* 2015-2016 URM Medical School Application Thread *

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Congrats! If I may ask, where did you apply?

Thanks! You want my whole school list or the amount of schools I applied to?

I applied to 26 schools in total

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Thanks! You want my whole school list or the amount of schools I applied to?

I applied to 26 schools in total

The list or at least how you decided which schools you applied to. I have the MSAR and have been doing a lot of research but want to maximize my chances next cycle
 
My Lizzy score is a 64 :(
I was complete late-October to mid November for all of my schools.
I would love to get an interview from Stony, Mt Sinai, Brown, Einstein and Harvard, lol
I didn't apply to Hofstra or Cornell.

Where are the 7 silences from?

Well, if it's one thing I learned, don't count yourself out. Your Stats are weighed against other parts of your application and other things you have to offer that may be as valuable to a school, if not more. I'm below the 10th percentile of MCAT scores for many of the schools I've gotten attention from. Hope you get love from all those schools you mentioned and more.

As for schools I'm waiting on, off the top of my head: Dartmouth, Hopkins, Yale, Columbia, Stanford, UMiami, Penn, and Baylor. I think that's it, so make that 8 silences.

Pretty damn top heavy, haha, but I had a lot of people with *a lot* of faith in me and was strongly urged to save my money. Was certain I should've applied to more reasonable schools, but then IIs started coming in and I guess it all worked out.
 
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Well, if it's one thing I learned, don't count yourself out. Your Stats are weighed against other parts of your application and other things you have to offer that may be as valuable to a school, if not more. I'm below the 10th percentile of MCAT scores for many of the schools I've gotten attention from. Hope you get love from all those schools you mentioned and more.

As for schools I'm waiting on, off the top of my head: Dartmouth, Hopkins, Yale, Columbia, Stanford, UMiami, Penn, and Baylor. I think that's it, so make that 8 silences.

Pretty damn top heavy, haha, but I had a lot of people with *a lot* of faith in me and was strongly urged to save my money. Was certain I should've applied to more reasonable schools, but then IIs started coming in and I guess it all worked out.

Your MCAT score is way above mines, and I took it three times. I think that may work against me, even though I improved. We are waiting on similar schools. In addition, it doesn't help that I applied so late in the cycle, haha. I am keeping prayers and staying hopeful ;), but it is hard to not feel defeated!
 
Your MCAT score is way above mines, and I took it three times. I think that may work against me, even though I improved. We are waiting on similar schools. In addition, it doesn't help that I applied so late in the cycle, haha. I am keeping prayers and staying hopeful ;), but it is hard to not feel defeated!

Ah. I only took it once. It was too stressful and annoying a process that I just wanted to get it over with. I'm 28 yrs old and just didn't want to set everything back yet another year. I gambled that I hit a certain threshold ThaT was good enough for schools to consider other parts of my application that I personally felt was otherwise very competitive. Sometimes gambles pay off. Lol. I was complete around 9/1, so definitely not early, but not late either.

I will keep an eye out for you and hope you get some love. Hang in there though, you may go weeks of absolute dead silence. Those are the worst because you don't know if "you're done" and you're just dangling around here for no reason. I still don't have any actual acceptances since I started interviewing relatively late and a lot of my schools are nonrolling. Lol.
 
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Your signature shows that you watch Sailor Moon :). The Japanese version came out this year. Series was FANTASTIC!!

Omg yassssss I love sailor moon! She's my she-ro! I'm saving the episodes up so I can binge watch them haha
 
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Hey Guys!! I havent posted so I decided to join the thread!
LizzyM 67 (New MCAT)
5 Interviews
2 rejections (Pre interview)
Waiting for 5 more schools!
I'm supposed to hear back from two of the schools I interviewed at this week so hopefully I can update with an acceptance soon!
 
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Finally, a post-interview final decision to report. Accepted!

Non-traditional, Latino
LizzyM 69-70ish (new mcat)
~17 MD schools
8 II (NYU, Hofstra, Cornell, Stony Brook, Mt Sinai, Brown, Einstein, Harvard)
2 Pre-interview rejection (Georgetown, Hopkins)
1 Acceptance (Stony Brook)
7 Silences
 
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So happy I finally get to make this post! My first post interview update came 24 hrs after the interview (TX school)-Accepted! Still waiting for two other post-II decisions and declining my last interview in March. I Thank God for the blessings and I am rooting for all of you.
 
