Will state schools reject you because they think you won't attend?

Guile · Oct 11, 2006

I was just curious if state schools or lower-ranked schools will reject you if your numbers are too far from their average because they think you won't matriculate. I know that law schools are known to do this because I've heard that law applicants fear that they could be rejected from their top choices because they're not good enough and rejected from their safety schools because they're too good. Has anyone ever heard of this happening--someone with above average stats and ECs who got rejected from a state school they "should" have gotten into?

peterpansy · Oct 11, 2006

I've heard the samy rumour about med schools, but can't verify other than to say that I've heard from half the schools I've applied to so far (some top 10 included) and not a peep out of my state school. A friend of mine who is applying MD/PhD has gotten a letter from said school that said that they will continue reviewing his file and he's gotten interview invites to "better" schools also. Make of that what you will.

NonTradMed · Oct 12, 2006

The process is random. Don't fret if a 'better' school sent you an interview invite and 'safety' schools did not. It may not be your numbers but something else on your app that changed their mind. That said, I have heard Rosalind Franklin will not interview anyone with too high of a MCAT because they assume you are using their school as a 'safety' and will most likely not matriculate.

peterpansy · Oct 12, 2006

NonTradMed said:
The process is random. Don't fret if a 'better' school sent you an interview invite and 'safety' schools did not. It may not be your numbers but something else on your app that changed their mind. That said, I have heard Rosalind Franklin will not interview anyone with too high of a MCAT because they assume you are using their school as a 'safety' and will most likely not matriculate.

That makes sense, except that the app is the same for both schools (or similar enough), so I still don't get how I can be a competitive applicant for one school, but not for the other. Oh well, I don't particularly care which school I end up at (of the ones I applied to).

GreenCenter · Oct 12, 2006

YES. Schools will reject you on the basis of you applying as a safety school. They will look at stats of people they normally take from your school. If they see that the GPA range of 2.5-3.0 and MCAT of 28-30 from matriculants at your school and you have 3.6/41, they will reject you.

FenderHM · Oct 12, 2006

no MD schools have a GPA range of 2.5-3.0

GreenCenter · Oct 12, 2006

made up numbers to make a point

45408 · Oct 12, 2006

GreenCenter said:
YES. Schools will reject you on the basis of you applying as a safety school. They will look at stats of people they normally take from your school. If they see that the GPA range of 2.5-3.0 and MCAT of 28-30 from matriculants at your school and you have 3.6/41, they will reject you.

🙄 This is largely HEARSAY. It may happen periodically, but this is not a given. Schools like accepting high numbers because it shows that their average accepted student has high numbers.

mmmkay121 · Oct 12, 2006

yield protection exists.... a 5 minute look through mdapplicants.com will prove it.

Darkshooter326 · Oct 12, 2006

I don't think so, at least not based on numbers. Unless you make it clear in the interview you are not very interested, then I doubt they'd reject based on presumptions. In-state tuition is a pretty large draw, regardless of qualifications. 😀

alwaysaangel · Oct 12, 2006

peterpansy said:
That makes sense, except that the app is the same for both schools (or similar enough), so I still don't get how I can be a competitive applicant for one school, but not for the other. Oh well, I don't particularly care which school I end up at (of the ones I applied to).

Yeah but what appeals to one school is very different than one appeals to another school. Med schools are looking for someone who will fit well into their program.

Steiner · Oct 12, 2006

I got rejected two years in a row from my state school-38 MCAT, there were other issues with my application, but I've known of many people with similar applications to mine, but lower MCAT scores getting accepted.

UMP · Oct 12, 2006

yes... especially if they are michigan med schools

45408 · Oct 12, 2006

Steiner said:
I got rejected two years in a row from my state school-38 MCAT, there were other issues with my application, but I've known of many people with similar applications to mine, but lower MCAT scores getting accepted.

Yah, like your GPA. You make it sound like those people who scored less than a 38 are inferior.

UMP · Oct 12, 2006

TheProwler said:
Yah, like your GPA. You make it sound like those people who scored less than a 38 are inferior.

how do you read that from his post ? 😕

HemaOncoDoc · Oct 12, 2006

MilkofAmnesia said:
I was just curious if state schools or lower-ranked schools will reject you if your numbers are too far from their average because they think you won't matriculate. I know that law schools are known to do this because I've heard that law applicants fear that they could be rejected from their top choices because they're not good enough and rejected from their safety schools because they're too good. Has anyone ever heard of this happening--someone with above average stats and ECs who got rejected from a state school they "should" have gotten into?

The school wants to accept applicants who will want to go to their school. They may very well want applicants with high MCAT/GPA/great ECs, but if you do not show indication that you want to attend, why should they accept you if they know you'll probably decline? Schools want to give opportunities to students who will thrive at their school and honestly want to come.

Instatewaiter · Oct 12, 2006

UMP said:
how do you read that from his post ? 😕

Check out the links under Steiner's post. They'll take you to MDapplicants.com. That has his GPA.

