It was in early September that I received a panicked call from the mother of a college freshman. She was in desperate need of some advice. After two weeks at her “dream school,” Abigail was headed home.
Understanding Medical School Traffic Rules
As you go through the medical school application process, it's important to be aware of the "traffic rules" governing how you handle acceptances from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) and American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM). These rules ensure fairness for all applicants.
For AAMC schools:
February 22, 2024: The Choose Your Medical School Tool opens, allowing you to indicate your current preference, though this is non-binding.
April 15, 2024: Narrow your acceptances down to 3 schools max, withdrawing from any others. You can remain on waitlists.
April 30, 2024: Select one remaining school, indicating either:
"Plan to Enroll" if you want to stay on other waitlists
"Commit to Enroll" if this is your final choice - withdrawing you from all other schools
Key dates may vary slightly year-to-year, and individual schools can set earlier deadlines, so stay informed.
After initially receiving an acceptance, you can hold multiple acceptances until the April deadlines, continuing to interview and remaining on waitlists. However, you must narrow down promptly and withdraw from schools you won't attend to allow others a fair chance.
The AACOM traffic rules differ slightly, so review both sets of guidance. Managing acceptances properly demonstrates ethics and professionalism essential for future physicians. Follow the traffic rules closely as you finalize your medical school decision.
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INTERVIEW: How You Can Prepare For Your Nursing or Healthcare Major
As part of our Student to Student video series, College Matters reconnected with its former student Molly, who is studying nursing in college. She explains which extracurricular activities she did in high school, what she considered when applying to nursing programs, and shares other helpful tips for high school students.
What is a Good MCAT Score?
The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) is a standardized test used by many medical schools in the United States and Canada as part of their admissions process. The MCAT is scored on a scale from 472 to 528, with a median score of 500.
A competitive MCAT score is one that puts an applicant in a strong position to be considered for admission to medical school. However, what constitutes a competitive score may vary depending on the specific medical school and the applicant pool in a given year.
Generally, a score of 510 or above is considered competitive for many medical schools. However, some highly selective medical schools may expect applicants to have scores in the 515-520 range or higher.
It is important to note that while a high MCAT score is an important factor in the admissions process, it is not the only factor. Medical schools also consider an applicant's undergraduate GPA, extracurricular activities, letters of recommendation, personal statement, and other factors when making admissions decisions.
Overall, a competitive MCAT score is one that is well above the median and puts an applicant in a strong position to be considered for admission to medical school. However, it is important for applicants to research the specific admissions requirements and expectations of the schools they are interested in applying to in order to determine what score would be considered competitive for that particular school.
Top Tips to Completing Your FAFSA
As predicted, the new FAFSA launched right before the end of the year -- December 30th to be exact. The Education Department is calling it a "soft launch," meaning that they will continue to tweak, make corrections, and fix issues that arrive for at least the month of January, if not beyond.
Families are reporting being unable to access the site or being kicked out after doing so. We suspect that multiple issues are at play: the site is overwhelmed by traffic, and when issues arise, they are taking it down to address them.
But forms are beginning to be filed, so that is good news.
Here are our suggestions:
* Make sure that you have an FSA-ID account for the student and parent(s) before you start the FAFSA.
* Gather all the required documents that you will need to file. These include bank statements, tax returns, 529 documentation, social security numbers, etc., for the student and the parent(s). Have them with you so that you can get through the FAFSA as quickly as possible.
* If any schools require the CSS PROFILE (list here), it may be easier to complete the CSS first and have a printed copy of that for reference, as it is a much deeper dive than the FAFSA.
* Try filing later in the evening or early in the morning when website traffic is less.
* Be mindful of each school's deadline to file. Check their website to confirm. However, if you run into trouble and are worried about meeting those deadlines, contact the colleges themselves and let them know. Financial aid officers are well aware of what is going on and share your frustration!
The Education Department has stated that they will not begin processing FAFSAs until the end of the month at the earliest. This means that you may not get a confirmation email, and your student's applicant portals will still list the FAFSA as missing. Keep checking at the end of the month to ensure that it does go through. In addition, you will not be able to file any corrections to the form (including adding additional colleges) until the first form processes, so make sure that you have all of your schools listed the first time around!
Any questions, let us know!
Should I Have a LinkedIn When I’m Applying to College?
Each year, students are applying to increasing numbers of colleges, driving admission rates lower than they’ve ever been, and raising the question: what can I do to stand out?
You’ve probably heard your parents, teachers, and counselors say:
“Be careful what you post on social media.”
“Make sure your accounts are set to private.”
“If you wouldn’t want your grandma to see it, don’t post it!”
But could using social media actually benefit your college application? Some social media experts are saying “yes.” Here’s the scoop.
Thousands upon thousands of students are applying to schools all over the country. While admissions officers can (and occasionally do) search for students’ social media accounts, more often than not, that’s an extra step they don’t have time for. However, if a student includes a link to their social media account in the application as an invitation for admissions officers to take a look, there’s a good chance they will.
Are you an aspiring photography student with an Instagram account dedicated to your work?
You’re a TikTok singer looking for a degree in music?
You’re a future engineer with a passion for 3D printing who sells your work on your Business Facebook page?
Maybe you want to consider encouraging colleges to take a look.
While most social media platforms are designed for sharing day-to-day life with peers, LinkedIn is specifically designed for you to be able to market yourself professionally to adults who may not know you. And yes, colleges are on LinkedIn too! A well-curated LinkedIn account can allow colleges to get to know you in a way your application might not. It is a great space to create a resume, share articles related to the topics and issues you are passionate about, demonstrate interest by interacting with the colleges you are applying to, and showcase yourself as a serious candidate.
So, do you need to have a LinkedIn account when you’re applying to college? In short, no. Not having a LinkedIn profile is not going to hurt your application. Inviting colleges to look at a mediocre profile that doesn’t show you off as an excellent candidate might. But if you have an account that you’ve really put thought and effort into, that shows you off in a way your application can’t, and gives colleges insight into what you are going to bring to their campus community, then by all means, share it!
How to Deal with a Deferral in Five Steps
You've been deferred -- and no matter what anyone says to try to lessen the disappointment, it still feels lousy! Your parents are vacillating between trying to be comforting and hitting the panic button. You're staying off of Facebook to avoid all of the "Class of 2022!!!!" posts, even though you are genuinely happy for your friends. Some call it limbo; others call it purgatory. Here are five things you can do to right the ship and get cruising along once again.