Impressive Awards in college

[Dreaming big]

Hey, I have a question: I know in high school, national merit, Intel and siemens awards have a ton of value. At the college level, whats the equivalent? Could someone create a list of awards and links to them that are very hard to get or somewhat hard to get but are extremely worthwhile for med school apps? Thanks!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Maygyver]

Hey, I have a question: I know in high school, national merit, Intel and siemens awards have a ton of value. At the college level, whats the equivalent? Could someone create a list of awards and links to them that are very hard to get or somewhat hard to get but are extremely worthwhile for med school apps? Any award that helps get a residency? Thanks!

Just do research and do good in your classes. Chances are if you do well enough you can get a publication and recommendations from the research professor or others.

 

[Dreaming big]

Before this thread goes off topic, this is only about awards. I think it would do all us HSDN members good to have this as a thread

 

[El Nino]

In my opinion if you are a:

MD applicant - shadowing doctors, volunteering at hospitals and internships (any)

MD/PHD - research (show that you are constant don't do multiple projects), plus shadowing, volunteering at hospitals and internships (any)

Prestige does not matter. Also, going to a third world country to treat people when you not qualified does not make you look good.

But, what do I know? I am only a junior high school 😛

 

[Crazyday]

In my opinion if you are a:

MD applicant - shadowing doctors, volunteering at hospitals and internships (any)

MD/PHD - research (show that you are constant don't do multiple projects), plus shadowing, volunteering at hospitals and internships (any)

Prestige does not matter. Also, going to a third world country to treat people when you not qualified does not make you look good.

But, what do I know? I am only a junior high school 😛

He's asking about specific awards given for merit, ie. seals of excellence, valedictorian, etc.

There are cum-laude recognition (summa being the highest), but I'm not sure if that ties into what you're looking for.

 

[Disambiguation]

College awards and scholarships tend to be related to that University of choice for academic merit. For example, my college is right by the medical hospital Robert Wood Johnson and has two medical school programs. The first is the seven-year medical school program available to high-school kids upon application and a similar program available to second year college students after they finish taking all their pre-med courses.

It's highly selective and only 20 kids get into the latter program, I'm not too sure about the first program since I wasn't competitive at all to enter that program. Everyone goes into sub-specialties and takes different programs like the LSAT, MCAT, or GRE. It's not like high-school where everyone just takes the SAT and therefore they can give off scholarships and awards based off a standardized test.

I thought this was pretty much obvious information. Unless you're REALLY getting ahead of yourself. In my opinion, it's a worthless cause. Just do your best and when you have free time, look for money or awards.

Personally, I don't like people who always try to do things as a means to an end, instead of doing things for an end in themself.

Then again, I'm the psychotic guy who thinks his Orgo II class is trying to murder him. And the only way I can defend myself is by outscoring them on every exam. Man, I guess I really didn't want to study reaction mechanisms today.

 

[ButImLETired]

Awards will depend on your college and won't matter one bit for residency. Not at all. Ever. Not ever. Never. I know you're already accepted to med school, so that aspect is irrelevant for you.

Anyways, the regular ones are the honors at graduation (Cum laude, Magna cum laude, Summa cum laude- summa's the best, depends on your gpa), and if your school has a chapter, Phi Beta Kappa is the most common honors society. You get a cool little key to put around your neck on graduation day and you can include that in your college resume if you'd like. Dean's List is what you get per semester if your gpa is high enough.

The only thing that I can even picture that might be impressive to anyone who might care is a Fulbright scholarship. You come up with a unique research topic in a foreign country and they give you money to go do it. It's very competitive and interesting and you get to be a Fulbright scholar. However, it takes at least a year, and you have to come up with a very good plan for what you'll study and why it would help the country you're working in. I think there's something called the Goldman (Goldwater? Maybe Goldwater, I forget) scholarship which I believe is also research-based and it would look good for med school apps, but I doubt it would make one bit of difference for residency.

Seriously though, you never believe people when they tell you there's NOTHING you can do right now to affect your super-duper competitive residency options. Don't ask us then, ask doctors. Hell, find the email addresses of some residency program directors and ask them. Ask LizzyM, our resident adcom member, about what you can do in college that might help matters. Obviously, asking us doesn't do you any good since you never hear what you want to hear (ergo the popping up of one of these threads every once in a while).

