SMDEP Questions

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Stronghopeful

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How difficult is it to get into SMDEP?

Been reading a little about it online. I fear that I'm not competitive enough (3.2 cGPA at the beginning of Soph year, did well in Chem classes though), and how many/what type of recs do they like?


Thanks
 
Stronghopeful said:
How difficult is it to get into SMDEP?

Been reading a little about it online. I fear that I'm not competitive enough (3.2 cGPA at the beginning of Soph year, did well in Chem classes though), and how many/what type of recs do they like?


Thanks
Click to expand...

You can get in!
Apply to schools that are not so competitive... (i.e Kentucky, Nebraska)
The recs letter is really just a form that your professors fill out.
Good luck
 
Stronghopeful said:
How difficult is it to get into SMDEP?

Been reading a little about it online. I fear that I'm not competitive enough (3.2 cGPA at the beginning of Soph year, did well in Chem classes though), and how many/what type of recs do they like?


Thanks
Click to expand...

Admission has a lot to do with being URM. If you are, you have a much better shot of getting in. I applied last year with, what I believe was, a really great application. 3.8ish GPA, good LORs, well written essay, etc but I didn't get into the sites I selected for which were Columbia, Yale, and UMDNJ. A classmate of mine, who was black, applied with 3.0 at the same time and got into UMDNJ.
 
ohshxtsaty said:
Admission has a lot to do with being URM. If you are, you have a much better shot of getting in. I applied last year with, what I believe was, a really great application. 3.8ish GPA, good LORs, well written essay, etc but I didn't get into the sites I selected for which were Columbia, Yale, and UMDNJ. A classmate of mine, who was black, applied with 3.0 at the same time and got into UMDNJ.
Click to expand...

Sorry for being a noob, what's URM?
 
I have a few questions regarding the application process.
For the science gpa, i haven't taken any so i assume i put 0.00 in the space provided?
Also, for the essay section, one says personal comments and diversity essay. Which one do we write the "essay" in
Because on personal comments it says that is weighed heavily and can be up to 5300 characters similar to the diversity essay.
Is the diversity essay the one where we write our essay? and what do you put under personal comments? just any comments you have or what..

Sorry if my questions are sort of dumb, but I'm clueless about this and I just started applying yesterday and it's the first time.

Stats:
Freshman before application
4.0 GPA (No science, no research experience)
URM
I can write a good essay no doubt
LOR's
On app i put volunteer positions in hospital if that helps..

I'll be applying to Houston, Nebraska and Louisville because I'm guessing it's less competitive than the others?
Also, I'll most likely finish everything in the middle of January or late? and the deadline is Feb 15th..so this might affect my chances also
 
Last edited by a moderator:
torshi said:
minority such as being Asian, Indian etc
These programs favor to minorities excluding whites mostly
That's what everyone has been practically saying.
Click to expand...
Actually, URM refers to UnderRepresented Minority
Thus, if you are Asian, you are not a URM and you will be at a disadvantage as well.

URM is, in a nutshell: Black, Hispanic, or Native American.
Techmed07 said:
Columbia,Yale, and Duke are the most competitive sites. Yes there are going to cater to the URMS... fyi..When I applied I had a 4.0, good LORS, disadvantage (from a single parent household) and I am African American male.. Every year it gets a little more competitive. When I was at Columbia SMDEP.. there were Whites and Asians.. but these people were something special. It would be best if you applied to less competitive sites like Houston,Nebraska and Kentucky... hell, even when I applied I had a safety site.
Click to expand...
As shown by Techmed07's comment (bolding mine) in the other SMDEP thread , it is hard for Asians and Whites to get accepted.
 
Ansar said:
Actually, URM refers to UnderRepresented Minority
Thus, if you are Asian, you are not a URM and you will be at a disadvantage as well.

URM is, in a nutshell: Black, Hispanic, or Native American.

As shown by Techmed07's comment (bolding mine) in the other SMDEP thread , it is hard for Asians and Whites to get accepted.
Click to expand...

wow really? only those...
 
