On Tuesday, Sept. 8, I was present at Brown’s 263rd Opening Convocation, welcoming the nearly 3,300 incoming undergraduate, master’s, doctoral and medical students.
Waving Brown pennants, Brown’s newest students passed through the Van Wickle Gates in a time-honored procession before gathering on the College Green. The Gates open for two ceremonial purposes: to welcome new students to Brown and to allow graduating students to process outward at the conclusion of their Brown experience.
I was so delighted to meet all 15 of my former Brown PLME clients who are now members of the Class of 2030, along with their proud, happy, excited parents!
Dr. Paul Lowe, through BS/MD Admissions Advisors, helps his clients get accepted to top BS/MD programs: Brown PLME, RPI/Albany Med, U Rochester (REMS), NJIT/NJMS, TCNJ/NJMS, Case Western PPSP, UConn SPM, Penn State/Jefferson, etc. Dr. Lowe also specializes in helping students who have been rejected by BS/MD programs reapply to BS/MD programs as a Gap Year applicant: GAP Year BS/MDAdmissions.
I am very pleased and happy to announce our final results for Program in Liberal Medical Education (PLME):
15 out of 18 of our clients who applied were accepted to Brown PLME.
The three clients who were not accepted to Brown PLME:
1 decided to attend Brown University (the College)
1 decided to attend NJIT/NJMS.
1 decided to attend Harvard.
According to Brown University’s press release on March 26, 2026, “..64 admitted will enroll in Brown’s distinctive eight-year Program in Liberal Medical Education..”
What does this mean?
This year, 23% of the Brown PLME class are our clients!
Dr. Lowe’s clients were accepted to one of the top BS/MD programs in the world and the only Ivy BS/MD program!
Dr. Lowe and his team understand that successful admissions results involve more than just a 3-page resume packed with achievements, a high GPA and a high SAT score. It’s about BS/MD Admissions Knowledge.
Dr. Paul Lowe and his team provide unparalleled, unrivaled and unmatched admissions advisory services!
Families who choose to retain Dr. Lowe recognize the value he will bring and WANT to experience his unique perspective and advice that will undoubtedly increase the chances of positive admissions results for their children.
This year, Dr. Lowe and his admissions team partnered with their affiliate website: College Admissions Video Productions and successfully advised their clients in developing amazing video portfolios!
Work Directly with Dr. Paul Lowe, Admissions Expert: Unlike other educational consulting firms, where clients are assigned to different employees or consultants, you work directly with Dr. Lowe. As lead consultant/admissions advisor, Dr. Lowe personally works with each of his clients so that they directly benefit from his expertise, experience, contacts and the collective knowledge of his educational team. Dr. Lowe’s exclusivity allows him to provide individualized attention, commitment and personalized support to each client through Admissions Strategy sessions. Dr. Lowe develops and crafts personalized winning admissions strategies for each client. ****
Supportive Team & Global Knowledge Network: Dr. Lowe’s admissions advisory team consists of a network of educational advisors who are graduates of Ivy League institutions, former Ivy League admissions directors and officers, board members and trustees, active alumni and board members at selected educational institutions, and students currently enrolled at Ivy League schools. No other educational consulting firm has developed this type of 30-year-old expansive network!
Dr. Paul Lowe is CEO, managing director and lead admissions advisor of Pinnacle Educational Center Admissions Advisors Group. PinnacleAAG is a global advisory firm providing strategic admissions advisory services to families and students seeking admissions to elite U.S. boarding and day schools, Ivy League and highly selective colleges and universities, direct BS/MD programs, top medical schools and graduate programs. BS/MD Admissions Advisors, a PinnacleAAG affiliate, provides BS/MD medical school admissions advice to U.S and international students who are interested in gaining admissions to direct U.S. BS/MD programs.
BS/MD admissions are highly competitive, even for students with strong GPAs, high SAT scores, and polished essays. At BS/MD Admissions Advisors, we often hear from families after disappointing rejections asking what to do next. For some students, taking a gap year and reapplying can be a strategic path forward in terms of a second chance in enrolling in a BS/MD program.
