I am considering re-applying for the 2013-2014 cycle and would really need some advice here. Thanks!
During the 2012-2013 cycle, I started my applications very late. My AMCAS was verified on 10/6, and secondaries were sent out within 1-2 weeks. I applied to 13 schools:
Penn State: Interview (withdrew my interview)
UVa: Accepted
SUNY Buffalo: Accepted
SUNY Upstate: Accepted
UC Irvine: Accepted
Dartmouth: Interview + WL
Harvard: Rejected pre-interview
Stanford: Rejected pre-interview
UPenn: Rejected pre-interview
UC Davis: Rejected pre-interview
UC San Diego: Rejected pre-interview
UW: Rejected pre-interview (was told that they do not take OOS students)
--
I was REALLY REALLY REALLY happy when I first got my acceptance letters. However, as I looked deeper into the cost of attendance, I realized that the schools I got in were all expensive. Yes they are state schools, but they all provide very low amount of aid. After careful calculation, I came up with the conclusion that, these schools will all make me carry 250k of loan when I get out.
I did not come from a wealthy family, and 250k is a huge burden for me. As I looked again at the numbers of various schools, I found out that, the top-tier schools actually give out a lot more free money to people from low-income family. (Ex. UVa max need-based scholarship is 18k/ UC Irvine is 5k, while Stanford is 44k and HMS is 40k+)
--
Background:
- 36Q MCAT
- 3.98 GPA (2 years of community college + 2 years of Cornell University)
- 2 years of undergraduate research + 1 co-authorship + 1 NSF REU Summer research
- Decent but not impressive EC: volunteer (hospital + abroad summer camp + random little things) / Shadow (2 physicians for ~1 week total time) / EMT-b 1-year training + certified
- LOR: I had pretty weak LoR last cycle because I wanted to get someone who knew me well. However there profs weren't medical related at all and one was from my community college
- California resident
--
During the past year, I have been working at a surgery research lab at UCSF. I have yet got any publication from this research, but I will likely get one this year. I will also get 2 more LoR from physicians at UCSF (Yale and Harvard grads, if this matters).
I am not sure what I have done that changed me significantly during the past year besides my research, which I have already briefly described in my previous application. (I started in July and didn't do my AMCAS till late Aug...)
So my bigger plus for my next cycle will only be: 2 more strong LoR + much earlier application (Yes I will submit on June 1st this time... :mad:)
--
If I apply again, I will like to apply to the following schools:
Harvard
Stanford
Yale
UPenn
JHU
WashU
Cornell
Columbia
Dartmouth
Duke
UVa
UCSF
UCLA
UCSD
UCI
UCDavis
SUNY Stony Brook
+ 2 more safety schools
--
I now run into a big question: should I apply again to bet on my chance to get into top tier schools? Should I really throw away the acceptance I got this year?
I in fact LOVED UVa a lot. Everything about the school made me excited and want to go there but cost. The re-application is therefore 85% for $$$ + 15% for getting into a "better" school (which I really don't care that much about).
My biggest fear is that, since I was already rejected pre-interview by many top-tier schools, what if I don't get into ANY school next year?
I still included the schools I got accepted into my list for next year. However, will they even consider my application? After knowing that I was already admitted once and withdrew, will they just reject me for the next cycle?
--
I know this might sound like a dumb/ crazy post for SDN, but I am really concerned about the cost. And if one more year can lower my debt form 250k --> 100k, I will definitely do that.
Any recommendation will be appreciated. Thanks guys!
During the 2012-2013 cycle, I started my applications very late. My AMCAS was verified on 10/6, and secondaries were sent out within 1-2 weeks. I applied to 13 schools:
Penn State: Interview (withdrew my interview)
UVa: Accepted
SUNY Buffalo: Accepted
SUNY Upstate: Accepted
UC Irvine: Accepted
Dartmouth: Interview + WL
Harvard: Rejected pre-interview
Stanford: Rejected pre-interview
UPenn: Rejected pre-interview
UC Davis: Rejected pre-interview
UC San Diego: Rejected pre-interview
UW: Rejected pre-interview (was told that they do not take OOS students)
--
I was REALLY REALLY REALLY happy when I first got my acceptance letters. However, as I looked deeper into the cost of attendance, I realized that the schools I got in were all expensive. Yes they are state schools, but they all provide very low amount of aid. After careful calculation, I came up with the conclusion that, these schools will all make me carry 250k of loan when I get out.
I did not come from a wealthy family, and 250k is a huge burden for me. As I looked again at the numbers of various schools, I found out that, the top-tier schools actually give out a lot more free money to people from low-income family. (Ex. UVa max need-based scholarship is 18k/ UC Irvine is 5k, while Stanford is 44k and HMS is 40k+)
--
Background:
- 36Q MCAT
- 3.98 GPA (2 years of community college + 2 years of Cornell University)
- 2 years of undergraduate research + 1 co-authorship + 1 NSF REU Summer research
- Decent but not impressive EC: volunteer (hospital + abroad summer camp + random little things) / Shadow (2 physicians for ~1 week total time) / EMT-b 1-year training + certified
- LOR: I had pretty weak LoR last cycle because I wanted to get someone who knew me well. However there profs weren't medical related at all and one was from my community college
- California resident
--
During the past year, I have been working at a surgery research lab at UCSF. I have yet got any publication from this research, but I will likely get one this year. I will also get 2 more LoR from physicians at UCSF (Yale and Harvard grads, if this matters).
I am not sure what I have done that changed me significantly during the past year besides my research, which I have already briefly described in my previous application. (I started in July and didn't do my AMCAS till late Aug...)
So my bigger plus for my next cycle will only be: 2 more strong LoR + much earlier application (Yes I will submit on June 1st this time... :mad:)
--
If I apply again, I will like to apply to the following schools:
Harvard
Stanford
Yale
UPenn
JHU
WashU
Cornell
Columbia
Dartmouth
Duke
UVa
UCSF
UCLA
UCSD
UCI
UCDavis
SUNY Stony Brook
+ 2 more safety schools
--
I now run into a big question: should I apply again to bet on my chance to get into top tier schools? Should I really throw away the acceptance I got this year?
I in fact LOVED UVa a lot. Everything about the school made me excited and want to go there but cost. The re-application is therefore 85% for $$$ + 15% for getting into a "better" school (which I really don't care that much about).
My biggest fear is that, since I was already rejected pre-interview by many top-tier schools, what if I don't get into ANY school next year?
I still included the schools I got accepted into my list for next year. However, will they even consider my application? After knowing that I was already admitted once and withdrew, will they just reject me for the next cycle?
--
I know this might sound like a dumb/ crazy post for SDN, but I am really concerned about the cost. And if one more year can lower my debt form 250k --> 100k, I will definitely do that.
Any recommendation will be appreciated. Thanks guys!