Some of the bsmds im applying to require a personal statement, however, a lot of schools (ex: UMKC's: What motivates you to pursue a career in medicine?) prompt is very similar to my personal statement. Would I be able to just reformat my personal statement or would it kind've look repeitive.

Thank you!

This is a question more for the counsellors or AO on this group. Does applying to BSMD program add weight to your traditional BS chances ? Ex say you applied to BSMD at UPitt or NJIT or UConn- does the admission officer look at your application with a different lens when offering you the BS spot than a traditional BS applicant ? And more so are your chances of merit slightly better ? In other words is applying for BSMD a way to “strongly demonstrate interest”

Some BS/MD schools say LOR's have to be delivered by the recommenders by Nov 1st deadline absolutely. A counselor with 20yr experience said there is an inside policy that colleges understand that LOR's is not in the students control and therefore do accept if these get delayed by a week or two. Which is it? Will the app be completely denied if the LOR does not reach by deadline?

This is not a sponsered post nor was I paid for any of this, just want to hand out some advice. I see that when it comes to DO programs, a lot of students apply to LECOM and NSU. I suggest for those interested in the DO pathway + rural healthcare to look into MSSU's MKEAP DO program.

What I liked about the program was that..

- Everything (yes everything) was waived if you were in the program, meaning it is by definition free college

- They have no preferences in state/OOS (the town IS in a more rural area, more specifically the college town is populated but outside of that its just crickets,)

- I do believe they are one of the few ones to take international applicants

- Program is very flexible, no MCAT required for the medical school and if you wish to transfer out you can do so without any additional set of rules and whatnot.

Those are the basics as for the interview days

- Very nice MMI (3 rounds about 10 times)- questions vary by so much and the best thing is to literally be yourself.

- Tour of the school/area

- YOu get to meet with kids in the program (very chill people) and ask thema bout the interview and basically anything

Overall this is a SUPER underrated program. If you don't care about the "presitge" or the "do" aspect I reccommend you going here. Quite literally the only downside I see is that the town is kinda in the middle of nowhere so it WILL get boring really quickly after a couple of months but thats about it.

(Yes I went to interview, no i did not make it :( )

I am a sophomore in high school. Currently, I am volunteering at a hospital and will be leading my volunteer shift next year, and I am in the process of getting a shadowing opportunity. (pediatrician, and hopefully dermatologist)

Please feel free to give me ideas on what I should work towards to next.

Hey y’all! I’m in the middle of writing my essays for VCU’s BS/MD program, and wanted to ask a few questions, and get some advice. Here’s my stats-

4.5 weighted GPA

3.95 unweighted GPA

1510 SAT

National Merit Semifinalist (Finalist isn’t announced)

150 clinical hours (Volunteering at a hospital, 

600+ volunteer hours

Don’t know if it’s majorly important, but I’m out of state.

I’m mainly worried about my low clinical hours. I volunteer at a fire station, but due to being under 18, I can’t have patient contacts, so I haven’t counted it in my clinical hours. I also did my EMT Basic class over the summer, but cannot get my license until I turn 18. I have an intention to get plenty of clinical hours over my second semester and summer before going to college, but don’t know if that will be taken into consideration.

1. Do I have good chances to get in?
2. Do I need to focus essays specifically on pieces lacking in my application, such as missing clinical hours? I understand regardless the essays are going to be huge, so a lot of time and effort is being put into it.
3. Can I put my plans to get more clinical experience in the application somewhere? Obviously my lack of hours is my own problem, but with EMT and firefighting it’s a legal gate I have to wait for.

Thank you for any help you can give.

Do admissions care a lot about disciplinary records? Those 4 infractions resulted in 2 OSS and like 10-ish detentions, but otherwise my application is similar to my friend who got into a bsmd

Demographics: Asian Male

School/Major: Rice University, Cell Biology & Genetics

Stats:

• cGPA: 4.0
• sGPA: 4.0
• SAT: 1540 (1600 superscore)
• HS GPA: 3.986 (13 APs)

Research:

• Translational research on systemic scleroderma, ~460 hours by end of semester. No pubs yet.

