reapplicant accepted to Harvard?

[smiley98]

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Has anyone heard of a reapplicant that got accepted into harvard? Well... that has always been my dream school...and I will be a third time applicant but I haven't applied to them before... so technically I am not a reapplicant to them. But my stats have dramatically improved since the first time... do you think I have a chance?

 

[drslc134]

you haven't provided much information...mdapplicants?

 

[nockamura]

you haven't provided much information...mdapplicants?

Ditto. I'm sure Harvard admits reapplicants. Why wouldn't it?

 

[smiley98]

well here it is... 3.8 GPA MCAT going to retake for the third time(this is what I am worried about, the fact that I had to take the mcat three times I am one of those who can't get the verbal up for the life of me) shooting for a 33+, three years of basic science research, publication, started health education programs in different countries, numerous volunteer activities hospice, crisis shelter etc.... and going to start a one year masters program next year...

 

[AnotherDork]

I applied there during my first application cycle, and seem to remember reading that an application will be considered if you apply there up to 3 cycles, and after that, you're no longer eligible to apply. So this would imply that they would not be totally against your applying to medical schools twice.

That being said, I was rejected from them within .4234 nanoseconds of applying and did not include them in my application this year. I know my role 🙂

 

[2tall]

well here it is... 3.8 GPA MCAT going to retake for the third time(this is what I am worried about, the fact that I had to take the mcat three times I am one of those who can't get the verbal up for the life of me) shooting for a 33+, three years of basic science research, publication, started health education programs in different countries, numerous volunteer activities hospice, crisis shelter etc.... and going to start a one year masters program next year...

If we had said...NO...HARVARD DOESN'T ACCEPT REAPPLICANTS...would that have deterred you from applying there?

APPLY EARLY and have a diverse school list!

 

[Antiviral22]

Is there a specific reason you must go to Harvard? I work very closely with Harvard medical students (in the clinical setting) and they're just as competent (or clueless) as any other medical student beginning rotations.

 

[smiley98]

no... no specific reason, just a dream school... I am sure like many other people. But I want to thank everyone for their reply. I guess my real question that I should have posted instead is about retaking the MCAT three times, how bad does that look to any admissions committee? I know there are others that are in or have been in my place... i am just discouraged about that part of my application. Any comments or advice will be much appreciated... thanks.

 

[Law2Doc]

Ditto. I'm sure Harvard admits reapplicants. Why wouldn't it?

I don't know if that school specifically ever admits reapplicants, but I have heard (from adcom members and advisors) that a number of the more competitive schools are less receptive to reapplicants.

 

[NSMedStudent]

Hi Smiley,

I was a reapplicant who took the MCAT three times (finally dramatically improved to a 33 the third time), and I got accepted to Stanford, Northwestern, U Michigan and Duke, all of which rejected me the first time (except Duke, to which I hadn't applied before). (By the way, they are all very different schools, so make sure you really evaluate on the interview trail whether or not each school, including Harvard, is really going to make you thrive as a student before you decide!) So hang in there - it is possible. Just make sure you have a good reason for why you took it three times. (I wasn't sick or anything like that, but had to prove to myself that I could do physical sciences and dramatically changed my study approach to that section for the third test.) Good luck! 🙂

 

[doctorjoy]

Hi Smiley,

I was a reapplicant who took the MCAT three times (finally dramatically improved to a 33 the third time), and I got accepted to Stanford, Northwestern, U Michigan and Duke, all of which rejected me the first time (except Duke, to which I hadn't applied before). (By the way, they are all very different schools, so make sure you really evaluate on the interview trail whether or not each school, including Harvard, is really going to make you thrive as a student before you decide!) So hang in there - it is possible. Just make sure you have a good reason for why you took it three times. (I wasn't sick or anything like that, but had to prove to myself that I could do physical sciences and dramatically changed my study approach to that section for the third test.) Good luck! 🙂

What did you do different as far as your study habits

 

[Em&M]

I guess my real question that I should have posted instead is about retaking the MCAT three times, how bad does that look to any admissions committee? I know there are others that are in or have been in my place... i am just discouraged about that part of my application. Any comments or advice will be much appreciated... thanks.[/QUOTE]


I don't think it looks bad if you take the MCAT 2 or even 3 times. Right now you are doing everything in your power to gain acceptance to medical school. If anything, the adcoms will see your marked improvement as proof that you are this committed to your dream. Sometimes, people apply with good gpas and EC's but average/poor MCATs, this actually raises a red flag to schools as to how much you are actually committed to succeeding while in med school if you won't even go the extra mile to improve 1 test score...

I say, study hard, improve your score and be proud, it will only make your application that much stronger.

Hey, good luck with Harvard. You really never know until you try! 😉

 

[smiley98]

I just want to thank everyone for their encouragement.... these past couple of months have been really hard for me, I guess with this long process and constant disappointments some days are better than others and sometimes I just feel so weak, but after reading the posts today it has given me hope again, and my strength is slowly coming back, so thank you again!

 

[NSMedStudent]

What did you do different as far as your study habits

My biggest problem with phys science was that I didn't do enough questions. I became convinced that reading and doing a smattering of questions was not enough for me to really get the concepts down to a point where I could consistently apply them. So I took the giant book full of questions that I got from Princeton Review, and made myself a study schedule that had specific questions listed for every day over a couple months. I could not stop studying for the day until I had finished those questions. THe other key was reading the explanation of the answers to every question, even the ones I got right. I also did questions for bio, too, but my goal on that test was phys, so it was mainly phys. In the end, my score went from a perpetual 9 to a 13 (made me wish I had done the same level of study for bio!). I am studying for Step 1 of boards right now and am using the same strategy, and I think it's working pretty well (although I won't know for sure until I take the exam in June, of course!). So anyway, yeah, go for the questions - they are gold! Good luck! 🙂