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Pretty much everyone wants to know that magic answer.
To many successful applicants with T20 schools, it is still impossible to figure out why seemingly similar schools offered interviews while others didn’t.
The one exception I have observed are those with very strong apps and low SES, or very strong app and military service, seem to obtain the highest percent of their apps producing IIs. Also, high Stats seemingly also don’t offer prediction for getting an II.
Create your strongest application, don’t apply before it’s ready, and shoot your shot.
 
517, 3.95, white orm male, top 50 private uni, trad student, 1 pub, 3000 hours of research, 200 hours clinical volunteering, shadowing, 600 hours non-clinical volunteering across 5x organizations (very unique), high level triathlons and charity athletic events.

HMS and NYU interview.
 
erenyeager said:
Just curious what differentiates applicants at these schools.
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As a rule of thumb, these candidates have:
-high stats
-hundreds, if not even 1000s of hours of patient contact experience and/or nonclinical volunteering.
-leadership prositions
-research is common but not an absolute. Public health policy was a not uncommon thing.
 
As others have said high stats and unique aspect of their application(Publication, Military, Peace Corps, Career Changers, world champion juggler, etc.). Since most high stat applicants apply to the top 20 you’ll have to standout from the rest with something interesting.

In my mind though there’s no need to fetishize the top 20 medical schools, unless you want to purse research and academic medicine. The reputation boost may help for matching dermatology or plastic surgery, but all schools teach nearly the same things and just because you went to Harvard doesn’t mean you’ll be better then physicians graduating from a state MD.
 
Matriculating to a T25 (which Goro has previously included on his list of top20-adjacent schools) so I feel qualified to contribute! only applied to 3 T25 schools becuase I thought my stats were prohibitive, but the one I am attending interviewed me super early and accepted me in the fall, so I might have been successful at one or two more.

things I had going for me:
- solid enough MCAT (515+ but still a bit below my school's average)
- a REALLY unique combination of 2 high-level non-medical ECs that made me seem like an interesting person on paper
- went to a top undergrad
- took >2 gap years with lots of experiences that helped me write really good essays
- state residency in a traditionally “bad” premed state? I’m from a state with one of the worst premed acceptance rates so if a school is trying to increase its geographic diversity, I’m probably one of the better candidates from my state (I’m not sure if this is a thing but just a theory)

things against me:
- low GPA (like below the median of every MD school in the country, after 2 years of postbacc)
- didn't have a research letter/didn't feel like I could really sell that part of my app
- not a lot of other interesting diversity experiences

I’m only commenting here because I feel like my experience is contrary to several pieces of SDN wisdom - I know I’m only one anecdotal person but I still feel like it’s an example that you don’t need to be outstanding in all of those boxes. I think my college ECs helped me stand out, I think the name of my undergrad helped (and was told in interviews that it cut me some slack for my GPA), and was by no means a research superstar!
 
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Matriculating at T10. Came from a state school with US News ranking ~100 located in a less populated western state. ORM (Asian) with 512 MCAT and 4.0 GPA. Applied to 11 T20 schools (mostly MD/PhDs some MD only schools this cycle) and received interviews from three of them (including two T5s - waitlisted). Major factor for me I believe was publications and research. I sent in four research letter of recs (including one from a PI I worked with in high school to demonstrate continuity) and had a first-author publication, as well as another pending first-author paper to be submitted. About 200 hours of volunteering, 150 hours of clinical experience, and minimal shadowing/other experiences. My entire application was research focused (did get asked many times why I didn't want to just do a PhD instead).

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk
 
Graduated from college 6 years before applying so I had an interesting resume. Also some powerhouse research and super meaningful clinical volunteering with LGBTQIA+ people. Decent MCAT and grades.
 
I had pretty borderline stats for the T20 (517/3.5sGPA) and I checked all the boxes (thousands of scribing hours, hundreds of hours volunteering, leadership positions in student orgs, some research etc). However, I think what made me stand out the most was well written essays and interesting life experiences (disadvantaged with a really unique story, unique hobbies, etc).

IMO premeds really underestimate the importance and power of the essays. I had a friend who got into a decent MD program with low stats (500 MCAT/3.6) and I think 99% of the reason they got the interview invite was because they were a fantastic writer and could really sell themselves well. They were ORM and didn't really have anything too extremely crazy on their resume. You don't necessarily even need a unique story if you can write well - you just have to make the adcoms feel like you do.
 
askdf1839 said:
Matriculating at T10. Came from a state school with US News ranking ~100 located in a less populated western state. ORM (Asian) with 512 MCAT and 4.0 GPA. Applied to 11 T20 schools (mostly MD/PhDs some MD only schools this cycle) and received interviews from three of them (including two T5s - waitlisted). Major factor for me I believe was publications and research. I sent in four research letter of recs (including one from a PI I worked with in high school to demonstrate continuity) and had a first-author publication, as well as another pending first-author paper to be submitted. About 200 hours of volunteering, 150 hours of clinical experience, and minimal shadowing/other experiences. My entire application was research focused (did get asked many times why I didn't want to just do a PhD instead).

