Are we SDNers way too obsessive with the admissions process?

[rocketbooster]

---

Members do not see this ad.

I can't speak for all of you, but I think I am completely addicted to SDN and the admissions process. You know how addiction to stimulants is caused by the euphoria created by high serotonin levels in the synapse? I'm pretty sure SDN works like a stimulant. I'm nearly certain SDN increases the serotonin levels in my brain's synapses, thus when I am away from SDN I go into withdrawal.

Let me give a few reasons why I think I am insane:

1) I can't count the times I check SDN per day. Everytime a secondary thread of a school I applied is updated, I check it. I check the the new post everytime in anticipation someone is announcing they received an interview invite because maybe that means mine is also on the way. Despite the fact I have never received an invite after reading someone's new post about their recent invite, I still flock to the that thread anyway.

2) I am on post-interview hold at one school until March when I receive a final decision. I have figured out the exact breakdown of my chances of an acceptance in March. I have taken into account every factor that could affect my chances. I have pieced together info from the adcom office, an actual adcom member, MSAR and US News, applicants I know in real-life, and applicants I've met on here. I know how many interview, how many are rejected, how many have been accepted off the waitlist over the past 5 years, how many they put on that waitlist to begin with, how many they reject, put on hold, and accept a few weeks after the interview, how many applicants are left in the game, the time of year certain kinds of applicants are interviewed, etc.

In case you are wondering, I have a 22.7% of acceptance in March and 34.8% in May off the waitlist based on the chances of being waitlisted and accepted off it.

I think I need a break from SDN.

Also, do you really think us SDNers have an edge over nonSDNers? What we know about sending update letters, LOIs, etc...does it all really matter in the long run?

 

[GoSpursGo]

Also, do you really think us SDNers have an edge over nonSDNers? What we know about sending update letters, LOIs, etc...does it all really matter in the long run?

Probably a very small amount; update letters I think do carry some weight, though I'll never be sure about LOIs. I really think SDN is a more useful place in the time leading up to the application process (giving people a realistic idea of what it'll take to get in as far as stats, volunteering, etc); actually during the process, I think this place becomes much more of a group-therapy type of place 😳

 

[nick_carraway]

Also, do you really think us SDNers have an edge over nonSDNers? What we know about sending update letters, LOIs, etc...does it all really matter in the long run?

Let's put it this way... for the life of me, I can't imagine how non-SDN readers get the information that they need (e.g. where to apply, how to apply, when to apply, what timeline to follow).

I did it once with SDN's help and I still need to do it again.

 

[niranjan162]

Id say alot of pre-meds go on SDN, but only a minority actively participate in posting.

 

[What up doc]

Id say alot of pre-meds go on SDN, but only a minority actively participate in posting.

agreed. i think there are a looooot of lurkers. and only a few, neurotic, obsessive posters.

i am super obsessed with SDN. i check it first in the morning and right before i go to bed. everytime i turn on my computer, i check SDN. i proably spend somehwere between 5-6 hrs on SDN...minimum. i hate it. once my interviews were done i said i would not check SDN again until march. that didnt last more than 24 hrs. ha. this is terrible. but i was also addicted. www.collegeconfidential.com during collegeadmissions 4 yrs ago. once i matriculated tho i was cured. im hoping it is the same with med skool.

 

[sindadel]

Too obsessive? No such thing. Imagine, if it weren't for SDN we'd be inflicting this sort of BS on our friends and family... 😛

 

[Raryn]

I'm no where near as obsessed with the process as my mother, and shes not even applying!

 

[chemnerd89]

I'm no where near as obsessed with the process as my mother, and shes not even applying!

Sometimes I catch my parents saying 'we' didn't get any acceptance letters yet.

 

[bluesmd]

YES, we are too obsessive, but how can we not be when it's so hard to get in even. just look at some of the posters who have great numbers and great ECs and are not sure they are in yet

 

[schismal]

Of course posters here are crazy obsessive. Just look at the number of people who are applying to 25+ schools. That's pretty much the norm on this site, but I don't know anyone personally who applied to more than 8. Hell, I was considered insane with a "mere" 13 schools.

 

[mkitty09]

Sometimes I catch my parents saying 'we' didn't get any acceptance letters yet.

haha my parents do that all the time..."should 'we' go to this school or this one?....we should take a tour.....we need to see what kind of dorms they have..."

its pretty cute.

