2019-2020 Harvard

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
Just had an info session with HMS admissions; overheard that they are planning on being done with II after Thanksgiving, so early December should have the last wave.
According to last years thread and their website interviews supposedly were going until January, with IIs sent through December.🙁 Sigh. What happened this year... My mid-September app is seriously losing hope haha
 
I asked explicitly about timeline and one rep said that they give all decisions (regardless of interview or not) in early March. It just may not be a physical letter in the mail, that's the only thing.

An email is all I can really ask for! Better than being completely ghosted and left in the wind, lol.
 
Gonna put that incoming rejection letter in a frame and hang it on my wall. Because that's the closest my name is getting to Harvard.

You joke, but a mentor of mine held onto his HMS rejection letter. When he was made full professor at HMS, he framed the promotion letter and rejection letter in the same frame.
 
You joke, but a mentor of mine held onto his HMS rejection letter. When he was made full professor at HMS, he framed the promotion letter and rejection letter in the same frame.
Yes, Harvard has a lot of faculty who never went to Harvard. They admit only 150+ each year while US alone is graduating 20k other medical graduates.
 
If you'd like to participate in this poll, please vote here.

I hope you get banned
 
Any idea if this is the case with the MSTP as well?
 
Where did you guys send thank you letters? To admissions or straight to your interviewer? Also, if you sent it to admissions, which email address did you you?
 
Where did you guys send thank you letters? To admissions or straight to your interviewer? Also, if you sent it to admissions, which email address did you you?
I sent straight to interviewers
 
  • Love
Reactions: HPV
not harvard adcom, but could really use some of that cake. please send some my way <3
IMG_4717.GIF
 
Question about Interview scheduling...
When checking dates, they offered Dec 6, 7, or Mon the 9th.
Already have Boston trip planned from California week of Jan 6th and would prefer to interview at Harvard that same trip. My logic: combine coast to coast trips, and imho Harvard wouldn't be interviewing any more in Dec after the 9th due to finals and holidays. So in my mind, I am really only delaying my interview by 1 logical week. Plus finals start Dec 11 and would prefer to be home to study and not lose the travel time.
Do you agree with requesting to move the interview into the week of Jan 6th to save money, coast to coast travel time, and reduce finals studying pressue?
 
Question about Interview scheduling...
When checking dates, they offered Dec 6, 7, or Mon the 9th.
Already have Boston trip planned from California week of Jan 6th and would prefer to interview at Harvard that same trip. My logic: combine coast to coast trips, and imho Harvard wouldn't be interviewing any more in Dec after the 9th due to finals and holidays. So in my mind, I am really only delaying my interview by 1 logical week. Plus finals start Dec 11 and would prefer to be home to study and not lose the travel time.
Do you agree with requesting to move the interview into the week of Jan 6th to save money, coast to coast travel time, and reduce finals studying pressue?

The worst they can do is say no. I’d give it a shot. Feel like they would be understanding if you frame it as expenses.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
The worst they can do is say no. I’d give it a shot. Feel like they would be understanding if you frame it as expenses.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
My guess is that HMS would accommodate the request, BUT, would it reduce the chances of an A?
 
Question about Interview scheduling...
When checking dates, they offered Dec 6, 7, or Mon the 9th.
Already have Boston trip planned from California week of Jan 6th and would prefer to interview at Harvard that same trip. My logic: combine coast to coast trips, and imho Harvard wouldn't be interviewing any more in Dec after the 9th due to finals and holidays. So in my mind, I am really only delaying my interview by 1 logical week. Plus finals start Dec 11 and would prefer to be home to study and not lose the travel time.
Do you agree with requesting to move the interview into the week of Jan 6th to save money, coast to coast travel time, and reduce finals studying pressue?

Definitely give it a shot. Just FYI we are interviewing well into late December. However, admissions aren't rolling.
 
Also, they said the office is closed from 11/27 at 1pm to 12/2 at 8am for thanksgiving, so will likely be silent the rest of the week!
 
Can anyone take a guess at the exact date acceptances will go out based on trends?
Alright so I went through the last three threads, 2017/18/19, all on Friday the first week of March, March 3rd, 2nd, 1st. This year, the Friday of the 1st week of March is the 6th, so that's my guess.
 
Pathways + mstp interview invite yesterday! A few questions for lurking current students or knowledgeable applicants:

I am curious how isolated the HST/Pathways people are from one another. Most mstp trainees seem to be in HST, so I'm wondering if I'd feel distant from my mdphd class if I am accepted to pathways.

