Meeting with Dean of Admissions

[KababMD]

Im meeting with the dean of admissions at one the medical schools I applied to, I havent recieved an interview yet, maybe b/c my MCAT score is a few points below the avg of matriculants.
Im pretty much hoping to get an interview, as it is my first choice school, I know I'm going to get 'shut down' or 'attacked' on my weak point which is my mcat, but the rest of my application is superb, including great letters. W

What do I tell the dean, I want to leave a lasting impression so that I can be granted an interview?

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[Stumpyman]

Propose.

 

[intj]

How do you hook up a meeting with the dean even without getting an interview?

 

[gmcguitar4]

I would just talk to him until you notice something that he is particularly interested in, then hone in on that topic. Maybe do some research on him too. Maybe he did research in the past on one thing for 20 years. Then talk about how you are interested in research and reference some similar topics to what he researched.

Can't go wrong with the conversation though, especially if you find out something more personal about him. If he/she likes sailing, classical music, etc.

 

[MD Odyssey]

Im meeting with the dean of admissions at one the medical schools I applied to, I havent recieved an interview yet, maybe b/c my MCAT score is a few points below the avg of matriculants.
Im pretty much hoping to get an interview, as it is my first choice school, I know I'm going to get 'shut down' or 'attacked' on my weak point which is my mcat, but the rest of my application is superb, including great letters. W

What do I tell the dean, I want to leave a lasting impression so that I can be granted an interview?

Be yourself. Give honest answers if asks you about things which might negatives. Don't make excuses for yourself if he questions your MCAT or other aspects of your application. Be humble.

 

[13132]

The Dean of Admission from WashU came and spoke to about 60 premeds at my school and they all mobbed her at the end.

Is that how you plan on asking for admission?

 

[NickNaylor]

I think these meetings are highly overrrated. It's extremely unlikely that you'll be able to do much to influence your fate one way or the other. Be normal, express interest and enthusiasm in the school, have some questions prepared that show you actually prepared for the meeting, and hope for the best.

I wouldn't expect anything out of this unless you forgot to mention that you won a Nobel prize on your primary.

 

[deleted390966]

I think these meetings are highly overrrated. It's extremely unlikely that you'll be able to do much to influence your fate one way or the other.

I think so, too, but there's an exception: There was a med student who dropped out, then reapplied some years later to the same school but didn't hear from the school. She then talked to the Dean and was accepted.

 

[shinbeats]

i think these meetings are highly overrrated. It's extremely unlikely that you'll be able to do much to influence your fate one way or the other. Be normal, express interest and enthusiasm in the school, have some questions prepared that show you actually prepared for the meeting, and hope for the best.

I wouldn't expect anything out of this unless you forgot to mention that you won a nobel prize on your primary.

+1

 

[wololololololo]

Don't forget. If all else fails, you still have poop hotdog as your last resort.

 

[theWUbear]

Im meeting with the dean of admissions at one the medical schools I applied to, I havent recieved an interview yet, maybe b/c my MCAT score is a few points below the avg of matriculants.
Im pretty much hoping to get an interview, as it is my first choice school, I know I'm going to get 'shut down' or 'attacked' on my weak point which is my mcat, but the rest of my application is superb, including great letters. W

What do I tell the dean, I want to leave a lasting impression so that I can be granted an interview?

1. Do your research into the school. Have questions ready. Good questions.
2. Know your application cold. Be ready to explain how you are prepared to succeed in medical school and you are committed and passionate about medicine. Be a fantastic advocate for yourself.
3. Ask for his/her advice. Let him feel that you are a teachable, malleable person. Follow up with him/her. The most powerful thing you can get out of this is showing him/her that you took his/her advice and followed it to a T.

I think these meetings are highly overrrated. It's extremely unlikely that you'll be able to do much to influence your fate one way or the other. Be normal, express interest and enthusiasm in the school, have some questions prepared that show you actually prepared for the meeting, and hope for the best.

