Do schools reject based on where you are from?

[KennethPowersMD]

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For example, I am a lifelong NYC native. I interviewed at my share of competitive programs so my application is pretty good. However, where I interviewed has been limited to cities, like: NYC, Philly, Boston, and LA .

While my application is pretty good, I have been rejected by "safeties" in the midwest, like SLU, Iowa, Ohio state, RFU. Even Case Western, which is a moderate reach for me rejected me.

Do schools reject based on where you are from? I should be more specific and say this is meant for people who are lifelong residents of a city, like NYC, Boston, philly, San fran, etc?

 

[7331poas]

In state schools give in state preference. This also existed in undergrad...

 

[gyngyn]

State of residence may contribute to the perception of a low yield for an OOS interview.
CA applicants are high yield, TX is low...

 

[The Knife & Gun Club]

No, but there are many schools that practice resource protection, so they wont interview someone if they don't think you will attend.

If you have scores beyond the 90th percentile, some schools may just pass.

n=1 but My hometown DO program outright rejected me early on, while I had success at schools I thought were reaches.

 

[Officer Farva]

Not to hijack the OP's thread, but I am curious about the converse. Meaning, I have seen plenty of intelligent people at big city med school interviews who never left their home state who end up getting accepted. Could it benefit some applicants from smaller towns/rural areas to apply since they add "geographic diversity" to big city programs, while "big city applicants" who apply can come off as "too good/posh" for rural/small town/small city programs?

 

[The Knife & Gun Club]

Not to hijack the OP's thread, but I am curious about the converse. Meaning, I have seen plenty of intelligent people at big city med school interviews who never left their home state who end up getting accepted. Could it benefit some applicants from smaller towns/rural areas to apply since they add "geographic diversity" to big city programs, while "big city applicants" who apply can come off as "too good/posh" for rural/small town/small city programs?

I have not seen this trend in any of my peers. I'd defer to the adcoms but my experience has been that its is really just based on "fit" and making a compelling argument. If you say to Columbia "I've lived in a city all my life and am passionate about working with underserved urban populations" that probably caries more weight than someone who can not cite a specific disposition for a given area.

Same would hold true for rural schools. It matters less where your from and more if you can articulate a good reason why you fit with that schools environment.

 

[order66.exe]

Not to hijack the OP's thread, but I am curious about the converse. Meaning, I have seen plenty of intelligent people at big city med school interviews who never left their home state who end up getting accepted. Could it benefit some applicants from smaller towns/rural areas to apply since they add "geographic diversity" to big city programs, while "big city applicants" who apply can come off as "too good/posh" for rural/small town/small city programs?

I think this depends on the school. HMS takes a lot of ivy leaguers, but they also specifically try to recruit students from as many areas/backgrounds around the united states as possible.

 

[heysnow]

I have not seen this trend in any of my peers. I'd defer to the adcoms but my experience has been that its is really just based on "fit" and making a compelling argument. If you say to Columbia "I've lived in a city all my life and am passionate about working with underserved urban populations" that probably caries more weight than someone who can not cite a specific disposition for a given area.

I also imagine a NY or Chicago native would be very "low yield" to rural areas like West Virginia or North Dakota. Whereas at least someone who grew up in a rural area in say WV could make a case for perhaps UND.

 

[The Knife & Gun Club]

I also imagine a NY or Chicago native would be very "low yield" to rural areas like West Virginia or North Dakota. Whereas at least someone who grew up in a rural area in say WV could make a case for perhaps UND.

Very true. You also start to deal with OOS state school bias at most rural schools though. Also alot of rural schools are mission based, to serve their states population (like VCOM), and coming from a place like NYC or Boston your app probably doesn't scream "RURAL MEDICINE FTW"

The privates almost always seem to cluster in Big cities, with a few exceptions like maybe Wake forest (only one I can think of at the moment).

 

[Officer Farva]

I feel that big city schools are extremely friendly to rural/suburban/small city people in general. Maybe because the interviewers have a "big city" mentality which thinks, "Who wouldn't want to live here, we are awesome!". That could help with the geographic diversity theory for big city schools.

I have met some medical students at Manhattan schools that are still afraid of taking the subway or staying out past sunset, or whose idea of a nice night on the town involves going to Olive Garden in Time Square, so they seem to not mind this crowd?