Considering reapplying

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ac1323

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HI all,
just a bit more about myself, I have 3.77 GPA, 35 MCAT.
I had 5 interviews total, rejected from one, low tier waitlisted at two, and decision deferral from the other two (not waitlisted or rejected yet), which have accepted averages higher than mine.
I realistically think that my chance is pretty slim here as I acknowledge that my interviews went horribly...

I am seriously thinking about reapplying and obviously my problem lies in interviewing.The question is I haven't done much throughout this year. I am doing full time paid research but I won't get papers out and I haven't done any volunteering..I did some shadowing though.

Should I reapply this coming June or wait another year to beef up my app more? I would personally want to reapply once app opens in June, but I won't have much stuff changed from this year's app.

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HI all,
just a bit more about myself, I have 3.77 GPA, 35 MCAT.
I had 5 interviews total, rejected from one, low tier waitlisted at two, and decision deferral from the other two (not waitlisted or rejected yet), which have accepted averages higher than mine.
I realistically think that my chance is pretty slim here as I acknowledge that my interviews went horribly...

I am seriously thinking about reapplying and obviously my problem lies in interviewing.The question is I haven't done much throughout this year. I am doing full time paid research but I won't get papers out and I haven't done any volunteering..I did some shadowing though.

Should I reapply this coming June or wait another year to beef up my app more? I would personally want to reapply once app opens in June, but I won't have much stuff changed from this year's app.

1. When did you apply? Apply early this cycle.
2. You can re-apply since there's nothing really barring your application from being accepted. You can work on buffing up your application between now and application season. Like do some clinical work.
3. What exactly are you saying at these interviews? "I like kicking newborn infants"?
 
I am in same situation as you although with lower stats (3.5/34). I had 6 interviews with 2 rejections, 3 wait lists, and 1 deferral. My interviews went poorly as well. I am planning on reapplying this coming cycle if it comes to it.

I am doing full time research as well and won't have papers by June. I do have a poster presentation and a talk. Not as significant as a paper but its something. Ask your PI if you can present your research in a talk or something. I am also getting volunteering experience as well in the next 4 months.

I would apply next cycle if i were you and both of us need to work on our interviewing skills :)
 
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No volunteering? Good luck

I would wait until you get ~100 volunteer hours then reapply.
 
No volunteering? Good luck

I would wait until you get ~100 volunteer hours then reapply.

Think OP meant no volunteering during his gap year. But I might be mistaken
 
I'm always skeptical with these type of cases. You're above average stats wise, so maybe you're lacking in other parts of your app, maybe you don't interview well, apply to top heavy and late. Fix those, if things haven't change much and you applies early last cycle, you need to improve in other places in your app. Luck
 
HI all,
just a bit more about myself, I have 3.77 GPA, 35 MCAT.
I had 5 interviews total, rejected from one, low tier waitlisted at two, and decision deferral from the other two (not waitlisted or rejected yet), which have accepted averages higher than mine.
I realistically think that my chance is pretty slim here as I acknowledge that my interviews went horribly...

I am seriously thinking about reapplying and obviously my problem lies in interviewing.The question is I haven't done much throughout this year. I am doing full time paid research but I won't get papers out and I haven't done any volunteering..I did some shadowing though.

Should I reapply this coming June or wait another year to beef up my app more? I would personally want to reapply once app opens in June, but I won't have much stuff changed from this year's app.

With your stats, I say let 'er rip....what's to lose. Do what you can to improve your application in the meantime anyway (more shadowing / volunteering /etc...).
 
I don't think I have too much of problem in my app. I think that it was all due to my interviewing skills. I think my question is that If I get to reapply, how much different my app has to be from the previous cycle? I will have one more year of research and about 50 hours of shadowing, but nothing more. My PS would be about the same as well but I can somehow include experience about reapplying in terms of my motivation towards medicine.

by the way I was complete in most schools by early september
 
HI all,
just a bit more about myself, I have 3.77 GPA, 35 MCAT.
I had 5 interviews total, rejected from one, low tier waitlisted at two, and decision deferral from the other two (not waitlisted or rejected yet), which have accepted averages higher than mine.
I realistically think that my chance is pretty slim here as I acknowledge that my interviews went horribly...

I am seriously thinking about reapplying and obviously my problem lies in interviewing.The question is I haven't done much throughout this year. I am doing full time paid research but I won't get papers out and I haven't done any volunteering..I did some shadowing though.

Should I reapply this coming June or wait another year to beef up my app more? I would personally want to reapply once app opens in June, but I won't have much stuff changed from this year's app.


