MSAR Data is two years old (2019-2020 application cycle)

[DoctorFate]

Just thought I would post this as a PSA. I've been lining up data provided to me directly by schools' admissions office with MSAR, and figured out that all MSAR data is from the 2019-2020 application cycle, not 2020-2021. All this time, I thought otherwise, and thought MSAR was telling me that COVID had little impact on the number of IIs given and school's matriculated GPA and MCAT averages. All of my presumptions were incorrect.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[shotgunlagoon]

Well. That's not ideal, considering we have to pay to access it.... Little bit scummy of AAMC

 

[LizzyM]

A cycle is generally put to bed and reported on at the AAMC annual meeting in early November because it is not until the schools start classes (usually July/Aug/Sept) that each school can be sure who has matriculated. So you can't expect up-to-date info on the 2020-2021 cycle until this month, at the earliest and it takes a bit of time for each school to be sure that they've accurately reported on the disposition of every application and for all the numbers to be crunched. So, yes, the most recent information will be for the 2019-2020 cycle which was drawing to a close in terms of interviews and invites just as Covid-19 was taking center stage. I would expect the MSAR to be updated in November -- or January at the latest.

 

[DoctorFate]

AAMC says MSAR is updated every spring, though

A cycle is generally put to bed and reported on at the AAMC annual meeting in early November because it is not until the schools start classes (usually July/Aug/Sept) that each school can be sure who has matriculated. So you can't expect up-to-date info on the 2020-2021 cycle until this month, at the earliest and it takes a bit of time for each school to be sure that they've accurately reported on the disposition of every application and for all the numbers to be crunched. So, yes, the most recent information will be for the 2019-2020 cycle which was drawing to a close in terms of interviews and invites just as Covid-19 was taking center stage. I would expect the MSAR to be updated in November -- or January at the latest.

 

[LizzyM]

Ok, then what you are getting every spring is not from the cycle that ended the previous fall but that ended 18 months prior? That does seem stale! I used to "buy the book" but haven't been a buyer since it went totally online many years ago.

On the other hand, AAMC says, "one of MSAR’s benefits is that every current subscriber automatically receives the updated content and features as soon as they’re posted." so is it possible that the information on interviewed/admitted, etc is updated and shared earlier than 18 months after a class matriculates?

 

[YCAGA]

AAMC says MSAR is updated every spring, though

I wonder if Ja Rule runs MSAR after Fyre festival didn't work out

 

[KnightDoc]

Ok, then what you are getting every spring is not from the cycle that ended the previous fall but that ended 18 months prior? That does seem stale! I used to "buy the book" but haven't been a buyer since it went totally online many years ago.

On the other hand, AAMC says, "one of MSAR’s benefits is that every current subscriber automatically receives the updated content and features as soon as they’re posted." so is it possible that the information on interviewed/admitted, etc is updated and shared earlier than 18 months after a class matriculates?

You had it right the first time! I don't know where "spring" is coming from, but my observation from the past two years is that the numbers update around October every year. USNWR updates in the spring. And, yeah, it's unreasonable for anyone to think they have been looking at data from the 2020-21 cycle when that cycle just ended like the day before yesterday!

The simple fact is that this doesn't usually matter, because the numbers don't jump around year to year by a material amount. Last year was a once in a hundred years exception, so, yeah, this year's numbers will probably be very different from last year's. That doesn't mean not making them available before the cycle is actually over means AAMC is running a scam!

 

[DoctorFate]

This was where I got the information about its update cycle. Shemmassian has been a pretty reliable source for me in the past, but I could find no confirmation of msar update. Underneath the post though, various reddit posts describe msar as having been just updated in 2020 around March.