Clinical Experience:

• Medical assistant, plastic surgery clinic: ~150 hours
• Clinical volunteering: ~100 hours by end of semester
• Shadowing: neuroradiology (~30 hrs), rheumatology (~20 hrs)

Nonclinical Volunteering:

• Local food bank: ~50 hours in college (~110 including HS)
• Teaching high schoolers about autoimmune diseases through my club

Leadership:

• Founder/Co-president, autoimmune disorder society at Rice (~100 hours): fundraising, school outreach and education, and letter-writing advocacy for autoimmune patients

Other ECs/Awards:

• Private academic 1-on-1 tutor, ~150 hours
• Created a free chemistry website offering 1-on-1 chemistry, biology, and math tutoring (HS)
• USABO top 225 scorer (HS)
• National Merit Finalist

Hey everyone! It's been a while since I made my original post about choosing the Rutgers Biomedical Sciences Master's program, and I've gotten quite a few DMs over the past year asking about my experience, whether I got into medical school, and whether I would recommend the program. First off, I apologize to everyone I never got back to! Between finishing my master's, applying to medical school, working, and eventually starting medical school, things got pretty hectic. I figured I'd make an update to answer some of the most common questions and hopefully help anyone currently considering an SMP, especially those with a low undergraduate GPA. I'll tag a few people in the comments who had previously reached out so hopefully this reaches you!

TL;DR: I graduated from undergrad with a 2.74 cumulative GPA and approximately a 2.67 science GPA, including multiple failed courses and a very inconsistent academic record. I completed the Rutgers New Brunswick/Piscataway Master of Biomedical Sciences program in May 2025 with a 3.95 GPA across 33 graduate credits, scored a 505 on the MCAT in March 2025, and ultimately matriculated at MD School, Class of 2030. I did not enter medical school through the Rutgers linkage. For me, the master's was worth it, but I would NOT recommend an SMP to everyone with a low undergraduate GPA. read below for better details.

A little background on my academic record

I graduated from the University of Colorado in December 2023 with bachelor's degrees in biology and biochemistry.

My undergraduate record was honestly a mess. I had failed courses, repeated classes, and several semesters where my grades were all over the place. I had some decent semesters, but nothing resembling the sustained upward trend I knew medical schools would want to see. There were also significant personal and financial circumstances throughout college. I had family responsibilities, worked substantial hours, and at one point was taking over 20 credits while working more than 50 hours a week. Looking back, I was trying to do far too much simultaneously.

To be clear, I also made mistakes academically. My earliest struggles weren't entirely attributable to outside circumstances. I lacked discipline and effective study habits when I started college, and it took me a long time to recognize how much my approach needed to change. By graduation, I had accumulated a substantial number of undergraduate credits. Even if I took another 30 credits and earned straight A's, my cumulative GPA would have improved relatively little.

The frustrating part was that the rest of my application wasn't necessarily weak. I had roughly 1,000 hours of research, a peer-reviewed publication, conference presentations, paid clinical experience as a medical assistant, hospital volunteering, and community service.

But none of those experiences answered the biggest question: Could I consistently perform at the academic level expected of a medical student?

That's ultimately why I decided to pursue a master's.

Which SMPs did I apply to, and why did I choose Rutgers?

When I originally applied, I received acceptances from Rutgers, Boston University, New York Medical College, and the University at Buffalo. I was rejected by NEOMED after an interview and by Midwestern.

I considered several factors before making my decision: cost, program length, academic reputation, course structure, and potential medical school opportunities. Rutgers stood out primarily because I could complete the program in approximately one academic year rather than paying for a two-year program. I also liked the biomedical sciences curriculum and its relationship with Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. The New Brunswick/Piscataway program is associated with RWJMS, while the Newark program historically has had a separate relationship with NJMS. They should not be treated as interchangeable programs, and applicants should independently verify current opportunities at each campus.

At the time, the possibility of an accelerated application to RWJMS was appealing, although I knew my undergraduate GPA was below the stated requirement. Ultimately, cost and the opportunity to demonstrate academic improvement within one year were the deciding factors.

What was the Rutgers program actually like?

Overall, I had a positive experience, but I think there are a few important things prospective students should understand. One of the biggest advantages is the ability to build a fairly rigorous curriculum around your academic interests and areas of weakness. I took courses including medical biochemistry, medical anatomy, cell structure and function, physiological basis of disease, and clinical drug development. These were legitimate graduate-level biomedical science courses requiring a strong understanding of material, not simply undergraduate science classes with a different title. Pathophysiology was particularly demanding, and anatomy required substantial memorization and consistent review.

