Hopkins Rejection :(

[kreno]

Just got my Hopkins rejection today. I suck. Anyone else?

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[kreno]

And what sucks is I got interviews at UofM and Pitt. Weird. 33S mcat, 3.8. strange. any ideas?

 

[Street Philosopher]

i've haven't gotten anything except debt. i guess you're position is a little more exciting than mine.

 

[VirtuoJ]

sorry to hear that kreno. by the way, when was your hopkins app complete? i'm just wondering when to expect to hear from them. thanks.

 

[kreno]

My application was turned in three weeks ago... around late august. ****ty.

 

[SMW]

That's too bad, but don't be too hard on yourself. You can't expect not to get any rejections, especially from top-ranked schools (and even from lower tier schools, sometimes they reject 'cuz they think you won't come). At least you got a couple of interviews first. Count your blessings!! The process cannot be completely rational; there are just too many qualified applicants for the available slots. Btw, an application is more than just numbers. Maybe there was a small weakness somewhere else in the app? Just something to think about. Best of luck with the remainder of your apps!!

 

[dr kevin40]

ok those #s also were not such that a rejection should not have been in the realm of possibilities.rejections from top schools r normal so don't beat yourself over it. stay positive

 

[Cambrian]

that's nothing to worry about. A classmate of mine here at UCSD Med has a 40 on his MCAT, a 3.8 GPA, an interview at Hopkins but was eventually rejected.

 

[MedApp2003]

I kind of agree with Dr. K. Your numbers are very good, and I am sure you will get many interviews, but honestly your MCAT scores are a little low for Hopkins, and your GPA is even below their average, so it is not totally unthinkable.

I think that many people are underestimating the number of people with amazing stats. Not that stats are everything. But I think there are really a fair number of people with 40+ MCATS and 3.8+ GPAs. What I mean is that if a school wanted to, they could find enough people with these stats to fill their class. I go to a prestigous undergrad and really about half the people I know applying to med schools had 40+ MCATS and 3.8+ GPAs.

 

[VirtuoJ]

Damn... I got my mail today and there was my Hopkins rejection. I dunno what happened... 3.85, 36, lots of research + extracurriculars, ivy league undergrad... I thought I at least had a good chance at an interview. Damn, this sucks!

 

[kreno]

Jeez Vituo. I'm sorry. I mean, yeah, I agree with you guys, my stats are definiately below the average for Hopkins, I know. But this guy, 3.85 and 36 mcat. jeez.. no interview. I wonder what they want.

 

[relatively prime]

Originally posted by MedApp2003


I think that many people are underestimating the number of people with amazing stats. Not that stats are everything. But I think there are really a fair number of people with 40+ MCATS and 3.8+ GPAs. What I mean is that if a school wanted to, they could find enough people with these stats to fill their class. I go to a prestigous undergrad and really about half the people I know applying to med schools had 40+ MCATS and 3.8+ GPAs.

That is so not true... there may be a lot of people with 3.8+ gpas... but there are very very very few people with 40+ MCATs. The average MCAT at WashU (the highest average) is still only a 36. Harvard and JHU have averages of 33/34... there simply aren't a lot of people with a 40... only maybe 0.01 percent of med school applicants score that high.

 

[xaelia]

I'm sure, if my application had been completed earlier, that I'd have my rejection already as well.

I don't think there's any point to analyzing the numbers behind the rejections of the top schools. Certainly, if one of these schools wants to fill its class with high MCATs (read: WashU), they can do so - I imagine in their position they're more interested in making a diverse class with as wide a variety of experience and expertise while still remaining academically competitive. Translation: Hopkins would be a pretty lame school if they were filled with cookie-cutter premeds with 3.8+ GPA, 35+ MCAT, standard volunteer and research experience. So, some people will lose out to others they would perceive to be less qualified, but in reality bring something non-numerical to the table.

 

[kreno]

I totally agree, we can't just analyze the numbers. But as far as medically related and non-medically related extracurricular, I've got some really unique ones. Was in Kosovo volunteering at Refugee camps. Interned at public health institutes in Serbia. Studied the Greek health care system for a year while living there - learned the language. Worked as an EMT. I dunno, i think it's just a toss up 'cuz I know virtuo has similarly good extracurriculars.

