Coronavirus Effect on Applying to BS/MD Programs

Applying to BS_MD_Programs_Coronavirus_Dr_Paul_Lowe_Admissions_Expert_Independent_Educational_Consultant

May 11, 2020May 12, 2020 ~ drpaulloweadmissionsexpert

Over the past month, our offices have been receiving many phone and email inquiries about BS/MD programs. Most of these inquiries are from very anxious parents of high school juniors who have read guides or books about BS/MD programs, researched information and talked with their friends whose children are currently attending BS/MD programs.

Their children typically have this type of applicant profile: High GPA, at least 5 AP courses, high SATs (if they were able to take them), musical, artistic and/or athletic extracurricular activities, research/clinical internships, shadowing doctors, helping the poor or starting a not-for-profit organization to help the poor or traveling to a developing country to volunteer; and of course, a two-page resume! What parents don’t understand or seem to ignore is that their children sound all the same on paper and as a result can be easily thrown in the rejection pool.

What parents are really calling me about is to find out what to do during the COVID-19 pandemic and determine its impact on their children’s college admissions chances. Internships, upcoming summer programs, volunteer programs, doctor shadowing and research opportunities have all been cancelled. In several weeks, their children will be rising seniors and in the throes of the competitive college application process to Ivy League and highly selective colleges, universities and BS/MD programs.

In our recent webcast: Applying to BS/MD Programs – COVID -19, we discussed our go-to strategies that should be used when applying to BS/MD programs in the COVID-19 pandemic landscape. The sudden onset of these unprecedented times has brought new changes in applying to BS/MD programs. Books and guides regarding BS/MD programs (which were published before COVID-19), although informative, do not address the how-to’s and the do’s and dont’s of applying to BS/MD programs during the pandemic. They do not address the new variables such as lack of availability of test scores, cancellation of internships, summer programs, research projects and gaps in resumes. Past strategies and guides do not show students how to navigate these changes and what students need to do in order to be strongly considered for these programs. In addition, high school counselors do not specialize in providing advice for BS/MD programs.

Our recent discussions with admissions officers at institutions with BS/MD programs revealed that they anticipate that BS/MD candidates’ applications and resumes will have vacuums/gaps including entire spring quarter or trimester without extracurricular activities volunteer work, sports, and scientific research in addition to new and online classroom experiences and grading systems. The consensus is that students have to be creative and innovative with these gaps and have to explain what they are doing with their time. Admissions officers are not just looking at resume-building based on online activities.

As one admissions officer stated: “The COVID-19 crisis has reset how we will be evaluating BS/MD applicants this fall.” Several stated that for qualified candidates they will base college and BS/MD application decisions on the information that is available to them at the time of the application. What they are looking for is an insight into how the student thinks, how they interact, and how well they can articulate a point of view under these unprecedented conditions. BS/MD programs will be even more competitive! Even in the COVID -19 admissions environment, BS/MD programs will NOT have a lot of trouble filling their seats. Especially, when they guarantee admissions to medical school from high school!

With a lot at stake, in a short period of time in such a competitive environment, BS/MD applicants (and their parents) need a winning game plan that works in the COVID-19 environment.

Our over 20 years of advisory admissions experience and long-standing professional relationships with admissions officers provide us with the tool-kit of strategies and knowledge to help our clients successfully navigate the BS/MD Admissions process in the COVID-19 landscape.

Our BS/MD Admissions practice is specialized: Dr. Lowe and his team only work with parents who understand that the BS/MD admissions process is competitive, who desire help from an admissions expert and who see the value and investment in paying for expert advice through a detailed and ongoing comprehensive admissions advisory service for their child’s dream of becoming a doctor. He also specializes in helping international students in the BS/MD process. BS/MD Admissions Advisors – 2020 Acceptances. Parents who chose to use our services can now call their son or daughter – “Doctor”.

Dr. Paul Reginald Lowe is the managing director of Pinnacle Educational Center Admissions Advisors Group network. He and his team of admissions advisors, through the admissions affiliate, BS/MD Admissions Advisors, help high school students get accepted to BS/MD programs.