 

[Myuu]

Of course posters here are crazy obsessive. Just look at the number of people who are applying to 25+ schools. That's pretty much the norm on this site, but I don't know anyone personally who applied to more than 8. Hell, I was considered insane with a "mere" 13 schools.

13?? Wuss! I definitely would not have applied to as many as I did had it not been for the influence of SDN (and my complete lack of success in the previous cycle). And now that I have an acceptance, I'm not sure why I keep coming back...

My parents keep asking if the med schools have dorms/meal plans... Dorms I've heard of (once), but meal plans???

 

[Pghboy18]

2) I am on post-interview hold at one school until March when I receive a final decision. I have figured out the exact breakdown of my chances of an acceptance in March. I have taken into account every factor that could affect my chances. I have pieced together info from the adcom office, an actual adcom member, MSAR and US News, applicants I know in real-life, and applicants I've met on here. I know how many interview, how many are rejected, how many have been accepted off the waitlist over the past 5 years, how many they put on that waitlist to begin with, how many they reject, put on hold, and accept a few weeks after the interview, how many applicants are left in the game, the time of year certain kinds of applicants are interviewed, etc.

I'm actually pretty worried about thinking like this. As I learn more and more about how difficult it is to get into medical school, mostly via SDN, I find myself more and more engrossed with the competitive aspects of the process ie. more obsessive about getting into medical school because it's really hard to do.

I really worry about losing sight of why I'm doing it in the first place in the hysteria of trying to get those acceptances.

 

[chiz2kul]

Of course posters here are crazy obsessive. Just look at the number of people who are applying to 25+ schools. That's pretty much the norm on this site, but I don't know anyone personally who applied to more than 8. Hell, I was considered insane with a "mere" 13 schools.

Ha you prob hav a shoe in any school cos of your stats n connections thats why u'll call 25+ schools crazy obsessive lol, I applied to almost, or maybe a lil over 25 schools not cos i'm CO, but just cos I wanna get in somewhere.

 

[rocketbooster]

agreed. i think there are a looooot of lurkers. and only a few, neurotic, obsessive posters.

i am super obsessed with SDN. i check it first in the morning and right before i go to bed. everytime i turn on my computer, i check SDN. i proably spend somehwere between 5-6 hrs on SDN...minimum. i hate it. once my interviews were done i said i would not check SDN again until march. that didnt last more than 24 hrs. ha. this is terrible. but i was also addicted. www.collegeconfidential.com during collegeadmissions 4 yrs ago. once i matriculated tho i was cured. im hoping it is the same with med skool.

me, too. haha. yep, it definitely goes away once you matriculate.

I envy the ppl who got an acceptance early in the game. to be honest, though, if you get an early one, you likely deserve it over the rest because usually only the highest #s get in first. so, I suppose it's fair for them haha.

once it's time for me to move on, I definitely want to help ppl out under me who are going through the process. however, I think for my own insanity, I'll have to take a break from SDN for a while.

also, I agree with one of the above posters. SDN helps the most leading up to applying. once your apps are submitted, SDN probably nurtures more neuroticism than anything else lol.

I was actually in worse psychological condition over the winter break than over the semseter. it gave me WAY too much time to check SDN.

the only thing I fear is the rest of these forums. we have only touched the one pre-med area. I fear the actual "allopathic" section. must deactivate my account when I enter med school in order to stay away from that entirely new world to explore....

 

[chad5871]

If I hadn't found SDN I seriously don't think I would have known what to do to get accepted to medical school.

 

[flip26]

Also, do you really think us SDNers have an edge over nonSDNers?

Yes, but I am nonetheless amazed by the number of regular posters here who can't seem to grasp the importance of applying early and broadly...it makes me wonder what an applicant with poor academic advisory support and unaware of SDN does?

 

[ButImLETired]

me, too. haha. yep, it definitely goes away once you matriculate.

I envy the ppl who got an acceptance early in the game. to be honest, though, if you get an early one, you likely deserve it over the rest because usually only the highest #s get in first. so, I suppose it's fair for them haha.

once it's time for me to move on, I definitely want to help ppl out under me who are going through the process. however, I think for my own insanity, I'll have to take a break from SDN for a while.

also, I agree with one of the above posters. SDN helps the most leading up to applying. once your apps are submitted, SDN probably nurtures more neuroticism than anything else lol.

