2015-2016 Albany Medical College Application Thread

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agoron said:
Need some friendly advice! I'm contemplating whether or not I should complete this secondary, I just received it yesterday. Although Albany is a fine school, I'll be honest, it would not be my preference to attend. However, you never know if you're going to get into only one school and who knows if this could be the one? Then again, I'm a resident of a state with a great public school that loves their in-state residents, so if I were only given one acceptance, chances are it would more likely be my state institution. Even if I were not accepted into my state school, Albany is still closer towards the bottom of my list in terms of preference. I've applied to 15 other schools, and I definitely did not overshoot (for the most part) based on my stats. Would rather save the $115 as well. Any advice would be appreciated :)
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Sounds like you've already made your decision
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@agoron If you would be sad/regret going here, I personally wouldn't send in the secondary. If you think you could make it work, then I'd say definitely do it.
 
agoron said:
Need some friendly advice! I'm contemplating whether or not I should complete this secondary, I just received it yesterday. Although Albany is a fine school, I'll be honest, it would not be my preference to attend. However, you never know if you're going to get into only one school and who knows if this could be the one? Then again, I'm a resident of a state with a great public school that loves their in-state residents, so if I were only given one acceptance, chances are it would more likely be my state institution. Even if I were not accepted into my state school, Albany is still closer towards the bottom of my list in terms of preference. I've applied to 15 other schools, and I definitely did not overshoot (for the most part) based on my stats. Would rather save the $115 as well. Any advice would be appreciated :)
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agoron said:
Need some friendly advice! I'm contemplating whether or not I should complete this secondary, I just received it yesterday. Although Albany is a fine school, I'll be honest, it would not be my preference to attend. However, you never know if you're going to get into only one school and who knows if this could be the one? Then again, I'm a resident of a state with a great public school that loves their in-state residents, so if I were only given one acceptance, chances are it would more likely be my state institution. Even if I were not accepted into my state school, Albany is still closer towards the bottom of my list in terms of preference. I've applied to 15 other schools, and I definitely did not overshoot (for the most part) based on my stats. Would rather save the $115 as well. Any advice would be appreciated :)
Click to expand...
yolo
 
agoron said:
Need some friendly advice! I'm contemplating whether or not I should complete this secondary, I just received it yesterday. Although Albany is a fine school, I'll be honest, it would not be my preference to attend. However, you never know if you're going to get into only one school and who knows if this could be the one? Then again, I'm a resident of a state with a great public school that loves their in-state residents, so if I were only given one acceptance, chances are it would more likely be my state institution. Even if I were not accepted into my state school, Albany is still closer towards the bottom of my list in terms of preference. I've applied to 15 other schools, and I definitely did not overshoot (for the most part) based on my stats. Would rather save the $115 as well. Any advice would be appreciated :)
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Would you go if Albany Medical College were your only acceptance? If the answer is no, definitely do not complete the secondary.

Beyond that, I don't think anyone can tell you for sure whether or not to apply. As you said, your state school is probably your most likely chance for an acceptance, but you never know. You may get rejected at your state school and accepted at some other school, and you have know way of knowing which other school that might be. The pro to applying here is one more chance at a medical school acceptance. The con is the time and money spent on the secondary. You are the only person who can decide whether or not the pro outweighs the con.
 
agoron said:
Need some friendly advice! I'm contemplating whether or not I should complete this secondary, I just received it yesterday. Although Albany is a fine school, I'll be honest, it would not be my preference to attend. However, you never know if you're going to get into only one school and who knows if this could be the one? Then again, I'm a resident of a state with a great public school that loves their in-state residents, so if I were only given one acceptance, chances are it would more likely be my state institution. Even if I were not accepted into my state school, Albany is still closer towards the bottom of my list in terms of preference. I've applied to 15 other schools, and I definitely did not overshoot (for the most part) based on my stats. Would rather save the $115 as well. Any advice would be appreciated :)
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Fill it out! What's a 115 dollars compared to the feeling of not going anywhere next year?

You got this!
 
If I got A-s or As in my other years, and got like B-s and Bs for a lot of one year (sophomore year) would this be an "inconsistency" or would it not even be worth it to bring this to their attention in the secondary.
 
kilez12 said:
If I got A-s or As in my other years, and got like B-s and Bs for a lot of one year (sophomore year) would this be an "inconsistency" or would it not even be worth it to bring this to their attention in the secondary.
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I wouldn't. If your GPA is still good, then I don't think you should call attention to it- B's are definitely not that bad if it's just a few!
 
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"Also, please explain any gaps in your post-graduate history."

Is this question asking about post-graduation plans? The "gaps" wording is throwing me off lol
 
Oranges2 said:
"Also, please explain any gaps in your post-graduate history."

