Pre-Secondary Screening

Hey all,

I have been wondering how we can find out which schools screen applications before distributing secondaries. I haven't been able to find a good source for this information. I have seen some posters on this board talk about certain schools that do; just wondering how they know...

Thanks in advance.

it says in the newest MSAR (2006-2007) which schools screen and which don't

Overeducated said:

it says in the newest MSAR (2006-2007) which schools screen and which don't

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thank you sir

rumi said:

Hey all,

I have been wondering how we can find out which schools screen applications before distributing secondaries. I haven't been able to find a good source for this information. I have seen some posters on this board talk about certain schools that do; just wondering how they know...

Thanks in advance.

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Vanderbilt (sends secondaries ONLY to those invited for interview)
Mayo
NYU
Loyola
Wake Forest
VCU
EVMS
Wayne State
All UC's <-- especially UCSF...ack!
Miami
Pittsburgh
Northwestern
UAB
UNevada
UNC
Indiana (definitely for out of state)
UWashington
UWisconsin
UMichigan
Duke - maybe...there's argument over this one

SpeedRacer said:

Vanderbilt (sends secondaries ONLY to those invited for interview)
Mayo
NYU
Loyola
Wake Forest
VCU
EVMS
Wayne State
All UC's <-- especially UCSF...ack!
Miami
Pittsburgh
Northwestern
UAB
UNevada
UNC
Indiana (definitely for out of state)
UWashington
UWisconsin
UMichigan
Duke - maybe...there's argument over this one

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Thanks speedracer!! 🙂

BlinkyCat said:

Thanks speedracer!! 🙂

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yes thank you much

rumi said:

Hey all,

I have been wondering how we can find out which schools screen applications before distributing secondaries. I haven't been able to find a good source for this information. I have seen some posters on this board talk about certain schools that do; just wondering how they know...

Thanks in advance.

Click to expand...

For Florida schools - UF, FSU, and Miami all screen. I don't remember if USF does.

I wish more schools screened. I hate filling out secondaries not knowing whether I've got any realistic shot at these schools (beyond what looking at an MSAR will give). Each combination of GPA, MCAT, EC, and life experience is unique and I might be more or less competitive than I think.

I wish they'd decide if I have no shot and not require money and time from me in that case.

MoosePilot said:

I wish more schools screened. I hate filling out secondaries not knowing whether I've got any realistic shot at these schools (beyond what looking at an MSAR will give). Each combination of GPA, MCAT, EC, and life experience is unique and I might be more or less competitive than I think.

I wish they'd decide if I have no shot and not require money and time from me in that case.

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AGREED! 🙁

I believe that the only way that USF screens is having you agree that you meet their minimum standards (3.0 GPA and 24 MCAT) They send and email and you send back saying that you meet their standards and that you want a secondary emailed to you...they send it when they are notified that you are applying to their school...not necessarily when they get the actual app.

So is it safe to assume that we'll hear from schools that don't screen before we hear from school's that do screen?

rumi said:

yes thank you much

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i think you just saved me 17.95 😍

bwells46 said:

For Florida schools - UF, FSU, and Miami all screen. I don't remember if USF does.

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Yes USF sorta screens.

Their minimum for in state residents is 3.0 and 24 MCAT. They tell you to check that you meet those requirements and if you do you should request a secondary from them.

angel03 said:

I believe that the only way that USF screens is having you agree that you meet their minimum standards (3.0 GPA and 24 MCAT) They send and email and you send back saying that you meet their standards and that you want a secondary emailed to you...they send it when they are notified that you are applying to their school...not necessarily when they get the actual app.

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I wish I read this before posting. You beat me to the punchline. hahahahah

But yah you are correct.

gujuDoc said:

I wish I read this before posting. You beat me to the punchline. hahahahah

But yah you are correct.

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But then you wouldn't get two free posts! Just kidding, guju, go ahead and post to your heart's content. They're all usually relevant, anyways.

Wait, now I got a free post!

Oh, Michigan State CHM screens, but only after you give them $60.

dajimmers said:

But then you wouldn't get two free posts! Just kidding, guju, go ahead and post to your heart's content. They're all usually relevant, anyways.

