2019-2020 Harvard

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Like other people have said, the interview day has a lot of free time. I would highly recommend sitting in on a class during your interview. We have 4 societies in class at the same time; everyone is friendly and would be happy to have you with us!
Awesome! Thank you! Beyond the class, any recommendations to check out on the interview down time?
 
Awesome! Thank you! Beyond the class, any recommendations to check out on the interview down time?
Definitely go out of the longwood area! You could checkout the MGH museum that's pretty cool, it's a bit away on the green line. Maybe head over to Fenway, or check out the MFA it's pretty close to the med school campus.
 
As a dude on a flight to Boston right now...I certainly hope the II wasn’t random....

I'm not saying that the IIs they give out are random, just that every school seems to value slightly different things, and it can feel pretty random where you get an II.
 
Awesome! Thank you! Beyond the class, any recommendations to check out on the interview down time?
Not much you can see with the downtime honestly. Try grabbing some ice cream or coffee and sit out on the quad – enjoy the nice weather while we have it.

If you have extra time before or after your interview, I would recommend walking down the esplanade, through Boston Common, and finding yourself a good lobster roll... I’m partial to Pauli’s, plus you can grab a cannoli at Mike’s right after. Aside from that, a walk through Fenway (RIP playoffs) and a trip to Harvard Square is worth squeezing in imo. Also, take the T for a real Boston experience.
 
Harvard has been upgraded from potentially good to great. Best school so far. Brookline is not the best area, but Cambridge is, maybe a suburb...

What sold me was how laid back and stress free the students were. Also, @peanuttbuttah .... the curriculum really was the best of anywhere I have been so far (n=5).
More so than Mayo?
 
More so than Mayo?
I vibed more so with the Mayo system as a whole, but the collaborative nature and learning environment here seemed much more...educational, I guess? More of a productive discovery curriculum (I know, that is the name of Stanford’s curriculum lol). Mayo was cool because you get to customize for preclinical year with selectives, Harvard is cool because everything is structured those first two years, but you are done with core rotations and years three and four are almost straight up electives (some stuff you gotta do obvi, but real lax)
 
Harvard has been upgraded from potentially good to great. Best school so far. Brookline is not the best area, but Cambridge is, maybe a suburb...

What sold me was how laid back and stress free the students were. Also, @peanuttbuttah .... the curriculum really was the best of anywhere I have been so far (n=5).
bu...t, Boston's winter is brutal 😵
 
I would say people go to Harvard in spite of Boston.
Seems about right. Although I could totally see myself in Cambridge. Although, downside to HMS clinicals is the fact that it is all lottery based...if I could guarantee getting CHA before committing to here then I would be sold...I just dread the possibility of coming here and getting MGH...I don’t want MGH...
 
Question for anyone who might have feedback: Both of my interviews were basically how they were so fascinated with my trajectory and how I went from a bad background to finding myself and finally ending up as an interviewer at HMS...Not a lot outside of that for either interview. They just wanted to know my story and more so my pathway with a focus on the strong trajectory given my nontrad background. I understand that I did have an atypical pathway, but should that be concerning or encouraging or anything? Like...they repeatedly used words like fascinating, impressed, a lot to contribute...but is that all a show or something?
 
Question for anyone who might have feedback: Both of my interviews were basically how they were so fascinated with my trajectory and how I went from a bad background to finding myself and finally ending up as an interviewer at HMS...Not a lot outside of that for either interview. They just wanted to know my story and more so my pathway with a focus on the strong trajectory given my nontrad background. I understand that I did have an atypical pathway, but should that be concerning or encouraging or anything? Like...they repeatedly used words like fascinating, impressed, a lot to contribute...but is that all a show or something?
Sounds like they are impressed with your application and your interview went well! Many people would love to be in your shoes. Lol.
 
Question for anyone who might have feedback: Both of my interviews were basically how they were so fascinated with my trajectory and how I went from a bad background to finding myself and finally ending up as an interviewer at HMS...Not a lot outside of that for either interview. They just wanted to know my story and more so my pathway with a focus on the strong trajectory given my nontrad background. I understand that I did have an atypical pathway, but should that be concerning or encouraging or anything? Like...they repeatedly used words like fascinating, impressed, a lot to contribute...but is that all a show or something?
Yea I know you’re not that type of person at all but you sound like those posts that say “I only have 10 ii so far all from top 20s. Am I screwed?”
 
Sounds like they are impressed with your application and your interview went well! Many people would love to be in your shoes. Lol.
Yea I know you’re not that type of person at all but you sound like those posts that say “I only have 10 ii so far all from top 20s. Am I screwed?”
Yah...in retrospect, it comes off that way. Ok, cool. Will just take it as a plus and not dwell on it until March.
 
Yah...in retrospect, it comes off that way. Ok, cool. Will just take it as a plus and not dwell on it until March.
To be fair, I understand how you feel. At one of my interviews, at [another great school but not Harvard], my interviewers spent most of the time being complimentary and I felt I didn't really get a chance to showcase a different part of myself by answering tough questions (because they didn't ask any). And then I read on here that the interviewer being nice doesn't mean you get an acceptance, so I overthink it and wonder how it could have gone differently. But there's nothing we can do now except wait (and potentially send in updates if there is anything substantial). Good luck. I'm sure you did fine. You're ahead of most of us by already getting an II here!
 
Question for anyone who might have feedback: Both of my interviews were basically how they were so fascinated with my trajectory and how I went from a bad background to finding myself and finally ending up as an interviewer at HMS...Not a lot outside of that for either interview. They just wanted to know my story and more so my pathway with a focus on the strong trajectory given my nontrad background. I understand that I did have an atypical pathway, but should that be concerning or encouraging or anything? Like...they repeatedly used words like fascinating, impressed, a lot to contribute...but is that all a show or something?
I actually found this at my Harvard interviews as well- frequently using words like impressive and fascinating. Not sure if that's just their style, or a good sign 🙂
 
Question for anyone who might have feedback: Both of my interviews were basically how they were so fascinated with my trajectory and how I went from a bad background to finding myself and finally ending up as an interviewer at HMS...Not a lot outside of that for either interview. They just wanted to know my story and more so my pathway with a focus on the strong trajectory given my nontrad background. I understand that I did have an atypical pathway, but should that be concerning or encouraging or anything? Like...they repeatedly used words like fascinating, impressed, a lot to contribute...but is that all a show or something?

In one ear, out the other. You should just keep doing what you have been doing and let the result speak for itself.
 
Hey everyone, I’m interviewing here tomorrow. Couple of questions:

How many interviewees attended your pathways interview?

I know there are two interviews, can they both be in the morning/afternoon? Or are they split (1 morning 1 afternoon)?

Thanks!
 
Hey everyone, I’m interviewing here tomorrow. Couple of questions:

How many interviewees attended your pathways interview?

I know there are two interviews, can they both be in the morning/afternoon? Or are they split (1 morning 1 afternoon)?

Thanks!

There are 10 applicants interviewing tomorrow
 
They still require 24 hour shifts for MED students and they are the farthest from the main campus so there is more commuting.

This is only for a 2 week period when you’re in the pit during your 12 week surgery rotation. It’s also a 21 hour shift. As far as location, it’s kind of a moot point. Most students move out of vandy after the first year to be closer to their respective site. CHA is further away from Longwood than MGH is, so the commute is objectively longer.
 
Everywhere I've been in life, there generally seems to be a negative correlation between prestige and quality of life.
Sorry to hear that! I wouldn’t say there’s a correlation there for me. Some prestigious places have been amazing and some have been meh
 
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