2018-2019 Harvard Medical School

Applying to Med School? Get In Or Your Money Back
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Should I email them asking about the progress of my FA award or will I just get it at revisit?
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Just a note for future applicants: I've finally gotten financial aid packages back from the 4 schools I accepted a seat at. I didn't get any merit-based aid anywhere, just need-based. I'm coming from a solidly middle-class/lower middle-class family and Harvard's new scholarship system seems to be set up well for students in my position (compared to these other schools). The need-based scholarship I've received from Harvard is literally 12 times bigger than that of the next most generous school. The loan debt I'll have to take on to go to HMS isn't insignificant by any stretch, but it is FAR more manageable than these other packages
 
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Here is the HMS/HSDM class of 2022 music video that premiered at revisit!
 
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Anyone on the waitlist get Financial Aid materials? Not a package, but like an email with all the links to complete financial aid information so an offer could be made quickly? I thought one was supposed to be coming, but I haven't received anything
 
testaccount123 said:
Anyone on the waitlist get Financial Aid materials? Not a package, but like an email with all the links to complete financial aid information so an offer could be made quickly? I thought one was supposed to be coming, but I haven't received anything
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You will receive that if you receive admissions.
 
chaim123 said:
You will receive that if you receive admissions.
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Thanks, but in the Waitlist FAQ there was a statement that "If a financial aid decision will be a key factor in deciding whether or not to accept an HMS offer of admissions, you are urged to file HMS financial aid application materials even before waitlist decisions are made, so that a financial aid award can be prepared for your promptly should you be admitted."

And the initial waitlist offer email even said "You will soon receive a letter confirming your wait list status, a response form and financial aid information for wait listed candidates." I received the first two (letter confirming wait list status, and response form), but not financial aid information, unless this was something in the letter I missed?
I guess I could reach out to admissions, or just wait it out. However, I would not like to have to make a quick decision without that information available.

Edit: I was expecting an email with links and documents like I've received from other schools.
 
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testaccount123 said:
Thanks, but in the Waitlist FAQ there was a statement that "If a financial aid decision will be a key factor in deciding whether or not to accept an HMS offer of admissions, you are urged to file HMS financial aid application materials even before waitlist decisions are made, so that a financial aid award can be prepared for your promptly should you be admitted."

And the initial waitlist offer email even said "You will soon receive a letter confirming your wait list status, a response form and financial aid information for wait listed candidates." I received the first two (letter confirming wait list status, and response form), but not financial aid information, unless this was something in the letter I missed?
I guess I could reach out to admissions, or just wait it out. However, I would not like to have to make a quick decision without that information available.
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What they are saying is you can fill out the FAFSA and CSS ahead of time. However, you can't get access to the school specific portal until you are accepted. So do everything on the below page under Option I except for the HMS specific portal, which you will get access to if admitted. They got me my decision in about 2-3 days last year.

Apply for Aid

The Financial Aid Application Process for MD Students Financial aid is awarded on an annual basis. Each year, students are required to complete the financial aid application process anew. Application materials are provided electronically to admitted students and to all waitlisted admissions...
meded.hms.harvard.edu meded.hms.harvard.edu
 
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chaim123 said:
What they are saying is you can fill out the FAFSA and CSS ahead of time. However, you can't get access to the school specific portal until you are accepted. So do everything on the below page under Option I except for the HMS specific portal, which you will get access to if admitted. They got me my decision in about 2-3 days last year.

Apply for Aid

The Financial Aid Application Process for MD Students Financial aid is awarded on an annual basis. Each year, students are required to complete the financial aid application process anew. Application materials are provided electronically to admitted students and to all waitlisted admissions...
meded.hms.harvard.edu meded.hms.harvard.edu
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Okay thank you for this. I was generally aware of their requirements and have nearly everything else completed already. I wasn't sure if their school-specific financial aid portal was available to those on the waitlist. I appreciate your help!
 
friendly_premed said:
if we select plan to enroll, we are ok right?
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From my understanding, yes. If you plan to hold waitlists and/or continue interviewing, select plan to enroll. However, you are still supposed to only hold 1 acceptance. “Commit to enroll” is for when you decide on one school and withdraw from all other schools, including waitlists and interviews.
 
Does anyone know if there has been any movement in the waitlist so far?
 
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Apologies in advance for alarming y'all by updating this thread lol.

