Discover the unique Temple Katz SOM program [Show Summary]

The Temple Katz School of Medicine distinguishes itself with two campuses, a Narrative Medicine Program, and deep ties to the local community. In this interview, Jacob Ufberg, Associate Dean of Admissions, shares everything applicants need to know to get accepted to Temple Katz. 

Interview with Temple Katz School of Medicine Admissions Dean, Dr. Jacob W. Ufberg [Show Notes]

Welcome to the 476th episode of Admissions Straight Talk. Thanks for tuning in. 

The medical school application process is complex. Think of it like a structure that you're building with many elements and floors. Like any building, it requires a strong foundation. Accepted’s free four-part video course, which takes less than half an hour to complete, lays out the foundation of an outstanding medical school application. Watch it today at medschoolessentials.com.

Our special guest today is Dr. Jacob Ufberg, Associate Dean for Admissions at Temple University’s Lewis Katz School of Medicine and Director of the Emergency Medicine Residency Program. He completed his bachelor's degree at the University of Pennsylvania, then he earned his MD at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine and did his residency in Emergency Medicine at The Medical College of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. He returned to Temple University's Katz School of Medicine after completing his residency and has since become Associate Dean of Admissions, Interim Assistant Dean of Career Advising, a Professor of Emergency Medicine, and an Emergency Medicine Residency Program Director. I'd say he's a little bit busy. 

Can you give us an overview of Temple Katz's approach to medical education, focusing on its more distinctive aspects? [1:58]

At Temple, we teach our clinical medicine and basic science interwoven together with our clinical faculty and basic science faculty integrated together into our pre-clerkship curriculum over the first year and three quarters. That can provide some clinical perspective for the basic science that the students are learning. We do a good deal of small group and case-based learning, and we have a strong focus on integrating the learning of safety, quality, social and structural determinants of health, disparities in health, and medical ethics. We have a wonderful simulation center here. We use simulation and standardized patients quite a bit in the pre-clerkship years for clinical correlation. We have a curriculum that allows for a lot of early and frequent clinical experience. We have two campuses, one here in North Philadelphia and one in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania at the St. Luke's University Health System. They both provide really wonderful clinical learning opportunities for the students. One of the great things is that the students have an opportunity to cross over from one campus to the other for some of their clinical learning opportunities over the years.

Is there a different focus between the two different campuses? [3:37]

I wouldn't say that there's a different focus. We are very well-aligned in how we teach, what we teach,

How can an international student pay for grad school in the U.S. or Canadian graduate education? [Show Summary]

MPOWER Financing has changed the graduate education financing industry by offering international students loans with no collateral or co-signer requirement. Sasha Ramani, the Associate Director of Corporate Strategy explains how they do this responsibly and shares his own journey through graduate school, which led him to this role. 

Interview with Sasha Ramani, Associate Director of Corporate Strategy, MPOWER Financing [Show Notes]

Welcome to the 476th episode of Admissions Straight Talk. Thanks for tuning in. Are any of you, whether in the United States or outside of the United States, aiming for the MBA Trinity of Harvard, Stanford, and Wharton? Well, you're in luck. Next week I'm going to present What It Takes to Get Accepted to Harvard, Stanford and Wharton on Thursday, June 23rd. The webinar is free, but you do need to register to reserve your spot at accepted.com/hsw. 

I'd like to welcome to Admissions Straight Talk Sasha Ramani. Sasha grew up in Canada and graduated with distinction from the University of Waterloo where he quadruple majored in Actuarial Science, Statistics, Operations Research, and Business Administration, while also being active on campus. After graduating, he worked for Mars & Co and Deloitte as a Strategy Consultant before moving on to the Harvard Kennedy School, where he completed his MPP in Business and Government. Since 2017, he has worked with MPOWER Financing, a fast-growing FinTech company, providing millions to promising international and DACA students without collateral or co-signers. 

