Rowan University (RowanSOM) Discussion Thread 2015 - 2016

[PSiloveU2013]

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my app is complete! didn't get an email but saw it on the portal

Congrats! How did you submit your letters? Aacomas virtual eval or interfolio?

 

[hopefulERdoc251]

Virtual eval!

 

[xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

delete

 

[grey_wind]

"Please identify your area of professional interest below (i.e. Family Medicine, Surgery, Pediatrics, etc.)"

Are we supposed to elaborate? The prompt seems like they just want the specialty...but theres a 500 word limit...😕

 

[MrTaco92]

"Please identify your area of professional interest below (i.e. Family Medicine, Surgery, Pediatrics, etc.)"

Are we supposed to elaborate? The prompt seems like they just want the specialty...but theres a 500 word limit...😕

I didn't really elaborate at all. It seemed like a pretty simple question so I gave them a straightforward answer.

 

[hopefulERdoc251]

I thought it was straightforward hahaha

 

[grey_wind]

I didn't really elaborate at all. It seemed like a pretty simple question so I gave them a straightforward answer.

What about the other essays? I don't think I'm gonna wind up hitting that 750 limit haha

 

[MrTaco92]

What about the other essays? I don't think I'm gonna wind up hitting that 750 limit haha

Yeah, I didn't go anywhere near the 750 word limit haha. Both of mine are around 270 words each, so hopefully they appreciate the fact that I didn't type up super lengthy essays for them to read through.

 

[LuluMed]

"Please identify your area of professional interest below (i.e. Family Medicine, Surgery, Pediatrics, etc.)"

Are we supposed to elaborate? The prompt seems like they just want the specialty...but theres a 500 word limit...😕

To be completely honest, I think I just wrote the specialty I was interested in in one word. No need to write a crazy essay, but feel free to put a couple sentences if you want!

 

[serenitynow11]

Submitted secondary a few days ago...still waiting for complete status to show...all letters, payment, mcat etc are received.

 

[no_regressions08]

can anyone give some honest insight on my chances here? I'm applying with a 3.4 spa 3.57 cgpa and a 25 mcat, URM with recent (~1year )experience as a translator and scribe and past experience in long term/dementia care (~3 years) .. currently enrolloed in a masters program to start this fall
I am a reapplicant and this is really the number one place I want to be! I will be completing my master's here and would love love love to matriculate here, I'm also a NJ resident

 

[asdf123g]

can anyone give some honest insight on my chances here? I'm applying with a 3.4 spa 3.57 cgpa and a 25 mcat, URM with recent (~1year )experience as a translator and scribe and past experience in long term/dementia care (~3 years) .. currently enrolloed in a masters program to start this fall
I am a reapplicant and this is really the number one place I want to be! I will be completing my master's here and would love love love to matriculate here, I'm also a NJ resident

probably a better chance than me since im OOS. I have a slightly lower GPA but an MCAT of 28. The fact you are IS improves your chances significantly.

 

[Giovanotto]

I literally just wrote; "family medicine". They didn't say why or explain.

 

[Pastels]

I'm having an issue with my secondary; everything has been submitted but next to letters of recommendation it says incomplete and when I click on the link it says my letters from Virtual Eval have been received. Anyone else having this issue?

 

[Singing315]

Yes! That happened to me too! Idk what that means though.

I'm having an issue with my secondary; everything has been submitted but next to letters of recommendation it says incomplete and when I click on the link it says my letters from Virtual Eval have been received. Anyone else having this issue?

 

[PSiloveU2013]

I'm having an issue with my secondary; everything has been submitted but next to letters of recommendation it says incomplete and when I click on the link it says my letters from Virtual Eval have been received. Anyone else having this issue?

Meeee. So maybe they've received them but haven't actually looked at the letters to verify that they meet the requirements? I am less worried now that I know other people are having the same issue lol

 

[serenitynow11]

^^^ Yeah same here guys, so my guess would be "no worries it's all good"

 

[ShammyP]

Does anyone know when II are sent out? I know RowanSOM starts a little later than other schools. Can't wait to hear back!

 

[xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]

I spoke to an admissions rep recently...She said they're having some trouble with their system in actually seeing the letters of recommendations. From what she told me, if you sent them in via Aacomas then they are working with their IT department to fix the issue.

If you sent letters in via virtualEval or any other service (including mail) then your letters are fine.

This information is like a week old so take it with a grain of salt.

 

[grey_wind]

Anyone know if they are they reviewing the completed applications (the ones with LORs from Interfolio, etc) or are they waiting until they sort out the problem with AACOMAS letters?

