After going through this long application cycle as well as becoming a regular viewer on sdn since last summer, I've noticed something kinda shady that most DO schools with branch campuses do.
The schools with branch campuses mostly all say that applying to one location doesn't affect your chances at another location and even have separate application fees for each of their campuses. If this were really true, I would not have a problem with paying.
However, it seems like alot of schools do indeed keep track of which branch you interview at and in turn, "toss" away your app for others even though you paid separate fees for each. Here are some examples I have found from either personal experience or meticulous sdn searching.
PCOM: requires app fee for all 3 locations and will claim to the death that chances at one place is independent of the others. What they fail to mention is that this seems true only for the GA and SoGA locations. There are tons of ppl getting interviews to both. However, there wasnt a single person on sdn this year, last year or any year to date that got an II to GA and PA.
LECOM: also requires app fee for all locations. Then proceeds to ask on their secondary which campus you'd prefer which I presume would put your app either further on one and lower on the others. I got an II at my preference and got ghosted by the others. Then why did I pay for all three?
TOURO: has a flat $200 secondary fee and asks if you want to be considered for either Harlem, Middletown or both. Again, no one in history seems to have interviewed at both.
This is mostly a rant but I think it's rather disingenuous and misleading to present the image that every campus will look at your app equally independent, and require separate fees when the posts on sdn spanning the past few years dont add up. Maybe I'm just being a rogue sleuth trying to figure out and expose what goes on in admissions and should best just stay quiet. My only proof lies in my personal experience and reading sdn posts but if anyone else wants to chime in feel free. This could help future applicants not waste their time and money as they will think applying to every branch will increase their chances when really, they are probably just wasting money. Just something that's been on my mind the entire cycle.
The schools with branch campuses mostly all say that applying to one location doesn't affect your chances at another location and even have separate application fees for each of their campuses. If this were really true, I would not have a problem with paying.
However, it seems like alot of schools do indeed keep track of which branch you interview at and in turn, "toss" away your app for others even though you paid separate fees for each. Here are some examples I have found from either personal experience or meticulous sdn searching.
PCOM: requires app fee for all 3 locations and will claim to the death that chances at one place is independent of the others. What they fail to mention is that this seems true only for the GA and SoGA locations. There are tons of ppl getting interviews to both. However, there wasnt a single person on sdn this year, last year or any year to date that got an II to GA and PA.
LECOM: also requires app fee for all locations. Then proceeds to ask on their secondary which campus you'd prefer which I presume would put your app either further on one and lower on the others. I got an II at my preference and got ghosted by the others. Then why did I pay for all three?
TOURO: has a flat $200 secondary fee and asks if you want to be considered for either Harlem, Middletown or both. Again, no one in history seems to have interviewed at both.
This is mostly a rant but I think it's rather disingenuous and misleading to present the image that every campus will look at your app equally independent, and require separate fees when the posts on sdn spanning the past few years dont add up. Maybe I'm just being a rogue sleuth trying to figure out and expose what goes on in admissions and should best just stay quiet. My only proof lies in my personal experience and reading sdn posts but if anyone else wants to chime in feel free. This could help future applicants not waste their time and money as they will think applying to every branch will increase their chances when really, they are probably just wasting money. Just something that's been on my mind the entire cycle.
