How did WARS work for you?

[LadyGlen]

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LM 68-69, WARS 70
I applied to 17 schools, submitted secondaries at 16. I received 10 interview invites and attended 8 of those.

Most of my applications were in Tier 2. According to WARS, they should have been more in the Tier 3, and 4-6 range. I only applied to two schools in the Tier 3/4 range and I had most success with Tier 2. For me, I think it under-predicted how well I would do in Tier 2. I did over apply to Tier 1, but it did yield one acceptance. I am also very much a non-trad. Looking at some of the responses above mine, it doesn't seem to work as well for true non-traditional students (5+ years out of undergrad, switching careers, families, etc.)

Green: II
Green with *: Accepted

Tier 1: Harvard, Stanford, Columbia, Yale, Chicago, UCSF*
Tier 2: Michigan*, UCLA, UCLA-Drew (not sure about tier for this) NYU (WL), UCSD*, Mayo (WL)
Tier 3: USC-Keck*
Tier 4: Howard
Tier 5: UCI, UCR*, UCD

 

[Potatoes&Avocados]

I'm an upcoming applicant borderline A/B too, are you URM/disadvantaged/veteran? Congrats on such a successful cycle!

Thank you! None of the above. I would say the strongest part of my app was the fact that I was able to connect most of my experiences (and even the personal challenge/adversity I wrote about on secondaries) into one cohesive story/picture. I was honestly shocked that the cycle went as well for me as it did, though! Just goes to show how much chance/randomness is prevalent throughout the process. Happy to chat if you have any questions as you prepare to apply! Best of luck 🙂

 

[ggr805]

Curious how useful this tool could be for international applicants! Or whether this makes a difference. For reference, WARS of 81, holding 1 category 4 acceptance, on waitlists at 3 category 2 schools, and 2 category 6 waitlists! (and yes, international non-Canadian)

I personally don't think the scoring scales apply for international students and that standards are usually much higher. Med school is pretty unpredictable for most people but even more unpredictable for internationals. I would just suggest applying broadly, especially if you need $$, since there may be lower tier schools that offer merit-based scholarships and you can't bank on getting into the VERY few that will give you fin aid. As a guess, I think top schools know that you won't have as many options as an international and are less likely to offer scholarships as a pull.

I didn't use WARS to build my school list but I had an S level WARS (96-99), ORM int'l. I applied to 20 schools and had the following breakdown, with green being IIs:

Category 1: 1 R, 1 WL, 6 pre-II R

Category 2 : 1A, 7 pre II-R

Category 3 : 1A, 1 silent R

Category 6: 1A, 1 pre-II R

 

[sunnysideup220]

Somewhat accurate for me. WAS of 78, but with a low GPA/ High MCAT skew (sGPA 3.47 vs 523). This classified me as a "B" level applicant. Received 6 interviews total:

- 3 High-tier: Accepted at 2, waitlisted at 1
- 1 Mid-tier: Withdrew pre-interview
- 1 Low tier: Waitlisted
- 1 Low Yield school: Accepted

So WARS accurately predicted that I shouldn't have applied to any top-tier programs (I only applied to a few and of course didn't hear anything), but contrary to what WARS suggested I had the most success with high-tier (category 2) schools. I definitely applied to way too many low-tier schools.

Looking back, for my specific situation I think it was much important to craft my school list based on GPA and MCAT ranges listed on MSAR. I was above the 10% GPA cutoff at each school I received an interview at, and I think this was a much better predictor of where I got interviews from than WARS.

 

[lakertodoc]

LM 69, WARS ~74-79 (up to 86 if considered URM at some schools), Cali Resident

5 II's, 1 top-tier II, still waiting on a first acceptance

I think the WARS score could have something included for repeat MCAT's. I took the exam 3 times, not sure how that looks

Also, I wish I wrote a less cheesy PS, but most of my secondaries were good. WARS doesn't account for this.

I definitely think schools use some form of WARS-like scoring, then my guess is that they have a handful of people read essays and bring their favorites to a meeting.

 

[Engrailed]

Is that friend... Goro?

To answer your question, it was pretty accurate for me. I'm in the S level and got interviews to 10 of the 17 T20 schools (categories 1 and 2) I applied to. So far, I have been accepted to 6 of these schools.

Can you please post your stats? Im curious!

 

[Falling Up]

I would say it worked really for me. But I also I think I undershot my score (I'm somewhere between S and A) and applied way more than I needed in retrospect (no regrets though).

