I can’t wrap my head around the sentiment that people tell themselves that they have a “clichéd” personal statement. Every person’s situation is unique and it is far from cliché. What makes a good personal statement is an elaborated reflection on your life experiences that show ADCOMS why you want to become a physician.
Can you explain a bit more about applying to schools strategically based on stats? What should the target breakdown be when building a school list (how many with stats below, at, or above your stats)? Do you have a blog post/video that discusses strategies for building a school list?
Hi Abby! I've written a detailed guide on developing a great school list, including how many programs to apply to and which ones. You can view it here: www.shemmassianconsulting.com/blog/how-many-medical-schools-should-i-apply-to I'll also make a note to produce a video about this.
Can you explain a bit more about applying to schools strategically based on stats? What should the target breakdown be when building a school list (how many with stats below, at, or above your stats)? Do you have a blog post/video that discusses strategies for building a school list?
If you have a high GPA (3.91) but haven't taken the MCAT yet (thanks to quarantine) what schools would be within target? I have pretty good extracurriculars and clinic experiences but not having an MCAT score is making deciding a proper school list really tough. Also how real is yield protection if I apply to schools with lower stats ?
I'd base a school list off of your AAMC FL diagnostics. If you haven't taken those, you can determine whether you want to be conservative or liberal with your school list. If you want to be conservative, assume that you get an MCAT a couple points lower than you imagine you'd get. If you want to be liberal, assume that you get an MCAT a couple points higher than you imagine you'd get. It's ultimately a guessing game but you can make educated guesses, especially if you've taken diagnostic exams from the AAMC! Yield protection is VERY real! Ensure that your safety schools aren't too far below (~ < 3.7 for you) because medical schools will not believe someone with a 3.91 would attend their institution.
I have 1 W on my transcript from my days in high school while taking dual credit classes. The reason being, my counselor forgot to drop the class for me before the deadline, and when she finally did remove it from my courses the drop deadline had passed and I ended up with a withdrawal for the course. I heard adcoms don't like it when you blame other people for potentially negative points on your application. I'm wondering how I should phrase the reason for the W on my transcript without appearing too negative and critical of my counselor?
I wouldn't necessarily say that applying for a medical school that is statistically out of reach is inherently a bad thing. For one, about all you'd lose out on is the application fee and the relatively short amount of time required to actually fill out the application itself. For two, if you don't apply at all, you'll definitely not get in. At least in the eyes of some, it's better to apply and be rejected than to not apply at all and never know.
Hey! Thanks for sharing your thoughts. While we’re proponents of including a few reach schools in your med school list, we don’t subscribe to the “it can’t hurt to apply” philosophy when it comes to applying to schools where you're highly unlikely to get into. The reason for this is: Writing high-quality secondary essays take a lot of time. Focusing on far, far reach schools at the expense of realistic ones detracts from your chances of getting admitted to the latter.
Hi, what are your thoughts regarding the timeline for this application cycle? AAMC released a statement saying medical schools may be transitioning from rolling admissions to one date where everyone finds out whether they were accepted/denied (but participating schools were not mentioned). I submitted my application June 14th but won’t write my MCAT until September secondary to all the cancellations from COVID (and I’m in Florida). It’s been so hard staying up to speed on this cycle would love for anyone to chime in
Hi Dom! I totally hear you about this cycle being super confusing and hard to keep up with. Because so much about this cycle has been delayed, medical schools will be understanding of later transcripts, applications, etc. You are correct that some schools have transitioned from a rolling admissions model to one with a specific deadline. I would check in with individual schools for that information. Additionally, interviews will likely all be held via video conference rather than in-person. In fact, the AAMC has introduced a new VITA video interview system, which will require you to record responses to questions that will then be distributed to individual schools.
Hi Dr. Shemmassian, I have a 3.77 GPA and a 511 MCAT, and last month I submitted secondaries to UC Irvine, UCSD, and UCSF, just to name a few. I just wanted to ask if I still have a slight chance of receiving interview offers for either of these schools based on my metrics. Even though all three schools have an MCAT average of 516 to 517, I checked last year's statistics that the 10th percentile of matriculants for those schools have 511 MCAT scores. Also, since all three of those schools screen applicants, the fact that I received secondary invites should imply that I still may have a shot, right? I made sure that those secondaries were well written and looked over by professionals. Thank you so much for your thoughts!
@Jayne Wayne thanks for your comment! I got placed on pre-interview hold for UCSD, and haven’t heard back yet for interviews from UCI and UCSF. Quite strange....
