Do looks matter for secondary photos?

[relatively prime]

I know how everyone jokes about how med-students are ugly.... but as far as I've seen this is total BS. All the medical students I've meet have been either very attractive, attractive, or at least decently good-looking people. I've also never met a significantly over weight medical student. THis could be a coincidence some how... like maybe medical students are more disciplined and more perfectionist-oriented... and so they care more about their appearance. I'm not sure... but I was starting to wonder.

So why do I care? Well, I was wondering if I should make a point to look nicer in my secondary photos. In the one photo I sent to NYU, I look pretty bad... I wasn't wearing make-up and it was a passport photo.

So what do you guys think? Do looks play any role in the admissions process? Should we worry about looking good in our secondary photos?

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[souljah1]

i just sent in a photo of brad pitt. it worked for me.

 

[Trek]

Is it something you can worry about? I thought you were either good looking or not? Looks probably matter, but if you're as ugly as me you just gotta roll with the punches. --Trek

 

[lola]

i personally ALWAYS worry about looking good like right now... sittin at work in jeans and flip flops. my hair's a mess, and i seem to have developed a couple of new spots overnight.

in all seriousness, why would you send in a picture where you don't think you look good? i'm not sending in a pic where i'm all dressed up or anything, but i'm sending one that i feel well represents me -- casual, happy, relaxed. i'm sure it won't matter what you send in, though. if it does they are seriously breaking the law.

i think how you present yourself plays a role in admissions. you should be clean with neat hair and unwrinkled professional clothes that fit well. other that that, i seriously doubt a person's looks will have an impact.

and yes, i do think med students tend to be quite anal on average and are therefore more likely to be good looking. they worry about perfecting their appearance just like they worry about perfecting everything else.

 

[Diogenes]

My photos were actual passport photos I got taken the day I was mailing the secondaries in. They looked like mug shots, but I figured what the hell.

I've seen some ugly med students, so I'm not sure your theory pans out that way.... but maybe they use the photos to weed out people with facial tatoos and extreme piercings. I dunno.

 

[Zoobaby]

I don't know about med students, but I've seen PLENTY of ugly doctors. Perhaps the whole process smacks the pretty right off of ya.

 

[relatively prime]

I'm not all ~that~ worried about it... I did what diogenes did... just got the Passport photos the day of... but now I'm wondering if I should make more an effort to look nice. Admissions committees are human... and it's not totally off the wall to assume they will have some of the same tendancies as most human beings... one of which being to judge people based on looks. I don't know... I guess it doesn't matter...

 

[Jalby]

I personally went to a modeling studio and took 200 head shots. We immidiately were able to eliminate 100 of the shots with out to much of a problem. I then took those 100 to some of my friends in Pasadena, After about an hour of looking through them, we made it to the top 30. We then randomly borke them down into three groups of 10. We compared those ten to each other, picking the top 3 from each. I then picked my favorite from the remaining 21.
So that left me with 10 pictures, and a lot of my friends who were sick of looking at me. I thaught all ten pictures were pretty good, but I had to that the random admissions committee would like the pic, so I took the ten to the street, and asked Random people to pick the one that they liked the least. Eventually, I made it down to 2 pictures. I then took those 2 to my then GF in Hollywood, and right before I was to send out my first secondary, she choose here favorite. I then ordered that pic to be mass produced (40) and sent them off with all of my secondaries. In my opinion, time well spent.

 

[Mystique]

Originally posted by Trek
Looks probably matter, but if you're as ugly as me you just gotta roll with the punches. --Trek

Trek sent in pictures of his blow up friend, who normally keeps him company in the carpool lane. Also, if you ever come across him at a bar, he'll have a female "person" attached to his side, but don't be fooled...it's just a blow up doll w/ all the right measurements.

 

[Trek]

So you've now taken on the alter ego of a "blow up doll with all the right measurements"?? Crazy. --Trek

 

[Mystique]

No. You're really scraping the bottom of the barrel, Watson/Robin.

 

[relatively prime]

Originally posted by Jalby
I personally went to a modeling studio and took 200 head shots. We immidiately were able to eliminate 100 of the shots with out to much of a problem. I then took those 100 to some of my friends in Pasadena, After about an hour of looking through them, we made it to the top 30. We then randomly borke them down into three groups of 10. We compared those ten to each other, picking the top 3 from each. I then picked my favorite from the remaining 21.
So that left me with 10 pictures, and a lot of my friends who were sick of looking at me. I thaught all ten pictures were pretty good, but I had to that the random admissions committee would like the pic, so I took the ten to the street, and asked Random people to pick the one that they liked the least. Eventually, I made it down to 2 pictures. I then took those 2 to my then GF in Hollywood, and right before I was to send out my first secondary, she choose here favorite. I then ordered that pic to be mass produced (40) and sent them off with all of my secondaries. In my opinion, time well spent.

Uh, well... I was also thinking of going to a studio, but um... I ain't going to get any 100 photos... maybe 3 or 4...

Wow... you seem to think looks do matter... and a lot!

 

[Trek]

Originally posted by ThingAMaJig
No. You're really scraping the bottom of the barrel, Watson/Robin.