 

[rycetrix]

I would include Rhodes scholar as well. For med school especially, maintaining a high GPA in college is a must (3.8+) and many of the academic awards are based off GPA. Phi Beta Kappa goes out to top 1% of juniors and top 5% of seniors in respective colleges. For the latin honors (cum laude, magna cum laude, and summa cum laude), those generally go out to the top 12% (8% cum laude, 3% magna, and 1% summa) of each school. There are many other prestigious awards out there, but they are incomparable to experience in the field and research performed. If you as an undergrad publish a journal article in a respectable scientific journal, that is definitely something that is impressive and stands out.

 

[Dreaming big]

Anyways, the regular ones are the honors at graduation (Cum laude, Magna cum laude, Summa cum laude- summa's the best, depends on your gpa), and if your school has a chapter, Phi Beta Kappa is the most common honors society. You get a cool little key to put around your neck on graduation day and you can include that in your college resume if you'd like. Dean's List is what you get per semester if your gpa is high enough.

The only thing that I can even picture that might be impressive to anyone who might care is a Fulbright scholarship. You come up with a unique research topic in a foreign country and they give you money to go do it. It's very competitive and interesting and you get to be a Fulbright scholar.
I think there's something called the Goldman (Goldwater? Maybe Goldwater, I forget) scholarship which I believe is also research-based and it would look good for med school apps, but I doubt it would make one bit of difference for residency.

I would include Rhodes scholar as well. For med school especially, maintaining a high GPA in college is a must (3.8+) and many of the academic awards are based off GPA. There are many other prestigious awards out there, but they are incomparable to experience in the field and research performed.

Do these regular honors have any impact in med school admission? and all schools have these honors? Also, rycetrix, you mention other prestigious awards - could you tell me what they are? I want to know because awards are something that can make you feel good about your self while attracting prestige.

 

[flip26]

For high schoolers shooting for the elite colleges today, achievement that is recognized "outside" of the school is what impresses adcoms. It is great to be the valedictorian of your high school, but what really impresses college adcoms are the achievements awarded from outside your school: could be all state musician, or a regional/state/national award like a science fair, etc.

Well, for college students shooting for med school, the same thing holds. Latin honors (the cum laudes) and Phi Beta Kappa are wonderful achievements from within your college, but by themselves they don't really distinguish you very much in the competitive med applicant pool. But to really impress, there are numerous outside awards that really help you stand out. Some have been mentioned: Fulbright, Rhoades, and Goldwater scholarships are a fantastic validation.

The key to all of these awards is outstanding academic achievement. That starts with grades...my best advice for college: make As. Pretty simple.

 

[MilkmanAl]

Do these regular honors have any impact in med school admission? and all schools have these honors? Also, rycetrix, you mention other prestigious awards - could you tell me what they are? I want to know because awards are something that can make you feel good about your self while attracting prestige.

They're all school-related honors which don't mean anything in med school admission. Being a Rhodes or Fulbright scholar would be significant, but it's not going to help you with residencies. Yes, that's right, I saw through your clever attempt at camouflaging the fact that you're still trying to buff your resume. Sorry, man. It's just not going to happen right now. All the extra effort you're going to put into these "prestigious awards" is going to go straight down the crapper where your career is concerned since you're already in med school, given you maintain the minimum standards your program has set out for you. Seriously, give this up. I'm not sure how many people have to tell you that you're already doing everything you can do before you'll believe it.

 

[ButImLETired]

Do these regular honors have any impact in med school admission? and all schools have these honors? Also, rycetrix, you mention other prestigious awards - could you tell me what they are? I want to know because awards are something that can make you feel good about your self while attracting prestige.

No, they don't really. The latin honors and phi beta kappa are 1) not in every school (I know for example that Stanford doesn't do them, but my undergrad did), 2) not really useful because almost everyone who applies to med school has them. Also, they are totally, entirely, and wholly useless for residency apps. Sorry.

As for Fulbright, Goldwater, and Rhodes, they'll look nice on your app and you'll be able to enter them into your CV, but even their importance is limited. First of all, they're all given with the assumption that your gpa is impeccable- so that's step 1. Also, they are highly competitive and you have to have a unique project planned. Finally, you need time- I'm not sure about Goldwater, but the Fulbright and Rhodes require a minimum of one year commitment- for Fulbright, you'll be going Lord knows where, and for Rhodes, you'll be going to England. If you're in a linkage program to med school, you're probably not allowed to leave the country for however many years. So those are out.

