anyone else applying only to schools close to home??

[yancantcook]

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I wondering if anyone else is in the same boat as me. I'm currently a student at UPenn and I'm very close to my family which live a 1 hour away.

For medical school, I only applied to schools in NY, DC, PA, and two in boston.

Nothing out west like CA or even schools in chicago. My family in PA is the only family I have in this country and I don't see myself abandoning them for 4 years for medical school despite the many good schools out there.

Any other SDN's in the same situation as me?? Please let me know what you think about this.

Anyone think that I am limiting my options here?

 

[Supernova]

I am only apply to schools in CA since out of state is not an option for me

 

[RaistlinMajere]

I've blanketed the northeast, but ideally would stay in Boston.

 

[DualSuperLead]

Texas schools only for me. Its warm, cheap (really cheap), and close to home.

 

[leechy]

i applied to some schools far from home, but as time passes, i'm increasingly tempted to forego the schools far away. depending on who you are, it can be very important to be close to home.

 

[Tiki Tiki Tembo]

I applied to schools only in locations where I could bear to live.

Out of the 26 schools I chose, 25 were a back-up for 1 particular school.

I know how you feel, but it's important not to limit yourself or you might find yourself re-applying.

 

[yancantcook]

i have 15 schools on my list in dc, philly, nyc, and boston...

hopefully, i'll be able to get into ONE of them

 

[SanDiegoSOD]

Why do you feel like you will abandon them if you move out of the region? With modern communications being what they are, you can email, IM, or call anytime you like. Besides, a four hour drive from Philly to Boston is the same as a four hour flight from Texas to Boston, albeit a little more expensive. So really, IMO, living across the country is not that big a deal. It may be to you, I dont know, but its worth considering other options. Good luck 👍

 

[YzIa]

9 schools, 8 in the midwest (from mayo, WI, Chicago, IA, to St. Louis) and the furthest away being Case in Cleveland. I would say I limitted myself geographically.

 

[stoic]

I'm applying midwest only - Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, Oklahoma, Ohio (Ohio being the furthest away)

 

[NubianPrincess]

My schools are in NY, NJ, GA, NC, DC and PA. Nothing tooo tooo far away, and I am sticking to my coast 🙂

 

[ms2209]

Sounds like me! I'm only appling to schools in the Northeast, because I'm also really close to my family and I don't think I'd enjoy being too far away. The farthest schools I applied to are in Boston, so no worries!! 🙂

 

[yancantcook]

thanks for the responses guys! really helps to know that there are other applicants like me that like to be near home!

i see so many people applying all over the place on this forum. ppl from cali applying to schools in florida and ppl from PA applying to cali schools....etc

 

[freaker]

All of my schools are in an easy day's drive except Miami, Colorado, and Tulane. I'm in Tennessee. I guess I could make New Orleans in a day's drive, but it would be a long day. So I guess 9 are within a day's drive.

You really can't apply to all that many schools in the south if you're looking to stay close. Even the primary state school in my state is like 500 miles away from me.

 

[Pinkertinkle]

I wish I felt confident enough to apply to just Cali schools.

 

[rtmcad2319]

Im getting the hell-out-of the south!

 

[rtmcad2319]

Honestly it's nice having 3 state school that are cheap and "non super competitive."

 

[Violinrose]

That is like me when I applied during the 2003-2004 application cycle. I lived at home throughout college and really did not want to leave Cali for medical school although I knew it would be tough to get into one of the schools here. I applied out of state anyway and was overwhelmed when I went to the midwest for an interview. I felt so out of place!

Luckily, I got into a Cali school so I will only be living a little over an hour away. So if you want something bad enough, you can make it happen.

Good luck! 🙂

 

[kiahs]

Yup, I only applied to schools in Ill. and hope to get in somewhere in Chicago or the nearby suburbs.

 

[joy77]

I am limiting my applications to a 3-hour radius, which includes 12 or so schools. Hoping to stay local, though, due to my husband's job, which he would not be able to leave easily.

 

[rockstar2525]

I only applied to schools in big cities because I think that is where I would be happiest. I know I missed a few of the big ones (Mayo, Duke) because of this, but oh well. I applied all over the US, but am really hoping to stay in Chicago. I agree with you, it's important to stay close to things that are important to you. I think there will be enough stress and changes associated with starting medical school, why add leaving your family/support network to the list? Good luck! 🙂

 

[SanDiegoSOD]

I am limiting my applications to a 3-hour radius, which includes 12 or so schools. Hoping to stay local, though, due to my husband's job, which he would not be able to leave easily.

12 schools in a 3 hour radius? Wow. You must be from Iowa, right?

 

[pathdr2b]

I am limiting my applications to a 3-hour radius, which includes 12 or so schools. Hoping to stay local, though, due to my husband's job, which he would not be able to leave easily.

Me too! 👍

 

[davedavedave]

I am limiting my applications to a 3-hour radius, which includes 12 or so schools. Hoping to stay local, though, due to my husband's job, which he would not be able to leave easily.

if i were to do this, i would only be able to apply to 3 schools

 

[smallqt]

I only applied to schools in big cities because I think that is where I would be happiest. I know I missed a few of the big ones (Mayo, Duke) because of this, but oh well. I applied all over the US, but am really hoping to stay in Chicago. I agree with you, it's important to stay close to things that are important to you. I think there will be enough stress and changes associated with starting medical school, why add leaving your family/support network to the list? Good luck! 🙂

I'm the same as you rockstar....I really want to be able to live in a big city for awhile before i settle down somewhere else.....i applied in ny (cuz i go to school in jersey) and back home in chicago.....

 

[Iffy premed]

12 schools in a 3 hour radius? Wow. You must be from Iowa, right?

30+ schools if you live in NYC
I live in NYC, only applied to schools in NY, NJ and PA. There were more than enough to choose from just from those 3 states, and I didn't apply to all of them.

Staying close to family is nice. I am the only child, and we have no close relatives around, so going away wasn't an option, nor did I want to. It is always nice when my mother can still call locally to nag at me 😛

 

[dnelsen]

I've got you all beat!

I only applied to one school, although it was Early Decision so I didn't have a choice. However, my wife currently attends this school and I don't want us to have to live apart for 1+ years.

 

[veenut]

On a related note...how did those of you who applied to schools on the opposite coast manage to attend interviews? I'm from Jersey and I'm looking to apply to a few Cali schools, but I'm not sure how I'd manage to go to multiple interviews in california during the course of the year. Is it possible to request the schools to lump the interviews together...i'm thinking probably not.

 

[futuremsfdoc]

i applied to schools in the following states: mn, ia, mo, ks, tx, tn, il, ga, nc, va, ct, ma.

i live in mo.

 

[futuremsfdoc]

oh and i really wanted to apply to ucsf, but my parents didn't want me going so far away so i decided it wasn't worth the fight and guilt trip. boston is just as far away, but i guess since i used to live there, they're ok with it.