Class of 2015!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[MCAT guy]

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Flow--I thought it sounded fine when you wrote "in medical school." It's confident and direct, and you're the type of applicant who can reasonably expect to get into medical school somewhere, and the adcoms will know that. Saying something like "If I were accepted into medical school" reminds me of the terribly vapid and flighty answers to the Miss USA interview questions, e.g. "If I were crowned Miss USA, I would be--world peace--a great model for young girls everywhere, and of course, world peace." Whether your secondary comes across as cocky or not depends on everything that surrounded that phrase, and from your posts so far, I doubt that you came across as unbearably arrogant.

wow, you guys really think this stuff over, huh?

 

[StarryNights]

How are you guys attaching photos to paper applications, i.e. Columbia and RFU? Glue Stick? Tape? Sweat?

I am using paperclips, but if there is a spot to attach the photo, I'd go with double-sided tape

 

[Suncrusher]

wow, you guys really think this stuff over, huh?

We like to stress about things and have the other members of this thread comfort us 😛

 

[cliffhuxtableDO]

We like to stress about things and have the other members of this thread comfort us 😛

well said.

 

[FlowRate]

wow, you guys really think this stuff over, huh?

Generally, I recommend thinking. I've had plenty of adcomms personally tell me about little things like the way you word a phrase in your essay that make them think you're arrogant and not even give you an interview. (n=4) Language is a VERY powerful tool and a lot of people don't know how to use it.

 

[CougarMD]

It is really hard to find the balance between arrogance and confidence in writing and at the end of the day it is all subjective and could depend on something as stupid as the reader having a bad day.

 

[cliffhuxtableDO]

It is really hard to find the balance between arrogance and confidence in writing and at the end of the day it is all subjective and could depend on something as stupid as the reader having a bad day.

i agree

 

[whimsical]

Man, I'm a little disappointed. I leave for a little while, and come back late at night and you're not talking about food OR sex. 😛

Yeah, I mean on the one hand I do think it's important to think about the way you're phrasing things, but only to an extent. Otherwise your sentences can get loaded down with "maybe"s and "might"s.

 

[FlowRate]

Man, I'm a little disappointed. I leave for a little while, and come back late at night and you're not talking about food OR sex. 😛

Yeah, I mean on the one hand I do think it's important to think about the way you're phrasing things, but only to an extent. Otherwise your sentences can get loaded down with "maybe"s and "might"s.

That's my point. I'm a minimalist writer but English doesn't make it easy to write unassuming/humble stuff without a buttload of modifiers. I guess I like the way I did it, I just don't want adcomms to get the wrong idea 😛

 

[whimsical]

That's my point. I'm a minimalist writer but English doesn't make it easy to write unassuming/humble stuff without a buttload of modifiers. I guess I like the way I did it, I just don't want adcomms to get the wrong idea 😛

I always wonder how closely they actually read things. I imagine after thousands of apps they all run together. Plus I wonder if they actually do end up reading everyone's app in any sort of detail....

I actually think it would be interesting to be involved in medical education and serve on a committee someday.

 

[FlowRate]

I always wonder how closely they actually read things. I imagine after thousands of apps they all run together. Plus I wonder if they actually do end up reading everyone's app in any sort of detail....

I actually think it would be interesting to be involved in medical education and serve on a committee someday.

Yeah I always hear it both ways. It depends on the school. For some, secondaries are a formality, for others, they weigh heavily in the admission decision. Agree on the committee thing.


BTW I feel like Kip is our dark horse... no mdapps so we don't know about (crap I forgot/did I ever know? if kip is male or female) Kip's 4.0/44U and 10M hours of everything. =P

 

[metalgearHMN]

That's my point. I'm a minimalist writer but English doesn't make it easy to write unassuming/humble stuff without a buttload of modifiers. I guess I like the way I did it, I just don't want adcomms to get the wrong idea 😛

Try to use the future tense and use "would" instead of "will" to imply probability and not certainty.

"As a physician, I would..."

vs.

"As a physician I will..."

Saying "I would" is like saying "if it happens"

 

[whimsical]

Yeah I always hear it both ways. It depends on the school. For some, secondaries are a formality, for others, they weigh heavily in the admission decision. Agree on the committee thing.


BTW I feel like Kip is our dark horse... no mdapps so we don't know about (crap I forgot/did I ever know? if kip is male or female) Kip's 4.0/44U and 10M hours of everything. =P

Haha, technically we don't know about Cougs either. But we know about her special non-trad Cougary law-ness.

