2023-2024 Pennsylvania State

Discover Your Odds of Getting into Medical School
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Thank you @premed_15 for sharing this year's questions.

2023-2024 Penn State Secondary Prompts (Penn State is not requiring CASPer this year)

**Note that your particular questions may be different based on which boxes you check**

1. If not currently enrolled in a full-time academic program, please summate your activities from the time of graduation from your baccalaureate program through the time of this application, as well as your plans between now and your matriculation to medical school. (Maximum 75 words)

2. Is there a unique aspect of your application that should be considered by the admissions committee? (Maximum 75 words)

3. Explain why you decided to apply to the Penn State College of Medicine. (Maximum 75 words)

4. Write a short paragraph describing a significant experience you have had working in a team setting. (Maximum 250 words)

5. Write a short statement describing how you envision using your medical education to advance care for under-represented or marginalized populations. (Maximum 250 words)

Good luck to everyone applying!

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Last edited by a moderator:
Hello everyone! I just wanted to confirm something related to CASPer. When I google the schools that are requiring CASPer in 2023, Penn State is consistently listed as one of them but I can't find the option to select it on my CASPer/Acuity portal for the 2023-2024 cycle and I can't find anything about it on the Penn State website. Could someone confirm or let me know if I'm just not looking at the right thing so I don't miss sending it to them if they're still requiring it? Thanks so much :)
 
positivethoughts333 said:
Hello everyone! I just wanted to confirm something related to CASPer. When I google the schools that are requiring CASPer in 2023, Penn State is consistently listed as one of them but I can't find the option to select it on my CASPer/Acuity portal for the 2023-2024 cycle and I can't find anything about it on the Penn State website. Could someone confirm or let me know if I'm just not looking at the right thing so I don't miss sending it to them if they're still requiring it? Thanks so much :)
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When I searched in April 2023 to see which schools would require CASPer for the upcoming cycle, I did see Penn State on the list.
You're right, it isn't listed on the Acuity Insights page any more for allopathic MD schools, and their MSAR page now says no SJT's are required.
 
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wysdoc said:
When I searched in April 2023 to see which schools would require CASPer for the upcoming cycle, I did see Penn State on the list.
You're right, it isn't listed on the Acuity Insights page any more for allopathic MD schools, and their MSAR page now says no SJT's are required.
Click to expand...
Thanks for letting me know, glad you're seeing the same thing I am. I'm guessing if it's not available through the CASPer page, Penn State has removed it as part of their requirements then. I'll try to follow-up later in the cycle, if anyone else has any information, lmk.
 
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Hi PSU-hopefuls, So exciting that we are starting yet another application cycle. I am about to be an M2 here (yikes!) and was on SDN for my application cycle (2021-2022) and was giving advice in the PSU thread for this past year's applicants. Will be hanging around this thread this year as well. Feel free to PM with any questions!
 
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psucowgirl said:
Hi PSU-hopefuls, So exciting that we are starting yet another application cycle. I am about to be an M2 here (yikes!) and was on SDN for my application cycle (2021-2022) and was giving advice in the PSU thread for this past year's applicants. Will be hanging around this thread this year as well. Feel free to PM with any questions!
Click to expand...
Likewise! I'm an incoming M1 to PSU Hershey and would be more than happy to help answer any questions about the application process
 
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shikshack said:
Pl share your stats?
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513 and 3.95+. I promise you that it wasn’t my stats that made me stand out at schools like Penn State, it was my writing.

Think of it this way: your stats open the door, but your writing earns you the interview invite.
 
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Does anyone know how strict they are with the LORs here? I have two science faculty letters included, but only one of them actually taught me.
 
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OOS (neighboring state) secondary received

@wysdoc

Prompts:

5. If not currently enrolled in a full-time academic program, please summate your activities from the time of graduation from your baccalaureate program through the time of this application, as well as your plans between now and your matriculation to medical school. (Maximum 75 words)

10. Is there a unique aspect of your application that should be considered by the admissions committee? (Maximum 75 words)

11. Explain why you decided to apply to the Penn State College of Medicine. (Maximum 75 words)

12. Write a short paragraph describing a significant experience you have had working in a team setting. (Maximum 250 words)

13. Write a short statement describing how you envision using your medical education to advance care for under-represented or marginalized populations. (Maximum 250 words)

Could’ve been more prompts under some checkboxes I didn’t click. These are the main ones though
 
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+1 OOS secondary invite received.
 
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OOS haven't received anything yet. :cryi: Is this the same case for anyone else?
First time applying!
 
Is anyone's checkboxes not "sticking?" I click them, click save, and then when I go back they're not checked. This is both for the campus security disclosure and the MD-PhD graduate program selection
 
Just a PSA: PSU does not require CASPer this year. I emailed and asked.
 
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for the "is there a unique aspect of your application," anyone have any ideas of what they're looking for? as in your application's general narrative/theme?
 
