Georgetown SMP Application Thread for 2016-2017 Class

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Accepted today! Haven't received official acceptance letter yet though
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UCLA0423 said:
Accepted today! Haven't received official acceptance letter yet though
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If not by acceptance letter, how did you find out? Or do you just mean that they emailed you but didn't send a physical letter?
 
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arbor_vitae said:
If not by acceptance letter, how did you find out? Or do you just mean that they emailed you but didn't send a physical letter?
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This is what my email said "We are delighted to inform you that the Special Masters Program Admissions Committee at Georgetown University has recommended that you be accepted into our graduate program. Once the Graduate School has verified your credentials, they will send you an official acceptance via Apply Yourself."

so i'm not sure if that means officially accepted or not but i'm hoping so??
 
UCLA0423 said:
This is what my email said "We are delighted to inform you that the Special Masters Program Admissions Committee at Georgetown University has recommended that you be accepted into our graduate program. Once the Graduate School has verified your credentials, they will send you an official acceptance via Apply Yourself."

so i'm not sure if that means officially accepted or not but i'm hoping so??
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Yeah lol it sounds like they mean you're accepted so long as you satisfy all the pre-reqs and don't have anything outstanding
 
UCLA0423 said:
This is what my email said "We are delighted to inform you that the Special Masters Program Admissions Committee at Georgetown University has recommended that you be accepted into our graduate program. Once the Graduate School has verified your credentials, they will send you an official acceptance via Apply Yourself."

so i'm not sure if that means officially accepted or not but i'm hoping so??
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yeah it means you're accepted
 
Hi Everyone! I am excited to have the Georgetown SMP as an option for next year!

Is this correct? : I pay the non-refudnable 500$ deposit now to hold my spot, but I can reject the offer later if I hear back from a med school I am waitlisted at? Thanks!
 
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How do we specify what campus we want once we put down the deposit?
 
For those already accepted, How long did it take it for them to send the official acceptance via "apply yourself" after getting the first acceptance email?
 
Deposited today! See you guys in DC! I'm looking forward to it. :)
 
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Does anyone know about how long it takes to get a waiver from the Graduate School if you have <3.0 GPA?
 
BeingForItself said:
Hello! I thought I'd give everyone a rough sketch of my profile. It might be helpful for others so they know what students applying for this program are sort of like. Also, when I find out whether I get into the program or not, it might help give an idea of (along with other profiles here) what accepted profiles, rejected profiles, or waitlisted profiles look like.

Completed: 2/29/2016

Rough sketch of my profile:

School:
cGPA: 3.46, sGPA: 3.11, 512 MCAT (87th %tile - first and maybe last try?)

Big public university, liberal arts and life sciences double major, two undergrad journal publications in philosophy (both focused on topics discussed in bioethics), and no basic science research for a significant amount of time

Service:
One health-related service year with emphasis on primary care and mental health (with plenty of shadowing during the service term too!), plenty of service involving children as an undergrad, manager for the large university marching band for two years, and two service-related trips

Other stuff:
Nearly a decade of marching band and drum corps
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Under review: 03/08
Accepted: 04/18

I'm planning on going!
 
Anyone know how full the class is yet? Still under review... :/
 
I just got an email now (1030 PM) that I've been accepted!!! I submitted back in December, was waitlisted on February 18, and found out I needed a waiver from the graduate school dean about 3 weeks ago for a < 3.0 undergraduate science gpa.
 
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^ Congrats! If you don't mind, what was your MCAT or GRE scores? My app is nearly complete save the AMCAS document (as Plan B), but idk if applying this late in the cycle is worth it...
 
Abraxas305 said:
^ Congrats! If you don't mind, what was your MCAT or GRE scores? My app is nearly complete save the AMCAS document (as Plan B), but idk if applying this late in the cycle is worth it...
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I would apply, they accept people up until classes start. My MCAT is a 30 but it's expired this year so I will be retaking it.
 
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Abraxas305 said:
^ Congrats! If you don't mind, what was your MCAT or GRE scores? My app is nearly complete save the AMCAS document (as Plan B), but idk if applying this late in the cycle is worth it...
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Definitely apply! I applied May 14 2015 and was accepted June 2 2015. It's never too late to apply to an SMP unless the app deadline has passed!