Can you tell us a little bit about your background? [2:05]

Sure, absolutely. I'm from a city called Mississauga. It's a suburb of Toronto in Canada. That's where I was born and raised. I spent my entire childhood there until the end of college. Then I moved to New York City and worked as a management consultant for two different consultancies, Mars & Co and Deloitte Consulting. I specialized in investment management. That’s the traditional consulting work of helping firms grow and expand, advising on mergers and acquisitions, cost-cutting, or other ways they can expand their product or geographic services.

After that, I moved on to the Harvard Kennedy School where I got a Master's in Public Policy. That's when I came across MPOWER almost by accident. I came across the firm at a startup career fair, not even looking for jobs, but just looking for interesting startups and getting a flavor for what people were doing.

It just sort of crossed my mind that if for me, as a Canadian in the U.S., which makes me the least international of all students, to get a bank account, a credit card, or other bread and butter financial product was kind of like pulling teeth – imagine what it's like for a student from India, China, Mexico, Brazil, or any of the other 200 plus countries thatMPOWER serves. So I did my graduate school internship with MPOWER in 2017. I loved the experience. When I completed my master's in 2018,

An inside look at the NYMC MD program and how to get accepted [Show Summary]

New York Medical College’s MD program offers students robust clinical experiences and ongoing academic and career mentoring. Dr. Karen Murray, Associate Dean of Admissions, gives an inside scoop on how students can get accepted to this competitive program.

Interview with Dr. Karen Murray, Associate Dean of Admissions for the SOM at NYMC [Show Notes]

Welcome to the 474th episode of Admissions Straight Talk. Thanks for tuning in. Calculating your GPA for med school can be difficult, especially if you are applying via AMCAS, AACOMAS and/or TMDSAS. However, Accepted has a free tool that can really help you. Using our brand new and free GPA calculator, just enter your classes and credits to calculate your GPA. If you are a couple of years away from applying, you can download the GPA calculator spreadsheet and assess the impact of your grades as you earn them. Or you can calculate the impact of different anticipated grades and see what your GPA will be if you ace that course, or if you take a hit. Just download the spreadsheet template at accepted.com/medgpa, and you can use and update it as needed. Plus it’s free.

Try the Premed GPA Calculator

Our guest today is Dr. Karen Murray, Associate Dean of Admissions for the School of Medicine at New York Medical College. Dr. Murray graduated from Cornell University with a Bachelor's in Biology and Biological Sciences. She immediately started medical school at NYMC and graduated in 1991. She then did her residency in OB/GYN also at NYMC and has been an attending physician and Associate Professor at NYMC since 2003. She became the Associate Dean for Admissions for the School of Medicine at NYMC in 2018. 

Can you give us an overview of NYMC's approach to medical education focusing on its more distinctive elements? [2:23]

New York Medical College has recently undergone a revamping of its curriculum. This was geared toward the changes that are happening with the USMLE. Unlike the traditional medical school where you had two years of full, straight lecture courses followed by two years of clinical, we are actually starting our clinicals early. 

They start out during the first year with the fundamentals, which go from August to March. Then, starting in March of your first year, you start your systems. Your systems-based learning goes from April of your first year and continues through to February of your second year. Usually somewhere between the end of February and March, you take the Step 1, and immediately after that, you start your clinicals. Your clinicals start in April of your second year and run through into your fourth year and graduation. We've put a little bit more clinical in there and start the clinical a little earlier.

A lot of students go to medical school because they really want to put that white coat on and get out and start seeing patients. You do see some of that in your first year durin...

How to Write a Statement of Purpose That Gets You Accepted [Show Summary]

Vanessa Febo is a PhD candidate in English Literature at UCLA and a writing instructor who has guided students to acceptance at top programs at Harvard, Stanford, and USC. In this episode, she shares her expert tips on mastering the writing required for a successful statement of purpose. 

Interview with Vanessa Febo, a PhD candidate in English Literature at UCLA and Accepted Admissions Consultant [Show Notes]

Welcome to the 473rd episode of Admissions Straight Talk. Thanks for tuning in. The challenge at the heart of admissions is showing that you both fit in at your target schools and stand out in the applicant pool. Accepted’s free download, Fitting In & Standing Out: The Paradox at the Heart of Admissions will show you how to do both. Master this paradox, and you are well on your way to acceptance. You can download this free guide at accepted.com/fiso.

