Ask LizzyM (Almost) Anything 2012 edition

[LizzyM]

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About how many semesters of research does an average student who matriculates have?
This can include students who have published in journals and those who just cleaned glassware. I'm just curious to know how many semesters of research other students have. Thanks for doing this!

I have no idea. It does vary by school.

 

[LizzyM]

So I am a senior and I have already applied this application cycle. I only have two required classes left to take so I have 5 credit hours of electives available. Does it matter what I take for those electives? One option is a 5 credit hour anatomy class for pre-meds taught by a doctor from the college of medicine who also teaches medical student anatomy. The other option is a 3 credit neuroscience course and 2 credit hours independent research (I already have two semesters of research so I would be continuing in the same lab). The second option would be the remaining courses I need for a Neuroscience minor, which I did not list on my application because the option just became available in August. In addition, the second option would allow me the chance to graduate with Honors in Biology, assuming I keep above a 3.5 GPA.

It seems like the option is up to me because I do not think it would have any effect on my current applications. I'd like to know if my assumption is wrong or if you think one of the options is better than the other. Or should I just take something fun like guitar lessons? 🙂

In makes very little difference for this application cycle. If you shoul.d need to reapply, you should do whatever will maximize your gpa this year.

There is nothing wrong with taking courses that broaden your horizens, rather than all science, too.

Double majors and minors never seem to impress the committee members I work with.

 

[phunky]

How do adcoms see applicants who didn't start most of their ECs until late in undergrad (junior/senior year)? Can this be remedied somewhat by a gap year spent researching, volunteering, and gaining clinical experience full time?

 

[LizzyM]

Given that an applicant has great extracurriculars, would taking too many semester hours be looked disfavorably upon since it looks like the applicant is too academic/book focused even though that may not be the case?

There is no "too many semester hours" if you have also had time for outside activities and your gpa stays strong

How valuable are summer research programs? Would participating in a program such as AMGEN, SURF, etc be regarded more highly than researching with your current lab (I'm assuming just due to the prestige/difficulty of acceptance into such a program)??

It's a wash. Neither is better than the other.

Generally speaking, how far ahead of the rest of the class of applicants should one be stat-wise to recieve merit-based scholarships in med school?

It varies by school. I'd guess that a LizzyM score of >80 might be helpful.

Does an excess of presenting at oral conferences and/or poster sessions look bad? For example, if an applicant has about 10 different oral/poster presentations, could this possibly give the impression the applicant is simply trying to boost the resume?

You can always leave some of the less prestigious ones off of the application, but no, it doesn't look bad.

Do adcoms give weight to masters candidates (those who are in the process during application/nterview but are on target for a master's degree by graduation)?

It is better than working as a ditch digger. If you have a gap year, a MS is not a bad way to spend a year or two.

Does a heavy research oriented resume/app bear any weight on a regular MD application? If it does not bear substantial weight, then would that applicant be disfavored due to a lack of time for volunteering? ?

Much time spent on research will not compensate for a complete lack of service to others (volunteering). When we interview only 5% of applicants, there are too many who have both to bother with those who are lacking in volunteer service to the needy.

When it comes to volunteering clinically, how important is quality over quantity? I would imagine a few months would give one a decent understanding of what goes on in a particular clinical environment. Wouldn't it be better to volunteer in 2 or 3 different clinical settings to get a broader experience?

Thanks a TON! 🙂

A certain level of faithfulness to a specific place over time is not looked down on. Sometimes, as you become better known to staff they will give you responsibilities that are not given to newbies. Remember, the reason for clinical volunteering is not just to see what goes on in a specific environment but also to be of service. When you tire of the venue the needs of the people there do not magically disappear.

 

[Ost3oclast]

Lizzy,

Thanks for all the valuable advice you have shared here on SDN. It helped me immensely while going through the app process! 🙂 🙂

 

[purplelightning]

What are your thoughts on sporadic volunteering? Most of my volunteer experiences come from volunteering at a few places at a summer I spent at home, and a school sponsored trip. I do have long term time intensive commitments with research and tutoring, but not with volunteering. Thank you so much!