I was actually in worse psychological condition over the winter break than over the semseter. it gave me WAY too much time to check SDN.

the only thing I fear is the rest of these forums. we have only touched the one pre-med area. I fear the actual "allopathic" section. must deactivate my account when I enter med school in order to stay away from that entirely new world to explore....

Haha not for me. I'm glad I wasnt really on here much before I applied, because it probably would have made me even more self-conscious and uncertain. After I had already sent in my primary and had made up my mind on where to apply- that's when I found SDN. And then I treated it as group therapy, as someone else said 😀

 

[schismal]

I'm actually pretty worried about thinking like this. As I learn more and more about how difficult it is to get into medical school, mostly via SDN, I find myself more and more engrossed with the competitive aspects of the process ie. more obsessive about getting into medical school because it's really hard to do.

I really worry about losing sight of why I'm doing it in the first place in the hysteria of trying to get those acceptances.

Agreed. It's very easy to get caught up in the process.

Ha you prob hav a shoe in any school cos of your stats n connections thats why u'll call 25+ schools crazy obsessive lol, I applied to almost, or maybe a lil over 25 schools not cos i'm CO, but just cos I wanna get in somewhere.

No one needs 25+ schools on their primary. Just exercise better judgment when selecting them. And there are people here with much better stats/ECs than me who applied to a ridiculous number of schools. These people are insane.

 

[Siverhideo1985]

Weird thing is that I hang out more on SDN now that I have been accepted...

 

[RySerr21]

OP i just think you are ESPECIALLY neurotic. I love SDN but honestly now its more of a social thing than anything, and I enjoy helping out the upcoming class of 2014. Not to mention, I love my regular class of 2013ers!

 

[spike22]

Everyone on this website is neurotic, and anyone who reads the forums, is becoming neurotic (me). The difficulty of the admissions process is party due to the neuroticism, but it is also bred from the many years of HARD work, coming to an important central point

 

[student1799]

SDN can definitely be very addictive, and therefore counterproductive, at times. But the site is still an incredibly valuable resource for premeds, especially nontrads like me who have been out of school for a while and don't know the ropes.
I went to a criminally expensive postbacc program at a well-known school, and the "advising" was either nonexistent or outright bad. I learned EVERYTHING worth knowing about this process from fellow postbaccs (5%) and SDN (95%).

 

[luckyducky87]

Haha, knowing me (the easily stressed type), I would have probably been just as obsessive with this admissions process if I weren't on SDN, but if I didn't know of SDN, I don't know how I would have channeled my anxiousness and stress throughout this ridiculously exhausting process.

 

[Lukkie]

I enjoy helping out the upcoming class of 2014.

 

[NTF]

Does a bear **** in the woods?

 

[Lukkie]

obsessed

 

[scarletgirl777]

agreed. i think there are a looooot of lurkers. and only a few, neurotic, obsessive posters.

i am super obsessed with SDN. i check it first in the morning and right before i go to bed. everytime i turn on my computer, i check SDN. i proably spend somehwere between 5-6 hrs on SDN...minimum. i hate it. once my interviews were done i said i would not check SDN again until march. that didnt last more than 24 hrs. ha. this is terrible. but i was also addicted. www.collegeconfidential.com during collegeadmissions 4 yrs ago. once i matriculated tho i was cured. im hoping it is the same with med skool.

Haha I was addicted to collegeconfidential too! I think that I even had the same (or similar?) username 😛

 

[silverlining1]

www.collegeconfidential.com during collegeadmissions 4 yrs ago. once i matriculated tho i was cured. im hoping it is the same with med skool.

HAHAHA I used to be a CC regular in the Stanford thread. People met me IRL, and after I told them my story and my opinions of the school, they were like... "Are you ____ from CC?"

me, too. haha. yep, it definitely goes away once you matriculate.

I don't know man... I spend hours on here each day. I get bored and distracted easily, and looking for questions on SDN to answer keeps me occupied. Similarly, I have a habit of popping in on interview days to say hi to all the interviewees, and everyone always has this look of "Who is this crazy random chick who is so excited about UCSD?"

