<p>Hi! I really want to get in to HPME, and I think I have a decent shot–I’ve worked my butt off throughout high school. Everyone on CC seems so intelligent, it’s intimidating! Lol. But anyways, here are my “stats”.</p>
<p>I’m in the IB diploma program with the most challenging course load for all four years. My high school is in the Newsweek Top 300, so it’s moderately competitive. By the way, I’m white and female and Jewish.</p>
Tutors elementary schools kids in Hebrew for 15/hr. twice weekly
Started a business selling reusable flashcards that has made thousands of dollars over the last couple years
Started a community vegetable garden, I deliver vegetables to residents the area for a nominal fee, 3 years now
Took a 1 month community service trip to Jamaica between sophomore/junior years</p>
<p>Awards:
Various regional/state writing contests
Attended National History Day in 10th, placed 18th in country
Won best handwriting in school 2 years in a row </p>
<p>I don’t have much of a “focus area”, but my business takes up a lot of my time. I’m trying to go non-profit and donate the proceeds to a poor community in Jamaica (the same one I visited last summer). Hopefully that can happen before college admissions time, but I’m not sure.</p>
<p>… well that about sums up the past three years of my life. If it matters, I plan on going into psychiatry.</p>
<p>i got into HPME this year, and with those stats/ecs, i’m almost positive you will get an interview as long as your essay is pretty well written. as long as you interview well, i think you have a great chance!</p>
<p>i also got in HPME this year and your stats are pretty strong
just be sure to highlight your dedication to medicine in your essays and im almost certain you will get an interview, though there is not sure shot because the process can be random at times
once you get to the interviews, that is going to be the deciding factor</p>
<p>You won best handwriting in school 2 years in a row? Sorry, but you obviously disqualified yourself from being a doctor.</p>
<p>But seriously, you have good stats. You should take the bio SATII, though. It’s pretty easy. Also, emphasize that you enjoy interacting with people in your essays/interview. I got all the way to the interview and told them I was going into medical research. I didn’t say anything about being a people person, either. Big mistake.</p>
<p>Also, saying you want to go into psychiatry might be good to mention.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the tips lol@collegealum about the handwriting!</p>
<p>jcr–I’m aware that the job growth for psychiatry is virtually nonexistent (or is it negative now? lol) … but its a field i’ve been interested in for a very long time. i considered psychology as an alternative, but in the end i decided i really want to go into psychiatry, regardless. i’m hoping HMOs will begin to send more business to psychiatrists, as they are definitely more well-qualified than psychologists/social workers.</p>
<p>collegebound~ you might want to seriously re-consider psychiatry as your career objective, and it would be helpful if you talked to mental health professionals already in the field, as you have some misconceptions. the way insurance is going, for ALL plans, ie, HMOs,PPOs,POSs, etc., psychiatrists are relegated to the 15 minute “medication mangement” session. they are NOT allowing psychotherapy visits for them usually. i also think you need to review curriculum for all the professions you listed. psychiatrists are MDs, with only a segment of their training in the mental health area. psychologists on the other hand are exclusively trained in mental heath, with the PhD as the only terminal degree for private practice. the MSW is terminal for social workers, and their focus is different from psychology, but they,too, have an exclusive mental health perspective. an awful lot of mental health professionals would disagree with your "definitely more well- qualified " statement.</p>
<p>Thanks for the insight, happycollegemom. By “more well-qualified” I meant more highly educated (generally). Sorry, I should have worded that in a less offensive way.</p>
lol@collegealum about the handwriting!</p>