Anybody with no interviews yet and who had a decent application?

[DoctorWannaBe]

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I just received my 5th rejection today (3 presecondary, 2 pre-interview), and I'm starting to get depressed about my chances of getting in this year. I only have 7 more schools to hear from about interviews, and have only had one interview from my state school which interviews everyone. I don't have bad stats (3.9 GPA, 31 MCAT), I thought I had decent EC's and LOR's (not the strongest part of my app), so I can't figure out why I haven't had any interview invites from schools that screen before interviews. Is there anyone else out there who is in a similar situation, with nothing to show for all their hard work except a pile of rejection letters? Any advice for me this late in the application cycle?

 

[ixitixl]

Originally posted by DoctorWannaBe
I just received my 5th rejection today (3 presecondary, 2 pre-interview), and I'm starting to get depressed about my chances of getting in this year. I only have 7 more schools to hear from about interviews, and have only had one interview from my state school which interviews everyone. I don't have bad stats (3.9 GPA, 31 MCAT), I thought I had decent EC's and LOR's (not the strongest part of my app), so I can't figure out why I haven't had any interview invites from schools that screen before interviews. Is there anyone else out there who is in a similar situation, with nothing to show for all their hard work except a pile of rejection letters? Any advice for me this late in the application cycle?

I always hate bringing this up but wtf. What was your undergrad institution and which med schools did you apply to? PM me if you don't want to post it.

 

[Rendar5]

and how was your Personal Statement?

 

[ixitixl]

Originally posted by Rendar5
and how was your Personal Statement?

Yeah that's also really important. Did you have anyone else give you a second op on it before you submitted it?

 

[Rendar5]

also, worse comes to worse, you have to accept that there might be something wrong with your application (I really hope not), and you should call schools that rejected you pre-interview and see if they have a reason for rejecting you.

 

[DoctorWannaBe]

I thought my personal statement and secondary essays were pretty good, according to the feedback I got from several people. Most of the schools that rejected me are pretty competitive (UCSD, UCSF, Vandy, Northwestern, Rochester) so I guess I expected it, but it is still disheartening to get so many rejections with not an interview to balance it out. I guess I should have applied to more lower-ranked schools, as I might have a better chance of interviewing there. Hopefully some of the lower ranked schools will invite me soon. By the way, I attended University of Arizona as an undergrad.

 

[jlee9531]

well if your ecs and lors are not too strong...then that can be a big deal.

your gpa is high...maybe they were expecting a higher mcat score for that gpa you have...

and you know that i am just speculating right? 🙂

maybe personal statement wasnt as focused as it could have been on your drive for medicine?

i dunno...just random thoughts.

maybe you can call the schools that rejected you and ask what was weak about your app...so you can get some insight on the matter.

 

[jlee9531]

Originally posted by DoctorWannaBe
I thought my personal statement and secondary essays were pretty good, according to the feedback I got from several people. Most of the schools that rejected me are pretty competitive (UCSD, UCSF, Vandy, Northwestern, Rochester) so I guess I expected it, but it is still disheartening to get so many rejections with not an interview to balance it out. I guess I should have applied to more lower-ranked schools, as I might have a better chance of interviewing there. Hopefully some of the lower ranked schools will invite me soon. By the way, I attended University of Arizona as an undergrad.

well you just answered your own question....

all those schools are hella good and hella competitive...i mean many of us get those same rejections....

so just wait for the other schools you applied to....hopefully you have a good range of schools....

 

[callie13]

yeah, i was just about to ask if you applied late or something, but then i looked at your list of schools - you seem to have stats where you could be accepted to those, but with a few weaknesses in the app it could go either way... add in the fact that every school rejects tons of qualified applicants and you've got your answer....

i am hoping that your other schools were "easier" ones to get into.... keep your head up, there's still lots of time!

 

[ixitixl]

Originally posted by jlee9531
well you just answered your own question....

all those schools are hella good and hella competitive...i mean many of us get those same rejections....

so just wait for the other schools you applied to....hopefully you have a good range of schools....

Yeah. I know people will similar GPAs and 40+ MCAT scores from the Ivy league that don't get into those schools. I hope you have some less competitive schools to balance out otherwise things might be looking pretty bleak. Did you apply for your state school at least?

 

[DoctorWannaBe]

I guess I shouldn't feel so bad about the rejections so far, since they were all top schools. The remaining schools are all mid or lower ranked and my stats are above or at their averages, so hopefully I'll have more luck with them. I did apply kind of late (complete in October), so I probably shouldn't worry about getting no other invites yet. I did apply to my state school and already interviewed there, but I really wanted to go to a top school, and was hoping to get at least one interview there.

 

[jlee9531]

Originally posted by DoctorWannaBe
I guess I shouldn't feel so bad about the rejections so far, since they were all top schools. The remaining schools are all mid or lower ranked and my stats are above or at their averages, so hopefully I'll have more luck with them. I did apply kind of late (complete in October), so I probably shouldn't worry about getting no other invites yet. I did apply to my state school and already interviewed there, but I really wanted to go to a top school, and was hoping to get at least one interview there.

well we never know how much we will like or hate our school until we actually attend.....so just hang ur head up bro and just do well on the interviews that will come in the near future....

you are still a very competitive applicant and with numbers like yours along with the fact that your ps and etc.. are good....im sure you will have your opportunities to get in.

good luck dockev.

 

[KarateGirl]

You still have 7 schools to hear from. I wouldn't be despairing just yet.

I hate the endlessness of this process. It's a waiting game and very trying, even for the patient. Hang in there. 🙂

 

[ixitixl]

Yeah, and if you DO want to despair, you can join me; we can comiserate. Misery, afterall, appreciated company. (I haven't heard from 12 schools yet and most of them are already scheduling interviews in February.)

