Any weird acceptance/rejection combos out there?

[elias514]

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Having completed the application cycle for the entering class of 2004, I can't help but think that the admissions process is freakin random. I've been flat out rejected by a couple of schools where I thought I would definitely get an interview; I got an interview where I thought there wasn't a chance in hell; and I was accepted to a top ten school. The process doesn't make any sense. Are there any weird acceptance/rejection combos out there?

 

[Kashue]

Originally posted by elias514
Having completed the application cycle for the entering class of 2004, I can't help but think that the admissions process is freakin random. I've been flat out rejected by a couple of schools where I thought I would definitely get an interview; I got an interview where I thought there wasn't a chance in hell; and I was accepted to a top ten school. The process doesn't make any sense. Are there any weird acceptance/rejection combos out there?

Me:

Accepted to a handful of schools (ie. Case Western, Stony brook, ...)
Rejected post-interview at Drexel.

 

[skypilot]

Accepted Jefferson rejected Temple.

Go figure that one out.

 

[MNgrrl]

Doesn't quite fit because it's not an acceptance but...

On-site interview at Mayo
Rejection from Finch

 

[mlw03]

in a similar spirit to this post:

interviews at WashU, Yale, UMich, and Pitt
no interview from Miami (i'm a Fl resident)

i'm w/elias - this is friggin' random.

Originally posted by MNgrrl
Doesn't quite fit because it's not an acceptance but...

On-site interview at Mayo
Rejection from Finch

 

[snowbear]

Originally posted by Chrisobean
its not random people... you guys are ridiculous.

if you are worthy of getting interviews at WashU and Yale and Case and others... im sure your state school and/or "lower" tier school will realize this right away. they are not blind to see that they are most likely a backup and they can pretty much guarantee you wont attend there over one of the "better" schools.. so they figure why waste an interview/acceptance on you?

I am not so sure about this theory anymore--well at least as it applies to the UC hierarchy. Everyone told me that I wasn't getting interviews at Irvine, Davis, SD, because they knew I would get into UCLA and UCSF (i interviewed at both schools). So far I have been rejected from SF and I am waiting on UCLA, but it may very well be the case that I will get no love from any of the UCs. That kinda pisses me off 🙁 I am not too fond of SD, but I would have loved interviews at Davis and Irvine because I think my chances of getting in would have been stronger then at UCSF. However, in a weird kind of way, it feels kinda good to say that I have been rejected from Davis, SD, and SF and that I am on hold for an interview at Irvine; for so long, whenever I talked about how I wished I would get into one of the UCs, my friends would get so upset with me for saying that and they would say that I was being rediculous and that I would of course get into the UCs--they acted as if I was just looking to stroke my ego. But I wasn't--I had legitimate concerns and I have the rejections to prove it!

Minimizing my debt is important to me (maybe too important), and it would have been nice to have the choice of attending one of my FIVE state medical schools (Although Arnold is making choosing USC easier, which is awesome because I LOVED USC). In fact, I got significantly more love from out of state schools with low out of state acceptance rates, than my own state schools. In the immortal words of the Black Eyed Peas, "It's got me wonderin', where is the love?"

Well I am done with my the-UCs-suck-for-not-showing-me-any-love rant. Thank you for your patience.

 

[MNgrrl]

Originally posted by Chrisobean
but i made that comment in regards to the "i got accepted to harvard/hopkins/washu and rejected from "insert crappy med school here" people...

I'm sorry, but I still disagree with your reasoning. I think the majority of us feel very lucky to get the interviews we have because we could have just as easily gotten rejected there too. For example, I have an application that is OK - ie. 30 MCAT, 3.4 GPA. I have other good parts of my application, but looking at my numbers alone, they aren't enought to get me an interview at a school like Mayo, nor should they be too high to get me a rejection from "insert crappy med school here..."

