Today I am going to give you some background on some of my students that have applied to Northwestern HPME so you have some idea of the type of competition you are facing when applying to this incredibly competitive program. These are not complete resumes for these students and a few minor facts are changed to protect the identify of the students.
Student A was the number 1 student in a class of 300+ at one of the top public high schools in the country. His SAT was over 2,350. Multiple subject tests were all 800. He started doing research as a freshman and was an ISEF Finalist for 2 years. During his research he was communicating with professors from many universities including some of those that he applied to. He volunteered weekly at three organizations, including a hospital, a nursing home, and a homeless shelter every week from freshman year through senior year.
Student A was very intense and focused but could have a relaxed feel about his personality if he thought about it. I advised him to be himself during interviews but to try and relax as well.
Student A was given multiple medical school interviews and was admitted to 5 BS/MD programs including Northwestern HPME. He was not admitted to the Rice/Baylor program. Yes, with that background he did not get into all of the BS/MD programs he applied to.
Student B was the number 1 student in a class of 500+ at a strong suburban public high school. His ACT was 36. Multiple subject tests were all 800. He started doing research as a freshman and was an ISEF Finalist for 2 years. He volunteered weekly at a nursing home and at his temple for three years.
Student B was also very focused but was by no means relaxed. Student B was given multiple medical school interviews and was admitted to 5 BS/MD programs including several top programs. He was interviewed at Northwestern HPME but was not admitted to that program.
Student C was in the top 5% of her class at a strong, very large suburban public high school. Her ACT score was 34 and her SAT Subject Tests were over 750. She was involved in clinical research for 2 years resulting in her name being on an article that was published in a national medical journal. She was also on the board of directors of a national volunteer organization for youth.
Despite her accomplishments, Student C presented as fairly relaxed and friendly. Student C was interviewed at Northwestern HPME in the same year as Student B but she was admitted to the program.
These are the type of people that you are competing against. In any particular year I tend to have 3 or 4 people with perfect grades and perfect test scores. I regularly have Intel and Siemens Finalists and students who have been volunteering in health care settings for years.
Now, let’s be clear. You don’t need to have perfect grades and test scores to get admitted to a program like HPME. But you do need very high grades and test scores and something else beyond the typical applicant. Visit HuntingtonHelps.com and receive the best preparation possible. And do not forget personality. Student B was a perfect example of a student that was qualified for admission to HPME but his personality did not fit that programs personality. In other promotions take a look at http://magnetiteperth.com.au/ if you have needs for window replacements for your home or business.
Hi,
I scored a 2210 on the SAT and a 1470 CR+M. 760 Bio M and 790 World History. I haven’t taken math II yet. My gpa is 4.6 and 4.0 uw. I was wondering if my SAT score is too low to competitive at programs like Miami HPME. Not these are only my scores; I have many medical related EC’s.
Sorry I meant to add to my last comment. I have extensive hospital volunteering and physician shadowing. I have research and will possible have 2 published papers when I apply. I understand that my SAT score is not the only thing that matters but I just want to know if a 1470/1600 will hurt my chances at more competitve programs like Miami HPME. And is it worth retaking to get maybe 50-70 points higher? My actual breakdown is 720 M 750 CR 740 W. I know my math score is somewhat low but I have other things to prove I am a good math student such as I qualified for the AIME test and will have taken Calc BC by the time I graduate.
Your advice is appreciated!
A,
In general terms your SAT score is fine for a BS/MD program like Miami’s HPME. They want to see at least a 1,400 on math and critical reading. However, if this is the first time you have taken it, I would recommend taking it again. I almost always recommend taking the test twice unless the first test exceeds 1,500 on math and critical reading. You are close but it wouldn’t hurt to take again and try to raise the math score.
Otherwise grades look good as does much of the rest of your activities. You don’t say what you are doing for hospital volunteering and I would just comment that BS/MD programs like to see volunteering that involves patient contact. Miami for instance has a specific question on their supplemental application that asks about the amount of patient contact you have had in your activities.
