitted your secondary then just shoot them an email.
 
Chip1 said:
Hi everyone! I am going to be a second year next month, and I was in the first class with the new curriculum. Please reach out if you have any questions and I will do my best to answer. Good luck to everyone applying this cycle!
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Thanks for the offer! What are some things that distinguishes Jefferson from other med schools?
 
raybox12 said:
Thanks for the offer! What are some things that distinguishes Jefferson from other med schools?
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Jefferson is definitely a great school. One of the things, I am sure you have heard about, is the new curriculum. The new curriculum, I feel, really helps prepare you for step and integrates everything in an understandable manner. Since the curriculum is still new, the faculty are more than open to our suggestions and are quick to implement things that we suggest which is great. Jefferson also has many clubs and other activities that are easy to get involved in and are not too time consuming. Almost, every student is involved in something on campus. There is a research requirement for every student at Jefferson, and this is sure to produce at least some publishable work for people as well. Jefferson is also unique in how much we get to know our fellow classmates. Since we have lectures and small groups, we spend a lot of time getting to know people in our class which is great. And of course, Jefferson is in a fantastic area of the city. There is so much life and so many things to do. I have never felt unsafe and I feel like it is a great area to live in. I hope this answers your question and please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any more questions! Good luck!
 
buckoh24 said:
did you submit on friday? It says my letters haven't been received but may be because I submitted yesterday
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I submitted on Sunday. I had all my LORs before my app was transmitted so maybe that's why?
 
Chip1 said:
Jefferson is definitely a great school. One of the things, I am sure you have heard about, is the new curriculum. The new curriculum, I feel, really helps prepare you for step and integrates everything in an understandable manner. Since the curriculum is still new, the faculty are more than open to our suggestions and are quick to implement things that we suggest which is great. Jefferson also has many clubs and other activities that are easy to get involved in and are not too time consuming. Almost, every student is involved in something on campus. There is a research requirement for every student at Jefferson, and this is sure to produce at least some publishable work for people as well. Jefferson is also unique in how much we get to know our fellow classmates. Since we have lectures and small groups, we spend a lot of time getting to know people in our class which is great. And of course, Jefferson is in a fantastic area of the city. There is so much life and so many things to do. I have never felt unsafe and I feel like it is a great area to live in. I hope this answers your question and please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any more questions! Good luck!
Click to expand...

I keep hearing that this school averages mcats. Is there any merit to that? Would it put people who've retaken the mcat at a disadvantage here
 
medschoolzombie said:
I keep hearing that this school averages mcats. Is there any merit to that? Would it put people who've retaken the mcat at a disadvantage here
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I believe that the school does average the MCAT, but I would ask admissions directly about this question. I do not believe that it is a disadvantage as many people take the MCAT more than once!
 
Chip1 said:
I believe that the school does average the MCAT, but I would ask admissions directly about this question. I do not believe that it is a disadvantage as many people take the MCAT more than once!
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I will. I wish they would pick up the phone lol. I can’t figure out how it wouldn’t be a disadvantage if your scores are averaged. Most people who take it multiple times start off with lower scores that would bring down the averaged score
 
acciobutterbeer said:
Hi all! I’m trying to decide if I should use my “reapp” essay, in which I highlight how I’ve changed my app over the past couple of years. My only worry is that it’s only 500 characters. Is that too short in a space for 4,000?
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The space is for how you see fit! So, if you have something to say, as long as it is in the character limit, it should be fine. But, make sure that you put down everything you want, because you can only send the app in once!
 
Chip1 said:
The space is for how you see fit! So, if you have something to say, as long as it is in the character limit, it should be fine. But, make sure that you put down everything you want, because you can only send the app in once!
Click to expand...

Thank you! I ended up adding a bit to it, hopefully they like it!
 
I know optional means optional, but do you guys think it is at all bad not to write anything? I feel like it shows a lack of interest, which is why I am hesistant. But I also don't want to write anything that will be detrimental to my application. Let me know thoughts! thanks guys
 
mrectenw said:
I know optional means optional, but do you guys think it is at all bad not to write anything? I feel like it shows a lack of interest, which is why I am hesistant. But I also don't want to write anything that will be detrimental to my application. Let me know thoughts! thanks guys
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Not at all. My friend got an II and accepted and he wrote nothing for the optional prompt.
 
I never took the SAT, and it won't let me save the app if that's blank. I tried entering "N/A" but that didn't work either... Any thoughts on what I should do?
 
ramonaflowers said:
I never took the SAT, and it won't let me save the app if that's blank. I tried entering "N/A" but that didn't work either... Any thoughts on what I should do?
Click to expand...

Really? I was able to submit it without entering anything


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Chip1 said:
Hi everyone! I am going to be a second year next month, and I was in the first class with the new curriculum. Please reach out if you have any questions and I will do my best to answer. Good luck to everyone applying this cycle!
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Hi I have 2 quick questions:
1. Are there any entrepreneurial/business opportunities available for students? I know there are probably some student orgs dedicated to this, but is there anything specific at Jefferson to pursue this?
2. What is your fav thing about the new curriculum?

Thanks!
 
slapmypanda said:
Hi I have 2 quick questions:
1. Are there any entrepreneurial/business opportunities available for students? I know there are probably some student orgs dedicated to this, but is there anything specific at Jefferson to pursue this?
2. What is your fav thing about the new curriculum?

Thanks!
Click to expand...
There's a whole College within a College (CwiC) track about it.

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