does connection help in the admission process...?!

what do u mean connections

 

really? I haven't heared of such things happening in US!
have u heared abt it?

 

It will be really informative for people like me if those who vote & think that "connections will help" can share their experience here

 

If you are an average applicant, and you have influencing connections I'm sure you can pull some strings. This happens here and everywhere.

Even a reco letter from a very important person in the field, can make it work for you. Although probably the connection thing is more popular on the specialty applications, specially those popular ones.

But toothlord, if you wanted to have sincere inputs, you should have made it anonymous. Not everyone will be willing to acknowledge what they think in this delicate matter. Just a comment....

 

SDN crashed right after I voted, before I typed in my post.

But my opinion, isn't based on experience, although I wish. I would have gotten somewhere cheaper and warmer like Nova.

 

really? this sure is interesting

 

yeah true

 

Why does it surprises you? I'm sure this happens everywhere. I thought this "fell of the tree".

 

I know it happens in our country(India) but I didn't think it happens here too(US) b'cos what I was thinking till now is that in US they only give importance to individual's talent's

for instance, It is easy for children of politically influential people to get a medical/engineering seat in top schools in our country. It is surprising for me to beleive that it happens here too

 

Dental doc

It does happens here too. Contacts do matter but unlike india over her u have to have good grades too. Well for instance my friend got a USMLE score of 89, 87 whic is not all that now a days she applied in the same program in which my husband is working. They never told us befor she applied but she told us when she got her rejection after that my hubi went and talked to the Programm director to atleast give her the interivew , To cut the story short they called her for the interview and she is going to start her residency in July and they giving her H-1 too which they rearlly do .So trust me buddy it matters .
In the end every little thing matters .Individual talent does matter but a little push can help u a lot

ALI99

 

Thanks pal for the info

 

I'm sorry, but let me laugh.

Nepotism???? Oh sure. I just watched a TV show a couple weeks ago about nepotism in the US gov. I just don't remeber which program was it.

 

hi dentaldoc
I think recommendation is a official connection that someone recommends us to universities

 

Hmm...Nepotism/ bribery, I don't see a big difference between both
but how come bribery is not common in these matters in US

 

I don't think so, ESPECIALLY in the specialty applications and MORE SO in the popular ones.......
When only 2 or 3 people are given admission into a program, a person can't bring in some one just because of *connections*

 

Dentaldoc,
Your analysis is so flawed. In India it is unheard of any wrong doing in the top schools like AIIMS, IIT, JIPMER., etc. They are the most talent based schools I have ever encountered (I am telling this after having experience in most of the world). However, I do agree with you that these things very well happen in lower tier institutes.

 

Nope, who you know can play a big part in the popular specialties. Even when there are only a few spots. At one interview, my jaw dropped from the number of current residents and fellow applicants who were somehow connected with the program - parent is a graduate of the program or a teacher in the program or husband/wife/sibling completed the program recently, etc.

Phenomenal scores are a pretty sure-fire way to get accepted to a program but if you are a borderline candidate, who you know can be a huge benefit to you.

Don't be fooled into thinking admissions in the USA is all about fairness and quality candidates. It is to a good extent, but there are always exceptions, especially the nepotism meggs talked about. Although you might not be able to directly bribe the program director to letting you into his specialty program, having your father donate a new wing to the dental school or giving a sizable cash donation to the school's alumni association can make a difference...

 

do u think so, well.. what I meant is that there are still students who are getting admitted in to top self- financing colleges(it doesn't mean it is one among lower tier institutes ) through "management quotas"(paying 5 to 30 or more lakhs!) those students may be with below average grades

so there r 2 categories self- financing & government colleges.
All self- financing colleges aren't necessarily lower tier institutes infact they have government allocated seats in them and a good self - financing college will have all the sophisticated tools & facillities, compared to the government colleges u are refering to like AIIS, IIT, JIPMER., etc.

ok now I really don't want to get in to details of which is the top/high tier college in india!

Basically what I want to say is in US this is not possible(substituting money for grades) other than exceptions like donating a new wing to dental school

However I am beleiving that connections play an important role in admissions in US Thanks for the info friends

 

well in real life ........best one always wins.......all that glitters is not gold.....but gold always glitters.................so have faith in yourself........

 

I agree, I dont know about the US, but atleast here in the UK if you have someone influential to prop up your application it helps. No one will entertain you if you have really bad grades, but in a situation where everyone is more or less equally qualified this makes all the difference. This may not involve actual bribery but a kind of favour trading btw a clique. Like I scratch your back you scratch mine.

 

i just know for sure that connection plays a rule in medical residency admittion,a friend of mine was stepped over by less qualified candidate,her husband was assistant programme director and she got prematched.

 

Thank you griffin. I think is too naive of us, foreigners, to beleive that just 'cause the US is like it is, those things won't happen.