Hi Mr. Johnson,
As a junior and 2016 graduate, I currently have a “cookie-cutter” BS/MD applicant resume:
4.0 unweighted, 4.4 weighted GPA in a very competitive high school
2370 SAT
800 Chemistry, Math 2 SAT subject test scores
at least one year experience: research, shadowing, and nursing home volunteer
What would you suggest in order to improve my chances at both the lower tier as well as the more competitive programs such as the UCSD program. Also, how much do non-medicine related ECs such as music or sports factor into their evaluation. Thanks!
J,
The area that most students underestimate in importance to BS/MD programs is volunteering. They like to see regular consistent volunteering. Even an hour or two a week, done every week, is impressive. Don’t just volunteer during the summer. Make sure you are volunteering year around.
Non medical EC’s don’t typically have a great impact on admissions to BS/MD programs but they can show leadership, maturity and that type of thing.
J,
The area that most students underestimate in importance to BS/MD programs is volunteering. They like to see regular consistent volunteering. Even an hour or two a week, done every week, is impressive. Don’t just volunteer during the summer. Make sure you are volunteering year around.
Non medical EC’s don’t typically have a great impact on admissions to BS/MD programs but they can show leadership, maturity and that type of thing.
Hi,
Do you think a 33 ACT will be enough to get into HPME? I have a 4.0 unweighted GPA and my SAT IIs are above 770. I’m not going to dwell into all my EC’s, but overall they are pretty strong and oriented appropriately in the medical field.
K,
A 33 is a bit less than I normally see for Northwestern but they are very focused on getting the right bit and for the right student I don’t think it would be an automatic rejection.
hi should I upload a resume for HPME? I would like to go more indepth to some of my activities, but I’m not sure if i’ll just irritate the ad coms?
Sonali,
If you think there is information on your resume that is important and not covered by the rest of your application then submitted it to HPME is fine. I will tell you that rarely have I had a student submit a resume and yet many have been accepted into the HPME program so it certainly isn’t necessary for many people.
Hello, this is a very useful article. I have a question regarding how realistic it would be for me to try to apply to this program
I have 2350 superscore on the SAT and
1570/1600 CR+M
SAT Chemistry: 800
I have around 300+ hours of shadowing a bariatric surgeon at the clinic and hospital.
I have two questions;
1. Does anything less than 800 on the SAT I Math look weak?
2. The shadowing is my main healthcare related ec. Is a lack of variety in the ec department a weakness? I dedicated most of my time to this.
Vikram,
You don’t list your grades which are the most important thing for college admissions so can’t really comment on whether you are a competitive candidate. Your test scores are good but be aware that the vast majority of BS/MD programs do not use superscores but rather the best testing from a single date.
While BS/MD programs certainly expect to see doctor shadowing, typically 40 to 60 hours is sufficient. The majority of the time should be spent on health care related volunteering and not shadowing. Shadowing is something you do for your self to get experience on what life as a physician is like. Volunteering is what you do to help someone else. Helping a physician is not what they are typically looking for unless you are helping patients as well. Usually this does not occur during shadowing.
Vikram,
You don’t list your grades which are the most important thing for college admissions so can’t really comment on whether you are a competitive candidate. Your test scores are good but be aware that the vast majority of BS/MD programs do not use superscores but rather the best testing from a single date.
While BS/MD programs certainly expect to see doctor shadowing, typically 40 to 60 hours is sufficient. The majority of the time should be spent on health care related volunteering and not shadowing. Shadowing is something you do for your self to get experience on what life as a physician is like. Volunteering is what you do to help someone else. Helping a physician is not what they are typically looking for unless you are helping patients as well. Usually this does not occur during shadowing.
Hello Mr. Johnson!
I just have a question about the volunteering. I do consistent volunteering twice a week year round tutoring less privileged children. I am going into my junior year and have done so since freshman year. To be considered for a HPME spot should I begin doing more hospital related volunteering?
Mary,
All volunteering is good but a significant portion should be health care related if you are looking at BS/MD programs. Hospital volunteering is one option but so is a nursing home or other facility helping those with physical issues. The key is to have patient contact which is difficult in some hospital settings where students are often given the gift shop or the front desk to work and have almost no contact with patients. This isn’t the type of health care related volunteering programs like to see.
