Does Invitation Mean Anything

[LP1CW]

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I've gotten email invitations from a couple of schools asking me to apply, inviting me to apply. Does it mean anything? Does it mean I should consider these schools? What are your thoughts? One school, is a state school and I'm not from that state. They don't take many out of state applicants. Any thoughts would be cool.

 

[28129]

The whole applying part is a formality. Just walk into the financial aid office and say, "Show me the money!"

 

[LP1CW]

Maybe, I'm being skeptical, but could they just be out to get more money? I mean, is it possible that they use this as a way of increasing their applicants applying so they can generate some funds? Or are they really interested in us? All they have are MCAT scores, so what's the deal?

 

[28129]

Actually, they don't have your MCAT scores.

Only schools you apply to see your MCAT scores.

 

[LP1CW]

Oh, if they don't have your MCAT scores then how can they send you an invite saying that your MCAT score is competitive with their school. This is a direct qoute, "your recent MCAT scores
deem you eligible to apply."

 

[duncanfj]

Actually, if you didn't check that little box on your MCAT, they can see your scores. I don't want to sound too cynical, but it is marketing. It is a way for them to make a little extra money and hopefully increase (or maintain) their average MCAT score, which of course many people use as one way to judge the standing of a program. Think of how many people each year fall into the range of scores they look for. What is the cost of an email compared to the money they make from secondaries?

 

[Alcon]

There MAY be some way for these schools to contact only those with scores above a certain level (maybe they just buy a list of addresses from AAMC).

On the matter of whether or not this means anything, I believe the consensus out there is that it does not. I've gotten a bunch of these but don't really expect to get in to any of those schools.

 

[DW]

Originally posted by ShantanuThakur
Actually, they don't have your MCAT scores.

Only schools you apply to see your MCAT scores.

actually your mcat score itself IS made available to med schools before you apply if didnt chose to withhold them (which i'm not sure is even an option anymore), along with mail from podiatry schools and other random programs trying to recruit students. certaing schools will send out "please apply here letters" if you meet a certain mcat threshold....for ex, i got mail from wash u, pitt, upenn, and a few others, and i wasnt even going to apply to pitt until they sent me a bunch of "please apply here" mail.