So I just applied to Brown PLME...

[idiotqueen92]

and I'm freaking out because apparently Brown looks really deeply into the essays which, although I tried to write as honestly and directly as I could (which is what I like anyways), sound horrible because the fact I talk about human anatomy as art sounds like BS

I'd really appreciate if you could tell me if I ought to get my hopes up or completely give up now. I know no chances are accurate, especially for PLME, but should I REALLY REALLY give up?

I'm a Korean-American junior in a very competitive school (many MANY in Ivies), and this isn't the first time I posted this.

GPA: 98.066 UW, 104.494 W

PSAT: 231 - semifinalist (maybe finalist? not that it matters)

SAT: 2400 (one seating)

SAT II: 770 Biology E, 800 Korean (yup I'm Korean - moved here 8 years ago - ...so this means nothing?), 770 US History, 780 Math II (oops ...shouldn't have canceled twice only to take it the last time after forgetting all of precalculus hahah)

AP: sophomore year - European History 5
junior year - Calculus BC 5, US History 5, Biology 5, Statistics 5
senior year - Literature, Physics B, Government, Macroeconomics, Spanish LL

E/Cs (main weaknesses):
~200 hours of community service in a hospital (clerical work - 2 summers only) (I said 25 hours a week for 4 weeks each summer...does it sound as good?)
~part of the volunteering hours didn't count but counted towards an internship program that paid me - so work experience?
~2 hours a week as a T/A and/or tutor at an academy

Math Team 10
Science Olympiad 9, 10, 11, 12 (did not win ANYTHINGGG)
Tri-M Music Honor Society - 9, 10, 11, 12 - Treasurer
All County violin - 9, 10 -- just once a year
LISFA (orchestra) - 9, 10 -- just once a year
School's rock orchestra - 9, 10, 11, 12
Habitat for Humanity - 10, 11 (treasurer), 12 (president)
Foreign Language Honor Society - 11, 12
National Honor Society - 11, 12 (I tutor a lot...but all the hours count for NHS, not community service )
Columbia Science Honors Program - 11, 12 -- once a week

My recommendations...are by people who think I'm just a hard-working nerd, my essays I thought were ok until I submitted it and now they look terrible, and my interview will be bad because I get really mean when I'm nervous -_-

Less than 39 days until the results come out. I'm checking the countdown website everyday and I'm freaking out planning what I'd do in Providence. Last time I got this excited/hopeful, I didn't get into the summer program I wanted to and then I was angry for a week...hehheh. Oh geez... I heard it's 2.5% admissions rate so I need some honest opinions to bring me back to earth

*Also, very random, but if I get a job in the next week or so, can I talk about that in my interview? And the fact I shadowed a doctor for...3 hours in total ...

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[loveoforganic]

Just.

Breathe.

And.

Wait.

My.

God.

 

[Meerkatology]

1st of all undergrad doens't matter.

in hindsight, if i went to a less prestigous/competitive undergrad i would have gotten into a better med school, because it would be easier to get a better gpa.

surely a 4.0 at brown is better than a 4.0 at a community college, but i'm willing to bet that a 3.2 at brown is much inferior to a 4.0 at a community college on a med school application. at the same time a 4.0 at a community college is probably easier to get than a 3.2 at a competitive university.

for a less extreme example, 3.7 gpa at an average institution is > 3.5 gpa at a top teir school, and 3.5 at a top tier school is probably harder to get out of the two.

if i could do it over again, i would go to a mediocre state school to get a higher gpa and save money.

 

[tls24]

Just.

Breathe.

And.

Wait.

My.

God.

I second this. Your grades, test scores, and extracurriculars are almost perfect. Brown PLME is super-competitive, but you have put yourself in the best situation possible. Just relax and even if you don't get into Brown PLME, I am sure you will have plenty of fine schools to pick from in the end.

 

[lord_jeebus]

Your chances at PLME aren't that bad. More importantly, in 5 years, you're going to be attending a great medical school, whether or not you get into PLME now.