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So I posted a sort of WAMC with reapplication a few months ago and was given the advice of essentially upping my nonclinical volunteering and getting more involved clinically than scribing. I did increase my hours but didn’t look for any new experiences because I kept getting additional interviews since then. I have 7 total now.

The problem is, it seems I keep screwing them up. NYMC and USF waitlisted me. I don’t want to speculate about WL movement, and since they WL everyone they don’t outright accept, I take these as Rs. Tufts deferred me, and based on last year’s thread, no chance at acceptance. Upstate, SBU, and Einstein are pending decisions. However SBU passed over me in their acceptance wave 2 days ago so probably rejection. I expect Einstein to reject me. Upstate was my worst interview of the cycle by far so idk. Methodist will be next month, but they state it’ll be for the waitlist.

7 IIs is good but I can’t turn any of them into an acceptance. I did mock interviews with my uni’s career center and was told I did well. Now next cycle I obviously won’t get as many due to reapplication bias with no significant improvements (besides increased hours) due to being complacent.

My MCAT expires after next cycle and will not be retaking it. I guess my plan is to apply to 70 schools instead of the 37 I did this cycle, and if that doesn’t work out I’ll give up on this career path.
Applying to 70 schools is a ridiculous plan, sorry.
Reapplying is not the kiss of death but you will need to check which schools will not look at you a third time.
Keep building your volunteer hours, and add some of the better DO schools next time instead of doubling your number of MD schools.
 
Applying to 70 schools is a ridiculous plan, sorry.
Reapplying is not the kiss of death but you will need to check which schools will not look at you a third time.
Keep building your volunteer hours, and add some of the better DO schools next time instead of doubling your number of MD schools.
This cycle was my first cycle, so next will be my second. Why is it ridiculous though to apply to many schools?
 
 
This cycle was my first cycle, so next will be my second. Why is it ridiculous though to apply to many schools?
Too much money, too much burnout of all the essay writing, and you need to select schools that will seriously consider you.
I’m not the best list maker but others will chime in.
 
7 IIs is good but I can’t turn any of them into an acceptance. I did mock interviews with my uni’s career center and was told I did well. Now next cycle I obviously won’t get as many due to reapplication bias with no significant improvements (besides increased hours) due to being complacent.
Well, something is up with how you present yourself during your interview days. And mission fit is always key to getting an offer. You might still get an offer, but if you plan to reapply, you should start with re-writing your personal statement and looking at those secondary essays for the additional schools you want throw money at.

Maybe the schools believe you would go to a brand-name school, so they're holding off giving you an offer. You still have some pending decisions in March, so you need to consider your "intent" strategy now. Make your ranking decisions so you know which school's offer you value more. I assume you sent thank-you notes to everyone, but not any "intent" letters.
 
Well, something is up with how you present yourself during your interview days. And mission fit is always key to getting an offer. You might still get an offer, but if you plan to reapply, you should start with re-writing your personal statement and looking at those secondary essays for the additional schools you want throw money at.

Maybe the schools believe you would go to a brand-name school, so they're holding off giving you an offer. You still have some pending decisions in March, so you need to consider your "intent" strategy now. Make your ranking decisions so you know which school's offer you value more. I assume you sent thank-you notes to everyone, but not any "intent" letters.
Yeah I sent thank you letters, nothing else. If/when Einstein rejects me, I’ll probably be sending an intent letter to USF. I’d consider sending one to Stony Brook if they WL me, but they took 0 people from the WL last year so might be a waste. Einstein’s decision is really the big one I care about most though.
 
There are far fewer than 70 schools that will typically consider a specific applicant (beyond a cursory check).
 
There are far fewer than 70 schools that will typically consider a specific applicant (beyond a cursory check).
I applied to 37 this time, and I was considering adding a bunch of others in addition that are OOS friendly that I didn’t apply to, and I should have enough volunteering to not be DOA at some of the service schools. I am also considering adding a few TMDSAS schools because some apparently like high stat OOS applicants.
 
