importance of prestigious fellowships

[pioneer22]

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Hi,

For top med schools (ie. Harvard, Stanford, Columbia), if an applicant has a prestigious scholarship, ie. Rhodes, Marshall, Fulbright, are they almost always accepted?

How big of a boost is that in top school admissions?

 

[VincentAdultman]

I don't think there's anything you can do that will make you "almost always accepted."

 

[Lucca]

I will eat my entire hat collection if someone with a Rhodes doesn't get in somewhere. I will eat my hat if they dont get an interview at any of the top 10. I would be very surprised if they dont get in anywhere in the top 10.

That's because Rhodes Scholars are people like William Hwang, read his bio to feel inferior about yourself for a month: Meet the Fellows | William Hwang

Dr. Dr. Hwang is now a RadOnc resident at MGH after graduating from HMS/MIT MSTP.

 

[hebrewBAMmer]

I will eat my entire hat collection if someone with a Rhodes doesn't get in somewhere. I will eat my hat if they dont get an interview at any of the top 10. I would be very surprised if they dont get in anywhere in the top 10.

That's because Rhodes Scholars are people like William Hwang, read his bio to feel inferior about yourself for a month: Meet the Fellows | William Hwang

Dr. Dr. Hwang is now a RadOnc resident at MGH after graduating from HMS/MIT MSTP.

Sure he's got awards and stuff, but can he make Mac and Cheese as well as I can? I doubt it.

 

[Goro]

I don't think there's anything you can do that will make you "almost always accepted."

Except a six figure donation check.

 

[Sephirakra]

Except a six figure donation check.

Only six?

 

[sat0ri]

I feel like you're not getting good answers because you used the phrase "are they almost always accepted?", which is disappointing. Like I got it already, you can be a mother Theresa in a division 1 basketball league and cure cancer on a summer internship in Zimbabwe, and you're not garunteed an acceptance... But this hammering of "med school is difficult to get into" isn't really answering much beyond that.

I'm very curious myself, how much of a boost are these scholarships and fellowships? Does is raise an eyebrow? Is it commonplace to the point that it's a soft requirement and everyone at the top 10's have something or the other like this (like how publications are very common, almost required in that 90% do have *research experience* at places like Stanford)? Do top programs try to recruit people with these prestigious scholarships? On a scale of 1-10, 1 being volunteering 20 hrs in the ER and 10 being give this kid a white coat, where does it fall? So Rhodes would probably be like 9.8? What about the others?

Also, at schools not that aren't so high up in the ranks they give you a nosebleed, do they care a bit more about this? Do the mid tiers roll out the red carpet (ie try to recruit these types of students, perhaps give financial incentives, etc)? Are they a little bit more impressed since all of their applicants aren't Olympian status or do they care even less about frivolous constructs like prestige?

EDIT: 90+% have research experience at Stanford. 44% have publications, based on a post below. Bad analogy on my part.

 

[eteshoe]

I will eat my entire hat collection if someone with a Rhodes doesn't get in somewhere. I will eat my hat if they dont get an interview at any of the top 10. I would be very surprised if they dont get in anywhere in the top 10.

That's because Rhodes Scholars are people like William Hwang, read his bio to feel inferior about yourself for a month: Meet the Fellows | William Hwang

Dr. Dr. Hwang is now a RadOnc resident at MGH after graduating from HMS/MIT MSTP.

Read it. Don't feel any different about myself.

 

[md-2020]

I will eat my entire hat collection if someone with a Rhodes doesn't get in somewhere. I will eat my hat if they dont get an interview at any of the top 10. I would be very surprised if they dont get in anywhere in the top 10.

That's because Rhodes Scholars are people like William Hwang, read his bio to feel inferior about yourself for a month: Meet the Fellows | William Hwang

I've known several Rhodes and Truman scholars who did not get a whiff of the Top 10. Will Hwang is far above even the "average" Rhodes Scholar.

Top school admissions are also very unpredictable and not 100% a meritocracy.

 

[cactusman]

Is it commonplace to the point that it's a soft requirement and everyone at the top 10's have something or the other like this (like how publications are very common, almost required in that 90% do have a publication at places like Stanford)?