I have a question!!! Do you guys know how much grades really weigh into the admission process? i have a 3.68 so i guess 3.7..Im a freshman and its my first semester and I mean I was thinking that if Im going to put Yale as one of my choices then I want to know that I at least have a chance of getting in, however I know that a 3.7 gpa and my SAT scores are really not that competitive. Thus, if grades do weigh a lot I wont even bother with Yale. Plus I am not an URM
 
Ansar said:
Actually, URM refers to UnderRepresented Minority
Thus, if you are Asian, you are not a URM and you will be at a disadvantage as well.

URM is, in a nutshell: Black, Hispanic, or Native American.

As shown by Techmed07's comment (bolding mine) in the other SMDEP thread , it is hard for Asians and Whites to get accepted.
Click to expand...
some bullsh*t

so we should get penalized for being part of a certain group?
 
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Stronghopeful said:
some bullsh*t

so we should get penalized for being part of a certain group?
Click to expand...


You are not penalized. You just dont fit the mission of the program, they just want individuals that fit reason the program exists in the first place. Do some reading guys before you apply to these things. It will save you alot of pain and trouble.
 
torshi said:
minority such as being Asian, Indian etc
These programs favor to minorities excluding whites mostly
That's what everyone has been practically saying.
Click to expand...

Asian and Indians are actually ORMs (Over Represented Minorities) Iin medicine. Good luck!
 
torshi said:
What would Persian fall under? ;p
Click to expand...

right in between asian and indian lol jk but i think you get the point. If your not URM or highly disadvantaged don't even bother applying. The program was created for these individuals. Oh and SMDEP is NOT worth stressing over.
 
iceman55 said:
right in between asian and indian lol jk but i think you get the point. If your not URM or highly disadvantaged don't even bother applying. The program was created for these individuals. Oh and SMDEP is NOT worth stressing over.
Click to expand...

lol where are the research programs for average applicants..
 
Hey, I'm new to this also, but what would be the best way to get my transcript and LORs to SMDEP in shortest time possible?
 
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pourlepeuple said:
Hey, I'm new to this also, but what would be the best way to get my transcript and LORs to SMDEP in shortest time possible?
Click to expand...

If you're not close to any professor, ask your pre-med/college/major advisor . If you're a freshman, I think SMDEP accepts 1 high school recommendation from a close teacher/official you knew.
 
Thank you, but I meant in terms of sending them and making them available to the sites the quickest. Should I fax or overnight mail?
 
pourlepeuple said:
Thank you, but I meant in terms of sending them and making them available to the sites the quickest. Should I fax or overnight mail?
Click to expand...
Faxing it would definitely be faster, and also preferred by SMDEP.
 
Thank you very much. Also, I don't have the exact date of when I took my SAT and ACT, are they really necessary? I called them and they dais they arent really looking at them anymore, yet its still on the application.
 
pourlepeuple said:
Thank you very much. Also, I don't have the exact date of when I took my SAT and ACT, are they really necessary? I called them and they dais they arent really looking at them anymore, yet its still on the application.
Click to expand...
This is my first time applying as well, so I just put the month and year of the SAT/ACT test dates; I doubt the exact date matters. Also, I really don't think they'd look down on you if you submitted a wrong test date. And if they said they're not really looking at them anymore, I doubt this is significant. A few SMDEP alumni I talked to said they put more emphasis on the essays so I wouldn't worry about it.
 
Ansar said:
If we apply as a second year, do they put less emphasis on SAT/ACT?
Click to expand...

I doubt it even matters, because what about the people who entered a CC. Some of them have not even taken it yet.

I left high school after my soph year and entered a CC and never taken a SAT/ACT test, but i will be able to transfer without it.

So with that said, there are a lot of people who have and haven't taken the test, sooo i doubt it's a big deal
 
omg that is so true I'm Bengali, which is Asian as well and even with great GPA i didnt get in but spanish and black people with lower scores got in from my college 🙁
 
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