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For this question:

If not currently enrolled in a full-time academic program, please summate your activities from the time of graduation from your baccalaureate program through the time of this application, as well as your plans between now and your matriculation to medical school. (75 words)
Click to expand...

If I'm doing the same activities during my gap year as I was between the time I sent primaries to the time I got my secondaries, do I need to specify this? I don't understand why this is even a distinction in the question since I feel like most people end up doing that.
 
How much do we need to write to describe activities that meet the prerequisites? And how detailed are people's responses?
 
moonshapedpooll said:
for the "is there a unique aspect of your application," anyone have any ideas of what they're looking for? as in your application's general narrative/theme?
Click to expand...
Probably going to paste 'diversity essay', if I can even call it that with 75 words lol
 
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For question 2a, do they actually want a full list of every med school we applied to previously o_O
 
reptilian said:
Does anyone know how strict they are with the LORs here? I have two science faculty letters included, but only one of them actually taught me.
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I too don't have non-science LOR, also when applying to this school I looked at MSAR and it did not specify non-science LOR requirement.
 
Vtravel G said:
I too don't have non-science LOR, also when applying to this school I looked at MSAR and it did not specify non-science LOR requirement.
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I was wondering this as well. I emailed them to ask, since I have strong LORs, but don't meet their specific requirements. Haven't gotten a response yet but will update if/when I do.
 
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Wondering if anyone is able to check the campus security. It says complete but every time I go back it's unchecked.
 
lurking100100 said:
Wondering if anyone is able to check the campus security. It says complete but every time I go back it's unchecked.
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Strange, mine is unchecked too but also says complete. Must be a glitch on their end
 
OOS secondary received after primary verification today. Really struggling with the prerequisites section. Like "critical analysis and reasoning skills". Would this be covered by courses? Should I explain anything else?
Also, for "Psychological, Social and Biological Foundations of Behavior", I never took a psych course and I just studied it for the MCAT. Can I say that? Or explain how little bits of this were covered in my various bio courses/seminars?
 
has anyone emailed the admission office and not receive response --its been about a week and I sent a follow up and still nothing .
 
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Write a short paragraph describing a significant experience you have had working in a team setting. (Maximum 250 words)

For this prompt how are you all going about it? I thought about talking about a recent research issue we had where we had to brainstorm as a team to solve the major issue, but was not sure if that was what they were looking for or if it moreso an acitivity kind of thing.
 
squid_swim13 said:
Write a short paragraph describing a significant experience you have had working in a team setting. (Maximum 250 words)

For this prompt how are you all going about it? I thought about talking about a recent research issue we had where we had to brainstorm as a team to solve the major issue, but was not sure if that was what they were looking for or if it moreso an acitivity kind of thing.
Click to expand...
I think that should work. I talked about a clinical experience where I interacted with different healthcare workers during a minor medical emergency for a patient.
 
sweetpotatofever said:
For question 2a, do they actually want a full list of every med school we applied to previously o_O
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ayoooooosauce said:
did you end up putting all your schools lol bc I am at that question now and I am like uhhh
Click to expand...
I actually interpreted it as “list the years you applied” so I just said the year I would’ve started med school if I had gotten in, if that makes sense
 
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Write a short paragraph describing a significant experience you have had working in a team setting. (Maximum 250 words)

250 words is really long for a single paragraph...do you think they'd ideally want less than 250 words but one paragraph, or around 250 words but multiple paragraphs?
 
asclepius12 said:
Write a short paragraph describing a significant experience you have had working in a team setting. (Maximum 250 words)

250 words is really long for a single paragraph...do you think they'd ideally want less than 250 words but one paragraph, or around 250 words but multiple paragraphs?
Click to expand...
You don't have to write up to the max, see if you can do it in 1 paragraph.
 
wysdoc said:
You don't have to write up to the max, see if you can do it in 1 paragraph.
Click to expand...
Just now realizing I split mine up into two paragraphs and already submitted.... I was below the max words and it could have been one paragraph but I chose to break it up. Excuse the neuroticism but do you think I'm screwed? :(
 
procrastiknitter said:
Just now realizing I split mine up into two paragraphs and already submitted.... I was below the max words and it could have been one paragraph but I chose to break it up. Excuse the neuroticism but do you think I'm screwed? :(
Click to expand...
Lol I didn't even realize it said "a short paragraph"... I wrote 3 paragraphs, welp!
 
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procrastiknitter said:
Just now realizing I split mine up into two paragraphs and already submitted.... I was below the max words and it could have been one paragraph but I chose to break it up. Excuse the neuroticism but do you think I'm screwed? :(
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Looked at my secondary last year and i had the paragraph split into three and still got an interview so def doesn't matter
 
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can I submit my secondary if I'm still waiting for one letter of rec to be submitted/sent?
 
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