Hey, I am/was part of that club!😀
I wouldn't be so quick to rule out HSDM. One thing that many applicants fail to consider is the type of financial aid provided. While most would group Harvard and Columbia together as overpriced private schools, the former offers generous grants as part of its financial aid packages. As it turns out, HSDM ended up being my cheapest option. From what I experienced during my interview, Columbia students are forced to rely almost entirely on loans to finance their education. Of course, there's nothing wrong with that, but the distinction is important. Coincidentally, UConn is another school that offers need-based grants, and there are still others that do the same. I suppose the main takeaway here is that applicants should look into the different types of aid offered by each school to which they apply.
I didn't look into Harvard so I'm sure you're right. And that's cool that it ended up being your cheapest option! Then I'll rephrase: if cost is truly a huge concern (which it should be) for OP, I wouldn't apply to Columbia, UCLA, Penn (still expensive even with that half scholarship thing). He should definitely apply to UConn. That one's relatively cheap. Wasn't arguing with you there 😉
lol calm down, no one was hating.
I agree with everything you wrote, especially the bolded. It's very important to consider your own situation, as not everyone is in the same position academically, financially, etc. All I was really trying to get across is that, sometimes, these decisions involve more nuance than "DON'T APPLY TO ANY PRIVATE SCHOOL WITH A LIST PRICE OF $350K+!"
It's probably a good general rule to follow if you don't qualify for need-based aid but also don't have $400,000 lying around, though lol. But yes everyone can read their own situation 🙂
I'm going to have to defer to the OMFS residents on this one, but from what I've read, it really depends on the program. My understanding is that most applicants are judged based on four criteria: (1) CBSE score, (2) class rank/GPA, (3) recommendations, and (4) extracurriculars/research, with the first three factors being weighed most heavily. If an applicant has no class rank and/or no GPA, some programs simply don't consider those criteria for that applicant. In other words, it's one less thing you have to worry about. In other cases, the absence of a class rank and/or GPA is a legitimate negative simply due to the preference of the program. At the end of the day, though, Harvard, UConn, etc. seem to have no problem matching their students into top tier OMFS programs, and that's enough for me.
And if that weren't enough, there's no deposit, so the OP would really only lose out on the AADSAS and modest supplemental fees. In my opinion, it's worth a shot! Like you said, a final decision can be made after the preliminary financial aid package has been awarded.
This is how ADEA and residency programs are getting around the increase in P/F schools without ranking systems: the Advanced DAT. Study up! http://www.ada.org/~/media/ADA/Education and Careers/Files/adea_update_dat_adat_2015.ashx