 

[SpiritiualDuck]

Hey, you should have, and maybe you did, apply to a range of schools from reach, to middle of the road, to schools that you exceed their numbers. Always apply to your state school too. It's not too late to toss in applications to a few schools that haven't stopped accepting applications...I think Temple and Drexel are still accepting applications, I have't looked lately. But you may find out that you are just fine.

 

[CalBeE]

It sounded like you're not a CA resident, so the UCSD and UCSF rejections are probably less surprising.

But I think people with similar stats as you do get interviews from Vandy, Northwestern, and Rochester. Since others do said that your personal statement is good, then the red flag is probably little clinical experience, a particularly bad letter of rec, or weak EC's. If you keep on getting pre-interview rejections, you may want to discuss with a pre-med advisor.

 

[DoctorWannaBe]

I'm not a CA resident, so I was expecting the UC rejections. I thought I'd at least be interviewed by Rochester. I bet my problem is with my EC's (only 1 year of clinical experience) or my LOR's (my science letters were from large lecture classes, but my pre-med advisor told me not to worry about them). I did apply to Temple and Drexel, as well as GWU, Jefferson, and other middle of the road schools.

 

[kiernin]

Hang in there. I'd guess you're in AZ? U of A medical school isn't bad... I'd definitely consider it if I still lived there.

My background is similar to yours. I went to ASU, graduated a few years back, 3.7 GPA, 32 MCAT. I've been rejected by 3 out of the 5 that have turned you down, too (didn't apply to Rochester). I'm wondering if maybe the fact that ASU isn't viewed as the best institution academically is hurting my chances at the more competitive schools. U of A has a better rep than ASU, so that'll work in your favor. I also think my lack of research experience means I may not get favorable consideration from top schools.

Anyway, I was complete in late Oct or Nov at Drexel and Temple, and I have gotten interview invites from both just within the past week, so I bet you'll be getting them soon! I wouldn't worry yet!

 

[exigente chica]

Never give up and good luck..

 

[sharsky]

hey doctorwannabe
i feel your pain....i've completed about 20 secondaries by early-mid november and no word yet...only one interview from hawaii...i'm getting really depressed too....i've only heard one postsecondary rejection which is from UC Davis. i'm tempted to ask them to tell me specifically what i lacked in my application. do you think this is appropriate or are they still really busy right now going through applications? i'm so worried because i feel it's getting late. do you guys know how far in the admissions process schools are?

 

[Spitting Camel]

CALL AND ASK!! This is your future here!! Remember that, ok?

 

[carrigallen]

no worries - the admissions season goes well into march for most schools, which means that many interviews are conducted in january and february.

At the same time, I would encourage you to call the schools to make sure your files are complete. -cough Jefferson Show your enthusiasm.

@DoctorW2b: No worries, your app is solid. What hurt you is:

1. All upper tier/tiny chance schools, no lower tier (it should be like a pyramid, with lots of low tiers, and a few highs). Certain schools accepts tons of applicants, like 4x their class size. but UCSF, vandy, etc are not one of them! You applied to schools with no "turnover" - almost everyone who gets accepted there keeps it, so they don't need to interview many people to start with.

2. Applying late.

Not too late yet though - like i say, give your remaining schools a call.

 

[bigbaubdi]

Doctorwannabe, I think the main problem is the fact that you are applying late. W/ your credentials, I am surprised that you were rejected so quickly from all of those schools. That said, there still are several months left in the interview season, so hopefully your interview invites will start rolling in!!

 

[DoctorWannaBe]

Hey guys,

Thanks for all your advice. I agree that I do have several factors working against me (applying late, applying to too many reach schools, average EC's and LOR's). I still have to hear from the middle-lower schools like Drexel, GWU, Jefferson, Temple, and my state school, so hopefully I still have a shot at getting in this year.

Carrigallen, you said that most schools interview through February, but I probably won't receive an invite until January because Christmas break is coming up. It doesn't seem like there would be any interview slots left by then or that I would have very short notice to make plane reservations. Am I correct in assuming this?

 

[thewebthsp]

See if you had a bad letter of rec. You might have

XXXX was in my chem class. He performed very well on exams and I gave him an A

Sincerely,

Dr. Professor

If so, that is bad. I might try and get a rec from a clinical person.

 

[KarateGirl]

I know it must vary by school, but how important is the LoR? I have a couple of strikes against me, too, but the secretary at my school's career development office mentioned to me that I was written a really impressive LoR by the premed committee. Could that be a big help in getting an interview invite at a top school, or is it just another factor like everything else?

 

[sharsky]

Yeah...how important are LORs...I have 5 in total and I'm confident two are good, one's prolly okay and not sure about the other two. Can those kill my application or as long as I have those 2 solid ones?

 

[jlee9531]

Originally posted by sharsky
Yeah...how important are LORs...I have 5 in total and I'm confident two are good, one's prolly okay and not sure about the other two. Can those kill my application or as long as I have those 2 solid ones?

i think they are pretty important...it is another thing that allows them to find out a little bit more about you as a person. if some of them are just whatevers...then its not impressive....

but having good ones are just priceless in my mind. im not an impressive applicant but what i do know is that i am confident that at least 4 of the 5 LORS i have are solid....and i think that is what is getting me the few opportunities I have in gaining some interviews.

 

[efex101]

lors are very important...they can make you or brake you.

 

[bigbaubdi]

Karategirl, the pre prof advisor at my school (JHU) has told me before that the committee letter is extremely important and that a really strong committee letter will help you tremendously in getting interviews/acceptances to top schools.