I applied to 37 this time, and I was considering adding a bunch of others in addition that are OOS friendly that I didn’t apply to, and I should have enough volunteering to not be DOA at some of the service schools. I am also considering adding a few TMDSAS schools because some apparently like high stat OOS applicants.
You may think they are OOS friendly but they are likely not past a certain point. Adding some extra hours of volunteering is not going to help at the majority of schools like Rush, Oakland, Loyola. They do not expect you to realistically consider them. Applying to TMDSAS is worth doing for the reason you mentioned.
 
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Adding some extra hours of volunteering is not going to help at the majority of schools like Rush, Oakland, Loyola. They do not expect you to realistically consider them.
Sorry I’m not sure I understand what you mean by this. I’ll have like 400-450h by then. I know that’s not enough for Rush, but what do you mean by realistically consider them.

Edit: just to clarify, all of my hours are working with the underserved (food pantry and homeless outreach)
 
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Sorry I’m not sure I understand what you mean by this. I’ll have like 400-450h by then. I know that’s not enough for Rush, but what do you mean by realistically consider them.

Edit: just to clarify, all of my hours are working with the underserved (food pantry and homeless outreach)
Having that experience is good for your app in general. However, applicants with over a 520 MCAT and essentially a 4.0 GPA do not matriculate to Rush, Loyola, Oakland or similar tier schools. Those schools know that interviewing you would be a waste of time. Even if they accept you, experience has shown them that those applicants will go elsewhere because they have acceptances elsewhere.
 
I’ll probably be sending an intent letter to USF.

I will never not take an opportunity to clown on USF for this. Shoot for the moon at the best medical school in America, perfect, even. :laugh: Go Bulls!

1771109221063.png
 
FYI.
White fee-fees got hurt, it seems.


The Center for Accountability in Medicine (CAM), a project of the Do No Harm organization, is a research initiative launched in September 2025 to oppose the adoption of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies in medical institutions. It aims to promote merit-based, evidence-driven healthcare, releasing rankings like the Medical School Excellence Index.
Key Aspects of the Center for Accountability in Medicine:
  • Purpose: The center aims to ensure that patient care takes priority over political ideology, targeting what they describe as "divisive identity politics" and "junk science" in healthcare.
  • Methodology: CAM uses data-driven research to rank U.S. medical schools based on three main pillars: Academic excellence, Transparency, and Opposition to DEI policies.
  • Medical School Rankings: The Medical School Excellence Index evaluates schools on their commitment to merit, specifically looking for the removal of DEI offices.
  • Concerns: The initiative expresses that DEI policies undermine the integrity of medical training.
Context:
The initiative was launched by Do No Harm, a group dedicated to fighting what it considers the, "wokeness in medicine". For example, they have criticized specific schools for promoting "anti-racist" agendas they believe compromise scientific standards.
 
So I posted a sort of WAMC with reapplication a few months ago and was given the advice of essentially upping my nonclinical volunteering and getting more involved clinically than scribing. I did increase my hours but didn’t look for any new experiences because I kept getting additional interviews since then. I have 7 total now.

The problem is, it seems I keep screwing them up. NYMC and USF waitlisted me. I don’t want to speculate about WL movement, and since they WL everyone they don’t outright accept, I take these as Rs. Tufts deferred me, and based on last year’s thread, no chance at acceptance. Upstate, SBU, and Einstein are pending decisions. However SBU passed over me in their acceptance wave 2 days ago so probably rejection. I expect Einstein to reject me. Upstate was my worst interview of the cycle by far so idk. Methodist will be next month, but they state it’ll be for the waitlist.

7 IIs is good but I can’t turn any of them into an acceptance. I did mock interviews with my uni’s career center and was told I did well. Now next cycle I obviously won’t get as many due to reapplication bias with no significant improvements (besides increased hours) due to being complacent.

My MCAT expires after next cycle and will not be retaking it. I guess my plan is to apply to 70 schools instead of the 37 I did this cycle, and if that doesn’t work out I’ll give up on this career path.
1. Why do you think Einstein is a reject? Just b/c you weren't in the recent acceptance wave doesn't mean it's a rejection.
2. There's still time. WL movement is real, so don't lose hope.