Our guest today, Vanessa Febo, is a PhD candidate in English Literature at UCLA. She graduated from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor's in English, and then worked in business for several years. While pursuing her PhD at UCLA, she has taught writing to undergraduate students and assisted graduate students in getting major grants and scholarships, including the Fulbright, Stanford Knight-Hennessy, and the Ford Foundation Fellowship. She has also guided students to acceptance at top programs at Harvard, Stanford, USC, and others, while an Accepted consultant. 

How did you get involved in coaching applicants in the writing required for admissions as well as grant and scholarship applications? [2:08]

I was an English major, and I knew that I wanted to pursue a PhD. I wasn't sure what that entailed at the time. I don't think anyone necessarily does when they’re going into a PhD program, but I discovered a lot of it was teaching. I really loved teaching and a big part of teaching and the English curriculum is obviously working with students on their writing, which we’re not necessarily fully trained in. So I got additional certification in writing pedagogy as well. Then I managed to get a job at the Scholarship Resource Center at UCLA, which is a very unique center because it's one of the only of its kind in the country. It's really surprising to me that more universities, especially private ones that have so much money, don’t have centers like this. We're one of the very few that actually help students work on applications for scholarships. Through that, I have the opportunity to work with students on what we might call national merit or nationally recognized international scholarships as well because that is operated through that office. I got to work with Dr. Rebecca Blustein, who spearheads this at UCLA. I've been involved on selection committees for scholarships through this office for in-house scholarships and for things like Phi Beta Kappa, the National Honor Society. I was recently on their selection committee for that, but it just finished. I've also worked with students with both interviewing and essay writing for all sorts of scholarships,

Where we're at:

Right now, if I walk down the street almost anywhere in the United States, I will see “Help Wanted” signs in the windows, on Amazon trucks, and almost everywhere. The United States is experiencing a labour shortage and one of the tightest labour markets since records were kept.

As a result of the labour shortage, current grads are getting jobs and great salaries. The Wall Street Journal wrote "The Class of 2022 represents the most in-demand college graduates to enter the job market in years."

At the same time and probably as a result of the tight job market, application volume declined this past cycle at many graduate programs. In several podcast interviews that I conducted, whether with medical school, law school, or business school, admissions deans and directors, the school representatives indicated that application volume was down from the stratospheric levels of 2020-21, but not below pre-COVID levels. At May’s AIGAC conference, several top MBA admissions directors also expressed concern about summer melt – the number of admitted applicants who have indicated they will attend and then decide either not to go for an MBA or to attend another program - as well as the employer incentives NOT to go for an MBA.

The drop in application volume stemming from the tight job market, however, is good news for applicants. It means it's easier to get into better programs than it was at the height of the COVID recession. Fewer applicants also almost always lead to more and larger scholarships for highly qualified students.

The question for applicants thinking about applying during the 2022-23 application cycle is: Will the applicant party continue? Will grad admissions, especially MBA admissions, see further declines in application volume? Will it remain a buyer’s market?

I really doubt it. And here’s why.

Listen: Linda Abraham talks about why you should apply to grad school asap in this special podcast episode

Drumbeat of warning about a coming recession

In late 2021 and early 2022 the economic predictions were optimistic. By May, that confidence had dissipated. Inflation surged, the stock market slumped, supply chain snafus multiplied, Russia invaded Ukraine, and interest rates climbed.

Headlines increasingly relayed recession and layoff warnings.

* Lloyd Blankfein, senior chairman of Goldman Sachs, warned on Face the Nation on May 15 of a high risk of recession.* Wells Fargo CEO Charlie Scharf said there was "no question" that we are headed towards a recession.* The Wall Street Journal reported; "Companies which saw substantial growth during the Covid-19 pandemic are starting to take a more cautious approach toward hiring and...

All you need to know about med school admissions [Show Summary]

Madison Searle, a published writer, graduate application advisor, and former director of an undergraduate Honors Center at a leading Public Ivy, shares his tips and strategies for medical school applications that lead to acceptance. 