Is this question asking about post-graduation plans? The "gaps" wording is throwing me off lol
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This was a little redundant for me as a reapplicant seeing as I already described what I had been doing/will do between application cycles. But I just quickly explained what I've done since graduation and what I plan to do up until medical school. I think this would also be the place to talk about if you took time off at any point from high school graduation to now. At least that's how I interpreted it.
 
tick_tock_tick_tock said:
This was a little redundant for me as a reapplicant seeing as I already described what I had been doing/will do between application cycles. But I just quickly explained what I've done since graduation and what I plan to do up until medical school. I think this would also be the place to talk about if you took time off at any point from high school graduation to now. At least that's how I interpreted it.
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I see.. okay sounds like I should talk about what I did after graduation and my plans for up until medical school would begin. I wish they would just say "tell us about your post-graduation plans" lol
 
What on earth do we write for "Describe yourself"
 
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le_bartender said:
What on earth do we write for "Describe yourself"
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"I am [insert attribute here], blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

I am also [insert attribute #2 here], blah blah blah blah."

Something along those lines, I guess (at least, it's what I'm going to do).
 
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Yeah but doesn't that come off as sounding formulaic? Also, I feel like you either end up selling yourself short, or coming off cocky. Maybe I'm just over thinking this.
 
le_bartender said:
Yeah but doesn't that come off as sounding formulaic? Also, I feel like you either end up selling yourself short, or coming off cocky. Maybe I'm just over thinking this.
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Well, I'm not exactly going to write it like a formula. Lol.

I'd ask friends/family/mentors to they'd describe you, and base it off of that (if you agree with their opinions, anyway). The one big thing about this process is that MOST people are actually TOO modest when talking about themselves.

I was taught to write about myself in such a way that I think I am coming off as cocky. Then have people objectively read it to either affirm/deny your cockiness, and make adjustments as necessary based on the feedback.

That being said: it's probably better to sell yourself short than to come off as cocky. YMMV! :p
 
le_bartender said:
Yeah but doesn't that come off as sounding formulaic? Also, I feel like you either end up selling yourself short, or coming off cocky. Maybe I'm just over thinking this.
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I would err on the side of selling yourself short. Cockiness is something they specifically look for in medical school admissions (I mean admissions in general, not specifically Albany Medical College) because it is such a problem with pre-meds. If you sell yourself short in one essay, there are still a bunch of other places on your application for them to see how awesome you are, including completely objective stuff like your GPA, MCAT, etc. If you come off as cocky, that could be the tipping point that precludes you from an interview. Just my two cents.
 
medic86 said:
"I am [insert attribute here], blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

I am also [insert attribute #2 here], blah blah blah blah."

Something along those lines, I guess (at least, it's what I'm going to do).
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I didn't want it to be a laundry list and since it's only 1,000 characters, there is no space to go into multiple characteristics in depth, so I picked one that I think is the most important and gave an example where I displayed that characteristic as a volunteer and said how I plan to use that characteristic as a doctor. That might not have been the best approach, but I was hoping it'd be somewhat better than just a list.
 
that should work fine. Secondaries are more just about the more personal side of you, that they won't be getting from most primaries. Focus on YOU. Don't be cocky, but do talk about your strengths
 
Sharks101 said:
I didn't want it to be a laundry list and since it's only 1,000 characters, there is no space to go into multiple characteristics in depth, so I picked one that I think is the most important and gave an example where I displayed that characteristic as a volunteer and said how I plan to use that characteristic as a doctor. That might not have been the best approach, but I was hoping it'd be somewhat better than just a list.
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Christ. I'm not just writing a list. :-/
 
medic86 said:
Christ. I'm not just writing a list. :-/
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I'm really sorry!! I didn't mean that - I apologize! I just wanted to say that I personally felt that I didn't have the space to go into as much depth as I thought was necessary for multiple characteristics, so I chose one that was the most important to me. I'm sure your essay will be great! :)
 
agoron said:
Need some friendly advice! I'm contemplating whether or not I should complete this secondary, I just received it yesterday. Although Albany is a fine school, I'll be honest, it would not be my preference to attend. However, you never know if you're going to get into only one school and who knows if this could be the one? Then again, I'm a resident of a state with a great public school that loves their in-state residents, so if I were only given one acceptance, chances are it would more likely be my state institution. Even if I were not accepted into my state school, Albany is still closer towards the bottom of my list in terms of preference. I've applied to 15 other schools, and I definitely did not overshoot (for the most part) based on my stats. Would rather save the $115 as well. Any advice would be appreciated :)
Click to expand...

$115 is pennies in the long run, so don't let that be a factor that stops you. If I were you I would just apply to increase my chances, because you just NEVER know. I've known people with amazing stats and ECs who, by the end, were beyond thrilled to take a spot in their last school of choice. I'd say think about the bigger picture, becoming a doctor!
 
Another secondary I havent gotten yet. Not looking good
 
hopeful 1st doc said:
I wouldn't. If your GPA is still good, then I don't think you should call attention to it- B's are definitely not that bad if it's just a few!
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Yeah, I decided not to like you said. Thanks for the reply :)
 
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Gandy741 said:
Another secondary I havent gotten yet. Not looking good
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Albany sends secondaries to all applicants. No need to worry. You can check MSAR to see which schools screen and which dont, and then look into old threads to see what each school's screening process is like.
 
