Dubious milestone: first rejection

[student1799]

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I knew this was bound to happen sooner or later, but I can't believe the school: SUNY Downstate. This is one of my state schools, I've lived in NYC my whole life, and my stats are above average for students they admit--but I was rejected without an interview, even though they interview 1/3 of their instate applicants. (It must be my unbalanced MCAT score: 31 total but 7 in PS.)

Well, if they're that robotic about MCAT scores, it's their loss. I look forward to the day when I have an acceptance from a better school. (I have 2 interviews so far, including one at a different SUNY. Somehow I was good enough for THEM to talk to.)

Anyone else who wants to vent about their rejections is welcome to join me.

 

[njbmd]

You are only competitive within the pool of applicants to this school this year. Averages from previous years generally do not account for what is happening at the present point in time. Perhaps this year, they had more candidates with higher numbers or perhaps they saw something in your application that they didn't like. Who knows other than the folks who are on that particular admissions committee? It might be worth a call to the admissions department to see if you can get some info (or even an e-mail).

For my two schools, this year's averages are up considerably but both of my schools are private. I know that what probably would have gotten you in last year is below the averages for this year in terms of numbers. This is just the observations at two schools for two parameters. We also list others too. Some schools may have dropped in their averages or again, the wind might have been blowing from the east when they read your application.

You have two interviews and thus, two shots at acceptances. There are plenty of folks out there with none. Vent but don't try to second-guess why things fell the way they did. Things change from year to year and you are in competition with that pool of folks who applied the same year you did.

 

[student1799]

It might be worth a call to the admissions department to see if you can get some info (or even an e-mail).

Easier said than done. I am quoting right from the rejection letter: "It is not our policy to discuss the Committee's decision by telephone, so please do not call the Admissions Office. ...[Y]our first step should be to schedule an appointment with your premedical advisor ... If you are unsuccessful in gaining admission to medical school this year and do not have access to a premedical advisor, you may submit a request for advisement to us via email ... between April 1- September 1, 2009."

In other words, "Get lost."

 

[DrMidlife]

Easier said than done. I am quoting right from the rejection letter: "It is not our policy to discuss the Committee's decision by telephone, so please do not call the Admissions Office. ...[Y]our first step should be to schedule an appointment with your premedical advisor ... If you are unsuccessful in gaining admission to medical school this year and do not have access to a premedical advisor, you may submit a request for advisement to us via email ... between April 1- September 1, 2009."

In other words, "Get lost."

Not really. Get that request in and see if you need it or not by the time you get it. My state school puts a lot of content into these reviews, and you sit down with the dean of admissions. But it doesn't do them until June - thus requiring that any reapp process will take at least 2 years...

 

[Moki]

I received one at 2:30 pm on Thanksgiving. I'm thinking about writing the Dean of Admission to bring this timing oversight to their attention.

 

[ChairmanMao]

Easier said than done. I am quoting right from the rejection letter: "It is not our policy to discuss the Committee's decision by telephone, so please do not call the Admissions Office. ...[Y]our first step should be to schedule an appointment with your premedical advisor ... If you are unsuccessful in gaining admission to medical school this year and do not have access to a premedical advisor, you may submit a request for advisement to us via email ... between April 1- September 1, 2009."

In other words, "Get lost."

You can try and schedule a meeting and talk things over after this application season, but to be honest, I don't think they're going to tell you anything you didn't already know. The reason why they rejected you was probably because of the unbalanced MCAT score and the low cumulative GPA (even though it's been 25 years).

If they choose to be so robotic about grades and scores, then fine with them, but since you already have 2 interviews and the odds of being accepted after an interview are 50/50 at most schools, I'd say you probably have a good chance of being accepted assuming you sell your story to the ADCOM come next spring.

 

[NTF]

Sorry to hear it. Stay strong. You've got two interviews which is more than a lot of applicants can say.

Only takes one acceptance to make a physician.

 

[princekc]

Anyone else who wants to vent about their rejections is welcome to join me.

..I have not apply yet but will next yr and will be applying all NY state sch. My question is, did you apply at SUNY buffalo? As a Nontrad student, my strategy next year is to apply broadly (MD/DO). Generally speaking, as we all know, DO sch looks more promising for nontrad student than MD sch. At least, if rejected by all MD sch, with one DO acceptance in hand, one can hang their hopes on it.

 

[princekc]

I knew this was bound to happen sooner or later, but I can't believe the school: SUNY Downstate. This is one of my state schools, I've lived in NYC my whole life, and my stats are above average for students they admit--but I was rejected without an interview, even though they interview 1/3 of their instate applicants. (It must be my unbalanced MCAT score: 31 total but 7 in PS.)

...don't be distracted by one rejection. You need to focus on your upcoming interview.

 

[DrMidlife]

Generally speaking, as we all know, DO sch looks more promising for nontrad student than MD sch.

I completely disagree. If our credentials are strong, MD schools are happy to let us in. If our credentials are NOT strong, it's insipid to blame nontrad discrimination.

That said, as an over-40 candidate with weak credentials, I can attest that only one out of 45 MD/DO schools saw sufficient merit in my life experience, and my ability to coolly handle a confrontational interview, that my crap GPA was forgiven. And it was a DO school.

 

[dragonfly99]

OP,
You need to learn not to take this personally. You are going to get a lot of rejections. Even people with above average GPA's and MCAT scores get rejections. Sometimes you just don't fit the profile of what a particular school is looking for. The average stats of accepted students don't tell you how many additional folks who also had the average stats for that school last year got REJECTED last year...I'm sure there were plenty of those. Competition at state med schools actually can get pretty fierce because they usually have better/lower tuition than other schools. You need to forget the places that rejected you, at least for a few months, and focus on the interviews you do have. If April rolls around and still no acceptances in site, then you can ask the adcom to review your file next summer. I don't blame them for not offering to review every single rejected applicant's file over the phone...that would be hugely time consuming with some schools getting thousands of applicants.

 

[student1799]

I'm not taking this personally--I just wanted to have a good vent. But you guys got all serious on me and took the fun out of it.