@Jayne Wayne I submitted UCI and UCSD secondaries on Aug 31st and Sept 1st, respectively, and UCSF on Sept. 25th, also pretty late. Yeah, I'm pretty much in the same situation :\
Is it possible to write a unique personal statement even with a common experience? For example, tutoring is a common leadership experience for most applicants so I wondering how matriculants stand out even with a "common experience" with other applicants?
Do you offer services that help with everything? Personal statement, interviews, and primaries/secondaries ? I find that I have high quality in all these areas but may have a hard time conveying it with writing. English is not my best
Thanks for reaching out! We certainly do help with every aspect of the med school admissions process. You can learn more here: www.shemmassianconsulting.com/medical-school-admissions
Do you have to write separate essays for each school or can you send the same one to each school and just shift it a bit to focus solely on the school youre sending it to?
Should I apply to more than one med school and if I get an invitation for interview, what should I say if they ask me whether have i applied in more than one school .?
You should certainly apply to more than one medical school to maximize your odds at success and Thomas is right here (thanks Thomas!), medical schools understanding you're applying far and wide.
hi, I m anika . I'm from Bangladesh . I want to go to abroad with a full scholarship abd complete mbbs there. Will you please help me regarding this matter . I have none to explain .I don't know how and what to do step by step . Will you please maje a video regarding scholarship in well reputated universities ?please I really need your help
Hi Anika! Thanks for reaching out. While we don't have plans to record a scholarship video, you can review our comprehensive guide on that subject. It was written for college applicants, but the same advice applies: www.shemmassianconsulting.com/blog/ultimate-guide-to-finding-and-winning-college-scholarships
Hi Anika, you cannot go to Med School in America unless you are a green card holder or resident but you can prepare for your board licensing and residency here.
1. Stats
- apply strategically
2. Cliche personal statement
- be unique
3. Late submission
- submit early
4. Bad interview
- prepare
The hero we all need..
This page is such high quality. Thank you for the information.
Thanks for your kind words, Garrett! Glad you like it.
I can’t wrap my head around the sentiment that people tell themselves that they have a “clichéd” personal statement. Every person’s situation is unique and it is far from cliché. What makes a good personal statement is an elaborated reflection on your life experiences that show ADCOMS why you want to become a physician.
Can you explain a bit more about applying to schools strategically based on stats? What should the target breakdown be when building a school list (how many with stats below, at, or above your stats)? Do you have a blog post/video that discusses strategies for building a school list?
Hi Abby! I've written a detailed guide on developing a great school list, including how many programs to apply to and which ones. You can view it here: www.shemmassianconsulting.com/blog/how-many-medical-schools-should-i-apply-to
I'll also make a note to produce a video about this.
Can you explain a bit more about applying to schools strategically based on stats? What should the target breakdown be when building a school list (how many with stats below, at, or above your stats)? Do you have a blog post/video that discusses strategies for building a school list?
I just binged like 20 of your vids
Haha, glad to be considered binge-worthy! ;)
Wonderful video. Thank you, sir!!!
If you have a high GPA (3.91) but haven't taken the MCAT yet (thanks to quarantine) what schools would be within target? I have pretty good extracurriculars and clinic experiences but not having an MCAT score is making deciding a proper school list really tough. Also how real is yield protection if I apply to schools with lower stats ?
I'd base a school list off of your AAMC FL diagnostics. If you haven't taken those, you can determine whether you want to be conservative or liberal with your school list. If you want to be conservative, assume that you get an MCAT a couple points lower than you imagine you'd get. If you want to be liberal, assume that you get an MCAT a couple points higher than you imagine you'd get. It's ultimately a guessing game but you can make educated guesses, especially if you've taken diagnostic exams from the AAMC!
Yield protection is VERY real! Ensure that your safety schools aren't too far below (~ < 3.7 for you) because medical schools will not believe someone with a 3.91 would attend their institution.
@@Shemmassian thank you so much! I'll definitely be using this advice to compile a list
@@taybaaziz6190 how'd your MCAT go?
Thxu!
I have 1 W on my transcript from my days in high school while taking dual credit classes. The reason being, my counselor forgot to drop the class for me before the deadline, and when she finally did remove it from my courses the drop deadline had passed and I ended up with a withdrawal for the course. I heard adcoms don't like it when you blame other people for potentially negative points on your application. I'm wondering how I should phrase the reason for the W on my transcript without appearing too negative and critical of my counselor?
I wouldn't necessarily say that applying for a medical school that is statistically out of reach is inherently a bad thing. For one, about all you'd lose out on is the application fee and the relatively short amount of time required to actually fill out the application itself. For two, if you don't apply at all, you'll definitely not get in. At least in the eyes of some, it's better to apply and be rejected than to not apply at all and never know.
Hey! Thanks for sharing your thoughts. While we’re proponents of including a few reach schools in your med school list, we don’t subscribe to the “it can’t hurt to apply” philosophy when it comes to applying to schools where you're highly unlikely to get into.
