strings pulled for me--feeling odd

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i am feeling weird about something... my grandfather is a life trustee of a top-20 school where he has given quite a bit of money. i did not list him as my legacy on the secondary becaues he isn't a graduate of the med school (he went there undergrad). he just mailed me a copy of a letter he sent the dean of the med school on his own initiative, basically ordering the dean to grant me an interview. i am feeling both grateful and very uncomfortable about this. any thoughts on how i should respond to my grandfather, and whether or not i should say anything if the school does grant me the interview?

i realize it's kind of an obnoxious question--sorry--but i am feeling weird enough about it that i would really appreciate some input.

 

[Jeffy]

Just count yer blessings and give your grandpappy a really nice pen for Christmas. 👍

Besides, if you do well at other schools too, you'll at least know that indeed you're good enough to go at this top-20 school.

 

[evajaclynn]

i am feeling weird about something... my grandfather is a life trustee of a top-20 school where he has given quite a bit of money. i did not list him as my legacy on the secondary becaues he isn't a graduate of the med school (he went there undergrad). he just mailed me a copy of a letter he sent the dean of the med school on his own initiative, basically ordering the dean to grant me an interview. i am feeling both grateful and very uncomfortable about this. any thoughts on how i should respond to my grandfather, and whether or not i should say anything if the school does grant me the interview?

i realize it's kind of an obnoxious question--sorry--but i am feeling weird enough about it that i would really appreciate some input.

If you get the interview, I would say accept it and just go there and be yourself. Your grandfather may have gotten you an interview, but it was YOU who got yourself this far and it is YOU who will have to wow them in the interview. Try not to feel guilty. Just do your best once you get there.

 

[QofQuimica]

i am feeling weird about something... my grandfather is a life trustee of a top-20 school where he has given quite a bit of money. i did not list him as my legacy on the secondary becaues he isn't a graduate of the med school (he went there undergrad). he just mailed me a copy of a letter he sent the dean of the med school on his own initiative, basically ordering the dean to grant me an interview. i am feeling both grateful and very uncomfortable about this. any thoughts on how i should respond to my grandfather, and whether or not i should say anything if the school does grant me the interview?

i realize it's kind of an obnoxious question--sorry--but i am feeling weird enough about it that i would really appreciate some input.

Assuming that you have the credentials to go to that school, I don't think that there is any problem with it. Thank your grandfather, and when you go to your interview, talk about medicine, not your grandfather's letter. 🙂

 

[lattimer13]

i'm sure you're not the only one to have had strings pulled for them.

 

[heeter]

i am feeling weird about something... my grandfather is a life trustee of a top-20 school where he has given quite a bit of money. i did not list him as my legacy on the secondary becaues he isn't a graduate of the med school (he went there undergrad). he just mailed me a copy of a letter he sent the dean of the med school on his own initiative, basically ordering the dean to grant me an interview. i am feeling both grateful and very uncomfortable about this. any thoughts on how i should respond to my grandfather, and whether or not i should say anything if the school does grant me the interview?

i realize it's kind of an obnoxious question--sorry--but i am feeling weird enough about it that i would really appreciate some input.

You should be ashamed. For penance, you must write a nice letter to you grandfather asking him to write another letter to the dean. This time, he should suggest I get an interview as well. For shame!

 

[Blake]

If you get the interview, I would say accept it and just go there and be yourself. Your grandfather may have gotten you an interview, but it was YOU who got yourself this far and it is YOU who will have to wow them in the interview. Try not to feel guilty. Just do your best once you get there.

The same could be said for AA, but I won't hijack the thread.

 

[Fusion]

i am feeling weird about something... my grandfather is a life trustee of a top-20 school where he has given quite a bit of money. i did not list him as my legacy on the secondary becaues he isn't a graduate of the med school (he went there undergrad). he just mailed me a copy of a letter he sent the dean of the med school on his own initiative, basically ordering the dean to grant me an interview. i am feeling both grateful and very uncomfortable about this. any thoughts on how i should respond to my grandfather, and whether or not i should say anything if the school does grant me the interview?

i realize it's kind of an obnoxious question--sorry--but i am feeling weird enough about it that i would really appreciate some input.

If your numbers and credentials are around the school's averages (i.e., if you are a competitive applicant to begin with), I don't see anything wrong with your grandfather putting in a "good word." If you have crappy grades and MCAT scores, however, that is a different story. But this is the way our world works. The old adage "it's not who you are, it's who you know" holds more truth than most of us realize. Why do you think so many secondary applications ask us if we have relatives who graduated from their medical school? Is it fair for an applicant to have an edge over others at a particular medical school just because they have a relative who is an alumnus? Not really, but that is how things work sometimes. Your grandfather is not bribing anyone, just merely pointing out to an influential figure that he has done some good for the university and now it may be time to return the favor. Make your most out of the situation.

 

[bigdan]

Life is unfair in many ways - I say "good for you" in this case. I'm sure you've been slighted before and if not you will be later. Do you.

dc

 

[SanDiegoSOD]

I'd take it. Just show up and act like you deserve to be at the interview. Who knows, maybe you do...

 

[skypilot]

If you get accepted to another school without any connections you can breathe a sigh of relief. Then just go to the school you prefer.

 

[Medikit]

I think this is a good question. I can totally understand your feelings, but I think the important thing to remember is that your Grandfather did this on his own initiative. I would be grateful and take the interview if it were me, inspite of whatever reservations I had about how I got the interview. I don't look down or think bad about you because you have a blessing that I do not.