Georgetown SMP, Class of 2010

[DrMidlife]

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Do you have to interview to get into the SMP? Thanks.

No.

 

[Essex]

- The facilities are a little old.
- The medical students look down at you, even if not obviously, the feeling is still there.
- It is really stressful, and expensive, and the fact is that 40 to 50% won't get into medical school for that year.
- Did I mention it was expensive?
- THe other fact is that even though everyone comes into the program saying they will get straight A's, only 15% or so in each class end up actually getting A'.s That means that the majority of the class end up with B's and a GPA in the low 3's...
- Some of the BS busywork you have to go through in order for the Graduate school to feel comfortable giving you a Masters.
- The new curriculum is good, except for a research paper aspect in the SDR module where you are graded by peers. Many of my co-students grades were a step or two lower in that class because of unfair grading by peers.

Do people who get accepted into med schools while in the program tend to drop out? Would that look bad?

 

[Pghboy18]

No for the regular SMP you don't have to interview. For the GEMS program, a specialized SMP for minorities and disadvantaged applicants there is an interview. For the Wakeforest postbac, also a URM/disadvantaged persons based SMP there is an interview. otherwise, most other SMPs especially non URM/non disadvantaged based SMPs never require an interview.

One exception being NYMC in case you're thinking of applying there.

 

[DrJD]

Do you have to interview to get into the SMP? Thanks.

I know two people have said, "no" to this question, but the answer is actually "maybe." In fact I had to interview for the SMP! They use it to make the final call on tough decisions. So no, they are not a regular part of the application process, but they can be used if you have a border line application or a major red flag that they want to talk to you about. Good luck!

 

[kimtaeho]

yeah... i'm preparing for a face-to-face interview for temple's acms. i also did a phone interview for drexel'S IMS last week. so it depends on the SMP.

 

[pdiddy916]

if anyone had to rank the following SMPs how would they be ranked: Georgetown, Loyola, Rosalind Franklin, Boston U MAMS, and EVMS.


I've been wait-listed at EVMS but accepted elsewhere, so wanted to see how people rank programs, I know this is a Georgetown thread so may be a little biased, but a general idea is what im looking for.

 

[DrJD]

if anyone had to rank the following SMPs how would they be ranked: Georgetown, Loyola, Rosalind Franklin, Boston U MAMS, and EVMS.


I've been wait-listed at EVMS but accepted elsewhere, so wanted to see how people rank programs, I know this is a Georgetown thread so may be a little biased, but a general idea is what im looking for.

I can pretty much tell you the ranking based on what I've heard from admission departments on the interview trail this year.

1) Georgetown
2) Boston MAMS
3) Loyola
4) Rosalind Franklin

EVMS is not ranked because they are such a unique program. If you would be happy going to EVMS for medical school than rank EVMS first for you. If you want to be able to choose from a few schools add EVMS in right above Loyola.

 

[pdiddy916]

thanks for the response guys... this has definitely helped me out with at least narrowing out some choices, i also got into mississippi college, UNT-TCOM, Berkeley which I already know are not as good SMPs as the ones listed above. I am going to knock out RFU/Loyola and eventually decide on Georgetown/BU.

Thanks again!

 

[DrJD]

DrJD,

When is a good time to send a LOI to Gtown SMP saying that if taken off the waitlist I will go for sure???? I read they say to do this in July but can you send a letter sooner then that?

I'd say that at this point, once you are sure that you mean it, feel free to send it. I would make sure you send it directly to Dr. Mulroney or Myers so that they see it. Good luck!

 

[DrJD]

Who would be the better person to ask?? I'm sure. i didn't get in IMS. Not even a waitlist. I really think they are more trying to be a URM/disadvantaged persons type of SMP. I think its ridiculous that USF IMS has lower minimums then Gtown SMP and I got w/l at Gtown but not even a w/l at USF IMS. Go figure.

That is pretty ridiculous... I would recommend Mulroney because she is the program director, she is the top of the chain! Good luck with that, I have a good feeling about it for you!