Also, I have to reiterate what Milkman said. NONE of this will help you for residency. A cool Fulbright or Rhodes project might make someone ask you at an interview "huh, cool, so what did you study?" "well, I studied blah blah blah" "ah, nice, I hear food is good there", and that's that. No one will have a parade in your honor. Prestige isn't "attracted" anywhere. You may, however, chase down prestige yourself if that's what you're into.

Also, I have to ask, what med school have you gotten into? Based on that school's curriculum, I can tell you about your options at that point.

 

[Dreaming big]

No, they don't really. The latin honors and phi beta kappa are 1) not in every school (I know for example that Stanford doesn't do them, but my undergrad did), 2) not really useful because almost everyone who applies to med school has them. Also, they are totally, entirely, and wholly useless for residency apps. Sorry.

As for Fulbright, Goldwater, and Rhodes, they'll look nice on your app and you'll be able to enter them into your CV, but even their importance is limited. First of all, they're all given with the assumption that your gpa is impeccable- so that's step 1. Also, they are highly competitive and you have to have a unique project planned. Finally, you need time- I'm not sure about Goldwater, but the Fulbright and Rhodes require a minimum of one year commitment- for Fulbright, you'll be going Lord knows where, and for Rhodes, you'll be going to England. If you're in a linkage program to med school, you're probably not allowed to leave the country for however many years. So those are out.

Also, I have to reiterate what Milkman said. NONE of this will help you for residency. A cool Fulbright or Rhodes project might make someone ask you at an interview "huh, cool, so what did you study?" "well, I studied blah blah blah" "ah, nice, I hear food is good there", and that's that. No one will have a parade in your honor. Prestige isn't "attracted" anywhere. You may, however, chase down prestige yourself if that's what you're into.

Also, I have to ask, what med school have you gotten into? Based on that school's curriculum, I can tell you about your options at that point.

Ok, here goes. First off, thanks for the answers. Second, I understand what you guys are saying that nothing I will do will help my residency chances- I really do. But some part of me doesnt believe that, nor will it until i see for myself. Please don't take this as an insult to you, its me. These awards would be able to help out students who are regular pre-meds, so don't make this about me.

I have been accepted to Union/Albany medical and the Sophie Davis program. Those are my two choice. Are there any ways I could get either these awards there? Could you explain the fulbright?

Are there any other awards (oputside university) that could have an impact in med school admission? Anything? Thanks!

 

[davis749]

I'll surely reiterate some of what the others have said, and some other things that might irritate fellow students; take my words at your own descretion.

Greek societies are only as good as the schools that recognize them. For instance, I was a cabinet officer for my school's chapter of Alpha Epsilon Delta. As a sophomore, it seemed like something that would make my application stand out. Issue? Some schools didn't even know what AED is, and applicants from AED chapters were likely submitting applications by the hundreds. In this regard, it was basically a gold star sticker that you have to define on your application for the college to understand. What I should note, however, is that AED is a Preprofessional Health Honors Society - meaning that it not only signifies high academic achievement, but also provides the foundational understanding of health professions. In this regard, it required even more explanation to show that it was more than a society status granted by GPA.

Baccalaureate Latin honors, such as Magna Cum Laude, Summa Cum Laude, or Cum Laude, are based upon GPA and more commonly awarded at varying institutions. Whereas not every university may have such-and-such Greek society, these honors are more common, thus require less explanation.

There are others honors programs and grants. These make your profile stand out, but do they really say much to the person? One may argue that being an academian is necessary for medical school, but I followed a different approach when entering undergraduate programs. Every student can study to the point they get a 4.0. Not every student can study hard courses while completing several service projects, working jobs on the side, and being involved in campus life. Thusly, I focused on rounding my profile with volunteer work, on-campus positions, academic research, and thesis writing. I am not going to be graduating Summa Cum Laude, but I will graduate Cum Laude with some where around 500 hours of service, an honors thesis, and experience in a hospital that supports that I have come to a complete understanding of what I'm getting myself into by going to medical school.