I bet Kip is secretly a genius, since he did get a magical first interview to Chicago. If only he had sent one of us his PS to "proofread" so we know our competition 😛

 

[CougarMD]

Cougs has crappy stats.

Cougs is pissed because Fantasmic broke and she is sitting here waiting for it to start
all
over
again.
55 minutes after its scheduled start time.

Cougs likes talking about herself in the third person.

 

[FlowRate]

Try to use the future tense and use "would" instead of "will" to imply probability and not certainty.

"As a physician, I would..."

vs.

"As a physician I will..."

Saying "I would" is like saying "if it happens"

Yeah, I've been using exactly what you said in the first option. (In medical school, I would like to make research a large part of my education. etc. etc.) 🙂

Haha, technically we don't know about Cougs either. But we know about her special non-trad Cougary law-ness.

I bet Kip is secretly a genius, since he did get a magical first interview to Chicago. If only he had sent one of us his PS to "proofread" so we know our competition 😛

Seriously, I think he got UChicago before even sending a secondary 😀

Cougs has crappy stats.

Cougs is pissed because Fantasmic broke and she is sitting here waiting for it to start
all
over
again.
55 minutes after its scheduled start time.

Cougs likes talking about herself in the third person.

Fantasmic? Is that a ride? You're still at disneyland?

Flow approves.

 

[FlowRate]

Oh also, this vid cracks me up every time. [YOUTUBE]5kIgLwCCxbU[/YOUTUBE] (see 0:50) also, he wishes he had vampire teeth like a certain 2015er 😉

 

[loua0731]

Oh also, this vid cracks me up every time. [YOUTUBE]5kIgLwCCxbU[/YOUTUBE] (see 0:50) also, he wishes he had vampire teeth like a certain 2015er 😉

Cracks you up? I think I just gained a night of nightmares, lol.

But the vampire teeth I approve of. 😛

Also....is it UNBEARABLY HOT where any of you guys live right now? It's almost 3 am here and 80 degrees outside. I'm dying/melting.

 

[MCAT guy]

Generally, I recommend thinking. I've had plenty of adcomms personally tell me about little things like the way you word a phrase in your essay that make them think you're arrogant and not even give you an interview. (n=4) Language is a VERY powerful tool and a lot of people don't know how to use it.

Whatever you say, bud.

I think the school of confidence says, "if you have to think of ways to look or sound confident, you probably aren't." Just seems contrived to me.

If you're confident, then be confident in your writing. If you aren't, then don't. Just be yourself is usually the best advice.

 

[whimsical]

Cracks you up? I think I just gained a night of nightmares, lol.

But the vampire teeth I approve of. 😛

Also....is it UNBEARABLY HOT where any of you guys live right now? It's almost 3 am here and 80 degrees outside. I'm dying/melting.

It's pretty hot where I am this summer, but nowhere NEAR as hot as it is back home. I'm grateful it won't be above 100.

 

[FlowRate]

Cracks you up? I think I just gained a night of nightmares, lol.

But the vampire teeth I approve of. 😛

Also....is it UNBEARABLY HOT where any of you guys live right now? It's almost 3 am here and 80 degrees outside. I'm dying/melting.

Haha.. it's almost like a prototypical hardcore/screamo vid.

This place is interesting because it's 50's at night, 90's during the day.

I think the school of confidence says, "if you have to think of ways to look or sound confident, you probably aren't." Just seems contrived to me.

If you're confident, then be confident in your writing. If you aren't, then don't. Just be yourself is usually the best advice.

Aside from the passive aggressive comment, I would agree that what you said is true but only to a point. I'm not a big fan of following only one ideology of anything in any situation.

 

[Suncrusher]

So...4th of July, lots of fireworks, CNN reporting on a guy who blew off his own arm...reminds me of how I have some friends who are in the Philippines for a year on business. They said a while ago that the Filipinos just go crazy with fireworks when they celebrate. Everyone makes their own, and they gather in huge throngs and have constant fireworks for over 6 hours straight, unlike any display they'd ever seen in the U.S. Afterward, they were horrified to learn that 350 Filipinos died on that day from fireworks accidents, and many more were injured with lost limbs/fingers--but all the Filipinos said that was the lowest number they'd ever had, and that they were really happy about it.

 

[FlowRate]

So...4th of July, lots of fireworks, a guy on CNN who blew off his own arm...reminds me of how I have some friends who are in the Philippines for a year on business. They said a while ago that the Filipinos just go crazy with fireworks when they celebrate. Everyone makes their own, and they gather in huge throngs and have constant fireworks for over 6 hours straight, unlike any display they'd ever seen in the U.S. Afterward, they were horrified to learn that 350 Filipinos died on that day from fireworks accidents, and many more injured with lost limbs/fingers--but all the Filipinos said that was the lowest number they'd ever had, and that they were really happy about it.