If any of those schools are ones you really want to go to and they accept letters, send them a letter to express your interest.

You haven't been rejected yet and there's still time. But, if by chance this cycle doesn't work out:

See if any of the schools allow you to get feedback from an admissions person. It's not very common, but I think it's worth looking into to find out. Reason being I did this and their feedback was vital because I knew exactly what I needed to do the next time around. People on the internet can only speculate why they didn't accept you, but admissions can tell you exactly why. Or sometimes not. I know they've told students "we like you, but we didn't have a spot for you" too, but definitely doesn't hurt to ask/try.
 
523/3.98. You didn't roll in too cocky did you... knowing that you were better than 99% of the other applicants? I've seen that sink some applicants. Going into the interview with the personality of a dishrag can also sink an applicant.

Here's hoping that something materializes by March 7th (it isn't even Mardi Gras yet which is this Tuesday). In the meantime, do try to find additional hours to spend serving with humility those who are unable to help themselves and who are those that are most marginalized
 
1. Why do you think Einstein is a reject? Just b/c you weren't in the recent acceptance wave doesn't mean it's a rejection.
2. There's still time. WL movement is real, so don't lose hope.

If any of those schools are ones you really want to go to and they accept letters, send them a letter to express your interest.

You haven't been rejected yet and there's still time. But, if by chance this cycle doesn't work out:

See if any of the schools allow you to get feedback from an admissions person. It's not very common, but I think it's worth looking into to find out. Reason being I did this and their feedback was vital because I knew exactly what I needed to do the next time around. People on the internet can only speculate why they didn't accept you, but admissions can tell you exactly why. Or sometimes not. I know they've told students "we like you, but we didn't have a spot for you" too, but definitely doesn't hurt to ask/try.
I didn’t do well on Einstein’s interview, and their post-interview acceptance rate is like 20% ever since they became free. Their recent A wave was for something else I think, normal decisions go out on 3/2.

I do plan on sending interest letters soon. I have a clinical research opportunity and would like to start doing it so I can add that too.

I don’t think any of the schools I interviewed at offer feedback. I heard UMich offers feedback, and they already rejected me. I don’t think I’m supposed to reach out until the spring though.
 
523/3.98. You didn't roll in too cocky did you... knowing that you were better than 99% of the other applicants? I've seen that sink some applicants. Going into the interview with the personality of a dishrag can also sink an applicant.
I’m not the cocky type I don’t think. I’m a very quiet and reserved person usually, so maybe I didn’t project enough confidence but idk.
 
I didn’t do well on Einstein’s interview, and their post-interview acceptance rate is like 20% ever since they became free. Their recent A wave was for something else I think, normal decisions go out on 3/2.

I do plan on sending interest letters soon. I have a clinical research opportunity and would like to start doing it so I can add that too.

I don’t think any of the schools I interviewed at offer feedback. I heard UMich offers feedback, and they already rejected me. I don’t think I’m supposed to reach out until the spring though.
Why do you say you didn't do well?

Did UMich give you an interview? Either way, reach out in Spring and ask them. Doesn't matter when. Also doesn't matter if they rejected you w/o an interview. They still looked at your app.
 
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Why do you feel that way? I feel like us as applicants do a poor job of evaluating how well (or how poor) we do in interviews. I definitely have had an interview this cycle that I thought I did poorly in but still resulted in an A
Why do you say you didn't do well?

Did UMich give you an interview? Either way, reach out in Spring and ask them. Doesn't matter when.
The interviewer didn’t seem to like my answers, and the interview overall was like 15min with another 5min or so for my questions I asked. It was supposed to be 30-60min.

Also no UMich didn’t give me an interview, I had just heard they are one of the few schools that do app review.
 
The interviewer didn’t seem to like my answers, and the interview overall was like 15min with another 5min or so for my questions I asked. It was supposed to be 30-60min.

Also no UMich didn’t give me an interview, I had just heard they are one of the few schools that do app review.
Oh that's not a good metric at all, LOL. I got accepted to places where my interview was short, it just depends on the interview/interviewer. Unless you said something totally off color like a racist joke or if you have a patient who refuses treatment you would still give them treatment against their wishes.