 

[scarletgirl777]

I just have to say that my SDN addiction is so bad that I can't even keep up with my online TV addiction. I have no idea what's going on with Grey's Anatomy right now. It's so serious 😀

 

[silverlining1]

I just have to say that my SDN addiction is so bad that I can't even keep up with my online TV addiction. I have no idea what's going on with Grey's Anatomy right now. It's so serious 😀

Dude, I am 2 episodes behind... although the story line is RIDONKULOUS right now so you're probably not missing out on too much.

Top Chef, though, is more important to me... so I try really hard to stay on top of that 😛

 

[redlight]

lol i didnt know about college confidential till i got into college (partially because i didnt have my own laptop so i didnt surf the web as often).. it could have helped a bunch, though im happy enough at my ugrad

thank God for sdn.. its making me obsessive about this process, yes, but i do think it has upped the likelihood of me getting accepted because there is so much usefull info here if you check often enough and use large bags of salt when necessary.

im not full-blown obssessed because i'm no where near applying yet and i really only have time to check here often during breaks from school. im planing on having a gap year and fear the lvl of obsession i'll reach once its my turn to apply...lol

 

[Kakoy]

I really wish I had found SDN earlier. I would have apply earlier. Since I found it so late in the application process, the forums only scares me to death and encourage me to add more and more schools.

It would have been much more useful if I had found it earlier.

I was in yearbook 24/7 during high school and never found CC until after I enter college.

 

[SBK]

Are you kidding me?!?! There is a college version of SDN??

When I applied to undergrad, I figured the best method was to only apply to UC schools since I didnt need any LOR and they all had the same application. Got into UCR, UCI, UCD, UCLA, and UCB. Rejected by UC-Santa Barbara. Chose UCLA b/c I liked Reggie Miller when he made that Finals Run.

 

[nick_carraway]

Are you kidding me?!?! There is a college version of SDN??

When I applied to undergrad, I figured the best method was to only apply to UC schools since I didnt need any LOR and they all had the same application. Got into UCR, UCI, UCD, UCLA, and UCB. Rejected by UC-Santa Barbara. Chose UCLA b/c I liked Reggie Miller when he made that Finals Run.

Seriously. Thank god for the low maintenance UC apps back when it was one essay, a few check boxes, and a small donation for all but guaranteed acceptance.

 

[URHere]

I found SDN about 2 months after I applied to medical school, and all I can say is that it FREAKED ME THE EFF OUT. I learned in one day that I had done absolutely everything "wrong", and I was convinced that my bundle of rejection letters from every medical school in the universe was on its way.

Honestly, I do think that SDN is a good resource for those who want to know the safest way to go about applying to medical school, but it does tend to freak out the people who have done things differently. I guess it just goes to show you that there is no way to predict what is going to happen - people get into medical school without SDN everyday, and people on SDN have to reapply everyday.

 

[CourageKid]

I found SDN about 2 months after I applied to medical school, and all I can say is that it FREAKED ME THE EFF OUT. I learned in one day that I had done absolutely everything "wrong", and I was convinced that my bundle of rejection letters from every medical school in the universe was on its way.

Honestly, I do think that SDN is a good resource for those who want to know the safest way to go about applying to medical school, but it does tend to freak out the people who have done things differently.

👍

 

[Lukkie]

I found SDN about 2 months after I applied to medical school, and all I can say is that it FREAKED ME THE EFF OUT. I learned in one day that I had done absolutely everything "wrong", and I was convinced that my bundle of rejection letters from every medical school in the universe was on its way.

Honestly, I do think that SDN is a good resource for those who want to know the safest way to go about applying to medical school, but it does tend to freak out the people who have done things differently. I guess it just goes to show you that there is no way to predict what is going to happen - people get into medical school without SDN everyday, and people on SDN have to reapply everyday.

that 9 in PS is gonna kill you, and masters degrees are useless for med admissions. it looks like you also applied really late. dont think you're gonna have much success this cycle esp. md/phd

 

[What up doc]

Are you kidding me?!?! There is a college version of SDN??

