Harvard Decisions

[Yehosh]

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Well for financial reasons, I couldn't attend an MD program without a scholarship cos I'm a foreign student, dont qualify for most finaids, and not one of the rich ones either...

hey, I think we may have interviewed on the same day, do you have a law degree from the UK by any chance?

 

[ceyx]

In the cause of solidarity and beating the Duke thread, I’m going to pitch in. Been trying to ignore the fact that I’m waiting for an HMS letter. But when nothing came again yesterday, I had to dig up this thread. Cracked me up reading some of the comments, and it’s good to know others are out there trying not to obsess about what’s in their mailboxes. Thanks guys 🙂

 

[wannabedoc85]

He's great in college. I think he is going to get bullied in the NBA. He looks anorexic.

Texas may beat UNC, but they can't take Gtown. OSU will go down to Texas A+M.

you have no idea what you are talking about...

(i) have you seen KG?

(ii) OSU will crush A & M.

 

[foofish]

I keep on checking this thread for Harvard news, and what do I get? basketball! 😴

No kiddin'....and oddly, no mention of Harvard's chances in the Women's NCAA.

 

[LooneyTunes]

hey, I think we may have interviewed on the same day, do you have a law degree from the UK by any chance?

LOL. No...

 

[Towelie]

you have no idea what you are talking about...

(i) have you seen KG?

(ii) OSU will crush A & M.

Garnett is two inches taller and a much more dominant defensive player. I'm just going what the NBA scouts on ESPN said, which is that Durant won't be as good as he looks this year.

As for OSU, they are soft. Loss at Florida, loss at Wisconsin, loss at UNC--other than home games against Wisconsin, they haven't beaten one really tough team this year. A&M beat Texas at home and Kansas on the road, and put up a better fight at UCLA than OSU did in any of its road slaughters (OSU lost by 26 to Florida!). I'm picking the Buckeyes to go down in the elite eight.

 

[yvan eht nioj]

What did you guys think of Vanderbilt hall (if you happened to visit/stay there)?

 

[GoinBack2Cali?]

What did you guys think of Vanderbilt hall (if you happened to visit/stay there)?

I lived there for a summer. Being across the street (all 20 yards of it) is a real convenience, but thats about it. The bathrooms and kitchen are pretty ****ty. I'd live off campus. Brookline is awesome.

 

[EdingerWestphal]

Is housing in Brookline a lot more expensive than living in Vanderbilt?

I'd just be scared of the rent+tuition costs getting ridiculous.

 

[IckeyShuffle]

you have no idea what you are talking about...

(i) have you seen KG?

(ii) OSU will crush A & M.

durant is going to be a NBA superstar. good comparison to KG though i would argue durant is even more athletic than garnett. durant is a pure shooter.

 

[Yehosh]

Garnett is two inches taller and a much more dominant defensive player. I'm just going what the NBA scouts on ESPN said, which is that Durant won't be as good as he looks this year.

As for OSU, they are soft. Loss at Florida, loss at Wisconsin, loss at UNC--other than home games against Wisconsin, they haven't beaten one really tough team this year. A&M beat Texas at home and Kansas on the road, and put up a better fight at UCLA than OSU did in any of its road slaughters (OSU lost by 26 to Florida!). I'm picking the Buckeyes to go down in the elite eight.

All true, but I'd still pick Oden over Durant in the NBA draft. Oden is a more complete player on both ends of the court

 

[ceyx]

What did you guys think of Vanderbilt hall (if you happened to visit/stay there)?

Gotta say the _random_ tennis court in the middle of what could be a nice quad was strange. My impression was the most folk lived off campus.

 

[Lorienne7]

So does Harvard waitlist anyone at all? If so, wouldn't the financial aid page work for them too? The page isn't working for me, but the thought just occurred to me. Lol, I love being a pessimist!

 

[ltrain]

Is housing in Brookline a lot more expensive than living in Vanderbilt?

I'd just be scared of the rent+tuition costs getting ridiculous.

If you hunt, you can find housing (with roommates) that is cheaper than Vandy. I don't remember, but I thought they said it was 750/mth for Vandy...is that right? I currently live a 20 min door-to-door commute from Longwood and pay 625 (4 bdrm apt with 3 roommates).

