2013-2014 Stanford University Application Thread

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
just got a rejection letter...so another round of those are on their way out too:/
Members don't see this ad.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
MrDoctorman said:
What does that mean? A lot of people turning them down or something?
Click to expand...

It really is bizarre...if they are still interviewing and accepting people then i guess those of us on the waitlist are doomed.
 
java64 said:
It really is bizarre...if they are still interviewing and accepting people then i guess those of us on the waitlist are doomed.
Click to expand...

I'm not too sure about that. I haven't heard of anyone getting accepted from my interview day (except for an MD/PhD). I think they might only be doing waitlist activity now but you never know and no one can be sure since they're not the most open about it. My point is: I don't think we can rule anything out yet. But I'm also trying to remain optimistic :)
 
dancer150 said:
I'm not too sure about that. I haven't heard of anyone getting accepted from my interview day (except for an MD/PhD). I think they might only be doing waitlist activity now but you never know and no one can be sure since they're not the most open about it. My point is: I don't think we can rule anything out yet. But I'm also trying to remain optimistic :)
Click to expand...
Was the person from 3/27 who reported getting a call from Dean Garcia MD/Phd?
 
I heard that there were a few apps that had not been reviewed so in fairness to those students, another interview was made. Waitlist movement will most likely occur after May 15, if it does at all.
 
They over enrolled their class last year. At my interview day, they made it pretty clear this was a huge headache.

To make up for it, they had several kids deffer enrollment so the incoming class accepted from this round is smaller.

They want to avoid last year, and matriculate an exact number. How do they get an exact number of matriculating students? They use the waitlist. Expect movement off the waitlist.
 
Last edited:
Finally got my pre-interview rejection letter. In all honesty, with my stats there was no way I ever thought I would get an interview here anyways, I'm just surprised it took them this long to send me a rejection.
 
eatprayloverun said:
Good luck to everyone interviewing tomorrow!!! Also, any information from Director Perez or Dean Garcia about when final decisions will be sent out and if there will be WL movement this year would be greatly appreciated :)
Click to expand...

I'm still waiting post-interview. I called them, and they said it's because they still haven't reached a decision yet on my app...
 
Does anyone have any updated information from the May 6th interview day?
 
Hi guys, I was at the May 6 interview. From what I remember, Dean Garcia said that they were very behind in their app review process this year and didn't finish reviewing all apps until end of April (they had hoped to be done at end of Feb), which is why they created this May 6 interview date. With this May 6 interview date, they were able to hit the number of interview invites they were planning to give out (450). Nothing was said about waitlist movement or when final decisions would be made. They told us that we'd hear back from them "on or after May 15" and that they would treat our interview date like any other and expect to accept the same percentage of applicants from our interview day in comparison to one earlier in the cycle.

So, assuming what Dean Garcia said is true, I surmise that this late interview date shouldn't be viewed as "all hope is lost" for those on the waitlist or those who haven't heard anything yet.

Hang in there guys. My takeaway from the madness that is the med school application process is that you should never ask "when should i expect to hear back", or any other questions that demand certainty, because there are so many variables at play that med schools can't control and their answer is probably going to be inaccurate 80% of the time. Better to just take things as it comes and save yourself the anxiety :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
Members don't see this ad :)
Thanks for the info, good luck! Pls keep us updated.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
So for those of us that still haven't heard pre-interview, it's pretty much game over then, right? I have to say I'm pretty disappointed in how Stanford has handled this admissions process (not that I had a chance in hell of getting in anyways).
 
7495108 said:
Hi guys, I was at the May 6 interview. From what I remember, Dean Garcia said that they were very behind in their app review process this year and didn't finish reviewing all apps until end of April (they had hoped to be done at end of Feb), which is why they created this May 6 interview date. With this May 6 interview date, they were able to hit the number of interview invites they were planning to give out (450). Nothing was said about waitlist movement or when final decisions would be made. They told us that we'd hear back from them "on or after May 15" and that they would treat our interview date like any other and expect to accept the same percentage of applicants from our interview day in comparison to one earlier in the cycle.

So, assuming what Dean Garcia said is true, I surmise that this late interview date shouldn't be viewed as "all hope is lost" for those on the waitlist or those who haven't heard anything yet.

Hang in there guys. My takeaway from the madness that is the med school application process is that you should never ask "when should i expect to hear back", or any other questions that demand certainty, because there are so many variables at play that med schools can't control and their answer is probably going to be inaccurate 80% of the time. Better to just take things as it comes and save yourself the anxiety :)
Click to expand...

Jeez....they think they can get away with murder just because "we're Stanford"
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
termitechips said:
Jeez....they think they can get away with murder just because "we're Stanford"
Click to expand...

Their rationale for notifying on/after May 15 is that they wouldn't want to notify us on May 14 and only give us one day to choose between Stanford and any other school we may already have an acceptance at.
 
termitechips said:
Jeez....they think they can get away with murder just because "we're Stanford"
Click to expand...