One other comment. HPME is a great program and I have had many students go there. That being said, it is extremely competitive and it is never good to focus in on one program when the odds are so difficult. Throw a wide net out there if you are interested in BS/MD programs. HPME can be your dream option.
Hi Mr. Johnson,
I understand that GPA is crucial for being admitted to an accelerated med program. However, I was wondering if where your GPA dipped matters. Do admission’s officers expect A’s in the STEM classes? For example, if I received two B’s this year, each in AP bio and AP chem, would they consider me as a poorer students as opposed to a student that received A’s in classes like English and History? If so, does this type of expectation apply to all tiers of bs/md programs?
Thank you!
S,
Ideally, the fewer the number of B’s the better. A B in a science is more of a problem than a B in something else since the BS/MD programs want to make sure you can handle the academic work particularly as it relates to the sciences. Not to say that a B in math or science is fatal but it would have more impact than a B in another subject.
Hello Mr. Johnson!
I loved reading your article! It was super helpful in letting me know more about the average applicant than just their SAT score. I am an Asian female and these are my stats:
GPA: 4.0 (unweighted)
Shadowing Hours: 40
SAT: 1560
SAT Subject Scores: 780 in math & chemistry
ACT: 35
Volunteer Hours: 100 at a hospital (but not consistently, it was during the summer).
Accomplishments/Additional Items: I have a job writing articles for a local magazine since sophomore year. I have a writing award. I founded and run 2 clubs in my high school. I got fourth place in HOSA nationals for biomedical debate and first place in regional medical terminology. State Champ for tennis two years in a row. I did Red Cross volunteering in which I assisted people who got their blood drawn (does this count as patient care?)
Do you think I will get BS/MD programs or Ivy Leagues? Specifically Northwestern HPME. Also, is there anything essential I am missing from my application or anything that would help me stand out? Additionally, is it too late to start doing consistent volunteer hours (I am a junior in high school).
Todd – This is very useful thread. My SAT is 2380 ( 1580 CR+Math), Subject 800 (Bio) and 780 (Math 2). Shadowed Neuro doctors in US, UK and India (during summers and winter breaks total 140 hrs shadowing and 40 hrs of patient help) with patient contact including observing trauma care. Did RIBS program at U Chicago in Summer (did not publish the paper). Have regular volunteer hours during the year for CSF and helping seniors at local temple. Non health care extra curricular, placed first in California DECA and business plan involved remote healthcare and did fund raising for charities including mental health. UW is 3.9 and Weighted 4.5. My dad went to Northwestern grad school. What are my chances for HPME (personality aside)? I am already a senior so not sure what else can be added.
Todd – Just to add I am a National Merit Semifinalist and hopefully will be a finalist once I go thru the process. Does that have any influence at Northwestern/HPME ?
Dear Mr. Johnson,
Thank you for this article; it has shed light on many of my concerns, as I am hoping to apply to the BS/MD program offered at Brown among those provided at other schools. Nonetheless, I have some concerns pertaining to my ability to apply to said programs. For a general overview, I have:
-4.0 UW GPA, 4.81 W GPA (at a Magnet STEM-oriented School; class rank is not provided in my county but I place in roughly the top 1 – 3%)
-2330 SAT (800 M, 800 CR, 730 W)
-800 SAT II Math II, will be taking Chemistry soon
-Two summers worth of internship/research
-Various clubs/leadership positions
Though academically I consider myself adequately accomplished, I severely lack in medical experience. I have so far completed 200+ hours of volunteering, however, this was never done at a hospital. Many of my hours were completed at a retirement home, in which I came into constant contact with the residents/patients living there; however, labeling this as “Medical Experience” is probably a stretch.
Though this is a rather crude version of a full application, I was hoping if you could express your thoughts on my ability to get into a BS/MD program, given the aforementioned information.
Thank you,
K
My apologies for not being clearer earlier. Here’s an update.
My GPA is 4.91
I have a single sitting 1570/1600 on the SAT and a 780 in writing from a previous test date for a superscore of 2350.
Single-sitting 35 Composite on the ACT.
800 on Chemistry, Math II, Biology subject tests.