Isn't it weird how different people's perspectives can be? Death is so rare in the US that it seems especially jarring when we read about places where the local customs involve a pretty high risk of death or disfigurement.

 

[Suncrusher]

Yeah, it really weirded me out, but I'm glad I know about it now.

Anyway, I've gotten a secondary app from 5/18 schools so far. Of the remaining 13, 6 had no secondary essays last year. But the final 7 schools had a total of 33 essays between them (!). wtf. I finally worked up the willpower to start preparing some secondary essays early, and right away, I make this depressing discovery and have all the wind taken out of my sails.

 

[rHinO1]

What the heck am I still doing awake at 3:13 AM?


.... oh yeah, working on secondaries!

 

[Geekchick921]

I've already seen your pic, including with your pregnancy glow 🙂.

Oh right!

However, I'll describe a few things about you that are conjecture... I'm guessing in your living room you have at least one stage prop weapon on display, probably a bad ass sword.

We actually do have a small sword collection, but nothing is displayed right now. Our apartment would look way too cluttered with that stuff on the walls, and with a toddler running around, even if it's way out of reach, it would make me nervous! Some of them are movie props, others are just cool, and one is my stage combat epee from college, but they're all in the basement right now.

You also have at least one framed poster that is a cartoon drawing, perhaps of the lady hulk?

LOL! Honestly, She-Hulk (or the Hulk in general) isn't one of my favorite comic lines, but either way, we don't have a framed poster of any comic art. We DO, however, have this on a shelf in our in our bedroom...

I won it as part of a Rockband competition at a comic convention when I was pregnant with Chicklet.

Your computer is in your living room so you can watch the chicklet, movies, and chat on SDN simultaneously.

On. The. Money.

I'm guessing you like to wear a lot of different sweaters (not at the same time or anything weird ) and wear square framed glasses (but hip ones). I'm also going to guess you like to carry big bags, and did this even before you needed it for the mommy stuff.

When it's not raging hot out, maybe! I actually wear contacts most of the time, and my glasses are oval, but if I were to ever get new frames I don't think they'd be the same shape. My last purse wasn't too big, before I got a "mom purse" (that can hold a diaper and a travel pack of wipes if I needed it to), but I definitely won't go back to a smaller purse ever again!

You are down for the rpg, action movies, and comics... but I bet you also get your nails and hair done often.

Did I get anything right? 🙂

You are right on for the RPGs, movies and comics. I WISH I could get my hair and nails done more often. I do my nails myself a lot. I have been telling myself I'm going to get a pedicure for months and I never do it (I need to ask my friend for suggestions about where to go around here). I'm trying to get my hair cut more often because I look best with a cut around my jawline, and once it starts to get too long it gets gnarly pretty fast.

Pretty good man! Pretty good!

 

[Suncrusher]

Rhino is gonna get into med school this year im sure, but even if he didn't he could make a good living as a psychic 😛

Okay how about another icebreaker question: If reading over the summer isn't anathema to you, which books are on your summer reading list? Once the flood of secondary apps dies down, I'm going to start on mine: David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas and number9dream, Jean-Paul Sartre's Nausea and The Wall, and Danilo Kis' A Tomb for Boris Davidovich. Oh, and a book on health care reform so that I'm prepared for interviews >.< lame. Anyway, I want to hear what you all are reading--someone recently mentioned a book to me and I read it, and it's now my favorite book.

 

[RoboChicken]

Rhino is gonna get into med school this year im sure, but even if he didn't he could make a good living as a psychic 😛

Okay how about another icebreaker question: If reading over the summer isn't anathema to you, which books are on your summer reading list? Once the flood of secondary apps dies down, I'm going to start on mine: David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas and number9dream, Jean-Paul Sartre's Nausea and The Wall, and Danilo Kis' A Tomb for Boris Davidovich. Oh, and a book on health care reform so that I'm prepared for interviews >.< lame. Anyway, I want to hear what you all are reading--someone recently mentioned a book to me and I read it, and it's now my favorite book.

Yeah, haha definitely a book on health care reform. 🙂 I am also currently reading Steinbeck's East of Eden...and plan on getting to Albert Camus' The Stranger (in French, because I need to practice...). The rest will most likely fall under young adult literature and is too embarrassing to list. 😛

 

[FlowRate]

Pitts interview invite received =)

 

[RoboChicken]

Pitts interview invite received =)

wow!!! Congrats!!!!!!!!!!!! 😀 👍👍

You guys are all on a roll!!!! I really need to submit my secondaries already...