 

[VirtuoJ]

hey kreno,

i feel you. i'm totally bummed too. it was my first rejection and i don't take them too well. yeah i know hopkins in damn hard to get into, but i thought i deserved at least an interview. and like you, i had unique experiences too that i thought would make me stand out.

 

[Kermie]

Kreno - if I were on the Stanford Adcom, I would want to interview you! It is their loss. It sounds like you have some great EC's. I am sure you will do very well with your other applications.

 

[Kermie]

Oops I meant Hopkins.

 

[GoodMonkey]

ah, this is just another reminder to me of what a crapshoot this whole process is.

kreno, i'm also 33S and 3.8 (and i'm from michigan too!) but have only heard "your app is now complete" from hopkins. that's not to say the thin envelope will not be in my mailbox today.... grr. i mean, maybe they just didn't like your use of the word "the" in the personal statement, or they have something against the town of Hell, Michigan. and think everyone from michigan is from there. seriously, great job on getting some interviews already and just keep your chin up. it's a gamble for all of us. but at least we're gambling together.

 

[geneman]

What about your recommendations? It might be the X-factor that pushes your app one way or the other. I know my rec's were pretty darn good, but based on this thread, guess my rejection letter's in the mail too.

 

[Kermie]

You can also call them up and ask them why they rejected you. You don't have anything to lose.

 

[Random Access]

Well the good news is that you don't have to worry about getting shot or knifed in that area of Baltimore.

Alas, the process is a crap shoot. Keep the faith...


-RA

 

[NineSixteen]

Originally posted by Random Access
Well the good news is that you don't have to worry about getting shot or knifed in that area of Baltimore.

Yep, just need to worry about getting shot or knifed in Boston, or New York, or DC, or LA, or fill-in-the-blank any city in America. No need to resort to Baltimore-bashing to comfort the man.

It is really the biggest most random process ever. You'll get in somewhere, and that place is the place that you are meant to be. For some reason, Hopkins wasn't it. But you will get accepted into your perfect school, even if you don't know that it is perfect for you yet!

 

[Random Access]

Originally posted by NineSixteen
Yep, just need to worry about getting shot or knifed in Boston, or New York, or DC, or LA, or fill-in-the-blank any city in America. No need to resort to Baltimore-bashing to comfort the man.

I've heard that Hopkins Med is in a pretty rough neighborhood. At least according to my cousin who went there. It wasn't just Baltimore-bashing for the sake of its being Baltimore (although one of my frosh year roommates who is from Baltimore liked to do a bunch of that). For example, it wouldn't be as likely for UCLA, since that's in an affluent neighborhood...

-RA

 

[famousdoc2b]

My application for Hopkins was submitted on August 11 while my file was completed a week ago. Unlike most of the people here, I haven't heard nor received any information from them. Concerning the letters of rejection, what exactly did the letters say?

 

[LizardKing]

Yea, Hopkins Med is a rough area. I've worked in the worst parts of Los Angeles, but here in East Baltimore is probably worse.

Originally posted by Random Access
I've heard that Hopkins Med is in a pretty rough neighborhood. At least according to my cousin who went there. It wasn't just Baltimore-bashing for the sake of its being Baltimore (although one of my frosh year roommates who is from Baltimore liked to do a bunch of that). For example, it wouldn't be as likely for UCLA, since that's in an affluent neighborhood...

-RA

 

[cabruen]

I posted the letter on my web site so anybody who is interested in reading what they said can read it.

www.charlesbruen.com

Even though I had expected it, getting the official rejection still hurts....real bad.

 

[shamthis]

Originally posted by Street Philosopher
i've haven't gotten anything except debt. i guess you're position is a little more exciting than mine.

amen

 

[dl2dp2]

Everybody, could you post your date of application completion (i.e. the date when you received the confirmation e-mail) and a synopsis of your stats (just a rough one i.e. GPA >3.7 etc)

I got my confirmation letter late August and still haven't heard anything from them. I'm applying MSTP though.

 

[GoodMonkey]

sluox,
i got my conf. email sometime around when you did (aug 22nd or so?) and haven't heard piddly squat. but i guess piddly squat is better than one of the alternatives (no, goodmonkey, what were you thinking, we don't want you) that i could get in the mail, right?

 

[relatively prime]

Originally posted by cabruen
I posted the letter on my web site so anybody who is interested in reading what they said can read it.

www.charlesbruen.com

Even though I had expected it, getting the official rejection still hurts....real bad.