Yup, that's totally fine! The place where I got feedback also rejected me w/o an interview.
 
Unless you said something totally off color like a racist joke or if you have a patient who refuses treatment you would still give them treatment against their wishes.
Obviously not lol. I mean i guess I’ll see in a couple weeks. Even if my interview performance is a non-issue, the post-interview A rate is very low
 
So I posted a sort of WAMC with reapplication a few months ago and was given the advice of essentially upping my nonclinical volunteering and getting more involved clinically than scribing. I did increase my hours but didn’t look for any new experiences because I kept getting additional interviews since then. I have 7 total now.

The problem is, it seems I keep screwing them up. NYMC and USF waitlisted me. I don’t want to speculate about WL movement, and since they WL everyone they don’t outright accept, I take these as Rs. Tufts deferred me, and based on last year’s thread, no chance at acceptance. Upstate, SBU, and Einstein are pending decisions. However SBU passed over me in their acceptance wave 2 days ago so probably rejection. I expect to reject me. Upstate was my worst interview of the cycle by far so idk. Methodist will be next month, but they state it’ll be for the waitlist.

7 IIs is good but I can’t turn any of them into an acceptance. I did mock interviews with my uni’s career center and was told I did well. Now next cycle I obviously won’t get as many due to reapplication bias with no significant improvements (besides increased hours) due to being complacent.

My MCAT expires after next cycle and will not be retaking it. I guess my plan is to apply to 70 schools instead of the 37 I did this cycle, and if that doesn’t work out I’ll give up on this career path.
I get the clear sense that you speak to yourself quite harshly and it makes you very pessimistic, self-lambasting, and defeatist.

You did an excellent job to this point. You had 7 interviews. Congratulations! That's something you should feel proud of. While you aren't guaranteed acceptance, you have a great chance, and you always have the opportunity to reapply.

This path can be extremely rough, particularly for people who are overly self-critical. You will be evaluated constantly, and it will be easy to compare yourself to peers and end up in a thought spiral. Virtually everyone feels this to some degree and needs help with it.

Therapy can be quite life changing. And in medical school, please do reach out to your academic support office and mental health services when needed (everyone does, but some are afraid to for a long time and it hurts them).

Keep your head up high - and good luck!
 
I get the clear sense that you speak to yourself quite harshly and it makes you very pessimistic, self-lambasting, and defeatist.

You did an excellent job to this point. You had 7 interviews. Congratulations! That's something you should feel proud of. While you aren't guaranteed acceptance, you have a great chance, and you always have the opportunity to reapply.

This path can be extremely rough, particularly for people who are overly self-critical. You will be evaluated constantly, and it will be easy to compare yourself to peers and end up in a thought spiral. Virtually everyone feels this to some degree and needs help with it.

Therapy can be quite life changing. And in medical school, please do reach out to your academic support office and mental health services when needed (everyone does, but some are afraid to for a long time and it hurts them).

Keep your head up high - and good luck!
I agree!! OP, there's still sooo much time.
 
Obviously not lol. I mean i guess I’ll see in a couple weeks. Even if my interview performance is a non-issue, the post-interview A rate is very low
Don't be so pessimistic (I get it because I am one lol) but give yourself some credit. It sounds like you expected to have an acceptance by this point and it hasn't happened yet, but that's okay.

Patience is key, friend.
 
Don't be so pessimistic (I get it because I am one lol) but give yourself some credit. It sounds like you expected to have an acceptance by this point and it hasn't happened yet, but that's okay.

Patience is key, friend.
They ended up all being WLs/Rs
Michigan no longer does app review to save the OP some time
Bummer. Should i just ask every school that rejected me unless they explicitly say they don’t provide advice?
 
They ended up all being WLs/Rs

Bummer. Should i just ask every school that rejected me unless they explicitly say they don’t provide advice?
Only the schools you interviewed at. Do not be surprised if the answer is not very concrete though as most will not provide specific advice.
 
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