Madison Searle, Accepted medical school consultant, talks about how to get accepted [Show Notes]

Welcome to the 472nd episode of Admissions Straight Talk. Thanks for tuning in. 

Are you ready to apply to your dream medical schools? Are you competitive at your target programs? Accepted's Med School Admissions Quiz can give you a quick reality check. Just go to accepted.com/medquiz, complete the quiz, and you will not only get an assessment but also tips on how to improve your chances of acceptance. Plus it's all free.

hbspt.cta.load(58291, '6f21f36c-c988-4e9c-b947-0b9d4af1557f', {"region":"na1"});

Our guest today, Madison Searle, is a published writer, graduate application advisor, and former director of an undergraduate Honors Center at a leading Public Ivy. He earned his Master's in English Lit from UVA and taught writing seminars for students in two honors programs at the College of Natural Sciences at UT Austin in addition to being the director of those programs. Almost all of the students in his seminars were applying to medical school or other healthcare professions. UT conservatively estimated acceptance rates for those programs at around 95%. Today, Madison is an Accepted consultant working with med school and healthcare applicants. 

You were an English major and got your Master’s in Literature. How did you get involved in med school and science admissions? [2:13]

Good question. For the past decade, I've taught two writing seminars to two honors programs that were about 80% premed students. One of the first things I did in that first semester a decade ago was teach autobiographical writing because I knew that’s what they were going to be doing for medical school applications. I continued doing that through January of this year and I also worked with countless students on their own medical school application letter.

You worked with students individually through the program as well as providing the seminar? [2:47]

Correct. Yes.

How do you suggest applicants approach the writing portion of the primary application? [2:54]

My first bit of advice to any premed student, and I got them early enough in their trajectory that I could give this advice to them, was to keep a daily journal about their premed journey. It would be useful to them in three ways. First, it would help them to simply remember the experiences and thoughts they could draw on for their medical school applications. It would give them practice at writing about their own thoughts and experiences, and it would also help them gain clarity in figuring out and really being able to articulate their motivation for going to medical school. 

READ:

Football, Air Force Academy, and business; hear how they come together in this Stanford MBA's journey [Show Summary]

Captain David Harris has been a leader since childhood. Growing up and in college, he played football. After graduating from the U.S. Air Force Academy, he served as an officer in the U.S. Space Force, and now he’s preparing for an MBA at Stanford GSB. In this episode, he shares his story. 

Interview with David Harris, US Air Force veteran, Stanford GSB MBA candidate [Show Notes]

Thanks for joining me for the 471st episode of Admissions Straight Talk. You've seen the stats that most people have a great return on their MBA investment, but what about you? Are you going to see that return? We've created a tool that will help you assess whether the MBA is likely to be a good investment for you individually. Go to accepted.com/mbaroicalc, complete the quiz, and you'll not only get an assessment, but also the opportunity to calculate different scenarios. And it's all free.

hbspt.cta.load(58291, 'c02bd076-c5e2-45e6-b09d-9c5e3065ccd6', {"useNewLoader":"true","region":"na1"});

I'd like to welcome to Admissions Straight Talk, Captain David Harris of the U.S. Space Force. I first met David when he won a free consultation after attending an Accepted webinar. I was very impressed with him and here's why: In addition to being a delightful person to speak with, David graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 2017. While there, he was a football team captain for the Academy's Division I team. Upon graduating, he worked first as a Nuclear Cruise Missile Manufacturing and Production Program Manager for the U.S. Air Force and is currently serving in the United States Space Force's National Reconnaissance Office. Parallel to his service in the military, David has pursued internships in private equity and venture capital, participated in Management Leadership for Tomorrow's Professional Development Fellows’ program, and co-founded his own investment management company, Ikon Capital Group. 