Wow you're applying to a LOT of schools.

 

[cabruen]

34 (6 TMDSAS, 2 Independent, 26 AMCAS). I was very nervous about my dismal undergraduate GPA and being decidely non-traditional. It was a misery getting all of the secondaries completed. Even with the normal randomness of the application process, the schools seem to be even more random on their reaction to my application. I have heard nothing from UTMB and UT Houston (low end Texas schools), and yet Vanderbilt called and personally invited me to an interview. Go figure. The number of schools may be high, but I only want to go through this process ONCE.

For the JHU thread, I got the file complete email on Sep 6, and the letter got to my mailbox yesterday, Sep 20.

 

[SMW]

Good idea, cabruen, casting a wide net!

 

[cabruen]

I learned well at the feet of Dr. Foxy.

I think she mentioned to apply to a broad range of schools every other post.

 

[oldman]

don't worry rejection letters become a dime a dozen through this process. in fact i just got my final rejection letter (i'm already in med school) in mid august.

 

[Thewonderer]

Originally posted by xaelia
I'm sure, if my application had been completed earlier, that I'd have my rejection already as well.

I don't think there's any point to analyzing the numbers behind the rejections of the top schools. Certainly, if one of these schools wants to fill its class with high MCATs (read: WashU), they can do so - I imagine in their position they're more interested in making a diverse class with as wide a variety of experience and expertise while still remaining academically competitive. Translation: Hopkins would be a pretty lame school if they were filled with cookie-cutter premeds with 3.8+ GPA, 35+ MCAT, standard volunteer and research experience. So, some people will lose out to others they would perceive to be less qualified, but in reality bring something non-numerical to the table.

Hopkins and other top schools are filled with MANY cookie-cutter premeds, except they don't look for 3.8+ and 35+. Instead they are looking for 3.95+ and 38+.

 

[11000]

xaelia,

i'm just wondering where you get your information. are there really a lot of "cookie-cutter pre-meds" at hopkins?

swaroop

 

[SMW]

It was thewonderer who said there were a lot of cookie- cutter pre-meds at hopins, not xaelia. Xaelia said hopkins would be a lame place if it were filled with cookie-cutter pre-meds.

 

[LizardKing]

SWAROOP! What's up man.

Originally posted by swaroop1
xaelia,

i'm just wondering where you get your information. are there really a lot of "cookie-cutter pre-meds" at hopkins?

swaroop

 

[11000]

thanks, smw for correcting me! sorry, xaelia...

as for the only people at hopkins being those who have 3.95 GPAs and 38+ MCATs... that's pretty much ridiculous. spreading misinformation is not cool. we've got a wide range of people with differing scores, different experiences, etc.... just like any other med school.

LIZARDKING!! spreading love to my reed hall people...

take care all, and good luck with everything

swaroop

 

[NYC Non-Trad]

I also have a 3.85 and 36 and Hopkins and Stanford each rejected me for an interview. I think the main takeway is it really is a crapshoot and there are no absolutes. That is why even the most qualified applicants apply to so many schools. At any one school, you really never know.

I imagine that each school has a slightly different idea of what they look for: some favoring younger applicants, some appreciating non-trads more, some looking for extensive clinical experience, some looking for great research experience or some unique third world medical experience, etc.

Also, I realize now in rereading my Hopkins secondary app that doing my essays piecemeal without rereading the application in its entirety once they were all complete was not the wisest move. For example, my essays don't flow so well together and the writing was not my finest: (ie, starting two consecutive essays with "I particularly..."). But, no reason to overanalyze the process. Just a suggestion to future/current applicants that when working on a secondary with multiple essays, be sure to reread them together before submitting instead of tackling one at a time and assuming that once the last one was finished, the app is in its final form.

Good luck to all and let's not let these early rejections get us discouraged!

 

[NYC Non-Trad]

I could be wrong, but I was under the impression that Hopkins does not screen for secondaries... all AMCAS applicants are invited to submit one.

 

[NineSixteen]

Originally posted by scienceriot
(I'm soooo stupid- only have a 3.7 ).