-current SMP
 
Hi everyone, hoping you could answer a question for me. I am a graduating senior with about a 3.3 GPA and am starting the Georgetown SMP in the fall. I have taken the MCAT twice so far, receiving a 498 on the first one (lots of anxiety involved in that one) and a 506 in the next one. I was going to apply to med schools this year as recommended by Georgetown, but was wondering what your guys's thoughts were in retaking the MCAT in July with the hopes of a ~510.
 
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I think the more times you take it the less impressive it looks, regardless of the score. Improving by ten to fifteen points isn't unheard of, but it certainly isn't the norm.


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I would focus on getting the highest GPA you can manage at Georgetown. And just keep your MCAT.


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Current SMP checking in here to say hello!

If you weren't aware, your class has made a facebook group, which you should join! It's one of the best ways to find housing/furniture/etc before you get to DC. There have already been a few postings by my classmates who would love to see new SMPs take over their houses.

If you have any questions about the program/DC/etc that you're too shy to ask Amy about (she's really great), I'm happy to answer! It's been a crazy year, but one of the best of my life.
 
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Hey everyone! I just sent in an application here. I have a 3.4 sGPA 3.6 cGPA 503 MCAT also URM. Have extensive clinical experience and great LORs. How are my chances this late in the cycle? Does anyone recommend any other SMPs?
 
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jamieneutron said:
I just got an email now (1030 PM) that I've been accepted!!! I submitted back in December, was waitlisted on February 18, and found out I needed a waiver from the graduate school dean about 3 weeks ago for a < 3.0 undergraduate science gpa.
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I'm waitlisted right now and I was curious if I should get a waiver from the dean for my <3.0 undergraduate science gpa. How did you go about doing that?
 
ibmathie said:
I'm waitlisted right now and I was curious if I should get a waiver from the dean for my <3.0 undergraduate science gpa. How did you go about doing that?
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There's nothing for you to do, if the committee decides to accept you and you have a sub 3.0, they basically have to do one extra step and file a waiver. I think basically all waivers are approved, it seems like a formality. So it just takes longer than someone with a 3.0 who is pulled from the waitlist the same day.
 
jamieneutron said:
There's nothing for you to do, if the committee decides to accept you and you have a sub 3.0, they basically have to do one extra step and file a waiver. I think basically all waivers are approved, it seems like a formality. So it just takes longer than someone with a 3.0 who is pulled from the waitlist the same day.
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Ahh alright, that makes sense. Just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing anything. Thanks for the help and congrats on the acceptance!
 
ibmathie said:
Ahh alright, that makes sense. Just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing anything. Thanks for the help and congrats on the acceptance!
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Thanks! If you're really interested send them a strong letter explaining your interest. It definitely helped me!
 
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Very excited to be a part of the Georgetown SMP program next year, lets get after it.
 
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wacmd25 said:
Very excited to be a part of the Georgetown SMP program next year, lets get after it.
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Current SMP. It's been a great year. I've made friends here I know will be a huge part of my life forever. Just get ready to work! It's pretty difficult, but you'll get through it. If you have any questions, I'm happy to try and answer them!
 
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nosarcasm said:
Current SMP. It's been a great year. I've made friends here I know will be a huge part of my life forever. Just get ready to work! It's pretty difficult, but you'll get through it. If you have any questions, I'm happy to try and answer them!
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I do have one question! How's this current SMP class doing with regard to getting spots in the next GUSM M1 class? I've been getting a vibe from various SMP threads that GUSM seems to be giving fewer spots to SMP students. Is there some truth to that?

Thanks!
 
I got in recently! 3.06 cGPA 2.9 sGPA 514 MCAT.

Does anyone have any insight on the GTDT campus? Im considering doing that one because I prefer smaller class sizes and I would prefer a metro accessible location. Is it a bad thing to live ~20 mins away?


Would love if someone in the SMP currently could talk about what students experiences are in the GTDT location.
 
Go with your gut instinct, dimemag. GTDT sounds like it's the best idea to me. And had I accepted Georgetown's SMP, I would have chosen the smaller class size.


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BeingForItself said:
I do have one question! How's this current SMP class doing with regard to getting spots in the next GUSM M1 class? I've been getting a vibe from various SMP threads that GUSM seems to be giving fewer spots to SMP students. Is there some truth to that?