 

[TheGoose]

PM responded to. I would re-work it - it doesn't need to be another AMCAS essay. Keep it pretty standard but just spruce it up with your personal goals and experience with the USF thing.

example i stole from the intertubes:
P1: introduce myself and state the purpose of the letter;
P2: why the school is great for you (be as specific as possible);
P3: why you are great for the school (be specific);
P4: (optional, could be wrapped into P3) why your relationship with the school would be mutually beneficial (it's great if you can connect yourself specifically with the things in P2 and what you would bring to that);
P5: wrap up, restate purpose, 1st choice ONLY if applicable, contact info if desired; request to speak with someone about your application if desired (ie, I would love the opportunity to speak with someone in your office to further discuss my potential relationship with your institution...s/t like that...and don't use that

keep it like a cover letter - no need to exceed 1 page and drag on. Keep your message clear


On another note, I'm sitting at a Starbucks in Georgetown right now and stopped by Dr. Mulroney today. I agree that she would be the one to talk to/send the letter to. The med campus is pretty sweet but holy cr*p it is friggin hilly around here (and there's no apt's that'll take dogs :-( )

 

[DrJD]

Good day to be on campus though, relatively calm day and nice weather. Glad you got to meet Dr. Mulroney, she is really awesome. Also two thumbs up for stopping by. I personally believe that having a face to face like that with one of the administrators really helps your chances.

And yeaa, you never really get used to the hills either. I've walked up the hills every day this year and yet when I get to the top I still curse their existence. Luckily, the GUTS bus drops you off WAY down at the bottom of the hill so you all will get to walk up the hill as well 🙂

PM responded to. I would re-work it - it doesn't need to be another AMCAS essay. Keep it pretty standard but just spruce it up with your personal goals and experience with the USF thing.

example i stole from the intertubes:
P1: introduce myself and state the purpose of the letter;
P2: why the school is great for you (be as specific as possible);
P3: why you are great for the school (be specific);
P4: (optional, could be wrapped into P3) why your relationship with the school would be mutually beneficial (it's great if you can connect yourself specifically with the things in P2 and what you would bring to that);
P5: wrap up, restate purpose, 1st choice ONLY if applicable, contact info if desired; request to speak with someone about your application if desired (ie, I would love the opportunity to speak with someone in your office to further discuss my potential relationship with your institution...s/t like that...and don't use that

keep it like a cover letter - no need to exceed 1 page and drag on. Keep your message clear


On another note, I'm sitting at a Starbucks in Georgetown right now and stopped by Dr. Mulroney today. I agree that she would be the one to talk to/send the letter to. The med campus is pretty sweet but holy cr*p it is friggin hilly around here.

 

[TheGoose]

Thanks for the help. I'm sure this will help other waitlisted people too. I'm jealous. I wish DC was just a hop and a skip away for me.

err i dont know if an 8.5 hour drive yesterday was really much of a hop or a skip. 😱

 

[TheGoose]

i think its a nice and motivational way of saying "i got your letter".

 

[DrJD]

I can't believe its almost that time already! I realized that I now have 5 weeks and 5 days until I am done with the SMP, seems like I just started! Everyone, this coming year will go by so quickly you won't even believe it.

Guju-
Dr. Mulroney is awesome, and I am guessing that she was making sure that you knew that she got it, while also letting you know that it is a good thing you sent the letter. There is a small turn around time from when they make decisions and when e-mail acceptances go out. So if your note changed their mind you probably wouldn't find out until Tuesday or Wednesday of next week. However, they may wait until after the deadline for applications to back through those who are wait-listed, I wish I knew their policy!

TO APPLICANTS FOR THE SMP:

Please note that the dates have changed for orientation and the start of
classes. The new dates are as follows:

*Orientation:*
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Friday, August 7, 2009

*First Day of Classes*
Monday, August 10, 2009

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Ms. Cabiness at
cabinesa@.... See you on August 6th (more details regarding
orientation will be posted to the message board this summer).

Information on the SMP webpage will be corrected next week.

 

[DrJD]

hey DrJD out of curiousity do you guys get video streamlining or note taking service of any sort??? I'm just curious how this school is technologically speaking.

So there is a note taking service, it is called MNTS. (Medical note taking service.) You pay about 150 dollars PER semester. You get access to an electronic copy on your blackboard account and a paper copy in your mailbox.

For the medical school courses they post an mp3 audio file of all the lectures on blackboard, no video unfortunately. For the graduate courses, typically one of the students will record the lecture and post it to some file sharing site and send out an e-mail with the link. Hope that helps! Feel free to ask any other detailed type question as the cycle progresses and I'll do my best to answer them here or over on my blog!

