Do people with solid stats still get more rejections than acceptance s?

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yanks26dmb

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Just rcvd my second rejection, this time from at still. That's in addition to rocky vista last week. I've got one ii from westerm so far.

Now that I've been rejected twice in a row im starting to wonder if there's something wrong with my app.

I consider myself to be a strong applicant, so not sure what's going on. How do things typically play out/what can be expected?

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Stats? Rejections are very common, so I wouldn't think anything of it. Those two schools seem to focus a lot on "fit", so I wouldn't take it personally.
 
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Thing is I've got a lot of experience working with under served and spoke about my desire to go into primary care. You'd think I'd be a fit here.

Non trad with 3.5sgpa/3.3 cgpa/ 3.9 postbacc/30 mcat. Business owner with leadership experience and good Ecs.
 
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You're gonna be fine lol.

I would think each school has tons of qualified applicants and rejects many of them.

Any other high stat applicant with similar experience?
 
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Thing is I've got a lot of experience working with under served and spoke about my desire to go into primary care. You'd think I'd be a fit here.

Non trad with 3.5sgpa/3.3 cgpa/ 3.9 postbacc/30 mcat. Business owner with leadership experience and good Ecs.

Are you from one of the coasts? It could be something as simple as that. Again, it's a crapshoot. Many places will reject you, don't worry about it and focus on the many places that will likely interview and accept you.
 
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You're gonna be fine lol.

I would think each school has tons of qualified applicants and rejects many of them.

Any other high stat applicant with similar experience?
I wouldn't say my stats are good, but I've got a strong MCAT (32) and a competitive sGPA (3.39). I've already gotten 2 rejections. Got one interview so far. Starting to really appreciate that one.
 
Just rcvd my second rejection, this time from at still. That's in addition to rocky vista last week. I've got one ii from westerm so far.

Now that I've been rejected twice in a row im starting to wonder if there's something wrong with my app.

I consider myself to be a strong applicant, so not sure what's going on. How do things typically play out/what can be expected?

how non-trad are you? have you taken any hard science classes other than the G series? how about clinical hours?

Itd be nice to get to the bottom of your lack of ii's. Interviews are a completely diff story, but i definitely think you should have gotten more ii's

Also, I completely do not agree with ii's being a crapshoot. if the numbers are there and the application is well rounded, id imagine that would pique an adcoms interest to at least hear your story and see how you write. the only thing i can think of is maybe this years applications are just that strong...
 
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You're gonna be fine lol.

I would think each school has tons of qualified applicants and rejects many of them.

Any other high stat applicant with similar experience?

On the MD side, oh yeah. Tons of rejections rolling in. Applied DO late so not yet, but I expect there to be some bumps on this road as well. Getting into medical school is no joke.
 
how non-trad are you? have you taken any hard science classes other than the G series? how about clinical hours?

Itd be nice to get to the bottom of your lack of ii's. Interviews are a completely diff story, but i definitely think you should have gotten more ii's

Also, I completely do not agree with ii's being a crapshoot. if the numbers are there and the application is well rounded, id imagine that would pique an adcoms interest to at least hear your story and see how you write. the only thing i can think of is maybe this years applications are just that strong...

graduated back in 07. I've taken the minimum pre reqs + physiology and microbio. Secondary was complete most places Aug 7-13ish.
 
Are you from one of the coasts? It could be something as simple as that. Again, it's a crapshoot. Many places will reject you, don't worry about it and focus on the many places that will likely interview and accept you.

Yup. CA. Thanks for your words... it's going to be a rough road until I get another ii though I think unfortunately.
 
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...Itd be nice to get to the bottom of your lack of ii's. Interviews are a completely diff story, but i definitely think you should have gotten more ii's

Also, I completely do not agree with ii's being a crapshoot. if the numbers are there and the application is well rounded, id imagine that would pique an adcoms interest to at least hear your story and see how you write. the only thing i can think of is maybe this years applications are just that strong...

Have you been through the application process before? Getting ii's is almost as much of a crapshoot as getting an acceptance. Schools still have a limit on the number of ii's they can hand out. With thousands upon thousands of applications for ~200 slots, at best most schools will interview 600-1000 students. You better believe plenty of them have the numbers, so they'll find other ways to rule people out.

