Georgetown SMP 2010-2011

[klmnop]

Honestly with those numbers I think you have a shot somewhere in Canada. Don't be afraid to look outside Ontario. yes the competition is high, but its high for kids with 3.75's and 30's... 3.9 and 33Q puts you right in the mix. Have you applied to Canadian schools yet.

For US schools, make sure to apply to schools that are international-friendly (often private schools or border schools like guju listed). Unfortunately Wayne has some 70% of in-state matriculants and hundreds of Canadian applicants, so it will still be a squeeze, but its worth a shot. Also if you haven't done anything to add to your Wayne application then its hardly worth applying twice with the same app (unless you applied very late)... however Wayne's admission is on a case-by-case timeline, meaning the only advantage of applying early is finding out early... thus they only accept as many people as they want to enroll and regular admissions often continues until a week before class commences. This means you have a half-decent chance of getting off the waitlist, but if they wanted you outright they would have accepted you.

If you apply early and broadly you will get in somewhere.

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[bananaspajamas]

i think you could get canada or us

 

[dangus]

Hi. Does anyone know when there might be releasing decisions? I applied April 20th and my References came into complete my App on May 12th. I know the final Deadline was May 17th. Does anyone know how long that might take? Thanks.

 

[klmnop]

Hi. Does anyone know when there might be releasing decisions? I applied April 20th and my References came into complete my App on May 12th. I know the final Deadline was May 17th. Does anyone know how long that might take? Thanks.

while i don't know their decision release dates, people get accepted off the waitlist up until the day before class begins

 

[pritomd]

Hey, I reallyyyy want to go to Georgetown SMP next year, but I'm worried I just won't cut it since it's one of (if not the most) competitive SMP programs...I am planning on taking the GRE since I haven't taken bio yet (but will this summer), but my GPA when I plan on applying will be about a 3.03. Is that simply too low and I have pretty much no shot, or is there still a chance if I can woo the other parts of my application? Also, I plan on having everything submitted in the middle of January in case that affects anything (in terms of rolling admissions and whatnot).

 

[klmnop]

Hey, I reallyyyy want to go to Georgetown SMP next year, but I'm worried I just won't cut it since it's one of (if not the most) competitive SMP programs...I am planning on taking the GRE since I haven't taken bio yet (but will this summer), but my GPA when I plan on applying will be about a 3.03. Is that simply too low and I have pretty much no shot, or is there still a chance if I can woo the other parts of my application? Also, I plan on having everything submitted in the middle of January in case that affects anything (in terms of rolling admissions and whatnot).

its impossible to tell with just that info though your gpa is a bit below the admitted average.

 

[garyinthehouse]

HI Guys!

Just want to say, goodluck to all the future SMP's at gtown! I'll be joining ya


Has anyone submitted their AMCAS yet? I'm going to submit mine over the weekend....It's done, but I want to sit with it for at least 1 day

 

[garyinthehouse]

Well, it's settled


I'm applying to 30 schools, no more, no less lol


how are you guys faring with apps?

 

[garyinthehouse]

yeah I have about 26. I feel like I should add a couple more but may add it later. Need to get my transcript requests out when I get back to Boston though. Forgot to do it the friday before I left town.

And got to get my last letter writer to write mine and get them sent out. Luckily BU is more organized then my old school.

Yeah, those letters seem to be a little bump in the road every time. Well, I listed all my CA schools and a bunch of privates that take Gtown SMP students. Also, some publics apparently take in people from CA like UIC. I also added MCW to the mix because they take in a decent amount of people from out of state.

I initially had 25 schools, but then I said to myself, what the heck, might as well add in 5 more. I really do not want to re-apply next year so I'd want to max my chances.

 

[garyinthehouse]

Yeah MCW, EVMS, NYMC, Albany, SUNY Downstate, VCU are some of the ones I was recommended to apply to by my school along with also Wayne State and BU and Tufts and MSU.

Those are probably schools that also like Gtown students. And UIC is also a school I'm applying to for similar reasons and the MSAR looked more friendly towards them.

Goodluck guju, I'm sure you'll do great !

 

[MaizeNblue16]

So I've been accepted to Loyola MAMS and Georgetown SMP, and I'm going to be spending the next few months or so deciding where to go. I'm on the alternate list at Wayne State SOM, so that is my number one choice but if anyone wants to offer any additional advice... that'd be great.

Ultimately, my goal is to get into a top tier medical school, particularly University of Michigan (my alma mater).

