Northwestern URM

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djsbaseball2014

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Just got a letter in the mail from Northwestern saying they would waive my secondary app fee... looking at the numbers, I am not even close to their medians with a 512 and 3.7/3.73 cGPA/sGPA. They said at the bottom of the letter if I wished to discuss my app with them prior to applying that I should call them. Is it even worth calling them/applying?

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If they're waiving your secondary fee, I don't see any reason why you shouldn't apply, presuming you would want to attend. 50% of accepted students fall below the median stats. And obviously they've expressed some interest in your application.
 
@DubbiDoctor @Lucca I'll go ahead and give them a call tomorrow and see if they have any beneficial advice apart from solely encouraging me to apply! But agreed if no secondary fee then might as well
 
May I ask if you know why/how you receive the email from NW? It seems like some schools like NW and Loyola are sending out emails to prospective applicants encouraging them to apply by waiving the fees. Did you subscribe to their newsletter or something?
 
Just got a letter in the mail from Northwestern saying they would waive my secondary app fee... looking at the numbers, I am not even close to their medians with a 512 and 3.7/3.73 cGPA/sGPA. They said at the bottom of the letter if I wished to discuss my app with them prior to applying that I should call them. Is it even worth calling them/applying?

A URM with a 512 and a 3.7 has a chance at just about any medical school in the country assuming they have sufficient ECs. I've have many URM friends with similar stats receive full-rides at top medical schools.
 
A URM with a 512 and a 3.7 has a chance at just about any medical school in the country assuming they have sufficient ECs.
Do you mind if I PM you my app/school list for further opinion? Currently waiting to get verified
 
@DameJulie Minority Medical Applicant Registry, so I am assuming because i denoted I was hispanic when i registered for the MCAT/AMCAS
Thank you. That solves the mystery. I am jealous for the fee waiver but I believe if the school is waiving the fees for you they want to read your application! Good luck! 🙂
 
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A URM with a 512 and a 3.7 has a chance at just about any medical school in the country assuming they have sufficient ECs. I've have many URM friends with similar stats receive full-rides at top medical schools.
Random question: so at NW, UChicago, JHU, etc, they consider LGBT+ as a URM (I believe @Goro listed a couple others as well). I have 3.6/511 with volunteering in the community and a mission related to LGBT+ health. Do you think its worth applying to these schools despite being a white male and lower end stats?
 
Random question: so at NW, UChicago, JHU, etc, they consider LGBT+ as a URM (I believe @Goro listed a couple others as well). I have 3.6/511 with volunteering in the community and a mission related to LGBT+ health. Do you think its worth applying to these schools despite being a white male and lower end stats?
Go for it, but you should have some really good ECs, like service to marginalized communities.
 
Random question: so at NW, UChicago, JHU, etc, they consider LGBT+ as a URM (I believe @Goro listed a couple others as well). I have 3.6/511 with volunteering in the community and a mission related to LGBT+ health. Do you think its worth applying to these schools despite being a white male and lower end stats?

I would go for it if I were you, just keep in mind that even for other URMs with those stats those schools would be slight reaches. As long as you have your state schools and other more on target schools you should be fine.

Wish you the best of luck!
 
I would go for it if I were you, just keep in mind that even for other URMs with those stats those schools would be slight reaches. As long as you have your state schools and other more on target schools you should be fine.

Wish you the best of luck!
Oh yeah def. I have a lot of unranked schools along with being in a good state for applicants. I honestly have no expectations of getting into a highly ranked school so figured I may shoot my shot and see what happens!
 
A URM with a 512 and a 3.7 has a chance at just about any medical school in the country assuming they have sufficient ECs. I've have many URM friends with similar stats receive full-rides at top medical schools.

I wouldn’t overexaggerate and get people’s hopes up. OP should apply intelligently like everyone else and not based on selection bias. I qualified as a URM and had a 512 and 3.6 with good ECs. However, while I received 8 II only 2 were at top 20/30 schools. The rest were mid-tier. There are no guarantees.
 
Yea, I have a sneaking suspicious that some of the high stats schools do this to get more apps thus increasing their ranking...
 
Yea, I have a sneaking suspicious that some of the high stats schools do this to get more apps thus increasing their ranking...
I think that some of the top schools do this to increase the pool of URM candidates that might matriculate at their school. They are competing for a small pool of applicants and need to show LCME (their accreditor) that even if they don't matriculate a sizable number of URM that they are making an effort to reach out and interview/offer admission to qualified URM candidates. That starts with getting them to apply.
 
I wouldn’t overexaggerate and get people’s hopes up. OP should apply intelligently like everyone else and not based on selection bias. I qualified as a URM and had a 512 and 3.6 with good ECs. However, while I received 8 II only 2 were at top 20/30 schools. The rest were mid-tier. There are no guarantees.
You still got two IIs out of 8!
 
A URM with a 512 and a 3.7 has a chance at just about any medical school in the country assuming they have sufficient ECs. I've have many URM friends with similar stats receive full-rides at top medical schools.
I know this post is old but as someone who plan on applying next cycle I wanted to know if I have a chance with my stats to get into uchicago? MCAT 510 cGPA 3.0 sGPA 3.1
 
I know this post is old but as someone who plan on applying next cycle I wanted to know if I have a chance with my stats to get into uchicago? MCAT 510 cGPA 3.0 sGPA 3.1

Buy access to MSAR. Best money you'll spend. Take a look at 10th percentile GPA and MCAT. If you fall above on both, you might have a shot, particularly if you are URM.
 
Buy access to MSAR. Best money you'll spend. Take a look at 10th percentile GPA and MCAT. If you fall above on both, you might have a shot, particularly if you are URM.
So since I fall in the category of low GPA/ high MCAT, I'm just confused which one should I take in consideration as far as 10th percentile. How would you recommend I judge the competitiveness of my application? Taking my GPA in consideration, 75% of those schools seems like a reach.

Thanks
 
So since I fall in the category of low GPA/ high MCAT, I'm just confused which one should I take in consideration as far as 10th percentile. How would you recommend I judge the competitiveness of my application? Taking my GPA in consideration, 75% of those schools seems like a reach.

Thanks
I highly doubt you have a "high" MCAT by UChicago standards. If you are above the 10th percentile for both at a given school, you have a decent chance particularly if you are URM. If you are above in one, but not the other, which is what I think that you are saying here, then it is riskier but if you have a strong upward trend or started out as not pre-med and then shot up after deciding on pre-med, you might have a prayer provided you aren't screened out for low GPA.
 
I know this post is old but as someone who plan on applying next cycle I wanted to know if I have a chance with my stats to get into uchicago? MCAT 510 cGPA 3.0 sGPA 3.1
With those GPAs, unless you have a massive rising GPA trend, U Chicago (or any other med school) is not doing you any favors by admitting you if you can't handle med school.
 
With those GPAs, unless you have a massive rising GPA trend, U Chicago (or any other med school) is not doing you any favors by admitting you if you can't handle med school.
I have a stronggg upward trend the last 3 semesters. I am also URM AA male. I agree, the person I was in the past was definitely not ready. I just wanted to know if I am totally out of the water applying to UChicago and USCF, their mission really aligns with my goals in the future. I guess my question was, can I possibly get pass the initial screen, but I THINK I have my answer now (No way!).
 
I got the letter too and decided to apply. I also applied to Pritzker after getting a similar letter and got an II last week. My LM is slightly above yours, so I'd say go for it. At least call.


Hey will you PM me about this as well (I am unable to PM you)
 
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