Apply to only one school?

[AppalachiaGrrl]

I have a strong preference for my first choice school, strong enough that if I don't get in on first I will definately be calling admissions and seeing what I can do to improve so I can re-apply. If I strike out twice, I'll move on. If that's my plan, should I apply to other schools my first time around?

1) If I got in somewhere else could I defer for a year to see if I get in #1 the second time? Or do they have some way of preventing such things (I know at most schools you can defer, probably after putting some kind of deposit down)

2) If I apply to only one school the first year, will this show that school I am committed to attending there and this increase my chances of admission?

FYI: this school does not have an early decision program anymore, I have numbers slightly above their avergages with streong EC etc. I want this school so baldy because of its program but also because i am non-traditional and don't want to move my family (if i were here my mother would watch the kids and we could stay in our house etc.)

thanks...

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[W222]

Listen, DONT BE A *****. If a school sees that you applied to only one school or they find out that you applied to only one school they will view you as unrealistic and will be apprehensive about you. Your odds are fairly low that you will get into one school, unless you are over qualified for that one school. Even if you are the best of the bunch for that one school they may reject you and then where will you be, one cycle down and two to go. Listen, realistically you have only three application cycles to apply (this was told to me by several medical school admissions staffs). They get people who apply five or six times and they just throw the applications away after the third time. Schools know how many times you have applied and they look at what you have done while between applications to improve yourself. Say you apply this time to one school and get rejected, there is one chance to get in thrown in the trash. This is not a good idea and if you really want to be a Doctor then you should take it a little more seriously.

 

[AppalachiaGrrl]

Well thanks for the condescending tone, darling, but I have in fact spoken to other non-traditionals who applied only to their local school and got in and felt it helped them to only apply there. So, I don't need to be admonished and told to take this seriously. Two questions remain:

1) can I defer if I get in elsewhere?
2) how can I let the school know how interested I am?

What I'm taking seriously is my family and how I can do what's best for them in addition to pursuing my dream. 21 year olds have time to obsess over Bs and if 25 applications is enough and bla bla bla but some of us have real problems to be worrying about like chronically ill kids and mortgages to pay.

Thanks...

 

[tulips]

I think you should be okay applying to one school, but I also think you should call the dean and talk to him. And make sure you write a letter to the school explaining your situation and how important it is that you can stay with your family. Say something along the lines of, "my commitment to medicine is steadfast, but so is my commitment to my family and your school is the school that can allow me to acheive both my dreams."

Also, you can't apply to other medical schools while you defer. So if you get into another school and defer, it's strictly against the rules to reapply to your first choice.

 

[AppalachiaGrrl]

First: sorry for being uber-bitchy to the first poster. i'm a little angry today. sorry..

Second: Thanks to the last two posters!

I agree I don't know if I'll be seen as committed to their school or as someone unwilling to commit to medicine. Maybe I will try contacting them ahead of time and discussing my situation. Not sure. I feel I should apply to other state schools but I'm also worried about the fallout if I get in elsewhere and not my #1. Blah. I think I will try talking to schools about this and make sure my #1 knows what's up.

Thanks everyone...

 

[DrMom]

If you're going to apply to just one school make sure that your stats are sufficient for it. I applied to my first choice alone...my GPA and MCAT were higher than the averages for the school. I was asked in my interview what other schools I'd applied to...they didn't see it as a problem with my commitment that I'd only applied there.

 

[liverotcod]

It's basically the same deal as applying early decision, with the same advantages and disadvantages. If it's the only school you want to go to, by all means only apply there. I believe that especially for non-traditionals that have more invested in their non-student lives, it's perfectly reasonable to recognize that medical school is one option among many and that there can be diminishing returns on the huge opportunity costs to one's family.

 

[JDAD]

Why don't you apply to a couple other schools, say two or three. If you don't get into you first choice, just reject the others. You can be accepted to a school and decline the invitation. This way you look committed to your first choice, but only really loose about 150 bucks if it doesn't work out. Would you pay 150 buck to increase your chances at your number 1? Is $150 worth more than an enitre year of trying to improve your application?

 

[liverotcod]

Why don't you apply to a couple other schools, say two or three. If you don't get into you first choice, just reject the others. You can be accepted to a school and decline the invitation. This way you look committed to your first choice, but only really loose about 150 bucks if it doesn't work out. Would you pay 150 buck to increase your chances at your number 1? Is $150 worth more than an enitre year of trying to improve your application?

Maybe I'm just over-tired, but how does applying to MORE schools improve your chance at school A?

 

[RustNeverSleeps]

I won't try to answer your first question -- it seems like you have gotten some good information from other people, and I have no knowledge about deferring or the reapplication process.

As for the second question, I don't think there is a straight answer that anyone can give you, because different Ad-Coms will have different opinions. Some will probably interpret applying to only one school as dedication/motivation to attend their particular school. Others may use that to doubt your commitment to medicine. You may want to consider applying to a few other schools, just in case you change your mind. As one of the other posters said, even if you are accepted, you can still turn them down if you feel the same way a few months down the road.

However -- and I don't know how accurate this is -- I have heard that Ad-Coms frown upon being accepted to medical school(s), declining the acceptances, and then reapplying the following year. I have no idea if this is true or not, but it it something to consider. Bottom line, whatever route you take, you may have to face questions about your priorities and how medical school ranks in them. Some Ad-Coms may not like your answer, but if that happens, you may decide that that place is not the right one for you anyway.

I hope this was at least somewhat helpful. Good luck.

 

[sequoia]

Hi AppalachiaGrrl...

Applying to only one school isn't as bad as they make it sound. If you have a good package and you will be a competitive applicant, I say, more power to you. You have very valid reasons for your choice.

Keep in mind that if you apply to more than one school and get accepted somewhere else and NOT to your first choice, it will be very poor judgement to decline your other acceptance. When you reapply to your school of choice they will be very skeptical of you since you passed up a perfectly good acceptance. If you simply must go to this one school, and you won't go anywhere else, don't waste your time and money applying anywhere else.

Have you already applied or are you planning to apply? Time is getting late for this cycle. You want to be complete at your first choice school practically immediately. July/August complete dates have the best acceptance odds for all schools.

Good luck. P.S. I'm in the same situation, I'm a non-trad and my hubby is a PhD student but I applied to slightly more than one school.

 

[bewitched1081]

i dont think that you should apply to just one school. do some research and find other schools that you like. if you really want to go to med school, then you should plan for alternatives. ask yourself if you would be willing to wait another year in case you dont get into your top choice. if you're ready to go now, it might not be a good idea to put all your eggs in one basket. plus, the longer you have to wait, the older your mcat score gets. and if you have to reapply too many times you might have to take the mcat again. as far as applying again to your top choice while deferring admission to another school, i don't think many schools are receptive to that. that's just my feeling, but i don't know any specifics.