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gyngyn

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MSTP prompts:

Write a brief autobiography. As completely and precisely as possible, give a picture of yourself, your family, and events you consider important to you. In doing so, identify the values that are of greatest importance to you. If you have completed your undergraduate education, please comment on what you have done or have been doing since graduation. (1200 words)

Please discuss a challenging situation or obstacle you have faced in the past. Why was it challenging? How did you handle it? Knowing what you know now, would you do anything differently? What did you learn? (500 words)

Good luck to everyone applying!

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What do you mean by "semi-high"?

522, but slightly unbalanced. It's high, but I'm not sure that's really high for Vandy since its within 25-75th %ile.

GPA is WAY below their initial threshold (bad freshman year). I'm planning on applying, but I think the odds are very much against me.



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522, but slightly unbalanced. It's high, but I'm not sure that's really high for Vandy since its within 25-75th %ile.

GPA is WAY below their initial threshold (bad freshman year). I'm planning on applying, but I think the odds are very much against me.



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Seriously, only on SDN will someone say that their 100th percentile MCAT is "semi-high" :p That's high for everywhere! Even if you don't get past the auto-screen for secondaries because your GPA is lower, I really wouldn't count yourself out before the process has even started :)
 
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522, but slightly unbalanced. It's high, but I'm not sure that's really high for Vandy since its within 25-75th %ile.


What do you mean 522 is within 25-75th percentile??
 
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I got one. Semi-high MCAT, but I'll be screened out on GPA. I'm hoping they'll take a second look later.


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In the same boat. Nice thing is we wont have to do the secondary if theres no chance.
 
What do you mean 522 is within 25-75th percentile??

It's within Vandy's 25th-75th MCAT acceptance data. That's why I consider it "semi-high" for Vanderbilt. It's high for most schools, but not the top 5.


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Seriously, only on SDN will someone say that their 100th percentile MCAT is "semi-high" :p That's high for everywhere! Even if you don't get past the auto-screen for secondaries because your GPA is lower, I really wouldn't count yourself out before the process has even started :)
To be fair, 523+ is 100th percentile. But your point remains.
 
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I thought I read 3.8 and a 36 or 37 on the old MCAT gets a secondary automatically, then they go back through those that are left. Don't quote me, though!


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I've heard something similar. I personally wonder if it's a boolean 'AND' or if it's formulaic, if you're picking up what I'm putting down...
If it's the latter I will probably get a secondary. If you need to be at or above the margin for both rather than, for example, have a particular LizzyM score, I definitely won't get one. I'm in pretty much the same boat as you with low GPA and high MCAT. We shall see. I'm fairly excited.
 
What do you think the GPA minimum is?

Last year, I think applicants with both a GPA > 3.8 and MCAT > 521 recieved an automatic secondary. However, after that everyone goes through the regular screening process – it's not like everyone else's applications get thrown out! I actually think it might be a blessing to get a non-automatic secondary, because you know the school is actually interested in you before you write an autobiography.
 
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Last year, I think applicants with both a GPA > 3.8 and MCAT > 521 recieved an automatic secondary. However, after that everyone goes through the regular screening process – it's not like everyone else's applications get thrown out! I actually think it might be a blessing to get a non-automatic secondary, because you know the school is actually interested in you before you write an autobiography.
So there's no evidence it was some formula which incorporated both GPA and MCAT? If I get one that has to be the case.
 
So there's no evidence it was some formula which incorporated both GPA and MCAT? If I get one that has to be the case.

I think it was an 'and', not an 'or'. In any case, I'm sure your MCAT will get some attention even if you don't pass the auto-screen :)
 
So I'm assuming no one has made it past the initial screening yet and received a secondary? I need to write for the schools I already have, but I am interested in how long it takes Vanderbilt to screen.
 
So I'm assuming no one has made it past the initial screening yet and received a secondary? I need to write for the schools I already have, but I am interested in how long it takes Vanderbilt to screen.
.
 