Put the schools from each category that I applied to, bolded IIs, and stars for acceptances.

Category 1 (TOP): Harvard, Stanford, Hopkins*, UCSF*, Penn*, WashU, Columbia, Chicago

Category2 (HIGH): Michigan*, UCLA, NYU*, UCSD, Northwestern*, Baylor, Emory

Category 3 (MID): UTSW, Rochester

Category 4 (LOW): USF-Morsani*, Cincinnati, Miami*,

Category 5 (State schools FL): FAU*, FIU*, UF, UCF*, NOVA (MD)

And then some invites from Texas schools (not sure what category they go in.) UTMB, UTSA*, McGovern*, and both TTechs

If you don't mind me asking, what was your WARS score?

 

[Shammyguy3]

My WARS was 53. That would put me at Level E. Suggestion is to only apply to DO schools (about 20). Ultimately, I applied to 24 MD schools and received 4 MD II. Applied to 6 DO schools (a 7th DO I didn't complete the secondary) and received 6 DO II.

As it stands, post II for MD schools: 0 A, 1 WL, 1 R. Waiting to hear back on 2.
As it stands, post II for DO schools: 3 A, 2 WL, 0 R



So altogether, I would say it was not very accurate as I received 4 MD II (and was rejected to my state MD school pre II). Disclaimer though is that I have 4+ years of full-time clinical work experience, a ~40% increase in first MCAT to retake MCAT score, and a U-shaped trend with high peaks.

EDIT: Here are the schools I decided to apply to (Interviews in green):

Category 4 (LOW): Wayne State, Creighton, Oakland, Indiana, Miami, MC Wisconsin, Vermont, Quinnipiac, Wake Forest

Category 5 (STATE): Illinois

Category 6 (LOW YIELD): Tulane, Tufts, Georgetown, Loyola, Rosalind Franklin, Drexel, Temple, GWU, NYMC, Albany, Rush, Seton Hall-Hackensack, Nova-Southeastern,

I would say on the contrary in regards to it not working for you. It suggested all DO and no M.D., and you eceived no MD acceptance regardless of your interviews. Congratulations on your deal acceptances though, it seemed o be pretty accurate for that

If you were competitive for MD schools, you would have converted at least one of your 4 interviews into an acceptance. Sometimes schools will have their reasons for interviewing marginal candidates which it appears you were. Let us know how those last 2 MD interviews turn out. It may be that those 4 interviews were a waste of your time and money in the end which would be too bad.

Just wanted to give an update on my original post (which is quoted here)

4 MD interviews
3 waitlist
1 rejection

One of those waitlists turned into an acceptance, and it was my top choice so I immediately withdrew from the other 2

 

[LizzyM]

Just wanted to give an update on my original post (which is quoted here)

4 MD interviews
3 waitlist
1 rejection

One of those waitlists turned into an acceptance, and it was my top choice so I immediately withdrew from the other 2

Thrilled to hear that you beat the odds. Congratulations!

 

[Engrailed]

If you don't mind me asking, what was your WARS score?

And to that person, what was the MCAT?

 

[and 99 others]

Is this calculator completely accurate: https://jscalc.io/calc/9SeMOmBviP4E3SbA

Everything looks good except the end when I put in my values for the last 3 categories "Undergrad school" "URM" and "Upward trend". My score is a 1 for all of those, but each time I put in 1 for one of those, my WARS score increases. Why does it do that? I would expect it to stay the same since NOT being URM and NOT going to a high ranked undergrad doesn't really add anything to my competitiveness.

Plus the original formula in @WedgeDawg 's thread shows that those values are subtracted by one before subject to the multiplier. Meaning 1-1=0 so it doesn't even matter what the multiplier is, the score shouldn't go up.

Just curious to know since with the extra boost on that online calculator my score is S rank but if I count those last three as 0 it's like C rank.

 

[deleted804295]

Scored a 74, which is a "C" level. Currently holding an acceptance to a category 1 school, two category 2 schools (another one pending) and a category 3 school.

Are you unique? Why did you apply to category 1, 2, and 3 schools?

 

[907914]

Is this calculator completely accurate: https://jscalc.io/calc/9SeMOmBviP4E3SbA

Everything looks good except the end when I put in my values for the last 3 categories "Undergrad school" "URM" and "Upward trend". My score is a 1 for all of those, but each time I put in 1 for one of those, my WARS score increases. Why does it do that? I would expect it to stay the same since NOT being URM and NOT going to a high ranked undergrad doesn't really add anything to my competitiveness.

