2008-2009 Mount Sinai Secondary Application Thread

[Demas567]

According to USNews, they accepted 379 people last year, which would include those taken from the waitlist. So they probably issue about 300 initial acceptances (judging by what LoveBeatles was told), and the rest come from the WL.

I asked at my interview how much WL movement they generally have. Jessica said that last year was unusually slow--only 25 came off the WL. But she said in a more typical year they can get 50 to 100 people.

Mount Sinai needs to give out 379 acceptance offers to fill a class size of 140? That's almost 3X as many offers as there are seats!

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[student1799]

Mount Sinai needs to give out 379 acceptance offers to fill a class size of 140? That's almost 3X as many offers as there are seats!

That's not really surprising, considering that many applicants accepeted to MSSM have probably also been accepted to other prestigious schools like NYU, Columbia, etc. When there's overlap, an acceptee can only choose one school, so the others lose out.

MSSM's ratio of about 2.6 offers per seat is very typical for a school of its caliber. Lower-tier schools are even higher; NYMC, for example, makes 3.4 offers per seat in their class.

 

[Demas567]

That's not really surprising, considering that many applicants accepeted to MSSM have probably also been accepted to other prestigious schools like NYU, Columbia, etc. When there's overlap, an acceptee can only choose one school, so the others lose out.

MSSM's ratio of about 2.6 offers per seat is very typical for a school of its caliber. Lower-tier schools are even higher; NYMC, for example, makes 3.4 offers per seat in their class.

It's not Mount Sinai in particular but med schools in general. I am dying to get accepted into Mount Sinai yet over 63% of the people who get accepted here turn down their acceptance offers and go somewhere else. You're probably right though, the people who get accepted into Mount Sinai probably also get accepted into other schools like Columbia, Cornell, NYU, etc.

 

[speyburn]

Well, I hope that others turn down their acceptances. I'd 100% go to Mt. Sinai.

 

[dfarra]

Well, I hope that others turn down their acceptances. I'd 100% go to Mt. Sinai.

me too!

 

[Handy388]

see you guys in the summer!

 

[student1799]

It's not Mount Sinai in particular but med schools in general. I am dying to get accepted into Mount Sinai yet over 63% of the people who get accepted here turn down their acceptance offers and go somewhere else. You're probably right though, the people who get accepted into Mount Sinai probably also get accepted into other schools like Columbia, Cornell, NYU, etc.

Just looked up a few comparable schools: NYU makes 2.7 offers per seat, exactly the same as MSSM; Cornell makes 2.3, and Columbia 1.8. Even Johns Hopkins is at 2.4. Clearly, there must be a lot of overlap among the top med schools.

Med school admissions must be a very skewed distribution: most people get no acceptances at all, many get only one (often their state school), and a few get multiple acceptances. Even though the "multi" group is small, each is accepted at so many places that it creates a meaningful ripple effect at the other schools.

 

[Demas567]

Just looked up a few comparable schools: NYU makes 2.7 offers per seat, exactly the same as MSSM; Cornell makes 2.3, and Columbia 1.8. Even Johns Hopkins is at 2.4. Clearly, there must be a lot of overlap among the top med schools.

Med school admissions must be a very skewed distribution: most people get no acceptances at all, many get only one (often their state school), and a few get multiple acceptances. Even though the "multi" group is small, each is accepted at so many places that it creates a meaningful ripple effect at the other schools.

From my own experiences and also looking at SDN/MDApps, I kinda would think that it was the opposite. Most people get accepted into none, *very* few people get accepted into only one, and many people get accepted into multiple places. I don't think there are a lot of people walking around with only one acceptance. It seems like most people have either no offers or like 5-10. That's why schools have to give out 600 acceptances to fill a class size of 200.

 

[kidsbond]

good,i will collect more information

 

[flip26]

From my own experiences and also looking at SDN/MDApps, I kinda would think that it was the opposite. Most people get accepted into none, *very* few people get accepted into only one, and many people get accepted into multiple places. I don't think there are a lot of people walking around with only one acceptance. It seems like most people have either no offers or like 5-10. That's why schools have to give out 600 acceptances to fill a class size of 200.

It isn't hard to believe that most people get into none - that is obvious when the number of applicants exceeds 40k for 18k seats.

I think you are understating the number of people who get only one acceptance. There are some states where people apply to only their state school and maybe one or 2 others. These folks are vastly underrepresented on SDN and MDApps - they don't even know about this place.