Can you tell us a little bit about your background? [2:38]

No problem. I'm David Harris. Originally from Dallas, Texas so a Cowboys fan by law. I was actually born during a Cowboys game and that kind of laid the framework for my early pursuits. I played football growing up and that ultimately opened the door for football scholarships at the Air Force Academy, which I chose for the leadership and academic challenge. I majored in management and played football, as you mentioned, and then graduated. That's where I caught the bug for finance. I was really interested once I got into my major, specifically the finance course to dive a little deeper into private equity. So I got an internship at Pharos Capital down in Dallas before I went into active duty at the Nuclear Cruise Missile Program Office, where I was working for three years. It was a great opportunity to lead with decent size team of up to 30. I got the real challenge when I went to the National Reconnaissance Office leading a team of about 125 and managing $250 million worth of software development satellites. It was definitely an amazing experience.

Discover HEC Paris' top-ranked MBA Program [Show Summary]

HEC Paris’ top-ranked MBA Program is known for its entrepreneurial spirit, the strong representation of many cultures, and the rich alumni network that feels like family. Benoit Banchereau, MBA Admissions Director, explores what sets this program apart and how potential students can secure a spot.

Benoit Banchereau, Executive Director, Marketing and Admissions at HEC Paris MBA programs shares what the program is looking for in applicants [Show Notes]

It gives me great pleasure to have for the first time on Admissions Straight Talk, Benoit Banchereau. Benoit is the Executive Director of Marketing and Admissions at HEC Paris MBA programs. He earned two masters degrees from the Sorbonne in Paris, one in Bilingual Journalism and the other in Media and Communication. He also participated in INSEAD’s International Marketing Program. He has worked in communications and marketing for companies like A.T. Kearney, Standard & Poor's, and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer before joining HEC Paris in 2015 as Director of Marketing and Admissions. In 2019, he became the Executive Director of Marketing and Admissions for all of HEC Paris' MBA programs.

Can you start by giving us an overview of HEC's three MBA programs? [2:17]

We have a full-time MBA that takes place on the campus of Jouy-en-Josas. It's a 16-month program that students complete on-site. The Executive MBA program is between 15 and 18 months. It includes people who are generally above 35, and it's a part-time MBA. We have five flexible options. We have some modular intakes, weekend intakes, a bilingual intake in French and English, and an intake in Qatar where we have an office.

Our program is very highly ranked in the Financial Times, it has the number one place. For the moment so far so good, but you can never stay too long in first place. Our TRIUM Executive MBA is a partnership with NYU and LSE, London School of Economics. It's a very special international offer that gives students the opportunity to belong to the three alumni communities from HEC, NYU, and LSE.

Is the TRIUM Executive MBA a full-time program or a part-time program? [4:32]

It's a part-time program with exactly the same target. In terms of population, it's more expensive than our Executive MBA at HEC. It really gives a special offer. It's usually between 50 and 60 participants so it's a very small cohort with people trying to get an international perspective. The alliance between HEC, NYU, and LSE is so valuable, especially at this time when we see that international relations are so important. It gives a very interesting approach, especially with our friends from LSE who can actually bring this to students.

Can you zoom in on the full-time MBA program's more notable and distinctive elements? [6:05]

What you're going to get from the full-time MBA is the quality of the courses that we provide with top professors.

Interested in a spot in Tulane SOM? Hear all about what the program has to offer [Show Summary]

Set in vibrant New Orleans, the Tulane School of Medicine offers students an outstanding medical education with opportunities for community involvement and research. Mike Woodson, Director of Admissions, explains what it takes to get accepted to this competitive program.

Mike Woodson, Director Of Admissions at Tulane University School of Medicine talks about how to get accepted [Show Notes]

Welcome to the 469th episode of Admissions Straight Talk, thanks for tuning in. Calculating your GPA for medical school can be difficult. You’ve got the science GPA, the overall GPA, and it's particularly difficult if you're applying via AMCAS, AACOMAS and/or TMDSAS. However, Accepted has you covered. Our free tool can really help you. It's brand new and it's a free GPA calculator. You can download the template to your computer or laptop and use it as you wish. You simply enter your classes and credits to calculate your GPA and sign GPA. If you're a couple of years away from applying, you can download the GPA calculator spreadsheet, enter your classes and assess the impact of your grades as you earn them, or you can calculate the impact of different anticipated grades. Just download the spreadsheet template at accepted.com/medgpa and you can use and update it as needed. Plus it's all free.