For more than 10 years, Dr. Lowe and the team at BS/MD Admissions Advisors have guided students and families through the Gap-Year BS/MD Admissions process after high school graduation. Our program has a 95% acceptance rate for our gap-year clients.
Dr. Lowe and his team help gap-year BS/MD applicants strengthen their candidacy through targeted strategies such as expanding research, shadowing, or clinical experience; demonstrating genuine interest; highlighting cultural and emotional intelligence; connecting gap-year experiences to long-term goals; and refining applications, essays, and overall personal branding.
As a gap-year BS/MD applicant, time outside the high school environment can help you gain experience and maturity. Whether you spend that time on research, volunteering in an underserved clinic, or service work, those experiences can strengthen both your story and your application beyond grades and test scores.
Reapplying to BS/MD programs after a rejection is possible, but it requires a thoughtful strategy, meaningful application improvements, and clear evidence of growth.
If you want to submit the strongest possible application and pursue the structured and certain path a BS/MD program offers toward becoming a physician, taking a gap year may be a smart decision.
Dr. Paul Lowe helps his clients get accepted to top BS/MD programs: Brown PLME, RPI/Albany Med, U Rochester (REMS), NJIT/NJMS, TCNJ/NJMS, Case Western PPSP, UConn SPM, Penn State/Jefferson, etc. Dr. Lowe also specializes in helping students who have been rejected by BS/MD programs reapply to BS/MD programs as a Gap Year applicant: GAP Year BS/MDAdmissions.
We hear all the time about students who have perfect standardize test scores, perfect resumes, perfect extracurricular activities and perfect essays being rejected from BS/MD programs. Dr. Paul Lowe advises his clients through WINNING ADMISSIONS STRATEGIES on what truly matters in order to be accepted to BS/MD Programs!
Myth #1: Perfect grades guarantee admission. Truth: BS/MD programs reject thousands of 4.0-plus students yearly. Your story matters more than your GPA. We advise our clients on how to successfully communicate their personal stories and achievements to admissions committees.
Myth #2: You need to be just a research-oriented applicant. Truth: BS/MD programs want well-rounded students who will become future medical doctors. We advise clients, based on proprietary knowledge, insights and professional contacts on how to be a part of a well-rounded class specific to each BSMD program and its corresponding undergraduate college/university.
MYTH #3: Admittance is all based on the essay, so it needs to be perfect.Truth: Make sure your essay truly reflects you and your values. Be genuine. Admissions officers read hundreds of essays, and they can tell which feel real. Show your personality, and don’t try to appear as someone you’re not. A “too perfect” essay may raise red flags!
Myth #4: A longer resume automatically makes your application stronger. Truth: While some breadth of activities can be helpful, it’s more about quality than quantity. What matters most is the depth of your involvement in meaningful endeavors. Four to five resumes may seem impressive, but admissions officers may get bored after the third page!
Myth #5: You Must Have Hundreds of Shadowing Hours. Truth: Quality of experience matters more than quantity. In addition, shadowing with the wrong physicians and institution may adversely affect your application. We advise our clients who to shadow and where to shadow.
Myth #6: The best extracurricular activities are the most impressive ones and more activities equals better chances of admissions. Truth: BS/MD programs evaluate applicants through a holistic lens. In other words, there is not one specific application component that will help students gain admission to a program. We advise our clients how to develop holistic applications that successfully convey their admissions profiles.
Myth #7: Doing BS/MD Admissions as a DIY project will save you money. Truth: While watching YouTube videos, reading books, and taking free consultations may save money upfront, the long-term cost of a rejection from BS/MD programs can be far greater. Working with an experienced BS/MD admissions expert with an unmatched acceptance track record can be a worthwhile investment.