The thing that strikes me as a bummer is that almost all first years live in Vandy. It's not enough of a bummer to make me want to live in a dorm again, though.

 

[photo_girl07]

If you hunt, you can find housing (with roommates) that is cheaper than Vandy. I don't remember, but I thought they said it was 750/mth for Vandy...is that right? I currently live a 20 min door-to-door commute from Longwood and pay 625 (4 bdrm apt with 3 roommates).

The thing that strikes me as a bummer is that almost all first years live in Vandy. It's not enough of a bummer to make me want to live in a dorm again, though.

Agreed....dorms 👎

 

[tch001]

So does Harvard waitlist anyone at all? If so, wouldn't the financial aid page work for them too? The page isn't working for me, but the thought just occurred to me. Lol, I love being a pessimist!

I believe last year that the financial aid page only worked for people accepted, not waitlisted.

 

[Lorienne7]

I believe last year that the financial aid page only worked for people accepted, not waitlisted.

Then how do they fill out their financial aid stuff in the rare case when they get pulled off the list? Also, does anyone know approximately how many ppl are waitlisted?

 

[this is not fun]

is the financial aid page working for anyone yet?!

 

[LadyKae]

If you hunt, you can find housing (with roommates) that is cheaper than Vandy. I don't remember, but I thought they said it was 750/mth for Vandy...is that right? I currently live a 20 min door-to-door commute from Longwood and pay 625 (4 bdrm apt with 3 roommates).

The thing that strikes me as a bummer is that almost all first years live in Vandy. It's not enough of a bummer to make me want to live in a dorm again, though.

i lived in a 3BR/2BATH in Brookline for 850/month (NOT including utilities), 15 minute walk from Longwood area.

also lived in a 3BR/1BATH (but TONS of space, REALLY nice apt., free parking) in Jamaica Plain for 600/month (including utilities), 15 bus ride to Longwood.

conclusion: there are neighborhoods around Longwood (ex. Jamaica Plain) that are definitely not as nice as Brookline, but you get a lot more for your money.

caveat: there is something to be said about living near your classmates in vandy during that first year.

 

[CaramelDlite]

is the financial aid page working for anyone yet?!

Wow...you ask that alot. I hereby pledge that if by chance the financial aid site works for me, you will be the first to know.🙂

 

[cgscribe]

Durant is a stud. You can just tell that at times he realizes he's good enough that he doesn't have to play his hardest. I hope that changes in the NBA. The fact that he averaged around 30 ppg, more than 10 rbg, a couple blocks and steals a game in the Big XII says something. Having said that, Oden will probably be a guy that turn a pretty crappy team into a playoff team (i.e. Tim Duncan). What's scary is that he's still nursing the injured hand.

 

[cabgdoc1]

Durant is a stud. You can just tell that at times he realizes he's good enough that he doesn't have to play his hardest. I hope that changes in the NBA. The fact that he averaged around 30 ppg, more than 10 rbg, a couple blocks and steals a game in the Big XII says something. Having said that, Oden will probably be a guy that turn a pretty crappy team into a playoff team (i.e. Tim Duncan). What's scary is that he's still nursing the injured hand.

don't quite agree with that. No ONE is as good as Big Fundamentals Tim Duncan

 

[tch001]

Just checked, financial aid page is still not working for me 🙁

 

[ceyx]

Anyone know when the HMS revist weekend might be?

 

[tch001]

Anyone know when the HMS revist weekend might be?

Do they have a revisit weekend? I got the impression during the interview that they just kind of assume everyone accepted will attend.

 

[yomama'sdoctor]

People applying to NP:

So i've been talking to some NP alumni, and it seems that they are phasing out the program because, as one person somewhat bluntly said, "it was a failure." Apparently the program is not very popular, even for the people in it and running it. 😕 I'm pretty sure this wasn't just an unusually bitter sample group. I mean, Harvard's still Harvard, so students are still getting good board scores and residency matches....but apparently the program is unsatisfactory enough that they are phasing it out after this experimental run.