 

[FlowRate]

wow!!! Congrats!!!!!!!!!!!! 😀 👍👍

You guys are all on a roll!!!! I really need to submit my secondaries already...

Thanks! =)

$363 dollars for the flight
2 days of class missed
$160 hotel
Need to buy some decent black dress shoes.

Gonna be a good time =P

 

[RoboChicken]

Thanks! =)

$363 dollars for the flight
2 days of class missed
$160 hotel
Need to buy some decent black dress shoes.

Gonna be a good time =P

Wow. It's scary how expensive this whole process is. Still, you'll knock their socks off, I'm sure.

I am currently trying to get "dolled-up" for my secondary app photo. haha. It's been a long weekend, and I'm behind on my goal of getting secondaries done...🙁

 

[Kip]

Just decided to add Penn to my list of schools.

 

[Kip]

Thanks! =)

$363 dollars for the flight
2 days of class missed
$160 hotel
Need to buy some decent black dress shoes.

Gonna be a good time =P

Yah, I need to sign up for frequent flyer miles.

 

[CougarMD]

Yay major congrats!!! Dammit why didn't I apply to Pitt?🙂

 

[CougarMD]

For those of you who applied to Brown how close did you get to the 6500 character limit on your essay? I'm at about 4000 now and I think that is all o have. Good news is that I actually did end up writing it yesterday and inthe process found out a lot about Brown and I have a crush on them
now. I hope they ask me out on a date. And buy me a hovercraft.

It is the only one I haven't submitted; it's being proofed now
and then. I hope to submit it today or tomorrow.

Bring it on, Tuesday!!!

 

[RogueUnicorn]

i have major writer's block for the secondaries...


also, my PS was pretty good so i feel a lot of pressure to make them of equal quality

For those of you who applied to Brown how close did you get to the 6500 character limit on your essay? I'm at about 4000 now and I think that is all o have. Good news is that I actually did end up writing it yesterday and inthe process found out a lot about Brown and I have a crush on them
now. I hope they ask me out on a date. And buy me a hovercraft.

It is the only one I haven't submitted; it's being proofed now
and then. I hope to submit it today or tomorrow.

Bring it on, Tuesday!!!

one of my good friends goes to brown so i had a chance to hang out with the first years last year. they were super cool.

 

[Kip]

Pitts interview invite received =)

oh and btw...CONGRATS!!!

 

[Kip]

i have major writer's block for the secondaries...


also, my PS was pretty good so i feel a lot of pressure to make them of equal quality

I'm trying do a one secondary/day pace.

 

[duckgirl24]

I'm trying do a one secondary/day pace.

Sounds like a good pace. I think I'll do that too to maintain my sanity.

Still haven't been able to reach the LOR writer who wrote w/o letterhead/signature. 😡 Worst case scenario is getting another letter from the prof of a summer school class I'm taking in August (as long as I don't do poorly). Which means I won't be complete at some (most?) schools until September at the earliest. How much is that going to kill my chances?

 

[Appless]

Sounds like a good pace. I think I'll do that too to maintain my sanity.

Still haven't been able to reach the LOR writer who wrote w/o letterhead/signature. 😡 Worst case scenario is getting another letter from the prof of a summer school class I'm taking in August (as long as I don't do poorly). Which means I won't be complete at some (most?) schools until September at the earliest. How much is that going to kill my chances?

As long as u pre write secondaries you'll be fine no worries. Sept is late but it's far from over trust me. Sdn IMO tends to overexagerate

 

[FlowRate]

Sounds like a good pace. I think I'll do that too to maintain my sanity.

Still haven't been able to reach the LOR writer who wrote w/o letterhead/signature. 😡 Worst case scenario is getting another letter from the prof of a summer school class I'm taking in August (as long as I don't do poorly). Which means I won't be complete at some (most?) schools until September at the earliest. How much is that going to kill my chances?

but you are going ahead and submitting everything anyway right? You have plausible deniability on the letterhead thing.

 

[MissB]

congrats flow!!! 😀

hope everyone had a great weekend!

 

[duckgirl24]

but you are going ahead and submitting everything anyway right? You have plausible deniability on the letterhead thing.

Yeah, I've emailed the schools that seem to care explaining the situation. Waiting to see what they say about it. It's interesting to see the different requirements for LORs. Some are like "send us 3, whatever you want" and others are "we require 2 from science professors that have official letterhead and signature and a hair for DNA confirmation".