BS/MD Admissions Advisors-2020 Acceptance Rates

BS_MD_Admissions_Acceptance-Rate_2020_Dr_Paul_Lowe_Admissions_Expert

April 17, 2020April 24, 2020 ~ drpaulloweadmissionsexpert

This year was an amazing year for us!!!

All of our BS/MD Admissions clients including international students were accepted to BS/MD programs!

Our parents of the below students are happy, overjoyed and excited that they can now call their sons and daughters “Doctors“!

Boston University – 2
Brown University PLME – 3
CUNY/Sophia – 1
Drexel University – 2
Northwestern University – 2
NJIT/Albert Dorman Honors College – 1
Penn State/Jefferson Medical College – 2
RPI/Albany Medical College – 1
Rice/Baylor – 1
Rutgers/New Jersey Medical – 2
Siena College/Albany Medical College – 1
Stony Brook University – 2
SUNY – Downstate – 2
SUNY – Upstate – 2
Temple University – 1
TCNJ/New Jersey Medical
Union College/Albany Medical College – 2
University of Cincinnati UCD – 1
University of Rochester – 2
Washington University in St. Louis USPM – 2

Our BS/MD Admissions practice is specialized: Dr. Lowe and his team only work with parents who understand that the admissions process is competitive, who desire help from an admissions expert and who see the value and investment in paying for expert advice through a detailed and ongoing comprehensive admissions advisory service for their child’s dream of becoming a doctor. He also specializes in helping international students in the BS/MD process.

Hiring An Admissions Expert – One Less Thing To Worry About

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April 10, 2020April 10, 2020 ~ drpaulloweadmissionsexpert

It’s April and we are receiving calls and emails from parents whose children were rejected or placed on the or wait-list (which means that “we love your child, but we don’t have spot available today, tomorrow or perhaps never”) for Ivy League and highly selective colleges and universities and top private day and boarding schools.

When I ask the question: “Did you hire an admissions expert?” The answer is always No!

It is surprising to me that these same parents may hire the best tutor for academic subjects, the best building experts for house repairs, the best soccer or lacrosse coach or the best hairstylist. However, when it comes to their children’s educational future, which ultimately affects their future, they choose to make the decision that an admissions expert is unnecessary.

Benjamin Franklin famously advised “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” For those of you who tend to worry, here are the reasons why you should hire an admissions expert so that you don’t develop irreversible worry wrinkles or “the dreaded elevens”:

Admissions experts have personal and current specialized knowledge of what is happening at educational institutions because of their long-standing professional relationships with admissions departments and officers.
Admissions experts know that the devil is in the details; research, due diligence and thorough assessment are par for the course.
Admissions experts understand how to use an application as personal branding and marketing tool for your child’s admissions success.
Admissions experts understand the diplomacy, advocacy and strategic game plan are needed for admissions success.
Admissions experts understand and embrace the competitive nature of admissions process.
Admissions experts understand that valuable advice is investment in your child’s future, not an expense.
Admissions experts view admissions as a non-formulaic, competitive endeavor. Admissions experts help your child achieve the goal they’ve worked on since childhood – acceptance into their top choice school.

The question that parents who are about to enter the admissions process should ask themselves: Why worry?

“Admissions is a competitive sport! Why gamble with uncertainty?” – Dr. Paul Lowe

“We provide our clients access to our specialized knowledge!” – Dr. Paul Lowe

A New College Admissions Landscape: What High School Juniors Need to Know

March 26, 2020March 26, 2020 ~ drpaulloweadmissionsexpert

This week is decision time for many Ivies and highly selective colleges and universities! COVID-19 has closed down many K-12 school districts around the world for the rest of the school year. If you’ve been following the directions of well-known books and/or chats, by now you must realize that your current college admissions “playbook” or plan may be ineffectual. What will high school juniors need to do as they continue their admissions journey and prepare for their senior year?

1. Plan, plan and plan.

“By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” – Benjamin Franklin

“A goal without a plan is just a wish.” – Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

“If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll wind up somewhere else” – Yogi Berra

As the world around you changes daily, you will need to formulate a new plan, create a timeline and meet your goals. Deadlines are a crucial aspect of the college admissions process.

2. Make a balanced preliminary college list. Start your search by familiarizing yourself with many different colleges and universities and facilitate your research on the different options that are available. Visit the websites of the schools you are considering.

