Hey guys. I just wanted to ask whether there’s a red flag with my app if I’ve only gotten one interview invite so far. I applied mainly to low tiers with a couple mid tiers sprinkled in. I have a publication and unique leadership and narrative. I got my II early August and haven’t heard anything since. Is this normal?
Applied to 40 schools with 3.7/513, one interview invite, red flag?
- Thread starter lit293875
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Where is your state of residence ? Which schools did you apply to ? Do you have any physician shadowing or clinical volunteering or employment hours ?
State of residence is NJ. I have about 200 clinical volunteering hours with 100 shadowing hours which I recognize is on the lower end. I do have almost 800 non-clinical volunteering hours which is why I think I got an early II to a Jesuit institution (not Gtown).
I applied to all my state schools, low yield schools, and any schools I felt that I fit the mission. I also used msar and applied to most schools with MCAT median of 513 +/- 4. I didn’t really factor in GPA as much since I go to a T20 undergrad, so I’m hoping that gives me a little leeway. Thank you for your advice in advance!
I applied to all my state schools, low yield schools, and any schools I felt that I fit the mission. I also used msar and applied to most schools with MCAT median of 513 +/- 4. I didn’t really factor in GPA as much since I go to a T20 undergrad, so I’m hoping that gives me a little leeway. Thank you for your advice in advance!
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When were you complete at most of yor schools?
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What inspired you to apply to so many schools, when the average applicant lists ~14? That might be your answer.
Are your MCAT subscores balanced?
Did you challenge yourself with a rigorous course load and challenging classes?
Did your postbac (if applicable) include sufficient course credit (30+ hours)?
Any unexplained gaps in your education?
Any teaching?
Any possible red flags on LORS? Did you use a committee letter if it was available?
Any past institutional action or legal issues?
Did multiple in-the-know readers approve your Personal Statement?
Does the PS have undertones of entitlement?
Did Secondary essay quality match the PS?
If stats are on the lower end, did you fail to include DO med schools on your application list?
Between 07/12 and 08/14! Still working on seton hall since they just sent that one out
D
deleted969405
If OP has an II already (presumably from Creighton), wouldn't that suggest that there are no red flags on his application?
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I think it’s too early to be concerned about II. See how it plays out until late October at least. Adcoms on here can better advise🙂
Honestly, I go to a very competitive school where my MCAT and GPA are below average, so I ended up applying very broadly. My B/B score was 130 and my C/P score was 129, my P/S and CARS scores were 127. My research experience is very extensive, but that matters very little at the schools I applied to. I wrote about being a low SES immigrant for my PS and how that informed my interests and passions (albeit ORM and relatively privileged now as indicated by volume of schools I applied to and acknowledged that in my PS). No post-bacc, IAs, classes are pretty challenging (most semesters were max credit hour semesters), no gap in education, been working since junior year of HS to help pay for my education, multiple people read PS and secondaries, didn’t apply to DO schools which I realize may not have been the best move but I’m interested in gen surg. Sorry if there are errors, I’m trying to type from my phone!
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You got one interview before Thanksgiving so I would not worry too much. Let us know how may you have by Thanksgiving and we'll take it from there. If you had a lethal red flag, you would not have any interview invitations.
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One should not make the assumption that every med school evaluates applications in the same way. LORs, eg, may not be read until after the interview (not before-hand as seems logical to me). And Jesuit schools tend to be mission-based, not stats-oriented, as many others are.
That is a really good point. I will keep this in mind going forward and update this thread if I get more IIs or at thanksgiving. I do have a committee letter, so would it still be possible that the pre-health advisor (who is one of the few amazing advisors and we have a good relationship) still submit poor letters?
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Theoretically, the content of the committee letter would reflect the input of all letter writers and not just the advisor's own positive opinion of you.
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With that many applications, it's common for Secondary quality to take a dive before half of them have been submitted. Secondary burnout is a real thing. And when Secondary essay quality doesn't match that of the Primary essay, it casts doubt on who wrote the best of them.
Ah gotcha. That totally makes sense. I’m pretty confident in my letter writers, but I could be a poor judge. Hopefully my letters are okay, but if not, this is good to know in case I have to reapply next year. Thank you 🙂
paimei42
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Its certainly detrimental to your pocketbook but its more of a how thin do you want to spread yourself short kind of question. Depends on how much free time you have and if you've been prewriting essays over the past few months instead of trying to cram them all in as soon as you get them
D
deleted972488
Congrats!!!!!
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Excellent! Thanks for the update.
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Definitely! So thankful for the acceptance. I’m still waiting to hear back from a couple of schools, but this reduces my stress about the process a lot and now I can have fun with and be more relaxed for any interviews in the future.
