a stupid question

[huseyin]

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Hey:

I am ashamed that I am asking this question, but here it is.

So, in WashU MSTP secondary, a question states:"Have you had any personal experience or relationship with Washington University."

So, I know they originally mean if we have any relatives who graduated from there or if we attended their summer research labs.activities etc.

My question is " If we have friends who graduated from there, should we include that?" Should I mention how they told me it was a great school.

I know this sounds stupid, but I do not know if it is a good idea to leave it blank.

huseyin

 

[Reimat]

I think saying that you had friends graduate would neither help nor harm you. Personally, I would just leave the section blank unless you have personal experiences like you mentioned (i.e., alumni or research connections)

 

[astrisize]

I say include your friend info - it can only help.

 

[b&ierstiefel]

hi huseyin,

i hope application season and life in general is going well for you.

i think they ask this question because it seems that the school being located in st. louis may be a turnoff to some people. when i interviewed there many years ago, i was asked countless time, "so can you really see yourself coming to live in st. louis and spending 7-8 years of your life here?" not only do they want the best candidates, they also want people who will likely come to st. louis if accepted.

so, any experiences you have indirectly with st. louis, even if it involves your friends, you can include. it's really not an important question, per se, that will make or break your application. don't stress over it.

andy

 

[Vader]

My sense that it is actually fairly important if you can provide some connection to St. Louis, even if just the good word of friends who attend.

I am pretty sure this is one reason my application was not considered favorably when I applied.

That and my MCAT was less than 45. 😉

 

[themadchemist]

I'm glad someone else was wondering about this...It turns out that one of my recommenders went to Wash U for undergrad and he was the first person to suggest to me that I should consider Wash U. His wife goes to Wash U med and they travel between Chicago and St. Louis weekly to see each other.

I talked about how much I valued my interactions with this individual and how much I respected him and his wife. I also discussed how their sacrifice showed the extent to which they felt and expressed to me that Wash U's education was excellent.

I think this works for me because I know this person really, really well...He's a professor at my university, but I know him well enough that, say, he invites me to have lunch with him and his wife on Sundays or will B.S. with me about the most random stuff, including making fun of people, for hours when I stumble into his office. I know him better than most undergrads do, and he interacts with a TON of students. So I know his letter is really strong and that our close relationship will shine through it. Therefore, I think that my mention of him will probably not seem too superficial.

I actually wrote this at my mom's suggestion. Mothers' advice can be excellent sometimes. Hopefully, this works out.