Our guest today is Mike Woodson, Director of Admissions at Tulane University School of Medicine. Mike earned his BA at Elon University and an MS in Sports Management from Virginia Commonwealth. He's very close to earning his PhD in Higher Education Administration from Liberty University. After working for several years in high school athletics, Mike moved into the admissions world at Randolph-Macon College. He then was Assistant Director of Admissions at the University of Houston and came to Tulane Medical in 2017 as Assistant Director of Admissions. In 2019, he became the Director of Admissions. 

Can you give us an overview of Tulane Medical's approach to med ed, focusing on the more distinctive elements? [2:26]

Every medical school has its own features, characteristics, mission, values, etc. Tulane University School of Medicine really focuses on whole body preventative medicine. We're in the heart of New Orleans and we focus on serving the underserved population. Our school has 20+ student-run clinics. We have a culinary medicine center that helps our students learn and also has ties with the community. We conduct research that also helps the population here in New Orleans. Our tagline is, “We heal communities, we heal people” and all of that fits strongly into our mission. 

What would you like listeners to know about Tulane Medical that many applicants don't realize? Are there any myths that you would like to dispel? [3:28]

If you're known for one thing, people just assume that you don't do the other thing. We are known for our community service and our student-run clinics so people just assume we don’t have any research opportunities.

So you want to attend UVA Law? Here's what you need to know [Show Summary]

Are you interested in a top law school located in a beautiful city at a historic university? UVA Law, founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, may be just the one for you, but it has only a 9.7% acceptance rate. Our guest today, Assistant Admissions Dean Natalie Blazer, will tell you what the admissions committee at UVA Law is looking for.

Interview with Natalie Blazer, Assistant Dean for Admissions and Chief Admissions Officer, U. of Virginia School of Law [Show Notes]

Thanks for joining me for this, the 468th episode of Admissions Straight Talk. Are you applying for law school? Are you planning ahead to apply next cycle or the year later? Are you competitive at your target programs? Accepted's Law School Admissions Quiz can give you a quick reality check. Just go to accepted.com/law-quiz, complete the quiz, and you will not only get an assessment but also tips on how to improve your chances of acceptance. Plus, it's all free. 

I'm delighted to have on Admissions Straight Talk, Natalie R. Blazer. Dean Blazer is not only the Assistant Dean for Admissions and the Chief Admissions Officer at UVA Law, she's also an alumna. She earned her bachelor's at Boston College and then attended UVA Law. Following law school, she clerked at The Hague, worked in a Manhattan law firm for six years, and then worked in law school admissions at Columbia Law and Georgetown Law before returning to UVA as Assistant Dean for Admissions.

Can you give us an overview of the more distinctive elements of the UVA Law School JD program? [2:04]

Most people probably know UVA Law is a top 10 law school. It's actually the number one public law school in the country. It's something that we are very proud of. I think you can get a great law school education at any top law school, but what sets UVA apart from most is the experience that you have here. We are consistently ranked number one for quality of life, classroom experience, and faculty. I think all of that goes to our community and our culture.

Law school has a reputation of being extremely cutthroat and competitive, especially when you get to the higher level of law schools, but that’s not the case at UVA. When I think about what truly sets us apart, it is that experience that you have here. It's the colleagues that you have, the supportive nature of the community, the faculty accessibility and outreach that you have, and the supportive administration. 

Seeing it from the administrative side versus the student side, I do see how much hard work and effort goes into making sure students have an amazing experience here. Obviously, our career outcomes, the actual academics, all of that goes without saying. When I think about what really distinguishes UVA from some of our peer schools, it is the atmosphere here. It’s that community culture.

The 2020-2021 application cycle saw an unbelievable surge in law school applications. On March 28th of this year, the overall applicant volume was down roughly 11.5% from the last year, but up 6.6% from two years ago. What is UVA experiencing in terms of application volume? [4:10]

Pretty much exactly what you just said.