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My Lizzy M is ~78 and have heard nothing

you above the 3.8 GPA and 520? (I think you have to be above both, but who knows!). I won't get past the first screening - hoping for the second, but it's nice to have time to write other secondaries...
 
So I'm assuming no one has made it past the initial screening yet and received a secondary? I need to write for the schools I already have, but I am interested in how long it takes Vanderbilt to screen.
No secondary for me either. I'm impatient, but it's probably good to take the time to improve my autobiography :D
 
No secondary for me either. I'm impatient, but it's probably good to take the time to improve my autobiography :D

I haven't even started on it yet! :confused: Still slogging through the secondaries that flooded in yesterday and the day before because I didn't have the chance to prewrite :hungover:
 
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I haven't even started on it yet! :confused: Still slogging through the secondaries that flooded in yesterday and the day before because I didn't have the chance to prewrite :hungover:

Yeah, I'm definitely not pre-writing for Vanderbilt since I have no idea if I'll make it past the first screen.
 
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Yeah, I'm definitely not pre-writing for Vanderbilt since I have no idea if I'll make it past the first screen.

I didn't pre-write any of mine, so I would have something to do while waiting to see if I made the cut for the ones that screen for secondaries. LOL
 
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you above the 3.8 GPA and 520? (I think you have to be above both, but who knows!). I won't get past the first screening - hoping for the second, but it's nice to have time to write other secondaries...
Yeah I'm above both. Are we even certain those are the stats for the initial screen?
 
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I haven't even started on it yet! :confused: Still slogging through the secondaries that flooded in yesterday and the day before because I didn't have the chance to prewrite :hungover:
Yesterday was an onslaught of secondaries
 
Yesterday was an onslaught of secondaries
Ugh, my email was lighting up yesterday... and somehow mostly with secondaries I hadn't managed to pre-write lol. Today was disconcertingly quiet, but it's nice to play catch-up.
 
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Yeah I'm above both. Are we even certain those are the stats for the initial screen?

Those were the numbers I found from the previous years' thread. Who knows, they could have changed it, or simply not started yet because of the holiday. :confused: Plenty of schools without screens haven't sent out their secondaries yet, either!
 
Anyone have thoughts on if our autobiography should have a thread of 'why medicine?'?

I wrote mine largely as a series of stories, but now I'm worried about doing myself a disservice by not connecting back to medicine consistently. Maybe just at the end? Or not at all -- though I don't want to shoehorn it in? My primary already told the story of my (relatively recent) med school decision, so I'm feeling paranoid over here :unsure:
 
Anyone have thoughts on if our autobiography should have a thread of 'why medicine?'?

I wrote mine largely as a series of stories, but now I'm worried about doing myself a disservice by not connecting back to medicine consistently. Maybe just at the end? Or not at all -- though I don't want to shoehorn it in? My primary already told the story of my (relatively recent) med school decision, so I'm feeling paranoid over here :unsure:
I wouldn't worry about it. As you said, it's already in the primary. And the best writing will be the most genuine. They have a million opportunities to ask "why Medicine". It's nice to give adcoms a picture outside of that
 
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I wouldn't worry about it. As you said, it's already in the primary. And the best writing will be the most genuine. They have a million opportunities to ask "why Medicine". It's nice to give adcoms a picture outside of that
Thanks for the thoughts!
 
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Could someone post the secondary prompts and tag a mod to update?
 
Could someone post the secondary prompts and tag a mod to update?
I don't think anyone's gotten the secondary yet. I'm just pre-writing based on last year's, since I'm about to be traveling and won't have much to time to write.
 
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Hello All, Anyone got secondaries guys? Good luck....
 
What are the odds of a 3.5c; 3.6s /520 getting a secondary?
On the bright side im not exactly itching to write an autobiography and spend 100$.
 
The silence is deafening.
 
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