How would being a highschool dropout affect an application?

[LebLlama]

I ask because Im a highschool dropout. Do they ask for the highschool you graduated from or anything on the application? OR do they only consider post-HS?

After about 8 months after dropping out, I got back on track and got my diploma (not GED) through correspondence courses, started at a CC, then transferred to a 4 year uni.

Of course some people would view me in a more negative light upon learning this information, maybe even subconsciously. However, there are others like myself that have succeeded. The former surgeon general of the USA was a highschool dropout (Richard Carmona).

Maybe I could even mention it and use it to my advantage? Before I dropped out and after, I had people constantly telling me Im a loser, would get nowhere in life, etc etc yet here I am, months away from a BSc and still pushing to go further. Im thinking it may be best to avoid that topic altogether, as long as I dont have to put anything related to HS on the app. If I have to, I wont lie about it. Im not ashamed of it. I'll just have to frame it to my advantage

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[Appless]

no it wont hurt you (i was in a similar situation and am currently going to start medical school in a few months). It can possibly be an "advantage" though i use this term loosely. At best it can just show you finally decided to mature blah blah. In short what you did in HS doesnt matter. If you did well at the CC and 4 yr university you are good to go as far as that is concerned. Good luck dude.

Honestly i wouldnt even mention it as theres no reason too unless asked. If asked then tell the truth, i messed up, matured, and then put my mind to doing well as was shown by my GPA the past 4 years. End of story

 

[Bernoull]

I don't recall anywhere on the AMCAS where they ask if u ever dropped out or not. They do ask for the HS u graduated from, so list ur school and DON"T VOLUNTEER that u dropped out. I can't see how they find out with u telling them.

Also there's nothing deceitful about not volunteering unflattering info, u don't go to an interview and say I used to be a drunk, jiggalo etc etc..

 

[teenmachinery1]

I ask because Im a highschool dropout. Do they ask for the highschool you graduated from or anything on the application? OR do they only consider post-HS?

After about 8 months after dropping out, I got back on track and got my diploma (not GED) through correspondence courses, started at a CC, then transferred to a 4 year uni.

Of course some people would view me in a more negative light upon learning this information, maybe even subconsciously. However, there are others like myself that have succeeded. The former surgeon general of the USA was a highschool dropout (Richard Carmona).

Maybe I could even mention it and use it to my advantage? Before I dropped out and after, I had people constantly telling me Im a loser, would get nowhere in life, etc etc yet here I am, months away from a BSc and still pushing to go further. Im thinking it may be best to avoid that topic altogether, as long as I dont have to put anything related to HS on the app. If I have to, I wont lie about it. Im not ashamed of it. I'll just have to frame it to my advantage

Save it for the book. That's what I'm doing

Seriously.. Put it in if you think it helps the "big picture," if not, then don't. For my friend who was in a similar situation and got accepted, he didn't mention it in the PS (not enough space jeez!) but if it was useful in secondaries (what's an obstacle you overcame? Diversity questions (think unique educational background = diverse)), then mention it.

GL

 

[TooMuchResearch]

I ask because Im a highschool dropout. Do they ask for the highschool you graduated from or anything on the application? OR do they only consider post-HS?

After about 8 months after dropping out, I got back on track and got my diploma (not GED) through correspondence courses, started at a CC, then transferred to a 4 year uni.

Of course some people would view me in a more negative light upon learning this information, maybe even subconsciously. However, there are others like myself that have succeeded. The former surgeon general of the USA was a highschool dropout (Richard Carmona).

Maybe I could even mention it and use it to my advantage? Before I dropped out and after, I had people constantly telling me Im a loser, would get nowhere in life, etc etc yet here I am, months away from a BSc and still pushing to go further. Im thinking it may be best to avoid that topic altogether, as long as I dont have to put anything related to HS on the app. If I have to, I wont lie about it. Im not ashamed of it. I'll just have to frame it to my advantage

As long as your grades, ECs, LORs, etc. are good, and you're not a total d*ck in your interviews, you'll be just fine. Trust me.

 

[LizzyM]

I seem to recall that the AMCAS has a spot for your HS. List the school that granted your HS diploma. Be honest about this and don't list the school you dropped out of because some colleges will list the name of school that gave you your HS diploma on your transcript.

 

[siliso]

I didn't graduate from high school or get a GED, just went on to college. No one has ever cared, ever, including in medical school admissions. When I need to list a high school I graduated from, I go with "home school," since I was registered as such for a year before college.

 

[psipsina]

Agree with everyone else. I dropped out of highschool for a year to get out of an abusive situation at home. It definitely affected my ability to get into college but I managed to get into a good school and then it hasn't haunted me since. Medschool doesn't ask for highschool transcripts, just where you graduated from sometimes and I vaguely remember them asking for SATs??

 

[futureNCmed]

I also dropped out of HS and got my diploma through distance education. The only reason this shows up in my med school apps is b/c I also took some college level courses through this program. Therefore, my Freshman English and a few other GE credits for college came from a college all the way across the Country, where I have never lived. So, this often came up and led to the whole dropping out of HS story. At first, I was a bit uncomfortable with this topic, but I quickly realized that the vast majority of med school admissions people (those I interviewed with, shadowed, etc...) found my story to be inspirational. It just shows how much I've overcome.

However, I did not bring this up in my PS (like someone said before, no room). Plus I didn't want anyone to think that being a dropout defines who I am, even though it sort of does in a way. I find a lot of pride in the fact that I've changed so much from that bratt-y rebel teenager to a medical student (come August anyways).

Sometimes the opportunity to bring this up would come in secondary applications (essays about obstacles and diversity), but again, dont' make it seem like being a HS drop-out defines you too much. But also be proud of your situation and be prepared to talk about it if it comes up during interviews. The worst thing would be if you were un-prepared to talk about the reasons for dropping out.

 

[Freezer]

my advice... don't hide from your high school days as if they were a weakness... make it a strength... think about all that life experience you had as a result... you built yourself up from your lowest and now here you are, applying to medical school... damn, i am jealous just thinking about what you could write about in your application essay... because in the end, a lot of the application process is about standing out... being unique... and i would find a story about the personal and professional struggles of a high school drop out much more interesting than those of a spoon fed trust fund child who never saw the halls of a public institution...