So....what does this mean for us. Will (rather, would) we go through the same program or have they changed it for the better? Have any of you heard of this? I'm really interested in what you all have heard, because (as for everyone) Harvard would definitely be a top top cosideration if I were accepted.....if 🙂

 

[yomama'sdoctor]

People applying to NP:

So i've been talking to some NP alumni, and it seems that they are phasing out the program because, as one person somewhat bluntly said, "it was a failure." Apparently the program is not very popular, even for the people in it and running it. 😕 I'm pretty sure this wasn't just an unusually bitter sample group. I mean, Harvard's still Harvard, so students are still getting good board scores and residency matches....but apparently the program is unsatisfactory enough that they are phasing it out after this experimental run.

So....what does this mean for us. Will (rather, would) we go through the same program or have they changed it for the better? Have any of you heard of this? I'm really interested in what you all have heard, because (as for everyone I'm sure) Harvard would definitely be a top top cosideration if I were accepted.....if 🙂

 

[ltrain]

i lived in a 3BR/2BATH in Brookline for 850/month (NOT including utilities), 15 minute walk from Longwood area.

also lived in a 3BR/1BATH (but TONS of space, REALLY nice apt., free parking) in Jamaica Plain for 600/month (including utilities), 15 bus ride to Longwood.

conclusion: there are neighborhoods around Longwood (ex. Jamaica Plain) that are definitely not as nice as Brookline, but you get a lot more for your money.

caveat: there is something to be said about living near your classmates in vandy during that first year.

Yep, yep, definitely. For those not from Boston, craigslist works really well to find housing here. Another option is to live around Central or Harvard Sq in Cambridge and take the free shuttle that runs between the undergrad and med school campuses. It runs every half hour, I believe. Advantage to doing this (in addition to the fact that Cambridge is a cool, fun place to live) is that you can easily use Harvard undergrad facilities, like the gym. I can't believe they showed us that "gym" in Vandy on the tour 🙄

Anyway, yeah. Housing. Guess we should worry about getting in first...

 

[fotografía]

Ok firstly, there definitely is a 2nd look weekend. It's during the "society olympics."

As for New Pathway, what I hear is that the curriculum is undergoing major changes. There are flaws that people are aware of, e.g., classes being WAY too compressed, like anatomy (7 weeks I believe?). My friend who's a first year says that she spends a lot more time in class than second years did, to emphasize the changes that are being created. She says the pace is very fast and very intense for first years. Also, the NP curriculum does NOT prepare you for the boards. Everyone confirmed this on interview day. Students said, for example, that you won't learn useless minutiae in anatomy or drug names in pharm. The NP curriculum is supposed to emphasize critical thinking. That means when it comes down to boards time, you have to put in the extra effort to compensate. Nonetheless, HMS students are pretty bright, so they end up doing well. The match list suggests that board performance isn't an issue (or the Harvard name really carries a lot of weight, who knows).

My faculty interviewer was a big proponent of NP, so I wouldn't say the faculty are all against it. He did mention that it was being "cleaned up," but my overall impression was that while the kinks are clearly being worked out, it's a very strong program. Plus, you get HMS' ridiculous resources.

 

[ltrain]

People applying to NP:

So i've been talking to some NP alumni, and it seems that they are phasing out the program because, as one person somewhat bluntly said, "it was a failure." Apparently the program is not very popular, even for the people in it and running it. 😕 I'm pretty sure this wasn't just an unusually bitter sample group. I mean, Harvard's still Harvard, so students are still getting good board scores and residency matches....but apparently the program is unsatisfactory enough that they are phasing it out after this experimental run.

So....what does this mean for us. Will (rather, would) we go through the same program or have they changed it for the better? Have any of you heard of this? I'm really interested in what you all have heard, because (as for everyone I'm sure) Harvard would definitely be a top top cosideration if I were accepted.....if 🙂

Mind sharing how recently they graduated?

One of the things that I found annoying about the Harvard interview day is that they apparently rehauled their curriculum last year, but didn't give us any material on it...what changed, what the schedule is like for the new curriculum, etc. The only thing the Director of Admissions could offer was that it was more "integrative." Then, in addition, they admitted they had had some problems with the new curriculum, but that they were being fixed. Yet, no one could explain what the problems were, or the measures being taken to fix them. If you think about it, this kind of thing wouldn't fly at any other school, which is the part that really annoyed me.

Anyone else have impressions about NP from the interview day?

 

[yomama'sdoctor]

Mind sharing how recently they graduated?