To give you an idea, I was rejected pre-interview at schools that had much lower stats than the ones that offered me an interview. I was even interviewed at MD schools, while many DO (and I don't just mean top ones, I mean some considered among the "low tier") didn't bother to send me a secondary or interview me. Its a crapshoot. If you apply broadly (i.e. to a lot of schools), you will get rejected from a lot of schools for many reasons beyond just stats.

graduated back in 07. I've taken the minimum pre reqs + physiology and microbio. Secondary was complete most places Aug 7-13ish.

You're fine. Just wait for more ii's and brush off the auto-rejects like I said.

Yup. San Diego. Thanks for your words... it's going to be a rough road until I get another ii though I think unfortunately.

Western is a great school, and given where you're from, its probably close to the top of your list anyways. Again don't sweat it.
 
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I was under the impression even great candidates received twice as many rejections as acceptances....

Apply to 10 schools get 3-4 acceptances.... sound right?
 
I was under the impression even great candidates received twice as many rejections as acceptances....

Apply to 10 schools get 3-4 acceptances.... sound right?

Apply to 10 schools, get 3-4 interviews, usually guaranteed at least 1 acceptance. That's the trend that I have observed at least anecdotally.
 
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This sound about right to you @Goro ?

Not that im doubting you hallow man :)
 
Apply to 10 schools, get 3-4 interviews, usually guaranteed at least 1 acceptance. That's the trend that I have observed at least anecdotally.
This is the ratio that I have heard through searching on here. That is assuming you are an average applicant.

It is the reason I only applied to 10 schools. Any more and I am wasting money. Any less and I lower my chances of being accepted somewhere. I just need 1 acceptance heh.
 
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This is the ratio that I have heard through searching on here. That is assuming you are an average applicant.

It is the reason I only applied to 10 schools. Any more and I am wasting money. Any less and I lower my chances of being accepted somewhere. I just need 1 acceptance heh.
Choice is a luxury.
 
This sound about right to you @Goro ?

Not that im doubting you hallow man :)

The thing is, if you are a good interviewee, applied early and have good stats, you'll likely get nothing but acceptances post-interview, but getting 3-4 ii's usually translates in at least one acceptance.
 
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Choice is a luxury.
Indeed...

With a 3.6 gpa and 28 MCAT - everything being very balanced and average. I was expecting 6 secondaries, 3 interviews, and 1 acceptance. Though so far I have received 10 secondaries, and 3 interviews, and it is still pretty early in the season. So who knows... but hallowmann's rough gauge is what I found when I was digging through SDN.
 
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The thing is, if you are a good interviewee, applied early and have good stats, you'll likely get nothing but acceptances post-interview, but getting 3-4 ii's usually translates in at least one acceptance.
So...for me....like....I'm really...I mean...not like the best ever...but...I think it's...I guess what I'm trying to say is...well...interviewing are a strong suit for me...so...in closing...i feel good about my luck.
 
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Anecdotally on here and from looking on MDApps, I've seen plenty of people with good stats (let's say 3.5+ and 30+ MCAt) get ii at every do school they apply to.
 
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Indeed...

With a 3.6 gpa and 28 MCAT - everything being very balanced and average. I was expecting 6 secondaries, 3 interviews, and 1 acceptance. Though so far I have received 10 secondaries, and 3 interviews, and it is still pretty early in the season. So who knows... but hallowmann's rough gauge is what I found when I was digging through SDN.
I think you've got a solid application, and got on things early. I bet you'll have some ability to decide between a few schools.
I put out 13 DO apps. Got back secondaries for all. So far, I have 2 rejections and 1 interview. Because my GPAs are below average, I know some of my rejections will be due to grades. Some will also be due to fit as my essays indicate some pretty specific goals. This will work for me at some schools, but against me at others. I felt like I had to put more out there as a non-traditional student, and more clearly identify my motivations to make up for other sub-par aspects of my application. I'm feeling good about things so far, and think that interviews will work in my favor (despite the stammering post above).
 
Anecdotally on here and from looking on MDApps, I've seen plenty of people with good stats (let's say 3.5+ and 30+ MCAt) get ii at every do school they apply to.

My stats are not *that* good (strong GPA at 3.8, average MCAT for DO at 27) - I completed secondaries at 20 DO schools and so far have received 12 interviews invites, 1 rejection, and 1 hold. I will likely only attend 6 interviews total since I've already been to two and have one acceptance in hand. I feel like there must be something in my app that's a big attractor to have received all of these interview invites, but I'm not really sure what it might be other than my above average GPA. Before applying, I felt completely unsure of my app and didn't even know if I would get interviews (you can really psych yourself out reading SDN :p). Basically, you never know until you try.
 