Complete as of 7/22! Submitted 7/20 so fairly quick turn around. Now to sit and wait for an II.... =)
 
"Describe yourself" is bad enough, but how are you guys approaching this one? Should it be a unique characteristic similar to diversity essay? Or should it be something very basic that all doctors should have?

Tell us one thing about yourself that would help the Admissions Committee determine if you should be admitted to our program.(1,000 character limit)
 
cactusinmyhead said:
"Describe yourself" is bad enough, but how are you guys approaching this one? Should it be a unique characteristic similar to diversity essay? Or should it be something very basic that all doctors should have?

Tell us one thing about yourself that would help the Admissions Committee determine if you should be admitted to our program.(1,000 character limit)
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For the 'Describe yourself' I talked about my personality (I got some ideas from my Meyers-Briggs personality description lol) and qualities that I feel would make me a good fit for med school without outright saying how those qualities would make me suitable. For example, I mentioned having a natural tendency to put others' needs before my own (which is true btw; I'm not just pulling what I think would sound good) but I didn't explicitly say that it would help me when treating patients. My take on this is to just be yourself and be genuine about it. Describe yourself as how your friend would describe you. That was my take on it :)

As for the AdCom question, I'm approaching it as a diversity question and will mention one thing that I think would make me well suited for med school.
 
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rukia013 said:
For the 'Describe yourself' I talked about my personality (I got some ideas from my Meyers-Briggs personality description lol) and qualities that I feel would make me a good fit for med school without outright saying how those qualities would make me suitable. For example, I mentioned having a natural tendency to put others' needs before my own (which is true btw; I'm not just pulling what I think would sound good) but I didn't explicitly say that it would help me when treating patients. My take on this is to just be yourself and be genuine about it. Describe yourself as how your friend would describe you. That was my take on it :)

As for the AdCom question, I'm approaching it as a diversity question and will mention one thing that I think would make me well suited for med school.
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I did the same thing :)
 
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What are the LOR requirements for Albany? From the MSAR, it states that we can submit 2-4, but does anyone know if they need to be from a specific source (i.e. 2 science, 1 non-science...)?
 
UCIpremed4 said:
What are the LOR requirements for Albany? From the MSAR, it states that we can submit 2-4, but does anyone know if they need to be from a specific source (i.e. 2 science, 1 non-science...)?
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From the Albany application portal instructions: "The Admissions Committee prefers letters from instructors who have given you course credit, particularly in the sciences. If you are not sending a letter from a science instructor, you may provide a letter from a supervisor from either a paid or volunteer research or clinical experience. The maximum number of letters is four."
 
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Hmm I'm still stuck on the "Tell us one thing about yourself that would help the Admissions Committee determine if you should be admitted to our program" question. My diversity essay I've used for other schools doesn't necessarily describe a quality that would make me well suited for medical school. Just some unique life experiences/interests.
 
I am thinking of using my diversity essay for the "describe yourself" prompt. I mean, hopefully they already have a good description of me from my PS. I think just listing attributes would make it forgettable and generic.
 
Idk, I feel like sometimes unique life experiences do show why you would be well suited for medical school. You could probably use the essay if you tweaked it a little bit.
 
For the question regarding any inconsistencies in GPA or MCAT score, I feel like I should explain my MCAT PS score (33 overall, but with a 8/13/12 breakdown). I honestly think it resulted from nerves as it was the first section and I was averaging around an 11 on the practice tests. How do I explain this without sounding like I'm making excuses?
 
Finally received this secondary. Verified July 13th. I've noticed that a few people on this thread mentioned designating Albany on their primary but deciding not to submit the secondary. Would any of you share your thoughts as to why?
 
Has anybody tried calling the admissions office and succeeded in getting through? I call, I get a voice menu, I hit 4 for admissions, the phone rings, and then disconnects me so I can't leave a message or speak to a person. I've looked for an email to write to them but can't seem to find one. Any tips much appreciated!
 
sovereign0 said:
Finally received this secondary. Verified July 13th. I've noticed that a few people on this thread mentioned designating Albany on their primary but deciding not to submit the secondary. Would any of you share your thoughts as to why?
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I'm on the fence on this one. It's hard to explain -- the secondary looks like a lot of work while at the same time the school doesn't seem to really sell itself as a wonderful place to go to school.
 
Hey guys, need some quick advice. For this question:
  • Please explain any inconsistencies in your university, graduate, or professional school academic performance and/or MCAT scores. (1,000 character limit)
If I had to drop a class and then retake it later, would this be where I explain that? I usually interpret these questions to mean if there were gaps or delays in my education, but I see that Albany has a separate question regarding if my education has been interrupted for any reason.
 
bumblebee611 said:
Has anybody tried calling the admissions office and succeeded in getting through? I call, I get a voice menu, I hit 4 for admissions, the phone rings, and then disconnects me so I can't leave a message or speak to a person. I've looked for an email to write to them but can't seem to find one. Any tips much appreciated!
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I called and was able to leave a message. They responded via email in less than 24 hrs. I directly called admissions though, so maybe try that?
 
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