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  • December 30, 2023

Pre-med

Among the different kinds of graduate schools, medical school has the lowest admission rate by far, so much as that it is commonplace to see acceptance rates for public medical schools approach that of private ones (e.g. UNC Chapel Hill’s 4.2% vs. Duke’s 2.9%). While the prestige of the undergraduate college might tip the scales of admission slightly, an applicant’s choice of coursework and GPA are the most important factors. That said, elite colleges can boast of success rates of graduates gaining admission into medical school that are significantly higher than the national average of 43%. For example:

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  • November 10, 2023

Rankings: Usefulness

For a published college rankling to be useful during application season, it has to emphasize factors that matter to applicants. For example, if a ranking places significant weight (e.g. more than 25%) on the percentage of instructors who has a Ph.D., it is natural to ask if having a doctorate makes someone a better instructor. Alumni donations is another factor that may seem less consequential at first glance. However, generous donations can allow for more financial aid, better equipment and a greater selection of learning programs.

Because publishers do make their methodology public to some extent, applicants to elite colleges should take the time and examine these disclosures with family to make sure that they are following information sources that will lead to informed decisions.

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  • September 4, 2023

Rankings: reader beware

This posting is not about whether rankings are harmful or beneficial. Rather, it is about what to be aware of when reading a given ranking as the results of each one is based on its own combination of factors. Here are a few examples:

  1. Forbes does not rank the service academies. Like some other rankings, it does not separate large land-grant state universities from small undergraduate focused liberal arts colleges. Additionally, weight is given to how frequently a college’s alumni appear in Forbes own list of prominent individuals.
  2. U.S. News produces the most well-known ranking. It does separate smaller liberal arts colleges from larger universities. However, alumni giving (to be removed from this year onwards) carried weight, meaning colleges that provide quality education to students from lower income household would suffer. Starting this, the ranking will place stronger emphasis on the diversity of a college’s student body but it is not clear how the recent Supreme Court decision will affect future results.
  3. Niche.com takes student reviews into account. While it is important to know what the most important people on campus think, it is not difficult to see how objectively curating these reviews is more art than science.

Even when multiple rankings use the same factor (e.g. academic rigor), the interpretation can vary. Remember that regardless of publisher, rankings are opinions at their core.

  • September 4, 2023

De-stressing

There are common, interconnected themes experienced by applicants and their families during the application process that should be noted:

  1. Being unsure – Whether it is essays or college choices, it is not surprising to feel self-doubt when the odds of success are low.
  2. Comparison –Intense competition between applicants often leads to each one to compare oneself to peers, causing feelings of inadequacy.
  3. Feeling alone – When applicants encounter rough moments during the application process, they can find themselves without someone to relate to. This is especially true when high parental expectations, real or imagined, are present.
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  • July 29, 2023

Video envy

High school seniors who post college acceptance reaction videos want to share their joy of success with the world at large for reasons of their choosing, but the sobering reality is that these public displays of victory come from a minority. To many who do not belong in that minority, such videos can feel like someone just wants to ‘rub it in’.

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