2019-2020 SUNY - Downstate

BU Medical Sciences
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Secondary prompt:

1. Are there any periods longer than 3 months, from the time you graduated from high school to now, when you were not employed full time or in college full-time?

2. If you are not from the 5 boroughs of New York City, describe what personal, urban experiences prepare you to live and study in New York City, and what will be your personal support system. If this question does not apply to you, enter "not applicable" in the text box below. (Limit 150 words)

3. If you had a completed application to the College of Medicine in a prior application cycle, please highlight any changes since your previous application in a list with dates. If this question does not apply to you, enter "not applicable" in the text box below. (Limit 150 words)

4. If you have a specific reason why you wish to attend SUNY Downstate or a medical school in New York City, please explain. If this question does not apply to you, enter "not applicable" in the text box below.
Click to expand...

Good luck to everyone applying!

Interview Feedback: SUNY - Downstate
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Last edited:
Hi! I really, really want to apply to this school but I just saw on MSAR that the latest MCAT they accept is August 2017.
I took mine in January 2017.
How flexible is this cut off?
Thank you!
 
JACKRABBIT27 said:
Hi! I really, really want to apply to this school but I just saw on MSAR that the latest MCAT they accept is August 2017.
I took mine in January 2017.
How flexible is this cut off?
Thank you!
Click to expand...
You would have to call admissions to ask about something like this.
 
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JACKRABBIT27 said:
Hi! I really, really want to apply to this school but I just saw on MSAR that the latest MCAT they accept is August 2017.
I took mine in January 2017.
How flexible is this cut off?
Thank you!
Click to expand...

Wow, I'm glad you posted this, I guess I better call them about this too! I'll be very sad if that's a hard cut off... mine's from right at the end of July 2017.
 
Update: SUNY downstate’s MCAT cut off of August 1, 2017 is a hard deadline, no exceptions. They told me my July 28 2017 MCAT would not be accepted.
 
keelhaul said:
Update: SUNY downstate’s MCAT cut off of August 1, 2017 is a hard deadline, no exceptions. They told me my July 28 2017 MCAT would not be accepted.
Click to expand...
Wow, that's unfortunate to miss it by 4 days. Sorry to hear that and thanks for letting me know!
 
+2 Received

Is anyone else having trouble filling out the pre-requisites when you had separate lab courses?
 
To those of you who have received the secondary, would any of you be able to upload the prompts to SDN?
 
@PapaGuava

Are there any periods longer than 3 months, from the time you graduated from high school to now, when you were not employed full time or in college full-time?
If you are not from the 5 boroughs of New York City, describe what personal, urban experiences prepare you to live and study in New York City, and what will be your personal support system. If this question does not apply to you, enter "not applicable" in the text box below. (Limit 150 words)
If you had a completed application to the College of Medicine in a prior application cycle, please highlight any changes since your previous application in a list with dates. If this question does not apply to you, enter "not applicable" in the text box below. (Limit 150 words)
If you have a specific reason why you wish to attend SUNY Downstate or a medical school in New York City, please explain. If this question does not apply to you, enter "not applicable" in the text box below.
 
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Secondary received. OOS. Verified 5/30. Submitted today (pre-wrote these essays and they hadn't changed haha)
 
The word counts seem to have changed for the future activities and the why Downstate essays.
 
If you are not from the 5 boroughs of New York City, describe what personal, urban experiences prepare you to live and study in New York City, and what will be your personal support system. If this question does not apply to you, enter "not applicable" in the text box below. (Limit 150 words)

What do I say for this essay? I don't really have any urban experiences. I've visited NYC for a few days but that's about it. The only other thing I can think of would be traveling abroad but that might be a stretch.
 
lejonbrames6 said:
If you are not from the 5 boroughs of New York City, describe what personal, urban experiences prepare you to live and study in New York City, and what will be your personal support system. If this question does not apply to you, enter "not applicable" in the text box below. (Limit 150 words)

What do I say for this essay? I don't really have any urban experiences. I've visited NYC for a few days but that's about it. The only other thing I can think of would be traveling abroad but that might be a stretch.
Click to expand...
I wrote about living in another large city...
 
lejonbrames6 said:
If you are not from the 5 boroughs of New York City, describe what personal, urban experiences prepare you to live and study in New York City, and what will be your personal support system. If this question does not apply to you, enter "not applicable" in the text box below. (Limit 150 words)

What do I say for this essay? I don't really have any urban experiences. I've visited NYC for a few days but that's about it. The only other thing I can think of would be traveling abroad but that might be a stretch.
Click to expand...
I’m writing it about my current experience interning in Israel’s 4th largest city
 
I messed up my sophmore year and got a C both semesters in orgo. I was just wondering if anyone knew anything about Downstate being hard with cutoffs. Is this possibly something to ask admissions about?
 
Anyone see their MCAT score as "Not received" in the Status tab? I took mine 1 year ago so there should be no problem... I thought we didnt have to do anything and the scores would be automatically sent?
 
bigsgr said:
I messed up my sophmore year and got a C both semesters in orgo. I was just wondering if anyone knew anything about Downstate being hard with cutoffs. Is this possibly something to ask admissions about?
Click to expand...
They are not hard with cutoffs. They view apps holistically. As long as you've improved you're fine. If you're from NYC or URM you get extra points.
 