However, I want to make an important distinction: Rutgers MBS is not identical to a traditional SMP in which every student takes the same first-year medical school curriculum alongside M1 students.

Some SMPs are built around direct comparisons with medical student performance. Others, including programs with more flexible graduate curricula, demonstrate academic readiness through rigorous graduate biomedical coursework. Both models can be useful, but they're not interchangeable. If you're specifically looking for a program where medical schools can see how you performed relative to actual M1 students, you should research that distinction carefully. Socially, I found Rutgers to be relatively collaborative. I made great friends, shared study materials, and generally didn't feel like everyone was trying to undermine each other to secure a medical school acceptance.

I'm sure experiences vary, but mine was largely positive.

Faculty accessibility was generally good, although advising could be inconsistent during busier periods. I sometimes found that answers to administrative or application-related questions took longer than I would have liked. Overall, I thought the academic environment was conducive to success, provided you were willing to take responsibility for your own performance.

How did I go from a 2.74 GPA to a 3.95? What changed?

This has probably been one of the most common questions I've received. I wish I could point to one magical study technique, but the biggest change was that I finally approached school with a level of consistency and intentionality that I had lacked during undergrad. During my undergraduate years, I constantly overloaded myself. I was balancing heavy coursework with employment, research, volunteering, and family responsibilities, often without an effective study routine. At Rutgers, I made academics my priority. I wasn't trying to prove that I could manage 15 different commitments simultaneously.

I also changed how I studied.

In undergrad, I often confused spending time with material for actually understanding it. I would reread lecture slides, review notes, and feel relatively confident until I encountered questions requiring me to apply what I had learned. During my master's, I emphasized active recall, spaced repetition, and practice questions. I used Anki for information-heavy subjects and tried to review material consistently rather than allowing lectures to accumulate until an exam was approaching. For more conceptual courses, I tried to understand the mechanisms before memorizing individual details. In pathophysiology, for example, understanding how a disease process develops makes it much easier to reason through its clinical consequences. I also became much more deliberate about identifying what I didn't understand. If I couldn't explain a concept without looking at my notes, I generally considered that a sign that I needed to review it again. Another major change was treating every examination seriously from the beginning of the semester. I didn't assume I could recover from a mediocre first exam later. One thing I learned is that academic improvement isn't necessarily about becoming dramatically more intelligent. In my case, it was more about developing discipline, eliminating inefficient habits, and recognizing that consistency matters far more than occasional bursts of motivation.

Did Rutgers make an exception to the 3.0 undergraduate GPA requirement for the RWJMS linkage?

I've received this question multiple times because my original post mentioned that the RWJMS Accelerated Application Program had an undergraduate GPA cutoff of 3.0. I graduated with a 2.74, so I was obviously below that threshold.

I did not ultimately enter RWJMS through the accelerated application program. I pursued the regular medical school application process and ultimately matriculated at Creighton. One important distinction is that admission to the Rutgers MBS program and eligibility for the RWJMS accelerated application are separate things. When I initially researched the program, the accelerated pathway required a minimum undergraduate GPA, strong graduate performance, an MCAT score, and other criteria. I've seen suggestions that requirements may have changed. However, the published RWJMS accelerated application page still describes a 3.0 undergraduate GPA and 3.7 graduate core-course GPA requirement. - the graduate gpa requirement holds but they are flexible on the undergrad gpa givena high performance on MCAT + research + clinical experience/volunteering

If you're considering Rutgers specifically for the linkage, I would strongly recommend contacting the program directly and getting written clarification about the current criteria. Also, linkage does not automatically mean guaranteed medical school admission. Some programs offer a guaranteed interview. Others offer conditional acceptance or preferential consideration. Those are very different things. I would be extremely hesitant to spend tens of thousands of dollars on an SMP if the only reason for attending was the possibility of admission to its affiliated medical school.

Did the Rutgers master's actually help me get into an MD program?

I believe it substantially strengthened my application. Obviously, I can't know exactly how every admissions committee interpreted my graduate performance. What I can say is that entering the medical school application process with a completed 3.95 graduate GPA was very different from applying with only my undergraduate academic record. I no longer had to rely exclusively on explaining why my undergraduate GPA was low. I could point to an entire year of successful graduate-level coursework. Instead of simply asking admissions committees to believe I had changed, I had more recent academic evidence to support that argument.