Plus the original formula in @WedgeDawg 's thread shows that those values are subtracted by one before subject to the multiplier. Meaning 1-1=0 so it doesn't even matter what the multiplier is, the score shouldn't go up.

Just curious to know since with the extra boost on that online calculator my score is S rank but if I count those last three as 0 it's like C rank.

When it is empty, the default is a score of 0. So before you enter a 1, the score is sitting at -1

 

[Seihai]

Is this calculator completely accurate: https://jscalc.io/calc/9SeMOmBviP4E3SbA

Everything looks good except the end when I put in my values for the last 3 categories "Undergrad school" "URM" and "Upward trend". My score is a 1 for all of those, but each time I put in 1 for one of those, my WARS score increases. Why does it do that? I would expect it to stay the same since NOT being URM and NOT going to a high ranked undergrad doesn't really add anything to my competitiveness.

Plus the original formula in @WedgeDawg 's thread shows that those values are subtracted by one before subject to the multiplier. Meaning 1-1=0 so it doesn't even matter what the multiplier is, the score shouldn't go up.

Just curious to know since with the extra boost on that online calculator my score is S rank but if I count those last three as 0 it's like C rank.

The calculator is accurate. Keep in mind that a null value (aka not having answered the question) is evaluated as a 0. You effectively have a -1 in those categories prior to answering anything, and a 0 afterwards, so you "gain" 1*the multiplier as your score "went up" by 1.

EDIT: Ninja'd by @MemeLord.

 

[907914]

Ninja'd by @MemeLord.

You cannot best that which is eternal

 

[and 99 others]

The calculator is accurate. Keep in mind that a null value (aka not having answered the question) is evaluated as a 0. You effectively have a -1 in those categories prior to answering anything, and a 0 afterwards, so you "gain" 1*the multiplier as your score "went up" by 1.

EDIT: Ninja'd by @MemeLord.

When it is empty, the default is a score of 0. So before you enter a 1, the score is sitting at -1

Wowowow oh my gosh that's so good to hear! Thanks you guys for clearing that up for me. I was really bummed out for months really because of this confusion lol

 

[TempuraOreos]

If you don't mind me asking, what was your WARS score?

Don't mind at all. Somewhere in the 80s I think. First time I was a bit more conservative and it put me at an 80-81. Second time, later in my cycle, it was like mid to upper 80s.

 

[Engrailed]

Don't mind at all. Somewhere in the 80s I think. First time I was a bit more conservative and it put me at an 80-81. Second time, later in my cycle, it was like mid to upper 80s.

Thoughts on anyone who got a borderline S score (mostly due to a less competitive MCAT)?

 

[TempuraOreos]

Thoughts on anyone who got a borderline S score (mostly due to a less competitive MCAT)?

Worth a shot if you're in shooting range.

 

[deleted972488]

My two IIs so far are from schools that I should not have applied to, according to WARS. I think it is a good tool, but it doesn't (and can't) take everything into account.

 

[blurb_123]

Some of WARS is pretty subjective. That's why I have a hard time with it. Like classifying a volunteer activity or teaching experience as a 2 or 3 for example, when it's somewhat of a grey area.

MCAT retakes are a bit of a grey area as well, as is the continuity of the "stat" section in WARS, where being on the edge of the MCAT/GPA ranges can make a big difference in the output school list.

Depending on how this shakes out, you could look at my WARS as ~78-91, which is a huge range.

I have a pretty decent school list, but only time will tell how this plays out. For what it's worth I applied like an "A" applicant, but added another 15 schools (rounded out the T20 and added a bunch of mid/low tiers).

 

[Engrailed]

Some of WARS is pretty subjective. That's why I have a hard time with it. Like classifying a volunteer activity or teaching experience as a 2 or 3 for example, when it's somewhat of a grey area.

MCAT retakes are a bit of a grey area as well, as is the continuity of the "stat" section in WARS, where being on the edge of the MCAT/GPA ranges can make a big difference in the output school list.

Depending on how this shakes out, you could look at my WARS as ~78-91, which is a huge range.

I have a pretty decent school list, but only time will tell how this plays out. For what it's worth I applied like an "A" applicant, but added another 15 schools (rounded out the T20 and added a bunch of mid/low tiers).