Thanks for replying! Do you know if they care about attending school in NY or is that just irrelevant?

megacazzom said:
They are not hard with cutoffs. They view apps holistically. As long as you've improved you're fine. If you're from NYC or URM you get extra points.
Click to expand...
 
bigsgr said:
Thanks for replying! Do you know if they care about attending school in NY or is that just irrelevant?
Click to expand...
Since Downstate is a state school, Brookyln > NYC > NY State > OOS
If you can incorporate going to school in NY to the why downstate question it'll give you a benefit over being OOS
 
little_giant said:
Anyone see their MCAT score as "Not received" in the Status tab? I took mine 1 year ago so there should be no problem... I thought we didnt have to do anything and the scores would be automatically sent?
Click to expand...
I'm seeing the same thing and I took my MCAT last year as well
 
For the "Why SUNY Downstate" question, I don't see a word limit on my secondary portal but the first post here says 150 words. Can anyone else verify the 150 word limit?
 
caffeinatedMD8 said:
For the "Why SUNY Downstate" question, I don't see a word limit on my secondary portal but the first post here says 150 words. Can anyone else verify the 150 word limit?
Click to expand...
I submitted mine with 155 words and it let me...
 
caffeinatedMD8 said:
For the "Why SUNY Downstate" question, I don't see a word limit on my secondary portal but the first post here says 150 words. Can anyone else verify the 150 word limit?
Click to expand...
Their site doesn't say anything about a word limit - I submitted mine with 400 words
 
bigsgr said:
I messed up my sophmore year and got a C both semesters in orgo. I was just wondering if anyone knew anything about Downstate being hard with cutoffs. Is this possibly something to ask admissions about?
Click to expand...

Just know that if you get an interview, I 100% guarantee they will question you on this. Be prepared to explain what happened and why you got a C
 
For the prerequisites page, when I add for example Biology 1, it adds a Biology 1 Lab section but does not let me add the Biology Lab. Has anyone else been having this issue?
 
SUNY Downstate's admission requirements says you need 8 credits of biology with labs. My bio lab course was separate from my 2 semester of bio. Is anyone else having trouble adding a bio lab course?
 
km425 said:
For the prerequisites page, when I add for example Biology 1, it adds a Biology 1 Lab section but does not let me add the Biology Lab. Has anyone else been having this issue?
Click to expand...

I checked "in progress" and listed the courses in the box below I finished, noted I couldn't add them above (because I couldn't d/t technical difficulties), and noted I reached out to the Office about this issue (which I will next week).
 
Anyone going to the info session next week want to meet up during the registration period 😀
 
UnknownObi said:
Anyone elses letters/MCAT not marked as received even though they show up on the downstate portal?
Click to expand...

Has this issue been resolved for you? I am having the same problem as well and hoping that when I submit the secondary, it will switch to a checkmark.
 
sundayko said:
Has this issue been resolved for you? I am having the same problem as well and hoping that when I submit the secondary, it will switch to a checkmark.
Click to expand...
I've had my secondary in for a while and my MCAT/Letters still say not received. I contacted them and they said it takes time for them to be manually verified.
 
was not aware of the why SUNY downstate question... especially without a word limit I feel totally lost. Any idea what they may be looking for with an OOS applicant? or how long the essay should be?
 
curious_premed said:
was not aware of the why SUNY downstate question... especially without a word limit I feel totally lost. Any idea what they may be looking for with an OOS applicant? or how long the essay should be?
Click to expand...

I'm planning to cap it at 500 words and just leave it at that. I'm in state but still feel like I have a lot to say.
 
curious_premed said:
was not aware of the why SUNY downstate question... especially without a word limit I feel totally lost. Any idea what they may be looking for with an OOS applicant? or how long the essay should be?
Click to expand...
I'm doing ~150 words. Also OOS, I talked about some aspects of the school that I am interested in.
 
If i'm from the 5 boroughs, do I answer the living in NYC question or?
 
TripleHBK said:
If i'm from the 5 boroughs, do I answer the living in NYC question or?
Click to expand...
CRISPR_Queen said:
RT how do I answer this?
Click to expand...

It says "If you are not from the 5 boroughs of New York City [...] If this question does not apply to you, enter "not applicable" in the text box below."

I grew up in one of the boroughs so I put "not applicable", since the question does not apply to me.
 
Is this school known to be OOS friendly. Seems like it based on MSAR II stats but I’ve heard the SUNYs generally aren’t
 
Enterococcus said:
It says "If you are not from the 5 boroughs of New York City [...] If this question does not apply to you, enter "not applicable" in the text box below."

I grew up in one of the boroughs so I put "not applicable", since the question does not apply to me.
Click to expand...

Lol thanks. I think I’m just tweaking from nervousness!
 
UnknownObi said:
Anyone elses letters/MCAT not marked as received even though they show up on the downstate portal?
Click to expand...

Yep, same with me, at least we aren't alone. I'm going to email if it stays that way after a day or two.
 
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