One of the adcoms on the general waitlist support thread (gyngyn) is basically confirming that many schools are standing down with WL offers for now b/c of how little they know due to being blinded by new traffic rules. Does anyone know if this is also the case at HMS? Not sure if lack of posters here is due to absence of offers or the absence of WL acceptees who post on SDN haha
 
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I am very fortunate to have just been accepted to HMS off the waitlist by email.

I wish all those still waiting the best of luck :)
 
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Did anyone interview/receive an acceptance who didn't submit an LOR from every research mentor they had? On their website, HMS says that applicants should send a letter from every PI that we've worked with but I was planning on omitting a letter from my first PI as it will probably be lukewarm at best. Is this a good idea or should I definitely get both letters?
 
Jaigantic said:
Did anyone interview/receive an acceptance who didn't submit an LOR from every research mentor they had? On their website, HMS says that applicants should send a letter from every PI that we've worked with but I was planning on omitting a letter from my first PI as it will probably be lukewarm at best. Is this a good idea or should I definitely get both letters?
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I didn’t send a letter from my PI and I still got an interview. Not sure if this helps ya, but it doesn’t seem to be a requirement for receiving an interview! Good luck :)
 
Jaigantic said:
Did anyone interview/receive an acceptance who didn't submit an LOR from every research mentor they had? On their website, HMS says that applicants should send a letter from every PI that we've worked with but I was planning on omitting a letter from my first PI as it will probably be lukewarm at best. Is this a good idea or should I definitely get both letters?
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This was a question I also had. I ended up not getting a letter from a PI I worked with early on as an undergrad because I knew it wouldn’t be the best or reflect of who I was. I did get two letters from PIs I worked more intensively with subsequently. And I just got accepted! So while I would generally recommend people honor the request for a LOR from every PI, in some cases it’s a judgement call for the applicant. Good luck!
 
here2help said:
I didn’t send a letter from my PI and I still got an interview. Not sure if this helps ya, but it doesn’t seem to be a requirement for receiving an interview! Good luck :)
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testaccount123 said:
This was a question I also had. I ended up not getting a letter from a PI I worked with early on as an undergrad because I knew it wouldn’t be the best or reflect of who I was. I did get two letters from PIs I worked more intensively with subsequently. And I just got accepted! So while I would generally recommend people honor the request for a LOR from every PI, in some cases it’s a judgement call for the applicant. Good luck!
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Do you guys think it makes any difference that I published a paper (4th author) from this PI's lab?
 
Jaigantic said:
Do you guys think it makes any difference that I published a paper (4th author) from this PI's lab?
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Maybe. But I did report one school poster presentation that came out of my work in that PI’s lab from whom I didn’t get a LOR. I’m not claiming to be an authority on this, but I think it’s okay to omit a LOR from a PI in some cases. I at least knew I had an answer for why I didn’t ask that PI for a letter, but it didn’t ever come up
 
Has anyone heard of any WL movement since last week? In particular, HST movement?

Also, anyone (current students) happen to know if HMS is at all delayed in their WL movement b/c of new traffic rules?
 
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Lucca said:
1. If you have already graduated, briefly (4000 characters max) summarize your activities since graduation.

2. If there is an important aspect of your personal background or identity, not addressed elsewhere in the application, that you would like to share with the Committee, we invite you to do so here. Many applicants will not need to answer this question. Examples might include significant challenges in access to education, unusual socioeconomic factors, identification with a minority culture, religion, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation or gender identity. Briefly explain how such factors have influenced your motivation for a career in medicine.(4000 character maximum)

3. Our interview season runs from mid-September through January. Please indicate any significant (three or more weeks) restriction on your availability for interviews during this period. If none, leave blank.
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Did MSTP applicants have to answer the MD secondary questions as well?
 
gemcattini said:
did anyone accepted into MD not write or mention science or research in their P/S? I'm not sure if I am only capturing my humanistic side and not the science drive.
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I didn't mention science in my PS - that being said I was a science major and many of my activities showed my proclivity for it. But they don't expect everything to be related to science. Your statement will probably be more unique.
 
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Does anyone know if MSTP students at Harvard also do more research and write a MD thesis?
 
dwu12 said:
Does anyone know how applying to HMS from harvard undergrad works? I saw a post on reddit that said the House masters/committees can identify 2 students per house to definitely admit. Does the committee make direct recs to HMS?
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This is definitely just a rumor and not at all true.
 
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