<p>Hi All,</p>
<p>My S has been selected for UT PACT and SHAPE. Any pros/cons on selecting either? There isn’t a whole lot of information on either of the programs since they are so new. Any recommendations?</p>
<p>Any advise would be appreciated!</p>
<p>I would go with PACT for several reasons:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>You’re guaranteed to continue to UTSW. From what I could interpret from the info on UT Austin’s website, they only guarantee you an interview with UTSW and UTHSC Houston, so you won’t be sure where you will be heading.</p></li>
<li><p>No MCAT - SHAPE hasn’t decided the minimum MCAT yet, but it will be no less than 30. PACT makes you take a practice MCAT for data purposes, but you don’t need to achieve any score.</p></li>
<li><p>Scholarships - UTD is pretty rich, and you should have received a pretty hefty scholarship (I know they gave almost everyone in my school a full ride + the $3000 stipend). UT Austin doesn’t give out as much money.</p></li>
<li><p>“Prestige” - imo, UTSW is more prestigious, if that’s what you’re into. They may also match into better programs, but I haven’t had the time to look closely at both match lists.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>I hope that helps! :)</p>
<p>Haha that was my mom that just posted xD</p>
<p>See, I’m kind of torn. I didn’t really like UTD so much. It just felt kind of… dead. UT Austin, on the other hand, has kind of been my dream school for a while. I know that I would enjoy it there, and I still have a pretty good chance of getting into medical school. Yet, it isn’t for sure, and I have had some pretty weird luck with acceptances this year, and I don’t know if I should be tempting fate…</p>
<p>On the other hand, PACT is a sure deal into medical school, with no MCAT. As you said, the prestige is good, less stress; all of that. I know I want to go to medical school, and UTSW is a damn good one, but I don’t know about UTD.</p>
<p>I’m just confused haha.</p>
<p>yeah UTD is pretty dead compared to UT Austin lol, but I have heard from friends going there that it’s definitely better now they have dorms there. I guess it really depends what sort of undergrad you want. If I were in your position, I’d go with PACT. :)</p>
<p>Some students at UT-H tell me UT-H is a better school than UTSW for an overall experience if you ignore the med school rankings. They do average the same scores in USMLE in both schools from what I understand even though the MCAT scores are much lower at UT-H.</p>
<p>Reading the rules for SHAPE, it sounds like there is one other issue to be considered - they are admitting more students than there are seats which means some will not get into UTSW or UT-H in the end. </p>
<p>I don’t see how this helps a student who has a guaranteed admission to UTSW to know they may not have a seat at all in the end if they go to SHAPE. I heard from someone that cross admits are overwhelmingly choosing PACT.</p>
<p>Its Pact for sure even though I got into 4 BS/MD programs , most of the people that got SHAPE or FAME and got PACT are choosing Pact that should tell you something, besides UTD is a full ride+ $6000 stipend if you get into Pact.</p>
<p>Hello Risubu and Fallpsat! Congratulations on PLME! Can you please post your stats? Would you also include your subject test scores, whether you did any research, any hooks, etc? Thank you so much! :D</p>
<p>Also Hamiltonlover- did you have any hooks, leadership, and leadership experience? Would you mind posting? Thank you! :D</p>
<p>I don’t think I have any hooks/research but have some leadership experience in both school/community…</p>
<p>thank u radiantrobot. Will you go on their scheduled date 4/6? Good Luck!!!</p>
<p>another plme person here. so excited for next fall!</p>
<p>@sk7543 Congrats on PLME! Planing on going to A Day on College Hill? They are having a special info sess just for PLMEs.</p>
<p>@risubu @Sk7453 @fallpsat and others Congratulations for your acceptance into PLME! </p>
<p>To rest - whether you got into bs/md program or not - you all had a very hard and productive year and deserve our congratulations for reaching this far. Best wishes to your future. I am sure all of you will become great doctors one day and serve the society.</p>
<p>Like @fallpsat I think I will go through a period of withdrawal symptoms now that my son’s college results have all come out and I have nothing to discuss in CC. His top offers are from three bs/md programs (NU hpme, PSU/Jefferson and RPI/AMC) and three engineering programs (Caltech, Yale and Johns Hopkins). He will most probably go to HPME (still waiting to hear from UPitt Gap). </p>
<p>Feel free to PM me if you need advice about any of the bs/md programs where my S got in. I will be very happy to share our experience.</p>
<p>Moderator’s note : Now that admission season is almost over except for Rice/Baylor (anymore left?), please take a moment to post on the results thread.</p>
<p>It’s definitely PACT. I got into 3 programs: UTMB, PACT, and UTSA (Off the wait list), as well as Cornell and Duke. I agree about UTD being dead but it’s worth it for Southwestern.</p>
<p>I know union/albany “still under consideration”, wilkes/pennstate, and elizabethtown/pennstate are still going.</p>
<p>@texaspg Still waiting on Stony Brook and NJMS…</p>
<p>congratulations asianandproud. </p>
<p>Bombingrange - when will you hear?</p>
<p>Stony Brook said they overnight mailing their letters by Thursday, NJMS will be calling this week. Let’s hope for the best with both :)</p>
<p>There’s a BU SMED group for anyone who’s considering it! PM for details :)</p>
<p>@matrix007 & @Magna7
Thank you for your thoughtful responses. I appreciate it. I’m definitely leaning more towards Siena & your comments just reinforced that.</p>