Getting through your first four years at university is challenging enough, but if you have aspirations to continue your education and go to graduate school, you’ll be facing an application process that can be daunting for many people. The requirements for acceptance in the best medical schools and law schools are designed to make sure that only smart, qualified people get in. But keep in mind that “smart” not only means “intelligent,” it also means “knowing how to succeed.” There are many things that you can do to improve your chances of being accepted into a degree program, and Don Osborne knows them all. At his website www.Inquarta.com, he shares his smarts with you.
7S: When people think about applying for graduate school, they often only think about the entrance examination, such as the GRE (Graduate Records Examination) or MCAT (Medical College Application Test). However, that’s often almost the last step in the application process. What’s the real starting point?
DO: Some students may consider studying for the MCAT as the real starting point,Some would say it’s the first day of college. But it’s not always the case .
7S: Everyone’s heard the catchphrase “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” Does this apply to graduate school admissions as well?
DO: Not really. Graduate school admissions is a weird mix of merit and a flat-out race. So if your application is in sooner than mine, you may have a better chance of getting accepted, even if your gpa and admissions test score are a little lower than mine.
7S: While there are many issues and strategies that apply to aspiring students across the board, everyone’s situation is a little bit different. What types of help and counseling do you offer on an individual basis?
DO: I have three different types of help:
First, traditional admissions consulting is very expensive … several thousand dollars is not unusual. I’ve always felt that that made it really difficult for a lot of students, so I created a series of online courses — videos plus workbook — to help students answer a wide range of questions. What are my chances / how do I look compared to others? How do I prepare for the application / what should I write about? What should I expect / how do I prepare for my admissions interviews?
Second, I know that premed students are really, really concerned about their MCAT scores. And I know that a lot of students feel they need to get into a commercial test prep course to help them improve, review the content and practice. But traditional courses run into the thousands of dollars, so that can be a real strain for students who either don’t want to spend that much money, or don’t feel that it’s fair to their family to burden them with another big bill.
So that’s why I created “The MCAT Club.” It’s a combination of an MCAT review course, plus a weekly live conference call where you can ask questions, get help from experts, all for $9 a month. It’s a pretty good deal that I’m really excited about. (You can learn more at http://www.inquarta.com/mcat-club).
7S: What’s the real impact of a person’s university GPA on their chances of getting into an MBA or law school program?
DO: Well for law school, your gpa is probably 40 to 50% of the total decision-making process, and your LSAT score is another 30-40%; the rest is subjective. For MBA school, your professional work experiences and your GMAT score are far more important than your GPA.
7S: Some people have a clear idea of what they want to do as a career, but for others, it takes a while. Is it ever too late to apply for law school or medical school?
DO: It may be too late to apply for people let’s say 50 years of age for medical school. But not for law school. It’s two different scenarios. In medical school, you need to complete four years of medical school, then apply for a residency program which can be very stressful since you are on call all the time. There’s a physical aspect involved in this. While law school is not and can be a big plus for seniors. Large corporation do hire seniors as corporate lawyers, senior management positions. It only studying in law compared to the physical stress factor in medical school.
