by Lauren DiProspero, former admissions officer at Columbia University

College is the time that most pre-med students have been waiting for: they finally have the time and freedom to dig in and explore the field of medicine. Academically, pre-med coursework is mostly prescribed to meet the prerequisite coursework expected by medical schools. As a result, students look towards their involvement outside of the classroom as a way to confirm their desire to go to medical school. That exposure and reflection is crucial for creating a successful application. Medical schools do expect students to develop core competencies in addition to exploring what it means to become a doctor through experience. Admissions committees look for evidence of: empathy, ethics, compassion, maturity, leadership, and an understanding of a medical career. The experiences a student has in college, and beyond, can show all of these and more.

by Lauren DiProspero, former admissions officer at Columbia University

It can be daunting to figure out where to apply to medical school. Whether you are a few years from applying or are facing down those decisions for this application cycle, the best way to make an informed choice is to have access to high quality information and data. The only source authorized by every medical school is AMCAS’s Medical School Admissions Requirements (MSAR) and AACOM’s Osteopathic College Information Book (CIB). These guides are subscription based and can be an ideal place to start. Ultimately, this is a long, research-intensive process and each applicant’s medical school list will look different based on their priorities and experiences.

by Lauren DiProspero, former admissions officer at Columbia University

As I spend time speaking with families, I notice that many are missing the cultural experiences they had before stay-at-home policies were established. Some love museums, no matter how small and quirky. Some miss the popcorn at their local movie theater. Some are yearning to learn new things at lectures. And, honestly, many didn’t have regular access to these experiences within their community before this.

by Lauren DiProspero, former admissions officer at Columbia University

May marks the beginning of the summer for many but, for medical school hopefuls, it also marks the start of the admissions process.

If you are applying to medical school this year, there are a few things that have changed and many that have stayed the same. Even though several MCAT exam sittings have been cancelled, most medical schools are still encouraging applicants to submit their applications as early as possible—they will accept those applications pending MCAT scores. The first day to submit the AMCAS application remains May 28 but AMCAS has pushed back the first date of data transmissions to medical schools to July 10 to give applicants more time to finish their applications.

With the opening of the AMCAS application come four steps every applicant needs to take:

On the latest episode of Getting In: A College Coach Conversation, host Elizabeth Heaton talks with her guests about admitted student days, how and when to arrange financing for college, and what to look for when hiring an independent counselor.

“I want to become a doctor! What do I need to do?”

This is one of the most common questions I hear from students and their families. There is a lot of information and myths about the pre-med path, and it can be challenging to figure out what is important to consider when researching colleges.

On the latest episode of Getting In: A College Coach Conversation, guest host Sally Ganga covers how to compare financial aid award letters, Division 3 athletics and admissions, and summer planning.

On the latest episode of Getting In: A College Coach Conversation, host Elizabeth Heaton goes over the nuts and bolts of submitting an application, whether it’s possible to receive in-state tuition as an out-of-state student at a public university, and when to update colleges with new information.

On the latest episode of Getting In: A College Coach Conversation, guest host Sally Ganga talks with her guests about whether or not to disclose learning disabilities on the admission application, how you’ll know when you’re ready to submit your first college application, and how to keep track of student loans while you’re in college.

On the latest episode of Getting In: A College Coach Conversation, guest host Ian Fisher welcomes a special guest to discuss what you can do with a humanities degree. During Office Hours, he talks with colleagues to better understand what demonstrated interest means and goes on to cover where to get help filling out the FAFSA.