I also think you are overstating the number who get multiple acceptances (5 to 10). That is actually a fairly rare occurrence.

AMCAS surely could provide some data to explain this.

 

[LoveBeatles]

see you guys in the summer!

when did you find out about the goodnews? when did you itnerview?

 

[Anotherface]

when did you find out about the goodnews? when did you itnerview?

The last batch of acceptances was sent out on February 11. Handy was accepted then along with me an several others. Good luck to all of you who are still waiting. MSSM is done interviewing and will surely send out their final batch soon.

 

[speyburn]

I interviewed on 2/12 and have been waiting since. Damnit.

 

[Handy388]

sending good thoughts for all of y'all

also, does anyone have some insider scoop of how they did on the match this year?

 

[LoveBeatles]

just got the email.

waitlisted


bummer.

 

[premed37]

Does anybody know how their waitlist works (statistics, etc.)? I just got waitlisted too, but I heard that a significant portion of their class is actually taken from the waitlist. Am I just bieng too hopeful? Any info/help/ideas? Thanks

-Would do anything to get in.

 

[ohmedschool]

Waitlisted and withdrawing. Good luck everybody!

 

[jmillski]

any declines out there?

 

[avs0913]

Do they notify people of rejections who have not been interviewed, or is it the silent treatment?

 

[davidlee4mvp]

2/12 interview here. have they sent out any acceptances today or just waitlists?

 

[zetandu]

Waitlisted too... Interviewed Feb 18th. GOD DAMN IT.

 

[useatoothbrush]

any acceptances? It seem all the waitlist emails may have been sent at once. This might not bode well for those who didn't get any emails.

 

[orangeMango]

Waitlisted too... Interviewed Feb 18th. GOD DAMN IT.

me too. "we are pleased to inform you that you have been placed on the alternate list.." why are they pleased..? haha... does the alternate list give us joy and pleasure?

 

[whichpath]

Waitlisted too. So the question is, is it good to be waitlisted quickly after interview ("Wow this guy/girl is good but we're saturated at the moment, let's put them high on that waitlist."), or bad ("Wow this guy/girl is bad, lets get them to that bottom of that waitlist pile, since we don't really reject). As far as chances, looks like:

800 Interviewed
379 total acceptances (waitlist and direct, based on USNEWS 2007 stats)
300 Initial offers (what we were all told)
= ~79 accepted off of waitlist (which confirms an older thread hearsay that the dean said that "half the class is accepted off the waitlist)
125 spots in class (US news says 140?)
-25 for md/phd and EA
100 md spots
100-79 = 21 accept initial offer (8% this sounds wrong)
------------

500 left in pool

40 to 100 spots offered from waitlist (based on discussion in this thread, although someone mentioned as low as 25 somewehre)
Worst case:
40/500 = 8% chance if all equally qualified

Best Case:
-50 rejected outright (just a guess based on the possibilities of rejections from wording from admissions secretary)
450 on waitlist
50% of these withdraw (MSSM is not their first choice, likes higher-ranked school or school closer to home, or cant stand to wait until the bitter end, very much an optimistic guess, compare to 8% of initial applicant pool)
100/225 = 44% if all equally qualified

So now it comes down to where you are on the list. Did anyone else get "I will recommend you very highly"? Obviously not high enough.

WP

 

[jarmen]

Waitlisted too. So the question is, is it good to be waitlisted quickly after interview ("Wow this guy/girl is good but we're saturated at the moment, let's put them high on that waitlist."), or bad ("Wow this guy/girl is bad, lets get them to that bottom of that waitlist pile, since we don't really reject). As far as chances, looks like:

800 Interviewed
379 total acceptances (waitlist and direct, based on USNEWS 2007 stats)
300 Initial offers (what we were all told)
= ~79 accepted off of waitlist (which confirms an older thread hearsay that the dean said that "half the class is accepted off the waitlist)
125 spots in class (US news says 140?)
-25 for md/phd and EA
100 md spots
100-79 = 21 accept initial offer (8% this sounds wrong)
------------

500 left in pool

40 to 100 spots offered from waitlist (based on discussion in this thread, although someone mentioned as low as 25 somewehre)
Worst case:
40/500 = 8% chance if all equally qualified

Best Case:
-50 rejected outright (just a guess based on the possibilities of rejections from wording from admissions secretary)
450 on waitlist
50% of these withdraw (MSSM is not their first choice, likes higher-ranked school or school closer to home, or cant stand to wait until the bitter end, very much an optimistic guess, compare to 8% of initial applicant pool)
100/225 = 44% if all equally qualified

So now it comes down to where you are on the list. Did anyone else get "I will recommend you very highly"? Obviously not high enough.