Stats:
3.6 (3.5 science) from UofM-Ann Arbor
33Q MCAT
Plenty of clinical experience, no research experience (not really interested)
Good-Decent letters

Which program would be my best choice to achieve my goal of getting into Michigan, or schools outside of Loyola and Georgetown? (i'll be applying to those med schools as well though)

 

[klmnop]

So I've been accepted to Loyola MAMS and Georgetown SMP, and I'm going to be spending the next few months or so deciding where to go. I'm on the alternate list at Wayne State SOM, so that is my number one choice but if anyone wants to offer any additional advice... that'd be great.

Ultimately, my goal is to get into a top tier medical school, particularly University of Michigan (my alma mater).

Stats:
3.6 (3.5 science) from UofM-Ann Arbor
33Q MCAT
Plenty of clinical experience, no research experience (not really interested)
Good-Decent letters

Which program would be my best choice to achieve my goal of getting into Michigan, or schools outside of Loyola and Georgetown? (i'll be applying to those med schools as well though)

Based on trends, doing an SMP will not get you into a top 10 school.
Set your sites lower, like Wayne.
More importantly, you should not be doing an SMP with your numbers.
Call Wayne and whoever else rejected/waitlisted you to find out why. Most likely it was due to a combination of: a late app, poor essays, poor LOEs, poor EC's, or poor interview. Everyone thinks their app is pretty good until they contact an adcom.
SMP = not for you

 

[DrJD]

So I've been accepted to Loyola MAMS and Georgetown SMP, and I'm going to be spending the next few months or so deciding where to go. I'm on the alternate list at Wayne State SOM, so that is my number one choice but if anyone wants to offer any additional advice... that'd be great.

Ultimately, my goal is to get into a top tier medical school, particularly University of Michigan (my alma mater).

Stats:
3.6 (3.5 science) from UofM-Ann Arbor
33Q MCAT
Plenty of clinical experience, no research experience (not really interested)
Good-Decent letters

Which program would be my best choice to achieve my goal of getting into Michigan, or schools outside of Loyola and Georgetown? (i'll be applying to those med schools as well though)

Definitely Georgetown would be your best bet. One of my classmates had similar stats (higher GPA but lower MCAT) and ended up going to school at the University of Iowa. Obviously not as highly ranked as michigan, but a great school!

 

[garyinthehouse]

To those who have been accepted, what are you guys doing about the loan situation?

I think we can borrow $8,500 in subsidized loans, and $12,000 in unsubsidized loans and the rest are private loans...? Is this correct?

I just want to know if anyone has gotten the process started

 

[Haplo]

ya, except I'm a little confused this year, with the new health care bill changing the name of everything. I was under the impression that Stafford is passe, as is grad plus; isn't it William D. Ford Direct Loan Program now?

 

[eccool]

Hi all, I just got accepted to the SMP program in Georgetown and decided to go there. However, I am still thinking about whether to apply in this immediate cycle or to wait until I finish the SMP.
My stat: cGPA 3.3, MCAT31, Cali resident...
I did applied to DO school (in Dec) and now still waitlisted. One of the reason I am thinking about not to reapply this year is because I got a C in orgo and I did not retake it....

Also, I am looking for place to live around the campus...after reading all the posts and the SMP survival guide I guess studios/basements in Burleith or Foxhall would be my first option...How are these area, like, is it safe to walk to school? Or any other options good for Georgetown students to live? Also, do you think a car is necessary to live in DC? Since I live in San Francisco it is quite convenient even without a car...

 

[garyinthehouse]

Hi all, I just got accepted to the SMP program in Georgetown and decided to go there. However, I am still thinking about whether to apply in this immediate cycle or to wait until I finish the SMP.
My stat: cGPA 3.3, MCAT31, Cali resident...
I did applied to DO school (in Dec) and now still waitlisted. One of the reason I am thinking about not to reapply this year is because I got a C in orgo and I did not retake it....

Also, I am looking for place to live around the campus...after reading all the posts and the SMP survival guide I guess studios/basements in Burleith or Foxhall would be my first option...How are these area, like, is it safe to walk to school? Or any other options good for Georgetown students to live? Also, do you think a car is necessary to live in DC? Since I live in San Francisco it is quite convenient even without a car...

Congrats on getting in! The first decision you want to make is whether or not you want to live alone or with roomies. If you want to live alone, then the basements are a good choice, or you could look into a small studio. I found my studio on craigslist so you can start there, or use the georgetown graduate guide http://och.georgetown.edu/ to find a place as well.