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If I may ask, can anyone who's been accepted or has received IIs post their sgpa? Just so I can determine if I'll be competitive next cycle
 
If I may ask, can anyone who's been accepted or has received IIs post their sgpa? Just so I can determine if I'll be competitive next cycle
I got secondaries but I think it's because my grad school gpa is a 4.0. My undergrad was kinda low in my opinion because I had one degree with a 2.8 and another with a 3.6 (combined its not bad but notcompetitive in my opinion) and so I went and did a degree in biomedical sciences to make my app better
 
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- Non-Traditional AA, Texas Resident
- 14 MD schools (All Texas Schools and 5 OOS schools)
- 10 DO schools (including TCOM)
- 2 II (UTMB, UTRGV)
- No rejections yet, but I'm expecting them, LOL.
- 1 Acceptance (UTRGV)

Accepted school was my top choice, so I'm officially done.
 
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If I may ask, can anyone who's been accepted or has received IIs post their sgpa? Just so I can determine if I'll be competitive next cycle

Got my first acceptance today from Howard! Stats are on the first page.

16 MDs
4 IIs (Morehouse, Howard, SUNY Down, U.Miami)
3 rejections (GW, U.MD, VCU)
2 waitlist (Morehouse, U.Miami)
1 acceptance

I'm pretty much done. Howard is a great school; still hoping to get off Miami's waitlist though and it would be cool to get an acceptance from SUNY as well.

Edit: I'll be matriculating at Miami haha
Edit Edit: Got into all four schools! Blessed to say the least
 
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Update: 6II, 1 upcoming, 1 waiting for decision, 1 wait list, 3 acceptances
 
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My apps were complete rather late in the cycle (October-Novemberish) and as such I have yet to attend an interview. Any advice for how to prepare for interviews from the veterans out there?

Also, I hope you are all members of diversemedicine.org
 
My apps were complete rather late in the cycle (October-Novemberish) and as such I have yet to attend an interview. Any advice for how to prepare for interviews from the veterans out there?

Also, I hope you are all members of diversemedicine.org

Most of the interviews that I have been on this cycle have been very low stress/ no stress at all. It is very important that you know all aspects of your AMCAS application very well and be able to articulate them also. I've been asked about pretty much everything on my AMCAS from my personal statement to my family background.

Also, look up generic med school interview questions such as "why medicine" and "why this school" so that you can have an answer ready for your interview.

Lastly, just try not to be nervous and be yourself!
 
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Finally, a post-interview final decision to report. Accepted!

Non-traditional, Latino
LizzyM 69-70ish (new mcat)
~17 MD schools
8 II (NYU, Hofstra, Cornell, Stony Brook, Mt Sinai, Brown, Einstein, Harvard)
2 Pre-interview rejection (Georgetown, Hopkins)
1 Acceptance (Stony Brook)
7 Silences

When were you complete for Brown and Mt Sinai?
They need to give a fellow NYer some love :)
 
When were you complete for Brown and Mt Sinai?
They need to give a fellow NYer some love :)

Hey there!

Uh, I was complete at most schools around 9/1. They both already starting accepting people, so hopefully you hear something soon.

I see you're getting quite a bit of love over there as it is. Lol.
 
Hey there!

Uh, I was complete at most schools around 9/1. They both already starting accepting people, so hopefully you hear something soon.

I see you're getting quite a bit of love over there as it is. Lol.

I was complete in November, lol. I just need an interview :).

I hope these two schools show a sista some love :D
 
Didn't know this thread existed.

what's up everyone. I am also adding my info here.

Non-trad 27 years young latino male student. Took the old MCAT in Jan 2015--> 7/8/11= 26. cGPA 3.52 sGPA 3.42
I work at a community health center (2 years) so I have plenty of patient exposure (interpreting services) and physician shadowing (1000+ hours). LOR come from the chief medical officer (MD) at our clinic and the associate medical director of family practice (another MD). Nebraska Resident. I was verified in late August. I only applied to 4 schools due to financial problems.

Schools: UNMC, Creighton, St Louis in Missouri and Stritch school of Medicine in Chicago. I interviewed at UNMC back in late Oct but have not heard anything. I have not heard anything from the other 3. I just need an acceptance somewhere!!

Good luck everyone!
 
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Didn't know this thread existed.

what's up everyone. I am also adding my info here.

Non-trad 27 years young latino male student. Took the old MCAT in Jan 2015--> 7/8/11= 26. cGPA 3.52 sGPA 3.42
I work at a community health center (2 years) so I have plenty of patient exposure (interpreting services) and physician shadowing (1000+ hours). LOR come from the chief medical officer (MD) at our clinic and the associate medical director of family practice (another MD). Nebraska Resident. I was verified in late August. I only applied to 4 schools due to financial problems.

