Crazy Applied to/Accepted to Ratios

[rugger4]

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I know that the general consensus is to apply to 15 or so schools in hopes of getting 1 or 2 acceptances, but I was wanting to hear if some people had INSANE ratios of being accepted to like 10 out of 15 schools. Any stories from people like this? If so, how did you do so good? Did you have a 40 mcat, wonderful interviewing skills, and also created several hospitals in Africa?

 

[LizzyM]

I know that the general consensus is to apply to 15 or so schools in hopes of getting 1 or 2 acceptances, but I was wanting to hear if some people had INSANE ratios of being accepted to like 10 out of 15 schools. Any stories from people like this? If so, how did you do so good? Did you have a 40 mcat, wonderful interviewing skills, and also created several hospitals in Africa?

This is one of the greatest superstars I know of:

http://www.mdapplicants.com/profile.php?id=5547

 

[RTC19]

This is one of the greatest superstars I know of:

http://www.mdapplicants.com/profile.php?id=5547

Wow!

That EC list doesn't even seem real.

 

[LizzyM]

That EC list was incomplete. I know this person IRL. Applied after serving as an officer in the US Navy for >4 years.

 

[Kalydeco]

MDApps is great for this. I'd recommend looking through the 2013-2014 application threads for highly-ranked schools and browsing the MDApps of people active in those threads. There are several users that come to mind, but I'm no good at recalling specific SDN handles.

I had a ratio of about 1:2 of acceptances:applications and I think the following is necessary to attain that ratio. It's basically the formula for a single acceptance, executed optimally:

• You need both a high (35+) MCAT AND a high (3.8+) GPA. Having either will garner you acceptances, but not in the ratios you're asking about
• Demonstration of commitment, including leadership, in multiple extracurriculars
• Significant research experience, which you personally drove from hypothesis to conclusion (usually including a publication). If it's not biomedical research, at least make sure it demonstrates your intellectual curiosity and your ability to produce original scholarship
• Interesting, novel experiences outside of medicine
• Very good LORs
• URM status (helpful, not required)
• Prestigious undergraduate (helpful, not required)
• A cohesive, unique narrative that shows how your experiences have motivated you to become a physician and how your journey sets you up to be a successful medical student. Realize that while your experiences may be very similar to other applicants, your application's narrative is yours alone. Make it compelling!
  
• The ability to articulate that narrative eloquently in writing (AMCAS activities, PS, and secondaries) and in speech (interviews)

 

[giraffesuptop]

I think that mdapps profile was edited since this thread started bc the listed ecs don't seem as insane as some of the posters described. Can anyone tell what those insane ecs are? I'm curious

 

[LizzyM]

I think that mdapps profile was edited since this thread started bc the listed ecs don't seem as insane as some of the posters described. Can anyone tell what those insane ecs are? I'm curious

I highly doubt that it was edited in the few hours between the posts here today. That guy has not been online here in years. The point of the mdapplicants post was to demonstrate that some folks do get into~ 50% of the schools they apply to.

Insane ECs since you asked:

Active duty US Military
Appearance in a documentary film about an important topic
Varsity athlete at a D1 school.
Professional athlete even if minor league and/or Olympic tryouts.
Peace Corps, Teach for America, City Year, __Volunteer Corps (there are a bunch of these affiliated with groups such as Lutherans, Jesuits, etc)
Fulbright Scholarship to do research abroad after college
Professional in the performing arts

interesting, those that come to mind all required 1 or more years after college, except the film experience, varsity athletes & Olympic tryouts

 

[giraffesuptop]

I highly doubt that it was edited in the few hours between the posts here today. That guy has not been online here in years. The point of the mdapplicants post was to demonstrate that some folks do get into~ 50% of the schools they apply to.

Insane ECs since you asked:

Active duty US Military
Appearance in a documentary film about an important topic
Varsity athlete at a D1 school.
Professional athlete even if minor league and/or Olympic tryouts.
Peace Corps, Teach for America, City Year, __Volunteer Corps (there are a bunch of these affiliated with groups such as Lutherans, Jesuits, etc)
Fulbright Scholarship to do research abroad after college
Professional in the performing arts

interesting, those that come to mind all required 1 or more years after college, except the film experience, varsity athletes & Olympic tryouts

Wow that is impressive. Their mdapps didn't list any of that so it must have been edited sometime in the past

 

[Euxox]

@Narmerguy
Enough said. 🙂

 

[SN12357]

I know that the general consensus is to apply to 15 or so schools in hopes of getting 1 or 2 acceptances, but I was wanting to hear if some people had INSANE ratios of being accepted to like 10 out of 15 schools. Any stories from people like this? If so, how did you do so good? Did you have a 40 mcat, wonderful interviewing skills, and also created several hospitals in Africa?

