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.
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.
“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
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
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.
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
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
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.
In June, Dr. Lowe visited The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University.
Dr. Lowe and his team of admissions advisors visit Ivy League, prestigious and elite colleges several times annually, where they have the unique opportunity of interacting one-on-one with directors of admissions and senior admissions personnel.
Dr. Lowe with Katherine Sharkey, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Dean for Women In Medicine and Science at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University
At BS/MD Admissions Advisors, our co-managing director, Dr. Nadine Cartwright-Lowe is a graduate of the Brown PLME program and a licensed internist.
Program in Liberal Medical Education (PLME): Of the 2,641 applicants, 94 students were admitted to PLME, an eight-year program leading to both a bachelor’s degree and an M.D. from Brown’s Warren Alpert Medical School.
Dr. Lowe in the lobby of The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University
“Admissions is a competitive sport! Why gamble with uncertainty?” – Dr. Paul Lowe
I receive calls and emails from parents whose children desire entrance into U.S. BS/MD Programs. Their children have high GPAs, top standardize test scores; they have completed research or produced biotechnology projects; they have a resume that’s 3-pages long and attended top high schools in their country with IB programs or challenging courses.
Even with these accolades, the admissions process is competitive and there are a limited number of U.S. BS/MD programs. Here are 5 reasons why I feel international students INCREASE their chances of being REJECTED from BS/MD programs:
Lack of meaningful extracirricular activities: It’s not all about research and shadowing!
Poorly communicating through applications and essays: Bad writing leads to instant rejections. Poorly constructed essays, regardless of your achievements, result in instant rejections.
Weak letters of recommendations: A glowing letter of recommendation does not necessarily guarantee admissions. In many cases, it’s not what the recommender writes it’s how it’s written.
Poor interview skills: Interviewers have to like you. They have to want you in their program. It doesn’t matter how brilliant you are. You have to understand U.S. cultural norms. Remember, you are applying to BS/MD programs in the U.S.!
Not hiring a BS/MD expert: What makes you believe that you know more than a BS/MD expert who visits colleges with BS/MD programs and has more than 20 years of experience and know-how?
After years of preparation, why make mistakes that will increase your child’s chances of being REJECTED?
We know the value of our services because when our clients are admitted to BS/MD programs, it’s and indicator for guaranteed income in their future.
“Admissions is a competitive sport! Why gamble with uncertainty?” – Dr. Paul Lowe
I am often asked the question by parents during my seminars how can my child differentiate themselves in the competitive admissions process to get admitted to their dream school.
There are 7 factors that you can control to this end:
Common Application
Personal Statement
Supplemental Essays
Letters of Recommendations
Extracurricular Activities
WOW Factor
Hire a college admissions expert who knows the changing policies, politics and diplomacy in admissions.
If you don’t differentiate yourself from the crowd, you will be among 41,350 students who were rejected from Harvard (43,330 applied, 1950 accepted), or, the 36, 123 students rejected from Brown (38,674 applied, 2,551 accepted) or rejected (34,665 rejected from Yale (36,843 applied, 2,178 accepted.
It’s actually that simple!
You need to hire a high-end college admissions expert who understands the holistic approach and review process and the committee-based review process when evaluating applicants for admissions. And an expert who knows the changing policies, politics and diplomacy in admissions.
“Admissions is a competitive sport! Why gamble with uncertainty?” – 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.
It’s March 2019! That means that school seniors will begin to discovering, after all their hard work, where they will be accepted, wait-listed or rejected
Based on our research and discussions with directors of admissions, many colleges regular admission decisions ready by March 31 or April 15.