What was your GPA and MCAT xD

 

[blurb_123]

What was your GPA and MCAT xD

I'll PM you.

 

[907914]

Some of WARS is pretty subjective.

My WARS strategy was to underestimate on everything. If it is borderline underestimating, and higher with realistic, then go with the higher. If it is way down when underestimating, then go with the middle ground. Underestimating, I am an 85, realistic I am a 92. So I go with the S category, because the underestimating is borderline S and the realistic is High S.

Edit: And both of my interviews thus far are schools that WARs DID recommend.

 

[Dr panda]

My WARS strategy was to underestimate on everything. If it is borderline underestimating, and higher with realistic, then go with the higher. If it is way down when underestimating, then go with the middle ground. Underestimating, I am an 85, realistic I am a 92. So I go with the S category, because the underestimating is borderline S and the realistic is High S.

Edit: And both of my interviews thus far are schools that WARs DID recommend.

With your insane stats, ECs, and life experience it is already a good time to start looking for a nice apartment in Boston.

 

[907914]

With your insane stats, ECs, and life experience it is already a good time to start looking for a nice apartment in Boston.

Man, I will be happy with Spokane, WA.

But on the note of top tier, I would prefer an apartment in Durham, Rochester MN, or Palo Alto hahaha

 

[Dr panda]

Man, I will be happy with Spokane, WA.

But on the note of top tier, I would prefer an apartment in Durham, Rochester MN, or Palo Alto hahaha

You just don't want to take Walter's seat, we know that you are very kind

 

[deleted987519]

You just don't want to take Walter's seat, we know that you are very kind

I miss Walt for real

 

[Dr panda]

I miss Walt for real

Yeah, and those stories about NASA astronauts with 60+ Nature publications who were admitted to Harvard. I actually hope he will get rid of that OCD before starting medical school.

 

[meepdog]

My WARS strategy was to underestimate on everything. If it is borderline underestimating, and higher with realistic, then go with the higher. If it is way down when underestimating, then go with the middle ground. Underestimating, I am an 85, realistic I am a 92. So I go with the S category, because the underestimating is borderline S and the realistic is High S.

Edit: And both of my interviews thus far are schools that WARs DID recommend.

I actually did something very similar, being very conservative put me at a middle C and more realistic lands me a low-mid B but I didn't want to throw my money at an over-reaching school list. When actually narrowing down my list I found myself leaning even more in the direction of cat-6ers because they tend to be service-oriented, which is the strongest part of my app so despite not applying DO my list actually looks a little like a mix between the C and D suggestions for proportions. We'll see how it turns out for me.

If I could afford to apply to more schools it probably would have leaned closer to a C level list though.

 

[premed914]

Hi! thank you so much for providing this resource. I am in the middle of this application cycle, and think this will be really helpful. I am a little confused though. I did a manual calculation with the formula listed on this post and then used the online calculator tool. I got two different scores (86 and 68, respectively). Could someone explain to me why that is? Thanks so much!

 

[907914]

Hi! thank you so much for providing this resource. I am in the middle of this application cycle, and think this will be really helpful. I am a little confused though. I did a manual calculation with the formula listed on this post and then used the online calculator tool. I got two different scores (86 and 68, respectively). Could someone explain to me why that is? Thanks so much!

My best guess would be that your manual calculation was done incorrectly.

 

[Ogichi]

Well, another cycle is coming to a close. I wanted to comment on this so hopefully a couple people will contribute how useful WARS was for them. Or how in/accurate it was in hindsight. A friend asked me about using it for 2020 cycle. It'll also help others for the next cycle decide if they want to try using it.

I'm a reinventor, so my stats aren't the best overall representation of my application. I submitted early to try and mitigate that. WARS has me at a 76 B (Which has an oddly small window tbh), and at worst a C. I applied based on being a B.

