Changing state residency for reapp

[lalalaaaaaa]

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Hi SDNers,

So my premed adviser (from my state university in CO) told me to change my residency from Colorado, where there is only one med school, to Pennsylvania, where I currently live and are more schools, so that I will have a better shot of getting in to a school. I am a Colorado resident (lived there 15 years), lived in CA last year, live in PA this year. I have been rejected from state school twice and haven't had any news from them this year so it might be a rejection again. "Maybe you're not what Colorado is looking for." she said.

I'm not sure what to think of her advice because last year she told me to change to CA residency which seems like terrible advice.

Anyone have experience with this (good idea, bad idea?) or know how CO feels about 4th time applicants?

Thanks in advance!

 

[ohioguy]

I'm a PA resident and think that it's one of the worst states to be a med student applicant in. Unlike Colorado, Virginia, Florida, CA, etc, there are no true state schools here. Sure Temple does give some preference to in staters but it's also one of the most expensive schools in the country.

 

[N. Marin]

I thought in most states, in order to be considered a resident you need to either own property, be married there, or have lived there for X number of years. Is changing your state of residence on paper really that easy? I know a few people that tried it in Texas since they give huge in state preference but because of the restrictions to be classified a true "resident" they decided it was more trouble than it was worth.

If at all possible, I would try to broaden my applications to other regions.

 

[DrMidlife]

3rd app cycle with your stats says there's something seriously wrong here. You should get an appointment with the director of admissions at Colorado and find out what's going on. You need feedback on your app. This makes no sense with your stats.

I wouldn't try a strategy change or residency change before finding out what the problem is.

Don't get any more advice from this premed adviser. The info he/she should be using as a reference, which clearly he/she is not, is available at https://www.aamc.org/data/facts/

Pennsylvania only has a couple of public med schools, and doesn't have much in-state preference at any of them, AND it has more than twice as many premeds as Colorado, so you're not gaining much by changing your residency to PA.

Best of luck to you.

 

[lalalaaaaaa]

Ballin'! Thanks for the quick advice everyone! SDN>>>premed adviser

 

[lalalaaaaaa]

3rd app cycle with your stats says there's something seriously wrong here. You should get an appointment with the director of admissions at Colorado and find out what's going on. You need feedback on your app. This makes no sense with your stats.

I wouldn't try a strategy change or residency change before finding out what the problem is.

Don't get any more advice from this premed adviser. The info he/she should be using as a reference, which clearly he/she is not, is available at https://www.aamc.org/data/facts/

Best of luck to you.

Tell me about it. Colorado won't give me feedback unless I'm in the state for an on campus feedback day which I haven't been since I applied my first cycle so they wont give me advice :/ I've asked like 5 or six times and no luck. They also got a completely new admissions staff this year and there have been big changes that make me less competitive there (mainly that I'm a ORM and they are not as favorable to IS anymore (55%))

My adviser has told me I would get in every cycle and I have only one interview in 3 years to my state school first cycle. I seriously have no idea what's going on. Any advice would be great if you have any! :/

 

[DrMidlife]

"they won't give me advice" is disingenuous. If Colorado has a program to give rejected applicants advice, and you don't take advantage of it, that's on you. Get a plane ticket and go.

 

[lalalaaaaaa]

"they won't give me advice" is disingenuous. If Colorado has a program to give rejected applicants advice, and you don't take advantage of it, that's on you. Get a plane ticket and go.

Not to get into it too much, but Colorado's feedback day is very general and doesn't give one on one feedback anymore, as I understand it. I used to work at the med school and have several friends who are at CU or who have attended this info meeting who said it was pretty worthless. (Definitely not worth a few hundred dollars traveling, particularly because I'm in AmeriCorps and making 12,100 a year, and totally broke.). When I talked to the admissions people they always referred me to my premed adviser who is at the University of Colorado and even told me that my adviser would be better than going to this because she can speak directly to my application whereas they could not.

 

[DrMidlife]

OK then 2 things:
1. Give up on Colorado.
2. But be extremely concerned that there is feedback you need that you can't get. You have to find out if you are crazy/arrogant/annoying/smelly/immature/twitchy or whatever.

I'd recommend finding the closest thing you can get to a near-retirement, fed-up-with-kids-these-days, not-particularly-nice, has-done-med-school-interviews university professor or physician. Beg them to help you and that you want cold hard feedback. Give them your application and have them interview you. Do this with more than one source if you can.

I'd also start working on regular employment for the next academic year. Pharm sales or something similar so you can afford to proceed.

I'd also start working on new letters of recommendation. Plan on taking at least one classroom science class just to get a fresh letter.

 

[gyngyn]

You might want to contact the NAAHP. They have recommendations for local advisors and web advice too.

 

[lalalaaaaaa]

OK then 2 things:
1. Give up on Colorado.
2. But be extremely concerned that there is feedback you need that you can't get. You have to find out if you are crazy/arrogant/annoying/smelly/immature/twitchy or whatever.

I'd recommend finding the closest thing you can get to a near-retirement, fed-up-with-kids-these-days, not-particularly-nice, has-done-med-school-interviews university professor or physician. Beg them to help you and that you want cold hard feedback. Give them your application and have them interview you. Do this with more than one source if you can.

I'd also start working on regular employment for the next academic year. Pharm sales or something similar so you can afford to proceed.

I'd also start working on new letters of recommendation. Plan on taking at least one classroom science class just to get a fresh letter.

solid advice. I already signed up for a course, and am studying for mcat, finding someone like that to review my app is a great idea. thanks 🙂