I know someone who was accepted to every school they applied to. They only applied to a small handful of Top 20 research schools. Specifics would be too identifiable but suffice it to say they deserved every acceptance and I am very glad that this person will be contributing to the medical profession in the future.

These people are very, very, very rare. This person also applied at the last minute. A more perfect illustration of why average applicants should apply early early early does not exist. Because those last few interview seats? They aren't going to the average applicant. The schools are holding them for people like this.

 

[LizzyM]

Wow that is impressive. Their mdapps didn't list any of that so it must have been edited sometime in the past

The mdapp I listed in #2 above is a graduate of the Naval Academy who was active duty military. Those other ECs are examples of other exceptional ECs I have seen in my years as an adcom member. I doubt there is any one person who has more than one or two of those "insane ECs" from that list but among the 40,000 applicants in a given year, I bet every one of those "insane ECs" are represented.

 

[godawg300]

A friend of mine got into all the top tier schools he applied to for MD/PhD so 8 for 8. He had a 35 MCAT and 3.9 from my school (top 3) and his father happens to be dean of admissions at a nice med school too 🙂

 

[nemo123]

Look around MDApps... There are a handful of people like that and they list their ECs as well.

Here a few to get the ball rolling: http://mdapplicants.com/profile.php?id=24705
http://mdapplicants.com/profile.php?id=26840
http://mdapplicants.com/profile.php?id=28159
http://mdapplicants.com/profile.php?id=23098 (Her ECs are in the blog section of her MDApps)
http://mdapplicants.com/profile.php?id=28734 (She doesn't list her ECs, but she's around SDN, so you can ask her about her ECs if you want)

 

[Lawpy]

@Narmerguy
Enough said. 🙂

Yup and the usual along with.. @Euxox!

 

[hoihaie]

The mdapp I listed in #2 above is a graduate of the Naval Academy who was active duty military. Those other ECs are examples of other exceptional ECs I have seen in my years as an adcom member. I doubt there is any one person who has more than one or two of those "insane ECs" from that list but among the 40,000 applicants in a given year, I bet every one of those "insane ECs" are represented.

ohhh i thought that was all the same guy haha.... that would've been extra extra impressive

 

[RedPhys]

The mdapp I listed in #2 above is a graduate of the Naval Academy who was active duty military. Those other ECs are examples of other exceptional ECs I have seen in my years as an adcom member. I doubt there is any one person who has more than one or two of those "insane ECs" from that list but among the 40,000 applicants in a given year, I bet every one of those "insane ECs" are represented.

Is the City Year really that impressive? Most pre-meds I know that had nothing to do for their gap year did it...most seemed to get accepted easily.

 

[LizzyM]

Is the City Year really that impressive? Most pre-meds I know that had nothing to do for their gap year did it...most seemed to get accepted easily.

It is not that it is easy to get in; it is that it is community service with a low stipend. If you can do that with a smile and with flexibility and without judgment, you've got something we like to see in an applicant.

 

[tantacles]

The mdapp I listed in #2 above is a graduate of the Naval Academy who was active duty military. Those other ECs are examples of other exceptional ECs I have seen in my years as an adcom member. I doubt there is any one person who has more than one or two of those "insane ECs" from that list but among the 40,000 applicants in a given year, I bet every one of those "insane ECs" are represented.

Maybe I should have emphasized my professional singing more; oops!

 

[deanthedream17]

I highly doubt that it was edited in the few hours between the posts here today. That guy has not been online here in years. The point of the mdapplicants post was to demonstrate that some folks do get into~ 50% of the schools they apply to.

Insane ECs since you asked:

Active duty US Military
Appearance in a documentary film about an important topic
Varsity athlete at a D1 school.
Professional athlete even if minor league and/or Olympic tryouts.
Peace Corps, Teach for America, City Year, __Volunteer Corps (there are a bunch of these affiliated with groups such as Lutherans, Jesuits, etc)
Fulbright Scholarship to do research abroad after college
Professional in the performing arts

interesting, those that come to mind all required 1 or more years after college, except the film experience, varsity athletes & Olympic tryouts

Do you know what he is doing today?

 

[LizzyM]

Do you know what he is doing today?

Yes. but I'd rather preserve his privacy.

 

[Spinach Dip]

Year 1: 0/10

Year 2: ??/20



Yeah, that's me.

 

[Ace-Co-A]

A friend of mine got into all the top tier schools he applied to for MD/PhD so 8 for 8. He had a 35 MCAT and 3.9 from my school (top 3) and his father happens to be dean of admissions at a nice med school too 🙂

What were his nasty ECs tho?