Wait, now I got a free post!

Oh, Michigan State CHM screens, but only after you give them $60.

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hahahaha



So I'm sure you'll get in one of the top schools. Good luck.

MoosePilot said:

I wish more schools screened. I hate filling out secondaries not knowing whether I've got any realistic shot at these schools (beyond what looking at an MSAR will give). Each combination of GPA, MCAT, EC, and life experience is unique and I might be more or less competitive than I think.

I wish they'd decide if I have no shot and not require money and time from me in that case.

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I think they prefer to have people self-screen....meaning that fewer people will fill out their secondaries than the AMCAS, so they don't have to read as many. Still, I agree.

TheProwler said:

I think they prefer to have people self-screen....meaning that fewer people will fill out their secondaries than the AMCAS, so they don't have to read as many. Still, I agree.

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That's such a bizarre idea. I mean, I think that you're 100% right on. According to Georgetown, something like 7,000 people listed them on the AMCAS but only 4,500 actually filled out the secondaries.

Why blow the $30 if you aren't positive that you'll be filling out the secondary?

SpeedRacer said:

Vanderbilt (sends secondaries ONLY to those invited for interview)
Mayo
NYU
Loyola
Wake Forest
VCU
EVMS
Wayne State
All UC's <-- especially UCSF...ack!
Miami
Pittsburgh
Northwestern
UAB
UNevada
UNC
Indiana (definitely for out of state)
UWashington
UWisconsin
UMichigan
Duke - maybe...there's argument over this one

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UMichigan does not screen pre-secondary.

wowzer said:

UMichigan does not screen pre-secondary.

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Neither does NYU apparently - atleast that is what the admissions office told me.

😕

drinklord said:

That's such a bizarre idea. I mean, I think that you're 100% right on. According to Georgetown, something like 7,000 people listed them on the AMCAS but only 4,500 actually filled out the secondaries.

Why blow the $30 if you aren't positive that you'll be filling out the secondary?

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Some of it's understandable - some secondaries don't arrive until people have already received acceptances. If you apply to 25 schools, get an acceptance at one of your top choices, you're probably going to drop all your safeties.

Other people probably just get swamped with the number of secondaries and give up on some of them (or run out of money).

TheProwler said:

Some of it's understandable - some secondaries don't arrive until people have already received acceptances. If you apply to 25 schools, get an acceptance at one of your top choices, you're probably going to drop all your safeties.

Other people probably just get swamped with the number of secondaries and give up on some of them (or run out of money).

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Yep. It's hard to understand how much work secondaries are until you get hit with five a week.

wowzer said:

UMichigan does not screen pre-secondary.

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yeah they do. they send out auto interviews

Schools that DO Screen:
University of Alabama
University of South Alabama
University of Arizona
University of California Davis
University of California Irvine
University of California Geffen-UCLA
University of California San Diego
University of Calfiornia San Francisco
Florida State
University of Florida
University of Miami FL
University of South Florida
Mercer
Morehouse
University of Hawaii
Loyola
Southern Illinois
University of Illinois
Indiana University (those who get interviews)
University of Iowa
University of Kansas (non-residents are screened)
University of Kentucky
University of Louisville
Michigan State University
Wayne State
University of Minnesota
University of Mississippi (only state residents get secondaries)
University of Missouri-Columbia
University of Nebraska
University of Nevada
University of New Mexico
Brody-East Carolina University
University of North Carolina
Wake Forest University
Medical University of Ohio
Northeastern Ohio Universities
Ohio State University
Oregon University
University of Pittsburgh
University of South Carolina
University of South Dakota
East Tennessee State University
University of Tennessee
Vanderbilt University
University of Utah
Eastern Virginia
Virginia Commonwealth University
University of Washington
Marshall University (secondaries sent to state residents and residents of neighboring states only)
West Virginia University
University of Wisconsin