WP

actually when i spoke to them they claimed 300 acceptances total, that includes from the waitlist, something around 200 are accepted directly. that means around 500 are on waitlist (prob about 100 rejected). the class is 140 but 14 are phd/md and 26 are from humanities and medicine so only 100 from reg process. last year only 25 were accepted from waitlist (meaning 575 got ****) but they sed that was unusally low and normally its been around 50 and as high as 100. sadly last years numbers are prob the best indicators for this years... so id say its prolly gonna be around 25 again this year...

 

[MDBBLk]

Waitlisted too. So the question is, is it good to be waitlisted quickly after interview ("Wow this guy/girl is good but we're saturated at the moment, let's put them high on that waitlist."), or bad ("Wow this guy/girl is bad, lets get them to that bottom of that waitlist pile, since we don't really reject). As far as chances, looks like:

800 Interviewed
379 total acceptances (waitlist and direct, based on USNEWS 2007 stats)
300 Initial offers (what we were all told)
= ~79 accepted off of waitlist (which confirms an older thread hearsay that the dean said that "half the class is accepted off the waitlist)
125 spots in class (US news says 140?)
-25 for md/phd and EA
100 md spots
100-79 = 21 accept initial offer (8% this sounds wrong)
------------

500 left in pool

40 to 100 spots offered from waitlist (based on discussion in this thread, although someone mentioned as low as 25 somewehre)
Worst case:
40/500 = 8% chance if all equally qualified

Best Case:
-50 rejected outright (just a guess based on the possibilities of rejections from wording from admissions secretary)
450 on waitlist
50% of these withdraw (MSSM is not their first choice, likes higher-ranked school or school closer to home, or cant stand to wait until the bitter end, very much an optimistic guess, compare to 8% of initial applicant pool)
100/225 = 44% if all equally qualified

So now it comes down to where you are on the list. Did anyone else get "I will recommend you very highly"? Obviously not high enough.

WP

Who sent out the email was it from the Asst director for admissions?
Thats who I recvd the email from and why do we have to wait 2-3 wks for a mail to hold a spot?

I did not recv this statement "I will recommend you very highly"? which would be very nice

 

[MDBBLk]

This is what my email states, did everyone get this or something else?

We are pleased to inform you that you have been placed on the Alternate list for Mount Sinai School of Medicine’s class entering August 2009.

You will receive a formal letter in the mail (in two to three weeks) which will inform you how to officially respond to hold your spot on the waitlist. Attached you will find a PDF copy of our Annual Report which can give you more information about our school.

 

[chakuseki]

Got put on the Alternate List too. Hope it moves quick.

 

[whichpath]

actually when i spoke to them they claimed 300 acceptances total, that includes from the waitlist, .

They told us 300 initial offers, USNEWS site confirms this, msar confirms this (does it?, I don't have it at hand). But even if this is wrong then that means 379-200 = 179 acceptance offers off the waitlist in 2007 if you believe USNEWS, and there's no reason to believe the 25 last year will be the same this year. (You could probably get a rough value with mean/sqrt(years) to determine a 1sd year-to-year fluctuation. 50 +- 15? Not trying to be optimistic, just realistic.

And sorry for the confusion, that "I will recommend you" thing was during the interview not the email.

 

[DrQuack247]

They told us 300 initial offers, USNEWS site confirms this, msar confirms this (does it?, I don't have it at hand). But even if this is wrong then that means 379-200 = 179 acceptance offers off the waitlist in 2007 if you believe USNEWS, and there's no reason to believe the 25 last year will be the same this year. (You could probably get a rough value with mean/sqrt(years) to determine a 1sd year-to-year fluctuation. 50 +- 15? Not trying to be optimistic, just realistic.

And sorry for the confusion, that "I will recommend you" thing was during the interview not the email.

Yeah
My second interviewer gave me praise and said I interview well and was a a very competitive applicant, but I was waitlisted a few days after.

Whichpath: Was this interviewer a gastroenterologist? I had a really nice one that told me this fluffy stuff, so I obviously didn't put too much into it since he probably thought everyone was a stellar applicant.

Also from 2 years ago, I found a post that showed that there were people on the waitlist that got invited to the second look week at Mt Sinai on March 28. These applicants were at the top of the "unranked waitlist." The URM's also got invited to the second look week.
So hopefully I (and I suppose you guys....) get this email!!!!!

