Apply to TX schools you don't want to go to??

[rowdyrock]

Hi, I was hoping to get some advice.

I'm a TX resident with at 29MCAT and 3.56 GPA, pretty good EC's. I can't decide which TX schools to apply to. I know it sounds snobby, but I think I'd be really miserable at A&M or Tech, mostly because I really dislike those cities. But I heard it looks bad if you don't apply to all TX schools. BUT I also heard it looks really bad if you turn down a school. I know I'm borderline for the other schools and they may be the only ones I get in. But I'm thinking I'd rather take another year to improve my application and try again than spend 4 years in a city I hate.
ANY ADVICE WELCOME!!!! THANKS

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[baylormed]

Hi, I was hoping to get some advice.

I'm a TX resident with at 29MCAT and 3.56 GPA, pretty good EC's. I can't decide which TX schools to apply to. I know it sounds snobby, but I think I'd be really miserable at A&M or Tech, mostly because I really dislike those cities. But I heard it looks bad if you don't apply to all TX schools. BUT I also heard it looks really bad if you turn down a school. I know I'm borderline for the other schools and they may be the only ones I get in. But I'm thinking I'd rather take another year to improve my application and try again than spend 4 years in a city I hate.
ANY ADVICE WELCOME!!!! THANKS

I'm struggling with the same question. I'm also applying in TX and I KNOW that I don't want to go to Tech or to A&M, because of the location (seriously, LUBBOCK???? No thanks). However, I'm applying to them because if, and only if, I don't get any acceptances anywhere else, I might just attend those two. I do hate the cities, but I think graduating from somewhere matters more to me than where I graduate from. Plus, I am from El Paso, and Tech gives you the opp to do your clinicals there, so I can always go back home after 2 years. However, Baylor and A&M do not mix well, and I doubt whether they'll even give me an interview.
I just hope somebody else takes me instead of these two.

 

[phosphorus pet]

Do not apply to school you would not go to. It is not a good idea. Turning down a school and reapplying looks worse than not applying to all the Texas schols.

If, on the other hand, you just dont like Lubbock or College Station but would go, then apply.

 

[Pemberley]

Hi, I was hoping to get some advice.

I'm a TX resident with at 29MCAT and 3.56 GPA, pretty good EC's. I can't decide which TX schools to apply to. I know it sounds snobby, but I think I'd be really miserable at A&M or Tech, mostly because I really dislike those cities. But I heard it looks bad if you don't apply to all TX schools. BUT I also heard it looks really bad if you turn down a school. I know I'm borderline for the other schools and they may be the only ones I get in. But I'm thinking I'd rather take another year to improve my application and try again than spend 4 years in a city I hate.
ANY ADVICE WELCOME!!!! THANKS

I'm no expert, just starting the cycle myself, but here's my litmus test:

Imagine yourself at the end of the application cycle holding exactly 1 acceptance: the one from school X. If you would be unhappy that you'd applied and been accepted there, then don't apply.

 

[Sol Rosenberg]

Where did you hear that it looks bad to not apply to all of the TX schools? That seems absurd to me. Do schools even know to what other schools you applied?

I agree with the previous 2 posters, don't apply to a school to which you don't want to go, because that may be the ONLY school where you match, and your choices will be to either go to the school that you don't like, or pretty much destroy your chances of being accepted to a medical school in the future by turning down that acceptance.

 

[rowdyrock]

Where did you hear that it looks bad to not apply to all of the TX schools? That seems absurd to me. Do schools even know to what other schools you applied?

I agree with the previous 2 posters, don't apply to a school to which you don't want to go, because that may be the ONLY school where you match, and your choices will be to either go to the school that you don't like, or pretty much destroy your chances of being accepted to a medical school in the future by turning down that acceptance.

I think all TMDSAS schools see which ones you apply to. A few people have told me it looks cocky if you don't apply to all of them. I'm pretty indecisive about whether or not I would go there or wait another year. I guess I need to decide ASAP!!

 

[Sol Rosenberg]

I think all TMDSAS schools see which ones you apply to. A few people have told me it looks cocky if you don't apply to all of them. I'm pretty indecisive about whether or not I would go there or wait another year. I guess I need to decide ASAP!!

