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The Insider: Your Expert Guide to College Admissions -
College Admissions Consulting

Should You Take a Gap Year Before Applying to Medical School?

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by Lauren DiProspero, former admissions officer at Columbia University

As college students studying pre-med progress towards the end of their junior year, they may start to wonder if they should begin applying to medical school. If you happen to be one of these pre-med juniors, it may feel like all of your peers are on track to do just that.

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December 29, 2020by Lauren DiProspero
College Admissions Consulting

Am I competitive for medical school?

students in medical scrubs

by Lauren DiProspero, former admissions officer at Columbia University

The process of applying to medical school requires a lot of reflection on the part of applicants. As you start considering when you want to apply, the very first question you should be asking yourself is: Am I competitive for medical school? You need to do an honest assessment of your academics, MCAT score, experiences, and motivation. It can be helpful to include your pre-med advisor in this process as that person has seen many students from your college apply to medical school. They can also provide suggestions for next steps to take to improve your application. Remember, gap years are incredibly common and you do not want to apply to medical school unless you have prepared the strongest application possible.

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November 5, 2020by Lauren DiProspero
College Admissions Consulting

Pre-Med Student Advice; Listener Q&A

For those students interested in pursuing med school post-college, engaging with your pre-med advisor will be an important part of the process. Our resident med school admissions expert, Lauren DiProspero, will offer her suggestions for making the most of this relationship. We’ll also answer as many of your burning college finance and admissions questions as we can.

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September 30, 2020by College Coach
College Admissions Consulting

Engaging with your Pre-Med Advisor

man and woman working on laptop

by Lauren DiProspero, former admissions officer at Columbia University

Every college has advisors dedicated to helping students interested in pre-professional paths like medicine, dentistry, law, or pharmacy, among others. These advisors can be found in many types of offices on campus, from those of academic deans and professors, to centralized locations like career counseling centers. At many colleges, there is an office dedicated to these pathways, and it is most commonly called pre-health or pre-professional advising. If you are having trouble identifying the person or office on your campus, ask your academic advisor or the student services office. They will be able to point you in the right direction!

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September 25, 2020by Lauren DiProspero
College Admissions Consulting

The Importance of Activities for Pre-Med Students

medical students in a hospital

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.

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August 4, 2020by Lauren DiProspero

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