Pre-med admissions experts recommend high-impact activities that don't necessarily demand a high price

Hospital Volunteering: Seek out a patient-facing volunteer role. Real-world clinical exposure is one of the best ways to show commitment to medicine.  Everyone agrees that this experience (and self-driven research with a mentor) is the most valuable for student applications.

Basic Science Research: Students could talk to their school's science research coordinator or science leaders at your school. Engaging in research is a major "differentiator" for pre-med applicants, and it could lead to entering prestigious competitions like the Regeneron Science Talent Search. Research companies like Polygence, Pioneer, and Lumiere offer mentored opportunities at varying costs.

Leadership as a Camp Counselor/Daycare Assistant: These jobs are actually an outstanding pre-med credential. It proves a student can work in teams and be responsible for the health and well-being of others and react well to emergencies, crucial skills for doctors, and (if interested in pediatrics) shows  passion and patience with children.

 Specific Program Recommendations at Universities

• The Duke Neural Integration and Sensory Pathways program was recommended for neurology.  There are other courses listed under "psychology and Neuroscience" to examine too; "Medicine" as well.  

• Harvard Medical School Online offers courses that provide college credit, which is a very tangible outcome for applications.  Depending on a student's perspective, it's a pro or a con to be able to stay home and do this work; it could allow them to stay local and complete other activities simultaneously. Check out Wake Forest’s online program too. https://wfuonline.precollegeprograms.org/med-programs

• The "Mini-Med" programs at Georgetown, Johns Hopkins, (Harvard) HMS MEDscience,  University of Rochester, and Tufts come highly recommended for their immersive environments. However, spending more will not guarantee a higher return.

• If anyone wants opportunities abroad, the following was shared: there are destinations in Nepal, Spain, Peru and Tanzania for the summer through this site and Spain has some incredible med schools as well. 

Healthy Expectations

Dear Seniors and Families,

As notifications begin and continue to roll out in the coming weeks, I’d like to share a couple of thoughts with you.

Remember that you have worked so hard not only throughout the college application season but throughout your entire high school experience.

You may receive a decision you’re not happy with…a deferral or a denial. If that happens, I will share in your disappointment. I’ll help you deal with deferrals. If you were denied, I urge you to not over analyze the situation to try to figure out why you were not admitted. The odds are that it had very little to do with you personally. 

There is no magic formula for how colleges come to their admissions decisions. Each one is trying to create an incoming class that fits their institutional priorities and needs. At very selective colleges, there are so many qualified applicants that colleges must make the very difficult decision of whom to admit. Remind yourself that you’ve submitted your best application and that the decisions are not within your control. 

While that decision will hurt, you will get through it. That certainly isn’t meant to minimize any disappointment. Rather, it is to try to help you keep it all in perspective. I am here for you if you’d like to talk through it.

On the other hand, you may receive the decision you’ve been dreaming about. If that happens, I will share in your excitement! Be proud of your accomplishment. Please also be humble. Some of your classmates may not have received the same exciting news that you did. Keep that in perspective as well.

I am proud of each of you. You have committed many, many hours to this process, and it is an honor to be on this journey with you. We are just getting started! I wish you all the best as you will await these decisions, and I look forward to hearing your news.

GPA, Explained

As I build lists with my juniors, I see that parents and students need clarification on the two kinds of GPA (weighted and unweighted). They also need to understand that a weighted 4.0, unlike an unweighted one, may not put a student near the top of their graduating class, depending on how many students choose the most rigorous courses. Most northeast public high schools use a weighted GPA that gets a boost from AP, IB, or Honors courses. Many colleges, especially large public colleges, will recalculate the GPA using their own standards--and these vary.

Academic (9-12) GPA - includes all grades but only courses noted as "academic." Study halls, community service, pass/fail courses are often not included.

Academic (9-12) GPA - includes all grades but only courses noted as "academic." Obviously, it does not include courses like PE, but it may not include anything outside of English, History, Math, Science, or World Languages.

Academic (10-12) GPA - same as above but doesn't include 9th grade. While all colleges want to see all your grades, some like the CSU/UC (California State or UCalifornia Collges) A-G GPA, do not include 9th grade in the calculation.

Verdict from Jonathan Burdick, Admissions Leader at Cornell, University of Southern California, University of Rochester over the past 38 years

"As a long-term college guy I'd say it matters, but likely a bit less than (parents?) think. All things equal the admissions reading process would initially default to looking at the reported weighted GPA, but it would still be important to label or demarcate on the actual transcript which grades were weighted (and unless it's very simple, how much weight). These two ideas are separated because the reported GPA is much more likely to enter the student's record as a data point just because it's so much easier to find. And sadly, there's a non-zero chance that that data point persists all the way through to reporting, scholarships etc. But the actual admissions read, if it's serious, includes perusing the transcript as a direct source of important information."

That means that the courses a student chooses matter at least as much as GPA. Whenever possible, choose rigor in the courses you know that colleges will factor into your GPA if you are reaching for competitive colleges.

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