Applied to 37 Programs with 15 interview offers, 8 of which I attended due to financial constraints. After receiving a few acceptances, I started to withdraw frequently

Tier 1: Applied to 4: All 4 Pre-II Rs lol

Tier 2: Applied to 8: Pre-II R: 4 II: 4 IA: 4 A:3 Post-II R: 1

Tier 3: Applied to 6: Pre-II R: 1 II: 4 IA: 2 A: 2 Withdrew from the others

Tier 4: Applied to 8: Pre - II R: 1 II: 4 IA: 1 A: 1 Withdrew from the others

Tier 5: Applied to 6: Pre-II R: 1 (My alma Mater, interestingly enough) II: 3 IA: 1 A: 1 Withdrew from the others

Tier 6: Applied to 5: Pre-II R: 2, Withdrew others

Tier 7: N/A

WARS B Recommendations: Recommended 27 schools, but I felt that wasn't enough since I didn't have much faith in my application due to how crazy competitive SDN is, stats wise. I did not want to risk having to reapply. It also recommended no tier 6 schools, but I didn't believe in Yield Protection. Perhaps it was destined that I strike out in that area. Also probably shouldn't have applied to as many Tier 1. I got steam rolled, but I wanted to shoot my shot. It also recommended the bulk of my list be Tiers 4/5 which was mostly true. Though I felt it slightly underestimated how well you can do in Tier 2. Just my 2 cents

Opinion: I'd say it was useful overall to help design how I should distribute my school list. It's not meant to be a comprehensive end all be all, but I'd definitely recommend it. It predicted pretty well the type of schools I had a shot at, which I probably wouldn't have applied to many of them if not for it and WAMC

 

[cabbagefacts1]

My WARS came out to 75, honestly seemed a bit high.

Category 3: 1 II
Category 4: 7 II
Category 5: 1 II
Category 6: 4 II

Ultimately, MSAR MCAT medians+OOS interview rate was more useful for me. WARS recommended I apply to 35% Category 3s which wouldn't have been smart with my stats. Still think it's a great tool to compare with other resources.

 

[deleted987519]

WARS: S

Tier 1: 0 II
Tier 2: 3 II
Tier 3: 2 II
Tier 4: 3 II
Tier 5/6 (my state schools are "low yield"): 4 II

 

[FatherTime-PhD]

Didn't use WARS when I created my school list, but thought it'd be interesting to post this here for future applicants to look at. My WARS came out to an 79.

I applied to 27 schools, which interestingly is what it recommends. According to WARS, ~3 (10%) should have been Category 1, ~5 (20%) should have been Category 2, ~9 (35%) should have been Category 3, ~9 (35%) should have been Category 4-7, but should not be applying to Category 6-7.

Category 1 (TOP): (1 Applied --> 1 II --> 1 R)

Category 2 (HIGH): (9 Applied --> 2 II --> 1 A, 1 R)

Category 3 (MID): (4 Applied --> 1 II --> 1 A)

Category 4 (LOW): (5 Applied --> 2 II --> 1 A, 1 II Withdrawal)

Category 5 (STATE): (2 Applied --> 2 II --> 2 A)

Category 6 (LOW YIELD): (6 Applied --> 5 II --> 2 A, 2 WL, 1 R)*

*Note that this is what I was advised to NOT apply to due to low yield according to WARS, but it ended up being the majority of my IIs.

EDIT: I should add, I'm ORM and took one gap year after college! And I guess I should say my overall thoughts is to use WARS as a guide, but definitely don't apply/not apply to places just because the list says to. I think what I've learned that FIT is so much more important - take a look at your application, your story ... and see where you can find a home. I don't think its a coincidence that I ran into a couple of the same interviewees throughout my cycle at other interviews.

 

[rdyotz]

My WARS (using v1.3) was 76, so B level, which recommends applying to 27 schools. 10% Cat 1, 20% Cat 2, 35% Cat 3, and 35% Cat 4-5. Says not to apply to Cat 6 or 7. I ended up applying to 26 total schools. LM: 70-72 (70 based on GPA, 72 more for extensive postbac).

Category 1: 1°: 1. 2°: 1. Pre-I R: 1 (rather quickly). Glad I did not apply to more. 3.8% of my applications.
Category 2: 1°: 2. 2°: 2. Pre-I R: 1. II: 1. WL: 1. 7.7% of my applications. One interview was at a location I volunteered extensively, which may have been a courtesy interview.
Category 3: 1°: 3. 2°: 3. Pre-I R: 3. 11.5% of my applications.
Category 4: 1°: 10. 2°: 10. Pre-I R: 3. II: 6. R: 1. WL: 2. A: 1. WL->A: 1. 38.5% of my applications. Expecting another Pre-II R. Waiting for post-I decisions at 2 places.
Category 5: 1°: 6. 2°: 5. Pre-I R: 5. II: 1. R: 1. 23.1% of my applications. Pre-2° R from ETSU.
Category 6: 1°: 4. 2°: 4. Pre-I R: 2. II: 1. WL: 1. 15.4% of my applications. Expecting another Pre-II R.

