Has anyone called schools and asked directly why you were rejected?

[Ruhroh]

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So a few weeks ago I got rejected from a school I really wanted to interview at. I thought I had a good application, my stats were above their averages, etc.

I have no idea why I was rejected, and it is still eating away at me. I have been wanting to call the admissions office directly and just ask why, but I am worried this might look confrontational. At the the same time, I am already rejected, so what's the worst that could happen?

Has anyone done this in the past? Is it something frowned upon, or will someone talk with you diplomatically about everything?

 

[Geebeejay]

So a few weeks ago I got rejected from a school I really wanted to interview at. I thought I had a good application, my stats were above their averages, etc.

I have no idea why I was rejected, and it is still eating away at me. I have been wanting to call the admissions office directly and just ask why, but I am worried this might look confrontational. At the the same time, I am already rejected, so what's the worst that could happen?

Has anyone done this in the past? Is it something frowned upon, or will someone talk with you diplomatically about everything?

Well, sorry if this comes off rude, but it's not like they're going to reject you twice if you call. Worst case is they don't tell you why, so what have you got to lose? I doubt they'll tell you anywhere close to "everything", but maybe you'll get some basic info.

 

[Ruhroh]

But even if I call, will whoever answers the phone be able to answer why exactly I was rejected? Like, is there a short summary somewhere on my file she will be able to look at, or will she have to spend 5 minutes guessing why I was rejected?

 

[DAPI]

I highly doubt anyone will tell you anything significant. Schools cannot do this for every applicant because they get thousands so it’s unlikely they will even do it for one because it would set a precedent that they provide feedback for pre-interview rejections. Sure, they may say you did not meet their mission or did not have the type of volunteer commitment they like to see or something, but that's probably what they tell everyone as it's vague enough to cover most people.

Also, if the person that answers the phone doesn't know, they will probably just tell you they do not provide that type of feedback and not give you the phone number of the person that may actually know the answer.

 

[aspiringdoc09]

I have but it was due to my low MCAT. I knew that much! If I could have gotten my MCAT up high, I'm more than confident I would have gotten more interviews and maybe at some top schools too. I know for a fact that if I would have gotten interviews that interviewing wouldn't be an issue. Therefore, if you are able to get an interview the acceptance is yours to lose.

 

[FSU2013]

But even if I call, will whoever answers the phone be able to answer why exactly I was rejected? Like, is there a short summary somewhere on my file she will be able to look at, or will she have to spend 5 minutes guessing why I was rejected?

He or she may be able to answer the question, but I doubt you'd find out too much. I don't think they'll say "the interviewer thought you were a tool" or "we liked you, but needed to admit more (minorities, males, females, people with interest in primary care)" or "your stats were too high, we thought we were your backup"

 

[sinombre]

I have but it was due to my low MCAT. I knew that much! If I could have gotten my MCAT up high, I'm more than confident I would have gotten more interviews and maybe at some top schools too. I know for a fact that if I would have gotten interviews that interviewing wouldn't be an issue. Therefore, if you are able to get an interview the acceptance is yours to lose.

This really depends on the school. It sure would be nice if this was the case everywhere.

As for the original question: I've been wondering the same thing. I imagine it's easier to get feedback for a post-interview rejection.