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My stats are not *that* good (strong GPA at 3.8, average MCAT for DO at 27) - I completed secondaries at 20 DO schools and so far have received 12 interviews invites, 1 rejection, and 1 hold. I will likely only attend 6 interviews total since I've already been to two and have one acceptance in hand. I feel like there must be something in my app that's a big attractor to have received all of these interview invites, but I'm not really sure what it might be other than my above average GPA. Before applying, I felt completely unsure of my app and didn't even know if I would get interviews (you can really psych yourself out reading SDN :p). Basically, you never know until you try.
But those numbers are *that* good.
You're well above the average matriculant GPA, and even above MCAT (at least with 2013 numbers). Of course, your application is more than just stats, so you've obviously done a commendable job of presenting why you'd make a great physician.
But, those numbers are *that* good. ;)
 
But those numbers are *that* good.
You're well above the average matriculant GPA, and even above MCAT (at least with 2013 numbers). Of course, your application is more than just stats, so you've obviously done a commendable job of presenting why you'd make a great physician.
But, those numbers are *that* good. ;)

I guess this is another example of pre-med neuroticism lol. Thank you. I definitely have worked hard to tell my "story" and explain why I want to be a physician, through my activities and my essays, and agree that I'm sure that's an integral part of success!
 
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I guess this is another example of pre-med neuroticism lol. Thank you. I definitely have worked hard to tell my "story" and explain why I want to be a physician, through my activities and my essays, and agree that I'm sure that's an integral part of success!
You've earned the right to relax! Good job, and enjoy the ride.
 
Have you been through the application process before? Getting ii's is almost as much of a crapshoot as getting an acceptance. Schools still have a limit on the number of ii's they can hand out. With thousands upon thousands of applications for ~200 slots, at best most schools will interview 600-1000 students. You better believe plenty of them have the numbers, so they'll find other ways to rule people out.

To give you an idea, I was rejected pre-interview at schools that had much lower stats than the ones that offered me an interview. I was even interviewed at MD schools, while many DO (and I don't just mean top ones, I mean some considered among the "low tier") didn't bother to send me a secondary or interview me. Its a crapshoot. If you apply broadly (i.e. to a lot of schools), you will get rejected from a lot of schools for many reasons beyond just stats.

I'll admit there is some randomness to the process but you also need to recognize the various components that go into offering IIs and that it's not just based on your application alone. Schools that feel you are applying there as a safety will typically reject you or string you along and not give you an interview unless you show some real interest. It's hard to believe but you may be getting rejections because you are overqualified. The regional bias is also similar. Why would a school waste it's time (and an interview slot) on someone from california or the northeast who almost certainly has no interest in attending a school in Iowa if given the choice (not even sure if there's a med school there but you get the point).

One way you can combat this if you aren't getting enough IIs is to send out letters of interest. Generic ones won't get you anywhere and you'll need one that can convince the adcom that you would actually attend if accepted. Of course you'll need the stats to back it up.
 
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Call and talk to an admissions counselor at the schools that rejected you. They (ATSU in particular) are open and willing to go through your app and find where things "went wrong." My guess is that you will still have many ii's coming your way. Good luck!
 
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I think applying to 10-20 schools would yield a decent number of interviews.

In this game, a thick skin is mandatory.

My school would jump to have yanks, so I have no clue what would have triggered an autorejection, unless he wrote his app in crayon.

This sound about right to you @Goro ?

Not that im doubting you hallow man :)
 
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I think applying to 10-20 schools would yield a decent number of interviews.

In this game, a thick skin is mandatory.

My school would jump to have yanks, so I have no clue what would have triggered an autorejection, unless he wrote his app in crayon.

Appreciate it goro. Forgive my ignorance, but is a post secondary rejection what people refer to as auto reject?
 
Just got my 2nd II.
So, for me, {t=now: rejections = IIs.}
Let's see how long that holds...
 
You're gonna be fine lol.

I would think each school has tons of qualified applicants and rejects many of them.

Any other high stat applicant with similar experience?

No outright rejections yet, but I was put on hold at DMU with stats that I thought gave me a decent chance there. 29 mcat, 3.89 gpa, resident of neighboring state. :shrug:
 
No outright rejections yet, but I was put on hold at DMU with stats that I thought gave me a decent chance there. 29 mcat, 3.89 gpa, resident of neighboring state. :shrug:
Yikes!! Any positive news yet?
 