Do NOT screen:
University of Arkansas
Keck SOM at USC
Loma Linda
Stanford
University of Colorado
University of Connecticut
Yale
George Washington University
Georgetown University
Howard University
Emory
Rosalind Franklin
Northwestern
Rush
University of Chicago Pritzker
University of Kansas (all residents get secondaries)
Louisiana State, New Orleans
Louisiana State, Shreveport
Tulane
Johns Hopkins
University of Maryland
Boston University
Harvard
Tufts
University of Massachussetts
University of Michigan
Saint Lous University
University of Missouri-Kansas City
Washington University
Creighton University
Dartmouth
New Jersey Medical School
Albany Medical College
Albert Einstein/Yeshiva
Columbia University
Cornell University
Mount Sinai
New York Medical College
New York University SOM
University of Buffalo
State University of NY-Downstate
State University of NY-Upstate
Stony Brook University
University of Rochester
Duke University
University of North Dakota
Case Western Reserve
University of Cincinnati
Wright State University
University of Oklahoma
Drexel University
Jefferson Medical College
Pennsylvania State University
Temple University
University of Pennsylvania
Ponce School of Medicine
University of Puerto Rico
Brown University
Medical University of South Carolina
Meharry Medical College
Baylor College
Texas A&M
Texas Tech University
University of Texas-San Antonio
University of Texas Southwestern-Dallas
University of Vermont
University of Virginia
Medical College of Wisconsin

Schools that say "n/a"
Medical College of Georgia
Uniformed Services University, F. Edward Hebert SOM
Mayo Clinic
New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson Med School
University of Texas-Galveston
University of Texas-Houston

The University of Florida said "Applicants of Interest," whatever that means. So listen to what guju says. She's got inside info from REL!

University of Mississippi says secondaries are sent to "URL access after review of legal state of residence," so I'm assuming all Mississippi residents get secondaries.

Hope this helps! They're alphabatized by state, so if someone wants to compile this elsewhere they can. I was bored and taking a break from MCAT studying.

👍 😍 You rock, Sally! That post should be a sticky!

Just to clarify something, does "screening" mean that schools wait to get your MCAT scores to see if you meet their minimum cutoffs? Or is there some other basis they use to screen? If so does that mean schools that do not screen send their secondaries to all applicants regardless of whether or not they have your MCAT scores?

That depends, some schools screen on the basis of MCAT and GPA and others based on GPA only.

Thanks. Do you know if the MSAR lists if schools screen based on GPA, MCAT or both? (Don't have one with me.)

Babs0309 said:

Neither does NYU apparently - atleast that is what the admissions office told me.

😕

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They did screen last year. I think that last year, though, was their first year being on the AAMCAs, so they might have changed their screening process for this year. If the people posting checked the new MSAR, then I'd assume they're more updated on the information and correct.

Newest MSAR: No screening. $100.

Newest MSAR for NYU: No screening. $100.

mustangsally65 said:

Schools that DO Screen:
University of Alabama
University of South Alabama
University of Arizona
University of California Davis
University of California Irvine
University of California Geffen-UCLA
University of California San Diego
University of Calfiornia San Francisco
Florida State
University of Florida
University of Miami FL
University of South Florida
Mercer
Morehouse
University of Hawaii
Loyola
Southern Illinois
University of Illinois
Indiana University (those who get interviews)
University of Iowa
University of Kansas (non-residents are screened)
University of Kentucky
University of Louisville
Michigan State University
Wayne State
University of Minnesota
University of Mississippi (only state residents get secondaries)
University of Missouri-Columbia
University of Nebraska
University of Nevada
University of New Mexico
Brody-East Carolina University
University of North Carolina
Wake Forest University
Medical University of Ohio
Northeastern Ohio Universities
Ohio State University
Oregon University
University of Pittsburgh
University of South Carolina
University of South Dakota
East Tennessee State University
University of Tennessee
Vanderbilt University
University of Utah
Eastern Virginia
Virginia Commonwealth University
University of Washington
Marshall University (secondaries sent to state residents and residents of neighboring states only)
West Virginia University
University of Wisconsin

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Ohio State screens??? What exactly does that mean? Does that mean everyone who sent in primaries might not get secondaries? I only ask because I wasn't sure if a school screened that I would get a secondary from them, so I would like to know because I would be very very happy lol

Ohio State doesn't screen cause everyone received a secondary from them already.

AxlxA said:

Ohio State doesn't screen cause everyone received a secondary from them already.

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Damn MSAR 😡