Myth #8: You cannot apply to BS/MD programs after you graduate from high school. Truth: You can still apply to BS/MD programs after graduating from high school, but typically only after taking a gap year. To remain competitive, you should show meaningful improvement in your application, such as a higher GPA, more clinical experience, stronger letters of recommendation or personal growth and maturity. Additionally, if there were mistakes in your application that resulted in rejections, a gap year allows you a second chance to reapply.
By effectively avoiding these myths, Dr. Lowe helps his clients get accepted to top BS/MD programs: Brown PLME, RPI/Albany Med, U Rochester (REMS), NJIT/NJMS, TCNJ/NJMS, Case Western PPSP, UConn SPM, Penn State/Jefferson, etc. Dr. Lowe also specializes in helping students who have been rejected by BS/MD programs reapply to BS/MD programs as a Gap Year applicant: GAP Year BS/MDAdmissions.
“Going it alone” in this vast multi-level maze that is the BS/MD admissions process can result in mistakes, as applicants are easily blindsided by obstacles and pitfalls that they don’t even know exist. When parents call our office to provide initial information, as I listen to their children’s BS/MD program profile, I can almost predict (using trends, predictive analysis and real-time insider perspective of the BS/MD programs) that their child will be REJECTED based on the sameness of their profile. Yet, when I explain to parents that their children sound exactly like other applicants they are in total disbelief. I have concluded that their children are merely following the advice of their parents and the parents are making detrimental MISTAKES that will cause rejection after years of their child’s hard work.
As an BS/MD Admissions Advisor with over 29 years of experience, an unmatched admissions track record and acceptance when I spend time talking with parents in attempt to explain my Continuous Comprehensive Services, I realize what mistake they are or will be making. It’s unfortunate that parents have made or will make these mistakes after all their children’s hard work!!! And these mistakes WILL result in their child being REJECTED!
My question to parents are: (1) Why would you CHOOSE to make a mistake that will hurt your child’s chances of becoming a medical doctor through a BS/MD program?(2) Why would you CHOOSE NOT to hire an expert with 29 years’ experience and an unmatched admissions track record/acceptance rate to help your child to become a medical doctor through a BS/MD program?
Dr. Paul Reginald Lowe, founder/managing director and lead admissions advisor 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 gain admissions to BS/MD programs:| BS/MD Admissions Guru| BS/MD Admissions Advisors. BS/MD Admissions Advisors, help high school students get accepted to top BS/MD programs. Year after year, his clients are accepted to top programs including Brown PLME.
High School Juniors: if you are interested in applying to BS/MD programs—it’s time to reevaluate your BS/MD Plans! With such a competitive environment and the immeasurable value and benefits of BS/MD programs, the need for an effective admissions game plan is ESSENTIAL.
Many aspects of the BS/MD admissions environment have changed. At BS/MD Admissions Advisors, Dr. Paul Lowe and his team of advisors discern that many students and parents are clueless about what to do, when to do it, where to do it, who to contact, and why. If you are a high school junior or your son or daughter is a high school junior and you are thinking about applying to direct BS/MD programs, it’s time to reassess your plans.
Most students (even with the help of their parents) read books, look at videos or visit college forum-type websites which they believe may provide personalized answers for them.
Many parents who call us (and whose children are performing the above and have the below profile) then believe that their child is a shoo-in for BS/MD programs and just need “some” advice.
Here is the typical BS/MD applicant-student profile of students when parents contact us:
GPA: 3.9 (UW) 4.6
ACT: 35
SAT: 1580
APs: usually 10 -14 classes
Honors/Awards: several
Teacher/Counselor Recommendations: Excellent
Resume: 2-3 pages
Volunteer: Several organizations
Shadowed Doctors: 2-3
Extracurricular Activities: Several
Published a paper: 1-2
Laboratory Research: Participated and/or possibly published
With all of the above you would believe that this student will definitely be accepted – WRONG! This represents the most common and well-known factors for admissions. However, there are many more things to consider.
Here’s a small list of factors by admissions expert, Dr. Paul Lowe that you should consider if you are a junior seriously thinking about applying to BS/MD programs.
