How'd your cycle go?

[Gladiator89]

It's that time of the year that the brutal and tedious 2015 Application cycle is coming to an end. For some, the cycle went great: were accepted into multiple medical schools and even had scholarship offers. For others, not so well and have to undergo this grieving process one more time via reapplication. Then there are those like myself: got some acceptances and are on the waitlist for our "dream school."

Whatever our situation may be, we all know that we worked hard as hell during the past years and this hard work WILL pay off in one way or another.

Feel free to rant, comment, and share thoughts.

FYI: I'm not sure if there is another similar thread; if so, please inform me and an admin so that this thread can be removed.

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[prdv]

Congrats on your multiple acceptances!! That's an accomplishment, and sending best wishes that you hear back from your dream school soon.

I thought my cycle was going well, multiple interviews fairly early, and then bam all waitlists or just silence. Hopefully, I'll see the light at the end of the tunnel soon.

 

[Inventor of Post-Its]

Definitely not how I expected, in several different ways. But in the end, I'm holding an acceptance to a school I really liked, so I can't complain. In fact, I'm famously terrible at making decisions, so maybe that single acceptance really is a blessing in disguise

 

[Atmosphere123]

Holding 2 acceptances at good programs but got my heart broken by my top choice IS school.
Still feel kind of nauseated whenever I think about it but I'm sure I will move on once at I settle into school in the fall.
I can't wait to start studying medicine!!

 

[Hospitalized]

I'm not even applying and I get anxious for people on this forum. The amount of waiting in this process is grueling.

 

[NYCdude]

Got accepted to one of my top choices which I'm very thankful for. Still waiting on one of my other top choices via waitlist.

All in all, considering the fact that I have a marginal app and applied to very few schools like an idiot, my results are very good.

 

[ShowandTell]

Amount of interviews was significantly more than I expected but results fell in line with my pre-application expectations. Didn't hear a single decision, positive or negative, till 2 days before my last interview and made me assume I had an unsuccessful cycle. Even though I'll ultimately attend a different school, getting the first acceptance was way more exciting and made me realize even one acceptance is a freaking incredible accomplishment.

 

[jb94mg]

Definitely not how I expected, in several different ways. But in the end, I'm holding an acceptance to a school I really liked, so I can't complain. In fact, I'm famously terrible at making decisions, so maybe that single acceptance really is a blessing in disguise

What do you think led to your not doing as well as you thought you would? What do you think you could've done better?

 

[Inventor of Post-Its]

What do you think led to your not doing as well as you thought you would? What do you think you could've done better?

When I say "not how I expected," I don't necessarily mean that I did worse than I thought, just that the schools that showed interest in me versus the ones that didn't were not what I would have guessed. I was rejected pre-interview from some "fallback schools," rejected post-interview from my state school, interviewed at a top 10, and was ultimately accepted at a top 25.

 

[WedgeDawg]

I think I was very lucky.

 

[bluemachine]

When I say "not how I expected," I don't necessarily mean that I did worse than I thought, just that the schools that showed interest in me versus the ones that didn't were not what I would have guessed. I was rejected pre-interview from some "fallback schools," rejected post-interview from my state school, interviewed at a top 10, and was ultimately accepted at a top 25.

same! applied to over 30 schools (a good mix of "safety", matches, and reaches), was swiftly rejected by many of these "safeties and matches", and received 4 II's (3 at top 15 schools), and currently on 2 WLs, one reject, and one pending. i never expected my 3 top 15 II's, but i also didn't expect to not get any II's from schools more near my LizzyM of <70. so confused

 

[eatingcake]

It's been fun, humbling, nerve-wracking, exciting and lovely and I'm freaking glad it's over. /

 

[felixthegirl]

I was really, really lucky. I applied to DO and MD schools, 13 total. I got 10 interview invites, attended 7 (3 DO and 4 MD) and was accepted by all 7 schools. I ended up with a 20 k/y offer at my IS school and a full tuition scholarship at an out of state school that I really loved. I'm still not sure that it is all real.

 

[QiasTheKid]

same! applied to over 30 schools (a good mix of "safety", matches, and reaches), was swiftly rejected by many of these "safeties and matches", and received 4 II's (3 at top 15 schools), and currently on 2 WLs, one reject, and one pending. i never expected my 3 top 15 II's, but i also didn't expect to not get any II's from schools more near my LizzyM of <70. so confused

URM or ORM? Congrats brah. Acceptances at Top 15 too?

 

[eatingcake]

I was really, really lucky. I applied to DO and MD schools, 13 total. I got 10 interview invites, attended 7 (3 DO and 4 MD) and was accepted by all 7 schools. I ended up with a 20 k/y offer at my IS school and a full tuition scholarship at an out of state school that I really loved. I'm still not sure that it is all real.

 

[IHaveABigHeadNLittleArms]

By some god sent miracle I only got into my top choice school and last choice school.... all it takes is 1 right?

