Are re-applicants who apply a third time at a disadvantage?

[Rufina]

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I know that re-applicants are looked at favorably if you show you have improved, but does re-applying 3x put you at a disadvantage because of the fact that it's your third time already, or does it not matter as long as you keep on improving? Anyone have any input to help me out? Thanks!

 

[MechE]

I think it shows commitment.

 

[Still Kickin]

Rufina - I HOPE such applicants are not at a disadvantage because I am working on application #4!

Besides, what other options do you/we have other than giving up? Don't give up, go for it! If we are at a disadvantage, so what? Are we going to let that stop us?

OK, that was just a little pep talk. Not sure if that's what you were looking for or maybe you were wondering if this potential "disadvantage" means you should expand you list of schools of apply to, etc.

Best of luck! Hang in there! 👍

 

[MrTee]

I know that re-applicants are looked at favorably if you show you have improved, but does re-applying 3x put you at a disadvantage because of the fact that it's your third time already, or does it not matter as long as you keep on improving? Anyone have any input to help me out? Thanks!

I think if you're improving your app each time, it's fine. However, if you apply 3x with minor changes (like more hrs of volunteering or something inconsequential like that), there would be no reason to expect a substantially different outcome. I know of a guy who applied 4x and finally got in the 4th time. The difference was a 2 point increase in his mcat. It made no sense to me that he tried 3x with the exact same application, but hey...people make their minds up to do bizarre things sometimes.

 

[eddaman]

3x here myself. keep on chugging i say. this is what i want to do (become a surgeon) so i really dont have another choice (since i want it through an MD program).

just keep working your butt off. besides, sorta like mentioned previously, you never know what kind of day that adcom person who gives you a ranking or reads ur personal statement is having. just one of those "5" people in the committee that are determining your fate might just not like a particular experience you have and drag ya down.

after a certain point when you reach 'great applicant status,' it's just rolling dice. very expensive, time consuming, dice.

 

[PhDtoDO]

I was waitlisted for two rounds after I added 4 pts to my MCAT. I was literally told I missed it by a hair by the dean of admissions at Tulane.
4th time...finishing my Ph.D. studying HIV coinfection and want to be an HIV doctor, doing clinical research.

There was never anything bad in my applications, I'm even including schools I've already applied to 3 times because I'm not the same applicant I was before. I'm also focusing on schools with high rates of accepting students not right out of college...there's a small stat in the corner of my book from USNews on med schools. I'm also hoping to go to places with a strong AIDS research angle..which means, in most cases, highly competitive schools...and applying to 25 schools. I know I'll get in somewhere, if only at Tulane, where I'm sitting right now.

My advice to reapplicants, work your angle. Be as unique and individual as possible and don't write cheezy essays about wanting to help people...everyone does that. I know I didn't get in before because I must have seemed to average, but I'm not,and my added years have proved it.

Best of luck!

😎

 

[beponychick]

I was waitlisted for two rounds after I added 4 pts to my MCAT. I was literally told I missed it by a hair by the dean of admissions at Tulane.
4th time...finishing my Ph.D. studying HIV coinfection and want to be an HIV doctor, doing clinical research.

There was never anything bad in my applications, I'm even including schools I've already applied to 3 times because I'm not the same applicant I was before. I'm also focusing on schools with high rates of accepting students not right out of college...there's a small stat in the corner of my book from USNews on med schools. I'm also hoping to go to places with a strong AIDS research angle..which means, in most cases, highly competitive schools...and applying to 25 schools. I know I'll get in somewhere, if only at Tulane, where I'm sitting right now.

My advice to reapplicants, work your angle. Be as unique and individual as possible and don't write cheezy essays about wanting to help people...everyone does that. I know I didn't get in before because I must have seemed to average, but I'm not,and my added years have proved it.

Best of luck!

😎

Im just curious, but what type of training do you need to be an "HIV" doctor? Is it something that you do an internal medicine residency and then do a specific fellowship? I am interested in this field for personal reasons and was wondering what kind of training that entails. Thanks and good luck to you. Tulane is one of my top choices as well 🙂

 

[ShyRem]

I think HIV falls under infectious diseases. I *think* that's a specialty after an IM residency... but could very easily be very wrong. (my brain hurts now - too much *thinking* during the summer 🙂 )