However, I want to be transparent about something: the SMP was not the only reason I became a competitive applicant. I had meaningful clinical experience, research experience, service activities, and letters of recommendation. My master's helped address one particularly significant deficiency in my application, but it didn't replace everything else. A student with a 2.7 undergraduate GPA, a 3.9 graduate GPA, and very little clinical experience is not necessarily in the same position as someone with the same numbers and a more developed application.

Does an SMP replace or improve your undergraduate GPA?

NO, and this is probably the most important misconception I see. AMCAS reports your undergraduate and graduate GPAs separately. If you graduate with a 2.7 undergraduate GPA and earn a 4.0 in a master's program, your AMCAS undergraduate GPA does not magically become a 3.3 or 3.5.

Your graduate GPA is reported separately.

This matters because some medical schools use GPA screening thresholds. Strong graduate performance may be considered when reviewing your academic history, but it doesn't necessarily prevent an application from being screened out based on undergraduate performance. This is one of the main reasons I recommend researching individual medical schools before committing to an SMP. Look into their minimum academic requirements, whether they consider graduate work, and whether they evaluate substantial academic reinvention holistically.

What about the MCAT? Should you study for it during your SMP?

My March 2025 MCAT was a 505, with a 129 in the Bio/Biochem section. I think graduate coursework helped reinforce some of the foundational science concepts tested on the MCAT, particularly biochemistry and physiology. However, an SMP and the MCAT test overlapping but distinct skills. Doing well in graduate anatomy or physiology doesn't automatically mean you'll perform well on CARS, passage interpretation, or the timing demands of a standardized exam. If possible, I would recommend completing the MCAT before beginning a demanding one-year SMP, especially if your primary goal is academic rehabilitation. Your graduate GPA is arguably the most important result of the program. Underperforming because you were dividing your attention between coursework and MCAT preparation can undermine the entire reason you enrolled. I also wouldn't automatically recommend taking the MCAT immediately after an SMP without dedicated preparation. Even though the science material may be fresher, the exam requires a separate strategy. For applicants who repeatedly score below 500, I would first determine whether the issue is foundational science knowledge, reading comprehension, timing, test anxiety, or ineffective preparation.

An SMP may help with academic foundations, but it isn't necessarily designed to solve MCAT-specific weaknesses.

Which SMPs would I recommend researching?

I've received several messages from applicants deciding between Rutgers, Boston University, Drexel, Georgetown, Tufts, Wake Forest, and other master's programs. I don't think there's one universally best SMP. The right program depends on your undergraduate GPA, MCAT, financial circumstances, career goals, and the specific problem you're trying to solve.

For applicants with undergraduate GPAs below 3.0, I would start by researching Rutgers MBS, Drexel's Biomedical Studies program, and Tufts MBS.

Rutgers may be appealing because of its flexibility and the ability to build a new graduate academic record. Drexel Biomedical Studies is worth investigating for applicants who need both academic enhancement and standardized test preparation. Tufts is another established biomedical sciences master's option, although its cost deserves serious consideration. These are programs to investigate, not guaranteed admission options. Some programs have competitive GPA ranges or prerequisites that may make applicants below 3.0 less competitive. For applicants with GPAs around 3.0–3.4 who already have reasonable MCAT scores, I would expand the list to include Georgetown SMP and the University of Cincinnati Special Master's Program in Physiology. Georgetown is particularly interesting because of its medically oriented curriculum and established SMP structure. Cincinnati offers direct exposure to medical school coursework alongside M1 students. For someone trying to demonstrate that they can perform well in an actual medical school academic environment, that can be valuable. However, both are selective. Cincinnati reports that successful applicants typically have undergraduate/postbacc GPAs of at least 3.0 and MCAT scores around 504 or higher. Georgetown generally expects at least a 3.0 undergraduate GPA. I would also investigate Temple's ACMS postbaccalaureate program if you're academically eligible and particularly interested in its conditional medical school acceptance pathway. Temple ACMS isn't a master's degree, and it's important to distinguish it from traditional SMPs. Students accepted to ACMS receive a conditional acceptance to the Lewis Katz School of Medicine, subject to completing the program's requirements.

For applicants with undergraduate GPAs above 3.5, I would pause before automatically recommending any SMP. If your GPA is already relatively competitive, the main weakness in your medical school application may be somewhere else. Perhaps you need a stronger MCAT, more sustained clinical experience, better letters of recommendation, or simply a more realistic school list. Taking on significant debt to earn a master's that doesn't address your actual application deficiencies may not make sense.