The reason for this is: Writing high-quality secondary essays take a lot of time. Focusing on far, far reach schools at the expense of realistic ones detracts from your chances of getting admitted to the latter.
Hi, what are your thoughts regarding the timeline for this application cycle? AAMC released a statement saying medical schools may be transitioning from rolling admissions to one date where everyone finds out whether they were accepted/denied (but participating schools were not mentioned). I submitted my application June 14th but won’t write my MCAT until September secondary to all the cancellations from COVID (and I’m in Florida). It’s been so hard staying up to speed on this cycle would love for anyone to chime in
Hi Dom! I totally hear you about this cycle being super confusing and hard to keep up with.
Because so much about this cycle has been delayed, medical schools will be understanding of later transcripts, applications, etc. You are correct that some schools have transitioned from a rolling admissions model to one with a specific deadline. I would check in with individual schools for that information.
Additionally, interviews will likely all be held via video conference rather than in-person. In fact, the AAMC has introduced a new VITA video interview system, which will require you to record responses to questions that will then be distributed to individual schools.
I am scheduled for September too
Hi Dr. Shemmassian,
I have a 3.77 GPA and a 511 MCAT, and last month I submitted secondaries to UC Irvine, UCSD, and UCSF, just to name a few. I just wanted to ask if I still have a slight chance of receiving interview offers for either of these schools based on my metrics. Even though all three schools have an MCAT average of 516 to 517, I checked last year's statistics that the 10th percentile of matriculants for those schools have 511 MCAT scores.
Also, since all three of those schools screen applicants, the fact that I received secondary invites should imply that I still may have a shot, right? I made sure that those secondaries were well written and looked over by professionals. Thank you so much for your thoughts!
@Jayne Wayne thanks for your comment! I got placed on pre-interview hold for UCSD, and haven’t heard back yet for interviews from UCI and UCSF. Quite strange....
@Jayne Wayne I submitted UCI and UCSD secondaries on Aug 31st and Sept 1st, respectively, and UCSF on Sept. 25th, also pretty late. Yeah, I'm pretty much in the same situation :\
@Jayne Wayne I know right?! It’s sooooo random. We’ll see what happens and best of wishes on the rest of your results
@@lamboozled3350 did you get in???
Is it possible to write a unique personal statement even with a common experience? For example, tutoring is a common leadership experience for most applicants so I wondering how matriculants stand out even with a "common experience" with other applicants?
Yes, of course! Your topic is less important than the execution. So, yes, you can write a unique PS even with a common topic!
My primary application just got approved on August 31st. Would you say this is relatively late in the application cycle?
Hey Theodore! It's not super late--focus on getting those secondaries in shape so you can submit them ASAP
Got accepted into Harvard Med and rejected from UCSF. Go figure
Do you offer services that help with everything? Personal statement, interviews, and primaries/secondaries ? I find that I have high quality in all these areas but may have a hard time conveying it with writing. English is not my best
Thanks for reaching out! We certainly do help with every aspect of the med school admissions process. You can learn more here: www.shemmassianconsulting.com/medical-school-admissions
Do you have to write separate essays for each school or can you send the same one to each school and just shift it a bit to focus solely on the school youre sending it to?
Depends on how they're written, but you could certainly adapt secondaries for different schools.
Hi , I have 4 Ws in my transcript ? Can this be the reason why I would get rejected ?
On its own? Probably not. However, the details/reasons/trends matter.
Do Canadian Medical Schools also have rolling admissions?
Canadian schools don't and they also have very limited seats for international students (not sure if you're Canadian or not)
Should I apply to more than one med school and if I get an invitation for interview, what should I say if they ask me whether have i applied in more than one school .?
most people apply to 20 schools
You should certainly apply to more than one medical school to maximize your odds at success and Thomas is right here (thanks Thomas!), medical schools understanding you're applying far and wide.
Thank you
hi, I m anika . I'm from Bangladesh . I want to go to abroad with a full scholarship abd complete mbbs there. Will you please help me regarding this matter . I have none to explain .I don't know how and what to do step by step . Will you please maje a video regarding scholarship in well reputated universities ?please I really need your help
Hi Anika! Thanks for reaching out. While we don't have plans to record a scholarship video, you can review our comprehensive guide on that subject. It was written for college applicants, but the same advice applies: www.shemmassianconsulting.com/blog/ultimate-guide-to-finding-and-winning-college-scholarships
@@Shemmassian thanks alot
Hi Anika, you cannot go to Med School in America unless you are a green card holder or resident but you can prepare for your board licensing and residency here.
You forgot the number one reason for a lot of applicants: too Asian.
😐