My undergrad GPA was a 3.7

I think you're mom's a wise woman - do what she says

NineSixteen - JHUSOM Class of 2006

 

[scienceriot]

Originally posted by NineSixteen
My undergrad GPA was a 3.7

Oh god, I was only kidding- 3.7 is a great GPA. I was just thinking about all the SDNers who have ugrad GPAs of like 976.2, making me feel inadequate because of my occasional B+.

 

[SMW]

Originally posted by scienceriot
I got this little postcard, and my mom (SDN screenname Ma!, incidentally- that's how involved she is) is lobbying heavily for me to go ahead and do it, because, after all, I did get an invitation for the secondary.

However, I think they only want my 55 bucks. Though my mom did say that anything I have to do to reduce my chances of having to toil through this freaking process again next year is probably worth it.

Listen to your mommy! This process is totally and completely unpredictable, and you have as good a chance of getting in as anyone else they invite to do their secondary. So if you think you'd like to go there, get cracking on that secondary!! Good luck!!

 

[cabruen]

Go for it you feel like it and have the disposable income. But remember that all AMCAS applicants receive the postcard and are invited to complete a secondary. They have not done any initial screening.

 

[11000]

Originally posted by scienceriot
I was just thinking about all the SDNers who have ugrad GPAs of like 976.2

classic!

 

[Thewonderer]

Originally posted by swaroop1
thanks, smw for correcting me! sorry, xaelia...

as for the only people at hopkins being those who have 3.95 GPAs and 38+ MCATs... that's pretty much ridiculous. spreading misinformation is not cool. we've got a wide range of people with differing scores, different experiences, etc.... just like any other med school.

LIZARDKING!! spreading love to my reed hall people...

take care all, and good luck with everything

swaroop

If you feel that I spread misinformation, that's fine. It is your opinion. Same as I have my opinion


Re-read my posts. I deliberate used the word "many" (in capitals) instead of "all" or "only."

Some of you may wonder why your app's aren't looked at favorable and spew out numbers such as 3.8+ and 36+. Well, I offered an explanation, which is that seriously, those numbers just don't cut it. The people I know who have gotten interviewed or accepted @ Hopkins, Yale, Penn, Duke, etc. in the last couple years have 3.9+ GPA and 38+ MCAT (the ones with 4.0 GPA can have MCAT as low as 33 and still do fine). That's the reality I see. You guys are underestimating the number of applicants out there with near 4.0 GPA!

Of course, EC's and Research count, right? True, but unless you open some clinic in South America or have done research for 2-3 years while taking full-course load and get your names on several paper (first authorship won't hurt), then I don't see how they can make you stand out.

Honestly, the good old fashion way of getting into top 10 med schools relies heavily on your numbers.

And then of course, in my experience during the last couple years looking at SDN, many applicants countered my point of view with "Oh....this [fill in the name of a top 10 school here] school looked beyond the number! I had 3.6 and 32, and GREAT EC's + recommendations. So they asked me for an interview last week!!! And I am going to go to the interview and impress the heck out of them!"

I usually have nothing to say but check back a few months later on SDN, most of these people eventually get placed on the waitlists while other cookie cutters with 3.95 and 38 + normal premed EC's get accepted outright and have their first pick. that's the reality of things.

 

[Ma!]

I'm just now putting 2+2 together-so we're saying that ALL of these Hopkins rejections are post-secondary?
We're also saying, because Hopkins is known NOT to screen, you just waded on in and submitted the secondary. And we're also saying that last week they either sent out reject letters or invitations to submit secondaries to those that had not submitted? How freaking confusing!

I still think, in the grand scheme of things, $55 bucks is nothing and you should apply if it looks like you're in the ball park. I'm tellin' ya-the repartee at the interviews counts for alot!

I guess when the thread with the A's W's and R's gets some A's on it we can ask for full disclosure on the stats of those accepted at Hopkins. I just can't believe that its as cut and dried as thewonderer says...

but then again, I am the Ma who says "good luck sweetie", everytime I sign off with my kid applicant... what do I know?

 

[Ma!]

I stand corrected ....I went through the "invited for an interview" thread and hounded the poor guys who posted up that they were invited for interviews at Hopkins. They were gracious enough to share their stats with me-all had MCAT scores over 35, all had GPA's over 3.6.
So, no more "you have your opinion and I have mine" -we now have truth, albeit N=3

 

[Ma!]

but I'm still strongly convinced that scienceriot should fill out the Hokins secondary-NEVER underestimate the power of prayer!!!