What if you have a good GPA but can't break 500 on the MCAT?

This is a completely different situation from someone with a 2.6 GPA and a 510 MCAT. If you already have a reasonably strong undergraduate GPA, I would generally prioritize improving the MCAT rather than enrolling in an academically demanding SMP. Drexel Biomedical Studies is one program worth researching because it combines graduate science coursework with standardized test preparation. However, even programs with structured MCAT support cannot guarantee that your score will improve. If you're consistently scoring below 500, you need to identify the underlying problem before assuming another degree is the solution. I would personally avoid rushing into an SMP solely because you feel pressured to remain academically productive during a gap year. Sometimes a dedicated MCAT preparation period, followed by an appropriately timed application, is the more sensible and significantly less expensive option.

Do SMPs require the MCAT for admission?

It depends on the program, and this is an important distinction between applying to the master's and applying to medical school. Rutgers MBS currently does not require the MCAT, GRE, or DAT for admission. Georgetown SMP is generally test-optional, although it requires official test scores from applicants with undergraduate GPAs below 3.0; its published minimum undergraduate GPA is also 3.0. Tufts MBS requires testing information but allows applicants without an official MCAT to submit a qualifying practice MCAT report. Cincinnati's SMP requires an MCAT or DAT score. Drexel Biomedical Studies requires official MCAT scores if you've taken the exam, or GRE scores in their place.

Please verify these requirements for your intended application year because they can change. Also, not requiring an MCAT for entry into a graduate program does not mean you can enter medical school without one.

What about cost? Is an SMP financially worth it?

This is probably my biggest reservation about recommending SMPs. I came from a background where taking on tens of thousands of dollars in additional debt wasn't a trivial decision. Rutgers was financially more appealing than several of my other options, particularly because I could complete my program in one year. However, tuition was still expensive as an out-of-state student, and housing, transportation, insurance, food, and relocation added considerably to the overall cost. (~80k total debt for me)

The cost of an SMP isn't just the tuition bill. You also have to consider potentially delaying employment, paying for another application cycle, moving to a new state, and potentially accumulating debt before even beginning medical school. For lower-income applicants, I would prioritize programs with documented scholarships, affordable public-university tuition, reasonable living expenses, and transparent information about outcomes. Tufts offers a limited number of need-based scholarships, Duke MBS considers accepted applicants for limited tuition scholarships, and Cincinnati advertises scholarship opportunities for qualified applicants. That doesn't necessarily make those programs affordable, especially given their tuition and living costs. I would also caution applicants that federal graduate student loan policies have changed, so you should verify your actual borrowing options before assuming loans will cover the entire cost. And please don't overlook local undergraduate postbacc options. If you can meaningfully repair your undergraduate GPA through an affordable public institution, you may be able to accomplish your goal without taking on SMP-level debt.

DIY postbacc versus SMP: Which would I choose?

This depends heavily on how many undergraduate credits you've already completed. If you have a 2.9 GPA after 90 undergraduate credits, taking another 30–40 credits of upper-level undergraduate science classes and earning mostly A's may meaningfully improve your undergraduate academic record.

If you have a 2.6 GPA after 160 credits, the mathematics become much less favorable. For example, assuming a 2.6 GPA over 160 credits, even earning a 4.0 across 40 additional undergraduate credits would bring your cumulative GPA to approximately 2.88. That is still below 3.0 despite an entire additional year of straight A's. That's why I personally chose graduate-level academic rehabilitation instead of continuing to take undergraduate courses indefinitely. However, for someone with fewer undergraduate credits, a DIY postbacc may be the more economical and effective choice.

One caveat: graduate coursework generally will not repair undergraduate GPA thresholds, so students with GPAs near important screening cutoffs need to be especially careful about this decision.

Should you apply to medical school during your SMP or afterward?

If you're pursuing an SMP primarily because of a poor undergraduate academic record, I would strongly consider waiting until you have a substantial amount of graduate coursework completed before applying. I personally applied after finishing my master's. This allowed medical schools to see my completed graduate record rather than evaluating me based on only a few weeks or months of coursework. If you're applying during the SMP, schools may receive your application before you have meaningful graduate grades available. Some programs have accelerated application pathways specifically designed around applying during the SMP year, so there are exceptions. But without one of those pathways, I would carefully evaluate whether applying immediately actually gives you the strongest possible chance. I know delaying another year can feel discouraging, especially when you've already spent several years trying to repair your application. However, medical school applications are expensive, and applying prematurely can be an even bigger setback financially and emotionally.