One of the things that I found annoying about the Harvard interview day is that they apparently rehauled their curriculum last year, but didn't give us any material on it...what changed, what the schedule is like for the new curriculum, etc. The only thing the Director of Admissions could offer was that it was more "integrative." Then, in addition, they admitted they had had some problems with the new curriculum, but that they were being fixed. Yet, no one could explain what the problems were, or the measures being taken to fix them. If you think about it, this kind of thing wouldn't fly at any other school, which is the part that really annoyed me.

Anyone else have impressions about NP from the interview day?

That's really sketchy...I hate that it seems like they're trying to cover something up. In any case, thanks for the info fotografia! Very helpful...

And these were people who graduated last may, 2 years ago, and a couple of third years. I also talked to other med students who had friends currently at NP and they also confirmed that their friends talked about it.

 

[ltrain]

That's really sketchy...I hate that it seems like they're trying to cover something up. In any case, thanks for the info fotografia! Very helpful...

And these were people who graduated last may, 2 years ago, and a couple of third years. I also talked to other med students who had friends currently at NP and they also confirmed that their friends talked about it.

Yeah, or not even trying to cover something up, but I just got the feeling that they didn't feel it was necessary to impress us, or explain the changes to us. Maybe they thought it was premature at that point and there will be info for those who get accepted, but it was a big turn off for me. Almost every school I interviewed at provided a diagram of the curriculum by year, or that same type of diagram was available online. I don't know.

 

[omegaxx]

Yeah, or not even trying to cover something up, but I just got the feeling that they didn't feel it was necessary to impress us, or explain the changes to us. Maybe they thought it was premature at that point and there will be info for those who get accepted, but it was a big turn off for me. Almost every school I interviewed at provided a diagram of the curriculum by year, or that same type of diagram was available online. I don't know.

I guess it's just that no one is really going to attend Harvard for the curriculum and training. HST might have a little something going for it, but the New Pathway program isn't really that special. And for clinical training, I'm sure students get better exposure and hands-on opportunities at less prestigious teaching hospitals.

My feeling is that Harvard is simply selling Harvard and all that that the name entails: endless research, service and networking opportunities, worldclass faculty, one of the best--if not THE best--student bodies in the country, Boston (the Mecca of Medicine), etc. Heck, I'm excited just typing up the list although I know very clearly that for curriculum and clinical training I definitely got better choices.

People still buy it. Harvard still has the highest matriculation rate. No wonder they don't see any need for change😴

 

[FemalesCANTDriv]

In the cause of solidarity and beating the Duke thread, I’m going to pitch in. Been trying to ignore the fact that I’m waiting for an HMS letter. But when nothing came again yesterday, I had to dig up this thread. Cracked me up reading some of the comments, and it’s good to know others are out there trying not to obsess about what’s in their mailboxes. Thanks guys 🙂

We are already on Duke Part II. Hey Haaaaavaaaad... do you like apples???
Havard: Yes why?
Duke: Our thread was so freaking awesome it already got shut down for being too awesome and now we have a part II thread. How do you like them apples?!?!

I thought this was appropriate considering the Good Will Hunting reference.

 

[this is not fun]

Wow...you ask that alot. I hereby pledge that if by chance the financial aid site works for me, you will be the first to know.🙂

i know... overly anxious to confirm rejection i suppose... 🙁

 

[ltrain]

I guess it's just that no one is really going to attend Harvard for the curriculum and training. HST might have a little something going for it, but the New Pathway program isn't really that special. And for clinical training, I'm sure students get better exposure and hands-on opportunities at less prestigious teaching hospitals.

My feeling is that Harvard is simply selling Harvard and all that that the name entails: endless research, service and networking opportunities, worldclass faculty, one of the best--if not THE best--student bodies in the country, Boston (the Mecca of Medicine), etc. Heck, I'm excited just typing up the list although I know very clearly that for curriculum and clinical training I definitely got better choices.

People still buy it. Harvard still has the highest matriculation rate. No wonder they don't see any need for change😴

I hear you, and I've certainly experienced or at least witnessed many of the Harvard perks as I've been working at MGH for the past 3 yrs. But then I stop and think to myself that I'm going to medical school to be trained as a physician, right? It just bugs me that they seem to blatantly not care about selling their school. It's part of the Harvard attitude that I find offensive...the "I go to Harvard and I'm set for the rest of my life" attitude.