Here are regular decision notification dates (and approximate times) for Ivy League and highly selective colleges and universities:
Barnard College: March 22, 2019
Bucknell University: March 28, 2019
Brown University: March 28, 2019
Carnegie Mellon University: No later than April 15
Columbia University: March 28, 2019
Cornell University: March 28, 2019
Dartmouth University: March 28, 2019
Duke University: April 1, 2019
Georgetown University: Late March
Georgia Institute of Technology: March 9, 2019
Hamilton College: March 20, 2019
Harvard University: March 28, 2019
Johns Hopkins University: March 15, 2019
Lehigh University: Late March
MIT: March 14, 2019 (Pi Day)
Northwestern University: Late March
Princeton University: March 28, 2019
Stanford University: April 1, 2019
Swarthmore College: March 15, 2019
Tufts University: April 1, 2019
University of Chicago: Late March
University of Michigan: Late March
University of Notre Dame: Late March
University of Pennsylvania: March 28, 2019
University of Virginia: Late March
Vanderbilt University: April 1, 2019
Vassar College: April 1, 2019
Villanova University: Late March
Wesleyan University: Late March
Yale University: March 28, 2019
“Admissions is a competitive sport! Why gamble with uncertainty?” – Dr. Paul Lowe
Dr. Paul Reginald Lowe, founder and managing director ofPinnacle 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.
The 2018 State of College Admission report was recently released by the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC). As an active member of NACAC, I have been reviewing this report that has been published over the last fifteen years. The report is based on data collected from the U.S. Department of Education and the Higher Education Research Institute.
The State of College Admission Report provides up-to-date information on a number of issues that impact students’ transition from high school to post-secondary education, as well as the admission process for transfer students and international students attending post-secondary institutions in the United States. The report covers the recruitment strategies that colleges use to attract each group of prospective students and the process by which candidates are evaluated. The report also includes a chapter dedicated to school counseling in US secondary schools, given the integral role school counselors play in putting students on the path to post-secondary success.
Here are some interesting trends in college admissions and highlights of report:
College Applications: The increase in the number of colleges to which each student applies continues a near perfectly upward trend, which is reflected in college reports of increased application volume. Growth in application volume continues: Between the Fall 2016 and Fall 2017 admission cycles, the number of applications from first-time freshmen increased 4 percent; applications from prospective transfer students increased by 3 percent; and international student applications increased by 8 percent, on average. There is continued hyper-competition to Ivy League and highly selective colleges and BS/MD Programs.
Recruitment and Yield Strategies: College admission offices use a variety of strategies to recruit prospective students, particularly those who would be likely to attend if admitted. To recruit students, colleges use the following strategies: Email, institutional websites, hosting campus visits, outreach to parents and high school counselors, high school visits, and college fairs. These strategies help schools attain their enrollment goals.
Factors in Admissions Decisions: The factors that admission officers use to evaluate student applications from first-time freshmen have remained largely consistent over the past 20 years. Students’ academic achievements—which include High School Curriculum, and Test Scores as Top Factors for First-Time Freshmen: The top factors in the admission decision were: overall high school GPA, grades in college preparatory courses, admission test scores, and strength of curriculum. Among the next most important factors were the essay, a student’s demonstrated interest, counselor and teacher recommendations, class rank and extracirricular activities. Admission decision factors for first-time international students are similar to those for domestic students, but the transfer admission decision process differs in significant ways.
Guidance Counseling Trends for College Admissions: Post-secondary admission counseling is one of many functions of school counselors. On average, the time that public high school guidance counselors spend on college admissions: 21 percent, down from 26 percent in 2017. This demonstrates that high school guidance counselors are spending less time with students on college admissions. See admissions blog: High School Guidance Counselors/College Admissions: Big Caseloads and Little Time
Student-to-Counselor Ratio: The American School Counselor Association recommends a 250-to-1 maximum student-to-counselor ratio. New Hampshire and Vermont—had ratios below this maximum. Data regarding the extent to which college advising is part of counselors’ job responsibilities showed the average student-to-college counselor ratio was 297-to-1. With this ratio, it implies that high school guidance counselors have little time to provide individualized attention to students applying to college.
“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
“Top qualified applicants, after all their hard work (and parents’ work) and preparation deserve the best and should not settle for less.” – Dr. Paul Lowe
“Admissions is a competitive sport! Why gamble with uncertainty?” – Dr. Paul Lowe
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.
Dr. Paul Lowe - Admissions Expert 