 

[DrJD]

One question about the curricula specifically. So you have this thesis project right?? Does library based thesis mean you write a review paper on a topic chosen essentially???

I'm confused because I see the word library thesis used in a lot of programs. not just this one. I see it used in the BU program as well.

Yup! You choose both a topic and a "reader" from the SMP staff and then you write about a 12 page paper on that topic. It isn't a huge deal, not worth stressing over. At this point in the year I have chosen both a topic and a reader, and I will probably start writing the paper next week after our exam.

The topic can be on anything related to physiology, so it is incredibly broad. I don't know the details of BU's, but I imagine it is fairly similar.

Also don't get your hopes down about the SMP situation... There is always a ton of movement on SMP waitlists! The people who have already been accepted to SMP likely are on waitlists to medical school. As they come off, they withdraw from the SMPs and then you'll get in! Keep the faith! That being said, you may want to at least have a back up plan in mind! Caribbean? Osteopathic? More post bac classes?

 

[Gojaroo]

I'm kinda new to SDN and recently applied to the Georgetown SMP, app completed on 4/7.
I only applied to the Georgetown SMP and the VCU Certificate program. I have not heard back from either program yet, except for notification of being under review.

Should I be worried? Should I send a LOI? Any advice?
I am just kinda worried after reading some of the previous posts.

 

[Essex]

I got my financial aid package letter in the mail today.

8.5k Fed Sub Stafford
12k Fed Unsub Stafford
43.7 Fed Grad PLUS

Total Cost of Attendance including room/board/personals estimated by G'town to be 64k!

Is anybody taking private loans instead of Fed PLUS loans?

 

[TheGoose]

why would you do that? The only reason to take private loans is if you need more money than the estimated cost of attendance/living

 

[Essex]

Is anybody taking private loans instead of Fed PLUS loans?

seeing if there are better options

 

[DrMidlife]

Total Cost of Attendance including room/board/personals estimated by G'town to be 64k!

Still cheaper than med school. COA for Gtown med last year was $67,453.

Is anybody taking private loans instead of Fed PLUS loans?

That would be a mistake. Federal loans come with privileges that you don't care about yet, but will make or break you come residency. Private lenders don't have to provide the same privileges. More to the point, private loan rates are considerably higher, historically, than any federal loan, and currently, private loans are really quite difficult to find. Bank bailout and all.

A couple examples of privileges that matter:

1. Last year we lost the forbearance that most residents used, for decades, to postpone payments on student loans. So while that option has disappeared, more options are being made available, such as income-based repayment, where your payments are capped proportionally to your income. With $300k in student loans, for instance, and a resident salary of maybe $45k, such options are absolutely critical. Private lenders are under no obligation to offer you any of the repayment options that federal loans do.

2. When you consolidate loans, which anybody with a substantial debt load is going to do, you typically can't merge your private loans in with your federals. Private lenders have to make money on you, first and foremost, and these consolidation programs aren't revenue generators.

Lastly, when you read the fine print on private vs. federal loans, you'll see that you're signing up for a completely different animal. Fed loans have a long list of reasons you can defer or avoid default, and you get a big fat notice when your rate or payment changes, and there's a long list of requirements to make sure students understand what they're getting into. Private loans, on the other hand, have the same dense, tiny, lengthy agreement as a credit card. They can raise your rate to whatever they want. They can deny deferrals and throw you into default without impunity.

I found all this out the hard way, or was that obvious...

Best of luck to you.

 

[Essex]

That would be a mistake... I found all this out the hard way, or was that obvious...

Thanks DrMidlife! I just needed to make sure that I wasn't doing anything silly.

 

[Essex]

Fyi, the yahoo groups page for the class of '10 has ~80 members now. So the class is prob about half full.

 

[DrJD]

Another heads up...

Once you are accepted, BE SURE to join the yahoo group. If you don't already have a yahoo account just take the two minutes to make one. That is the ONLY way that the administration will communicate with you through the entire school year. You will get e-mails to your georgetown account for the medical school classes, but any e-mail directed at only the SMP students will be via that list serve. So, join!

🙂 Congrats to those 80 who know where their goin' already!