So, by that logic, it looks bad if you don't apply to TCOM and only apply to the Allo. Schools?

 

[tiredmom]

I didn't apply to TCOM, but applied to the rest of the TX schools... no one ever asked me about it. I actually really liked TTech, but hubby nixed it for the town, otherwise I might have ranked it #1, the people were that nice.

 

[gostudy]

I will put in another vote for NOT APPLYING TO SCHOOLS YOU WOULDN'T ATTEND IF IT WAS THE ONLY CHOICE YOU HAD. Give that spot to someone that would actually enjoy attending the school.

 

[Sol Rosenberg]

I didn't apply to TCOM, but applied to the rest of the TX schools... no one ever asked me about it. I actually really liked TTech, but hubby nixed it for the town, otherwise I might have ranked it #1, the people were that nice.

Glad to hear that about TTU. Just curious, what didn't your husband like about the town?

I've never visited Lubbock, but I know it gets a bad rap. However, anybody that I've spoken to that has lived there liked it. As an "older" couple with kid(s) we need to buy a house wherever we move, and we're looking for an inexpensive, safe, "boring" place to spend a few years. One of the things that makes me a little nervous about TTU actually is that it seems that most people do their clinical years in that cesspool otherwise known as El Paso. It would suck having to move (sell our house, etc) after 2 years to El Paso.

Anyways, this is way OT.

 

[Pancho Villa]

lol. "cesspool otherwise known as El Paso" i just thought that was funny for some reason.

i was born and raised in odessa, tx, so any city i go to med school in is a step above the ****hole i live in. back to the original question though... if you know for a fact you wouldn't want to go to a school, why apply? don't worry about what adcomms are gonna think. if they judge you simply by looking at your list of schools you applied to, then perhaps you would be better off going somewhere else anyway.

my 2cents.

 

[Gut Shot]

Hi, I was hoping to get some advice.

I'm a TX resident with at 29MCAT and 3.56 GPA, pretty good EC's. I can't decide which TX schools to apply to. I know it sounds snobby, but I think I'd be really miserable at A&M or Tech, mostly because I really dislike those cities. But I heard it looks bad if you don't apply to all TX schools. BUT I also heard it looks really bad if you turn down a school. I know I'm borderline for the other schools and they may be the only ones I get in. But I'm thinking I'd rather take another year to improve my application and try again than spend 4 years in a city I hate.
ANY ADVICE WELCOME!!!! THANKS

The four years will fly by no matter where you are, but the opportunity cost for delaying admission by a year are enormous. You're going to feel like a total goat if you have to reapply rather than spend 45 months in Lubbock.

I have a good friend who "ended up" at Tech, had a decent time, got a solid education and is now a derm resident at Vanderbilt. Sure beat jacking around for another year trying to get into a different school.

 

[theaggie07]

My health professions advisor told us to apply to all the TMDSAS schools. I'll be honest and say that I'm not applying to TCOM. I'm from Fort Worth and don't want to spend 4 years at med school here. Not that Fort Worth is bad, but not being here would excuse me from family functions that I'd rather not attend. To the OP: have you ever been to A&M? I guess I'm a little biased because I'm an Aggie, but College Station isn't that bad. Plus we're really starting to develop and have stores that I'm used to having in DFW. I personally think I'd rather spend 4 years in BCS than Houston. Traffic, smog, traffic, traffic, HIGH humidity, etc. Not to say that I wouldn't go to Baylor/UT-Houston if I got accepted. I have to agree with not wanting to go to Tech. What's turned me off even more is the fact that they have spelling errors on their secondary. To me it says "Come get an MD from us. The only thing you'll learn is how NOT to spell correctly." Ha ha.

 

[BlackBantie]

The four years will fly by no matter where you are, but the opportunity cost for delaying admission by a year are enormous. You're going to feel like a total goat if you have to reapply rather than spend 45 months in Lubbock.

I have a good friend who "ended up" at Tech, had a decent time, got a solid education and is now a derm resident at Vanderbilt. Sure beat jacking around for another year trying to get into a different school.