I'm sure people will post when they get this email.

 

[DrQuack247]

March 28, 2007 was a Wednesday fyi
So maybe this or next Wednesday

And the first confirmation post was after noon on this wednesday\

 

[DrQuack247]

Whichpath is the MAN!!!

 

[slowbutsteady]

They told us 300 initial offers, USNEWS site confirms this, msar confirms this (does it?, I don't have it at hand). But even if this is wrong then that means 379-200 = 179 acceptance offers off the waitlist in 2007 if you believe USNEWS, and there's no reason to believe the 25 last year will be the same this year. (You could probably get a rough value with mean/sqrt(years) to determine a 1sd year-to-year fluctuation. 50 +- 15? Not trying to be optimistic, just realistic.

And sorry for the confusion, that "I will recommend you" thing was during the interview not the email.

Not to burst your bubble, but there is no way MSSM, or ANY med school, will take 179 people off the waitlist.

They initially accept way over the number of spots they have and then give out spots to waitlisters after that -- a very slow, painful trickle. At MSSM, the only ones i remember seeing on SDN last cycle who were accepted off the waitlist were those specially invited to the Second Look. So if you are one of those, you have a good shot.

I was on 4 waitlists last year, including MSSM, and if you include the CAP at Georgetown as a waitlist. Of those 4, I only got in to Georgetown.

And many schools took ZERO off the waitlist and some ended up with an oversubscribed class (which will make them gun shy this year). Now the gun shyness may work to your "advantage" because they will fear over accepting and then will have to turn more to the waitlist.

 

[whichpath]

Not to burst your bubble, but there is no way MSSM, or ANY med school, will take 179 people off the waitlist.

Then you see my point. Jarman said that they offer 200 initial acceptances, and USNEWS says 379 offers were made total. So one of three possibilities arises:

1) Jarman is wrong (they really offered 300 initial)
2) USNEWS is wrong
3) Both are right and they really only offered 200 initial which means 179 off of the waitlist

I agree 179 is not right. So something is wrong. I tend to think Jarman is wrong because I remember them telling us 300 initial.

But whatever, the point is all indications seem to point to around 50 offers off the waitlist. Actually the calculation for the variance above was wrong, because I confused standard deviation and standard deviation of the mean. If you really wanted to get a rough estimate based on hearsay:

Assuming 100 is the most ever and 25 is the lowest ever, and they are equally probable:

Mean: 62.5
If 100 or 25 happen < 16% of the time: sd is 37.5
If 100 or 25 happen < 2.5% of the time: sd is 18.75 (more likely)

So my very rough calculation would be 62 +- 18 people. Which is consistent with so much of the hearsay I can't even begin to list it. I know its crazy to nitpick over the details like this, but just in case someone was thinking they only took 4 people, this is my best try at an estimate to keep you as informed as possible.

Actually no, I redid the calculation and it's only 1, you should all drop off the list and leave the spot for me .
WP

 

[jarmen]

Not to burst your bubble, but there is no way MSSM, or ANY med school, will take 179 people off the waitlist.

They initially accept way over the number of spots they have and then give out spots to waitlisters after that -- a very slow, painful trickle. At MSSM, the only ones i remember seeing on SDN last cycle who were accepted off the waitlist were those specially invited to the Second Look. So if you are one of those, you have a good shot.

I was on 4 waitlists last year, including MSSM, and if you include the CAP at Georgetown as a waitlist. Of those 4, I only got in to Georgetown.

And many schools took ZERO off the waitlist and some ended up with an oversubscribed class (which will make them gun shy this year). Now the gun shyness may work to your "advantage" because they will fear over accepting and then will have to turn more to the waitlist.

as to this argument of whether they take 200 or 300 initial, i was told 200 from jessica, and in all honesty it doesnt matter at all.

Secondly, would they really invite students who already sent a letter of intent? seems unnecessary. so id imagine, that they would only invite applicants on the waitlist to second look wknd if they havent sent a LOI, and thus many students who are very strong applicant but dont get an invite to the second look wknd may be bc they sent a LOI and may still be accepted. just seems reasonable.

EDIT: DrQuack already mentioned when they second look invite for waitlist students was sent out during previous years.

 

[useatoothbrush]

regarding if it's 200 or 300 initial, perhaps they're cutting back on acceptances and won't take more than say 300 in total (initial and off WL)

 

[dfarra]

Yeah
My second interviewer gave me praise and said I interview well and was a a very competitive applicant, but I was waitlisted a few days after.