We've both posted on threads related to this (at least once a thread in which I was asking a similar original question) with our opinions. I feel that you can make a difference with these meetings.

I met with the Dean of Admissions at MD school A and her advice helped me a lot - definitely changed how I spent my year before applying. She was kind enough to allow me to go through the interview day with the interviewing students - on the tours, etc. It was an amazing experience. The secondary I would have submitted would have mentioned my experience at the school viewing the campus, speaking with med students, etc. As this school is one of those that gets 10k applicants, I imagine it would have clearly given me the edge with respect to showing desire for the school.

I met with the Dean of Admissions at MD school B, and she gave me sobering advice regarding where I stood as an applicant. It helped me gauge how I wanted to approach the application season.

The Dean of Admission at MD school C was kind enough to allow me to meet with him a few times over a couple years. I *always* took his advice. We developed a great professional relationship. In our last meeting, he strongly suggested I apply early decision. So, you could say I was 'recruited' for medical school in the end, though there were no guarantees and it was the most difficult decision of my life.

Whether one meeting in the middle of your app season will make a difference for OP I can't say. But networking is an important skill. Done right, it absolutely will make a difference.

 

[FSUseminoleEM1]

Whether one meeting in the middle of your app season will make a difference for OP I can't say. But networking is an important skill. Done right, it absolutely will make a difference.

Exactly. But "done right" probably includes "done 6 months ago" in regards to applying to med school.

Good luck OP.

 

[Dr Love]

I think these meetings are highly overrrated. It's extremely unlikely that you'll be able to do much to influence your fate one way or the other. Be normal, express interest and enthusiasm in the school, have some questions prepared that show you actually prepared for the meeting, and hope for the best.

I wouldn't expect anything out of this unless you forgot to mention that you won a Nobel prize on your primary.

For most people yes, but I can tell you in my case I definitely saved my application with a meeting like that.

OP, you have to stand out. If you don't have anything positive in your application to stand out, give a gift. Something small even, just so he/she remembers you.

 

[NickNaylor]

We've both posted on threads related to this (at least once a thread in which I was asking a similar original question) with our opinions. I feel that you can make a difference with these meetings.

I met with the Dean of Admissions at MD school A and her advice helped me a lot - definitely changed how I spent my year before applying. She was kind enough to allow me to go through the interview day with the interviewing students - on the tours, etc. It was an amazing experience. The secondary I would have submitted would have mentioned my experience at the school viewing the campus, speaking with med students, etc. As this school is one of those that gets 10k applicants, I imagine it would have clearly given me the edge with respect to showing desire for the school.

I met with the Dean of Admissions at MD school B, and she gave me sobering advice regarding where I stood as an applicant. It helped me gauge how I wanted to approach the application season.

The Dean of Admission at MD school C was kind enough to allow me to meet with him a few times over a couple years. I *always* took his advice. We developed a great professional relationship. In our last meeting, he strongly suggested I apply early decision. So, you could say I was 'recruited' for medical school in the end, though there were no guarantees and it was the most difficult decision of my life.

Whether one meeting in the middle of your app season will make a difference for OP I can't say. But networking is an important skill. Done right, it absolutely will make a difference.

I think the relationship with Dean C is probably a drop in the "actually useful" bucket, but I don't know about the other two. I'm just skeptical that a single meeting will pull enough weight to potentially change your fate. You'd have to have a pretty amazing meeting to inspire the dean to undermine the typical review process by either reversing a decision or unilaterally making the decision.

Not saying it can't happen, just saying that it's highly unlikely.

 

[sector9]

I think the relationship with Dean C is probably a drop in the "actually useful" bucket, but I don't know about the other two. I'm just skeptical that a single meeting will pull enough weight to potentially change your fate. You'd have to have a pretty amazing meeting to inspire the dean to undermine the typical review process by either reversing a decision or unilaterally making the decision.

