3rd time reapplicant in 2018

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HopefulFutDoc2019

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Hi everyone,

This is my first time posting on SDN after lurking for many years for resources. As indicated in the title, I will be a 3rd time reapplicant in 2018. I applied once 3 years ago and the second time last year. First time I received 1 interview and the second time I had 3.

I am an ORM male and am SES disadvantaged (E01). The money issue forced me to live at home for college and commute 3 hours total each day for college (NYC private school). I do not plan on checking any disadvantage status and have not done so for the past two cycles since education wise, I was not disadvantaged.

First cycle:
MCAT:32-35 (2014) GPA:~3.65-3.75 sGPA: 3.9-4.0
Volunteer: Helped out at the local hospital near my home. Nothing noteworthy, mostly just helping the nurses and doctors out. Volunteers are restricted from doing a lot of things. I did help out with translating (non-medical) things. About 400-500 hours.
Shadowing: None
Research: None
Apps complete ~mid August
SUNY Downstate (interview)
Cornell
Mount Sinai
Columbia
SUNY Upstate
NYU
Albany
Stony Brook
Hofstra
Brown
Einstein
One or two additional schools I don't remember.

First cycle, I think I lacked the maturity and the experience (especially research) in order to secure an acceptance. It took a while to land a paid research position and it might have been a bit too late for my second cycle. Before the paid research position, I had to work in my parents' mom-and-pop store in order to support myself.

Second cycle:
MCAT: 518 (131, 126, 132, 129) GPA:3.7 sGPA: 3.9-4.0
Volunteer: Nothing new before submitting application. Tutoring underserved HS students mid cycle. ~60 hours.
Shadowing: ~100-200
Research: Translational research started after submitting application (July 2016). Full time job
App completed: Early August (was starting my new job so I didn't have a lot of time)
Personal statement wasn't changed too much since I did not have any significant experience between the two cycles.
Downstate
Cornell
Mount Sinai
Columbia
Upstate (interview)
NYU
Albany
Stony
Hofstra (interview)
Brown
Drexel (interview)
Penn State
UPenn
NYMC
Tufts
Einstein
Yale
Harvard
Some other top schools as a crapshoot since I was hoping for this to be the last cycle.

I plan on waiting the current cycle out and applying next year. By this time next year, I will have additional non-clinical volunteer experience and extensive research experience (~5000+).

I currently work as a research tech doing translational research at one of the top schools in Manhattan (don't want to specify). From my research experience, I currently have one methods publication first author (2017). Expecting two research publications as middle authors by the end of this year. One small project which will probably be co-first author before application opens. Working on one big project which will likely be first author but will not likely be completed before the application cycle or even by the end of it.

For volunteering, I work at a senior center once a week serving lunch to the elderly. With the issue of income and the MCAT off my mind, it gives me the opportunity to give back to the community. I also plan on continuing to tutor underserved high school students once high school is back in session.

I plan on re-writing my personal statement from scratch with these new experiences. I also plan on getting new LORs from people at work. Perhaps one of my LORs sunk my application.

Looking for suggestions on how I can further improve my 3rd and final app cycle. I also hope someone can give me a good list of schools to look into so I can pre-write my secondaries.

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Add DO, you are burning years of attending salary by not widening the net
 
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and why are you waiting another year? what does that gain you?
I'm hoping to complete some projects which I can't do if I'm applying right now. Also hoping to getting my independent project started and gather preliminary data.

I also think it's probably better career wise if I can make some more connections during my time working. Research gives me a lot of opportunity to connect with other PIs and physicians.
 
I'm hoping to complete some projects which I can't do if I'm applying right now. Also hoping to getting my independent project started and gather preliminary data.

I also think it's probably better career wise if I can make some more connections during my time working. Research gives me a lot of opportunity to connect with other PIs and physicians.
I'm just pointing out that your approach so far has (assuming you sit this year out) cost you more than $600k in salary. Nothing builds connections with physicians like actually being a physician.

But you do you. I hope it works out well
 
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I'm wondering why after two cycles you continued to focus on NY-area schools only and a lot of those are upper-tier schools. First time reapplicants should not be throwing in T10 schools to widen the net, they should be striking out around the country and focusing on low to mid-tier institutions. Your stats aren't the problem and you appear to have the clinical experience.

I'm betting your lack of serious improvement between cycles one and two sealed your fate, combined with a poor school list and a barely rewritten PS. That's a slap in the face for adcoms - why should they put in the effort when you won't? Even when sb247 suggested DO, the first thing that popped into your mind was NYCOM. Do you want to get into med school or do you want to stay in NY?
 
