Application Suicide

[Hari Kari]

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Earlier today, I had a bizarre thought. Allow me to amend that...I've had many bizarre thoughts, but I'll save the rest of them for my therapist.

Has anyone ever heard of someone applying to only one school? If so, how successful were they?

What occurred to me is that if you apply to only one school, you could tailor your PS to them and address them directly. I figure that if an adcom member scrolled through your PS and found "reasons why I want to attend X Med School" it would be attention grabbing.

Thoughts?

 

[gdbaby]

See the title of your thread for the most concise answer.

 

[Law2Doc]

Earlier today, I had a bizarre thought. Allow me to amend that...I've had many bizarre thoughts, but I'll save the rest of them for my therapist.

Has anyone ever heard of someone applying to only one school? If so, how successful were they?

What occurred to me is that if you apply to only one school, you could tailor your PS to them and address them directly. I figure that if an adcom member scrolled through your PS and found "reasons why I want to attend X Med School" it would be attention grabbing.

Thoughts?

There are folks who for family reasons are unable to relocate and thus apply to one or two schools. But their odds of getting in tend to decrease proportionately. So no, applying to one school and putting that in your PS doesn't get you in, any more than sending a LOI might. If anything, if you didn't have a specific family reason for being unable to apply elsewhere, it might suggest that you aren't serious about going to med school. But good luck with that.

 

[shortyganoush]

Also, most of my interviews where the interview was open app saw on my amcas everywhere else I applied. So applying to just 1 has to look bad.

 

[ND2005]

Also, most of my interviews where the interview was open app saw on my amcas everywhere else I applied. So applying to just 1 has to look bad.

That information is not available to schools on the AMCAS application. The only way they know it is if you tell them.

 

[Hari Kari]

There are folks who for family reasons are unable to relocate and thus apply to one or two schools. But their odds of getting in tend to decrease proportionately. So no, applying to one school and putting that in your PS doesn't get you in, any more than sending a LOI might. If anything, if you didn't have a specific family reason for being unable to apply elsewhere, it might suggest that you aren't serious about going to med school. But good luck with that.

It had occurred to me that it might be perceived that way. On the flip side though, after having been through, well almost through, the application process this year, I was able to narrow things down to just one school that I would really want to be at. I will likely be going through the whole process again next year, and anything to make an application stand out from the rest of the pool helps.

 

[Apparition]

Find out about EDP at that school, that may be a great option for you.

 

[MarzMD]

Yes, it would be suicide. You can tailor your secondary towards specific schools, that is what it is for. I know 2 people that applied to only 1 school, one got in and the other didnt.

 

[Hari Kari]

Find out about EDP at that school, that may be a great option for you.

I had considered that also, but it's likely that my app. wouln't be up to par with the other EDPers and put in the general applicant pool. What's wrong with that? Simply that it may have been forgotten about by the time the other apps are considered, and thus loses its shock value.

 

[LucidSplash]

Definitely check into EDP, but my personal experience with only applying to one school (not EDP) was not good. I did this last year and the school I applied to did not look on it favorably. For me, it was an MCAT issue. My scores were 4 years old and most of the schools I wanted to apply to only took scores less 3 or fewer years old. HOWEVER, my top choice did take scores as old as mine. So I decide to apply and to avoid retaking the MCAT if possible. There are a lot of caveats in that my score was only so-so, my GPA the same, but I had good ECs and great LOR and the highest possible recommendation from the premed committee at my school. However, when I made it clear to the school (my state school) that I had only applied to one school and even though I said it was an MCAT issue, they took it in an "only going into medicine if it is convenient for me and not really that committed kind of way." I was waitlisted in the 2nd third of the waitlist and retook the MCATs and reapplied this year. I'm waiting to hear back from that school and got several positive comments at my interview this year about persistance paying off, etc. However, all in all, I would have NOT applied last year and just used the extra time to study for the MCATs and take some grad level classes. Your situation is different obviously, and I can't speak for other schools, just that my experience with trying it was not good.

 

[Law2Doc]

I had considered that also, but it's likely that my app. wouln't be up to par with the other EDPers and put in the general applicant pool. What's wrong with that? Simply that it may have been forgotten about by the time the other apps are considered, and thus loses its shock value.

I don't think "shock value" is really what you would be shooting for. Get a conference with the Dean at the school you want, and discuss what you should do to make yourself more competitive in the upcoming cycle. Then take affirmative steps to do those things s/he suggests. But don't shoot yourself in the foot and not apply broadly as well.

 

[Hari Kari]

Thanks Lucid-- first hand experience speaks volumes.

 

[LucidSplash]

Yes, also EDP is risky because you can't apply anywhere else until they reject/defer your application to regular admission. Usually this means not being able to apply to other schools until Late Sept or October, which can be a big problem with rolling-admission schools.

 

[Hari Kari]

I don't think "shock value" is really what you would be shooting for. Get a conference with the Dean at the school you want, and discuss what you should do to make yourself more competitive in the upcoming cycle. Then take affirmative steps to do those things s/he suggests. But don't shoot yourself in the foot and not apply broadly as well.

This school actually has a policy to not provide post rejection counseling. I was told by my advisor that they may contact certain people who were rejected and provide them with some guidance, but that is solely at their discretion.

 

[Orthodoc40]

Has anyone ever heard of someone applying to only one school? If so, how successful were they?
QUOTE]

I know someone who applied to only one school, (her state school), and did not get in. She had great grades, MCAT score, letters of recommendation from people ON the faculty there, got an interview, but didn't get in. It is the only school she wanted to go to and she was sure she'd get in.