Not saying it can't happen, just saying that it's highly unlikely.

Admissions decisions have to ultimately be made by an admissions committee not the dean alone

MS-4. The final responsibility for selecting students to be admitted for medical study must reside with a duly constituted faculty committee.

-Functions and Structure of a Medical School, LCME

It does happen occasionally though... http://www.gainesville.com/article/20080410/NEWS/804100319

 

[mauberley]

We've both posted on threads related to this (at least once a thread in which I was asking a similar original question) with our opinions. I feel that you can make a difference with these meetings.

I met with the Dean of Admissions at MD school A and her advice helped me a lot - definitely changed how I spent my year before applying. She was kind enough to allow me to go through the interview day with the interviewing students - on the tours, etc. It was an amazing experience. The secondary I would have submitted would have mentioned my experience at the school viewing the campus, speaking with med students, etc. As this school is one of those that gets 10k applicants, I imagine it would have clearly given me the edge with respect to showing desire for the school.

I met with the Dean of Admissions at MD school B, and she gave me sobering advice regarding where I stood as an applicant. It helped me gauge how I wanted to approach the application season.

The Dean of Admission at MD school C was kind enough to allow me to meet with him a few times over a couple years. I *always* took his advice. We developed a great professional relationship. In our last meeting, he strongly suggested I apply early decision. So, you could say I was 'recruited' for medical school in the end, though there were no guarantees and it was the most difficult decision of my life.

Whether one meeting in the middle of your app season will make a difference for OP I can't say. But networking is an important skill. Done right, it absolutely will make a difference.

The way I'm reading your experience is that your meetings with the deans helped direct your application strategy. This is different from the OP's question of how to use a meeting with the dean as something other than a useful learning experience. In those meetings you described, you weren't making a difference on the deans; the deans were making a difference on you.

 

[Dr Love]

Admissions decisions have to ultimately be made by an admissions committee not the dean alone
-Functions and Structure of a Medical School, LCME

It does happen occasionally though... http://www.gainesville.com/article/20080410/NEWS/804100319

It is not that the admission dean actually bypasses the committee, but that usually the dean has so much weight with the committee that he can convince them to back up his decision.

 

[raltima07]

It is not that the admission dean actually bypasses the committee, but that usually the dean has so much weight with the committee that he can convince them to back up his decision.

Or they bring cookies. Lots of cookies.

 

[gettheleadout]

Admissions decisions have to ultimately be made by an admissions committee not the dean alone
-Functions and Structure of a Medical School, LCME

It does happen occasionally though... http://www.gainesville.com/article/20080410/NEWS/804100319

The dean can however grant an interview on his/her own, I assume. Remember the OP doesn't have an interview yet.

 

[fiznat]

When I was applying to school, the doc I was shadowing got me an interview at his alma mater. I am absolutely sure it was his influence that got me the interview because they called me the same day right after they got off the phone with the doc. I attended the interview and was promptly rejected, haha.

Moral of the story: you might get an interview based on a personal connection, but that doesn't necessarily mean anything. I thought that interview went pretty well (one of my best, really), but it didn't matter. I didn't belong at that interview because I didn't get there on my own merits, and the committee knew it.

 

[Frazier]

Don't forget. If all else fails, you still have poop hotdog as your last resort.

Strong work. 👍

 

[workinboy]

Sorry to bring back this old post, but I am in a similar situation.

I am in my third year of undergrad, but I won't be applying to medical school until 2013, matriculating in 2014. That being said, the dean of admissions from UNC Med is supposed to be visiting campus (where he's an alumnus) and giving a presentation (un-related to medicine) sometime soon. Looking at UNC as one of my number one schools, is this a situation where I should introduce myself? If so, what should I say? I won't be applying for another year and a half, so is it to early to approach him?

Any advice would be appreciated!

Thanks guys!

 

[ATPase8]

Meeting a dean at a seminar isn't worth the time or effort! It won't help, instead work on your app!