Help me decide....

[DMBFan]

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I am thinking of applying to schools next year..should I apply early decision (yes, I want to!) to a school that is higher in the rankings but is private or a med school that is unranked (at least by US News) but is a state school (and I'm out of state)? Which one, assuming I am pretty competitive applicant, should I make a gamble on? I would be happy at either one, but want to apply to one where i have a greater chance of getting in..

 

[ambrosia]

Personally I wouldn't do EDP - apply regular and apply to multiple schools. Once you see what you like/dont like when you interview, you can make a decision as to where you wanna go based on that....and who accepts you of course. Thats just my 2 cents though...I guess I just think EDP is to big of a gamble, unless theres one school that you absolutely definitely want to go to, which it doesnt sound is the case for you.

 

[UseUrHeadFred]

I'd only recommend EDP for those who wish to stay at their home institution.

 

[Bones2008]

Don't apply to either EDP. If you're trying to use it as a tool to get into a school quickly, you're gonna f*ck yourself in the @$$. EDP should only be used by people who know 100% they want to go somewhere (and even then, I'm skeptical). the long interview process has a way of changing your mind about places. I know that where I am now was definitely not where I thought I'd end up a year ago.

 

[synapse lapse]

EDP was fine for undergrad, but it is really not a good option for med school, unless you have stellar stats, but even then with those stats you have a good shot and a lot of top schools, so basically EDP is never good. Apply early and to a variety of top schools, and if you would have gotten in EDP you will get in at a few places. It's not worth falling so far behind in the application cycle if you don't get that EDP acceptance. My $.02.

 

[SaltySqueegee]

With regards to choosing a medical school, I have learned a valuable lesson; there are TWO (2) types of prestige. The first type is the one you encounter in USNews and World Reports rankings and News of the Best Medical Schools. From what I've found this type of prestige is a stereotype based on superficial assessments that carry very little PERSONAL merit. The second type is a deeper more meaningful prestige, a prestige that is carried in the heart, so to speak. A prestige and pride that does not find its place in statistics and numbers. I would recommend calling and scheduling a 'visit' with the admissions faculty at the schools that you are interested in. This will allow you to get a more personal feeling of the school.

Do not discount the 'amorphous' gut-feeling that you have when you visit a school. That gut-feeling will not go away, and will influence your satisfaction during your entire stay at the institution you choose. Also, the curriculum is nearly identical at ALL institutions. The LCME requires this to be so.

Regards,

-Salty

 

[NYCDesi]

I am thinking of applying to schools next year..should I apply early decision (yes, I want to!) to a school that is higher in the rankings but is private or a med school that is unranked (at least by US News) but is a state school (and I'm out of state)? Which one, assuming I am pretty competitive applicant, should I make a gamble on? I would be happy at either one, but want to apply to one where i have a greater chance of getting in..

It sounds like you want to go EDP just so you can escape the tortuous process of waiting till spring to know where you are going.
You can still escape by applying regular decision. Just apply very early (June), interview in August/September and you shall have your decisions in hand starting from October 15.(The earliest notification date for EDP is October 1, so its just a diff of 2 weeks)

P.S. Keep in mind that the above applies if you are competitive enough to get such an early interview.

However, if you want to apply EDP to escape the financial burden of regular decision, well, the only thing I can say to convince you otherwise ('cuz in my opinion, EDP should only be done if you KNOW you want a certain school AND you have stellar numbers) is - the avg med school loan is over $100k. So $2000 - $3000 is chump change compared to that. Work your ass off now and save up, but try not go EDP unless that's absolutely what you want.

But in the end, it's up to you.

Good Luck

 

[abraxas20]

I feel like I should speak from the experience of being EDP. I applied this year for ED at Kentucky. I chose it
1) home state
2) pretty decent school
3) spouse with job and life of his own
4) love living here, woudln't midn staying for a while
5) pretty decent school
6) ???like taking chances?? hehehehe-jk

Regardless, I didn't apply because I had stellar stats (3.3, 29S). I just wanted to go here and made that clear. I also didn't have the profound amount of money to spend 2-3K on a long app process (not even thinking about travel).

By the way, I heard within a week and I got in. All is well in Abraxasland......