Advice Needed

[ImmunoANT]

Hi all,
I just started checking out SDN yesterday and found out how much behind I am. So now am very insecure. This is where I stand.
GPA: 3.85 UCLA biochem major.
MCAT: 35M.
Research: 2 years undergrad, now in 2nd year of post-bacc training at NIH, full time. (so will have 4 years in total) have a couple 3rd author publications from undergrad but they are just being submitted.
MSTPs applying for: WashU, Baylor, Stanford, Penn, Pitts, Case Western, Cornell, UCLA, UCSD, UCI, UCSF (am still waiting for the secondary??!!), NW, U Michigan, Vanderbilt, Yale, Harvard (gotta try, uh?) and U Colorado.
Problems: my primary was put on hold because of some problems of my undergrad school sending my transcript to AMCAS. So my primary didn't get transmitted to all schools until Oct 10th Although I have been trying to be deligent about the secondary, for most of the schools mentioned above, my application wasn't completed until last week. And now, just received my frist rejection from Cornell/Rockefeller/SK MSTP (they don't even want to give me an interivew).

WHAT SHOULD I DO???
Any advice is welcome.
Plsu, (not having much hope) but what should I do and how should I behave for interview?

Thank you.

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[tofurious]

It sounds like that you're a rather competitive candidate based on numbers and experience (with one exception of that M, which some MSTP committees with heavy med school representation could be picky about). I am surprised that Cornell didn't want to grant you an interview, although some Ivy League schools are somewhat weird about west coast applicants. I wouldn't worry too much about it. Did you specifcy a research interest? Maybe what you were looking for just wasn't something Cornell could offer. Since your application was only completed recently, I would sit tight and be patient.

 

[ImmunoANT]

sorry, forgot to add fields of interest.

Immunology (as my user name implies), human genetics, cancer biology, cell and molecular bio, developmental bio, bioinformatics.

which is why it was very devastating for me to know Cornell rejected me. for god sake, Rockefeller has one of the top immunology program, and SK is for cancer!!!??

 

[Habari]

immunoant,
though i'm sure it isn't much comfort right now - i would just sit tight and wait; your interview invites will come. with the exception of cornell/rock [i think you may have missed the app deadline? they are stringent about that] all these schools interview into feb/early march. while you will see some people posting multiple acceptances early on, realize, as tofurious said in another thread, that those people can and will only choose 1 spot - and in the process hold up the spots of many schools.

your app looks competitive for every school in the country, given that you have good essays. most schools have decision dates in march or so - and you will probably be slated for the jan/feb interviews at many places. best of luck, i'm sure you'll be hearing from places shortly.

 

[noy]

You are not 'behind', just later in the process, as long as your secondaries are in. That's why a lot of schools dont do rolling - in case good candidates submit right up to the deadline...

You'll do fine, probably won't get most of your interviews till January/February, but that's just because you are later in the queue, not because of what type of candidate you are.

Just take it easy for now!

 

[ImmunoANT]

Noy,
Are you sure that for most schools that I am applying to there is no rolling admission? very surprised.

 

[noy]

Well, I can't speak for many of those schools but at least a few are non-rolling, and a bunch more 'modified' rolling - they can decide on you quickly if they love you, but will probably bring in 50%+ of their class towards the end - especially as seats open up off of waitlists. I imagine several of the people here on SDN will hold 5 or 6 seats, which will all open up to other candidates no earlier than March, April, or even May. Just because they can do rolling doesn't mean they decide on everyone right away.

 

[Mike2]

You are far better qualified than I was when I went up to bat 8 years ago, and I still got in somewhere and am now an M.D.-Ph.D. with 6 publications from graduate school. Didn't go to those impressive schools you mentioned, but am at an Ivy league school as an intern in the ABIM research pathway now (and it's even cooler because I didn't start here, so I'm really honored to be invited to "step up" for residency).

And about Cornell, it was the only school that didn't grant me an interview for residency, so I know that they are a bit screwy. It's not just you.

 

[ImmunoANT]

Thank you everyone for the encouragement and insightful advices. You all have been great! I have start receiving interviews now.