 

[TheGoose]

thanks for elaborating on my "why would you do that"....you wrote down what i was thinking.

they need to get with the times....when was yahoo actually popular? before google existed? i remember hearing the bells and whistles when i dialed up to AOL and got my "you've got mail" and then the yodel of yaaahooooo commercials way back when.

on another note - housing is TERRIBLE. I just spent a week down there searching for houses/apartments etc... and its rough. (granted ive got a dog which made things exponentially harder)...but to those coming in - do your research beforehand and give yourself some time to find a place - its not fun.

 

[Essex]

they need to get with the times....when was yahoo actually popular? before google existed? i remember hearing the bells and whistles when i dialed up to AOL and got my "you've got mail" and then the yodel of yaaahooooo commercials way back when.

perhaps we should suggest that they use google groups instead

 

[DrJD]

perhaps we should suggest that they use google groups instead

You can try, but I doubt you'll have much luck. For whatever reason, they really like the yahoo set up. Its not big deal really... I made a yahoo account to join the group but then requested that messages be sent to my gmail account. Voila!

 

[JPGR]

Hey JPGR, that's pretty much what I went through, I had to call them directly and once I got a hold of the right guy my mcat scores and app status were updated within seconds. Within hours of my app being complete I received an email from Aureller Cabiness stating my application is now complete and that it is going under review. This is what it said exactly:

"Thank you for your interest in the Special Masters Program. Your application is complete and under review. We are currently migrating to a new computer system, please allow at least four weeks for a reply."

So if you haven't received such an email maybe you should try contacting Ms. Cabiness.

Thanks for the help guys! I'm glad you told me to call ASAP. I couldn't get a hold of Ms. Cabiness for a few days, but when I talked to her last Monday, it looked like the office responsible for sending our MCAT scores and updating the status page had not yet sent out my completed application to her. When I talked to her last Wednesday, she said that my application had already been reviewed by the committee, but a decision had not yet been made, and would not be made until my app was reviewed by the director. I asked when I should expect to hear from them, and she said the director was out of town so I probably wouldn't hear that week, and I might be on hold or waitlisted, so it could take longer, and that I might not hear the following week. This made me nervous, especially since after that conversation, I hadn't received any emails from Ms. Cabiness. In fact, I never got the "you are complete/under review" email....but I finally got an email from them on Saturday, and it was the unofficial acceptance! So it looks like the office responsible for updating our status page and collecting our MCATs, LORs, and transcripts is really not on top of it and sometimes just forgets to send things to the SMP. I guess you might not receive the email updates from the SMP in all cases, but it seems that it is a result of the inefficient office that receives our materials first.

 

[SpicyNoodles]

on another note - housing is TERRIBLE. I just spent a week down there searching for houses/apartments etc... and its rough. (granted ive got a dog which made things exponentially harder)...but to those coming in - do your research beforehand and give yourself some time to find a place - its not fun.

yikes! i'll be down there from sunday-thursday trying to look for a place. if anyone is still looking for a roommate or whatnot, let me know! im a 24 y/o non-smoker female coming from so cal. as long as you do your dishes, im cool. im open to pretty much any rooming arrangement (# of people in the house/apt, sharing a room or having my own room, male/female, etc...).

 

[TheGoose]

i mean - the big issue for me was having the dog. It was a deal breaker in oh-so-many places. Then we also tried to get a house with people and went through all the hoops and at the last second one of the roommates dropped out. If you dont have/want a pet - it'll be pretty easy to get a place at River Place (where i was couched for 5 days)....

anyone can feel free to pm me with issues or questions...i'll be in DC all summer

 

[oreobigmac9]

just wanted to make sure that i have all my documents! so far, i have only received the immunization packet but nothing yet... anyone in the same boat?

 

[Wubie]

So i've been accepted to both USF's IMS program and Georgetown's SMP program. Having a hard time deciding which program to accept. I'm a lot more inclined to choose USF since that's where I have residence so in the long run that will be the best chance I have of getting into medical school, and there is a huge difference in price USF $9000 and i will live at home Georgetown $40,000 plus living expenses and flying. I think I will get better work done at home and i've contacted some medical schools and they say they look at both programs the same. I wonder if anyone has any other suggestions/insight? If so i'd really appreciate it! Thanks!