I think after 15th is better for applicants, since it will be like getting off a wait-list, so if you get in and want to go to Stanford, you can withdraw from the school you accepted before 15th. Otherwise, you have to choose between schools last minute.
 
star230 said:
I think after 15th is better for applicants, since it will be like getting off a wait-list, so if you get in and want to go to Stanford, you can withdraw from the school you accepted before 15th. Otherwise, you have to choose between schools last minute.
Click to expand...

I didn't think you have more than a few days to decide anyway if you get accepted post May 15th? It almost seems like Stanford's explanation is a euphemistic way of describing interviewing for a spot on the waitlist.

But either way, if there is waitlist movement I guess it'll be clear this week!


Posted using SDN Mobile
 
Is there any interest in creating a separate Stanford waitlist thread? I'll do the honors if people are interested in having a thread dedicated to it.


Posted using SDN Mobile
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
I would all be for a Stanford Wait list thread!

Anyone who is on the Wait list, when you sent letters of intent/update, did you send them to the mdadmissions email and then also to Jonathan Perez? I did it to both just in case, but I wanted to make sure I did it right in case I was supposed to send it elsewhere.
 
dancer150 said:
I would all be for a Stanford Wait list thread!

Anyone who is on the Wait list, when you sent letters of intent/update, did you send them to the mdadmissions email and then also to Jonathan Perez? I did it to both just in case, but I wanted to make sure I did it right in case I was supposed to send it elsewhere.
Click to expand...

I think mdadmissions and Perez are one :) but I think you're covered regardless!


Posted using SDN Mobile
 
crossing my fingers for everyone on the waitlist. withdrew my spot (after a long day of anguished decisionmaking) and hope it goes to someone here :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
Hi all, wondering if anyone sent in a pure "letter of interest" post-interview? Their website only says that updates are acceptable. For those of you who did send in updates, did you only write about things that you didn't mention during the interview?
 
Hi all I'm a prospective applicant.. I've heard that stanford heavily favors research applicants... Is that so? How much research do you think is necessary in order to be competitive at a school like stanford ? Thank you!
 
polyploidy516 said:
Hi all I'm a prospective applicant.. I've heard that stanford heavily favors research applicants... Is that so? How much research do you think is necessary in order to be competitive at a school like stanford ? Thank you!
Click to expand...

I think the word on the street is always that big, top-20 research institutions favor research applicants, but I don't think that's the cut and dry case. Yes, I applied to many top-20 schools and interviewed and I have always had research in my background, but one of my most significant experiences was a significant amount of clinic work. And that's what my interviewers focussed on.

I think what schools want when they look for interviewees, is an interesting story. Where the pieces of your application come together to give them a good idea of why you want to do medicine, and what you're interested in, and what makes you you really. That being said, research is important, I think, whether you love it or hate it, because then you know how much of a role you want it to play in the future.

But that's just my 2 cents :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
dancer150 said:
I think the word on the street is always that big, top-20 research institutions favor research applicants, but I don't think that's the cut and dry case. Yes, I applied to many top-20 schools and interviewed and I have always had research in my background, but one of my most significant experiences was a significant amount of clinic work. And that's what my interviewers focussed on.

I think what schools want when they look for interviewees, is an interesting story. Where the pieces of your application come together to give them a good idea of why you want to do medicine, and what you're interested in, and what makes you you really. That being said, research is important, I think, whether you love it or hate it, because then you know how much of a role you want it to play in the future.

But that's just my 2 cents :)
Click to expand...


I really appreciate your clarification and will definitely use this when applying. One further question that I have is do you think 1-1.5 years of research is adequate for a school like stanford? im curious because ive heard that stanford's medical education is essentially a graduate research degree as they are focused on innovation, etc?

thanks again!
 
polyploidy516 said:
Hi all I'm a prospective applicant.. I've heard that stanford heavily favors research applicants... Is that so? How much research do you think is necessary in order to be competitive at a school like stanford ? Thank you!
Click to expand...

I think its a good idea to look at every medical school's mission statement to get a sense of what they're about.

Here's Stanford's Mission Statement: "To be a premier research-intensive medical school that improves health through leadership, diversity, and a collaborative approach to discovery and innovation in patient care, education, and research."

Stanford is very focused on leadership in medicine and molding future providers who will go onto careers that involve changing medicine, not just serving as a clinician (though, this is of course still goal #1). I don't think you need to think about this purely from the lens of "basic science" research though. Stanford is also interested in people who will lead in clinical/epi research, health policy, health education, global health, public health, even the medical humanities (i.e. journalism, documentary film, etc.). There are an enormous amount of resources available at Stanford (both monetary $$$ and collaborative from being part of a vibrant campus with other top graduates programs in law, business, natural/social sciences, humanities, etc.) and they want to select students who will take advantage of those resources in interesting and innovative ways. If you just want to become a private practice physician who has limited involvement in affairs outside of day-to-day practice, Stanford probably isn't the right place for you.