I think it's 51% at Stanford, and it's probably higher than any MD-only other than CCLCM.

 

[Lucca]

Read it. Don't feel any different about myself.

hi Will 😉

 

[sat0ri]

I think it's 51% at Stanford, and it's probably higher than any MD-only other than CCLCM.

Whoops, I think it's more like the vast majority have research experience, in the 90's if I'm not mistaken.

Btw, where are you getting the 51% from?

 

[Lucca]

I've known several Rhodes and Truman scholars who did not get a whiff of the Top 10. Will Hwang is far above even the "average" Rhodes Scholar.

Top school admissions are also very unpredictable and not 100% a meritocracy.

good to know i shouldnt bet my hat on acceptance then. still surprised tho!

 

[md-2020]

I think it's 51% at Stanford, and it's probably higher than any MD-only other than CCLCM.

Whoops, I think it's more like the vast majority have research experience, in the 90's if I'm not mistaken.

Btw, where are you getting the 51% from?

I don't think the percentage of kids with publications is published anywhere publicly or internally, but ~50% sounds about right for Stanford. CCLCM pushes 90+%:

Class Profile

35 pubs and 34 posters collectively in a class of 32. Though I'm sure many will have more than 1 pub.

 

[Lucca]

Whoops, I think it's more like the vast majority have research experience, in the 90's if I'm not mistaken.

Btw, where are you getting the 51% from?

New medical students ponder life-and-death questions

^ 40/90 in entering class of 2015 is the most up-to-date info I've seen but that's close to half.

 

[sat0ri]

New medical students ponder life-and-death questions

^ 40/90 in entering class of 2015 is the most up-to-date info I've seen but that's close to half.

Oh ok. 51% was oddly precise though inaccurate (possibly just outdated) so I was wondering if that information was published somewhere. Anyways, I think this is losing sight of the forest for the trees; I'd still like a useful answer to OP's questions.

 

[pioneer22]

I understand all of the points mentioned, but doesn't being a Rhodes / Marshall / Fulbright - caliber student signal a lot to adcoms?
These top fellowships have averages of 3.8-3.9+ GPAs, great ECs and leadership just to receive the fellowships. Assuming they are as diligent about school as they are about prepping for an MCAT, it can't be too much to assume they would do very well on the MCAT.
So wouldn't they likely have a top application anywhere?

 

[Mad Jack]

I don't think there's anything you can do that will make you "almost always accepted."

Donating lots of money can certainly help.

 

[cactusman]

Oh ok. 51% was oddly precise though inaccurate (possibly just outdated) so I was wondering if that information was published somewhere. Anyways, I think this is losing sight of the forest for the trees; I'd still like a useful answer to OP's questions.

Yeah, I thought I saw the 51% stat in an old thread but I may have just made that number up.

I would guess that @Lucca's hat-based statistical breakdown is correct. Maybe @LizzyM can give us some insight on how committee members at her school react to Rhodes/Gates/Marshall/Goldwater/etc.

 

[Govols22]

The 4.0 527 URM/former veteran with 2,000 hours of volunteering and clinical experience, 9 publications, and a Grammy seems like a sure thing if any.

 

[Goro]

I understand all of the points mentioned, but doesn't being a Rhodes / Marshall / Fulbright - caliber student signal a lot to adcoms?
These top fellowships have averages of 3.8-3.9+ GPAs, great ECs and leadership just to receive the fellowships. Assuming they are as diligent about school as they are about prepping for an MCAT, it can't be too much to assume they would do very well on the MCAT.
So wouldn't they likely have a top application anywhere?

Admissions deans might be familiar with these, but honestly, I'm familiar with Rhodes and Fulbright scholarships, but have never heard of Marshall. Do NOT assume that Adcom members know about these.

 

[SuaveCardigans]

That's because Rhodes Scholars are people like William Hwang, read his bio to feel inferior about yourself for a month: Meet the Fellows | William Hwang

Dr. Dr. Hwang is now a RadOnc resident at MGH after graduating from HMS/MIT MSTP.

Ive read that about 5 times now, and every time it still surprises me/ makes me gawk. How he did all that, I dont think I will ever understand