Preadmissions Counseling

[rockmed]

I have seen people talk about preadmissions counseling on this forum. Can someone explain where preadmissions counseling is done?

Also I have seen posts and folks say "Class of 2012". I'm confused what this means... if you are already accepted to med school then why wait until 2012?

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[Druggernaut]

"Class of" refers to your graduation year, not the year you enter.

 

[Joannavr]

Most schools if not all will schedule a meeting with you and a counselor before you even apply if you want to. I would definitely advise speaking to a counselor anywhere you are interested in to get a feel for the school and the support system there.

The other question was answered correctly, the 2012 means the graduation date, so class of 2012 starts Fall 2008

 

[rockmed]

excellent.thank you.

 

[nontrdgsbuiucmd]

I've had this experience; it was great to speak directly with admissions directors during these phone discussions; it really helped me to understand what they were looking for. Two examples were shadowing and volunteer work; my state school admin office said shadowing was ignored on an application; they felt it had no value. Several other schools said it was helpful, there were a few schools that told me it was essentially required for them to seriously consider an applicant. For volunteer experience, most schools mentioned clinical volunteer experience. But several also mentioned community (non-medical) volunteer experience; two specifically mentioned habitat for humanity. As one admissions person said - clnical volunteer experience is for YOU, community volunteer experience shows that you take the time to give something back to the community without expecting anything in return.

Just two examples, but the admissions offices look at things differently than I would think, speaking with the offices I think would help an applicant specifically address each area important to the school.

 

[gman33]

Try to speak to as many admissions people as you can.
It's great to get feedback directly from the people who will be evaluating your app. Their advice may not apply to every school, but it will be of use if you are applying there.

Say you really want to go the school X. They tell you that you need to take a few more upper level science courses to be competitive. Now other schools may not feel the same way, but if you want to go to school X, than make sure you listen to their advice.

I formed a few ongoing realtionships with admissions staff at several schools. I believe it really helped with the process. Just like in business, networking helps.

 

[Lacheln]

I formed a few ongoing realtionships with admissions staff at several schools. I believe it really helped with the process. Just like in business, networking helps.

Can you elaborate on how you formed those relationships? Every school I've called has said they can't speak to the specifics about any application, as to its competitiveness etc. The just refer me to the averages, etc. Since my situation has some odd things about it I was really hoping to get more feedback from the schools themselves rather than just my advisor, but it isn't happening so far.

 

[j127]

I would love to meet with any school representative to discuss my app - what's the best way to go about scheduling a meeting? Should I try e-mailing their general admissions address or calling the admissions office directly?

 

[gman33]

Not every school will respond favorably with your request to discuss your app. I think it's mainly trial and error as well as luck.

I would recommend going to the school's website and finding the name of the director of admissions. Call the school and ask for that person directly. Some may agree to meet you in person, others may be willing to answer a few questions over the phone. Before calling, work out all the details of your application and have a list of questions prepared. Be respectful of the person's time and remember that they are going out of their way to help you.

Another good idea is to go to any events where admissions staff will be present. The school may have an open house or there may be some other type of open meeting. You can ask your questions in that forum and possibily talk to the person afterwards to discuss more details.

Also, make sure you ask any questions before you submit your application. Once you apply, schools will be unlikely to discuss anything in detail.

If you post your questions on SDN, you will get varying opinions, but hopefully some good advice as well.

 

[Ailleurs]

gman33, thank you for the advice! This is great. I have a question though, why would admissions director's offer this sort of advice? What sort of benefit does it provide them? Because I would love to get some preadmissions counseling, as QofQuimica has pointed out that it has helped her significantly with the applicatoin process.

To be specific, gman33, how did you first, initially, form the relationships with the admissions folks?

Thanks

 

[njbmd]

I have seen people talk about preadmissions counseling on this forum. Can someone explain where preadmissions counseling is done?

Also I have seen posts and folks say "Class of 2012". I'm confused what this means... if you are already accepted to med school then why wait until 2012?

Pre-admissions counseling can be informal (appointment with some representative from a specific medical school) or formal (paid admissions counselor -do a Google search). If you choose the latter, make sure that they have a strong track record so that you have an idea up front as to what you are paying for. For many non-traditional students, especially those attempting to do "uGPA damage-control", professional admission counseling can be money well-spent that can potentially save thousands of dollars in tuition.

When you apply for medical school (and PA school for that matter), you apply for the year that you will graduate. If you are applying to enter Fall of 2012, then you would be Class of 2016 if you graduate in 4 years and your commencement is in June.