 

[LizzyM]

Thanks for doing this, it's a great resource for everyone. I have 2 questions for you:

1) When your institution gives out merit scholarships (assuming that it does) what aspects do the recipients typically possess? Obviously academic excellence is a must. I'm interested in seeing whether extracurriculars play a role in this process.

The adcom doesn't have a role in distributing merit scholarships so I have no idea.

2) Is athletic excellence a major plus in the admissions process? Assuming that the student already has a good application, can this set one applicant apart from another?

Thanks and have a great holiday.

Some adcom members 😍 athletes and think that their character traits make a good fit with medicine. Some are less inclined to be impressed by athletes. It tends to balance itself out.

 

[marodeen]

To get into top schools, do you always need to have some special/"unique" aspect to your application (curing cancer, teaching kids in Africa for a year)? Can you have just done the "typical" activities: volunteering, shadowing, research, tutoring, etc to an extensive and meaningful amount?

 

[LizzyM]

I want to send an update to schools to let them know what I have been up to this last semester and what I will be doing. I just finished one of my toughest semesters because I worked three jobs, did interviews, taught a few classes, got engaged and so much more. As such, my GPA was not impressive. It was only like a 3.5 (A, A, A-, B+, B). Should I include my grades in the update? I mean, they are not great but not bad. It was my final semester. I am looking for Adcom input to see how they would take the not stellar but not bad grades.

If your gpa before this semester was >3.5, then no. If your gpa was <3.5, then yes.

 

[LizzyM]

What's it like working in New Haven?

"If you love what you do, you'll never work a day in your life."

I can honestly say I've never worked in New Haven, Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Houston, Chicago, St. Louis and San Francisco.

 

[Matrix187]

I'm currently a Pharm.D student with a competitive GPA. How heavily do you weigh ~1500 hours of experience in various medical service settings (hospital, critical care, infectious disease, etc). Obviously the quality of the LORs is an impt consideration. let's say I have good LORs. However, during most of school my ECs were lacking. Would the experience somewhat compensate for the lack of ECs?

 

[LizzyM]

Lizzy, is there a way I can ask him/AMCAS to remove his letter?

Will I still be admissible next year? Will they keep the letter next year or blacklist me now?

See your Private Messages.

 

[Bcranger]

Do adcoms consider the rigor of each student's semesters? For example, I see way too many premeds taking around 13 credit hours with 1 or 2 science classes which seems ridiculously lax.

Are "athletes" only those that competed in the NCAA? What if you compete in a different division, such as National Collegiate Table Tennis Association (since NCAA does not have table tennis under its regulation)?

Is volunteering for around 100 clinical hours and 50 nonclinical hours below average, average, etc?

Is it possible that applicants with extremely competitive applications are rejected from certain state universities due to the school's fear of the applicant not matriculating?

 

[LizzyM]

Just to clarify, do you mean the 80:20 as the ratio of research to medicine? I was wondering about how many interviewees express a serious desire to do research in their future career. Also, what is highly ranked by your definition? (top 20, top 40, etc.)

Sorry for having so many questions! Thank you so much. 🙂

Those who blend clinical care and research usually have a 20:80 or 80:20 split of research to clinical care (i.e. clinical care 4 days per week or 1 day per week).

It is hard to tell how many interviewees are serious about doing research in the future. Many say that they are and there are some schools that select for that in the pre-review phase.

Highly ranked... maybe the top 25-30 schools on the list. That's roughly the top 20%.

 

[LizzyM]

How important are LOR? I pretty much just got teachers who knew my name and some participation in class to write me my LOR, I know they aren't going to be great, are these auto rejectS?

Most letters neither help nor hurt. A few (maybe 1%) hurt. Once in a great while, a letter tips the balance in the favor of an applicant.

