PLME RD Chances? :) Thank you!

Colleges & Universities Brown University
1

<p>I’m a senior, considering PLME, with a Nueorscience major (or something equivalent to MCB- molecular and cellular)</p>

<p>Stats:</p>

<p>SAT I: 2240
SAT IIs: 800 Molecular Biology 780 US History
GPA, Weighted and Unweighted: 3.6 UW, weird weighting system but I’m guessing about 4.1
(this is my main worry)
Rank: school doesn’t rank
ACT: didn’t take it
APs (including this year’s): self-study AP Environmental Science (4)- 10th grade (the first one i took too! Juggled it with Honors Chemistry!), AP Biology (5), AP US History (5)
Senior Yr Courseload: heaviest possible:
AP Physics, AP Calculus BC, AP Studio Art drawing portfolio, AP English Lit, Spanish 4, Gov/Econ, History of World Religions+ Philosophy (required for seniors), Thermodynamics (SPECIAL CLASS)
… Newspaper reporter and AP studio art portfolio after school and independently</p>

<p>Other stats (Awards, etc.):
Commended scholar PSAT (I heard this doesn’t do anything!)
LA Brain Bee contestant (neuroscience competition)
Arts in LA Spotlight Award: Visual Arts (for one piece)
National Spanish Competition Silver Medalist (two-time) 2009 and 2010
outstanding research presented at California NanoSystems Institute symposium: August 2010
CSF Council Vice President for this year’s chapter
College Board AP Scholar
founded and am President of Club:Science at my school (to encourage the sciences, talk about internships, do service projects)</p>

<p>Subjective:
ECs listed on app: 1 JV sport, 13 years of art (plus AP portfolio), violin (no orchestra tho), neuroscience competition, Ayn Rand essay competition (not finalist), then the general “reading a lot, freelance writing, etc”
Job/Work Experience:
2009 summer: photovoltaics research grant: small group of 4 at my school researched (w/ Ph.D supervisor) and created solar power plan for our school
2010 summer: research at UCLA w/stipend (so if I’m paid, it’s considered work then…)
final research poster presentation at CNSI
plus shadowed a doctor for a few weeks last year and sat in on medical resident presentations (worked too in the research unit)
2011 summer: microbiology and embryology research under PI at CalTech
Volunteering: teacher’s assistant on Sundays (2 years), volunteer at hospital, doctor shadowing
And in 2011 summer (before research started): 1.75 weeks of international service and ecological research in Costa Rica
Volunteer Work: aside from Costa Rica, I have hospital volunteer, a TA for a local preschool (on Sundays) for 2 years, and ambassador and representative within admissions for my high school
Essays (subject and responses): talked about passions + unique combo of AP portfolio and major science research
For Brown: talked about how I’ll take advantage of Open Curric, taking classes outside my major, liberal approach to medicine and my other interests (ART! Plus there’s RISD right there where I could take classes if I’m a Brown student)
For PLME: outlined my plan for PLME and talked about how I got into science research (inspired from a teacher freshman year <3 plus some other important people in my life)
Teacher Recs: great… AP Bio and AP Eng… i love both of them and talk to them a lot</p>

<p>Hook (TASP, RSI, Research, etc.): research? three contests? (they weren’t a big deal though)…
Location/Person:
State or Country: CA
School Type, Average Stats of School (if available): private, Catholic, really small, really competitive!!!
Ethnicity: Indian (Asian)
Gender: female</p>

<p>Strengths: EC’s, writing, passion!
Weaknesses: GPA!!! SAT!!!</p>

<p>General Comments/Congratulations/Venting/Commiserations,etc:
I hope people respond! The weather, the people, the atmosphere, the professors would all be perfect for me! I visited in December and was amazed with the libraries especially </p>

<p>My passions are biology and art mainly, and I’ve delved deep into both. This is why a liberal approach to medical education is perfect for me!</p>

<p>chance meee? GPA not amazing. gahhh so scared</p>

2

<p>The chances for PLME are small for everyone applying to that program, so don’t worry about the “chances” just apply if it is the right fit for you, and then leave it up to the difficult choices the admissions committee has to make. You don’t say above how much you think Brown undergrad is also right for you if you don’t get in to PLME. I would also be thinking about that. I think often PLME applicants get so hopeful /psyched about PLME that they don’t really look at the undergrad part of Brown fairly enough for them or Brown. (and go somewhere else for undergrad if they don’t get into PLME, almost sort of a “sour grapes” reflex). Conversely, you are deciding where you are spending your 4 undergrad years also when you are applying to PLME, and that should be (Just?) as important. Ideally every person who gets into PLME should be someone who would be just as likely to go to Brown undergrad whether or not they get into PLME! (Just My Opinion!)</p>

3

<p>That is true! Yes, I love Brown because of its Open Curric. that allows me to take grad school classes (if I get that advanced), engineering classes, basically classes across all schools and doesn’t give a restricting Core. Also I like its proximity to RISD.</p>

<p>How are my chances for regular Brown undergrad. as well?</p>

<p>Thank you, and I would love to know some specific points.
I think I noted a few of my weaknesses… I also would like to know how weak they are! haha</p>

4

<p>bumpppp</p>

<p>I would really love some feedback! :)</p>

5

<p>bumppppppppppp</p>

6

<p>Chances are 20-30%. Really, only the ecs make your resume stand out. Your grades and awards are a little low.</p>