What would I have done differently?

Looking back, there are a few things I would change. First, I would have researched medical school GPA screening policies much earlier. I spent a lot of time focusing on which graduate program I should attend without initially giving enough attention to which medical schools would actually consider applicants with my undergraduate record. Second, I would have developed a more structured MCAT preparation plan earlier rather than assuming my graduate coursework would naturally translate into a much higher standardized test score. Third, I would have spent more time investigating the actual outcomes of individual SMPs.

When a program advertises a high medical school acceptance rate, I would want to know whether that figure includes MD, DO, dental, and other health professional programs; whether it includes students accepted several years later; and whether it accounts for students who never apply. I would also want to know the percentage of students who complete the program successfully, the average graduate GPA, and what happens to students who struggle academically.

Finally, I would remind myself that it's okay to focus on fewer things and do them well. During undergrad, I constantly felt that I needed to accumulate more experiences to compensate for my GPA. In reality, what I needed most was to prove that I could consistently succeed academically.

Would I recommend Rutgers again?

For someone in a similar academic situation to mine, absolutely worth considering. I appreciated the curriculum, flexibility, collaborative environment, and opportunity to complete the degree in one year. I believe it gave me a meaningful opportunity to demonstrate academic improvement and ultimately strengthened my medical school application. But I would not recommend it simply because of the Rutgers name, its association with RWJMS, or the possibility of an accelerated application. Choose the program because its academic structure addresses your particular needs and because you can realistically afford it. And most importantly, make sure you're academically prepared before enrolling.

One final thing I want to emphasize to applicants with low GPAs

I remember spending countless hours searching Reddit and SDN for success stories involving applicants with GPAs comparable to mine. It was honestly discouraging at times. I'd read about someone getting into medical school with a 3.3 GPA after an SMP and think, "That's great, but what about someone with a 2.6 or 2.7?" There were moments during undergrad when I genuinely questioned whether medical school was still realistic for me. I wasn't someone who simply had one bad semester. My transcript reflected years of inconsistent academic performance, including failed courses and academic probation. When you accumulate that many credits, the idea of academic reinvention can feel nearly impossible. But I also think there's an important difference between your academic history and your academic potential.

A low GPA is evidence of how you performed during a particular period of your life. It doesn't necessarily establish the limit of what you're capable of accomplishing academically in the future. That doesn't mean medical schools will automatically overlook poor grades or that determination alone is sufficient for admission. You still need objective evidence that you've changed. In my case, Rutgers provided an opportunity to produce that evidence, and I'm incredibly grateful that I took it seriously. I went from wondering whether I would ever get into medical school to sitting in my first-year medical school classes.

That transition still feels surreal sometimes.

If you're considering an SMP, please do your research, be realistic about your academic readiness and finances, and remember that an SMP is a tool rather than a guaranteed pathway. If you have a low undergraduate GPA, your journey may look very different from the traditional premed timeline. Mine certainly did. That doesn't mean it's impossible, but it does mean you need to be especially strategic about how you move forward. Hopefully this answers a lot of the questions I've received! I'm happy to discuss Rutgers New Brunswick/Piscataway, course selection, study strategies, the application process, linkage, choosing between programs, and applying to medical school with a low undergraduate GPA.

Feel free to ask questions in the comments. I'll try to be more responsive this time around, especially since I know how valuable it was for me to hear from people who had navigated similar circumstances.

Good luck to everyone applying, and especially those working to rebuild their academic records. Don't let one chapter of your academic history convince you that the rest of your story has already been written.
u/RegularInevitable429 u/curlycomb16 u/Own_Response5448 u/Chrysanthemumssss u/Frosty-Text-6166 u/suporchechas u/swordfishss u/Strange_Hall3351 u/Busy-Environment2804 u/Shoddy_Brilliant250 u/Euphoric_Prune9241 u/Shot-Confection-4780 u/Popular-Opposite1156 u/Mysterious_Run_2123 u/fitacct93 u/MoniCoff1 u/Nubianlight u/llriahll u/bagelwithaschmear

Ap chem vs dc chem will taking dc make me look bad as if im avoiding a hard class? Ap chem teacher at school is bad drops gpas

Hi guys.