Whichpath: Was this interviewer a gastroenterologist? I had a really nice one that told me this fluffy stuff, so I obviously didn't put too much into it since he probably thought everyone was a stellar applicant.

Also from 2 years ago, I found a post that showed that there were people on the waitlist that got invited to the second look week at Mt Sinai on March 28. These applicants were at the top of the "unranked waitlist." The URM's also got invited to the second look week.
So hopefully I (and I suppose you guys....) get this email!!!!!

I'm sure people will post when they get this email.

Hey, could you post the link to last year's thread, please?

 

[jarmen]

Hey, could you post the link to last year's thread, please?

btw talked to mt sinai and was told only waitlisted URMs are invited to second look, not reg applicants. so i hope that the previous posters comment about only those invited to second look being accepted is incorrect

 

[DrQuack247]

btw talked to mt sinai and was told only waitlisted URMs are invited to second look, not reg applicants. so i hope that the previous posters comment about only those invited to second look being accepted is incorrect

i dont think anyone said that......

being at the "top of the unranked waitlist" doesnt means ull get in either
but thats obvious

 

[jarmen]

At MSSM, the only ones i remember seeing on SDN last cycle who were accepted off the waitlist were those specially invited to the Second Look. So if you are one of those, you have a good shot.

i dont think anyone said that......

being at the "top of the unranked waitlist" doesnt means ull get in either
but thats obvious

slowbutsteady said on SDn only those invited to second look were accepted, i was just pointing out that only URMs are invited.

 

[slowbutsteady]

slowbutsteady said on SDn only those invited to second look were accepted, i was just pointing out that only URMs are invited.

My comment was based on my reading of SDN and is not "scientific." I recall a waitlister or 2 who were invited to Second Look later posting that they were accepted. (As a waitlister, I was watching the thread VERY closely, to which many of you can now relate.)

I don't recall other people posting a waitlist acceptance, but of course a few were (a number fewer than 25, subtracting the secondlookers who then got accepted.)

Any other 2008 cycle people remember differently?

 

[davidlee4mvp]

if anyone didn't hear on friday and is worried that they have a rejection letter in the mail, don't worry too much yet. i called admissions today and asked them that exact question. they said all decisions have been made and they are just sending them this week. if you haven't yet received an email, that does not necessarily mean you have been rejected. more of all three possibilities are being sent out over the course of this week. hope that puts your mind at ease if you're waiting like i am.

 

[chakuseki]

Hey, is this a ranked or unranked waitlist?

 

[student1799]

i they said all decisions have been made and they are just sending them this week.

All decisions on your interview group, or all decisions on everyone who has interviewed?

I interviewed on 3/12, a month after you. On the interview day, they said we would hear within 2 weeks, which would be by the end of this week. But I wasn't sure when they would make the actual decisions. A friend of mine who works at the school says the adcom meets weekly.

 

[LoveBeatles]

All decisions on your interview group, or all decisions on everyone who has interviewed?

I interviewed on 3/12, a month after you. On the interview day, they said we would hear within 2 weeks, which would be by the end of this week. But I wasn't sure when they would make the actual decisions. A friend of mine who works at the school says the adcom meets weekly.

i interviewed 3/11. I found out last Friday with the waitlist.

maybe it's by last name or something.. i'm in A-G group for last names

 

[student1799]

maybe it's by last name or something.. i'm in A-G group for last names

So am I. So there goes the alphabetical theory.

 

[DrQuack247]

slowbutsteady said on SDn only those invited to second look were accepted, i was just pointing out that only URMs are invited.

o my bad

i totally forgot i ignored slowbutsteady because he seemed like a ****** based on his other posts
not that there is anything wrong with that

 

[jarmen]

lol "not that theres anything wrong with that" so classic.

on a separate note, anyone know when classes/orientation starts for sinai?

 

[slowbutsteady]

o my bad

i totally forgot i ignored slowbutsteady because he seemed like a ****** based on his other posts
not that there is anything wrong with that

i'll take the hit, but it is so 1962 to use that word as a term of derision.

Just call me an @@hole.

(also, pardon me for trying to help you guys out by giving some 2008 cycle perspective.)

 

[DrQuack247]

i'll take the hit, but it is so 1962 to use that word as a term of derision.

Just call me an @@hole.

(also, pardon me for trying to help you guys out by giving some 2008 cycle perspective.)

you're an *******
we dont want it


Jk