On the topic, some Texas school (don't remember which) use to award points in the scale towards admissions, to student that had a relative (parent, sibiling) graduated from that school. I mean, if two students had the same number of points in the admission scale, the kid with the father graduated from it, got admission over the other, just because of it.

And this was written in the schools rules!!. Because of unfairness they got rid of it in theorym or so they said. I doubt they'll quit the practice any time soon.

I think the article was linked here on SDN, don't remember.

 

Hi,
I can bet that connections will work out everywhere in the world and US is not an exception. And i am sure that connections can play a role in the admissions in IDP selection. I have some proofs regarding it and i am experienced too.

Have a nice day

 

If you guys read my previous post, like some one else said here, it says JUST the connections will not work.........You still need to have a decent resume.

I don't think we are naive, all or most (I hope) of us know just hard work is enough......anyone can work hard and have good grades......and we all are aware that hard work/good grades are not the only things that gives a person an admission.....

 

Well said!

 

well sir ......................u have my approval...i guess u do not need any other connections........................................

 

Ok I am up to hear abt ur experience, who is with me?

Indian dentist, can u tell us abt ur experience

 

I think connections work in the IDP admissions , i know atleast one person ,who has got in this way, although i recieved the information through a friend of mine!!!! heart breaking isn't it?????

 

if they start a financially based dental school in the US , that shall be my first choice, not because i am rich but because at least after i pay i am in...sometimes i wonder what does these schools want more than MONEYYYY
isnt money the heart of the story...why they dont accept all qualified candidates and at last they are always winners!!!
whats the difference in real life between a professional who got 82 and another who got 92! NOTHING

 

Hi,
I know many scenarios where people could get in to IDP with a recomondation. And i am not telling that they got thru only recomondation. They have a pretty reasonable resume too. I know one person who didnt even selected to the interview session for Loma Linda, is a student in that years batch.
Do u think that person could get in there with out any influence. Before i started my interviews, even i was in the impression that, they wont work, but later i realized that i am wrong.

Have a nice day

Indiandentist

 

I was unfortunately faced with this problem not too long ago. I came to find out that a person was admitted into an international dental program whose credentials (test scores, GPA, etc.) was the lowest amongst all the people who were competing for a seat at the same school. That person later indirectly told me that he knew someone and that he could help with anything I needed also. I could not believe this was happening.

As alot of people said, I wanted to believe that such things did not exist...but unfortunately they do. What really shocked me though, was that at the particular school where this took place, they regard themselves are highly moral and very very religious. Kind of sad. But opens up your eyes to the world.

 

Yup, connections do work, and I found out to my detriment. A professor was on the interview board, and his daughter was an interviewee. This was for an Ortho position. Although he may not have interviewed her, he was definitely in a position to influence the sel(rej)ection of other applicants. I was a victim of his nepotism. However, he wasn?t American; he was an immigrant from a different country.

 

Sorry to hear that, Slayer.

 

Well...

 

thanks everybody who shared their thoughtfull experiences with us

This thread, It really did change my opininon thanks to toothlord

Slayer, sorry abt that. Wish u luck next tilme

 

Nahh, even if he was. It's his daughter we're talking here. It would have been the same thing for sure. Sorry to hear that costed you a spot.

 

Hi Sara,
I was just wondering whether is it Loma Linda University.

Indiandentist.

 

It is so dishearthing to know that some people put down there own country in forums such as these. Agreed such things might happen in some colleges in India, but let me ask you is there a place in the world where this does not happen. Now does that give you a right to so openly vioce your opinion about your country.
Don't forget that you owe your education to that same place which you call biased, else you would not have been here wrting such nonsense.

I am sorry I use such harsh words but it really bothers me when people try and talk low about their own country, agreed we might not be perfect but then who is?
Always be proud of where you belong because no matter how big and tall you stand you owe your exixtence to your nation, and you have a duty, an obligation towards it.

 

Hello my coutrymate friend ,
RELAX........I LUV INDIA
my intention is not that what u "understood"
I am just trying to understand the difference in outlook among countries

ok now we all know U R "PATRIOTIC" and the outpour from u is again due to ur overwhelming "patriotism"
I understand that.

p.s -don't do & feel sorry at the same time
WHEN U WANT TO SHOOT, SHOOT DON'T TALK

TRUTH HURT'S HUH?

-Vandematharam
-jaihindh

 

Its the people who have outlook not countries. And my dear friend u got it all wrong. I was not sorry for what I wrote, but for the mindset some people have.
Anyway you did not have to WRITE that you LUV India. How much of that is true is very well reflected in your response.
Thanks

 

If you want to continue with this dialogue about "patriotism", please take it to the pm's.

 

Well , obviously I meant the people in the countries
Welcome

ok now as henna said "PM me" if u want to talk to me about something

 

ok guys ,
sorry for the interruption that happened to this thread(neither I wanted it )
I didn't mean to hurt anyone's feelings, b'cos that's NOT MY INTENTION!

Now let us all stick to the purpose of this thread "does connection help in the admission process...?!'

good day to all