Cumulative: 1°: 26. 2°: 25. Pre-I R: 15. II: 9. R: 2. WL: 2. A: 1. WL->A: 1. Expecting 2 Pre-I Rs. Waiting for post-I decisions at 2 places.

I applied lower than recommended and do not regret it based on my life (DUI ~10 years ago). Cat 4 was where I had the most success. Cat 4-6 was recommended to be 35% of my applications, but I went higher at 77%. I could have heeded the advice and not applied to Category 6, however, 3 of the 4 schools were in the state I lived for ~30 years. I wish I would have applied to more Cat 3/4 though.

Ways to improve:
School lists/tiers need updating. I was not sure where to put Kaiser, so I placed them in Category 4 with a rejection. Likely other newer schools not on the list as well.
Currently, there are no point reductions: IA, legal actions, etc. Likely hard to gauge the effect these could have based on life improvement, age of infractions, etc.

 

[TheDataKing]

My LizzyM is a ~70 and my WARS is a 72

Category 1 - 5%	Category 2 - 15%	Category 3 - 25%	Category 4-7 - 55%
didn't apply to any of these	Pitt, Case Western, Emory -> all pre-II R 3/45 ish schools	either pre-II R or I withdrew pre-II 3/45 ish	Cat 4: 5 II Cat 4a (schools that are "low" that aren't listed): 2 II Cat 5: don't have any lol Cat 6: 2 II 39/45 lol

 

[m1redsox]

I did not use WARS when compiling my list, but looking back, it seemed to accurately predict where I would get II's.
WARS: 68-74 (C level), LM: 72.2, CA applicant, ORM
Red = Pre-II R, Green = II, bold = A, nothing = still on hold/ghosted

Category 1 (TOP): UCSF

Category 2 (HIGH): UCLA, UCSD

Category 3 (MID): Ohio State, USC-Keck

Category 4 (LOW): Indiana, Creighton, MC Wisconsin, Toledo, VCU, EVMS, Vermont, Quinnipiac, Wake Forest

Category 5 (STATE): UCD, UCI, UCR, CUSM (Withdrew Pre-II), CNU, Kaiser, Loma Linda, Utah (attended UG in UT)

Category 6 (LOW YIELD): Tulane, Georgetown, Rosalind Franklin, Drexel (Waiting for post-II decision), Temple, GWU, NYMC, Penn State, Albany, Rush

Category 7 (DO): DO Schools - Applied 6, received 5 IIs, Accepted to 2, withdrew from the other 3 pre-II after receiving the Wake A lol.

I went off the books and applied to: Oregon, Louisville, Michigan State (Gpa did PhD there - I thought it was a connection), and TCU/UNT. As you can tell, I regret going off the book for these schools lol.

I got IIs in the 4/5/6 categories and that seems to be what Wedgedawg would have predicted.

 

[djiboutiman]

LM: 73 WARS: 78 (B tier)

Summary: I applied to 43 schools in total, even though WARS says to apply to 27 since I am a reapplicant (from an unfortunate state) and didn't want to go through this process a third time. This is also why I included Category 6 and Category 7 schools. Since my stats are lopsided (High MCAT, mediocre GPA), I aimed for schools where my MCAT was also above their average and GPA was at least above 10%. Looking back, I definitely applied to too many Category 2 schools!

Breakdown:

Category 1: (~5%) 2--> 0 II
Category 2: (~23 %) 10 -->0 II
Category 3: (~12%) 5 -->0 II
Category 4: (~23%) 10 --> 2 II --> 1WL, 1 Pending (will update this later)
Category 5: (~7%) 3 --> 2 II --> 1R, 1WL
Category 6: (~12%) 5--> 0 II
Category 7: (~9%) 4--> 2 II --> 1 IA-->1 A
Other: (~9%) 4 --> 0 II

Final Thoughts:

I think WARS tends to be a decent system, but you have to be brutally honest with yourself. I am more likely a C tier applicant and should have applied accordingly. If you are a reapplicant also make sure to apply to a few DOs, no matter your tier.

