One of our Application Architect students reflects on their high school journey, the process of writing BS/MD essays and practicing for interviews, and their experiences throughout the BS/MD admissions cycle. This student has gained admission to a BS/MD Program and Ivy League school. If you want to work with us on BS/MD or medical school applications, click the link here to get started.
Introduction
Hey everyone! I was an applicant during the 2025-2026 application cycle, and I’d like to share what I learned about this process and give some advice to future applicants to both BS/MDs and top schools.
My High School Journey
It’s really important to explore anything that interests you. My freshman year is when I experimented, joining any club that interested me. After finding what really interested me, I honed in on those extracurriculars specifically, showing true passion for what would eventually show up on my application. It was also then that I started thinking about how to frame my application. I had known for a while that I wanted to center my application around oncology, so beginning my sophomore year, I found opportunities that would both help me to understand the field better and would show a unique, personal passion. For me, that was through environmental policy and public speaking. Most schools don’t look for dime a dozen candidates; they look for students who can make a unique impact, and that’s really shown through unique experiences and extracurriculars that you truly care about.
Creating A College List
I had first begun drafting my list of schools in the summer before junior year, and it’s important to start as early as possible. I ended up applying to 18 schools, 10 BS/MDs and 8 regular. With the endless list of BS/MD programs and top schools, it’s important to choose programs that are the right fit for you, and ultimately it requires looking into student life, the campus, academics, opportunities, and so much more. Apply to schools where you will enjoy those next years of your life because that’s just as important. Additionally, know your limits. Applying to this number of schools is challenging, and you have to take into account school, extracurriculars, and the time to just be a senior.
Writing BS/MD Essays
The first step to applying is writing your personal statement, and this is your best chance to show admissions officers who you are. There are some applications where it doesn’t feel like schools get to know you outside of your pre-med side, so this is your chance. I wrote mine about taking art classes (something not connected to pre-med at all), and I felt that that personal statement alone made a big difference in the schools I was accepted to. The strategy to drafting a personal statement like this is to figure out who you are. Think about events, people, places, interests, hobbies, etc. and figure out what represents you as an individual. My personal statement was very reflective of a change I had made in my life, and entering this new period of college, it felt like the right choice to signify that I was ready for change, as well.
Then comes the BS/MD essays. This is where I definitely struggled the most. My first and most important piece of advice: plan ahead and finish essays for any schools at least three weeks before the deadlines. I reflect back on my experience applying to schools, and if there’s one regret I have, it’s not spending enough time on my essays. I would recommend using a calendar and mapping out all your essays, and utilizing the people (especially Darlene) around you to keep you accountable. BS/MD admissions officers have hundreds if not thousands of applications to review, and people applying to these programs are competitive. The way to stand out is your essays with unique experiences. That brings me to my second piece of advice: don’t neglect brainstorming.
The notorious November 1st deadline was two weeks away, and I had just started essays for programs (again, I highly don’t recommend). I ended up writing all of my essays after quickly thinking of ideas and had final drafts ready for all of my programs a few days before. However, my essays were generic and didn’t say much about me as an applicant or didn’t fit the prompt. Brainstorming matters because you’re probing years of your experience in high school to look for specific experiences that help you respond to prompts. You need to take significant time at the beginning of the application cycle to think of any experiences that either answer common BS/MD prompts or are very relevant to your purpose/goal in medicine. When those stories show themselves, you distinguish yourself as an applicant and have a much better chance of getting into these programs. My best stories were one hour interactions with a specific patient because they were so specific and important to me. Additionally, snippets from many essays can be reused to answer other schools’ prompts, so it’s important that you do this well the first time.
Preparing for BS/MD Interviews
Practice is definitely the best way to prepare for interviews. Practice with Darlene and any other coaches she recommends, but also practice by yourself, to your family, or to the wall. Also, record yourself speaking. Hearing yourself respond is a lot different than how you hear it in your head. Even as someone who has practiced his professional speaking for years, there’s always improvements to be made. Especially for common questions, make sure you have a general outline of what you want to say, just to give yourself confidence going into your interviews if you’re nervous.
Handling BS/MD Rejections
This is one of the biggest parts of BS/MD applications. This process is incredibly tiring, and the chances of being admitted to every program you apply to is extremely low. Make sure you understand that before going into this process. When I was rejected from my top program early in the cycle, it felt like the end of the world. But something Darlene said to me reminded me that it would be okay: you’re going to be a doctor. There are a million routes to becoming a doctor, and any specific program is just one way. You have to remind yourself that you are strong enough to go through this process, and that one way or another you’re going to achieve your goals. The age old saying “everything will work out” is definitely true. Throughout the year, I went from targeting my in-state BS/MD to 3 other programs to a full-ride in-state scholarship to a Top 20, and even though it’s not a BS/MD or what I had originally pictured for myself, I’m extremely happy with where I’m going this fall. Everything truly does work out.
Final Tips
Remember you are a human and a senior too. Applying to BS/MDs is no small feat, and will require a tremendous amount of work from you. As long as you stay organized and work hard before your deadlines, you will definitely be fine. Along the way, make sure you don’t neglect your social life because your last year of high school is exciting too! Good luck to everyone applying this cycle!
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