I'm wondering why after two cycles you continued to focus on NY-area schools only and a lot of those are upper-tier schools. First time reapplicants should not be throwing in T10 schools to widen the net, they should be striking out around the country and focusing on low to mid-tier institutions. Your stats aren't the problem and you appear to have the clinical experience.

I'm betting your lack of serious improvement between cycles one and two sealed your fate, combined with a poor school list and a barely rewritten PS. That's a slap in the face for adcoms - why should they put in the effort when you won't? Even when sb247 suggested DO, the first thing that popped into your mind was NYCOM. Do you want to get into med school or do you want to stay in NY?

I think the lack of improvement is also one of the reasons which is why I plan on remedying that in the future.

If given the choice between two schools of equal caliber, I would choose the one closer to home. NYCOM is the one I'm most familiar with and I offered it as an example that I am open to DO. I have my own personal reasons for wishing to stay in NY but I am open to schools all across the US. As for what those reasons are, I do not wish to state them on the forum.
 
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Would recommend throwing out all the top 10-15 schools on this list for sure, especially for the schools where you will be a 3rd time reapplicant (e.g. Sinai, Cornell, Columbia) because it seems like a waste of $$. Focus on solid mid-tier schools and DO schools. Try to widen your scope at least to the east coast (Since you had Harvard, Yale, and UPenn on your list, maybe try adding more MA and PA schools). At least apply much more broadly, even if at the end of the cycle you end up choosing a NY school because the alternative is that you don't get to be a doctor/have to do a 4th cycle.
 
I suggest applying broadly to at least 25 schools throughout the country and consider all these:
ALL 4 SUNY's (include Buffalo)
Boston University
Tufts
Vermont
Quinnipiac
Albany
NYMC
Hofstra
Einstein
Mount Sinai
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
Penn State
GW
Georgetown
Eastern Virginia
Virginia Commonwealth
Oakland Beaumont
Medical College Wisconsin
Rosalind Franklin
Loyola
St. Louis
Creighton
Tulane
Seton Hall ( when it opens)
Also apply to at least 6 DO schools and you have NYIT, Touro, PCOM and LECOM in your region.
 
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I suggest applying broadly to at least 25 schools throughout the country and consider all these:
ALL 4 SUNY's (include Buffalo)
Boston University
Tufts
Vermont
Quinnipiac
Albany
NYMC
Hofstra
Einstein
Mount Sinai
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
Penn State
GW
Georgetown
Eastern Virginia
Virginia Commonwealth
Oakland Beaumont
Medical College Wisconsin
Rosalind Franklin
Loyola
St. Louis
Creighton
Tulane
Seton Hall ( when it opens)
Also apply to at least 6 DO schools and you have NYIT, Touro, PCOM and LECOM in your region.

Thanks! Very much appreciated and I will give the ones I never applied before a thorough look. Einstein will be off due to their two app limit. I plan on throwing in NYU and Cornell since one is where I work and the other is my alma mater.

Should I consider any other high reaches or would that be throwing money down the drain? I really like to consider some California schools and wouldn't mind living there for 4 years. The weather sure beats NYC.
 
Thanks! Very much appreciated and I will give the ones I never applied before a thorough look. Einstein will be off due to their two app limit. I plan on throwing in NYU and Cornell since one is where I work and the other is my alma mater.

Should I consider any other high reaches or would that be throwing money down the drain? I really like to consider some California schools and wouldn't mind living there for 4 years. The weather sure beats NYC.

Limit the number of high reaches that you apply to focus on schools where you are more likely to get an interview invite, unless you are rolling in $$$ and time to write secondaries. Especially focus on schools where you are applying for the first time and where you got an interview in the past. Would not recommend reapplying to too many schools where you are a 3rd time applicant because they passed you over the first two times, so you'd be better off concentrating on schools that are seeing your app for the first time, and applying to several DO schools instead to maximize your chances of landing an acceptance somewhere.

I thought you limited yourself to east coast or NY schools because of personal circumstances? If that's a non-issue, consider adding CA schools (though the UCs are very competitive).

@Faha has suggested a great list.
 
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Limit the number of high reaches that you apply to focus on schools where you are more likely to get an interview invite, unless you are rolling in $$$ and time to write secondaries. Especially focus on schools where you are applying for the first time and where you got an interview in the past. Would not recommend reapplying to too many schools where you are a 3rd time applicant because they passed you over the first two times, so you'd be better off concentrating on schools that are seeing your app for the first time, and applying to several DO schools instead to maximize your chances of landing an acceptance somewhere.

