Deferral Season
With the first Early Decisions being released, it’s not always success stories. The truth is, no one gets into every BS/MD school on their list. Statistically, we know that students may not get into their top choice, even with traditional undergraduate schools. Rejections are part of the admissions game. This is why the majority of our seniors apply to 10+ BS/MD programs, plus a balanced mix of Reach, Match, and Safety traditional undergraduate colleges, to add numbers to their side.
It may be comforting to keep in mind this timeline: Rejections and deferrals are often the first decisions to arrive, with interview requests and acceptances to follow. This is all detailed in our Applying Early guide. However, if you would like a second pair of eyes reviewing your application after a few early rejections, the counselors at Moon Prep are available on a flexible, hourly basis to review your application for any weaknesses before you submit your Regular Decision applications
Early Decision II
There is still time for seniors to apply Early Decision II. If you did not get accepted through the ED I option, or if you decided another school on your list is now your number 1 choice, ED II might be a good option to consider. Early Decision I and II applications are sometimes two or three times higher than the Regular Decision admission rates at the same schools, so applying EDII can be the leverage you may need to get into your top choice. For example, Northwestern’s early decision acceptance rate is hovering around 25%, which is much higher compared to their overall acceptance rate of 7%.
Early Decision II: The Complete List For 2022-2023
Interview Invitations
Although a few early BS/MD interviews took place in December for The College of New Jersey and New Jersey Institute of Technology, most interview invitations are still ahead of us. The good news is that we are prepared to help you with every step. Not only do we offer free resources, like our BS/MD Interview Guide, but our medical mentors have gone through these interviews themselves. They can provide invaluable insight into what to expect as they expertly guide students through preparing memorable answers to even the toughest interview questions.
Contact us today for a free consultation for interview prep. Our team is dedicated to your success. Your success is our success, after all.
Common App Trends
The Common App, the primary platform students use to apply to colleges, has been tracking the students who use the application and where they are applying. In recent findings, it looks as though the average applicant applies to roughly 6 colleges. They also found that students who apply to 15 or more colleges reportedly have much higher SAT/ACT scores and were also twice as likely to attend a private high school. For perspective, the average Moon Prep BS/MD candidate has 20+ schools on their list.
Underclassmen Timeline: Summer Plans
At this point in the school year, all underclassmen should be meeting with their Moon Prep counselors to discuss summer plans. Many prestigious summer research programs have deadlines as early as January and February, with essays and professional resume templates required. Keep track of this major underclassmen checklist item, as well as making sure you do not miss other important steps with our Early High School Checklist.
Ready to search for a prestigious summer program? Our expert medical mentors are ready to make a plan with you to maximize your resume opportunities during the summer. Schedule a free consultation with us to see how a medical mentor can offer advice for the summer.
Your Major Matters
Students and school counselors often calculate a student’s chances of college admittance based on overall acceptance rates. In reality, this acceptance rate can vary widely based on college major. For example, Biology and Biomedical Engineering may be the most popular majors at Johns Hopkins, lowering the acceptance rate for prospective Biology applicants over less saturated majors like Finance. A recent article on Wealth Management explains a few interesting case studies to illustrate this acceptance rate difference.
Successful Remote Learning
At the start of the pandemic, college students everywhere lamented the switch to remote learning. Every early survey relayed their disappointment at attending Zoom classes. However, as juniors begin researching their college options, especially distance from home, it turns out that this attitude has drastically changed. Recent surveys, like one by Inside Higher Ed, has found that 70% of students are in favor of continuing their hybrid classes. It turns out that the flexibility of hours to gain industry experience with a job, or support different learning styles has been a positive change for the majority of students.
Moon Prep Student: Nandita
Moon Prep Team: Darlene and Loren
Undergraduate College: Dartmouth College
MCAT Score: 512
Notable Medical College Acceptance So Far: Tufts University School Of Medicine
Tufts Acceptance Rate: less than 4%
Notable Medical School interviews: 8 interviews received, including – Dartmouth, University of California San Diego, Rowan University (MD), and California University of Science and Medicine
Nandita’s Medical School Journey:
Nandita worked with Moon Prep Counselor, Darlene, and Medical Mentor, Loren, on her medical school applications. Darlene took the lead on much of the strategy for approaching medical school applications, plus the personal statement and intensive interview prep (including MMI). Loren helped Nandita tackle the numerous secondary essays.
As medical school applications can be daunting, Darlene helped her focus and frame her application. She had great experiences from her public health internship and research that needed to be thoughtfully placed and discussed in her application. After understanding Nandita’s personal connection to medicine, motivations, professional goals, and activities, Darlene worked closely with her to craft a personal statement that was not only representative of her dream of becoming a physician, but also her resiliency and aptitude.
Loren guided Nandita for her secondary essays, which can have as many as six lengthy essays for each school. Loren, who is passionate about essay editing, always made sure to highlight the significance of the written stories, while staying true to Nandita’s voice.
Darlene helped prepare for these interviews by integrating lessons on healthcare topics, brainstorming personal stories, and framing answers. When Nandita attended her interviews, she reported that she felt confident in her answers and that they were similar to the questions that were practiced during the mock interviews. After waiting weeks to hear back, Darlene recalls the moment Nandita found out about her first acceptance to Tufts University School of Medicine. As Darlene was driving home, Nandita called her in tears to let her know she had just gotten a call from the Tufts Dean congratulating her on her admission. Years of studying and hard work finally manifested into the tangible coveted acceptance.
We are so proud to be part of Nandita’s journey and are excited to see where she chooses to attend medical school. There is no doubt that she will become an excellent physician who will continue to positively shape other’s lives with her work.
Last chance! For underclassmen, it’s time to be strategic about how you spend time outside the classroom during the school year. Thankfully, we have you covered. Registration is now open for the Winter session of Rising Researchers, Machine Learning for Health Equity Research Intensive Camp. This an 8-week (January 9 – March 23) online research class under a researcher from UMass Amherst. The course is designed to provide you with an introduction to statistical and machine learning techniques for understanding, finding, and explaining health equity gaps in electronic health records data.
The best part? Students receive 2 college credit hours and there are no course prerequisites, 9-11 grades are encouraged to apply.
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