Adcoms: How do you read applications?

[wontonsoup]

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What order do you personally look at stats/essays/LoRs/ECs/etc? Are you blinded to any information? Do you write reports? What goes into them? How many independent people read each app?

 

[Goro]

What order do you personally look at stats/essays/LoRs/ECs/etc? Are you blinded to any information? Do you write reports? What goes into them? How many independent people read each app?

At my school, we are not blinded. We have the entire file.

I look at the person's age, where they went to school, what their degree is in, what their major was, and then start with transcripts, stats, extracurriculars, letters of recommendation, secondary essays and lastly, personal statements.

We do not write reports, we only write a very short synopsis of what we think of the candidate after we interview them.

We rank the candidate on a scale of 0 to 10.

Our Dean is very big on having reasons to accept or reject someone. If we really don't like someone, we had better justify it. And those people sure tend to earn it.

 

[puahate]

with eyes

 

[On_The_Way_Up]

with eyes

I heard Adcoms also have eyes in the back of their heads. It’s how they get through so many applications.

 

[puahate]

I heard Adcoms also have eyes in the back of their heads. It’s how they get through so many applications.

The Sharingan is also employed as well

 

[DameJulie]

I look at the person's age, where they went to school, what their degree is in, what their major was, and then start with transcripts, stats, extracurriculars, letters of recommendation, secondary essays and lastly, personal statements.

I find it interesting that you chose to read PS last, after LORs and secondary applications. Is there a reason why you chose that?

 

[Goro]

I find it interesting that you chose to read PS last, after LORs and secondary applications. Is there a reason why you chose that?

They're all the same.

 

[solitarius]

Do they actually have faculty do the initial screen (before secondaries and II's are given)?

That sounds painful.

 

[stayathomemom]

I look at the person's age

Age is first thing. Oof.

 

[Cheenghee Koh]

Age is first thing. Oof.

You don't like that? Do you consider yourself too young or too old? I think it is totally fine to look at age first though. It is just a part of the basic demographic information. And of course, I also think that if an applicant has somewhat different age away from median/mean, perhaps I would also expect to see something different in their application? What is your concern?

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

You don't like that? Do you consider yourself too young or too old? I think it is totally fine to look at age first though. It is just a part of the basic demographic information. And of course, I also think that if an applicant has somewhat different age away from median/mean, perhaps I would also expect to see something different in their application? What is your concern?

Given the emoji she included and her other posts (iirc), she is older than the mean applicant (as am I, but I ain’t even worried about it).

 

[OrthoTraumaMD]

with eyes

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[Goro]

Age is first thing. Oof.

I look at ages first because I have a specific question for the youngest interviewees. It's a means of assessing their maturity. Generally, my cutoff will be <24.

Sadly, not all of these candidates rise to the challenge. Immaturity is a thing not erased by even four years of college.

And no, I'm not sharing.

 

[xsoppy]

If we really don't like someone, we had better justify it. And those people sure tend to earn it.

What are some examples of this?

 

[Lucca]

What are some examples of this?

Instead of shaking the dean’s hand when you arrive at the interview, you punch them in the face and begin yelling racial slurs.

 

[Goro]

What are some examples of this?

Interviewee was a babbling idiot.

Interviewee never once looked anyone int he eye.

Interviewee looked bored during interview; was only one not paying attention to other candidates.

 

[premedalt]

Instead of shaking the dean’s hand when you arrive at the interview, you punch them in the face and begin yelling racial slurs.

Parent: Make sure you make an impression so your interviewer remembers you

Applicant:

 

[stayathomemom]

You don't like that? Do you consider yourself too young or too old? I think it is totally fine to look at age first though. It is just a part of the basic demographic information. And of course, I also think that if an applicant has somewhat different age away from median/mean, perhaps I would also expect to see something different in their application? What is your concern?

I feel as though I'm on the cusp of a question like, "So do you really have a life-long passion for medicine, or are you having a midlife crisis?"

 

[DameJulie]

Just curious, what does our app (AMCAS/AACOMAS) look like on Adcom's end? Does it look like the "print view" on the application service? Or do you get a more spaced-out and detailed layout?

When I read my application in "print view", especially the Personal Statement looks like a big chunk of text.

 

[Slavic Scot]

I look at ages first because I have a specific question for the youngest interviewees. It's a means of assessing their maturity. Generally, my cutoff will be <24.

Sadly, not all of these candidates rise to the challenge. Immaturity is a thing not erased by even four years of college.

And no, I'm not sharing.

I know a doctor that was a resident at that age...

 

[Goro]

Just curious, what does our app (AMCAS/AACOMAS) look like on Adcom's end? Does it look like the "print view" on the application service? Or do you get a more spaced-out and detailed layout?

When I read my application in "print view", especially the Personal Statement looks like a big chunk of text.

The cover sheet for AACOMAS has your contact info, when you went to school, major, degree and GPAs year by year plus MCAT score(s).
Then comes PS, ECs, and LORs.

 

[Tobi222]

Its a big chunk of text. Each application is transmitted as nothing but plain text to each school. At each school, their software will render the text into PDF format. However, it will generally look like a big block a text

If that's the case, is it worth it to space it out into paragraphs like everyone else is saying? I wrote more than what the box can handle and I'm trying to reduce it but I feel like everything I wrote is so important. I'm wondering if I should just have it as a big chunk of writing if it's already going to come out as a big chunk of writing?

 

[Cheenghee Koh]

I feel as though I'm on the cusp of a question like, "So do you really have a life-long passion for medicine, or are you having a midlife crisis?"

haha, no worries. I am in the same boat with you. I believe there are many more applicants who are in/approaching their mid ages. I am one of them.

 

[EasyEveryoneWouldDoIt]

are re-applicants generally put in a lower priority? how are they viewed as?

 

[OneTwoThreeFour]

are re-applicants generally put in a lower priority? how are they viewed as?

For reapplicants I actually read the secondary question on "what have you done since previous application" first.
Then it's the usual-demographics (age, stats, city/state, family make-up), disadvantaged status + explanation, activities, PS, scan over secondary, committee letter.