 

[FindMeOnTheLinks]

It's been pretty bad, wish I would have waited till next cycle. Everybody, If you're on the fence to apply and @Goro or @gyngyn or @LizzyM advises that you're not ready, you should heed their advice.

 

[bluemachine]

URM or ORM? Congrats brah. Acceptances at Top 15 too?

nopee no acceptances yet and ORM (sadnesss)

 

[Dr Stephen T Colbert DFA]

So tired of being on waitlists. One lesson learned: APPLY EARLY, no matter what your stats.

 

[RutgersAR]

The cycle just left me confused, but happy. I got into a school that is pretty good (OOS Private) that is more 'selective' than my IS School which gave me the straight rejection after my interview. I'm very happy with the school I'll be attending, but its so hard to understand why certain decisions are made!

Also having applied to 7 schools in October and getting 4II's, 2 acceptances, 1 rejection, and 1 waiting, I think I'm pretty fortunate. Can't wait to start med school next year!

 

[Salt Salt]

A little disappointing. Interviewed at six top-10 programs, including Harvard, waitlisted at all six.

The worst part is that I can't really tell people this without them assuming I'm terrible at interviews (even though I was accepted at each of the other five schools I interviewed at).

Very grateful for the acceptances I do have, though!

 

[On Eagle's Wings]

My only acceptance came from my dream school

 

[miamiheatfan]

Walking miracle on water is the best way to describe it, so incredibly grateful!

 

[johnnytest]

By some god sent miracle I only got into my top choice school and last choice school.... all it takes is 1 right?

My only acceptance came from my dream school

Same here

 

[OrbitalOverload]

A roller coaster. Wasn't really sure where my application stood relative to the rest.

My first interview was at an ivy league, my second was at an unranked MD. Was waitlisted at both.

I've been at interviews where the interviewer flat out told me "I like you. I hope you get accepted" and then got waitlisted.

I've been to another top five interview where I thought I busted and was waitlisted.

I've been accepted to a few mid-tiers, so overall I'm happy.

But there's a lot of pressure building in me to get accepted to one of my top programs off the waitlist in the spring/summer.

 

[NYCdude]

If I have any regrets, it's that I didn't apply to any of my "dream" schools thinking it would be a waste of time and money. After seeing some people on this site get II's at schools that they never thought they would, I feel kinda dumb in retrospect lol.

 

[kuya17]

Its been a crazy ride, applied twice, this time 15 schools, had 3 interviews. 1 acceptance and waiting to hear back from my IS school. I am thrilled to be where I'm at though! As someone said, only takes one

 

[drdoom12]

Applied to around 12 MD, ended up with interviews at ~60% of the schools, and accepted to half of the ones I interviewed at. Got into my top 3 including my dream school, so I'm feeling pretty good about the cycle as a whole.

 

[samsunimomo]

Got into my pre-interview dream school and my post-interview dream school. Could not be more pleased with this cycle.

 

[QiasTheKid]

Got into my pre-interview dream school and my post-interview dream school. Could not be more pleased with this cycle.

lol what exactly is a high level hobby? golf?

 

[crossingthefingers]

I feel like I got fewer interviews (6/20) and they happened later than I expected--BUT ultimately I'm still lucky enough to go to my top choice and going on 6+ more interviews (it seems like most of the folks I met had 10+) wouldn't have changed that.

 

[samsunimomo]

lol what exactly is a high level hobby? golf?

I mean to pursue a hobby at a high level, and the more unique it is, the better.

 

[f4reignbeauty]

Think my cycle went well, and I'm super grateful for the experience. I got into my top choice, and interviewed at schools that I never thought would look my way!

 

[it'sabeautifullife]

Dream school in August. So glad this part's over.

 

[Tappinfool66]

I'd say the application cycle was very good for me. I ended up with 4 acceptances (3 of which are schools I'd be very happy at) and a scholarship offer at two schools, while I'm still waiting to hear from the other two. I didn't get into my top choice (though I was waitlisted there) but the more I think about it, the more I realize that that school probably wasn't the best fit for me. So overall, not exactly how I was expecting the cycle to go, but I'm very happy and feel very fortunate nonetheless

 

[differentiating]

I'm definitely very grateful for how well my cycle went, too, and sometimes don't even believe it's all real. I wound up with an acceptance at one of my dream schools in the end (along with ones at 2 other great schools), and I'm super excited to start learning medicine next year.

 

[resiroth]

One thing that shocked me so much is how post-interview impressions can be so very different from pre-interview impressions. I was in love with a top 20 and I came away pretty uninterested in it post-interview...and a ~40-60ish medical school I liked pre-interview and loved on interview day.

It's amazing how different medical schools are in terms of vibe. I honestly don't think you can make really any judgments about a medical school before interviewing -- beyond some are research oriented, others not, as well as location (only to some extent...aka you may be pleasantly surprised by somewhere you otherwise would have written off).