Thanks!
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I don't think there's much truth to that. There are some years where lots of SMPs get in, and some where not so many do. I think it just depends on the year. If you kill it in the program, you're going to get in somewhere.

To be a little more specific for you, so far 16 people have gotten into GUSOM, and we're expecting the second decision to come out sometime this week (they come out in waves). My class has done really well in comparison to the meds this year, and I wouldn't be surprised if another dozen or so SMPs got in.

More importantly, the majority of my friends here have acceptances to medical schools. Everyone is kind of finding out around now, and so it's been a really exciting time.

Hope that answers your question! Let me know if you have any more!
 
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dimemag said:
I got in recently! 3.06 cGPA 2.9 sGPA 514 MCAT.

Does anyone have any insight on the GTDT campus? Im considering doing that one because I prefer smaller class sizes and I would prefer a metro accessible location. Is it a bad thing to live ~20 mins away?


Would love if someone in the SMP currently could talk about what students experiences are in the GTDT location.
Click to expand...

Current SMP (I'm at the main campus, but I live with a down towner)

Smaller classes and metro means downtown sounds like the right thing for you (getting to Georgetown by metro is not a fun ordeal, especially once it starts to snow). A lot of people who live near campus end up walking about 20 minutes to get there anyway, so you should be good. You'll also find that you don't have to physically be there everyday- lots of lecture captures (which means you can watch lectures wherever you prefer).

I've loved being on the main campus. The class is big, but we all know each other. Downtown's class is a pretty separate group, but it seems like they all get along fairly well. One of the biggest saving graces this year will be your classmates, so that's just something to consider.
 
nosarcasm said:
I don't think there's much truth to that. There are some years where lots of SMPs get in, and some where not so many do. I think it just depends on the year. If you kill it in the program, you're going to get in somewhere.

To be a little more specific for you, so far 16 people have gotten into GUSOM, and we're expecting the second decision to come out sometime this week (they come out in waves). My class has done really well in comparison to the meds this year, and I wouldn't be surprised if another dozen or so SMPs got in.

More importantly, the majority of my friends here have acceptances to medical schools. Everyone is kind of finding out around now, and so it's been a really exciting time.

Hope that answers your question! Let me know if you have any more!
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Thanks that was helpful! Good luck with the second decision (assuming you weren't picked up in the first one!). It's really nice to hear that this year's physios are doing well with handling their coursework and I hope that we (us incoming physios) can do well too!

I do have one more question - how do SMP'ers manage going to interviews while classes are going on? It seems like it would get incredibly hectic given the large volume of materials and how quickly you move through it.
 
BeingForItself said:
Thanks that was helpful! Good luck with the second decision (assuming you weren't picked up in the first one!). It's really nice to hear that this year's physios are doing well with handling their coursework and I hope that we (us incoming physios) can do well too!

I do have one more question - how do SMP'ers manage going to interviews while classes are going on? It seems like it would get incredibly hectic given the large volume of materials and how quickly you move through it.
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I got into a school near my hometown, so I'm headed there in the fall.

The program is really understanding about interviews. We've all been able to make it work. The professors are also very willing to work with you if you get a date that interferes with an exam, though you're usually able to plan around that.
 
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SparkleMD123 said:
This is not true and I say that as respectfully as possible. There are students that come in with a 3.3 range in under-grad and 31 to 34 MCAT's (most do) that do not get into an MD school after 2 or 3 cycles EVEN when you KILL this program with a 3.8 or over a 3.9. So what I'm trying to say if you have stats that are competitive to get into a DO program and you don't mind going DO it could save you $70,000. Some kids end up having to go DO anyway and basically wasted years and alot of money. Some get in but there are some who do "KILL" the program who dont ever get into GT or anywhere. It's a risk and a very expensive one. It gives you a good shot but it doesn't always work out.
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I figured as much. Thank you for your candor. I made the right choice.