I thought you limited yourself to east coast or NY schools because of personal circumstances? If that's a non-issue, consider adding CA schools (though the UCs are very competitive).

@Faha has suggested a great list.
Thanks!

I think one year time is enough for me to finish writing for about 30 schools. I'm fortunate enough to have my loans paid off and a job that pays well at the moment. I am not as restricted as before so I can apply more broadly now, but still better to stay closer to home. With that said, what is your opinion on UVA, JHU, Emory, USC, and Mayo? After working in research for some time now, I really wish to attend a school with an emphasis on it. Of course I will take what I can get though.

As for DO schools, do you think it is wise to wait until maybe around October or November before submitting them. Perhaps I can wait and see if I can land some acceptances so I do not need to apply to them.
 
Thanks!

I think one year time is enough for me to finish writing for about 30 schools. I'm fortunate enough to have my loans paid off and a job that pays well at the moment. I am not as restricted as before so I can apply more broadly now, but still better to stay closer to home. With that said, what is your opinion on UVA, JHU, Emory, USC, and Mayo? After working in research for some time now, I really wish to attend a school with an emphasis on it. Of course I will take what I can get though.

As for DO schools, do you think it is wise to wait until maybe around October or November before submitting them. Perhaps I can wait and see if I can land some acceptances so I do not need to apply to them.
No. You keep acting like lebron going free agent when you are three years out of college and never been drafted. Have your app submitted day one to all of them, turn your secondaries around in less than a week.
 
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Thanks!

I think one year time is enough for me to finish writing for about 30 schools. I'm fortunate enough to have my loans paid off and a job that pays well at the moment. I am not as restricted as before so I can apply more broadly now, but still better to stay closer to home. With that said, what is your opinion on UVA, JHU, Emory, USC, and Mayo? After working in research for some time now, I really wish to attend a school with an emphasis on it. Of course I will take what I can get though.

As for DO schools, do you think it is wise to wait until maybe around October or November before submitting them. Perhaps I can wait and see if I can land some acceptances so I do not need to apply to them.

Just mind you, this sucks, but the hierachy is CA to NYC to elsewhere. I wanted to stay in CA since I lived there for awhile, but ended up going to one of the big 4 in Manhattan. I am sure I displaced some NYC kids.

If I were you, I wouldn't have too much hope for the UCs.

However, if you have money to waste, I strongly recommend applying to top tiers. You never know, and knowing how much research you've done DO isn't a good fit.
 
I am surprised with your high stat that none of the 4 low-tier schools did not give you an acceptance. Downstate, Upstate and Hofstra don't require much research experience, maybe they think you are not serious about them, while top schools don't think you're competitive enough. Can it be your interview skill? Do you ask those 3 schools why they rejected you? Agree with others to widen your school list to include ones down south (Emory...).
 
Your lack of success suggests to me that your interview skills are lacking.

Listen very carefully to sb247 and Faha.

Hi everyone,

This is my first time posting on SDN after lurking for many years for resources. As indicated in the title, I will be a 3rd time reapplicant in 2018. I applied once 3 years ago and the second time last year. First time I received 1 interview and the second time I had 3.

I am an ORM male and am SES disadvantaged (E01). The money issue forced me to live at home for college and commute 3 hours total each day for college (NYC private school). I do not plan on checking any disadvantage status and have not done so for the past two cycles since education wise, I was not disadvantaged.

First cycle:
MCAT:32-35 (2014) GPA:~3.65-3.75 sGPA: 3.9-4.0
Volunteer: Helped out at the local hospital near my home. Nothing noteworthy, mostly just helping the nurses and doctors out. Volunteers are restricted from doing a lot of things. I did help out with translating (non-medical) things. About 400-500 hours.
Shadowing: None
Research: None
Apps complete ~mid August
SUNY Downstate (interview)
Cornell
Mount Sinai
Columbia
SUNY Upstate
NYU
Albany
Stony Brook
Hofstra
Brown
Einstein
One or two additional schools I don't remember.

First cycle, I think I lacked the maturity and the experience (especially research) in order to secure an acceptance. It took a while to land a paid research position and it might have been a bit too late for my second cycle. Before the paid research position, I had to work in my parents' mom-and-pop store in order to support myself.

