Uegis said:
Some people got placed on hold at Pritzker on the forums. So what are they looking for in an applicant? Their average stats, which usually doesn't tell you much anyway, are not as high as NW or some of the other more notable schools.
I have no idea what they are looking for. My stats are way above their averages, above average for Northwestern to, but of course there is a lot more to it than that.
U Chicago's undergraduate institution has a reputation for putting a lot of weight on their essays, don't they, so I am wondering if the med school does to? The essay about the guiding principles of everyday living (I dont remember the exact wording) really annoyed me. I was a little bold in the essay about the ethical dilemna to. I wrote it carefully but perhaps it got me in trouble.
Northewestrn essay asking to bs about their "innovative curriculum" was also annoying, as if its so obviously radically different from everyone elses.
People have told me that it is far more likely that good applicant get rejected for random reasons as opposed to writing sub par essays, but I think the essay do carry a good bit of weight, especially at UC. Another thing to consider is the schools mission. Some schools want to send all of their students into research (like Mayo so I've heard), and even if you are an amazing applicant, if you state that your goal is to treat patients, as good as you may be what use to do they have for you.
I think it comes down to being well rounded, fitting their mission, standing out in some good way, and being lucky. Numbers matter somewhat but so many people have good grades and test scores that they alone mean virtually nothing.