Schools have a good idea of what kind of niche they are in. People that are far outside of this range often will not be taken seriously unless they express a keen interest in the school. While every school would love to have a higher average MCAT and GPA they don't want to have to hand out 700 acceptances to fill a class of 150.

foofish · Oct 12, 2006

MilkofAmnesia said:
I was just curious if state schools or lower-ranked schools will reject you if your numbers are too far from their average because they think you won't matriculate.

I heard this directly from one of the admissions officers of one of the NJ schools at a med school fair last year....it came up as she was talking to one of my friends applying last cycle who hadn't gotten an interview from them yet. She basically said that interviews are limited, and they are hesitant to offer interviews to people they don't really think will attend their school either based on gpa/MCAT or geography....they want to interview (and ultimately accept) people they think have a strong chance of coming to their school.

Hypothalamus · Oct 12, 2006

MilkofAmnesia said:
I was just curious if state schools or lower-ranked schools will reject you if your numbers are too far from their average because they think you won't matriculate. I know that law schools are known to do this because I've heard that law applicants fear that they could be rejected from their top choices because they're not good enough and rejected from their safety schools because they're too good. Has anyone ever heard of this happening--someone with above average stats and ECs who got rejected from a state school they "should" have gotten into?

I don't think they'll do this. Many of the "stronger" applicants look to their state schools for more affordable tuition, etc.

HemaOncoDoc · Oct 12, 2006

Steiner said:
I got rejected two years in a row from my state school-38 MCAT, there were other issues with my application, but I've known of many people with similar applications to mine, but lower MCAT scores getting accepted.

Get those secondaries out as soon as possible. Best of luck this time!

Guile · Oct 12, 2006

Thanks for the replies. I have an interview on one of their first days I believe. I made as compelling of a case as to why I'm interested in their school as I could on the secondary. Like others have said above, in-state tuition is a huge draw. I just had this (perhaps) irrational fear that I wouldn't get into any of the schools I applied to, but for different reasons.

vooweevoo · Oct 12, 2006

UMP said:
yes... especially if they are michigan med schools

Definitely; at a recent presentation an adcom from one of the the state schools stated unless you're a *really* good match for their school (really dig rural medicine) they're likely to pass on you if you have high end stats.

maestro1625 · Oct 12, 2006

UMP said:
yes... especially if they are michigan med schools

I'd say MSU moreso than Wayne... Wayne seems to shoot for the high MCATs early in thier interview cycle. (I felt like the only one at my interview who didnt get an auto-interview from UMich) They did mention during the tour that a big thing that they're looking for from the high MCAT interviewees is "genuine interest in the school... aka kids who wont run back to Oakland County because they think they'll "get shot" if they go to school in detroit.

I also think the first essay in thier secondary is a huge consideration...

maestro1625 · Oct 12, 2006

vooweevoo said:
Definitely; at a recent presentation an adcom from one of the the state schools stated unless you're a *really* good match for their school (really dig rural medicine) they're likely to pass on you if you have high end stats.

by "one of the schools" I think you mean MSU 😉

I honestly think I figured out thier interview system... They feed everyone's primary essay into a computer and hit ctrl-F... any essay containing the word "rural" gets a first pool interview... "underserved" gets a second pool interview... and so on...

agr285 · Oct 12, 2006

NonTradMed said:
The process is random. Don't fret if a 'better' school sent you an interview invite and 'safety' schools did not. It may not be your numbers but something else on your app that changed their mind. That said, I have heard Rosalind Franklin will not interview anyone with too high of a MCAT because they assume you are using their school as a 'safety' and will most likely not matriculate.[/QUOTE

I have an interivew at Rosalind and had a pretty high MCAT score, so I don't think that rumor is true.

etf · Oct 12, 2006

NonTradMed said:
The process is random. Don't fret if a 'better' school sent you an interview invite and 'safety' schools did not. It may not be your numbers but something else on your app that changed their mind. That said, I have heard Rosalind Franklin will not interview anyone with too high of a MCAT because they assume you are using their school as a 'safety' and will most likely not matriculate.

that's crap - just because you've got a high mcat doesn't mean you're going to get in at other places...trust me, i know

Guile · Oct 12, 2006

etf said:
that's crap - just because you've got a high mcat doesn't mean you're going to get in at other places...trust me, i know

Exactly, that's why I asked the question. No school should assume you'll get in elsewhere and reject you, but it appears that's the case for hopefully only a few schools.

Miami_med · Oct 12, 2006

What it looks like to me, is that schools may waitlist applicants like this. That has been my experience. In March, they will ask you if you want to go on the waitlist. If you say yes, they may take this as you being seriously interested, as all other schools have filled their classes. If you really want to go to a school that seems like a poor fit for your stats, consistently express interest. Keep updating your application. Call the admissions office with new info. Let them know you will go there if accepted.

NonTradMed · Oct 12, 2006

etf said:
that's crap - just because you've got a high mcat doesn't mean you're going to get in at other places...trust me, i know

Well, believe what you will, I am just reporting what I have heard from someone who applied to Rosalind Franklin and spoke with their dean about it. I had relatively few surprises during my application process---all my reach schools rejected me. 😀

Mac11 · Oct 12, 2006

Y'know, I'm gonna ask someone from the umass med school. I'll revive this thread once I get an answer, so sit tight for like 2 weeks.

Will state schools reject you because they think you won't attend?

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