I'm from cali as well, but I visited georgetown in may and it looks to be pretty safe in the night time, but maybe someone from georgetown can speak of this. Since I'm enrolled and I've paid the deposit, I get some georgetown emails. Last week (or the week before, I can't remember) I got an email saying people were robbed of their iPhones and wallets at 1AM and at around 3 AM near campus, but NOT on campus. So I would be somewhat careful around the nighttime hours.

Oh, and I'm not going to take a car with me. I see it as a hassle. If you just walk around georgetown during the day, you'll see what I mean. I was there for about three days and that was enough to prove to me that you don't really need a car to be mobile in DC. Also, parking at gtown is really sky high. I think you have to pay by the hour if you want to park in the lot as a student, but I could be wrong.

Good luck!!

 

[valera]

Hello everyone...

Reading the posts regarding the high competitiveness of this cycle has left me in ill humor. I have just completed a PharmD program with a 3.0 cum gpa. GPA immediately before pharmacy school was 3.65, 3.55 sci. Took the MCAT this fall: 30N (friggin N). I do not have Physics I and II yet, but am currently enrolled in physics I. Applied to medical schools almost at the deadline last cycle, and failed to land an interview. For 2 years I worked in a hospital and have a year of volunteering experience. This June applied to Temple's Post Bac but was rejected. I am trying to figure out the best course of action and any advice would be helpful..Also would not having all my prereq's when applying sufficiently downgrade my app?

 

[Haplo]

I would be hesitant to call the area around gtown safe. The sheer volume of reported incidents during the last year would beg to differ. I would suggest planning a safe way to get home if leaving campus after 10pm.

 

[USCTrojanPreMed]

Waitlisted today...does anyone know how the waitlist works? How many people get waitlisted, how many get accepted off the waitlist? Do they assign a rank?

 

[dangus]

USCTrojanPreMed when did you apply?

 

[eccool]

Just sent my deposit yesterday... So how long does it usually take for the id/financial aid/ health insurances blah blah blah...to be done?

 

[garyinthehouse]

Just sent my deposit yesterday... So how long does it usually take for the id/financial aid/ health insurances blah blah blah...to be done?

well I got in early march, so the ID stuff came in around May for me. I still haven't recieved any fin aid stuff or health insurance info yet

 

[USCTrojanPreMed]

May 11 or so...I know that's late.

 

[DrJD]

Just wanted to address a few of the questions!

Safety: The above poster is right, you don't want to be out alone after 1AM in the area. That being said, there were times I'd walk to my car around 9 in the evening and I always felt very safe.

I knew plenty of classmates who didn't have a car, and plenty that did. Personally, I didn't find DC to be livable without a car. Being from the west coast, my wife and I needed it to go to Costco, Grocery store, plus weekend activities. Can you get by without one though? Yes. If you do, I'd highly recommend Zipcar for when you do need one.

Also, the waitlist always seems to have a good bit of movement so don't give up hope yet!!

To reinforce what Guju said: The program directors I spoke with in CA said that they wanted to see an entire years worth of grades from the SMP with a 3.9 or higher before it would even matter to them that you were in it. So, if you are deadset on CA, you had better do really well in the program and wait to apply.

 

[Funky]

Either get a zipcar or what I did was find a friend who has a car. But yeah, it was kind of a pain not having my own car in DC.

 

[DrJD]

Yeah but the arm and a leg it costs is not worth it. I would do as you suggested above for people in DC.

PS Funky how is med school treating you? Hope all is well. I've put my apps in for this year. But still waiting to get verified.

For what its worth we really liked having a car there and thought the money we spent was worth it. It was really nice to drive all around the area. If we hadn't had the car our experience would have been much more limited. However, I can see that for some it may not be worth it. Virginia is beautiful!

I highly recommend that you all head out to Shenandoah valley in October and go apple picking!

 

[Haplo]

I found walking and the Metro fine last year. If you need an Ikea/Costco run, I'm sure you'll find plenty of friends with cars during the year.

As to the California schools only wanting 3.9s, I surely hope this isn't true, since there were probably only 5 people this year who achieved that GPA out of 184 - and the 3-4 of them from Cali just ended up going to Georgetown. I believe the top GPA in the class was about a 3.95, so start going down from there. And the Gtown SMP grades will not rule out undergrad GPA w/o a high MCAT, in particular at UC Davis (the other UC's might differ slightly, who knows).

 

[USCTrojanPreMed]

Accepted off the waitlist, hooray! Anybody still looking for housing?

 

[eccool]

Congrats!

 

[2farbehind]

is it bad to take the mcats 3 times even if the third is 36+??

 

[Funky]

Yeah but the arm and a leg it costs is not worth it. I would do as you suggested above for people in DC.