What is going wrong during your interviews?

Do you have any relatives who are "hiring managers"? If so, could you have them practice interviewing with you? Does your undergrad do mock interviews? How about the career center?

are you sure that your list wasn't top heavy or included OOS publics that are unlikely?
 
HI all,
just a bit more about myself, I have 3.77 GPA, 35 MCAT.
I had 5 interviews total, rejected from one, low tier waitlisted at two, and decision deferral from the other two (not waitlisted or rejected yet), which have accepted averages higher than mine.
I realistically think that my chance is pretty slim here as I acknowledge that my interviews went horribly...

I am seriously thinking about reapplying and obviously my problem lies in interviewing.The question is I haven't done much throughout this year. I am doing full time paid research but I won't get papers out and I haven't done any volunteering..I did some shadowing though.

Should I reapply this coming June or wait another year to beef up my app more? I would personally want to reapply once app opens in June, but I won't have much stuff changed from this year's app.

Your interviewing might not be the only problem... with your stats (even with perfectly boring ec's), you should have gotten a lot more invites.

You may feel "but look at my outcomes from this cycle's 5 interviews! My interviewing skills are to blame!" ... but again, perhaps there is some other issue that is giving the committee pause (despite decent interviewing). No sure way to know without feedback.

Nothing wrong with reapplying. Your numbers are excellent. If you do, rework your app (ps, secondaries, ec descriptions, etc)...nothing should be 100% identical between the 2 amcas printouts.

Please be sure to apply the day amcas opens and submit secondaries asap.

Worry about your interviewing a little later... i think there was some other problem behind your situation.
 
Which schools did you apply to this year? Did you apply top heavy?
 
I admit that list was pretty top heavy/research-intensive schools, especially since I am doing full time research right now.
Even though I start work on my apps right now, I don't think I can improve my application that much from last year. I will have ~9 months full time research, ~50 hours shadowing, and maybe about 50 hours volunteering. I can definitely add more low tier schools this time and apply a lot more broadly.

Would it still be okay without having done too much throughout this year and reapply?
 
I admit that list was pretty top heavy/research-intensive schools, especially since I am doing full time research right now.
Even though I start work on my apps right now, I don't think I can improve my application that much from last year. I will have ~9 months full time research, ~50 hours shadowing, and maybe about 50 hours volunteering. I can definitely add more low tier schools this time and apply a lot more broadly.

Would it still be okay without having done too much throughout this year and reapply?


You may have the same problem if you again have a very top heavy list. And the low tiers will think you're using them as safeties. Apply to some mid tiers.
 
That MCAT should be your ticket into med school. Apply early, get some volunteering in, maybe rewrite your PS and secondary essays (and have someone read over them, if you didn't this cycle), practice practice practice at interviewing, and you should be golden next cycle.
 
This is what scares the **** out of me about applying with 3.98/4.0/34R this cycle... I am very glad I found SDN when I did because I will be applying MUCH more broadly than I had planned, and I will not put myself above any MD school in the US. It's easy to start feeling smart when you're out in the general state school premed population, but as soon as I found SDN I was humbled by the competition and the stories on here made me step back and reevaluate.
 
What's to lose? Money, wasted effort, and morale. Is the MCAT your "ticket in"? Overly simplistic view. Your score is awesome by most standards, but will still be subpar at some of the top schools.

I agree that the problem is not likely with your numbers. I'd say give some serious thought to these things: clinical exposure (non-shadowing), personal statement (get a broad sample of opinions regarding yours including adcoms if possible), and definitely....interview skills (how you are answering questions, your demeanor, what your answers actually are, etc). Work on these things, and it wouldn't kill you to wait a year if there are significant weaknesses you need to address otherwise. Lastly, and it probably goes without saying, evaluate exactly to which schools you are applying. This ish is super competitive, especially at top schools, and even though you may be an awesome candidate, you might only pass for average or less at some places.

Good luck no matter your chosen course!
 
This is what scares the **** out of me about applying with 3.98/4.0/34R this cycle... I am very glad I found SDN when I did because I will be applying MUCH more broadly than I had planned, and I will not put myself above any MD school in the US. It's easy to start feeling smart when you're out in the general state school premed population, but as soon as I found SDN I was humbled by the competition and the stories on here made me step back and reevaluate.

:thumbup: At least you figured it out before you applied. My premed advisor always advocated applying very broadly....15-20 schools. I'm surprised premeds at many others schools seemed to have gotten different advice. With your stats you should be fine as long as you apply smart and write some good essays.
 
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