Second cycle:
MCAT: 518 (131, 126, 132, 129) GPA:3.7 sGPA: 3.9-4.0
Volunteer: Nothing new before submitting application. Tutoring underserved HS students mid cycle. ~60 hours.
Shadowing: ~100-200
Research: Translational research started after submitting application (July 2016). Full time job
App completed: Early August (was starting my new job so I didn't have a lot of time)
Personal statement wasn't changed too much since I did not have any significant experience between the two cycles.
Downstate
Cornell
Mount Sinai
Columbia
Upstate (interview)
NYU
Albany
Stony
Hofstra (interview)
Brown
Drexel (interview)
Penn State
UPenn
NYMC
Tufts
Einstein
Yale
Harvard
Some other top schools as a crapshoot since I was hoping for this to be the last cycle.

I plan on waiting the current cycle out and applying next year. By this time next year, I will have additional non-clinical volunteer experience and extensive research experience (~5000+).

I currently work as a research tech doing translational research at one of the top schools in Manhattan (don't want to specify). From my research experience, I currently have one methods publication first author (2017). Expecting two research publications as middle authors by the end of this year. One small project which will probably be co-first author before application opens. Working on one big project which will likely be first author but will not likely be completed before the application cycle or even by the end of it.

For volunteering, I work at a senior center once a week serving lunch to the elderly. With the issue of income and the MCAT off my mind, it gives me the opportunity to give back to the community. I also plan on continuing to tutor underserved high school students once high school is back in session.

I plan on re-writing my personal statement from scratch with these new experiences. I also plan on getting new LORs from people at work. Perhaps one of my LORs sunk my application.

Looking for suggestions on how I can further improve my 3rd and final app cycle. I also hope someone can give me a good list of schools to look into so I can pre-write my secondaries.
 
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Something seems off. With your stats, you should have gotten a lot more interviews and more from higher tier schools. Your stats from your second cycle is practically Harvard caliber. Even when factoring in the weak ECs, I think you should have fared better. There may be something wrong with your LORs, your PS, or just how you generally come off as a person on your application and during your interviews.
 
Not to belabor the point, but widen the net. My first go 'round, I applied to 23 programs mainly because of the accessibility of career options for my spouse. The next year when I re-applied, I added 12 more programs that were lower ranking and/or in areas less conducive to her career.

If you don't explore EVERY option, then you are just wasting your money. Faha's list is where you should be focusing. If you really want to add another reach, consider Dartmouth. They are big on non-trads and you seem to fit.
 
Something seems off. With your stats, you should have gotten a lot more interviews and more from higher tier schools. Your stats from your second cycle is practically Harvard caliber. Even when factoring in the weak ECs, I think you should have fared better. There may be something wrong with your LORs, your PS, or just how you generally come off as a person on your application and during your interviews.

Yes, I would be more interested in discussing this further. OP, could you mention any potential red flags you could think of?
 
Third time applicant here that just got accepted. I also had interviews in my first and second cycle and felt that I needed to work on my maturity/interview skills. Have you tried practicing with friends in medical school? There are also books/professional help available for this.
 
Third time applicant here that just got accepted. I also had interviews in my first and second cycle and felt that I needed to work on my maturity/interview skills. Have you tried practicing with friends in medical school? There are also books/professional help available for this.

Mind sharing your stats? I'm applying for a 3rd time - almost wanting to not apply because I am not sure what I will do if I don't get accepted.
 
Mind sharing your stats? I'm applying for a 3rd time - almost wanting to not apply because I am not sure what I will do if I don't get accepted.

3.9 GPA, 38 MCAT, publication in my second application, many ECs
I think one of my greater difficulties was that I was international and it's mainly the top tier schools that are international friendly
I didn't have any mid tier schools to be considered at
Unless your GPA or MCAT are extremely low, I believe that there should be a school willing to accept you if you're a citizen
Message me if you would like to discuss specifics
 
I'm echoing Goro, on paper you have a great app, especially for your second go-around. I'm predicting one of three things; you have a negative LOR you don't know about, your PS is terrible, or your interviewing skills are lackluster. Most likely the second two, I'd brush up on those.
 
Did you submit already? (not sure of timeline) but echoing other people, you need to broaden your low and midteir schools (harvard, penn, yale will appreciate your donation though). did you have the PS readers edit your PS? seems like you didn't really have broad or meaningful clinical or research experience that you can put in a PS, so I suspect it could need improvement. since this is your third cycle, you need to go in very humble in regards to writing everything.

also I was a third time reapp and now im a third year medical student doing a research fellowship abroad so it can def work out! good luck
 
Not to beat this thread to death, but regardless of the issues with your school list, I'm really surprised you haven't been successful as of yet given your stats, which are borderline elite. Definitely take the time to review your essays and PS. Having three interviews and no acceptances clearly points to your interview issues as lacking.
 
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