 

[TheGoose]

update: my potential roommate just fell through so I'm in the market if people are interested in living together. I'll probably end up subletting a place during the summer (because ill be in DC all summer) and be available whenever people come down for the program.

A rowhouse could be pretty cool but im open to suggestions. About me: 23, male, have a nice quiet dog. Guys or girls welcome - PM for more info

 

[blinkers326]

last time i posted i told you guys about my situation...anyways my current situation is that i am now waitlisted at one school although i have no way of knowing where i stand on that waitlist.

i was looking at the GUTS schedule and it appears it goes to Dupont circle too...does anyone know someone that's in the SMP and living in Dupont instead of Rosslyn and about how long that commute is on teh bus?

anyways, to be realistic i was planning on doing this SMP program at Georgetown but am wondering how long can you really wait before finding housing? i know some people get in around orientation off the SMP waitlist so i was just trying to figure out how long i should wait. i don't want to sign a lease in DC and then find out i got in off the waitlist which would not be a very fun situation. ideally i would want a roommate but at this point i am not out looking to screw anyone over if by some small chance i get into this med school off their waitlist (doubt this will happen!). is anyone else in this situation?! and if so how long do you plan on waiting??

also, i got accepted about 6 to weeks ago and have so far only received my email saying i got in. i have been calling them since two weeks ago asking about my acceptance letter and no one seemed to know what was going on til yesterday when finally it seems it got lost in the mail on the way to Atlanta since they say it was mailed. does anyone mind telling me how much the deposit is so i can have that ready when i get another letter in the mail?

thanks!

 

[DrJD]

GUTS commute from Dupont isn't bad, maybe 15 minutes? One of my friends lives in Bethesda and her entire commute is 45 minutes. That includes the metro and everything. I'd plan on 20, but depending on the time of day it could be as low as 10...

As far as housing, this is NOT a college town. Housing doesn't fill up for the following Fall in March, you could come here one week before class starts and find a great apartment. DO NOT stress about finding a place. I know it is natural, but I promise you don't need to worry about it. Honestly, I know some of you have been traveling here to find housing but it is way too early. If you are planning on moving here in late July early August. If you wanted a lease that started in June then now may be a good time to look. But if you are in your situation on a waitlist, don't worry about waiting until in to the summer to look for housing, you will find some!

last time i posted i told you guys about my situation...anyways my current situation is that i am now waitlisted at one school although i have no way of knowing where i stand on that waitlist.

i was looking at the GUTS schedule and it appears it goes to Dupont circle too...does anyone know someone that's in the SMP and living in Dupont instead of Rosslyn and about how long that commute is on teh bus?

anyways, to be realistic i was planning on doing this SMP program at Georgetown but am wondering how long can you really wait before finding housing? i know some people get in around orientation off the SMP waitlist so i was just trying to figure out how long i should wait. i don't want to sign a lease in DC and then find out i got in off the waitlist which would not be a very fun situation. ideally i would want a roommate but at this point i am not out looking to screw anyone over if by some small chance i get into this med school off their waitlist (doubt this will happen!). is anyone else in this situation?! and if so how long do you plan on waiting??

also, i got accepted about 6 to weeks ago and have so far only received my email saying i got in. i have been calling them since two weeks ago asking about my acceptance letter and no one seemed to know what was going on til yesterday when finally it seems it got lost in the mail on the way to Atlanta since they say it was mailed. does anyone mind telling me how much the deposit is so i can have that ready when i get another letter in the mail?

thanks!

 

[SpicyNoodles]

do students get on-campus parking?

 

[DrJD]

do students get on-campus parking?

Nope! There is no oncampus parking, welcome to going to school in a "city." There is a parking garage or two, but I don't consider 10 dollars an hour, parking that is truly available.

On the weekends the metered parking in front of the school is plentiful and free, but thats about it .

 

[TheGoose]

do students get on-campus parking?

funny that you bring that up. I'm looking at it right now. If you live around campus you'll need to buy a parking permit (which means you need to register in DC and thus pay DC insurance rates).

or it seems like a potential landlord wants like $150 a month for a spot behind his house

parking and driving in dc is intense

 

[Pghboy18]

A question for those planning to move down to D.C. in June or early July:

What are you planning on doing in the time between your move and the beginning of the program?

 

[TheGoose]

.