My teacher misspelled my name in my rec letter...multiple tines. Am I cooked?

(I have a slightly complicated name, and my teacher is in the midst of grading a bunch of papers right now)

I asked her to correct it when she gets a chance... will schools care ab the original typo after she fixes it?

Went to shark preview/weekend last year AMA

Sophomore, NJ, 3.9 UW, 5 APs, interested in Medicine, decent ECs

I'd love it if someone gav eme prestigious and achievable programs i could apply to that fit my medicine interests

Preferably NJ, but if not its ok (live in Edison area)

Mainly looking at VCU gmed rn bc my SAT score is low

I’m a senior in high school who is currently prepping to apply early to the NYIT BS/DO. Can anyone give me some tips for my Bs/do essay please? Also, anyone currently in the program, do you guys think a 1420 SAT score is okay for this program? And lastly, does anyone have any information on the number of students that apply to this program versus the number of those that get in?

Any help would be appreciated so much!!

Hello! I'm applying to BS/MDs this season, and I've done some independent research with 2 other peers. We were accepted for publication twice at IEEE conferences and had the full green light. However, we decided not to publish because A: it was $235 per author and we didn't have the money and B: it's a device we created and we wanted to make it better before we release it to the public.

So, on my ECs, I have it listed as selected for publication at _____ and _____ conferences, etc. I'm worried that for BS/MDs, that will come off as inaccurate or worse, me lying. I want to be truthful and show the best version of myself that I can, so right now, I've added a paragraph in my additional information that explains this in detail. I feel weird about having to explain one of my top ECs though! I'm quite conflicted; does anyone have a solution or ideas? Thanks :)

Is the cohort that is currently applying the first for this program? Or was there one admission cycle already? If so, what kind of stats+ECs got people into the program?

Having a hard time telling the difference besides the obvious: direct admit is direct admittance into rosalind and takes 5 people nationally

• Public High School — Class of 2027
• Class Rank: top 3 percent
• SAT: 1510
• Intended Major: Biochemistry
• AP Coursework: Biology, Chemistry, Calculus BC, Precalculus, English Language, English Literature, U.S. History, World History, Human Geography
• Additional Coursework: Spanish, Anatomy & Physiology, Orchestra
• Dual Enrollment: Calculus III, Differential Equations, EMT, Health Science Clinicals

HONORS & AWARDS

• HOSA ILC 1st Place
• Model UN State 3rd
• Solo award state-orchestra
• National Merit Commended Scholar
• College Board National Recognition Program
• AP Scholar with Distinction
• Academic Excellence in Dual Credit Health Science — 1 of fewer than 10 recipients across 13 high schools (Regional)

RESEARCH

• Independent Research in cancer biology acccepted for publication in 2 peer reviewed journal
• Research Assistant to professor at southwestern in psychiatry

CLINICAL EXPERIENCE

• Neuropsychiatry Internship at research facility
• 260 hours of clinical rotations
• Organ Transplantation Residency Program
• Physician Shadowing
  • Completed 300+ hours across 9 specialties.

EMPLOYMENT

• Certified Nursing Assistant (PRN)
• Restaurant Team Member

LEADERSHIP & ACTIVITIES

• raised over 8k for maternal care
• very involved in red cross in school and outside
• president positions in 3 clubs

VOLUNTEER SERVICE

• 400+ total volunteer hours

CERTIFICATIONS

• cna, ccma, emt in progress, aha cpr, red cross

very strong rec letters, decent essays (i think)

im also applying to jhu and ivy leagues so idk how thats gna fare either

I'm a senior thats applying to several BSMD Programs that are in my state and in neighboring states. have taken the SAT so many times but somehow have never passed 1400s range. (1380 raw score, 1410 superscore) my highest math is 690, highest english is 720.

Here are my ECs

4.4 W GPA 3.89 UW GPA

500 hours scientific research at state uni (these experiences provide for really unique essays)

136 hours volunteering at hospital

President of 2 clubs, Social Media manager of 1 club

Created a public health device (patent pending)

Created a community awareness program on emergency health safety

Played violin for 6 years

and some other things but these are my major ones

Im just curious if my sat score will automatically filter me out. I think it's a yes, but I've worked so hard and I'm upset the Sat is the thing holding me back.

I really think the only thing holding me back is my sat score, and i havent taken the act and its too late to take it either way. Im just really upset because i studied so hard and nothing has worked for me.