I think the process is random because obviously someone at Mayo liked what they saw elsewhere in my application rather than breezing over it upon the sight of a mere 3.4 GPA. Likewise, someone at the schools I have received rejections from did not have the same interest in my application whether it is because they were in a bad mood, they weren't interested in what I wrote about, or something else. Also, I think many schools, particularly state schools avoid this because they know people can easily justify turning down a school like Hopkins to get in-state tuition at a cheaper school (given the choice, I would take less prestige over massive debt any day of the week!)

I don't disagree that people with higher numbers will inevidably get more interviews from top schools, but nearly everyone will get a rejection from a school they thought they had a better chance at simply because their reviewer made a subjective decision on their application.

 

[rebeclette]

I have to agree with Crisobean. I feel that some schools know that you may not be interested and therefore won't interview/accept you.

Personally I was accepted at Jefferson, and waitlisted at Temple. And a lot of people might consider Jefferson to have a little more clout than Temple. But after I wrote a letter to temple saying why I liked there program and wanted to go there, the accepted me.

So I feel like if you are interested in places that maybe you think you should have an easy time getting in, you should make sure that they see your real interest, so they won't just write you off as putting them as a backup.

 

[dsblaha]

While the process may seem to be random I believe the commitees put a lot of time in trying to find people who will fit in well at the school.

For those of us with good numbers it seems unfair. I have good numbers but no love (35 MCAT 3.9GPA). 3 rejections, 3 interviews and alot of waiting, no acceptances yet. There is more to being a great doctor than being a nerd.

 

[josehernandez94]

Accepted to Rochester, Wake Forest, U-Vermont (out-of-state). Interviewed at Tulane, Jefferson, UNC, U-Conn (out-of-state)--withdrew from the first 3, haven't heard from UConn yet.

Rejected at BU, haven't heard anything from Tufts.

 

[BigRedPingpong]

Rejected by Rochester, accepted first round by NYU.

Weird, I though rochester would at least give me a shot at an interview.

 

[JohnHolmes]

Accepted to Wash U; Rejected by VCU--I am a Va resident.

Coops

 

[OldLady]

I heard BU has a major complex about being a safety school in Mass. If you applied to Harvard or even Tufts, they take your $100 and reject you pre-interview.

 

[Eraserhead]

Originally posted by OldLady
I heard BU has a major complex about being a safety school in Mass. If you applied to Harvard or even Tufts, they take your $100 and reject you pre-interview.

Weird, I applied to all three and got an interview at BU but not Harvard or Tufts.

 

[Spitting Camel]

Originally posted by OldLady
I heard BU has a major complex about being a safety school in Mass. If you applied to Harvard or even Tufts, they take your $100 and reject you pre-interview.

How would they know where you applied until after May 15th?

 

[oasis786]

Originally posted by AlreadyInDebt
How would they know where you applied until after May 15th?

Lists all your schools right at the end of the AMCAS.

...at least, so I thought...

 

[OldLady]

dunno if it's true or not, but my pre-med advisor (who used to work in the ADCOM at Pritzker) said all the deans know each other and talk off the record. Of course if this going on it sucks, but how would AAMC actually police it? I think if BU interprets you as someone who will likely get in elsewhere and go, they don't bother with you....after they collect the C-note. That's what happened to me....They also get a TON of applications so it could be random but I have heard several negative "BU has a safety school complex" comments on the interview circuit.

 

[Ragzpie]

Originally posted by OldLady
dunno if it's true or not, but my pre-med advisor (who used to work in the ADCOM at Pritzker) said all the deans know each other and talk off the record. Of course if this going on it sucks, but how would AAMC actually police it? I think if BU interprets you as someone who will likely get in elsewhere and go, they don't bother with you....after they collect the C-note. That's what happened to me....They also get a TON of applications so it could be random but I have heard several negative "BU has a safety school complex" comments on the interview circuit.

I think it's funny to think of a bunch of deans maybe standing around at a cocktail party saying "So, what do you think of this Mythili character?" They look at so many applications, I wonder what would make them discuss a particular applicant.

 

[getcloned]

I would seriously hope that the deans have something better to talk about than us at a cocktail party. 😀

 

[themann]

I doubt admissions officers actually have anything more exciting to talk about than us.

