How do they decide who to interview first?

[ohnodapopo]

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I was wondering how schools decide who gets the early interviews. Is it random, done in order of when they receive it, or done in order of applicant quality? I ask this because I got everything in pretty early (complete everywhere by end of August) and I have decent stats, but I've only gotten 2 interviews (JH and Tufts).

Is there some way to speed up the process?

Thanks.

 

[Delilah]

dude, i have the same question.

 

[postbacker]

I was wondering how schools decide who gets the early interviews. Is it random, done in order of when they receive it, or done in order of applicant quality? I ask this because I got everything in pretty early (complete everywhere by end of August) and I have decent stats, but I've only gotten 2 interviews (JH and Tufts).

Is there some way to speed up the process?

Thanks.

I would argue that the end of August is not "pretty early." Late June to mid July is "pretty early."

 

[Quix]

I would argue that the end of August is not "pretty early." Late June to mid July is "pretty early."

Agreed - many of the folks here, for instance, had their secondaries complete in July, which already puts you at least a month behind them.

 

[luckycharms08]

you also applied to mostly extremely competitive schools. i would argue that has more to do with it than anything else.

 

[jbrice1639]

i think they look on sdn, and they interview people who don't try to make their thread title bold implying a level of importance above the threads of others. once they've interviewed all the non-bold thread title posters, they get to the bolders if there's still slots available.

 

[nick_carraway]

Agreed - many of the folks here, for instance, had their secondaries complete in July, which already puts you at least a month behind them.

You people make me sad. The truth hurts sometimes <looks at increasingly large rejection pile>

 

[ohnodapopo]

you also applied to mostly extremely competitive schools. i would argue that has more to do with it than anything else.

My adviser told me the list was fine, now I'm really doubting myself. I should have added more schools. I'm going to kill myself if I have to take a year off for that.

 

[Daydreamer2008]

My adviser told me the list was fine, now I'm really doubting myself. I should have added more schools. I'm going to kill myself if I have to take a year off for that.

you have a solid app, and it seems that you know what schools you like. You should be fine. and no, nothing is worth killing yourself 😉

 

[postbacker]

you also applied to mostly extremely competitive schools. i would argue that has more to do with it than anything else.

A related factor - there has not been much reported interview activity at many of the schools on his list...jeez, it is only mid October...this process drags on for another 6 to 8 months, and for some will not resolve until the day before med school starts late next summer...nothing the OP or anyone else can do about being late...

 

[45408]

I would argue that the end of August is not "pretty early." Late June to mid July is "pretty early."

Well, I'm not sure when the AMCAS was released to med schools this year, but when I applied (2005), no med school even saw my app until July 7th, and the earliest you could really be COMPLETE anywhere (i.e., they have your LORs in hand) would be mid-July. Even then, lots of secondaries didn't roll in until late July or early August. I wouldn't say that the OP was really behind many people.

 

[dcgirl2007]

I HAVE INTERVIEWS AT BUFFALO, ROCHESTER, NYMC, CASE, GEORGETOWN AND YALE!!!

i was complete on all of them except Case in mid-July. Case 3 weeks ago.

is there any rhyme or reason to this?

note: rejected at uchicag and dartmout. accepted at buffalo.

 

[WurangBlang]

who knows, may be it's like a wheel of fortune thingy, or lottery pick.

 

[dcgirl2007]

in what universe does yale want to meet me and not drexel or BU or Jefferson? not that they aren't great schools, but their stats are definitely lower. yale is a reach for me and i am strong for many other schools that have not invited me. will i hear from some of them later, do you think?

 

[mordounhas]

No, your love of DC comics will doom you to inferior schools and an inferior existence. If the DC stands for Washington, your plight is even worse...

The real answer is that no one really understands how all adcoms think. It'd be hard enough to understand the dynamics that go on at any single school, let alone a wide variety of schools looking for different attributes.

And, just for the record, Wolverine is so much better than Superman.

 

[mvenus929]

I'm just guessing here...

A large part is probably due to the order they receive the applications. Someone complete there a month before you is bound to be looked at before you. Then I think they go through the application and see if you fit with the school. If you have good ECs maybe, maybe a really good LizzyM score... something like that. If you pass that, they offer an interview. If you don't make that, they put you in a second pile to be reviewed at a later time. They know that exceptional applicants are likely to be interviewing at other places, and will likely get accepted at other places, so if they want those exceptional people, they can't drag their feet with the applications.

 

[dcgirl2007]

No, your love of DC comics will doom you to inferior schools and an inferior existence. If the DC stands for Washington, your plight is even worse...

The real answer is that no one really understands how all adcoms think. It'd be hard enough to understand the dynamics that go on at any single school, let alone a wide variety of schools looking for different attributes.

And, just for the record, Wolverine is so much better than Superman.

you are right that being from DC is a handicap!!! i'm not instate anywhere.