Does the state you live in have an impact?

[Psyched*Out]

Outside of higher acceptance rates to instate programs, does the state you live in make a difference in admissions? I was looking at matriculant data for some schools and I noticed that the vast majority of the schools I looked at (>20) had no matriculants from my state in the last year. I don't know if I should be concerned, or if that data is by virtue of my state having a lesser population and perhaps less high achieving students than places like CA or NY.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Goro]

CA is a net exporter of medical students, for one.

 

[DocSherman]

CA is a net exporter of medical students, for one.

Unfortunately...

Its like they hate their own folks, though it is because there are plenty of capable applicants up and down the state.

 

[LunaOri]

I wouldn’t worry too much. Many applicants try to go to a school that can be easily reached from their home base.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Outside of higher acceptance rates to instate programs, does the state you live in make a difference in admissions? I was looking at matriculant data for some schools and I noticed that the vast majority of the schools I looked at (>20) had no matriculants from my state in the last year. I don't know if I should be concerned, or if that data is by virtue of my state having a lesser population and perhaps less high achieving students than places like CA or NY.

I'm not sure what you are asking. It depends on how many applicants there are from a state and how many in-state seats are available. Then there are the preferences each school abides by for their own in-state residents. Finally, applicants do not apply randomly to schools so matriculant data can be a proxy for applicant preference as well.

FWIW

https://www.aamc.org/media/6006/download

 

[Obnoxious Dad]

Outside of higher acceptance rates to instate programs, does the state you live in make a difference in admissions? I was looking at matriculant data for some schools and I noticed that the vast majority of the schools I looked at (>20) had no matriculants from my state in the last year. I don't know if I should be concerned, or if that data is by virtue of my state having a lesser population and perhaps less high achieving students than places like CA or NY.

Anybody who tells you that state of residence is a non-factor in medical school admissions is full of beans. (Disregard the ratio of applicants to matriculants by state. It is meaningless because it does not account for self-exclusion.) All you have to do is look at the differences in average MCAT scores among matriculants by state to know that state of residence is key. See this.
https://www.aamc.org/media/6076/download?attachment

Years ago, I classified every allopathic medical school in the US and Puerto Rico as public, private, military and, due to language differences, in Puerto Rico. I then calculated the percentage of instate students by category and found the national instate percentage at private schools was about 35% and the instate percentage at public schools was about 79%. (You could do this today if you want to spend an hour or two. Remember there are a few private medical schools on state campuses such as Western Michigan University.)

https://www.aamc.org/media/5976/download?attachment

The file above is also available as an EXCEL file.

The high instate percentage at public schools stems from legal and political constraints. I think that the surprisingly high instate percentage at private schools stems from a variety of factors such as fund raising, preference for an institution's undergraduates, a tendency among applicants to apply close to home, legacy admits and yield management. Instate admissions at the most prestigious private schools tended to be lower than mid- tier and lowest tier. Dartmouth for example has entering classes that are less than 10% instate while Geisinger is typically around 70% instate.

 

[Goro]

Unfortunately...

Its like they hate their own folks, though it is because there are plenty of capable applicants up and down the state.

It's not that they hate their own students, it's that there are so many qualified applicants. UCLA premeds alone could fill each entering CA med school class.