I'm sorry to any Greeks and Latins I may have insulted by saying you're working extra hard for gold star stickers. I may have been a touch long-winded, and gone slightly off topic, but I wish someone would have shared some of what I've found out on my own when I was just entering college so I would have done more service and less honors. My friends and I often joke about having been in an honors program and an academic society, having written a thesis, and having completed research. At the end of your college career, it gives you the ability to wear a few extra ropes to hang yourself with later on

[Edit] Also note that AmeriCorps offers student grants for completing service work; they're very easy to obtain, decent pay off, and look sharp on resumes. The program is called UCAN Serve.

 

[MilkmanAl]

I understand what you guys are saying that nothing I will do will help my residency chances- I really do. But some part of me doesnt believe that, nor will it until i see for myself.

So....why do you keep asking for advice if you're not going to take it? It's unanimous that you're stuck until med school starts for you. Believe it or not, that's the way it is, and people aren't going to start telling you otherwise just because that's what you want to hear.

 

[Wiingy]

Ok, here goes. First off, thanks for the answers. Second, I understand what you guys are saying that nothing I will do will help my residency chances- I really do. But some part of me doesnt believe that, nor will it until i see for myself. Please don't take this as an insult to you, its me. These awards would be able to help out students who are regular pre-meds, so don't make this about me.

I have been accepted to Union/Albany medical and the Sophie Davis program. Those are my two choice. Are there any ways I could get either these awards there? Could you explain the fulbright?

Are there any other awards (oputside university) that could have an impact in med school admission? Anything? Thanks!

Congrats on your acceptance to the schools. I'll explain the Fulbright a bit (I'm currently on one to Germany). You essentially propose a project that you plan to complete in a host country (you can pick anywhere). You then explain why this project will help promote cross-cultural understanding (and why you need to go to the proposed host country to do it). For the sciences, this can be difficult, and finding a good lab or research institute is a must - you are required to produce a letter from the lab saying that they will let you work there, should you get the grant. So your first step is to apply for that. Then you have to work out a plan for helping to integrate with the host culture and combine this plan with your research plan.

If that's not enough, you also have to get 3 LOR's, write a personal statement, go through an interview at your school (where they will then rate you from 1-4, 4 being the worst) and pass the initial board of review in NYC. If you pass that, your application is forwarded to your host country, where another review is made (about 66% of those that make it to this point get it tho). Speaking the language of your host country pretty close to fluency is highly recommended, if not required. As far as I can tell, GPA does not seem to matter too much (I had a 3.5 and still made it) and the strength and feasibility of your proposal are the main determinants. For me, it wasn't really a prestige question - I fell in love with Germany after doing a study abroad there and really wanted to go back, this time with a real job, to learn more about it and to get some cool research done. Don't worry so much at this stage about getting "prestige" for your programs. Just work hard at what you do, have fun, and take the opportunities that you're given. Life is not a continuous application. Relax.

 

[Az1698]

Congrats on your acceptance to the schools. I'll explain the Fulbright a bit (I'm currently on one to Germany). You essentially propose a project that you plan to complete in a host country (you can pick anywhere). You then explain why this project will help promote cross-cultural understanding (and why you need to go to the proposed host country to do it). For the sciences, this can be difficult, and finding a good lab or research institute is a must - you are required to produce a letter from the lab saying that they will let you work there, should you get the grant. So your first step is to apply for that. Then you have to work out a plan for helping to integrate with the host culture and combine this plan with your research plan.

If that's not enough, you also have to get 3 LOR's, write a personal statement, go through an interview at your school (where they will then rate you from 1-4, 4 being the worst) and pass the initial board of review in NYC. If you pass that, your application is forwarded to your host country, where another review is made (about 66% of those that make it to this point get it tho). Speaking the language of your host country pretty close to fluency is highly recommended, if not required. As far as I can tell, GPA does not seem to matter too much (I had a 3.5 and still made it) and the strength and feasibility of your proposal are the main determinants. For me, it wasn't really a prestige question - I fell in love with Germany after doing a study abroad there and really wanted to go back, this time with a real job, to learn more about it and to get some cool research done. Don't worry so much at this stage about getting "prestige" for your programs. Just work hard at what you do, have fun, and take the opportunities that you're given. Life is not a continuous application. Relax.