 

[CalBeE]

I was so disappointed with my two waitlists at Pritzker and Northwestern. I really wanna goto Chicago, just to get a different experience for 4 years (Even though people repeatedly warn me of how cold and windy the city is).

Right now, I'll returning to my undergrad school for med school (UCLA), which is a great school, but I'll choose a Chicago school for a change in environment.

 

[Auricae]

Chicago may be cold and windy, but I'm still absolutely in love with it after four years. You will have a great experience here if you like the city life and don't mind the cold.

I hope you get off the waitlist at NU/Pritzker!

 

[celticmists18]

UCSD: rejected post-secondary
UCD: rejected PRE-secondary
also,
Jefferson: accepted
Temple: wait-listed post-interview
Drexel: wait-listed post-interview

I completely agree that the admissions process seems totally without rhyme or reason!

 

[missbonnie]

i applied to 17 schools - 5 state schools and the rest private. Only got into 1 state school and Columbia. go figure. rejected pre interview almost everywhere else.

 

[ZekeMD]

Accepted: Rochester, Stony Brook, SLU, and Upstate

Waitlisted: Buffalo, Penn State

Rejected: Michigan State

????

 

[closertofine]

Rejected pre-secondary: U of Miami
Accepted: Wash U and Baylor

I'm thinking that maybe this has a lot to do with the fact that I was applying from out-of-state at Miami...maybe the same goes for UCSF, where I was also rejected...or maybe they just didn't like me 😕

 

[mellantro]

Originally posted by karen44
Rejected pre-secondary: U of Miami
Accepted: Wash U and Baylor

I'm thinking that maybe this has a lot to do with the fact that I was applying from out-of-state at Miami...maybe the same goes for UCSF, where I was also rejected...or maybe they just didn't like me 😕

I think some SDNers were accepted out of state at Miami, but IIRC, your numbers are really high so they probably thought you wouldn't go there. As for UCSF, that school is insanely tough to get into, as I'm sure you know, they really have no rhyme or reason as to who they cut out of state. you just have to be completely on point to get in there. But congrats on you acceptances, Wash U and Baylor are great schools.

 

[closertofine]

Thanks, that makes me feel a little better...U of Miami was right if they thought I wouldn't end up going there if I got in...although I do wish the UCSF adcom had leaned more in my favor. It's all right, though, I'm happy with my acceptances...🙂

 

[RoccoWJ]

ON THE AMCAS IT SAYS THAT SCHOOLS DO NOT SEE THE LIST OF SCHOOLS THAT YOU APPLYED TO.



Rocco

 

[CalBeE]

I remember seeing a MDApplicant profile where the person is an international student, applied to a fair number of schools, and only interviewed at 3, and got into 2 of them--Tulane and Columbia. Obviously he picked Columbia.

What a lucky guy 😉

 

[DrNE1]

Originally posted by dsblaha
While the process may seem to be random I believe the commitees put a lot of time in trying to find people who will fit in well at the school.

This is the essence of the admissions process that makes it random. I agree. In addition to finding smoeone who is a good candidate (ethical, etc), and someone who can do the work, the schools want to find someone who fits the goals, profile and attitude of the school. Whether that is in academic medicine or primary care in Appalachia, Med school is one giant rush process.

Residency is even more so

 

[TheRussian]

Originally posted by OldLady
I heard BU has a major complex about being a safety school in Mass. If you applied to Harvard or even Tufts, they take your $100 and reject you pre-interview.

I got an interview at both BU and Tufts so I don't know about that theory, though I was rejected from BU after months of waiting. Haven't heard back from tufts yet

 

[pekq]

Originally posted by missbonnie
i applied to 17 schools - 5 state schools and the rest private. Only got into 1 state school and Columbia. go figure. rejected pre interview almost everywhere else.

I am in a similar situtation with the 1 top school and 1 state school acceptance and rejections everywhere else. It mirrors my undergrad acceptance results. It's rather frustrating to see my med school results mirror my undergrad results. Not having choices really sucks.

I am starting to think it's destiny/fate making sure I follow some path.