That said, if I get in I'll likely go. The vibe just rubs me the wrong way.

 

[pyrois]

I hear you, and I've certainly experienced or at least witnessed many of the Harvard perks as I've been working at MGH for the past 3 yrs. But then I stop and think to myself that I'm going to medical school to be trained as a physician, right? It just bugs me that they seem to blatantly not care about selling their school. It's part of the Harvard attitude that I find offensive...the "I go to Harvard and I'm set for the rest of my life" attitude.

That said, if I get in I'll likely go. The vibe just rubs me the wrong way.

They seemed to sell the school pretty well when I was there. Then again, I'm an easy sell, so YMMV.

 

[ltrain]

They seemed to sell the school pretty well when I was there. Then again, I'm an easy sell, so YMMV.

Okay, I'm done bitching. Just wondering if anyone else had the same experience. I'm getting a "no" vibe. 🙂

 

[CaramelDlite]

i know... overly anxious to confirm rejection i suppose... 🙁

no it's understandable. i think they have the financial aid site programmed though so that no one can log in until the first acceptances are received. that's how it went last year, and i'd be surprised if it went any other way this time around.

 

[CaramelDlite]

double post.

 

[yomama'sdoctor]

What does YMMV mean?

 

[Yehosh]

I think it means your mileage may vary

 

[amester07]

Maybe they'll try to sell themselves more at the re-visit? ... which, by the way, isn't all-cost-covered, is it? (only MD-PhD applicants get the luxury huh? =)
It's May 4-6 I think, for someone who asked earlier.

If you look at the stats, HMS interviews more people than other schools with similar # of applicants and similar # of spots. This means they are giving more people a chance, b/c they are looking for well-rounded students and not cutting applicants off based on how good they look on paper.

Perhaps they already knew what type of people they are looking for, and were simply trying to gauge if we are a good fit for them. As for whether the school is a good fit for us, I'm afraid I have to agree with you all: they didn't seem to even make an attempt to show themselves off. If the self-guided tour is any indication, the school's attitue is this: the resources are out there, the opportunities are within you reach. The deciding factor is whether you are passionate enough to take the initiatives to seek things out ... (?) Correct me if I'm wrong, hehe. Am trying to put a positive spin on things, considering that my heart and mind, in their entirety, are still desperately begging for an acceptance 😳

 

[pyrois]

no it's understandable. i think they have the financial aid site programmed though so that no one can log in until the first acceptances are received. that's how it went last year, and i'd be surprised if it went any other way this time around.

How would they know when the first acceptances are received?

More specifically, how would the computer know?

 

[pyrois]

the school's attitue is this: the resources are out there, the opportunities are within you reach. The deciding factor is whether you are passionate enough to take the initiatives to seek things out ... (?)

Well, I think we may have had very similar experiences, with very different interpretations.

In other schools, there were often a handful of things that they were particularly proud of (like Yale's rose-smelling cadaver room). They would show off those handful of highlights and we would remember them clearly because they were clearly "bullet points" in the presentation.

At Harvard, on the other hand, it seemed that our student guide didn't know where to start. She just brought us around to places (seemingly at random) and showed off whatever was there. I took this to mean that everything there was outstanding, and that if we matriculated, there would be much more that we would discover that couldn't be covered in a one-hour tour.

In all honesty, the few things I did get a chance to see were pretty impressive. To name a few:

-Voice-processing on webcasts so you can search for the times of greatest word-density when reviewing for exams,
-Plasma screens in practically every other room to be used at the students' discretion
-Unlimited opportunities for research, both in the basic sciences, and abroad
-An unbelievably amazing class (kind of reminded me of the tv series "Heroes")
-One of the biggest/most impressive medical libraries and historical collections in the world

I don't know. Other stuff to, but it's not at the top of my head atm.

Anything stick out to anybody else?

 

[amester07]

-Voice-processing on webcasts so you can search for the times of greatest word-density when reviewing for exams,
-Plasma screens in practically every other room to be used at the students' discretion
-Unlimited opportunities for research, both in the basic sciences, and abroad
-An unbelievably amazing class (kind of reminded me of the tv series "Heroes")
-One of the biggest/most impressive medical libraries and historical collections in the world
Anything stick out to anybody else?

