Volunteer Application Package: Fill & Download for Free

Here is “My” understanding of how an admissions officer at an elite Private US college typically will read the application package:If there was a formal interview by a representative of the college, then that is typically read first to get an over view of the applicant as a Person and also the potential for a good fit with the collegeThe mandatory letter of recommendation submitted by the guidance counselor (or head master), that discusses the applicant over a several year period as both a student and as a whole PersonThe official transcript (no GPA consideration) and the secondary school report that the guidance counselor is mandated to submit which describes the types of courses offered, the degree of difficulty of the various levels, the grading scheme, and the history of that high school sending its graduates to various universities, etc.The SAT/ACT and any required TOEFL score and any highly recommended or mandated SAT subject test scoresThe two teacher letters of recommendationThe application as written by the applicant including any answers to specific questions (essays)Any supplemental letters of recommendation to describe the applicant as a PersonAny reviews of supplemental material that was submitted by the applicant. Those reviews are written by volunteer professors or college staff members who are “experts” in the area covered by the submitted material (portfolios, research papers, etc.)Then a re-read of the first item looked atThe admissions staff is divided into two pools for reviewing:US applicants: citizens, permanent residents, legal refugeesInternational applicantsUS applicants are compared with each other and the same for international applicants. Most of these colleges have a self-imposed Quota on the percentage of international undergraduate students are allowed into the college’s undergraduate Community.Each applicant's complete application is read by at Least two staff members before any initial decisions are made.NOTE: applications are not rejected. Instead the staff admits applicants until it fills its desired number.

Someone asked a similar question a few days ago.This comes from the 2018 edition of Charting Outcomes in the Match for International Medical Graduates available for download from the NRMP website.OB/gyn is a moderately competitive specialty. There were 36 matched IMGs in the 2018 match and 73 unmatched IMGs in this match. 36/109 is approximately a 33% match rate.Your “chances” or probability of matching can be estimated by your USMLE step 1 score. With a score of 240, your probability of matching is about 40%. A lot of IMGs focus on USMLE scores and overlook the importance of other elements of their application package.Repeated analysis of match data shows that the most predictive element for match success is the length of the Rank Order List. Your entire application need to strong enough to attract multiple interview invitations.To strengthen your application, you will need a compelling personal statement; strong letters of reference from US doctors who are familiar with your clinical work; multiple abstracts, publications and presentations from your US research experiences; along with relevant work and volunteer clinical experiences.Find an active OB/Gyn academic department in the US where you can volunteer for 1 to 2 years to get the research and clinical experience you will need to increase your match potential. This will not be a paid position. This work is specifically for your own benefit, to make you a more competitive match applicant. This also helps you network and increase the *attractiveness* of your application package.Summary: plan to achieve an above-average rank order list. This will be your strongest predictor of match success.

Here is my take on the review of these supplemental materialsPortfolios & Additional Material | MIT AdmissionsMIT specifically states: Members of the MIT Engineering Advisory Board review all Maker portfolios. If you would like your technically creative work to be reviewed by academic and instructional staff, then it might be a good fit for the Maker Portfolio.First, if you are submitting an supplemental material through SlideRoom (e.g. the Maker Portfolio), it is advisable to have your creativity mentioned in one or more of the letters of recommendation that are submitted on your behalf, and some of those may be supplemental beyond the required three (teachers and counselor).Many of the MIT admissions staff were students at MIT earlier in their lives, however, they do not have the time nor possibly the correct technical background to evaluate those portfolios. Instead there is a large group of Volunteer faculty and technical staff who will review your Maker Portfolio. They will then write a succinct review of your project, and like the EC interview write-up, that review will become a part of your application package. It will provide the admissions staff not only expanded insight into your academic creativity, but also into the areas of leadership, commitment and passion that is expected Outside of the classroom. The reviewers can highlight what it took to do what you did, that can be captured in those abstract terms.This is my impression from having been an MIT student and volunteering to interview freshman applicants since 1976.All the best.