Exactly. What if TTU was the only school you matched at (you never know these days, nothing is guaranteed) yet you despised Lubbock? Would you turn it down only because of that? Sometimes you have to make sacrifices...

A senior last year spoke in a meeting of premeds and made a good point. She said she didn't understand why everyone makes a big deal about going to med schools in Lubbock, College Station, or any other "second-rate town." It's not like med school students are going to have a ton of free time on their hands so they shouldn't complain about city/night life.

 

[baylormed]

Glad to hear that about TTU. Just curious, what didn't your husband like about the town?

I've never visited Lubbock, but I know it gets a bad rap. However, anybody that I've spoken to that has lived there liked it. As an "older" couple with kid(s) we need to buy a house wherever we move, and we're looking for an inexpensive, safe, "boring" place to spend a few years. One of the things that makes me a little nervous about TTU actually is that it seems that most people do their clinical years in that cesspool otherwise known as El Paso. It would suck having to move (sell our house, etc) after 2 years to El Paso.

Anyways, this is way OT.

Excuse me?
You are officially in my black-list.
If you have never lived there, you have no right to call it a "cesspool".
I am insulted because aside from being a (maybe racist?) comment, I have lived in other places besides El Paso, and haven't found one more peaceful yet. El Paso has one of the lowest crime rates in the nation, and it is a relatively inexpensive in terms of housing, etc. You can get a very nice house for what in Dallas you would buy a little run-down dumpster.


Do the many mad faces make my point better?

 

[rowdyrock]

Wow, it looks like there are a lot of varying opinions about this, which is what I've gathered from people I've talked to. I've also heard good things about Tech, and maybe I'm biased about A&M considering I'm a longhorn. I guess my real concern is the conservative nature of the cities, even though time goes by fast and all that jazz. Oh why oh why can't Austin have a med school yet!!??
hmmmm, what to do, what to do.
Thanks to all who replied! More opinions are welcome!

 

[baylormed]

lol. "cesspool otherwise known as El Paso" i just thought that was funny for some reason.

See my post above.

 

[latinfridley]

You'll see alot of interesting path in lubbock/el paso, and the cost of living is very low. I visited the school and the facilities are fine. On the downside, it's lubbock. But truthfully, if you think you're not gonna be studying most of your time in a small room, library, or coffee shop, you're just fooling yourself. In the end, you'll get your MD, and if you score very well on the step, you can get in a good residency, it'll just be harder to do so. I say be happy with where you can get in, cause you don't know if by not applying you won't get in at all. Would you really gamble with the opportunity?

 

[Pancho Villa]

See my post above.

hey hey....lemme clarify what i meant. i thought that the comment was funny because it came out of nowhere. i never said i agreed with it. honestly, i have family in el paso/juarez and have been there lots of times to visit, and i personally have nothing bad to say about the town. i apologize if you took my comment in the wrong way.

but anyhoo, is it really that much more difficult to get a 'good residency' if i were to go to, say, TTU? i always figured that good step scores would override much of the difference between mid-tier and top-tier schools. anybody know where i can find some residency match lists for the texas schools?

 

[the12thmd]

I'm applying to all. Really, I just want to get into a medical school.

Oh, and College Station isn't so bad. I love it there!

 

[Twitch]

... in Dallas you would buy a little run-down dumpster.

My cardboard box and I live happily underneath a bridge in Dallas

 

[WestTexasRambler]

hey hey....lemme clarify what i meant. i thought that the comment was funny because it came out of nowhere. i never said i agreed with it. honestly, i have family in el paso/juarez and have been there lots of times to visit, and i personally have nothing bad to say about the town. i apologize if you took my comment in the wrong way.

but anyhoo, is it really that much more difficult to get a 'good residency' if i were to go to, say, TTU? i always figured that good step scores would override much of the difference between mid-tier and top-tier schools. anybody know where i can find some residency match lists for the texas schools?

Tehc residencies = FP or Peds in South Dakota, Nebraska and Lubbock
They never place grads in strong residency programs, ever. It is the worst school location in the United States.

Only apply to the UT schools in towns you/we really like (Houston, Dallas, Galveston(?), San Antonio) or you/we will end up regretting it. A&M is an ag college and I heard your last two years are done in conjunction with the Vet school so you will be working with draft stock and the like, WTF?


---Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf

 

[Anastasis]

I'm applying to all. Really, I just want to get into a medical school.

Oh, and College Station isn't so bad. I love it there!

I like CS too. I got tired of having to drive to Austin for good music though. And Sweet Eugene's got taken over my pretentious pricks by the time sr year rolled around. But in all it's a pretty nice town with just about everything you could want.


BTW, Baylormed: There's no need to be paranoid. Just because someone dislikes El Paso doesn't mean they're racist. I don't like the Valley/El Paso (mainly because of the heat in the Valley and the distance from the rest of TX in El Paso). I really hate that just because you disagree with someone's opinion you feel the need to attack them personally. No offense but that shows a bit of a lack of maturity.

 

[sicem07]

Here's a list of Tech's residency match:

http://www.ttuhsc.edu/som/admissions/files/Residency_Match_06.pdf

It's not too bad, I remember looking at the year before and seeing several Yale matches. If it's the only place I get it, then frankly it was my number one choice all along.

 

[christvida]

I'm actually from a small town close to Lubbock and I would love to return to that area. I have several friends who have bought homes and are raising families there...they love it because they are able to work/attend school just a few minutes from their children. And housing is extremely affordable in Lubbock. As to moving locations after 2 years...I asked the assistant director of admissions and he said that the students who have families will most likely stay in Lubbock for all 4 years. They understand how difficult it is for students to move children away from school and friends. Just thought I would share that info.

Glad to hear that about TTU. Just curious, what didn't your husband like about the town?

I've never visited Lubbock, but I know it gets a bad rap. However, anybody that I've spoken to that has lived there liked it. As an "older" couple with kid(s) we need to buy a house wherever we move, and we're looking for an inexpensive, safe, "boring" place to spend a few years. One of the things that makes me a little nervous about TTU actually is that it seems that most people do their clinical years in that cesspool otherwise known as El Paso. It would suck having to move (sell our house, etc) after 2 years to El Paso.

Anyways, this is way OT.

 

[WestTexasRambler]

Here's a list of Tech's residency match:

http://www.ttuhsc.edu/som/admissions/files/Residency_Match_06.pdf

It's not too bad, I remember looking at the year before and seeing several Yale matches. If it's the only place I get it, then frankly it was my number one choice all along.

I am in this club. If it is Houston, I have always loved Houston, TCOM well I have always appreciated the DO philosophy....etc. I just want to practice medicine and not get anywhere near a commercial bank's credit department.

'Rambler

 

[WestTexasRambler]

I'm actually from a small town close to Lubbock and I would love to return to that area. I have several friends who have bought homes and are raising families there...they love it because they are able to work/attend school just a few minutes from their children. And housing is extremely affordable in Lubbock. As to moving locations after 2 years...I asked the assistant director of admissions and he said that the students who have families will most likely stay in Lubbock for all 4 years. They understand how difficult it is for students to move children away from school and friends. Just thought I would share that info.

Please don't try to persuade the competition who have already voiced their opinions. Lubbock and CS are horrible places to live, Lubbock only rains mud and College Station - Chilifest is horrible......

What small town are you talking about? Idalou, New Deal, Ropes....

Thanks,


'Rambler

 

[Pemberley]

I actually really liked TTech, but hubby nixed it for the town, otherwise I might have ranked it #1, the people were that nice.

Yeah, my fiance nixed Lubbock as well, and I would have really liked it. No eligible jobs within 200 miles. Looks like College Station, which I also would have liked, is next on his chopping block. At least San Antonio, my other favorite location, is good to go.

One of the things that makes me a little nervous about TTU actually is that it seems that most people do their clinical years in that cesspool otherwise known as El Paso. It would suck having to move (sell our house, etc) after 2 years to El Paso.

Before I realized I couldn't go, I asked around. Turns out most married-with-kids types get to stay in Lubbock for the clinical years. I would contact the school and ask for reassurances before you scrub them off the list -- word has it they're sensible on these points.