 

[Hotshy]

"If you love what you do, you'll never work a day in your life."

I can honestly say I've never worked in New Haven, Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Houston, Chicago, St. Louis and San Francisco.

Well played.

 

[BABSstudent]

If your gpa before this semester was >3.5, then no. If your gpa was <3.5, then yes.

Thanks for the advice, this thread and everything you do for SDN. I know your advice to others has helped me throughout the years.

Will not mentioning the grades look bad? I mean, will adcom members suspect my grades were lower and that's why I did not make note of them. Or will it not matter? I am just waiting for my top choice (UW) to make a decision on my file and I am starting to worry.

 

[LizzyM]

Hey LizzyM. Thank you for doing this. It is very much appreciated! I also thoroughly enjoyed reading Elf on the Shelf; what a witty and eloquently written piece.

For my question:

I am Honours Molecular Biology student. I am part of some program in my school that allows "academically successful" students to work along side a researcher in any field of science and potentially co-publish on the researcher's findings. While the co-publishing is an alluring aspect, the lab work is intensive and only one semester: It will count as a credit class and I will be awarded a mark. I also have an opportunity to engage in my Honours Thesis Project, which is a year long endeavour that I am also being graded on. That project in specific will probably deal with the effects and preventive measures regarding aging and is conducted by a very prominent researcher at my university.

Both are such great research opportunities. I would go for either one but they each have their cons. I'm worried that my semester long research project seems like a hurried attempt at getting research experience/a publication in my CV. While my honours thesis is a year long, I searched on SDN that honours thesis's don't carry much weight on an application. I also might not publish. Furthermore, I have a second opportunity to work on another semester-long research project in a completely different field with possible publication. All three of these projects will be done by the time I matriculate. However, not all three will be present on my CV when I send my application in.

What are your thoughts? Should I worry about the length of my exclusive research project harming me during applications? Should I just do an honours thesis? I'm looking forward to both projects, but i'm just trying to manage which ones will make the best impressions on ADCOMS.

Thank you for your input; It will help me loads in making my decision!

You'll never regret doing what you really love. That the adcom is impressed is just gravy. And what will impress one adcom won't impress another. (Mine loves to see a senior thesis in the works.)

The important thing is to have at least one project that takes you beyond tech work and into independent research.

 

[jhuskp]

Hi,

I'm sorry if this has been asked before and is a stupid question, but let's say an applicant has above average scores (3.7/34), decent ECs, gets plenty of interviews, but keeps getting waitlisted/deferred at each interview? What is generally the reason for this? What is the applicant doing such that they are considered good enough for the waitlist, but not good enough for the acceptance?

Thanks in advance!

 

[LizzyM]

LizzyM, this question has been buggin me for weeks and I can't find an answer from searching...

On some of the secondaries of the top tier schools I applied to, I indicated that I have an *interest* in doing private practice in the future, but would explore my interests during medical school. However, I also indicated that I wanted to do research during medical school and in my career. Did I shoot myself in the foot by saying I have an interest in private practice, even though I have no idea what I really want to do in the future? Some people have been saying that the field of medicine I want to enter is a non-issue for medical school, but I know top schools value research careers. If it makes a difference, I've received interview invites to these schools already.

Thank you.

Well, things can't be that bad if you've received interview invites. Why worry about what's behind you. If you end up with an offer, your problems are over (or just beginning 😉 ). If you have no offers, we'lll talk in May about how you might approach the secondaries a second time around.

 

[LizzyM]

LizzyM,

I don't know if you have any experinece with BS/MD programs but here is my scenario:

Overall, I've been told that I'm a good applicant for a particular BS/MD program but I only have about a year to "beef up" my EC's. I'm involved in clinical volunteering, community serivce and research but I wonder how Adcoms evaluate EC's. Is the evaluation truly subjective?

I've never had responsiblity in that regard. I have no idea what the schools are looking for.