Schools: UNMC, Creighton, St Louis in Missouri and Stritch school of Medicine in Chicago. I interviewed at UNMC back in late Oct but have not heard anything. I have not heard anything from the other 3. I just need an acceptance somewhere!!

Good luck everyone!
Edit. Yup, I read the post rather quickly. Reading is indeed fundamental.

I know what it's like to have financial struggles. I definitely had to work OT to ensure I had enough funds to apply to 15+ schools. If need be I would of taken a loan, a credit card, sold my mini sneaker collection, etc. to be able to apply to as many schools as I deemed necessary. For future references if you are not a FAP recipient, don't hesitate to reach out to the schools to explain your situation and request a fee waiver. Good luck this cycle. I'm pulling for you!
 
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Will a white refugee count as a URM? Apparently while registering for the MCAT there was a check box that grouped URM's as black, hispanic/latino, native american/pacific islander, or anyone granted refugee status upon entering the United States. Will this also carry over into the admissions process?
 
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Will a white refugee count as a URM? Apparently while registering for the MCAT there was a check box that grouped URM's as black, hispanic/latino, native american/pacific islander, or anyone granted refugee status upon entering the United States. Will this also carry over into the admissions process?

I read about that as well. I think they notified schools whether or not a student has classified him/herself as an urm or coming from a disadvantage background and this will in turn carry over to all of your applications.
 
I read about that as well. I think they notified schools whether or not a student has classified him/herself as an urm or coming from a disadvantage background and this will in turn carry over to all of your applications.
Does the student personally list them-self as URM and let the schools decide upon applying?
Also, there is a "other" option on the AAMC application. Would the student select other and describe their circumstances in the text box?
 
You can apply as disadvantaged, but I don't remember there being a URM checkbox. You just list your racial/ethnic background and it's up to schools how they want to interpret that. A school may consider all Hispanics URM, for example, but another school might limit it to Mexicans and Puerto Ricans.

Normally, I think parental education level and occupation is what is used to assign disadvantaged status. I'm really not sure how refugee status plays in but it's definitely worth a shot. They give you a box to explain why you're applying for disadvantaged status. I doubt you'll get URM consideration, but disadvantaged status is possible.
 
You can apply as disadvantaged, but I don't remember there being a URM checkbox. You just list your racial/ethnic background and it's up to schools how they want to interpret that. A school may consider all Hispanics URM, for example, but another school might limit it to Mexicans and Puerto Ricans.

Normally, I think parental education level and occupation is what is used to assign disadvantaged status. I'm really not sure how refugee status plays in but it's definitely worth a shot. They give you a box to explain why you're applying for disadvantaged status. I doubt you'll get URM consideration, but disadvantaged status is possible.
The reason why I ask is because "white" is not considered a minority, yet the MCAT registration has refugee grouped in the same category as URM. I am wondering what a white refugee falls under. There was only a "white" checkbox on the AAMC application but no mention of refugee. Explaining the circumstance under the "other" checkbox seems logical. Also, should "disadvantaged" be checked off even though the applicant is no longer disadvantaged (times were tough in the beginning, but everything is good now)?
 
Whatever the MCAT asks is different than what happens for AMCAS. On the MCAT, if you're talking about the MED-MAR registry, that's merely a service AAMC provides to distribute your scores to diversity affairs and outreach offices, and yes, it does lump racial/ethnic minorities together with people with disadvantaged backgrounds (see more info here: https://students-residents.aamc.org.../medical-minority-applicant-registry-med-mar/). I don't think it's anything official or too serious, as the FAQ says you can just ignore it if you signed up on accident. On the actual AMCAS application though, racial/ethnic considerations and disadvantaged status are separated, which is why I think you'd possibly qualify for the latter, but not the former.

That being said, I'd check off disadvantaged even if you're okay now. If you had to work harder, lacked resources, or grew up facing more challenging experiences than the average applicant in anyway, that fact that you're "okay now" doesn't mean you didn't have to overcome more. It makes your accomplishments that much more impressive imo. Disadvantaged status helps put your application into your life context and will help adcoms give you a more fair assessment. I'm not sure how your parents education and occupation will influence whether they grant you the status or not (if they're well off), however. Good luck!
 
Whatever the MCAT asks is different than what happens for AMCAS. On the MCAT, if you're talking about the MED-MAR registry, that's merely a service AAMC provides to distribute your scores to diversity affairs and outreach offices, and yes, it does lump racial/ethnic minorities together with people with disadvantaged backgrounds (see more info here: https://students-residents.aamc.org.../medical-minority-applicant-registry-med-mar/). I don't think it's anything official or too serious, as the FAQ says you can just ignore it if you signed up on accident. On the actual AMCAS application though, racial/ethnic considerations and disadvantaged status are separated, which is why I think you'd possibly qualify for the latter, but not the former.