 

[Enik]

Hello all,

I read a lot of different opinions on Rowan-Som. Is there a high degree of regional bias for this school or not? It seems like a great school/location and I would love to put it into my secondary list

 

[asdf123g]

Hello all,

I read a lot of different opinions on Rowan-Som. Is there a high degree of regional bias for this school or not? It seems like a great school/location and I would love to put it into my secondary list

instate bias. Only accept about 12% OOS....

 

[Enik]

Damn!!! =/

 

[asdf123g]

Damn!!! =/

yup...thats how i feel. I live nearby but in a neighboring state but close to the border. ..

 

[LuluMed]

instate bias. Only accept about 12% OOS....

note that this is the percentage that actually attend. There are a higher percentage of OOS accepted but most choose to attend elsewhere because the tuition for OOS compared to IS is SOOOOO expensive.
Totally worth applying if you like the school!

 

[LuluMed]

Does anyone know when II are sent out? I know RowanSOM starts a little later than other schools. Can't wait to hear back!

I'd wait til September before you expect to hear anything! Admissions staff is busy and hard at work though. Feel free to contact them if you have any questions (they are the best!)

 

[hopefulERdoc251]

top 2 school for me, live 20ish minutes away but unfortunately I live across the border in PA 🙁 🙁 🙁 🙁 stats are at their average though so here's to hoping? lol

 

[asdf123g]

top 2 school for me, live 20ish minutes away but unfortunately I live across the border in PA 🙁 🙁 🙁 🙁 stats are at their average though so here's to hoping? lol

i will take a wild guess and say your #1 is PCOM. Apparently PCOM and Rowan are like 20 min from each other.

 

[hopefulERdoc251]

i will take a wild guess and say your #1 is PCOM. Apparently PCOM and Rowan are like 20 min from each other.

Yep hahaha undoubtedly number 1

 

[vanillabear55]

Anyone know if they are they reviewing the completed applications (the ones with LORs from Interfolio, etc) or are they waiting until they sort out the problem with AACOMAS letters?

+1

 

[CleverDrRelatedName]

+1

I talked to Paula last month and they said they weren't going to start reviewing applications until the end of this month. I think that's the first time the committee is meeting to actually look at apps. I don't know what it means in terms of AACOMAS vs other letter sources though.

 

[Howlin_Radio]

Haven't done this for really any other schools, but unsure of Rowan's OOS tolerance. My stats: 3.7cGPA, 3.7sGPA (A's in pre-reqs tho), and a 25 8/8/9 to 27-28..closer to 28..mcat composite (504 on 2015 mcat). 300+ current hours as EMT, 160 hr quality analyst internship, regular to below avg shadowing, volunteer tutoring, and very strong LORs. Chances..figured mcat may be nail in coffin for OOS?

 

[asdf123g]

Haven't done this for really any other schools, but unsure of Rowan's OOS tolerance. My stats: 3.7cGPA, 3.7sGPA (A's in pre-reqs tho), and a 25 8/8/9 to 27-28..closer to 28..mcat composite (504 on 2015 mcat). 300+ current hours as EMT, 160 hr quality analyst internship, regular to below avg shadowing, and very strong LORs. Chances..figured mcat may be nail in coffin for OOS?

slim...you are OOS.

 

[Howlin_Radio]

slim...you are OOS.

Thanks. Yea, OOS and I'm guessing they want above average stats across the board. Really regretting that first MCAT decision

 

[LuluMed]

Haven't done this for really any other schools, but unsure of Rowan's OOS tolerance. My stats: 3.7cGPA, 3.7sGPA (A's in pre-reqs tho), and a 25 8/8/9 to 27-28..closer to 28..mcat composite (504 on 2015 mcat). 300+ current hours as EMT, 160 hr quality analyst internship, regular to below avg shadowing, and very strong LORs. Chances..figured mcat may be nail in coffin for OOS?

I think you still have a shot. Give it a chance if the school is your top choice.

 

[Howlin_Radio]

I think you still have a shot. Give it a chance if the school is your top choice.

I use to live in PA and it is a top choice for me, among a few others. What I see in person will determine the winner 😛

but I should finish my secondary app today.

 

[Blackxp]

would it be okay to talk about attaining a low score in the mcat due to a family problem?? this would be for the optional essay.