 

[theWUbear]

That's a supressed memory. 😉 Let's not bring it back to the surface.

boo

 

[Nigy]

Hi LizzyM,

I have a question about demonstrating a commitment to medicine (applying next cycle).
In particular, I have very high grades/MCAT from a good undergrad, but I think my very average/boring (though not entirely nonexistent) extracurriculars/volunteering belie my commitment to medicine as a life path. Can a compelling interview pull me up?

In other words, have you seen any applicants who look good on paper academic-wise, but not as good extracurricular-wise, nevertheless demonstrate that they will be caring, attentive physicians in the interview and that way earn themselves an admittance?

Thank you

 

[Rally]

Hi LizzyM,
Thank you for answering questions. Here is mine:

When is the right time to file FAFSA forms? I have been accepted, waitlisted, and have yet to hear from other schools. Some FinAid officers have told me on interview days to file FAFSA as soon as I can. Should I submit FAFSA for the ones I haven't heard from yet? Would that come off as me assuming that they will offer me an interview?

 

[Ansar]

Hi LizzyM,

Three questions 😳
1. Do you think AdCom cares if a student takes a non pre-req, non-science class (e.g. a linguistics class) as P/F instead of taking it for a grade?

2. I understand you can check the MSAR for individual schools, but in general (taking into account all schools -- not just the tops), do you feel there's a certain minimum GPA you should have if you plan on applying to medical school (e.g. if your cGPA/sGPA is below 3.5/3.5, tough luck) or a minimum LizzyM score?

3. What do you consider to be a lackluster extracurricular record?

Ansar

 

[LizzyM]

I'd like to ask one more question

I was discussing with a wealthy friend of mine the admissions processes of private US medical schools. We both debated whether or not capacity to pay tuition upfront would be a relevant factor in admitting foreign students. Granted that my friend is a strong applicant, would his ability to pay the Foreign Tuition Rates at a private university help him in his chances at gaining acceptances to that university? That is to say, would he be more favourably considered/offered and interview over other foreign and possibly local students when declining the need for Financial Aid?

The initial decision is going to be on his merits as an applicant. If a school wants to protect its yield (in other words, only admitting those likely to matriculate) it might make a wallet biopsy before making an offer to a student who will need to show the US gov't that he has cash to cover the first year's tuition and living expenses in order to get a visa. Other schools might want the student so much that they are willing to give a merit scholarship and in that case, the fact that the applicant is loaded won't matter. Yet other schools might not care one way or the other and will leave it up to the applicant to find the means to pay for school or decline the offer of admission.

 

[lobo.solo]

What's wrong with writing about grandma in a personal statement?

 

[LizzyM]

You make a very interesting analogy.

If I have the academic ability to succeed (3.9+/33+), I've interviewed, and then waitlisted/deferred/hold at a place I'm near the mean, does that mean they are waiting for better applicants? (aka I'm not at the top #seat~ladder steps to get an offer)

They are waiting to see how many of those top-step students accept the offer of admission. Some schools bat 0.120 in that regard. Then it is time to go down to the applicants that are closer to the school's avg.

Would additional letters of recommendation be beneficial? I've already been told I have strong LORs, but if I acquire say, three more really strong ones regarding my current activities, will my file be re-evaluated with each new LOR received? Would an LOR weigh more than an LOI I write, or even transcript updates? (Should I just send everything I can to get into that particular school? Is it over until its over?)

I don't know if additional LORs ever help. Decisions to take applicants from the waitlist are not the role of the adcom at my school but rest with the Dean of Admissions. Updates are said to "show interest" and will help at some schools in some circumstances.

 

[LizzyM]

How do adcoms see applicants who didn't start most of their ECs until late in undergrad (junior/senior year)? Can this be remedied somewhat by a gap year spent researching, volunteering, and gaining clinical experience full time?

Adcoms want to see applicants who are academically strong, curious, altruistic, energetic, good team players and willing to take-on leadership responsibilities (and by that I don't mean just school clubs), and who have tested their interest in medicine through shadowing , and/or volunteering and/or employment. Take as long as you need to demonstrate those characteristics and don't apply prematurely.