 

[Sol Rosenberg]

Excuse me?
You are officially in my black-list.
If you have never lived there, you have no right to call it a "cesspool".
I am insulted because aside from being a (maybe racist?) comment, I have lived in other places besides El Paso, and haven't found one more peaceful yet. El Paso has one of the lowest crime rates in the nation, and it is a relatively inexpensive in terms of housing, etc. You can get a very nice house for what in Dallas you would buy a little run-down dumpster.


Do the many mad faces make my point better?

Wow. How does calling El Paso a cesspool make me a racist? How is it even a racist comment? Where did I say anything about any race in what I wrote?

What an open-minded, mature person you are, "blacklisting" anybody who has a different opinion than you do.

 

[christvida]

actually when i say "close" i'm talking about 2 hours. but in that area of texas 2 hours from a major city is "close". i'm originally from haskell

Please don't try to persuade the competition who have already voiced their opinions. Lubbock and CS are horrible places to live, Lubbock only rains mud and College Station - Chilifest is horrible......

What small town are you talking about? Idalou, New Deal, Ropes....

Thanks,


'Rambler

 

[leeann06]

All of the schools will be able to see where else you applied in Texas. If you choose not to apply to one or two of the schools, you may get asked about it. If you have a completely legitimate reason, you will have no problem. If you just don’t want to live there, they may follow up by asking if you really want to be a doctor. If you really wanted to do it, why are you ruling out places based on location alone?

Now don't get me wrong, I fully understand not wanting to go to a school, but I still applied to all 7 schools. As a Texas resident, the cost of the application is super cheap, and it is not any more work to apply to another school. If you really don’t want to go there, don’t fill out a secondary. Turn down the interview. When it comes down to it, if you really want to be a doctor, you will go where you are accepted...or at least I was willing to. I interviewed at every single school that gave me an offer, and I don’t regret it one bit.

Currently, I live in College Station. I grew up in Houston and was terrified to be stuck in this small town with nothing to do. And after 4 years here, I am still finding new and fun things to do. I love this place and am sad to leave it. College Station, and Lubbock I am sure, is what you make of it. If you have already decided that you hate it, you will. But if you give it a chance, you may find that you feel like I do. Another plus is the cost of living. I am moving to Houston later this month and my rent is tripling. It is super cheap to live and eat in a college town, something that is very important to consider when you are looking at thousands of dollars in loans.

I am sure some of you are wondering...if she thinks this place is so great, why is she leaving? It was a hard decision when I was ranking schools, but ultimately it came down to decisions not based on the city at all.

In Texas, we are very blessed to have 8 choices...a lot more than most people get, that’s for sure. But I still would not automatically narrow down my choices even more. Though there are 8 schools here, it is still extremely competitive. If you have any questions, feel free to PM me as well. Good luck to everyone applying, and maybe I will see some of you next year!

 

[the12thmd]

Great post!

 

[Sol Rosenberg]

El Paso has one of the lowest crime rates in the nation

After reading this, I wanted to find some quantitative data ranking crime in the various Med. School cities (incl. 3rd and 4th year clinical programs) in TX. I took a look at the "relocation crime calculator" on www.homefair.com. They give more detailed statistics, but in the end, they roll them up into an index, which is what I will post here. I'll leave the explanation of how the index is determined, etc as an exercise to the reader. The results are not all that surprising.

First off, ALMOST NONE of the cities in TX can claim to have "one of the lowest crime rates in the nation." An index of 100 represents the national average, and all but 2 cities are above this number. The indices scale (i.e. an index of 200 represents a crime rate of twice the national average.) Here they are:

Dallas 347
Galveston 287
Houston 278
Lubbock 192
Amarillo 190
Fort Worth 168
San Antonio 143
El Paso 110
Austin 107
Temple 98
College Station 75

You can also run their cost of living calculator, but those results are very predictable. Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, and Austin (in that order, if I remember) have the highest cost of living, then there is a BIG drop-off for all of the other cities, with College Station being the lowest overall (100k salary in Austin is roughly equivalent to 80k in College Station.) Most of the others are in the 80s (besides Dallas, Fort Worth, and Houston, which are ~110k.)

So, from a cheap, safe, point-of-view, College Station (even including Temple for the 3rd and 4th year clinicals) is the clear winner. To my surprise, Lubbock actually ranks very high on the list, and Galveston even more so (beating out Houston!)