3. “Visit” colleges. Start to “visit” campuses. Review college websites, take a virtual tour, and learn more about student life by reading the student blogs linked there.

4. Begin to consider letters of recommendation. It’s not who is writing or what they are writing. It’s how they are writing about you in a meaningful way. Choose your recommenders wisely.

5. Standardized Tests. Plan your SAT and/or ACT timelines. Even though standardized tests are cancelled through June you should still plan for the future!

6. Grades. Colleges view grades with the utmost importance. Remember, your grades should come first. Colleges look at junior year grades to understand the academic abilities of a student. Junior year grades are the last full year of grades for admissions committees to look at in determining a student’s acceptance. A recent survey by the National Association for College Admission Counselors (NACAC) found that admissions officers gave “considerable importance” to grades in students’ college-prep classes. Even though your school is now providing online courses, take them seriously. From my discussions with admissions officers at several of the Ivies and highly competitive colleges, they will be closely reviewing your performance in these courses.

7. For BS/MD applicants. For many students, their internships and research projects have been cancelled. From my discussion with BS/MD program admissions officers, they “will be seeking bright students who, in these unprecedented times, show a commitment to the BS/MD track and want to be a doctor”.

8. Seek expert admissions advice. With the disruption in school schedules and so many schools closed, the challenge for high school guidance or college counselors to provide students with adequate college counseling has dramatically increased. In many private as well as public high schools, remote/online learning does not apply to college counseling, leaving many students to navigate the college admissions process on their own in a competitive admissions environment fraught with minefields. High school juniors and their parents need valuable advice from experts who understand the competitive admission process, as well as those who have long-standing professional relationships with college admissions officers.

My recent conversations with admissions officers have been informative and valuable. As an admissions officer stated; “The current COVID-19 pandemic will NOT negatively impact how we review applications this fall”. Another mentioned to me, “We still want students who are involved, academically motivated, who have demonstrated success and are willing to contribute to the future vibrancy of our campus community.”

“Admissions is a competitive sport! Why gamble with uncertainty?” – Dr. Paul Lowe

“We provide our clients access to our specialized knowledge!” – Dr. Paul Lowe

Dr. Paul Reginald Lowe, founder and managing director of Pinnacle Educational Center Admissions Advisors Group, provides comprehensive counseling advice, exclusively for admissions to top private schools; Ivy League and highly-selective colleges/universities; BS/MD programs; graduate and medical schools and top visual and performing arts programs. The admissions affiliate: Ivy League Admissions Advisors specializes in admissions to Ivy League and highly selective colleges, Dr. Lowe also specializes in helping students who have been wait-listed, deferred or rejected gain admission into their top-choice schools: College Application Rejected. and student who wish to transfer to another college: College Transfer Admissions Advisors.

Coronavirus Effect on College Admissions: What You Need to Know

coronovirus effect on college admissions what you need to know Dr Paul Lowe

March 19, 2020April 24, 2020 ~ drpaulloweadmissionsexpert

“To see the world in a grain of sand,

And a heaven in a wild flower;

Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,

And eternity in an hour.”

– William Blake

Understanding facts of any situation is essential to one’s ability to analyze that situation for a positive outcome. So before getting into the ramifications of “the coronavirus” in college admissions, we’ll look at the pertinent facts. Let’s first define the name of the virus: The new virus is called Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 or SARS-CoV-2. The disease caused by the new virus has been designated COVID -19 (COrona VIrus Disease 19 – because the year it emerged was 2019). It’s known to infect humans causing respiratory tract illness (upper respiratory, as well as lower respiratory illness which could be fatal), and to date there is no vaccine to protect people from COVID-19.

This virus has not been seen in humans before and scientists are still learning specifics about the disease. It has been found to be highly contagious, spreading by small droplets and contact, and is potentially particularly virulent in certain demographics. Thus, the reactions we see in the news regarding the attempts to control the spread the disease. We find ourselves in a place where the world is attempting to slow the spread of the disease as scientists attempt to develop vaccines and treatments. Current efforts in effect in the United States and other parts of the world are an attempt to control community spread. Because of these attempts, educational institutions and facilities have taken drastic steps in order to help control of the spread.

