as someone who went to a huge unknown state school with 0 premed advising, 0 family in medicine, and 0 clue about any of this process before I started scouring the internet, it hits different when I go to interviews where 80% of the other applicants in my Zoom room are ivy grads or from elite private schools with lots of support and information from the start of undergrad. sometimes it really feels like I'm punching up into the ivory tower but I think those of us who are in this position should be so proud of getting here and navigating this on our own. even if I don't get accepted to some of these institutions I just feel grateful and honored to have been given an interview and a chance lol