Asking someone to write you a letter of recommendation can feel awkward – you’re essentially requesting that a busy professor, supervisor, or mentor take time out of their schedule to advocate for you and your future. It’s a big ask. But here’s the good news: you can make it much easier for your recommender to …
by Karin Ash
In my opinion, there is no better way to affirm your career interests than by working in your intended field for a few months via an internship. An internship is also the most effective way for a company to assess your skills and determine your leadership potential. If you are serious about pursuing an MBA …
When looking for activities to include on your American Medical College Application Service (AMCAS) or American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Application Service (AACOMAS) application, shadowing/clinical observation is a powerful way to demonstrate your interest in and realistic knowledge of the medical field. Shadowing a breadth of different specialties in as much depth as …
by Marie Todd
The central theme of your essay doesn’t have to be something earth-shattering or particularly amazing, but it does need to be something that genuinely matters to you and will therefore convey key aspects of your character. Your theme might be something that engages you, something you’re interested in describing, or something you want to explore …
Law schools are still requiring that candidates take a standardized exam as part of the application process (at least for now). In the past, law school applicants had only one testing option – the LSAT – but a growing number of law schools now accept the GRE, too, including Harvard, Columbia, Yale, the University of …
by Marie Todd
In our post “A Stress-Free Brainstorming Plan for Your College Essays,” we outline the basic process of brainstorming to prepare for writing your college essays. In this post, we offer a more-detailed, “circular” method that can help you uncover additional ideas and stories. This circular method is also called “clustering.” To begin, write the essay …
by Marie Todd
A valuable first step in devising a writing plan for your college essays is identifying the attributes that are most important to your target schools, which you can glean from their websites and promotional materials. If you have not already done so, download the current Common App essay questions, as well as any supplemental essay …
Each year, I talk to at least one applicant who says they don’t want their ethnic or racial identity to be part of their medical school application. Their hesitation usually stems from a desire to be judged purely upon their merits. This is a noble principle that I respect. However, from the general perspective of …
by Mary Mahoney
A 2018 study published in MedEdPublish reveals that medical students who reported having physician parents or grandparents were less likely to express intentions to practice medicine among the underserved. If you have a parent who is a doctor, to gain admission to medical school, it’s vital to demonstrate that you really care about medicine and …
The medical school application process is complex, with multiple steps and potential missteps around each corner. Because each medical school receives thousands of applications every year for a very limited number of seats, both first-time applicants and reapplicants must be extremely careful to avoid the eight most common mistakes that can result in rejections: 1. …
Show Summary In this episode of Admissions Straight Talk, Dr. Christy Bozic, the Executive Director of Duke University’s Masters of Engineering Management (MEM) program, discusses the unique aspects of the program, including the differences between online and in-person formats, and the importance of integrating technical and business skills. She also delves into the admissions process, …
by Marie Todd
Did you know that the word “essay” comes from the French word essai (later essayer), meaning “to try”? An essay is a kind of inquiry – an attempt to get at the core of an idea or experience, to find out what is true. We read personal essays to discover how the writer thinks and …
In this 30-minute session, one of our admissions consultants will review your profile, assess your chances of acceptance at your target programs, and tell you exactly where you stand.