Current effects:

Public high schools as well as private high schools are closed, making it difficult for students to meet with guidance counselors for college planning.
For students applying to BS/MD programs, it’s a whole NEW competitive admissions environment! Books about BS/MD process and BS/MD programs do not show you how to navigate the BS/MD admissions process during the current coronovirus pandemic!
Colleges are cancelling in-person classes and shifting to online platforms or learning management systems.
Students are being asked to leave campuses and dormitories are being closed. Some colleges have already cancelled or postponed graduation ceremonies.
Many colleges have moved classes online and some have directed students not to return after spring break.
Most institutions have barred staff from college-related travel as the coronavirus spreads.
May 1, the national deposit deadline for applicants, has been pushed back by a month.
SAT’s (Scholastic Assessment Tests) are cancelled through May.
National Association of College Admissions Counseling (NACAC) has made the decision to cancel all Spring National College Fairs.
International high school students who wish to study in the U.S. are facing numerous challenges regarding school closures, cancellation of testing dates, and more. The biggest impact may be on students’ abilities to get a visa for the fall semester because of delays in visa interviews or border closures.
TOEFL testing dates have been canceled or postponed in several countries.

Despite these drastic changes, it should be understood that colleges and universities plan to continue their missions to provide the best education possible for their students. Furthermore, even in the face of a pandemic, college admissions will continue. Based on my experience, extensive historical research, along with emails and Skype discussions with admissions officers, the college admissions process is continuing. High school seniors are and will still be receiving decisions throughout March and early April.

Many of my clients have emailed us to request additional advice in this environment of online classes, extended school vacations and online test assessments. We advise our clients accordingly as they continue their college admission preparation. For many students (and parents), there is uncertainty, anxiety and fear as they shift to distance learning. Evaluation of scholastic achievements through distance learning is not a novel experience for college admissions personnel or my firm. We have advised and continue to advise international as well as U.S. home-schooled clients. I can assure you, with certainty, that there are unique opportunities, educational benefits and admissions advantages to online learning. All of our home-schooled clients have been admitted to their top-choices colleges, including the Ivies and highly selective colleges and universities.

For our current clients, we continue to develop new strategies.

For high school seniors, no senioritis – schools can still rescind your decisions, so even with online courses, you must continue to do well.
For juniors, most in their third quarter or beginning their third trimester, with regard to your college admissions profile, you must still develop ways to stand out.

In addition to home consultations, we have always complemented our personalized service by communicating with our clients remotely via Skype or Zoom. COVID-19 has not disrupted our long-standing routine. For our international as well as U.S. families, it’s business as usual. We continue to communicate remotely.

This new situation makes high school students and their parents anxious or unnerved. The reality still exists that you are still COMPETING with other students for those coveted spots at Ivies and highly selective colleges and universities.

For our part, we will continue to use our experience, admissions strategies and analytics to review all the nuances and consequences of COVID-19 in the college admissions process. Given the ever-changing nature of the conditions surrounding the virus, we prepare our clients for all possible scenarios. We focus on positive results and outcomes. We continue, as we always have, to plan for the unexpected. We use our team’s diverse background and collective effort to navigate uncertainties. We problem-search as well as problem-solve.

We advise our clients that COVID-19 has not stopped college admissions, especially to the Ivies and highly competitive college and universities. Understanding that school closures may impact college counseling and support (at public as well as private boarding and day high schools) during the application process, we have implemented more college counseling support services to help our students. By doing all of the above, students will be successfully prepared for the college admissions process as we overcome the COVID-19.

“Admissions is a competitive sport! Why gamble with uncertainty?” – Dr. Paul Lowe

“We provide our clients access to our specialized knowledge!” – Dr. Paul Lowe

Brown University Midyear and Transfer Admissions

Dr_Paul_Lowe_Admissions_Expert_Brown_University_Van_Wickle_Gates

January 28, 2020January 30, 2020 ~ drpaulloweadmissionsexpert

On January 21, Brown University had its ceremonial procession through the Van Wickle Gates.

This unique procession involved 51 transfer and 6 visiting students who started their classes at Brown, become a part of the Brown community and enjoy the Brown academic and social experiences.

