SUNY Downstate...what is their problem?

[Assassin]

I have no intention of offending any downstate prospectives or students but...

Their rejection letter is by far the most offensive I ever got (and I've seen quite a few <img border="0" alt="[Laughy]" title="" src="graemlins/laughy.gif" /> )
They start off saying they made a decision and that decision is FINAL. (as if I was eager to debate it)
Then a couple of paragraphs justifying that decision - essentially a bunch of reasons why they think you're not good enough (laughable considering my stats double their average)
Then a couple more paragraphs telling you what to do upon reapplying to that school (don't call them, call your pre-med advisor, etc.); in essence assuming 1-you didn't get into any med school at all, and 2-you're eager to reapply there <img border="0" alt="[Laughy]" title="" src="graemlins/laughy.gif" />

my hands are itching to fire back a reply...but for now my rant on here should do <img border="0" alt="[Laughy]" title="" src="graemlins/laughy.gif" /> (considering I never wanted to go there in the first place)

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[dja]

Were you interviewed there?

 

[Assassin]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by dja:
•Were you interviewed there?•••••yea, it wasn't until after my interview day that I decided I would never go there (unless I had no choice )

 

[daisygirl]

Player,
It does not surprise me that Downstate is so crude. Downstate is really strange. They are completely unreceptive to speaking to people, the admissions people were weird (when I was there at least), and the students that I met on the tour were weird. I felt that Downstate had a chilly atmosphere when I interviewed there. I would not even bother writing a letter, it is just not worth burning any bridges.

P.S. if any students are planning on going to Downstate or are students there now, please do not be offended by what I wrote. I just had a terrible experience at Downstate and I just may have seen Downstate at its worst and I was never given the oppurtunity to see it at its best.

 

[Jedi4]

I actually had a nice experience with SUNY Downstate. I really wanted to go there, but I didn't get an interview. So I wrote to one of the admissions deans to ask why I wasn't offered an interview, and she wrote back with this very thoughtful and detailed letter. A lot of it was tough to hear (basically all the reasons why I didn't deserve to get an interview), but it was clear that she put in a lot of time and effort to give me feedback and constructive criticism, as well as advice on what to do about it. It was really very informative and helpful, and it was something they didn't need to do but did anyway.

So I thought that was extremely nice of their admissions dept. to do that during the busy application season.

 

[psyche]

I didn't apply to Downstate but I got a similarly crappy rejection letter from NY Med, also presuming that I wouldn't get in anywhere and should work on improving my application for the next cycle.(I had gotten in somewhere by then.) The letter even had a misspelling. Considering there are about only 3 different types of letters a school has to send applicants, you'd think these letters would be a little more well-crafted. Most of them sounded as though they were tossed off very carelessly. Pitt and Dartmouth sent out nice rejection letters though, if there is such a thing.