PS Funky how is med school treating you? Hope all is well. I've put my apps in for this year. But still waiting to get verified.

Med school is everything I expected it and more meaning a lot of work but it does have its moments.

Good luck with applying and let me know how it works out for you.

 

[Haplo]

Grats to everyone who's got accepted lately! It'll be a fun and rewarding year if you just stay consistent.

 

[garyinthehouse]

Grats to everyone who's got accepted lately! It'll be a fun and rewarding year if you just stay consistent.

Hey haplo. You just said we will be okay if we stay consistent. I'm going to start Gtown in 6 weeks.......What do you mean by consistent?

Thanks!!

 

[Haplo]

Hey haplo. You just said we will be okay if we stay consistent. I'm going to start Gtown in 6 weeks.......What do you mean by consistent?

Thanks!!

Don't let a low grade get you down, or a high grade make you too happy. Better to study 3 hrs a day than 20 hrs once a week. Remember that you have 10+ classes, with 6 medical courses, so just keep plugging away.


Don't run out of gas! Burning out for med classes, and causing you to get B's in grad classes happened to far too many. Find a good routine and stick to it.

 

[garyinthehouse]

Don't let a low grade get you down, or a high grade make you too happy. Better to study 3 hrs a day than 20 hrs once a week. Remember that you have 10+ classes, with 6 medical courses, so just keep plugging away.


Don't run out of gas! Burning out for med classes, and causing you to get B's in grad classes happened to far too many. Find a good routine and stick to it.

Got it! I'm planning on putting about 5 hours a day weekdays and about 6 hours a day on weekends. Of course, when tests come, I'll ramp it up more. Also, this is pure study time (no sdn, digg.com nytimes.com etc...)

Question Haplo: About when did you get an acceptance? Midway, towards the end? Beginning?
Thanks!

 

[ephemeralsun]

hey guys, how long does it take to get an acceptance letter after receiving an acceptance email? i'm worried the program sent it to the wrong place since i recently moved. thanks for the help in advance!

 

[garyinthehouse]

hey guys, how long does it take to get an acceptance letter after receiving an acceptance email? i'm worried they program sent it to the wrong place since i recently moved. thanks for the help in advance!

It took me about 1-2 weeks from what I can remember. Hope this helps!

 

[dangus]

I got an acceptance to the program, but the email goes on to state: "Once the Graduate School has verified your credentials, they will send you an official acceptance. Please allow approximately three weeks for your letter to arrive."

All my credentials are in? What are they reviewing and is there a chance that they would revoke my acceptance? Or is this just a formality?

Thanks.

 

[Autumn Leaves]

Hey all. I've been following this thread for the past week or so and couldn't help but chime in. I'd like to first congratulate people who have been accepted!! You've truly earned your spots!

That being said, I would appreciate some clarification if someone wouldn't mind helping me out with a few nervous questions I have. I'm on the wait-list for the SMP, and I have been for about 2.5 months. I would like to get some feedback on whether or not you think I'm at least competitive enough to be offered a spot off of the wait-list.

First, my stats: my GPA from undergrad at Wake Forest is a 3.48 cumulative and 3.50 science, and I got a 30R on the MCAT. My extracurriculars are strong; I have volunteered a lot throughout college, been in several leadership positions, and have 2 years of research experience. My freshman and sophomore years I didn't do well in a few courses, but my junior and senior years I earned exclusively A's and a few A-'s, so I have an overall strongly positive trend. After retaking organic chemistry and doing well in my upper level classes, I was able to raise my GPA, but on my submitted AMCAS application, it was still low (~3.28) because I had not yet submitted my fall and spring semester grades from senior year. I read somewhere on the SMP website that doing well in the last two years of college was especially important for getting an offer. Given my stats, I was hoping one of you could tell me if you think I'm likely to be offered a spot.

Additionally, does anybody know how they rank the wait-list? What scores or attributes carry the most weight when they're considering applicants from the wait-list?

Again, I appreciate any help you can give me. Thanks!

 

[eccool]

Me too. It took about 10 days for me.

It took me about 1-2 weeks from what I can remember. Hope this helps!

 

[daisy58]

Is anybody looking for housing in the georgetown area starting aug ist. I am looking to share a 2 or 3 bedroom townhouse or apartment. $1300 to $1600 for the apartment. Please respond soon.

 

[puppylove42]

I'm actually waitlisted right now at GU SMP....i'd like some insider info on the program itself....how small are the classes....how is student-professor interaction...is there a final cumulative exam at the end of the program or is there a paper of some sort?

Thanks !!