 

[LizzyM]

What are your thoughts on sporadic volunteering? Most of my volunteer experiences come from volunteering at a few places at a summer I spent at home, and a school sponsored trip. I do have long term time intensive commitments with research and tutoring, but not with volunteering. Thank you so much!

Is tutoring paid or volunteer? If it volunteer work with low literacy adults or with kids from low income families, then it does count as service.

It is nice to be able to find an average of 2 hrs/wk during the academic year but there are certainly geographic areas and situations where that just isn't feasible and that's understandable.

 

[LizzyM]

To get into top schools, do you always need to have some special/"unique" aspect to your application (curing cancer, teaching kids in Africa for a year)? Can you have just done the "typical" activities: volunteering, shadowing, research, tutoring, etc to an extensive and meaningful amount?

No. Yes. YMMV

 

[911 Turbo]

What kind of music do you listen to?


Are you into video games?


Do you like pantsuits?


What is your favorite color?


What is your favorite food?


Have you ever gone on a blind date?


One horse sized duck or 100 duck sized horses?

 

[JFK90787]

LizzyM thanks for all you do on SDN. 😍

In what order do you generally look over each individual application (EG MCAT scores and GPA first, or personal statement first?). Also, if someone come from a 'unique' background like a single parent household, first-generation American, first to go to college, etc. do you typically figure this out by looking at the AMCAS family background info? Or is that something you will typically not really care about unless it's mentioned explicitly in a secondary essay? I ask because sometimes people attribute their application success to their background, but in my case I don't think it has helped me out at all. Maybe that's just because I'm white though.

 

[magicm]

Hi LizzyM

I would first like to thank you for all the time you have put in to helping students over the years.

I have two questions.

1. In regards to publications how important are the impact factors of the journals one is published in and how are posters/conference abstracts viewed?

2. In regards to graduate training how are research based MSc perceived? I have heard from some professors that one only enters a MSc if they can not cut it a PhD level. In contrast there are some systems where one does MSc first before being considered for a PhD (or transfers up from a MSc to a PhD). Which model is generally expressed by your AdCom or AdComs in general. Also how are grades and productivity during ones graduate work considered?

Thanks again for all your help and dedication and Happy Holidays

 

[Adrenaline21]

Is a heavy schedule looked upon favorably? Doing more than full time, for example, 4 classes a quarter.

 

[farnk20]

Hi LizzyM,

I'm very interested in the clinical aspect of medicine, but not terribly enthused by research. The only formal research experience I have is going to be the senior thesis (it's original research) I'll be working on for my liberal arts major my senior year, but I have extensive clinical and volunteer experience.

How bad does a lack of substantial research experience look on an application? Does research outside the sciences look worse than research in the sciences?

 

[plumazul]

Hi LizzyM,

I have a question about UG transcripts. If more than half of the grades on a transcript are marked A+ instead of just an A, does this matter or is it even visible? I am talking about straight A+s in all core classes in a major (e.g. orgo1/2, biochem, pchem, microbio, etc.). Also, would it matter at all if several classes were graduate courses taken for undergraduate credit?

Are you involved with MD/Phd applications?

 

[HughMyron]

Best and Worst responses to "why medicine" that you've heard.

 

[LizzyM]

I'm currently a Pharm.D student with a competitive GPA. How heavily do you weigh ~1500 hours of experience in various medical service settings (hospital, critical care, infectious disease, etc). Obviously the quality of the LORs is an impt consideration. let's say I have good LORs. However, during most of school my ECs were lacking. Would the experience somewhat compensate for the lack of ECs?

Forgive me if I start repeating myself but...

Adcoms want to see applicants who are academically strong, curious and thus drawn to answering previously unanswered questions (research), altruistic, energetic, good team players and willing to take-on leadership responsibilities (and by that I don't mean just school clubs), and who have tested their interest in medicine through shadowing , and/or volunteering and/or employment. Take as long as you need to demonstrate those characteristics and don't apply prematurely.