Yikes!! Any positive news yet?
Well, a lady from RVU called to let me know that the only thing they are still waiting on my DO letter. I'm not sure if it's a positive, but I thought it was pretty cool that she called me instead of emailing. I choose to tell myself it's because they liked me, anyway. :) Who knows.
 
The thing is, if you are a good interviewee, applied early and have good stats, you'll likely get nothing but acceptances post-interview, but getting 3-4 ii's usually translates in at least one acceptance.

My rule of thumb also.
 
No outright rejections yet, but I was put on hold at DMU with stats that I thought gave me a decent chance there. 29 mcat, 3.89 gpa, resident of neighboring state. :shrug:

While DMU has very solid class stats, the adcoms are not nearly as interested in the numbers as one would believe. Being on hold doesn't mean rejection either, there were people pulled off waitlist two weeks before classes started this year.
 
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While DMU has very solid class stats, the adcoms are not nearly as interested in the numbers as one would believe. Being on hold doesn't mean rejection either, there were people pulled off waitlist two weeks before classes started this year.

That's true, but that's after the interview. I just thought it was weird that I got put on hold from jump. Oh, well. Nothing I can do about it at this point.
 
That's true, but that's after the interview. I just thought it was weird that I got put on hold from jump. Oh, well. Nothing I can do about it at this point.

They can take you off that hold list and give you an interview also later in the cycle. I seen this happen to one guy on this forum last year and it was DMU.
 
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That's true, but that's after the interview. I just thought it was weird that I got put on hold from jump. Oh, well. Nothing I can do about it at this point.

Definitely don't let it get to you. You have great stats and I'm sure you will have a very successful cycle! Don't trip chocolate chip! as my peer stress management group leader likes to say.
 
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I have solid stats (>30, >3.6) but am not getting any love from the top tiers (Touros, NYCOM, Nova, MSUCOM). Only getting love from low to mid tier (KCUMB, CCOM, AZCOM, LECOM).

Stats don't mean squat
 
I have solid stats (>30, >3.6) but am not getting any love from the top tiers (Touros, NYCOM, Nova, MSUCOM). Only getting love from low to mid tier (KCUMB, CCOM, AZCOM, LECOM).

Stats don't mean squat
NYCOM and Touro NY haven't sent out any ii yet and from what I understand, MSUCom is not OOS friendly.
 
Hey goro,

Do you personally screen primary applications by chance, or is that left for others such as the computers or other admin?

if so, what are some factors that influence getting a secondary? Besides writing an app in crayon (which I am very temped to do now) ;)

On the same note, how are secondaries ussually handled when trying to triage the 3K plus applicants?

It just amazes me how one school can get 3.5K applications and cut so many. How can we as applicants make it past that first culling?



I think applying to 10-20 schools would yield a decent number of interviews.

In this game, a thick skin is mandatory.

My school would jump to have yanks, so I have no clue what would have triggered an autorejection, unless he wrote his app in crayon.
 
I, nor any of my fellow faculty, take no part in the pre-screens my schools does. Nor do we have any say in who gets invites. That's all the realm of our wily old Admissions Dean.

Firstly, do NOT apply to a school if your stats are below their stated minimums. You'd be surprised how many applicants can't understand this simple concept, which is stated right on every school's website.

In addition, do some homework and find out what school's effective GPA numbers and MCAT scores are. Hust for example, a school might say that their minimum GPA is 3.0, but if their avg is around 3.5, don't apply if your GPA is 3.15. For MD schools I routinely advise not applying if one's GPA is 0.3-0.4 points below their median, even if it's above the floor of the 10th %ile. So don't apply to CCOM if you MCAT is a 25, because thier avg is around 30, and they can afford to be choosy.

Second, make sure everything in your app is complete.

Third, do the things schools like you do, like write a good essay, have good ECs, and have a DO LOR, or at least, shadow a DO.

Forth, having something compelling in your story. Don't be a cookie cutter. Most of you are academic clones of each other, meaning that you're all quite smart and have good numbers.





Hey goro,

Do you personally screen primary applications by chance, or is that left for others such as the computers or other admin?

if so, what are some factors that influence getting a secondary? Besides writing an app in crayon (which I am very temped to do now) ;)

On the same note, how are secondaries ussually handled when trying to triage the 3K plus applicants?

It just amazes me how one school can get 3.5K applications and cut so many. How can we as applicants make it past that first culling?
 
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