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SparkleMD123 said:
This is not true and I say that as respectfully as possible. There are students that come in with a 3.3 range in under-grad and 31 to 34 MCAT's (most do) that do not get into an MD school after 2 or 3 cycles EVEN when you KILL this program with a 3.8 or over a 3.9. So what I'm trying to say if you have stats that are competitive to get into a DO program and you don't mind going DO it could save you $70,000. Some kids end up having to go DO anyway and basically wasted years and alot of money. Some get in but there are some who do "KILL" the program who dont ever get into GT or anywhere. It's a risk and a very expensive one. It gives you a good shot but it doesn't always work out.
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I'm just curious where you've gotten this idea from? Were you an SMP? If you don't apply broadly, then sure your chances are lower of getting in somewhere post-SMP, but if you make sure you have a strong application that is sent to a variety of schools, and if you did well in the SMP, you're going to get in somewhere. Getting into Georgetown? Probably not. But you'll get in somewhere. 85% of SMPs go to medical school. Many of the ones that don't choose to do PhDs or related fields instead. I hardly call that a "risk." I don't believe for a second that someone who is capable of getting a 3.7 or above in this very difficult program would not be able to get into medical school. I performed very averagely, and I was able to get in.

Make the right choice for you. Is it a lot of money? Yes. But is it worth it? For me and the hundreds of people before me who have been accepted into medical school, yes. It is absolutely worth it. I used up all of my savings and took out loans for this, and if I had to go back and choose whether or not to do it again, I would not even hesitate.

But yes, if your stats now before the program are good enough for medical school, it would be silly to take the time and money to do the SMP, unless you're not sure you can handle a medical school curriculum.
 
SparkleMD123 said:
This is not true and I say that as respectfully as possible. There are students that come in with a 3.3 range in under-grad and 31 to 34 MCAT's (most do) that do not get into an MD school after 2 or 3 cycles EVEN when you KILL this program with a 3.8 or over a 3.9. So what I'm trying to say if you have stats that are competitive to get into a DO program and you don't mind going DO it could save you $70,000. Some kids end up having to go DO anyway and basically wasted years and alot of money. Some get in but there are some who do "KILL" the program who dont ever get into GT or anywhere. It's a risk and a very expensive one. It gives you a good shot but it doesn't always work out.
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Yep. I agree with what you're saying. It's always important to understand that there are no guarantees in applying to MD schools. That certainly goes double for those of us with records that necessitate SMP's to get into many MD programs.
 
BeingForItself said:
Yep. I agree with what you're saying. It's always important to understand that there are no guarantees in applying to MD schools. That certainly goes double for those of us with records that necessitate SMP's to get into many MD programs.
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Obviously there are no guarantees, but as someone who is in the midst of the SMP, I can tell you with as close to certainty as possible that if you work hard and do well, you will be successful. They don't let people into this program that they don't believe will get into medical school. Nothing will be handed to you, but if you work you will be rewarded eventually.
 
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nosarcasm said:
Obviously there are no guarantees, but as someone who is in the midst of the SMP, I can tell you with as close to certainty as possible that if you work hard and do well, you will be successful. They don't let people into this program that they don't believe will get into medical school. Nothing will be handed to you, but if you work you will be rewarded eventually.
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I agree! If you have the ability to get into med school/DO without the SMP, obviously DO IT! The SMP isn't a magic bullet that will get you into Harvard or something. But if you can't get into med school with your current stats, please DO give the SMP a chance. I never would have been accepted to medical school before the SMP (had an F and many Cs), but I worked really hard in the program and am going to gusom (had a few other options too).
The other thing I didn't realize before this program is that you have to choose very carefully which med schools to apply for. Some schools don't accept grade updates, and therefore won't care at all if you are in an SMP. Other schools LOVE updates and love the SMP. If you want to go to one of those schools that doesn't like updates, then you have a better chance of getting in there the cycle after the SMP so you can put all your SMP grades on your AMCAS. Be smart about where/when you apply, do well in the SMP, and you will get in!

Bottom line: If you can get in now, do it and forget the SMP! If you can't get in now, work hard in the SMP and you WILL get in (maybe not your SMP year due to the updates thing I mentioned, but very likely next year).
 
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16mai1987 said:
"There are no guarantees" is a tagline of this program.

Everything after that is personal conjecture.


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It's a tagline for any program. It's how life works. I'm saying (with fairly good authority, as someone who is literally in the program now, worked hard, and got into medical school) that if your GPA is keeping you from getting in somewhere, this is the best way to go about remedying that. It is a strong, well-known program with outstanding faculty behind it. Doing well here puts you in an excellent position to get accepted into medical school.
 
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