When I applied to undergrad, I figured the best method was to only apply to UC schools since I didnt need any LOR and they all had the same application. Got into UCR, UCI, UCD, UCLA, and UCB. Rejected by UC-Santa Barbara. Chose UCLA b/c I liked Reggie Miller when he made that Finals Run.

we kid you not my friend, for some of us, SDN was just an upgrade. i was OBSESSED with CC. there were so many more ppl on it and they were all neurotic hs AND, catch this, PARENTS! everyother SN was "Northstarmom" "astrophysicstsdad" and the likes. it was quite funny. parents would be like "my D has a 1550 SAT, #2 class rank, SGA and class president, and is the founder of tutoring program that caters to elementary kids in underserved areas...do you think they have a shot at Vanderbilt?" lmao...im SO glad there are little to no parents on SDN. but i do think more ppl lied on CC, even tho there is a good amount of liars on SDN as well, i think.

 

[chad5871]

we kid you not my friend, for some of us, SDN was just an upgrade. i was OBSESSED with CC. there were so many more ppl on it and they were all neurotic hs AND, catch this, PARENTS! everyother SN was "Northstarmom" "astrophysicstsdad" and the likes. it was quite funny. parents would be like "my D has a 1550 SAT, #2 class rank, SGA and class president, and is the founder of tutoring program that caters to elementary kids in underserved areas...do you think they have a shot at Vanderbilt?" lmao...im SO glad there are little to no parents on SDN. but i do think more ppl lied on CC, even tho there is a good amount of liars on SDN as well, i think.

Wow... I had no idea CC even existed (and if I had, I wouldn't have really cared anyway). I only applied to one college. I guess I made up for it applying to med schools.

 

[Dr Lyss]

we kid you not my friend, for some of us, SDN was just an upgrade. i was OBSESSED with CC. there were so many more ppl on it and they were all neurotic hs AND, catch this, PARENTS! everyother SN was "Northstarmom" "astrophysicstsdad" and the likes. it was quite funny. parents would be like "my D has a 1550 SAT, #2 class rank, SGA and class president, and is the founder of tutoring program that caters to elementary kids in underserved areas...do you think they have a shot at Vanderbilt?" lmao...im SO glad there are little to no parents on SDN. but i do think more ppl lied on CC, even tho there is a good amount of liars on SDN as well, i think.

I'm glad I never heard of that college site or I would have been a ball of nerves applying to college! SDN makes me neurotic enough, thanks very much. I shouldn't be accepted anywhere by SDN standards 😀

 

[scarletgirl777]

we kid you not my friend, for some of us, SDN was just an upgrade. i was OBSESSED with CC. there were so many more ppl on it and they were all neurotic hs AND, catch this, PARENTS! everyother SN was "Northstarmom" "astrophysicstsdad" and the likes. it was quite funny. parents would be like "my D has a 1550 SAT, #2 class rank, SGA and class president, and is the founder of tutoring program that caters to elementary kids in underserved areas...do you think they have a shot at Vanderbilt?" lmao...im SO glad there are little to no parents on SDN. but i do think more ppl lied on CC, even tho there is a good amount of liars on SDN as well, i think.

In general, I think that site was way less helpful. There were more people with made up personas and there were far fewer people who knew what they were talking about. I also think that getting into a good college is way more straightforward, and a good guidance counselor can tell you all you need to know--therefore that site mostly served as a place to stress. And the parents on there p*ssed me off to no end.😡

 

[rama kandra]

I used CC and thought it was mostly informative to browse a specific college's posts by students. That helped me narrow down what sort of places I def wanted to apply to and which ones were not great fits.

SDN is filling the void four years later 😉

 

[student1799]

Not only did they not have College Confidential when I applied, the Internet didn't even exist yet (except for a few geeks at the Department of Defense). Hell, they barely had electric lights. 🙂

 

[RoadRunner17]

Didn't read any of the posts, but my answer to the OP's title/post is... absolutely yes.

 

[muggle911]

we kid you not my friend, for some of us, SDN was just an upgrade. i was OBSESSED with CC. there were so many more ppl on it and they were all neurotic hs AND, catch this, PARENTS! everyother SN was "Northstarmom" "astrophysicstsdad" and the likes. it was quite funny. parents would be like "my D has a 1550 SAT, #2 class rank, SGA and class president, and is the founder of tutoring program that caters to elementary kids in underserved areas...do you think they have a shot at Vanderbilt?" lmao...im SO glad there are little to no parents on SDN. but i do think more ppl lied on CC, even tho there is a good amount of liars on SDN as well, i think.

wow I totally remember her from cc, and I was also obsessed w/ that site while applying to college.