The Mid-Year Transfer Program is designed specifically for incoming sophomores. To be eligible for transfer admission to Brown, a student must have completed at least one full year of college study (or its equivalent) before their planned matriculation at Brown.

This year, all of our clients who applied to Brown’s Midyear transfer program were accepted!

Congratulations to students and their parents!

Our parents-clients are happy, overjoyed and excited that they can now call their sons and daughters – Brown University students and future alumni!

“Year after year, I hear the horror stories from parents whose kids got in nowhere because they thought the college admissions race was just about grades, SAT scores, their perceived ‘unique’ applications, generic essays and perfect connections.” – Dr. Paul Lowe

“Admissions is a competitive sport! Why gamble with uncertainty?” – Dr. Paul Lowe

“We provide our clients access to our specialized knowledge!” – Dr. Paul Lowe

Dr. Paul Reginald Lowe, founder and managing director of Pinnacle Educational Center Admissions Advisors Group, provides comprehensive counseling advice, exclusively for admissions to top private schools; Ivy League and highly-selective colleges/universities; BS/MD programs; graduate and medical schools and top visual and performing arts programs. Its medical school admissions affiliate: Medical School Admissions Advisors. The admissions affiliate: Ivy League Admissions Advisors specializes in admissions to Ivy League and highly selective colleges, Dr. Lowe also specializes in helping students who have been wait-listed, deferred or rejected gain admission into their top-choice schools: College Application Rejected. and student who wish to transfer to another college: College Transfer Admissions Advisors.

BS MD Application – Rejection Assured

August 12, 2019August 22, 2019 ~ drpaulloweadmissionsexpert

It’s summer, and parents are calling us about BS/MD admissions for their children. But the children are rising seniors!

Many parents wait until the rising senior year, or senior year to inquire about BS/MD programs and application help. Some have already hired independent educational consultants who are generalist and have discovered that they now need to hire a BS/MD Admissions specialist. Some have attempted the process without guidance.

In our initial discussion, these parents reveal that their child usually has a 4.5/4.0 weighted GPA (indicating that they aced several AP classes), shadowed multiple doctors, are involved in research, volunteered to help the poor, plays violin or piano, dance, achieved high SAT or ACT scores and have a 2-3 page resume.

On paper, the child sounds astonishing and amazing, and they are….on paper! But in reality, the applicant sounds just like the 97% of students who have a high probability of being rejected! Yes! It’s that competitive. In our experience (we have been BS/MD Admissions experts for 21 years), many of the parents inquiring are from similar cultural and ethnic backgrounds. At this point, since BS/MD programs are seeking socio-economical and ethnic diversity – this further adds to the hyper-competition.

BS_MD_Application_Rejection_Assured_Dr_Paul_Lowe_Independent_Educational_Consultant — “Waiting until the senior year for help is counterproductive and increases the probability of rejection in BS/MD Admissions.” Dr. Paul Lowe

In our experience, the fact that these parents have intentionally procrastinated to seek an expert increases the probability of rejection or in other words increase their chances of NOT standing out.

As a physician-scientist who understands and has studied statistics and probability, I wonder why these highly-educated parents who are scientists, doctors, engineers, bankers, entrepreneurs, accountants, financial advisors, technologist (after their hard work and their child’s sacrifice) would wait until the last minute to hire an admissions specialist, thereby increasing the risk of rejection. Scientifically and “parentally” it’s illogical.

Here are my 5 assumptions as to why these highly educated parents make the mistake of waiting until the senior year to hire a BS/MD admissions expert/specialist:

Parents assume that they understand the BS/MD admissions process.
Parents who call us, at that time, believe that that have the same collective expertise as a team of full-time BS MD advisors with 21 years of experience.
Parents believe that their professional skill sets make them experts. After all, anyone can be a BS/MD admissions advisor!
Parents honestly believe that their children standout (with the above-mentioned criteria) after they review the same information as everyone else.
Parents honestly believe that by waiting until the senior year, a BS/MD advisor will charge less. There is a cost to unravel mistakes and to help a student who sounds just like everyone else to stand out – in 2-4 months!