Student CHARACTER – Each institution considers a student’s positive attributes in the light of the goals of the particular institution. BS/MD programs thoroughly evaluate character attributes of a student as a factor for admissions. Among the most important character attributes are honesty, integrity, empathy, curiosity, creativity, teamwork, adaptability, resilience, community, generosity, self-control, adaptability and optimism. Lip-service or just stating that one possesses these attributes will not help.
COLLEGE-SPECIFIC SUPPLEMENTALS – You must complement and synergize your supplementals with your personal statement. All the school-specific essays are important, even the 50 word-count answers! Students have been rejected because of mistakenly using one word or a sentence in 50 word-count essays!
COLLEGE-SPECIFIC-BS/MD ESSAYS – The “Why doctor essay?” “I want to help people”. Everyone in the service industry does that!
WOW FACTOR – What’s your WOW Factor? How and when can you use it to WOW admissions? You want the admissions committee to say “WOW! We want this applicant on our campus.”
ETIQUETTE –Are you mindful of how you present yourself and how people perceive you? Etiquette matters! We provide personalized etiquette strategies for our clients.
MANNERS – When you say something (or write something) what counts is not what you mean but how you are heard and perceived. Are you mindful of your manners? Manners matter! Do you know when or if you sound rude, pretentious, impolite, disrespectful, unrefined or uncultured?
WHO ARE YOU? – What are your values? What do you stand for? Can you define you? Why are you different?
INTERVIEWS – You may be perfect on paper (grades, SATs recommendations, volunteering to save the world, 1000 hours of shadowing), however, one incorrect word or statement in an interview results in a rejection – That’s right, just one!
The KNOW-HOW. Our proprietary-knowledge, unmatched experience, admissions success and years of close working relationships with admissions professionals ensures that you do it right!
If you know how to plan, develop and implement (1-8) and how they are used in BS/MD admissions – that’s wonderful!!! But if you don’t, there is an increased probability that you (and your child) will make irrevocable mistakes that will cause instant rejections to all schools. Would you want this to happen after your years of planning as a parent and your child’s hard work?
By having Admissions Strategy Skype/Zoom sessions directly with Dr. Paul Lowe, brainstorming ideas, developing admissions strategies, essay review, and mock interview sessions to develop amazing student profiles, our clients stand out and are accepted into Ivy League and highly selective colleges/universities and BS/MD programs
Dr. Paul Reginald Lowe, founder/managing director and lead admissions advisor 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 gain admissions to BS/MD programs:| BS/MD Admissions Guru| BS/MD Admissions Advisors.
SUNY Polytechnic Institute has informed (2023) applicants that SUNY Upstate Medical University, its affiliated medical school with the BS/MD program “has made the decision to conclude the Upstate Accelerated Scholarship program to new applicants effective immediately.”
SUNY Upstate Medical University and SUNY Polytechnic had an established partnership to form the Upstate Accelerated Scholars Program (UAS).
Since the SUNY Polytechnic Institute will no longer be accepting applicants, the competition to gain admissions into BS/MD programs will now increase because there will be fewer programs.
Now it has become even more competitive as more BS/MD programs have closed and the number slots are dwindling!
Parents are facing the challenge of currently navigating the BS/MD admissions landscape. Incorrect decisions as to when, where and how to turn now results in shipwrecks: immediate rejection of their children after their years of planning. One incorrect extracurricular activity, one negative letter of recommendation, one incorrect sentence in an essay, one incorrect answer in an interview and one incorrect non-verbal cue and or perception will result in a REJECTION! It’s that competitive.
There are continuous fundamental shifts and uncertainty in BS/MD admissions. BS/MD programs are not just about high GPA and test scores, 3-5 page resumes, research and hours of shadowing. It’s now about the interrelated narrative of why you wish to be a doctor and how the student profile stands out, as well how it fits your narrative.
From what I have observed, parents are attempting to game the admissions landscape by using antiquated strategies from outdated books or visiting online communities which provide generic information. Even taking advice from last year’s accepted students can result in rejections!
The COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. economy, healthcare inequity, and student demographics and the number of BS/MD programs have changed the admissions landscape and even enrollment/admissions policies and goals at many schools. Therecent closing of BS/MD programs is a testament to the changing landscape and will affect BS/MD admissions policies and goals.
Query: What’s the new playbook?
Query: With factors such as VOLATILITY, UNCERTAINTY, the UNFORESEEN and the UNEXPECTED what are parents to do?
Query: What are parents to do, after spending considerable years of time and money in attempting to secure a future for their child, when they now face sudden changes in the educational and admissions environment years?
ANSWER: Hire a BS/MD admissions advisor who is an expert! We are the NEW PLAYBOOK
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 gain admissions to BS/MD programs:| BS/MD Admissions Guru| BS/MD Admissions Advisors.
I have visited TCNJ several times over the years. I must state that it is an amazing campus! My discussion with students and admissions officers reveal that it is an excellent learning institution!
TCNJ/NJMS is a 7-year direct BS/MD program where students are accepted to both the medical school and TCNJ and to earn both the baccalaureate/BS degree from TCNJ and the MD degree from NJMS in seven years.
It’s a 3+4 program where students spend three years at TCNJ in an approved major (Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, English, Philosophy, Physics, Economics, Biomedical Engineering, Engineering Science (mechanical or electrical emphasis), Math, Spanish or History) and four at NJMS. Upon successful completion of the first year of medical school, the student is granted the BS or BA degree in the chosen undergraduate major from TCNJ. The M.D. degree is then earned at the end of four years at NJMS.
On average 400 students apply each year, and about 40 students are accepted in TCNJ/NJMS. Last year, 2 of our clients were accepted to TCNJ/NJMS.
BS/MD Program Knowledge: Our clients attend BS/MD programs across the United States. We know their academic and extracurricular experiences and WOW factors. This is important because in addition to our personalized strategies to help you, we apply this knowledge to your BS/MD applications, individual college supplemental applications, essays and interviews. We understand the curriculum, culture, and unique opportunities available at each of the universities and therefore, Dr. Lowe and his team can provide their clients with the competitive advantage needed for admissions success!
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. Parents who chose to use our services want to call their son or daughter – “Doctor” when they are seniors in high school
It’s mid-September, and we are currently receiving calls and emails from anxious parent of high school seniors requesting BS/MD Admissions help. Here is the problem for these parents (and students). It’s too late!
Successful admissions – It’s all about timing and time management.
Valuable and trusted BS/MD help starts as early as middle school prior to high school. The optimum time to hire an educational consultant, who specializes in BS/MD admissions, is sophomore or junior year (when you see that the student is committed to being a doctor), they have at least one year of high school grades.
Not surprisingly, when we receive these calls, students sound exactly alike: high SAT/ACT scores, 4.3 and above weighted GPA, shadowing, published research paper (or two), a website indicating that they have helped socio-economically disadvantaged students. Their achievements sound exactly alike; it is as though they have been reading the same books, visiting the same websites and talking with the same people. Although these parents have yet to experience the outcome of this practice, it generally means they have prepared their children to be rejected from BS/MD programs and ivy league and highly selective colleges and universities. By simply procrastinating, their mistakes are irreversible and irrevocable. It is simply too late for our firm to correct their mistakes or make recommendations to enhance their student profiles.
BS/MD admissions is super-competitive. We find ways through our experience and knowledge to help our clients stand out. We know that our clients who have retained us from the sophomore or junior year will look and sound superior to other students. Our acceptance results speak to this!
Only first place wins in admissions!
My team and I prepare our clients to win first place (because there are no second or third place seats in competitive college and BS/MD admissions).
In the admissions race,our clients are winners!Dr. Lowe congratulates parents who support their children’s dreams!“Valuable and trusted advice is needed to avoid mistakes” – Dr. Lowe
Dr. Paul Lowe - Admissions Expert 