I have a 5 in AP Chemistry and AP Biology and I’m currently taking AP Calculus BC
(which NU HPME apparently requires)
My main healthcare experience, as indicated earlier, is the doctor shadowing. Throughout these 4 months I had a great deal of patient interaction; this was kind of a volunteering+shadowing experience. I was shadowing the doctor and simultaneously helping out in the clinic (As you mentioned, this was more of helping the physician rather than the patients). I moved to the US early last year.
Would it be worth applying to HPME? Do I at least have a small chance of making it to the interview stage?
Hello Mr. Johnson!
I loved reading your article! It was super helpful in letting me know more about the average applicant than just their SAT score. I am an Asian female and these are my stats:
GPA: 4.0 (unweighted), 4.43 (weighted)
Shadowing Hours: 40
SAT: 1560
SAT Subject Scores: 780 in math & chemistry
ACT: 35
Volunteer Hours: 100 at a hospital (but not consistently, it was during the summer).
Accomplishments/Additional Items: I have a job writing articles for a local magazine since sophomore year. I have a writing award. I founded and run 2 clubs in my high school. I got fourth place in HOSA nationals for biomedical debate and first place in regional medical terminology. State Champ for tennis two years in a row. I did Red Cross volunteering in which I assisted people who got their blood drawn (does this count as patient care?)
Do you think I will get BS/MD programs or Ivy Leagues? Specifically Northwestern HPME. Also, is there anything essential I am missing from my application or anything that would help me stand out? Additionally, is it too late to start doing consistent volunteer hours (I am a junior in high school).
I am currently a sophomore and trying to figure out what I need to do in order to be competitive for an HPME program. I currently have a 4.0 (unweighted) and am pursuing the IB program. In that program, I will be double-sciencing in both Biology and Chemistry. I won the biology departmental award my freshman year for proficiency in Biology. I founded a HOSA chapter at my school in my freshman year and have made it to the international competition. I am also part of Medical Careers club and will be president my junior and senior years. My blind ACT score is a 34 (33 Reading, 33 Math, 35 English and 36 Science) but I have been studying since taking it blind. I am an active participant in other school clubs and am the state champion in forensics. My main concern is volunteering. I have over 150 volunteer hours, 50 of which I spent volunteering at a camp for children with special needs over the summer. What kind of weekly volunteering programs look best on college applications for the HPME?
Hi Mr. Johnson,
I scored 2340 in SAT, and 800 in Chemistry and MathII. I ranked top 1% in my school. Is it hard to even get the actual HPME application? Except for scores, do I need to put any Volunteer activities in HPME request card in order to get the actual HPME application?
thanks,
Jessica
ACN,
Generally your background looks good but with a program as competitive as HPME even strong students sometimes don’t get invited to apply. YOur grades are a little lower than I typically see for HPME but it does depend on your school and the classes you have taken for those grades.
ACN,
Colleges do not care about National Merit Finalist status. They care about the test scores that get you there.
K,
Many of our successful students have never volunteered in a hospital. Nursing homes are just fine. In some states it is extremely difficult to get hospital based volunteering and BS/MD programs are aware of this.
N,
I can’t comment on chances as there are too many variables involved. I would strongly suggest you get more involved in regular consistent health care related volunteering. It is not too late to do so.
R,
BS/MD programs like to see any kind of health care related volunteering. Working with children with special needs would meet that requirement as would working in a nursing home or working in a hospital. The main issue is patient contact which can sometimes be difficult to get while volunteering in a hospital.
Jessica,
It can be challenging to get the HPME approval form to apply even for strong students. Put your best foot forward and hope for the best.
Hi mr. Johnson, Iam studying in India(us citizen), in 10th grade right now. I’ll take IB courses, goal will be good. I’ll take SAT, Iam fundraising for Cancer Institute. What are my chances for HPME, NU
Subha,
HPME is generally the most competitive program in the US for US citizens. It is even more competitive for international students. I can’t say what your chances might be but statistically HPME should be viewed as a long shot for any student. Just make sure you have other colleges you are applying to that have a higher admit rate.