I did not apply to HST because I don't have diffeq experience, but am very much oriented toward research, just not so quantitative. Are pathways people much more oriented toward being clinicians?

Is HST really that math intensive? Online I just see a matlab course. Is it possible to switch into hst later if I wanted? If not, are pathways courses not that oriented toward research?

Any info helps, thanks!
 
Pathways + mstp interview invite yesterday! A few questions for lurking current students or knowledgeable applicants:

I am curious how isolated the HST/Pathways people are from one another. Most mstp trainees seem to be in HST, so I'm wondering if I'd feel distant from my mdphd class if I am accepted to pathways.

I did not apply to HST because I don't have diffeq experience, but am very much oriented toward research, just not so quantitative. Are pathways people much more oriented toward being clinicians?

Is HST really that math intensive? Online I just see a matlab course. Is it possible to switch into hst later if I wanted? If not, are pathways courses not that oriented toward research?

Any info helps, thanks!

All great questions to ask on your interview day. Answers from a current Pathways student:

HST/Pathways are two separate tracks with two very different cirriculum. We have orientation and one other month-long course together, but otherwise you will be seeing your Pathways colleagues much more than your HST colleagues. That being said, I have Pathways MD/PhD friends who go to the MD/PhD retreats/events, and have friends in both programs.

I would hesitate to generalized pathways vs HST students. There are some Pathways students who love research, and there are some HST students who love clinic. That being said, I think the Pathways cirriculum is much more focused on clinical medicine, whereas HST gives you a deeper dive into the basic science.

As someone not in HST, I cannot comment on how math intensive it is or is not. You cannot just switch between HST and Pathways. They are two different programs, and if you only applied to Pathways that is the only one you can receive an offer of admission from. I'm not sure what you mean by "are pathways courses not that orientated towards research", but if you clarify I can answer that question as well.

Feel free to PM with any additional questions
 
Pathways + mstp interview invite yesterday! A few questions for lurking current students or knowledgeable applicants:

I am curious how isolated the HST/Pathways people are from one another. Most mstp trainees seem to be in HST, so I'm wondering if I'd feel distant from my mdphd class if I am accepted to pathways.

I did not apply to HST because I don't have diffeq experience, but am very much oriented toward research, just not so quantitative. Are pathways people much more oriented toward being clinicians?

Is HST really that math intensive? Online I just see a matlab course. Is it possible to switch into hst later if I wanted? If not, are pathways courses not that oriented toward research?

Any info helps, thanks!

Congrats! The fact you got an MSTP II at this point makes me hopeful, and yet anxious that nothing has come in yet....
 
All great questions to ask on your interview day. Answers from a current Pathways student:

HST/Pathways are two separate tracks with two very different cirriculum. We have orientation and one other month-long course together, but otherwise you will be seeing your Pathways colleagues much more than your HST colleagues. That being said, I have Pathways MD/PhD friends who go to the MD/PhD retreats/events, and have friends in both programs.

I would hesitate to generalized pathways vs HST students. There are some Pathways students who love research, and there are some HST students who love clinic. That being said, I think the Pathways cirriculum is much more focused on clinical medicine, whereas HST gives you a deeper dive into the basic science.

As someone not in HST, I cannot comment on how math intensive it is or is not. You cannot just switch between HST and Pathways. They are two different programs, and if you only applied to Pathways that is the only one you can receive an offer of admission from. I'm not sure what you mean by "are pathways courses not that orientated towards research", but if you clarify I can answer that question as well.

Feel free to PM with any additional questions

Thanks- that's helpful! To clarify my question about pathways courses, I am wondering to what extent basic or translational research is highlighted in the preclinical curriculum. I guess the reason I am so curious about this is that HMS is unique in that it has a separate track for people really set on research careers in academic medicine. I just want to make sure that the pathways curriculum would also foster a mechanistic perspective for human biology and properly prepare people for a research career. (which I suppose is a silly question because HMS pathways grads do in fact go on to conduct research...)
 
Thanks- that's helpful! To clarify my question about pathways courses, I am wondering to what extent basic or translational research is highlighted in the preclinical curriculum. I guess the reason I am so curious about this is that HMS is unique in that it has a separate track for people really set on research careers in academic medicine. I just want to make sure that the pathways curriculum would also foster a mechanistic perspective for human biology and properly prepare people for a research career. (which I suppose is a silly question because HMS pathways grads do in fact go on to conduct research...)

Yeah no matter what track you are in many of us go into research careers.
 
Top