I think it is just way too risky if you really want to go to medical school.

 

[prettymd05]

See the title of your thread for the most concise answer.

 

[lilnoelle]

A girl I know is only applying to one school. She seems to have no intention to apply anywhere else but plans on having to reapply several times before getting in. She has a whole family full of doctors and I think nearly every one of them went to this particular school. I haven't talked to her recently so I don't know how she faired this year.

 

[BooMed]

I only applied to one school, and I got in. I only did this because of my unique family/life circumstances and I wouldn't really recommend it.

It was a huge gamble... and a huge relief to be accepted.

I don't think it would ever be an "advantage" to only apply to one school, unless you are early decision (which I couldn't do because my MCAT was too low). Being ED does show that you are dedicated to going to that school.

 

[Rafa]

It's quite possible to do, but to have the best chances of getting in, you should both talk to the admission folk at the school, and try to have your stats at or above their mean acceptance range. Oh, and EDP. But that's a given. Other than the chance of delaying your other apps if you don't get in to your EDP school in the fall, the other disadv. of applying EDP is that you pretty much loose most of the bargaining chips, when it comes to squabbling for finaid.

 

[OSUdoc08]

Earlier today, I had a bizarre thought. Allow me to amend that...I've had many bizarre thoughts, but I'll save the rest of them for my therapist.

Has anyone ever heard of someone applying to only one school? If so, how successful were they?

What occurred to me is that if you apply to only one school, you could tailor your PS to them and address them directly. I figure that if an adcom member scrolled through your PS and found "reasons why I want to attend X Med School" it would be attention grabbing.

Thoughts?

There are several people at my school who only applied to 1 school. Some of them got in, and others took a couple of attempts. These people most commonly did not want to move due to family reasons.

 

[aneuploidy]

Yes, it would be suicide. You can tailor your secondary towards specific schools, that is what it is for. I know 2 people that applied to only 1 school, one got in and the other didnt.

In my experience, it isn't necessarily true that you get to tailor your secondaries to each school. Some were very blatant about what was important to them.

Secondary App from School X
1) Are you related to anyone who has graduated from our medical school? If so, please indicate whom on the line below.
2) Are you related to anyone who is currrently employed as faculty at our medical school? If so, please indicate whom on the line below.
3) Please make a check for $100 payable to School X.

This concludes your secondary application.

 

[Law2Doc]

In my experience, it isn't necessarily true that you get to tailor your secondaries to each school. Some were very blatant about what was important to them.

Secondary App from School X
1) Are you related to anyone who has graduated from our medical school? If so, please indicate whom on the line below.
2) Are you related to anyone who is currrently employed as faculty at our medical school? If so, please indicate whom on the line below.
3) Please make a check for $100 payable to School X.

This concludes your secondary application.

I think the "pay to the order to" part of the check is where you tailor it to the particular school. They definitely appreciate that effort.

 

[Dov]

Earlier today, I had a bizarre thought. Allow me to amend that...I've had many bizarre thoughts, but I'll save the rest of them for my therapist.

Has anyone ever heard of someone applying to only one school? If so, how successful were they?

What occurred to me is that if you apply to only one school, you could tailor your PS to them and address them directly. I figure that if an adcom member scrolled through your PS and found "reasons why I want to attend X Med School" it would be attention grabbing.

Thoughts?

I sort of taylored my application to my top choice... it worked (it was the only place I got into though)

 

[Hari Kari]

How exactly did you go about that? Did you essentially recite the school's mission statement in your PS?

Congrats on your acceptance.

 

[Hari Kari]

Sounds like the type of school that would have a nice lunch after filing your application in the circular file cabinet.

Then again, at least they're honest about what they're looking for; they don't waste your time agonizing over every sentence in your secondaries when they have no intention of reading it anyhow.

 

[rehanyazdani]

I met a doctor who applied to two in-state schools. He got into one and declined an interview at the other.

 

[runlolarun]

Find out about EDP at that school, that may be a great option for you.

Agree. If you have your heart set on a specific school than Early Decision is the best option because then they know you will definitely go there if you get in. At the same time, If you taylor your primary to that one school and don't get in Early Decision and you want to apply to other schools, then you are pretty much screwed.

good luck.

 

[gujuDoc]

I have a friend that applied to only one school in summer 2004. She had to stay in the area because of family related issues that would not allow her to move. However, she applied to the state school that really favors their own students and met the profile that they look for in an applicant, so she had no problem getting in.

Another person who applied to the same school, did the same thing. He also had a similar profile. Both were nontrad students with a lot to speak for.

It depends on the school you are talking about. if the only place you are willing to go is a top 10 school and you have nowhere else in mind, then the odds are slim. If you are talking about your home state school it might be more feasable depending on how competitive the state school.

The best thing you can do is talk to the dean of admissions and student affairs, director of admissions, or someone else on the staff over there.

 

[odrade1]

I applied to only one school, and got in.

I don't reccomend doing this unless you are a very strong candidate. If you are a middle-quality applicant, (depending on where you are from) you should be willing to either reapply across several application cycles (since you are applying to only one school) or you need to reevaluate whether or not you are willing to move.

Also, if you only want to go to one place (which was my situation), you need to look into your school's EDP program. I highly reccomend EDP; my experience with it was fantastic, and I have had peace of mind (about getting in) since the end of September.