We hear about the disasters from many of these parents in the Spring: BS/MD applicants who were rejected from BS/MD programs, Ivy League and highly selective colleges and universities and yes, their perceived “safety schools”. A common statement that we hear: “Our daughter (or son) is a gifted and talented student. We can’t understand why they were rejected from most of their top-choice colleges and all BS/MD programs”

If you are considering hiring a team of BS/MD Admissions Advisors for your child, don’t wait until the last minute. Your timely decision statistically and mathematically INCREASES the probability of acceptance by having time to avoid costly mistakes that will result in rejections.

Of course, there are many roads to obtaining an MD. But with a BS/MD application, you have just one chance to achieve this goal. It seems logical and prudent to receive the best guidance to achieve that goal.

“Admissions is a competitive sport! Why gamble with uncertainty?” – Dr. Paul Lowe

“We provide our clients access to our specialized knowledge!” – Dr. Paul Lowe

Dr. Paul Reginald Lowe is the managing director of Pinnacle Educational Center Admissions Advisors Group network. He and his team of admissions advisors, through the admissions affiliate, BS/MD Admissions Advisors, help high school students get accepted to BS/MD programs. Summer Camp: BS/MD Application Boot Camp

We Are The Best – Let Us Prove It

July 22, 2019July 31, 2019 ~ drpaulloweadmissionsexpert

Pinnacle Educational Center Admissions Advisors Group at its affiliate firms have created a new campaign: “Are the Best – Let Us Prove It.”

Pinnacle Educational Center Admissions Advisors Group affiliates: Ivy League Admissions Advisors, Boarding School Admissions Consultants, Private School Admissions Advisors, BS MD Admissions Advisors, Medical School Admission Advisors and location affiliates help their clients successfully navigate the competitive admissions process to top private day and boarding schools, Ivy League and highly selective colleges and universities BS/MD programs and graduate schools.

Year after year, we receive calls from disappointed parents (and students) who either tried the competitive admissions process on their own or hired inexperienced educational consultants who are not specialized in the hyper-competitive admissions process. The result: admissions disaster and catastrophe – rejection from all their top day and boarding schools, colleges and universities and acceptance into “good fit” safety schools!

We have been in business for over 21 years and take pride in our unmatched admissions success and results.

“Admissions is a competitive sport! Why gamble with uncertainty?” – Dr. Paul Lowe

“We provide our clients access to our specialized knowledge!” – Dr. Paul Lowe

7-Year BS/MD Programs

July 12, 2019February 11, 2020 ~ drpaulloweadmissionsexpert

High school students with a strong science background, high GPA, relevant extracurricular activities, volunteer or work experience in the medical field, and a strong commitment to going to medical school should consider applying for combined BS/MD or combined BA/MD programs. Many of our clients prefer seven-year BS/MD programs.

Here is a partial list of several 7-year BS/MD programs:

Boston University (BA/MD program)
California Northstate University
City College of New York School of Medicine
Drexel University
Florida Atlantic University
Florida Gulf Coast University
Florida State University College of Medicine
George Washington University
Northwestern University/Feinberg School of Medicine
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute/Albany Medical College
Rutgers New Jersey Medical School
Temple University
University of Nevada
University of South Florida

“Admissions is a competitive sport! Why gamble with uncertainty?” – Dr. Paul Lowe

Hiring An Educational Consultant: What’s Your Price?

July 11, 2019July 11, 2019 ~ drpaulloweadmissionsexpert

From time to time, parents who inquire about our services first ask: “What’s your price?” before even asking what we do and our success rate.

It’s obvious from this question that they are shopping for the cheapest price, not the best service. I imagine that these parents would ask the same question, considering the cheapest price and not quality service, to a pediatric surgeon, a tax attorney, a financial advisor or perhaps a vendor in an open market place.

Hiring an independent private admissions advisor is an academic investment in a child’s future, not an expense – It’s priceless.

If a parent is willing to make the choice to shop for the cheapest price then they should be willing to accept that this choice is the reason why their child was REJECTED from their top choice private/boarding school or college. Remember the adage: “You get what you pay for”.

“Admissions is a competitive sport! Why gamble with uncertainty?” – Dr. Paul Lowe

“We provide our clients access to our specialized knowledge!” – Dr. Paul Lowe