 

[LizzyM]

Do adcoms consider the rigor of each student's semesters? For example, I see way too many premeds taking around 13 credit hours with 1 or 2 science classes which seems ridiculously lax.

Yes but it is easiest to judge by academic year rather than by semester.

Are "athletes" only those that competed in the NCAA? What if you compete in a different division, such as National Collegiate Table Tennis Association (since NCAA does not have table tennis under its regulation)?

Is table tennis really a sport?? /jk Non-NCAA sports might seem ok to some people and others won't be impressed. Is dragon boat competition a NCAA sport? Same deal.

Is volunteering for around 100 clinical hours and 50 nonclinical hours below average, average, etc?

I don't think in terms of hours but in terms of months and hours per week and I don't think in term of avg/below avg. It is more a case of "how has this applicant demonstrated .... [a characteristic I'm looking for]."

Is it possible that applicants with extremely competitive applications are rejected from certain state universities due to the school's fear of the applicant not matriculating?

I have no idea.

 

[mosy28]

Thanks for doing this and happy holidays!

First, is it okay to get letters of recommendation from professors we had in our freshman and sophomore years? I turned my academic performance around last spring and it showed in my orgo class. I know my professor would write a great letter, but should I set that experience aside for letters from professors that I will have in higher level courses?

Second, my application is very weak in ECs. I did not join any clubs my first two years and still have not gained interest in any that are around. How do I make up for such a deficiency in the next 2-4 years? I will be a teaching assistant (grader), peer tutor, and research assistant next semester. I have no real means of shadowing because the closest hospital/clinic is >5 miles away (small LAC), I don't have a car, public transportation is almost nonexistant, and my schedule has me in class from 9-4/5 Monday through Thursday. I do want to do some volunteer work. Is it important for me to volunteer with the same 2-3 organizations or is patchwork volunteering still held in high regard?

Third, I plan on continuing next semester's research into senior year with a thesis. If I develop a love for research, what can I do after undergrad to become a better MD/PhD candidate? There are no professors at my college doing medical research, and many of the hopeful MD/PhD candidates that I've talked to have had >2-3 years of research experience (some going all the way back to HS). Would 1-2 years of clinical research and shadowing be the best way to spend my gap years here?

Thanks!

 

[LizzyM]

Hi LizzyM,

I have a question about demonstrating a commitment to medicine (applying next cycle).
In particular, I have very high grades/MCAT from a good undergrad, but I think my very average/boring (though not entirely nonexistent) extracurriculars/volunteering belie my commitment to medicine as a life path. Can a compelling interview pull me up?

In other words, have you seen any applicants who look good on paper academic-wise, but not as good extracurricular-wise, nevertheless demonstrate that they will be caring, attentive physicians in the interview and that way earn themselves an admittance?

Thank you

At some schools, getting the interview is the hard part. If your LizzyM score is >79, you might get an interview offer despite a thin application but otherwise, you might have a challenge, particularly at the schools that interview a very small proportion of all applicants.

 

[LizzyM]

Thanks for the advice, this thread and everything you do for SDN. I know your advice to others has helped me throughout the years.

Will not mentioning the grades look bad? I mean, will adcom members suspect my grades were lower and that's why I did not make note of them. Or will it not matter? I am just waiting for my top choice (UW) to make a decision on my file and I am starting to worry.

I don't know how often people update their files with grades and how many just provide up-dates with regard to papers and persentations, honors and awards, new actvities, etc.

If there is a doubt about your ability to handle the work, the school might be waiting for more grades, if not, I think that they assume you are continuing your academic success.

 

[mellamocow]

Are some types of teaching experience more valuable than others (they can show more)?