Hopefully somebody else finds this useful.

Later,

Jota

 

[Anastasis]

Thanks Jota, that was interesting.

 

[Gut Shot]

Wow, it looks like there are a lot of varying opinions about this, which is what I've gathered from people I've talked to. I've also heard good things about Tech, and maybe I'm biased about A&M considering I'm a longhorn. I guess my real concern is the conservative nature of the cities, even though time goes by fast and all that jazz. Oh why oh why can't Austin have a med school yet!!??
hmmmm, what to do, what to do.
Thanks to all who replied! More opinions are welcome!

Then it's time for some creative visualization exercises.

#1. Pretend you don't apply to Tech or A&M and then proceed to get zero interviews. Now imagine your fellow premeds getting interviews and you're left out in the cold. Sucks, doesn't it?

#2. Pretend you don't apply to Tech or A&M, get some interviews at other Texas schools, but don't match anywhere. Some fellow premeds match at Tech and A&M. Guess what? They're off to become doctors starting fall 2007. You're picking your nose for another application cycle. Hear that? Tuition and interest rates just increased again. And that? Yeah, there goes a year of your physician salary. Again, sucks, doesn't it?

The bottom line is that it never hurts to apply. If you don't get interviews at Tech and A&M then the whole issue is moot. If you do, you should at least bother to go see what the schools have to offer. Check out the programs, talk with some current students, etc. You might change your mind, and even if you don't you'll have more of a basis for that decision than you do now.

 

[DaBeav]

Yea I don't think it is really that big of a dillemma to decide to apply or not. You might as well just to cover yourself. They can be safety/last resort schools starting out...but after interviews you might be convinced to like them. Its not like the TMDSAS is very expensive for TX residents compared to AMCAS.

 

[baylormed]

Yea I don't think it is really that big of a dillemma to decide to apply or not. You might as well just to cover yourself. They can be safety/last resort schools starting out...but after interviews you might be convinced to like them. Its not like the TMDSAS is very expensive for TX residents compared to AMCAS.

http://www.morganquitno.com/cit05pop.htm

a ranking of the safest cities in the US, by population size.

http://www.bestplaces.net/crime/?city1=2320&city2=4600

crime in El Paso and Lubbock compared.

http://www.bestplaces.net/crime/?city1=2320&city2=1260

or El Paso and College Station.

 

[Sol Rosenberg]

I found the bestplaces.net site too, but the results are kind of meaningless. What defines what is a "4" vs. a "5." The first site that you posted also doesn't list the basis for their comparison.

That's why, in the end, I went with the homefair.com site because it listed the numbers of violent crimes, etc, and not just the index.

http://www.homefair.com/homefair/se...reSelect=null&fromCity=4815976&toCity=4824000

They also explain how large a difference is statistically significant.

 

[FastForward]

Let me preface this with the statement that I applied and interviewed to all TX schools. However, I had friends who got in and only applied to the UT's and BCM and/or out of state. If you want to go to med school I think you should apply everywhere given, I did not like A&M for a number of reasons and would not have been too happy in Lubbock. If you are concerned what the other schools will think I have heard of people who submit primary apps to all and not turn in the secondaries so that other schools will see that they applied but, I think that is misleading.

 

[Learfan]

Simple answer. Apply to them all. You will not have time to crap your first two years so location does not matter. I go to a school in a city I do not care for and found it does not matter while classes are in session. It is quite boring when classes let out so I go home during those times. You cannot beat $10K/year tuition in Texas so take every possible shot at it. Good luck.

Hi, I was hoping to get some advice.

I'm a TX resident with at 29MCAT and 3.56 GPA, pretty good EC's. I can't decide which TX schools to apply to. I know it sounds snobby, but I think I'd be really miserable at A&M or Tech, mostly because I really dislike those cities. But I heard it looks bad if you don't apply to all TX schools. BUT I also heard it looks really bad if you turn down a school. I know I'm borderline for the other schools and they may be the only ones I get in. But I'm thinking I'd rather take another year to improve my application and try again than spend 4 years in a city I hate.
ANY ADVICE WELCOME!!!! THANKS