 

[blurb_123]

LM ~75, WARS borderline A/S

Category 1: 10--> 1 II WL
Category 2: 13-->4 II 2WL, 1 R, 1 pending
Category 3: 5 --> 1 II Withdrew
Category 5: 2 --> 1 II --> 1A
Category 6: 4--> 1II Withdrew (withdrew from all)

In retrospect, I would have added more category 3 schools that were logical fits. Probably would have added more category 4, but I liked the category 6 schools that I applied to...

Not to split hairs but the category 1/2 split seems pretty arbitrary as well...

As far as interviews go, it seemed to work fine. Converting those interviews has been difficult.

Based on my II, I would say as ORM not to expect II where you have an MCAT score more than 3 points below the accepted median, unless you have a clear hook/something phenomenal. MSAR is important of course, but applying at schools where you're the 25th percentile MCAT doesn't seem to be high yield at all...

 

[ItAintEasyBeingCheesy]

WARS worked pretty well for me, though one thing it overlooks is writing. The way you write your experiences can have a tremendous effect on your cycle. Adcoms can only see what you write and the impression you make can vary depending on the way you present your experiences.

S Rank (WARS 91-96)

Present = applied, green = interview.

Category 1: Harvard, Stanford, Hopkins (A), UCSF, Penn (A), WashU (WL), Yale (WL), Columbia (R), Chicago

Category 2: Michigan (A), UCLA, UCSD (WL), NYU (WL), Vanderbilt, Cornell (A), Northwestern (WL), Mt Sinai, Baylor, Mayo (WL), Case Western

Category 3: Rochester (A), Dartmouth, Einstein, Hofstra

Category 4: None

Category 5: Accepted to all

Category 6: None

 

[thesecretisme123]

LM69, WARS 80-85 (S/A), CA ORM, ~60 apps (yeah overkill..)

Category 1 (TOP): 1 II -> 1 WL

Category 2 (HIGH): 6 II -> 2 A, 1 WL, 2 R

Category 3 (MID): 2II -> declined II's

Category 4 (LOW): 4 II -> 2 A, 2 declined II's

Category 5 (STATE): 2 II -> 2 A

Category 6 (LOW YIELD): 8 II -> attended 4 -> 3 WL, 1 A

Completely unpredictable cycle... did not expect this at all as my adviser told that I would probably get screened out of majority of the top 20's based off stats, but that wasn't the case at all. Shoot your shot, especially if you have FAP like I did.

 

[finn_]

I was an S level (high stat, very research-focused) applicant and I think it generally worked pretty well, but I felt like I had the most success with schools with the strongest research/mission fit although there were a couple outliers.

Present = applied
Bold = II
Green = Accepted
Yellow = WL
W = Withdrawn

Category 1 (TOP): Harvard, Stanford, Hopkins, UCSF, Penn, WashU, Columbia, Chicago
Category 2 (HIGH): Michigan, UCLA*, NYU, Vanderbilt, Pitt, UCSD*, Cornell, Northwestern, Mt Sinai (Post-II W), Mayo, Case Western (CCLCM), Emory (W)
Category 3 (MID): Rochester, Dartmouth, UVA (W)
Category 4 (LOW): NA
Category 5 (STATE): UMass
Category 6 (LOW YIELD): Georgetown

 

[deleted971841]

Had a WARS of ~69, so a low C. Applied to 25 schools vaguely based on the suggestions in the post (but as a NY applicant had many many IS schools in my favor).

Interview: Bold
Accepted: Green
Waitlist: Yellow
Interview -> Withdrew: Orange
Rejected Post-Interview: Red


Category 3 (MID): Rochester, Dartmouth, Einstein, Hofstra, UNC

Category 4 (LOW): USF-Morsani, Cincinnati, Miami, SUNY Downstate, Stony Brook, VCU, EVMS, Vermont, Quinnipiac, Wake Forest,

Category 5 (STATE): SUNY Buffalo, SUNY Upstate

Category 6 (LOW YIELD): Jefferson, Brown, Drexel, NYMC, Albany

I guess the WARS algorithm said that my best luck would come from Categories 4-6 and that was pretty spot on.

 

[Nugester]

WARS: 59, LizzyM: 57.8

As with a lot of calculators, doesn't take into account my graduate GPA (>3.96). Did a diy post-bacc (> 3.95) too.

I actually didn't use this as a guide to apply. I applied to MD schools close to where my wife's surgical residency (CA) and our home base (LA).

