Applying to the same school multiple times... bad? good?

[Nasem]

If you get rejected from a specific school, how many times can you still reapply the following years until it gets to the point where they automatically reject you?

I heard folks tell me that once you get rejected from a school 2 times, you shouldn’t apply there a 3rd time because they automatically reject you... Is this in any way half way true?

This is of course assuming that everytime you get rejected, you continue going to school for the "year-off" and improve your stats

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[Law2Doc]

If you get rejected from a specific school, how many times can you still reapply the following years until it gets to the point where they automatically reject you?

I heard folks tell me that once you get rejected from a school 2 times, you shouldn't apply there a 3rd time because they automatically reject you... Is this in any way half way true?

This is of course assuming that everytime you get rejected, you continue going to school for the "year-off" and improve your stats

It's always a mistake to turn right aroung and reapply without fixing things. Reapplicants tend to be held to a higher standard of having to make substantial improvements to get consideration. To this end, sometimes it's possible to speak with someone in admissions and find out how to strengthen your app for a subsequent cycle. Honestly, if a school has rejected you as an applicant and as a reapplicant, for the most part it's over. Nothing is automatic, but they had their reasons for disinterest, and probably still have them. Someone who is not a "good fit" may never be. Having your heart set on a single school in this process is a mistake.

 

[MDee]

I know that at Loyola, you can only apply twice.

 

[Nasem]

The reason I asked is because I have a little dilemma,
Currently, I started doing my informal post-bacc last January…… by May 2008, I will have all my pre-med requirements finished (that is both biologies, both general chemistries, and both organics).

Now, I will need about 3 months preparing for the MCATs which means the earliest time I can take the MCAT is probablyAugust 2008, now at this point, due to having a poor overall undergrad GPA (only 3.02), I will only have it brought it to about 3.15 (and my science will be brought from 3.3 to about 3.5…. still not impressive)

Now being realistic, I am not assuming Im going to have a REALLY high mcat score, I am assuming I’ll get something between a 29-31, and even then, my score woun’t come out until September of 2008 so the dilemma is, should I even bother apply for the 2009 cycle since my whole application will not be ready until September 2008?

Whether I apply or not, I will spend another year (fall 2008 – spring 2009) taking fulltime post-bacc courses again (this time taking upper level science) to bring up that overall to “hopfully” a 3.3 and a 3.6 science which is still not impressive but it’s a hellofalot better than a 3.02

 

[MChitty]

The reason I asked is because I have a little dilemma,
Currently, I started doing my informal post-bacc last January…… by May 2008, I will have all my pre-med requirements finished (that is both biologies, both general chemistries, and both organics).

Now, I will need about 3 months preparing for the MCATs which means the earliest time I can take the MCAT is probablyAugust 2008, now at this point, due to having a poor overall undergrad GPA (only 3.02), I will only have it brought it to about 3.15 (and my science will be brought from 3.3 to about 3.5…. still not impressive)

Now being realistic, I am not assuming Im going to have a REALLY high mcat score, I am assuming I’ll get something between a 29-31, and even then, my score woun’t come out until September of 2008 so the dilemma is, should I even bother apply for the 2009 cycle since my whole application will not be ready until September 2008?

Whether I apply or not, I will spend another year (fall 2008 – spring 2009) taking fulltime post-bacc courses again (this time taking upper level science) to bring up that overall to “hopfully” a 3.3 and a 3.6 science which is still not impressive but it’s a hellofalot better than a 3.02

I would wait another year. Applying that late with sub-par numbers is like shooting yourself in the foot. I wish that I had waited another year to apply rather than applying once late and then having to be a re-applicant.

I also think that if your science is that high, it will look good for you, but that's just my opinion.

 

[Law2Doc]

The reason I asked is because I have a little dilemma,
Currently, I started doing my informal post-bacc last January…… by May 2008, I will have all my pre-med requirements finished (that is both biologies, both general chemistries, and both organics).

Now, I will need about 3 months preparing for the MCATs which means the earliest time I can take the MCAT is probablyAugust 2008, now at this point, due to having a poor overall undergrad GPA (only 3.02), I will only have it brought it to about 3.15 (and my science will be brought from 3.3 to about 3.5…. still not impressive)

Now being realistic, I am not assuming Im going to have a REALLY high mcat score, I am assuming I’ll get something between a 29-31, and even then, my score woun’t come out until September of 2008 so the dilemma is, should I even bother apply for the 2009 cycle since my whole application will not be ready until September 2008?

Whether I apply or not, I will spend another year (fall 2008 – spring 2009) taking fulltime post-bacc courses again (this time taking upper level science) to bring up that overall to “hopfully” a 3.3 and a 3.6 science which is still not impressive but it’s a hellofalot better than a 3.02

No. Do not apply as a long shot, planning that you can always reapply. Being a reapplicant is not where you want to be. Apply once and make it count even if it takes another year before you are ready to pull the trigger. This process rewards those who wait until all the ducks are lined up.

 

[njbmd]

If you get rejected from a specific school, how many times can you still reapply the following years until it gets to the point where they automatically reject you?

I heard folks tell me that once you get rejected from a school 2 times, you shouldn’t apply there a 3rd time because they automatically reject you... Is this in any way half way true?

This is of course assuming that everytime you get rejected, you continue going to school for the "year-off" and improve your stats

It took one of my colleagues 5 times before he got into medical school. He had a family and was pretty confined to two schools because of location. He took the MCAT twice and kept taking classes until he got in. He graduated in 2003 and has now completed residency.