I also was surprised by how easy it is to become jealous during the process...

E.g. someone gets a clean sweep of top 5 with far worse stats, or a merit scholarship, but it's easy to forget that there is usually someone in a worse position than you.

If you look on mdapps there are some people with ~78 LizzyM only accepted to an unranked school they didn't like...and now are forced to attend because they didn't withdraw post-interview.

Even if you swing out this year, you can move to a new state, get a job, establish residency and probably end up happier (and with less debt) than the person going OOS to a school they don't like vs you going in-state to a school you do like. Just a thought!

 

[Atmosphere123]

One thing that shocked me so much is how post-interview impressions can be so very different from pre-interview impressions. I was in love with a top 20 and I came away pretty uninterested in it post-interview...and a ~40-60ish medical school I liked pre-interview and loved on interview day.

It's amazing how different medical schools are in terms of vibe. I honestly don't think you can make really any judgments about a medical school before interviewing -- beyond some are research oriented, others not, as well as location (only to some extent...aka you may be pleasantly surprised by somewhere you otherwise would have written off).

I also was surprised by how easy it is to become jealous during the process...

E.g. someone gets a clean sweep of top 5 with far worse stats, or a merit scholarship, but it's easy to forget that there is usually someone in a worse position than you.

If you look on mdapps there are some people with ~78 LizzyM only accepted to an unranked school they didn't like...and now are forced to attend because they didn't withdraw post-interview.

Even if you swing out this year, you can move to a new state, get a job, establish residency and probably end up happier (and with less debt) than the person going OOS to a school they don't like vs you going in-state to a school you do like. Just a thought!

.

 

[reapplicanthelpme2014]

Crazzzyyyyy draining but beautifully strengthening (mentally, spiritually, and emotionally) cycle for me, especially since it was my second. 11 interviews, 7 MD and 4 DO...4 MD acceptances and 3WLs. So happy to even have one acceptance! God is GOOD!

 

[mbeus]

It's been pretty bad, wish I would have waited till next cycle. Everybody, If you're on the fence to apply and @Goro or @gyngyn or @LizzyM advises that you're not ready, you should heed their advice.

Not always! I didn't heed their advice and I got in. But yeah, probably more often than not, listen to their advice

 

[C@lidoc]

Accepted at 12 out of 15 interviews, including my top choice. You only need one acceptance so that's all that matters. Getting a good financial aid package sealed the deal for me. Couldn't have asked for a better cycle.

 

[deleted577188]

Accepted at 12 out of 15 interviews, including my top choice. You only need one acceptance so that's all that matters. Getting a good financial aid package sealed the deal for me. Couldn't have asked for a better cycle.

Goddamn, good job!

 

[RedPhys]

My first interview was at an ivy league, my second was at an unranked MD. Was waitlisted at both.

Are you me ? First interview at an ivy league, second (and final) interview at an unranked MD school. I was accepted at the unranked one, though.
I, too, feel personal pressure to get accepted to my top choice (the ivy league school that interviewed me). :-/

 

[medic86]

Love this post. So true about the difference between pre and post interview impressions. Thanks for disagreeing with the SDN ideas that any acceptance is a good acceptance and to turn down an acceptance is the cardinal sin. Congrats on a successful cycle.

He didn't disagree with the fact that turning down your only acceptance is a cardinal sin. Because it is.

Withdraw post-interview if you wouldn't be happy to go to a school if it's your only acceptance. (as resiroth mentioned in his post)

 

[sundancing]

Applied to 18 MD and 7 DO. Ended up with 5 DO interviews (attended 3) and 5 MD interviews for a total of 10 interview invites. I got accepted to all 3 DO schools I interviewed at and for MD, I was rejected at one, wait listed at 2, and two are still pending. So I guess my cycle is ongoing!

I am so grateful for what I do have, even if the two other MD interviews don't yield acceptances (one of them was my dream school). My app cycle has been long and drawn out and far from quick and painless, but I'm going to be a doctor and that's what matters

 

[pharmolu]

Poorly.

 

[Gladiator89]

For all those on waitlists: STAY POSITIVE! There is substantial movement on the waitlists of many programs that aren't top 20-25

 

[deleted436726]

Like a bike with square wheels.

 

[eatkalteenbars]

I have an acceptance, so it went well! Still crossing my fingers for getting off my top choice waitlist though...tbh all I wanted going into the cycle was to get in there so hopefully I'll get some good news in the next few weeks!

 

[EthylMethylMan]

Went into the cycle with next to no hope. I unsuccessfully applied last cycle, so my parents were encouraging me to apply DO and (gasp) Caribbean. I managed to land five early MD interviews, and an acceptance to an OOS private MD school in November. As if I wasn't already ecstatic, I got an acceptance to an IS state MD school in December. All in all it was a big turn around from me crashing and burning last cycle. Time for 7+ years of mental marathoning!