 

[DrJD]

A question for those planning to move down to D.C. in June or early July:

What are you planning on doing in the time between your move and the beginning of the program?

We moved here around July 15th... I used the time to get to know the area, and do some of the touristy things that I didn't think I'd have time for while in the program.

But honest, what should you be doing? FINISH ALL OF YOUR SECONDARIES. I'll say that again... FINISH ALL OF YOUR SECONDARIES.

When you walk into orientation for the program you should be completely done with your medical school applications (Except for Georgetowns...)

So use the time to relax, explore and write essays!

 

[mpgiri88]

So I talked to Ms. Cabiness about finishing all my applications and she told me that when I get there at orientation I'm going to find out a lot of things I wish I'd known when I was filling them out over the summer. That being said should I finish all the secondaries and submit them or just have all the essays ready so that it takes a few minutes to put it all in and hit submit?

 

[DrJD]

So I talked to Ms. Cabiness about finishing all my applications and she told me that when I get there at orientation I'm going to find out a lot of things I wish I'd known when I was filling them out over the summer. That being said should I finish all the secondaries and submit them or just have all the essays ready so that it takes a few minutes to put it all in and hit submit?

Eh, I will disagree with her. They do mention a few things during orientation such as, making sure to mention in your essays that you are in the SMP. Describing the program etc. I had every single one of my secondaries turned in by the time class started and I have done just fine. There were a few essays that I may have mentioned the SMP in, if I had waited and heard that advice, but over all you are fine. A lot of the essays have absolute nothing to do with what you are doing this year. The first class hits the ground running, and the last thing you want to do is devote hours to writing and editing essays when you could be memorizing the material to get A's. So, I wouldn't wait if I were you, I think the benefit to being done outweighs hearing their thoughts on some things to include in the secondaries.

 

[stud247]

Hey, it was mentioned that some students drop out of the program once theyre accepted somewhere. But some schools want you to finish the program. So which schools are friendly to the dropouts?

 

[DrJD]

Hey, it was mentioned that some students drop out of the program once theyre accepted somewhere. But some schools want you to finish the program. So which schools are friendly to the dropouts?

I actually don't know... I was accepted somewhere during the first semester and very seriously considered dropping out, and saving the money. I just couldn't get up the courage to do that. I felt like the school that accepted me, or the ones I was still hoping to hear back from would change their mind.

 

[doctorhoskinson]

I actually don't know... I was accepted somewhere during the first semester and very seriously considered dropping out, and saving the money. I just couldn't get up the courage to do that. I felt like the school that accepted me, or the ones I was still hoping to hear back from would change their mind.

You committed cardinal sin #1 of medical school admissions: never reject a medical school who accepts you unless you also have one of equal or greater value that also accepted you. Not only do you close a door forever, you also might not get into any med schools the second time around.

 

[DrMidlife]

You committed cardinal sin #1 of medical school admissions: never reject a medical school who accepts you unless you also have one of equal or greater value that also accepted you. Not only do you close a door forever, you also might not get into any med schools the second time around.

You're offering advice to a current SMP student who has an MD school acceptance that he didn't turn down. He's helped tons of people here. For years. And knows what he's talking about.

 

[doctorhoskinson]

You're offering advice to a current SMP student who has an MD school acceptance that he didn't turn down. He's helped tons of people here. For years. And knows what he's talking about.

Regardless of what he does here, it is simply unfair of him to take a slot in a program that many people apply for to gain additional credentials or decide if medical school is the right path when he already has an offer to attend medical school. For his slot, someone on the fence got rejected. In my mind, he wasted 50k and closed a door for someone.

 

[KiwiBruin]

Regardless of what he does here, it is simply unfair of him to take a slot in a program that many people apply for to gain additional credentials or decide if medical school is the right path when he already has an offer to attend medical school. For his slot, someone on the fence got rejected. In my mind, he wasted 50k and closed a door for someone.

I am not sure what you are reading, but the way I see it, DrJD got accepted to a medical school while he was in his 1st semester of the SMP. He couldn't have taken another person's slot because school (Georgetown) already started when he got the acceptance. DrJD, just didn't know whether he could quit the SMP at this point or if his medical school acceptance was conditional upon his completion of his program at georgetown. Also, he had other schools he wanted to get into and wasn't sure if quiting the SMP would hurt his application so he is finishing up this year.