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk
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Did you have any other unusual life experiences like military service or low SES or something?
 
Interviewed very early at 2/3 T20 schools I applied to. Both resulted in WL.

3.8+ 518, so not crazy stats compared to a lot of matriculants at those kinds of schools. Definitely didn't come from a prestigious undergrad.

Both of my interviews were at more research focused schools. Having 4500+ hours of research along with first author papers, multiple international and national posters with serval awards, and a competitive government internship helped in that regard. I also had close to 2000 hours of clinical experience and several leadership positions in school and in the real world. What I lacked was the nonclinical hours (only ~200) as I decided very late in my senior year that I wanted to do medicine and I worked 60 hours a week for the gap year before I applied.
 
FriendOfCacti said:
Matriculating to a T25 (which Goro has previously included on his list of top20-adjacent schools) so I feel qualified to contribute! only applied to 3 T25 schools becuase I thought my stats were prohibitive, but the one I am attending interviewed me super early and accepted me in October, so I might have been successful at one or two more.

things I had going for me:
- solid enough MCAT (516), though still well under the median at my chosen school
- D1 athlete (non revenue sport) + part of an internationally touring music group in college
- went to a T3 undergrad
- took 3 full gap years and had 3 years of full time clinical experiences plus a very menial clinical research job at a prestigious hospital (no publications)
- am a good writer and spun a good public health policy/clinical research narrative with all of my essays
- state residency in a traditionally “bad” premed state? I’m from a state with one of the worst premed acceptance rates so if a school is trying to increase its geographic diversity, I’m probably one of the better candidates from my state (I’m not sure if this is a thing but just a theory)

things against me:
- bad GPA (3.4/3.3s after 2 years of a post bacc)
- I had a really bad research thesis experience in undergrad (reflected on my transcript in my thesis grade) and was hated by my PI so didn’t have a research letter (which top 20s tend to care more about). Thought schools would hold it against me but the school I’m going to actually has a pretty strong research emphasis so I guess it was not too big of an issue
- not a lot of other interesting diversity experiences (am ORM, born in a super rural state and shortly moved to a bigger metropolitan area but I acknowledge I’ve been quite privileged)

I’m only commenting here because I feel like my experience is contrary to several pieces of SDN wisdom - I know I’m only one anecdotal person but I still feel like it’s an example that you don’t need to be outstanding in all of those boxes. I think my college ECs helped me stand out, I think the name of my undergrad helped (and was told in interviews that it cut me some slack for my GPA), and was by no means a research superstar!
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saw the 4 MD A's in your signature and thought i would drop a GG and CONGRATS on that achievement. you are a star
 
3.94, 519.
URM
State School in Southwest
1000+ volunteer hours w/ refugees, immigrants, and interfaith organizations
50 hours of (very lackluster) research
2 unique leadership (but only college level) experiences for all 3 years of undergrad.
100 hours tutoring
300-400 clinical hours (shadowing and others)
Clinical experience in China
2 "fun" hobbies in activities (trivia and intramurals)

I spent a lot of time with my personal statement and my secondaries making sure I was super coherent across my app and painted an honest picture of my personality. My essays were, I think, a strong complement to my high stats. A downside to taking so much time on the essays is that I submitted pretty late.

If I had to pin something that gave me success (completely speculative but based on what I've heard from those who interviewed me and what they chose to speak about in interviews) I think it was that I have been volunteering with groups that I am very interested in and have a personal connection too. Parents are immigrants, I worked with immigrants. I'm a naturalized citizen, I taught civics with refugees. So I tied my secondaries and PS to this part of my personality.

No publications or super fancy activities, it was all volunteering that is open for anyone to participate in and much more enjoyable than lab work to me...which is why I did it.

Interviews to 4 T10, 7II total, accepted at 6. Unfortunately, I sent most secondaries in mid-September, so I feel like I might've seen a bit more had I applied in summer...
 
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askdf1839 said:
Matriculating at T10. Came from a state school with US News ranking ~100 located in a less populated western state. ORM (Asian) with 512 MCAT and 4.0 GPA. Applied to 11 T20 schools (mostly MD/PhDs some MD only schools this cycle) and received interviews from three of them (including two T5s - waitlisted). Major factor for me I believe was publications and research. I sent in four research letter of recs (including one from a PI I worked with in high school to demonstrate continuity) and had a first-author publication, as well as another pending first-author paper to be submitted. About 200 hours of volunteering, 150 hours of clinical experience, and minimal shadowing/other experiences. My entire application was research focused (did get asked many times why I didn't want to just do a PhD instead).

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Now I feel bad for not playing that research card harder
 
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