Category 1 (TOP): Stanford, UCSF (R, R)

Category 2 (HIGH): UCLA*, UCSD* (R, R)

Category 3 (MID): USC-Keck (R)

Category 4 (LOW): none

Category 5 (STATE): LSU-NOLA, LSU-Shreveport (A, WL)

Category 6 (LOW YIELD): Tulane (WL)

Category 7 (DO): 11

Applied to 16 MDs, rejected to most, withdrew from a couple once I got the A. Based on this scoring system, I should have applied to only DO, but I'm glad I didn't. It could have been due to the number and selection of DO schools but oddly I didn't get much love from them. It goes to show that we are more than the numbers.

 

[darth_chonker]

Was between S and A, high stats and weaker EC's.

Cat 1: Applied to 7/9, 1 II > 1 A
Cat 2: Applied to 12/3, 1 II > WL
Cat 3: Applied to 6/9, 2 II > 1 WL 1 withdraw pre decision
Cat 4: No interviews
Cat 5: Only applied to 1, post interview R
Cat 6: Applied to 1, 1 II> A

Overall I was kind of surprised by my lack of T20 interviews, but turned the one big interview I got into an acceptance so I couldn't be happier!

 

[Jeremy Bearimy]

LM 68 athlete here with 4 gap years, an MPH, and some odd ECs. Low GPA, slight high MCAT, no postbacc/SMP.

With WARS I was probably a low C, high D, but I applied like a C because I am relentlessly optimistic!! I applied to 31 because I had an expiring MCAT and wasn't trying to do all that again.

	WARS Recommended	I applied	My results
Total Schools	27-30	31	12 II, 9 IA, 5 A, 4 WL
Category 1 (TOP)	1-2	2	1 II, 1 IA, 1 A
Category 2 (HIGH)	3-4	4	0 II
Category 3 (MID)	4-5	4	0 II
Category 4 (LOW)	Remainder: Cat 4-6	12	8 II, 5 IA, 3 A, 2 WL
Category 5 (STATE)	Remainder: Cat 4-6	All/1	0 II
Category 6 (LOW YIELD)	Remainder: Cat 4-6	9	3 II, 3 IA, 1 A, 2 WL

My one insane II/A definitely has something to do with my connection to it, so other than that, I'd say that WARS was very accurate! It told me to apply to a bunch of Category 4-6 schools, which I did (plus a healthy/expensive dose of extreme reaches) and it worked out a thousand times better than I could have ever imagined this time last year.

 

[BuffySummers]

As others have mentioned, I think that WARS is slightly less useful for non-traditional students. I was solidly in the S category even though my MCAT score was likely a lot lower than most people in the S category because I have stellar experiences, volunteering, and GPA. So on paper my non-trad experiences balance out my good-not-excellent MCAT, but in actuality they aren't really equal. I recognized this, so I only slightly let WARS guide my school list. I also only applied to 13 schools, so I was possibly more conservative in my choices (once again, probably because I'm a non-trad student):

Cat 1: 2 Total. 1 Interview.
Cat 2: 4 Total. 2 Interviews. 1 Acceptance.
Cat 3: 4 Total. 2 Interviews. 1 WL. 1 Acceptance.
Cat 5: 2 Total. 2 Interviews. 2 Acceptances.
Cat 6: 1 Total. 1 Acceptance.

So I think WARS was generally a useful tool for me to start thinking about schools, but students should remember that raw numbers don't tell the whole story. Applying to more Category 1 schools based on my WARS score would have been a total waste of time and money for me, so I'm glad I didn't.

 

[vomitcom]

Had a WARS of 92 --> S tier, applied to 32 schools, VA in-state.

Interview: Bold
Accepted: Green
Waitlist: Yellow
Interview -> Withdrew: Orange
Rejected Post-Interview: Red

Category 1 (TOP): Harvard, Hopkins, UCSF, Penn, WashU, Yale, Columbia, Duke, Chicago, NYU

Category 2 (HIGH): Michigan, UCLA*, Pitt, Cornell, Northwestern, Mt Sinai, Baylor*, Mayo, Case Western, Emory

Category 3 (MID): UVA, USC-Keck, Hofstra

Category 4 (LOW): VCU, EVMS

Category 6 (LOW YIELD): Jefferson, Georgetown, BU, Minnesota

WARS worked well for me! I shot my shot at the high/top tier schools and got an A and my mid/lows worked well for me. After getting my Top acceptance, I withdrew from many Cat 1s and 2s so this is probably not totally reflective of what my cycle would have been, but it worked well anyway.