 

[puppylove42]

-

 

[puppylove42]

Agree with Guju Doc. A lot of people that applied early got interviews. You have great stats to get in so I am sure you'll get a few here and there. You may not get into a Cali school, but apply to the common schools most SMPS get into. There is a list on the website and I'd apply to a majority of the ones that have multiple acceptances to students and all the Cali schools.

http://smp.georgetown.edu/prevclass.htm

However, some students got interviews earlier than others because they did not list an adviser letter on their primary application for the Georgetown SMP Program. Students who listed the letter tended to have their application not complete until way later (December when the letters were sent out). It put those students at a disadvantage, especially ones that applied early. So for those who really need to prove themselves big time academically, I'd list the letter on your primary application because you will most likely get rejected before being granted an interview if your undergrad GPA is too low.

With your stats, I would not include that you're sending an adviser letter on the AMCAS application and just notify schools personally through calling them after you submitted your secondary. Also, just let them know you are in the program. If you had lower stats I would suggest otherwise, but if you apply super early you should get at least a few interviews before November (unless you have weak E.C., or a bad personal/secondary essays).

....What is this advisory letter you are talking about?? I am waitlisted at GU and waiting on new MCAT scores (should be arriving within the next 2 weeks) in order to submit an AMCAS application for this year. My current stats are 3.3overall/28P ....this advisory letter.....i have to add it to my AMCAS and have it sent out by GU later on this year? Also, do you happen to know how I should be listing upcoming SMP classes in my AMCAS app?

Thanks !

 

[golgiapparatus88]

Hey guys, quick question. When's the earliest you can apply for the next cycle. Thanks!

 

[eccool]

Touro Nevada SOM just accepted me....It is wise to go for DO rather than SMP, right?

 

[garyinthehouse]

Touro Nevada SOM just accepted me....It is wise to go for DO rather than SMP, right?

I'd go with Touro.

 

[garyinthehouse]

Hey guys, quick question. When's the earliest you can apply for the next cycle. Thanks!

Applications open May 1st or May 2nd each year. This is the best time to start filling in your coursework, biographical info, etc. Also, in May, send in ALL your transcripts so AMCAS can receive them. They wont do anything with them until you submit your application, but the fact that they have them in hand will help speedup the process later when you submit.

June 1st, 2nd or 3rd, is when the application can be submitted. Towards the end of June (This year it was June 25th) the submitted and verified application can be accessed by medical school. This is the proverbial "first batch." Keep in mind though, you have to be verified by June 25th or so, and then other schools will access your data. If you submit by the 23rd, you will not be verified by the 25th, and so you wont be in this batch.

Here's what I did: Started my application May 15th, and sent out my transcript request forms May 15th too. My transcripts all arrived at the AMCAS center on the 19th of May. On June 6th, I submitted my application and I was verified by the 14th.

It's a very good idea to be part of this first group of people because I had a mistake in my AMCAS application that was not may fault. AMCAS incorrectly labeled three classes as retakes when they weren't. The problem got fixed in 2 days, but the important thing was that it got fixed before the floodgates were opened on the 25th.

Also, some schools, like GWU, don't care if you're verified, they will just send you a secondary (but this is the exception I believe, and not the rule).

Hope this helps! and if I made a mistake somwhere, let me know!

 

[golgiapparatus88]

Applications open May 1st or May 2nd each year. This is the best time to start filling in your coursework, biographical info, etc. Also, in May, send in ALL your transcripts so AMCAS can receive them. They wont do anything with them until you submit your application, but the fact that they have them in hand will help speedup the process later when you submit.

June 1st, 2nd or 3rd, is when the application can be submitted. Towards the end of June (This year it was June 25th) the submitted and verified application can be accessed by medical school. This is the proverbial "first batch." Keep in mind though, you have to be verified by June 25th or so, and then other schools will access your data. If you submit by the 23rd, you will not be verified by the 25th, and so you wont be in this batch.

Here's what I did: Started my application May 15th, and sent out my transcript request forms May 15th too. My transcripts all arrived at the AMCAS center on the 19th of May. On June 6th, I submitted my application and I was verified by the 14th.

It's a very good idea to be part of this first group of people because I had a mistake in my AMCAS application that was not may fault. AMCAS incorrectly labeled three classes as retakes when they weren't. The problem got fixed in 2 days, but the important thing was that it got fixed before the floodgates were opened on the 25th.

Also, some schools, like GWU, don't care if you're verified, they will just send you a secondary (but this is the exception I believe, and not the rule).

Hope this helps! and if I made a mistake somwhere, let me know!

That helps but I'm still a little confused. You apply to SMP programs through AMCAS?