How long is the work that you do in germany? and what year do you have to be to apply?

 

[Wiingy]

How long is the work that you do in germany? and what year do you have to be to apply?

I'll be here for 10 months (Sept. '08 to July '09). You can apply starting your junior year; the only requirement is that you hold a bachelor's degree when your grant begins.

 

[docdad]

You need to stop lumping Fulbright, Goldwater and Rhodes together.

There are about 300 Goldwater scholarships awarded per year, to Sophs and Juniors, based on research promise. Winning one means something, but not a whole lot - they are just too common, and they are awarded rather early.

Fulbrights are also quite common, and are not awarded just on academic merit. So having won one does not signal much to a med school. What you do while on one may matter quite a bit though.

There are 32 US Rhodes awarded each year, primarily based on academic merit but also based on softer factors that matter to med schools. There are 40 Marshalls and a similar number of Gates Cambridge scholarships each year that are similarly difficult to get. These scholarships mean a lot on one's CV, and most certainly do matter all through one's career, especially the Rhodes which is the best known. But there's a catch: the same skills and achievements that lead one to win one of these mean that the winner was at the top of the heap anyway. Essentially they validate the past achievement. For example, quite a few of the Rhodes winners the past few years were admitted to top MD an MD/PhD programs (UCSF and Harvard come to mind) before they graduated, probably before winning the scholarships (although timing will vary). Yes, these winners are that good.

Interesting, no Rhodes/Marshall/Gates winner has ever had a problem getting a med school deferral that I am aware of. Deferrals for Fulbrights are much tougher.

 

[xnfs93hy]

I'm just going to throw this out there and I'm pretty sure I know what the answer is going to be.

None of these awards really help much in MS admissions do they?

I'm not saying they are worthless, they all mean something, but it isn't something that will make or break your app, right? I would have just as good of a shot as everyone else if I had a high GPA and a latin honor? (cum laude, for ex.)

 

[DLi]

Looking back on getting National Merit Semifinalist and not being a finalist (due to GPA), being a National Merit scholar can mean a lot for the next step. If I became a finalist, I would have all my housing paid in addition to tuition and even get spending money, depending on which school I go to.

I'm don't know much about the Fullbright etc. scholarships, but they certainly carry some weight and are very honorable. Besides, you get to spend a year in another country on someone else's dime!

So basically, if you can do it, just go for it. It's not going to hurt. Sure it doesn't matter much when it comes to your career, but every step in the ladder builds on the ones before it.

 

[madamebovary]

You need to stop lumping Fulbright, Goldwater and Rhodes together.

There are about 300 Goldwater scholarships awarded per year, to Sophs and Juniors, based on research promise. Winning one means something, but not a whole lot - they are just too common, and they are awarded rather early.

Fulbrights are also quite common, and are not awarded just on academic merit. So having won one does not signal much to a med school. What you do while on one may matter quite a bit though.

There are 32 US Rhodes awarded each year, primarily based on academic merit but also based on softer factors that matter to med schools. There are 40 Marshalls and a similar number of Gates Cambridge scholarships each year that are similarly difficult to get. These scholarships mean a lot on one's CV, and most certainly do matter all through one's career, especially the Rhodes which is the best known. But there's a catch: the same skills and achievements that lead one to win one of these mean that the winner was at the top of the heap anyway. Essentially they validate the past achievement. For example, quite a few of the Rhodes winners the past few years were admitted to top MD an MD/PhD programs (UCSF and Harvard come to mind) before they graduated, probably before winning the scholarships (although timing will vary). Yes, these winners are that good.

Interesting, no Rhodes/Marshall/Gates winner has ever had a problem getting a med school deferral that I am aware of. Deferrals for Fulbrights are much tougher.

I wouldn't say getting a Goldwater is any simple matter either. Only 4 people from each school gets nominated to apply (so many people get screened out before the application process).

However, I do agree getting Rhodes/Marshall/Churchill/Gates is like a whole new level of competition. However, having a Goldwater will help to get those big awards.

Recent Goldwater Scholars have been awarded 73 Rhodes Scholarships, 102 Marshall Awards (7 of the 40 awarded in the United States in 2009), and numerous other distinguished fellowships.

http://www.act.org/goldwater/yyschrel.html