That being said, I'd check off disadvantaged even if you're okay now. If you had to work harder, lacked resources, or grew up facing more challenging experiences than the average applicant in anyway, that fact that you're "okay now" doesn't mean you didn't have to overcome more. It makes your accomplishments that much more impressive imo. Disadvantaged status helps put your application into your life context and will help adcoms give you a more fair assessment. I'm not sure how your parents education and occupation will influence whether they grant you the status or not (if they're well off), however. Good luck!
I think having to adapt to the culture, having to master English, arriving to the country with absolutely nothing, and requiring federal assistance for a short amount of time would count as disadvantaged. Would you agree?
 
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I think having to adapt to the culture, having to master English, arriving to the country with absolutely nothing, and requiring federal assistance for a short amount of time would count as disadvantaged. Would you agree?

Yup.

There's no harm in applying. If they don't buy it, you simply don't get the status. Just be as detailed as you can in your explanation.
 
Yup.

There's no harm in applying. If they don't buy it, you simply don't get the status. Just be as detailed as you can in your explanation.
What exactly does disadvantaged status do for an applicant? Does it give them a better chance of acceptance? Are they treated the same as a URM?...
 
What exactly does disadvantaged status do for an applicant? Does it give them a better chance of acceptance? Are they treated the same as a URM?...

It gives an applicant a boost, although not as much as URM. It's a way of leveling the playing field for those of low SES regardless of race and helps adcoms weigh your application against your disadvantaged background so you're given a more fair evaluation. Your Stats and achievements are looked at within the context of the hardships you had to go through. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe I read somewhere that someone with a disadvantaged marker on their app has to have their application reviewed by a person. IE, you get a closer look and can't get screened out by just a computer or something.
 
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Invite from Loyola :), (today)
Rejected from Einstein (yesterday). No NY love, lol

Congrata on the II!! I am still hoping for one too!! Completed 9/15. When were you complete? Stats? Mind sharinng. Thank you!
 
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Got my first acceptance today from Howard! Stats are on the first page.

16 MDs
4 IIs (Morehouse, Howard, SUNY Down, U.Miami)
3 rejections (GW, U.MD, VCU)
2 waitlist (Morehouse, U.Miami)
1 acceptance

I'm pretty much done. Howard is a great school; still hoping to get off Miami's waitlist though and it would be cool to get an acceptance from SUNY as well.

My interview at Howard is the end of February.

Morehouse did not show me any love o_O.
How was your SUNY Downstate interview? I have mines mid-Feb?

Congratulations on your acceptance :)!
 
Got some alerts from this page lol so figured I'll update:

Non-traditional, Latino
LizzyM 69-70ish (new mcat)
~17 MD schools
6 II Attended (NYU, Cornell, Stony Brook, Mt Sinai, Brown, Harvard)
2 II Withdrawn (Hofstra, Einstein)
3 Pre-interview Rejection (Georgetown, Hopkins, Penn)
6 Silences
3 Acceptances (NYU, Stony Brook, Mt Sinai)

Awaiting 3 more decisions, but yeah, I'm more than happy with my options lol. Hope everyone's cycle is going okay!
 
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Hey everyone. SDN noob here, figured I'd contribute to stay posted on how other fellow URMs are doing. I don't know any other URMs applying this cycle and honestly, it's kind of saddening. Wish you all a successful cycle!

Non-traditional, Latino
LizzyM 69-70ish (new mcat)
~16 MD schools
6 II (NYU, Hofstra, Cornell, Stony Brook, Mt Sinai, Brown)
1 Pre-interview rejection (Georgetown)
9 Silences

Having a ridiculous cycle. I was complete 9/1 so hopefully I hear back from more schools soon!
What are your stats?
 
Got some alerts from this page lol so figured I'll update:

Non-traditional, Latino
LizzyM 69-70ish (new mcat)
~17 MD schools
6 II Attended (NYU, Cornell, Stony Brook, Mt Sinai, Brown, Harvard)
2 II Withdrawn (Hofstra, Einstein)
3 Pre-interview Rejection (Georgetown, Hopkins, Penn)
6 Silences
3 Acceptances (NYU, Stony Brook, Mt Sinai)

Awaiting 3 more decisions, but yeah, I'm more than happy with my options lol. Hope everyone's cycle is going okay!
When you say II attended, you mean interviews? What EC's did you do?
 
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