Thus, to answer you question...I don't think Stanford looks for any sort of minimum research experience. They're just looking for people who have demonstrated (in whatever specific way) drive and ability to lead in medicine.
 
polyploidy516 said:
I really appreciate your clarification and will definitely use this when applying. One further question that I have is do you think 1-1.5 years of research is adequate for a school like stanford? im curious because ive heard that stanford's medical education is essentially a graduate research degree as they are focused on innovation, etc?

thanks again!
Click to expand...

I don't think you have to worry about the length of the research (especially if you were doing other valuable extracurriculars during other times). Like mdeast said, Stanford wants to have students who have the potential to be leaders in their fields. If you can talk about your research well in an interview or in your application and your passion for it can come out, then you'll be fine on that aspect. But if research is the one big, significant thing of your application, then that could be a slight issue because of the time you've been doing it. If you have other good ECs, then you're good
 
Has anyone from the May 6th interview date heard anything?
 
Declined acceptance to Stanford this week. Let it be known that chief among the reasons was how unbelievably disorganized, opaque, slow, and borderline-dishonest the application process was at this school. In essence, at Stanford, they tell you one thing (e.g. "you'll hear by such and such date") but do another entirely.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 3 users
haven't heard anything
 
Last edited:
termitechips said:
Declined acceptance to Stanford this week. Let it be known that chief among the reasons was how unbelievably disorganized, opaque, slow, and borderline-dishonest the application process was at this school. In essence, at Stanford, they tell you one thing (e.g. "you'll hear by such and such date") but do another entirely.
Click to expand...
Could be a first: Declining Stanford out of spite. Not sure Stanford will allow a withdrawal based solely on spite.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
termitechips said:
Not so much spite, as I'm worried about what it says about the school as a whole.
Click to expand...

An interview date in May just about sums it up really.

Could be a bunch of things though, like a new Dean and their over-enrollment (miscalculation?) from last year. And then there's the absurdly-low acceptance rate they want to maintain for their USNWR rankings. It also seems like they didn't want to go head-to-head against HMS for the same applicants (and lose).

Anyway, sounds like you have great options beyond Stanford.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
termitechips said:
Declined acceptance to Stanford this week. Let it be known that chief among the reasons was how unbelievably disorganized, opaque, slow, and borderline-dishonest the application process was at this school. In essence, at Stanford, they tell you one thing (e.g. "you'll hear by such and such date") but do another entirely.
Click to expand...

Hey I'm really sorry about the experience that you had with admissions. We had a new director this year who started in late August so things were a bit slower here than normal. As you can imagine, handling all of admissions requires a huge learning curve and there were definitely some bumps along the way that will hopefully be smoothed out in the future. I can also say that once you're admitted, there is relatively very little contact with the admissions office so I would not say that it reflects the school overall. Congrats on a great cycle btw!
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
solitarius said:
An interview date in May just about sums it up really.

Could be a bunch of things though, like a new Dean and their over-enrollment (miscalculation?) from last year. And then there's the absurdly-low acceptance rate they want to maintain for their USNWR rankings. It also seems like they didn't want to go head-to-head against HMS for the same applicants (and lose).

Anyway, sounds like you have great options beyond Stanford.
Click to expand...

I wonder if they know/care how offensive it is to applicants--many of whom have many other options--that they would have interview dates WEEKS AFTER the revisit event. How do they expect admits to make a choice if they don't get to revisit?
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
Got my waitlist letter in the mail dated 5/16. Interviewed in late march.
 
termitechips said:
I wonder if they know/care how offensive it is to applicants--many of whom have many other options--that they would have interview dates WEEKS AFTER the revisit event. How do they expect admits to make a choice if they don't get to revisit?
Click to expand...

By far, they are the most absurd admissions staff of the 2013-2014 application cycle. Hopefully, they'll correct their rookie mistakes next year, but the competition with HMS/JHU persists.
 
So, have any State school applicants gotten into Stanford?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Next unread thread

Similar threads

wysdoc
2022-2023 Stanford
11 12 13 14 15
Replies
706
Views
202K
123Coyg
1
wysdoc
2021-2022 Stanford
11 12 13 14 15
Replies
727
Views
244K
anonuser12345
A
TheDataKing
2020-2021 Stanford
33 34 35 36 37
Replies
2K
Views
578K
officefan123
O
PapaGuava
2019-2020 Stanford
23 24 25 26 27
Replies
1K
Views
391K
SchrodingersMountainLion
S
PapaGuava
  • Locked
  • Sticky
Looking for Previous Years Threads?
Replies
0
Views
18K
PapaGuava
PapaGuava
Top