Good pt, maybe they just didn't know where to start. And as an interviewee, I had become de-sensitized by that point 😀 I'm a bit worried about the unlimited research opportunities ... hopefully, if I'm lucky enough to enroll there, I'll figure out a way to come to grasp with the (almost overwhelming) variety on Longwood campus ... (and don't forget there's the Cambridge campus too! =)

And aww, that list you've got there 😍 It would be a privilege to attend HMS, and an honour to be among such classmates. During the entire interview experience, I was thinking: "how the heck did *I* get an interview????!!! The adcom must be out of their minds, thinking I could compete against *these* fellow interviewees, to become *those* HMS students! Either that, or they mixed up my name with someone else's."

My addition to the list:
- The Atrium. My student interviewer pointed out that those trees are real. For some reason, I always assumed they are fake 😀 I love the feel of the atrium, with sunlight casting down through the glass roof ... hmm, such a warm fuzzy feeling 🙂

- The city of Boston: the museums, the marathon, the culture (Berkelee sch of music, boston ballet, movie spots, ... =), the diverse population (which makes for a good patient population & opportunities to really make a difference for them), and proximity to NYC without being caught up in the hustle & bustle. Plus, the vibe of the city felt good to me. I lived there for 8 months last year, and found the myth of rude Boston drivers SO untrue.
Plus, with MIT, BU, Northeastern and many other schools, it's a great young city for people our age.

... and now I'm just gushing. Seriously scared of being heartbroken one week from now 🙁

 

[omegaxx]

Well, I think we may have had very similar experiences, with very different interpretations.

In other schools, there were often a handful of things that they were particularly proud of (like Yale's rose-smelling cadaver room). They would show off those handful of highlights and we would remember them clearly because they were clearly "bullet points" in the presentation.

At Harvard, on the other hand, it seemed that our student guide didn't know where to start. She just brought us around to places (seemingly at random) and showed off whatever was there. I took this to mean that everything there was outstanding, and that if we matriculated, there would be much more that we would discover that couldn't be covered in a one-hour tour.

In all honesty, the few things I did get a chance to see were pretty impressive. To name a few:

-Voice-processing on webcasts so you can search for the times of greatest word-density when reviewing for exams,
-Plasma screens in practically every other room to be used at the students' discretion
-Unlimited opportunities for research, both in the basic sciences, and abroad
-An unbelievably amazing class (kind of reminded me of the tv series "Heroes")
-One of the biggest/most impressive medical libraries and historical collections in the world

I don't know. Other stuff to, but it's not at the top of my head atm.

Anything stick out to anybody else?

Be thankful you even got a tour. I don't know what happened to my first-year tour guides😡
But yes, the class was unbelievable, as well as the gazillion affiliated hospitals & research institutions.

 

[CaramelDlite]

How would they know when the first acceptances are received?

More specifically, how would the computer know?

If they mail them out Thursday afternoon, they could program the site so that your login is only useable beginning Friday at noon. I work with some websites and we program start and end dates for articles and images (which means we can decide when they are viewable to the public) alot and i'm almost positive they can do the same for the site. Plus they're Harvard-they do what they want🙄

 

[Yehosh]

Any of you sit in on those simulator classes? I was blown away

That did much more for me then any sales pitch some Dean would have given

The robotic patient could be hooked up to diagnostic devices, the lungs were ventilating with the symptoms of the disease (pulmonary emphysema)and real chest x-ray (of a person who had pulmonary emphysema) was displayed above on a plasma screen.

Furthermore, there was a dialogue with the "patient". Another fac member (in different room) could see everything in our room through a video/audio feed and was talking to the students as if he were the patient through a microphone. So they were like "when did the pain start... have you ever been treated for this before..." The fac members were really awesome and the class was really small ( 7-8 people and myself) and they all kept discussing how to make the correct diagnosis. I even pitched in when the teacher asked how we can rule out pneumonia, saying that the patient doesn't have a fever, lol, I was having too much fun

I only saw anything this impressive at GW, and they have a brand new Hospital.

 

[pyrois]

Be thankful you even got a tour. I don't know what happened to my first-year tour guides😡
But yes, the class was unbelievable, as well as the gazillion affiliated hospitals & research institutions.

Haha, our tour guide was hung over when she gave us the tour.

I took that as a very, very good sign regarding quality of life🙂