P.S. congrats on the interview invite!! 👍

 

[loua0731]

Yeah, haha definitely a book on health care reform. 🙂 I am also currently reading Steinbeck's East of Eden...and plan on getting to Albert Camus' The Stranger (in French, because I need to practice...). The rest will most likely fall under young adult literature and is too embarrassing to list. 😛

East of Eden is one of my all-time faves!!!! 👍👍

Rhino is gonna get into med school this year im sure, but even if he didn't he could make a good living as a psychic 😛

Okay how about another icebreaker question: If reading over the summer isn't anathema to you, which books are on your summer reading list? Once the flood of secondary apps dies down, I'm going to start on mine: David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas and number9dream, Jean-Paul Sartre's Nausea and The Wall, and Danilo Kis' A Tomb for Boris Davidovich. Oh, and a book on health care reform so that I'm prepared for interviews >.< lame. Anyway, I want to hear what you all are reading--someone recently mentioned a book to me and I read it, and it's now my favorite book.

Also a book on health care for me, haha. And for some reason, I've never read Catcher in the Rye, so I'm going to tackle that at some point this summer. 🙂

 

[bigballer27]

so far im going to finish the secondaries at the schools that don't require essays, just pictured lol.

after my quiz on tues and midterm on thursday i'll finish up these secondaries...i feel like i'm falling behind haha

congrats everyone else though!

 

[bigballer27]

btw, is everyone sending secondaries to EVERY school that they receive secondaries for?

 

[whimsical]

btw, is everyone sending secondaries to EVERY school that they receive secondaries for?

Yes, pretty much. I'm deliberating about BU, but other than that I'm sending them all out. I didn't apply to as many schools as you did, though.

P.S. every time I see your sig it makes me want to dance.

 

[loua0731]

btw, is everyone sending secondaries to EVERY school that they receive secondaries for?

first...holy cow did you apply to a ton of schools!

I applied to 17...but right now I'm thinking I'm only going to complete 14 of the secondaries...there are a few schools on my list that I'm not so sure I could see myself at.

 

[RogueUnicorn]

btw, is everyone sending secondaries to EVERY school that they receive secondaries for?

yes, i only applied to schools i was absolutely sure i wanted to apply to... "only" 17

Yes, pretty much. I'm deliberating about BU, but other than that I'm sending them all out. I didn't apply to as many schools as you did, though.

P.S. every time I see your sig it makes me want to dance.

😡😡

apply to BU, their secondary is rather sparse

 

[rHinO1]

Oh right!



We actually do have a small sword collection, but nothing is displayed right now. Our apartment would look way too cluttered with that stuff on the walls, and with a toddler running around, even if it's way out of reach, it would make me nervous! Some of them are movie props, others are just cool, and one is my stage combat epee from college, but they're all in the basement right now.


LOL! Honestly, She-Hulk (or the Hulk in general) isn't one of my favorite comic lines, but either way, we don't have a framed poster of any comic art. We DO, however, have this on a shelf in our in our bedroom...

I won it as part of a Rockband competition at a comic convention when I was pregnant with Chicklet.



On. The. Money.



When it's not raging hot out, maybe! I actually wear contacts most of the time, and my glasses are oval, but if I were to ever get new frames I don't think they'd be the same shape. My last purse wasn't too big, before I got a "mom purse" (that can hold a diaper and a travel pack of wipes if I needed it to), but I definitely won't go back to a smaller purse ever again!



You are right on for the RPGs, movies and comics. I WISH I could get my hair and nails done more often. I do my nails myself a lot. I have been telling myself I'm going to get a pedicure for months and I never do it (I need to ask my friend for suggestions about where to go around here). I'm trying to get my hair cut more often because I look best with a cut around my jawline, and once it starts to get too long it gets gnarly pretty fast.

Pretty good man! Pretty good!

👍 I wish I had remembered having swords around kids wouldn't be your thing! If you weren't married to geekdude, I would try and set you up with Leonard from The Big Bang Theory

Rhino is gonna get into med school this year im sure, but even if he didn't he could make a good living as a psychic 😛

I would have one heck of a practice if I decide to do both 👍. Kind of like a modern day witch doctor 😛

btw, is everyone sending secondaries to EVERY school that they receive secondaries for?

I have done ~10 already, but I have one that I may not fill out. It was a safety, but I've heard bad things and their app is really annoying. Screw that print and mail in stuff, especially when they don't let you type on the form. 👎