When crafting application essays – whether for graduate school, business school, or any other competitive program – applicants often focus on highlighting their accomplishments. And it’s easy to understand why. Most candidates are eager to share their significant achievements, such as leading a groundbreaking project, making a meaningful impact through research, or spearheading a successful…
MEDICAL SCHOOL ADMISSIONS
A Strategic Guide for Applying to Medical School
When premed students contact us about guiding them through the medical school application process, many of their questions are related to timing. “When should I …?” is a frequent question starter. Although no single answer applies to everyone, here are the guidelines we use when advising our medical school clients. When should I apply to…
Accepted: Your Guide to CU School of Medicine [Episode 599]
Show Summary In this episode of Admissions Straight Talk, host Linda Abraham interviews Dr. Jeffrey SooHoo, Assistant Dean for Admissions at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. They discuss the unique aspects of the Colorado Medical curriculum, including the new Trek curriculum, the importance of longitudinal integrated clerkships, and the various tracks available for…
When Will Medical Schools Give You an Answer?
Sadly, the frustrating truth is that there’s no rule governing how much time a medical school has to respond to your application. However, in this post, we’ll try to mitigate some of that frustration by answering a couple of the big questions you might have as an anxious med school applicant, including the following: When…
How to Defer a Medical School Acceptance
Life happens. After all the effort you put into getting accepted to medical school, sometimes the timing just doesn’t work. Over the years, I’ve worked with many clients who, after receiving an acceptance, found themselves in a difficult position when it came to actually starting their medical studies. Receiving a Fulbright scholarship to study abroad,…
The Nine Mistakes to Avoid on a Medical School Waitlist
Imagine this scenario: a medical school applicant works hard to earn a competitive GPA and a high MCAT score; they submit their primary application on the opening date and submit their secondaries within two weeks of receiving the prompts; they do well at their interview and are told to expect a decision within a few…
2025-2026 AMCAS Work and Activities Section: What to Include (with Examples)
The AMCAS Work and Activities section is where you will share all your research, clinical experiences, paid employment, publications, leadership, extracurricular activities, awards, memberships, volunteer work, and advocacy and social justice efforts. The types of activities that you include, the length of time you participated in them, and your description of these events all have…
Ask Away at Your Admissions Interview!
Have you been invited to interview at the graduate school of your choice? Great news! This means the program is seriously interested in you, and you are one important step closer to acceptance. To make the most of this opportunity, preparation is essential. Your goal is not only to demonstrate your enthusiasm for and knowledge…
The Anatomy of a Post-Interview Thank You Email
After your medical school interview, it is appropriate to send thank-you notes to all the people who helped you throughout the day. These days, most people send a thank you via email. Here are some helpful guidelines for doing so effectively. A thank-you email begins and ends with gratitude. It contains many of the same formalities…
M3 Journaling: How It Can Help Your Residency Application
As you begin your third year of medical school, what are you doing to prepare for the residency match? Chances are, you’re up to your eyeballs in rotations and exams and everything else that goes into the third year of your medical degree. Chances are, you’re not thinking much about your personal statement or future…
What’s the Best Way to Prep for Your Residency Interview?
Your residency interview is your chance to show your target programs that you’ve got what it takes to join their team. Everything in your application, including your medical student performance evaluation and other evaluations, is fair game for interviewers. These are some of the most common questions you’ll hear: You’re also likely to be asked…
Get Accepted to the Washington University School of Medicine [Episode 595]
Show Summary In this episode, Dr. Valerie Ratts, the Associate Dean for Admissions at The Washington University School of Medicine, offers an overview of the unique program. She describes the “Gateway Curriculum” which provides early clinical exposure and flexibility for students to explore different areas of medicine, including research, innovation, advocacy, and education. Dr. Ratts…
The Importance of Extracurricular Activities for Medical School Applications
You’ve probably read about the multifaceted requirements of medical school admission. If so, this post is an attempt to, first, demystify them a bit and, second, untangle one of the least understood ones. The price of admission begins with an excellent GPA and MCAT score. Most applicants have both. The definition of “excellent” varies from…
Deep Dive into Duke Medical: An Interview with Dr. Linton Yee, Associate Dean of Admissions [Episode 593]
Show Summary Dr. Linton Yee, Associate Dean for Admissions at Duke University School of Medicine joins us to discuss how applicants can earn a spot in this highly competitive program. Dr. Yee walks listeners through the unique curriculum which focuses on integrating basic science and clinical experiences from the first year. In addition to strong…
The Role of the Committee Letter: Your Key to Medical School Acceptance
Letters of evaluation are critical elements of a competitive medical school application. A strong letter will complement your essays and experience descriptions, giving admissions committee members a valuable outside perspective on your potential in the field of medicine. Medical schools accept three types of letters: individual letters, letter packets, and committee letters. However, many prefer…
All You Need to Know About Residency Applications and Matching
You’re busy juggling med school and life, and if you don’t stay organized, one of those balls is going to come crashing down. Let’s take a look at what you need to do so you can stay focused, motivated, and completely on top of your juggling act. What Are the Components of a Residency Application?…
Practicing for Your Med School Interview
Most applicants come away from their first medical school interview saying, “That wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.” As with many things in life, the anticipation of a stressful event can sometimes be worse than the event itself. Although many med schools work hard to make applicants who are interviewing feel relaxed, this…
How to Project Confidence, Professionalism, and Positivity in Your Essays
So you’ve sat down and brainstormed, and you’re now ready to hit the ground running with your essays. Great! You might be wondering how to best convey your reasons for pursuing graduate school to the admissions committees. What kind of tone or approach should you use? A good rule of thumb is to project three…
The MMI: Everything You Need to Know
The Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) has become a very common med school interview format – one that is meant to provide a fairer, more comprehensive assessment of applicants. It’s grown in popularity since 2004, when Canada’s McMaster University published a study illustrating the flaws in the traditional interview format, especially in the ways that interviewers…
How to Get a U.S. Student Visa – Even When There Are Complications [Episode 589]
Show Summary This week, we hear from Marla Schechter, a US immigration lawyer with 20+ years of experience. Marla shares her expertise on various topics related to obtaining a visa for studying in the United States. She covers the process of obtaining an F-1 visa, the advantages of studying in a STEM-certified program, the H-1B…
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