Now i see you are talking to yourself. It's getting embarrasing over there, so give it up!!! --Trek

 

[Trek]

I think most people are forgetting that the MAIN influence from an adcomm member on your app comes after the interview, where they've met you face to face. The pic is just to jog that person's memory when they discuss you. And in that way, looks become less important as you talk to the person, guage their personality, etc. We all know very attractive people who have ugly personalities, so i wouldn't worry so much about it. Good luck. --Trek

 

[lilycat]

No. Trek got in, 'nuff said. Actually, that would imply that the interview doesn't matter as well...

 

[Mystique]

Originally posted by lilycat
No. Trek got in, 'nuff said. Actually, that would imply that the interview doesn't matter as well...

SSSCCCCCOOOOOOOOORRRREEEEE!

 

[Trek]

Tough crowd, real tough crowd. That's fine, cos i got a NICE PERSONALITY!!!! --Trek

 

[lilycat]

Originally posted by Jalby

So that left me with 10 pictures, and a lot of my friends who were sick of looking at me.

Seriously though to answer the question, I would put a little bit of effort into it. I'm not sure it's looks so much as to weather they can tell you put effort into the pictures and the application. If you send off some really sloppy polaroids, and your application is #5533 of the 5600 applications the AdComm is reviewing that week, that might be enough to start a negative impression when reviewing your entire application. Whether we like it or not, impressions get made on looks, presentation, etc. and if your picture or your application comes off sloppy or careless, odds are that will color the overall review of your application.

I think lola put it pretty well -- put a little effort into it and send a picture that you think accurately represents yourself.

 

[lilycat]

Originally posted by Trek
That's fine, cos i got a NICE PERSONALITY!!!! --Trek

Just because your mom says that, doesn't mean it's true.


(I'm so going to pay for this eventually)

 

[Trek]

Yeah, you've already kissed that HBO goodbye, and you're into tire slashing territory. Not that i hold a grudge or anything --Trek

 

[lilycat]

Yeah, but I know where you live...

If I shamelessly suck up to you now and go on and on about what a great guy you are, can I get the HBO back?

 

[Trek]

Too late. Have fun with antenna TV on your 4" black and white set!!! --Trek

ps: i'm moving a bit my stuff this weekend so i'll be checking out a lot of places for furniture and stuff. ANy houstonians around PM me for meeting up, etc.

 

[Trek]

A good point. But i can't imagine you'd look THAT different unless you really tried (or had surgery) --Trek

 

[FunkDoc]

jalby, you are too funny!

Originally posted by Jalby
I personally went to a modeling studio and took 200 head shots. We immidiately were able to eliminate 100 of the shots with out to much of a problem. I then took those 100 to some of my friends in Pasadena, After about an hour of looking through them, we made it to the top 30. We then randomly borke them down into three groups of 10. We compared those ten to each other, picking the top 3 from each. I then picked my favorite from the remaining 21.
So that left me with 10 pictures, and a lot of my friends who were sick of looking at me. I thaught all ten pictures were pretty good, but I had to that the random admissions committee would like the pic, so I took the ten to the street, and asked Random people to pick the one that they liked the least. Eventually, I made it down to 2 pictures. I then took those 2 to my then GF in Hollywood, and right before I was to send out my first secondary, she choose here favorite. I then ordered that pic to be mass produced (40) and sent them off with all of my secondaries. In my opinion, time well spent.

 

[Trek]

True, didn't think about it for women. I guess yes, make an effort to look presentable then --Trek

 

[Trek]

I see what you mean, playa:

--Trek

 

[lola]

the funny thing is, pamela anderson looks better than with makeup! she is sooo gross.

 

[kittyjuice]

look your best. try not to look slutty...male or female. but looks may have a subconscious factor. who knows? especially if there are some horny adcom people.

people are definately a lot nicer to you if ur looking good....thats just bottom line in anything....sad truth

 

[2badr]

Do looks matter ??? I hope not

 

[Jalby]

Damn. Not a single person got my joke.

 

[Jalby]

That was the exact selection process for American Idol.

 

[exigente chica]

passport photos make me look busted, send in a wallet size or a picture/picture?

 

[2badr]

Originally posted by Jalby
I personally went to a modeling studio and took 200 head shots. We immidiately were able to eliminate 100 of the shots with out to much of a problem. I then took those 100 to some of my friends in Pasadena, After about an hour of looking through them, we made it to the top 30. We then randomly borke them down into three groups of 10. We compared those ten to each other, picking the top 3 from each. I then picked my favorite from the remaining 21.
So that left me with 10 pictures, and a lot of my friends who were sick of looking at me. I thaught all ten pictures were pretty good, but I had to that the random admissions committee would like the pic, so I took the ten to the street, and asked Random people to pick the one that they liked the least. Eventually, I made it down to 2 pictures. I then took those 2 to my then GF in Hollywood, and right before I was to send out my first secondary, she choose here favorite. I then ordered that pic to be mass produced (40) and sent them off with all of my secondaries. In my opinion, time well spent.

Okay jalby now it is REALLY funny cuz I thought strange person.Allright here is my belated

 

[Jalby]

Originally posted by exigente chica
passport photos make me look busted, sne in a wallet size or a picture/picture?

I'm sure the picture can be bigger than the passport one.

 

[Bikini Princess]

from what i've heard from med students on adcoms, your photo is fairly significant. It's how they remember the application, and how interviewers remember who they interviewed. I think it's good to have professional photos taken, and to have a professional appearance.

Maybe Trek was allowed in just to make everyone else look good.