Hello Todd,
Thank you for the great info you are providing…
My son currently in 10th Grade and he is volunteering every week for last few months at senior assisted living center (provides care and treatment) and he plan on doing for next couple years. Can he use this as volunteering hours towards BS/MD programs or he needs to find setting at nursing home/hospital.
Not sure what is the difference…..
Thanks
Raj
Raj,
An assisted living center is similar to a nursing home for purposes of volunteering and is just fine for BS/MD programs as long as he is getting contact with residents.
Thank you very much Todd for your reply for earlier question…..
Going to thru the Blog i got a sense that BS/MD programs are very competitive.. My another question is how critical is to get good ACT essay portion of the score. For example my son scored ACT composite of 36/36 ( E35,M36,R36,S36) and Essay portion 9/12.
Thanks
Raj
Raj,
BS/MD programs are the most competitive programs in college admissions. The “easy” ones are about the same level of competitiveness as Harvard and Yale.
As for test scores, the composite ACT score is much more important than the essay score. If your son got a 36 he is fine with a 9 on the essay section.
Hi Mr Johnson,
I’m a high school junior interested in HPME. I have GPA 4.0 unweighted and good test scores and activities.
My question is on the importance of weighted GPA. Before HPME will even send you an application, you must provide them your weighted GPA (they italicize “must”), class rank and test scores. No activities at this stage, so there is obviously a numerical cut-off just to receive an application.
My weighted class rank is 12th percentile despite a 4.0 unweighted GPA, because I took band and other electives, which are non-AP classes and lower your weighted GPA (A=4 for band but A=5 for AP class).
Based on your experience with HPME, is there a weighted GPA/class rank that serves as a cut-off? Twelfth percentile seems pretty low for such a prestigious program even though I am OK in other ways.
Josh,
There is no specific answer to this since it depends on what HPME wants to do each year. With a 4.0 unweighted my guess is that you would be seriouly considered. However, if that only puts you in the 12 percent at your school, there may be serious questions about the rigor of your schedule. If the only issue is having band, it should be alright but again, it is up to HPME to decide how they want to approach this.
Hi!
I am freshmen right now and I am really interested in the rice/Baylor program. I saw that many of your students were doing research as freshmen. I have had a hard time finding many research opportunities. Do you have any suggestions? Also, do you know if the rice/Baylor programs takes a certain number of in-state applicant? Thanks
Riya,
Most students do NOT have research as a freshman. This is actually fairly unusual.
Rice/Baylor is a great program but don’t focus on any specific program particularly at an early age like this. There are lots of good BS/MD programs out there and lots of great option for the traditional route.
To my knowledge Rice/Baylor doesn’t have a quota of in state students but can tell you from my experience that it appears that they typically take about half of their students from Texas.
how competitive would a 3.89 GPA be for northwestern hpme
Maha,
There are many factors that go into the decision making process and a simple GPA doesn’t provide enough information to say.
Hello Mr. Johnson,
is there any possibility for someone who scored 1300 in sat to get an application for the HPME program or the low score means that is an automatic rejection?
Hey Mr. Johnson,
Thank you for the article. It was really helpful. I am going to be a rising Junior and I am interested in applying to Boston University’s BS/MD Program. During my Freshman and my Sophomore years, I’ve volunteered at a Clinic and a Hospital. I also plan to do job shadowing this summer.
I’m also interested in doing research. I know that there are various summer programs available for rising Seniors. Do you have any advice for getting admitted to them? If I do not get admitted into any of the research programs available, is there another way to do research?
Rohma,
See this article for a discussion of the various types of research options: https://www.collegeadmissionspartners.com/bsmd-programs/type-research-best-bsmd-programs/
Maryanne,
While anything is possible it is very unlikely in my opinion that you will get an invitation to apply to HPME with a 1,300 SAT score.
Hey Mr. Johnson,
I read your article and it really seemed to help. I am a high school junior and I’m interested in applying for HPME. However, I got a B in AP Chem and one B in AP bio for half the semester. Do you think this decreases my chances to get into the program? My estimated GPA by mid senior year should be around a 4.5-6
N,
Typically a few B’s will not eliminate a program like HPME although the fewer the better. While grades are certainly important they are also looking at a variety of other issues as well when it comes to admissions.