Among Supplemental Instruction Leaders, Teaching Assistants, Private Tutors, I would imagine SI Leaders show the best leadership and knowledge. SI leaders have to design their own sessions and be able to teach review sessions almost similar to a professor. Also, it is much more competitive to get such a position. Especially at larger universities, SI leaders are responsible for 100+ students in one session with no higher authority in the room. On the other hand, teaching assistants may simply help grade papers, administer exams (look out for cheaters, etc), and other tasks that do not require as much leadership and content knowledge.

What are your thoughts on this? Are any of the above viewed more favorably?

 

[LizzyM]

Hi LizzyM,
Thank you for answering questions. Here is mine:

When is the right time to file FAFSA forms? I have been accepted, waitlisted, and have yet to hear from other schools. Some FinAid officers have told me on interview days to file FAFSA as soon as I can. Should I submit FAFSA for the ones I haven't heard from yet? Would that come off as me assuming that they will offer me an interview?

I wouldn't bother submitting FAFSA with a school until they interview you. I suspect it goes to a completely different office (Financial Aid) than Admissions and Admissions will never know you submitted it.

 

[LizzyM]

Hi LizzyM,

Three questions 😳
1. Do you think AdCom cares if a student takes a non pre-req, non-science class (e.g. a linguistics class) as P/F instead of taking it for a grade?

They don't care. If you do it too many times, they'll wonder if you are trying to protect your gpa.

2. I understand you can check the MSAR for individual schools, but in general (taking into account all schools -- not just the tops), do you feel there's a certain minimum GPA you should have if you plan on applying to medical school (e.g. if your cGPA/sGPA is below 3.5/3.5, tough luck) or a minimum LizzyM score?

There is an AMCAS table that shows the proportion of applicants by race who get admitted at each various gpa stratified by MCAT score. Check for and see the lowest gpa but keep in mind that sometimes those applicants are non-trads who had rotten gpas in unrelated fields and then did a post-bac some years later but the undergrad gpa is what goes into that table.
https://www.aamc.org/data/facts/app...mcat-gpa-grid-by-selected-race-ethnicity.html

3. What do you consider to be a lackluster extracurricular record?

A semester of tech work in a lab, a semester of "child life" volunteering, a year's membership in a campus club and a single hobby like "running".

 

[LizzyM]

What's wrong with writing about grandma in a personal statement?

It is a common topic so it is hard to stand out with that topic but there are exceptions ... maybe you'll be one.

 

[LizzyM]

What kind of music do you listen to?


Are you into video games?


Do you like pantsuits?


What is your favorite color?


What is your favorite food?


Have you ever gone on a blind date?


One horse sized duck or 100 duck sized horses?

This week, Christmas music.
No.
😕 You mean ladies suits with pants rather than skirts? They're fine.
Red
Raspberries
Yes
😕

 

[Spinach Dip]

LizzyM - I am currently in a Biochemistry Masters program (not a SMP). I was wondering if having a Masters would be beneficial for my application? Would it make me stand out any more than those students with a Bachelors?

Also, if my stats (GPA/MCAT/etc) are otherwise average or slightly above average, would a Masters make up for that (at least partially?)

Thank you!

 

[UpdateThrow]

Current applicant for this cycle, but throwaway account

So far I have 3 interview invites with the first one in two weeks and 10 schools left to hear from. I just received all of my final grades for the fall and I didn't do as awesome as I wanted to/was hoping for. 20 credits which included 2 grad classes that I got A's in and 4 other undergrad technical electives for my major that I got B's and B+'s in. Basically I got overloaded during finals and didn't do as well as I could have in my undergrad classes. Came out with a 3.2 undergrad gpa with a 4.0 grad gpa (of 2 classes).

I wanted to write update letters to the rest of my schools that I applied to with hopes of my interviews. Do you advise that I even mention the outcome of fall grades or should I leave it out?

Ahh one other thing. I still haven't done my two English courses for med school requirements. Would it be rash of me to ask during the interview if it would be okay to replace one English course with another technical elective?

Thank you