I am unsure if I can answer that one. Its hard to say without knowing the exact circumstance. Sometimes its best not to directly bring your MCAT or any pre-med statistic into it. Sometimes its best to be more indirect. Speak to how the "family problem" affected your studies, how you managed the situation, and eventually overcame the adversity without directly saying "I got an X on my MCAT because of Y". Hopefully everything is alright now, but definitely use this question to explain your situation. The admissions committee does their best to look at your as a whole person and not just your stats. Good Luck with this application cycle!

To others and to echo what LuluMed has been saying there is definitely an in-state bias, but its hard to say how much that is due to self-selection on the applicant side of things or the admissions committee. I cannot imagine the 12% being entirely on the admissions committee side. As stated the OOS cost is pretty significant and that can likely deter many applicants that have cheaper options. Our class is an incredible mixture of different backgrounds so definitely apply. Rowan SOM accepts many students below the ~28 average and many students below the 3.6 GPA, remember an average permits higher and lower scores. You are a summation of your entire application and interview experience, not just a small set of numbers. Remember that as you go in. You gotta be a pretty snazzy individual to get this far, so act it! Good Luck everyone!

For any of the current applicants feel free to pm me any questions. I will try my best to get back to them as soon as possible. Also if anyone wants to shadow a student for the day drop me a pm. Just give me a little time to acclimate myself to everything first, we kinda just started! Whew.

 

[LuluMed]

would it be okay to talk about attainign a low score in the mcat due to a family problem?? this would be for the optional essay.

I wouldn't bring any extra attention to it if need be. My MCAT was lower than I would've hoped because of a problem totally out of my control that shut down the computer system in my testing center right when my exam was supposed to start (all kinds of nerves and distractions). If they have any questions about it, they will ask you during an interview! This happened to me at a couple places (not rowan though)

 

[hopefulERdoc251]

It's frustrating that this school and NYCOM has such a high IS bias. Any current students wanna reflect on how they view applicants that have stats at the average matriculation rate that are OOS? It's oddly specific i know hahaha

 

[s5260205]

It's frustrating that this school and NYCOM has such a high IS bias. Any current students wanna reflect on how they view applicants that have stats at the average matriculation rate that are OOS? It's oddly specific i know hahaha

It is not entirely true that Rowan has very high IS bias. Among the public DO schools, Rowan has probably the least bias and regularly accepts close to 30% of OOS students and some international students (values given by the admissions). However, the significantly higher tuition (60k OOS vs. 33k IS) makes Rowan a less attractive option for OOS students. There is no quota required by the State unlike TCOM which only accepts 10% OOS. I encourage everyone interested in the school to apply but please do consider the steep tuition for OOS students (also note you will have to pay OOS tuition throughout the 4 years if you entered as an OOS student).

 

[ksmustang]

Haven't done this for really any other schools, but unsure of Rowan's OOS tolerance. My stats: 3.7cGPA, 3.7sGPA (A's in pre-reqs tho), and a 25 8/8/9 to 27-28..closer to 28..mcat composite (504 on 2015 mcat). 300+ current hours as EMT, 160 hr quality analyst internship, regular to below avg shadowing, volunteer tutoring, and very strong LORs. Chances..figured mcat may be nail in coffin for OOS?

Definitely give it a shot.

 

[PSiloveU2013]

Is anyone still waiting for their app to be complete bc of letters of rec?? My letters (from Virtual Evals) are listed in LOR when you click on it, but there's still a red "!" next to it and next to "App Complete"

 

[strb_thndr]

Is anyone still waiting for their app to be complete bc of letters of rec?? My letters (from Virtual Evals) are listed in LOR when you click on it, but there's still a red "!" next to it and next to "App Complete"

+1

 

[PSiloveU2013]

+1

When did you submit your secondary/letters?

 

[gandalf1]

Mine also had the red ! though my letters were also in. I emailed them about it and they cleared it right away and marked me as complete and under review!

 

[PSiloveU2013]

Mine also had the red ! though my letters were also in. I emailed them about it and they cleared it right away and marked me as complete and under review!

What's their e mail? I called but would like to e mail too. Thanks!

 

[gandalf1]

I sent it to the email I got their secondary from : [email protected]
I'm not sure about the calling, but they emailed me back within a couple of hours!

 

[PSiloveU2013]

I sent it to the email I got their secondary from : [email protected]
I'm not sure about the calling, but they emailed me back within a couple of hours!

Thanks!

 

[deleted158872]

Rowan heavily favors in-state (NJ) applicants, doesn't it?

 

[echo87]

They matriculate mostly IS people but that doesn't necessarily mean they heavily favor IS when accepting. (Their OOS tuition is very drastically more expensive and they stopped allowing students to declare IS status after matriculating)