Applying

hello there,
has been a long time since i last wrote on this blog...well..i wouldnt exactly say i was busy but i wasn't able to write coz of the winter break...i went back to nepal and was too busy trekking around and trying to relax!

today i'd like to tell you more about how i had prepared when I was applying to Cornell for pre-med...now that the time for me to apply to medical school is near (this march), it is going to be helpful for me to recall what i did too!!

to begin with, i was unaware about the existence of this branch of cornell during my high school days. so my only plans were to apply to universities and colleges in the states and that was how i was preparing for the whole time. (please do realize that i am only one of the sixty students accepted in my class...so there is a huge range in scores of the people who did get accepted..there is no cut off level...every individual has his/her unique characters which the admission committee looks into...dont get dissapointed if u have anything less and if u have better scores..good for u..but in college admission...as u might have heard..nothing is guaranteed..and i am not at all a professional!!)

i did the Cambridge GCE A Levels (but there are students who have done the high school system of India (CBSE), French Baccalaureate, International Baccalaureate, Edexcel, Advanced Placement and so on..i dont even know all of them!!)...i had taken 5 subjects and had got a good enuf grade of As and Bs ( I know students with Cs and Ds as well)... after two years of high school, i decided to take a break to pull myself together and work on college application stuff and also tp prepare myself for the college experience...most people dont take any year off actually...in my case...my high school had its own style and almost everyone took a year off...most people who get accepted here in freshman year are around 18 years old...but we had the youngest person to ever get accepted here (age 14) and people who had already started medical school but left to start from premed again (age 20-21)

i took my SAT Reasoning Test, 3 SAT Subject Tests, TOEFL all in my gap year and got above average scores (in regards to this college)...check out the website to know the average scores..heres a quote from our website

"While no single grade or exam score guarantees admission, it would be relevant to note that the average GPA of the students entering the Pre-medical Program in 2005 was 3.8 and additionally that these students had an average SAT math score of 676 and an average TOEFL score of 604." (http://qatar-weill.cornell.edu/education/admin/downloads/2007_eviewbook.pdf)

i dont know the recent scores
the admission committee here looks beyond these standard tests more in this college than any other american college because of the fact that most applicants here are non-native English speakers...so if your reading score in SAT or your TOEFL scores arent particularly impressive as per US standards, you shouldnt worry that much because at this college they consider the fact that you are not supposed to be that impressive...however, i would advice you to pay attention in subjects that arent language based like science and maths.

after taking my tests, I started working on my personal statements. I made it a point to look into all the distinctions that this college had over any other college and by the time I was done researching for my colleges, I knew that WCMC-Q would be my priority school. (I actually stumbled upon this college's website by mere luck!!) I also made it a point to apply to numerous other schools for safety (I actually applied to 12 different schools!! u can choose the no. of schools u want to apply to but try and make it more than just one! look for a school that matches with your personality so that u get the best environment u need...good college research is a must!)

Then came the time of writing why I wanted to study at Cornell and why I would choose this particular one instead of the hundreds of thousands of schools all over the world! As I had researched well, not just about the college but about life as a general in Doha, in Qatar and the lifestyle of the college students here in Qatar Foundation, I had a lot to say. And I made my point clear in my personal statement that this was indeed what I was looking for. But in an essay, you have to also make it a point to state what benefit will the college have by accepting you..i wouldnt say u promise them that ud win the nobel prize and make the college famous, but talk about you as a unique individual, what are your strong points (try not to include your weak points unless u will make some important point later on!) and how you would make a difference in the culture of WCMC-Q, how you would stand out between the other 60 students who would get in with you and more importantly, how are u different from the other hundreds if not thousands of applicants! talk about what made u choose medicine as a career....etc etc (u shud know the drill if u r applying!!)

I did exactly that and "ONE FINE DAY, I OPEN MY INBOX AND SEE AN EMAIL FROM THE ADMISSIONS OFFICE OF WCMC-Q ASKING ME TO APPEAR FOR AN INTERVIEW!!" (i jumped up and down with joy..shouted out on top of my voice...etc etc.. btw..it was one fine night...my neighbours didn't seem to be too happy about my interview invitation or maybe it was my shouting!)

i flew to doha (yes, everyone HAS to appear for the interview) and nervously walked into the doors of the college's gigantic yet beautiful building...but the interview wasnt as nerve-racking as i thought it would be...the dean of admissions was an affable person and i was calm by the time i took the first bite of my doughnut during breakfast... i was briefed about the college, about the main campus..our college's plans etc etc during breakfast and then i was interviewd by 3 people including a faculty, the dean of admissions and a medical student..(yours could be different..i dont know what happens these days)...the interview went really pleasantly...it was more of a chit chat where they wanted to learn more about me and I wanted to learn more about the college and what I should expect.....i was also asked a simple question in science but that is not common and even if asked..it is okay to make a mistake! (dont stress about it from now!)

so yeah...after the interview...another fine day (this time it was during the day) I received a phone call saying i was accepted and that was that! i was the happiest person coz I was accepted to cornell's pre-medical program and my dreams of becomin a cornell doctor were very close to being true (btw..if u dont see me around next year...cud u tell the admissions committee that i really wanted to become a cornell MD and to reconsider and take me in??) jk..hopefully i will be around to write another story about how i got accepted to the medical program...inshallah (one of the very few arabic words i have learnt!)

thanks for taking the time to read this looooong post...and please leave behind your useful comments...u can also catch me on facebook..just look me up and id be glad to help.


NOTE: This is a personal blog and the information or advice given here are my own views coming out of my own personal experiences. If you see any differences between what is said here and the official WCMC-Q website, please adhere to WCMC-Q's recommendations and policies. Neither WCMC-Q nor I am liable for any claim made in relation to this blog. Summing it up, this is me speaking and not Cornell but the advices I have written here might be helpful!