How many medical schools are you applying to?

[hokiemon]

Is there a recommended number of schools you should apply to? I was thinking 15 would be a safe number but it's kind of hard to narrow a list to that many. ANyone care to share the # they're applying to and how they narrowed it to that #? thx

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[146233]

It depends on your application's strength. 15 is a fairly average number. I have a shady academic background, so I applied much more broadly.

 

[BigRedPremed]

15 is a decent number if you have okay stats, aren't from CA, and apply intelligently.

 

[littlealex]

I have a 3.45GPA and I'm from California.


32 schools.

 

[Femme Fatale]

*

 

[DianaUT06]

26, I didn't apply OOS last year so that's my reasoning 😉

 

[SoFlaKnight]

3.75/3.8 O/S, Florida Resident = 16 schools (25% of which are in-state)

Some of my buddies with lower stats are applying to upwards of 35...But then again, some of them don't quite get the concept of OOS acceptance rate % at some schools🙄

 

[Jsmooth]

sucks when you're a us citizen and you live internationally...then you're not a state resident of anywhere...like me =(

 

[littlealex]

Jsmooth really? I remember reading about you in the UCDavis thread. You do realize that UCDavis has a less than 1% acceptance rate for Out of State?

 

[illixir]

did 25 just to be safe, since money's not a factor, and hopefully this means i'll have options

 

[yellowumbrella]

30 to be safe. and the end of secondaries is in blissful sight!!!

 

[Jsmooth]

Jsmooth really? I remember reading about you in the UCDavis thread. You do realize that UCDavis has a less than 1% acceptance rate for Out of State?

yes i do =(. but i got a secondary lol that's a start. i was born in california though..maybe that helps a little. still wish i belonged to some state lol

 

[michigator04]

13 for me, but it would be more if my stats were lower.

 

[Dulcina]

i'm jealous!!! my undergrad school won't let us apply to more than 25 schools =(

really dumb question (i'm not applying this cycle, so I dont know much about the process)--I see that a lot of people withdraw pre-secondary. I'm guessing that this means there isnt much investment to apply to many schools for the primaries. Do you just check a box on the amcas for each school? Does it cost more for each school? And why would someone withdraw pre-secondary, since moving past 2ndaries isnt a guarantee at other schools? thanks!!

 

[Femme Fatale]

*

 

[hp540]

23...but I'm desperate...and canadian

 

[Bacchus]

i'm jealous!!! my undergrad school won't let us apply to more than 25 schools =(

really dumb question (i'm not applying this cycle, so I dont know much about the process)--I see that a lot of people withdraw pre-secondary. I'm guessing that this means there isnt much investment to apply to many schools for the primaries. Do you just check a box on the amcas for each school? Does it cost more for each school? And why would someone withdraw pre-secondary, since moving past 2ndaries isnt a guarantee at other schools? thanks!!

Do they limit you because the committee doesn't want to send out more than 25 batches of LORs? People withdraw pre-secondary if they don't want to complete the secondary or they lose interest in the school. Sometimes they also realize this is not an idealistic world and going forward with the application and paying the secondary fee is just a waste of money. On AMCAS the originating fee is around $165 and then from there it is $30/school that you want to send the primary to. If you are a good match at a school then I would go through with the secondary and wait for an interview or withdraw post-secondary if you really end up not liking the school.

 

[se2131]

3.99/37 - 19 schools, but they're all top-tier, so I'm only expecting to get into a couple plus my state school, and I'm trying to see if I get any favorable financial packages.

 

[SigurRos]

37, 3.9ish applying to about 20 schools with most of them being reaches. Withdrew from a few also.

 

[MassTransport]

14 schools. My pre-med committee advised me that studies have shown that there's extreme diminished return past the 10 school mark, provided they were carefully chosen/not all reaches, and provided you're not from a crazy state like California.

 

[UCDavisISokay]

18 so far

 

[Bacchus]

14 schools. My pre-med committee advised me that studies have shown that there's extreme diminished return past the 10 school mark, provided they were carefully chosen/not all reaches, and provided you're not from a crazy state like California.

👍 Too many people over-inflate their egos and put blinders on. The only reach school I really plan on applying to is Penn and that's because I'm in the Philadelphia area.

 

[coralfangs]

👍 Too many people over-inflate their egos and put blinders on. The only reach school I really plan on applying to is Penn and that's because I'm in the Philadelphia area.

it really depends on the stats though
if you are on par or above to the averages of the matriculated or accepted students, i wouldn't call those reach schools
it's more like a crapshot (ie. if they think you are a good "fit", etc)

 

[RPedigo]

Number of schools: 20
Residency: California
GPA: 3.8
MCAT: 39T

Let the fun begin!

 

[Dulcina]

Do they limit you because the committee doesn't want to send out more than 25 batches of LORs? People withdraw pre-secondary if they don't want to complete the secondary or they lose interest in the school. Sometimes they also realize this is not an idealistic world and going forward with the application and paying the secondary fee is just a waste of money. On AMCAS the originating fee is around $165 and then from there it is $30/school that you want to send the primary to. If you are a good match at a school then I would go through with the secondary and wait for an interview or withdraw post-secondary if you really end up not liking the school.

First of all, why? Secondly, can they do this, legally? 😕

Thx for the info. Not sure the reasoning for the limit, I believe it's because they want to minimize their workload =( They must be able to do this legally, bc they've been doing it for a long time. 🙁

 

[swim2006]

I am applying to more than I probably need (close to 30) but being a reapplicant does that to you

 

[cartmanMD]

I am a new york resident with an MCAT score of 30 O and a 3.8 GPA, any ideas on how many schools I should apply to?

 

[Bacchus]

it really depends on the stats though
if you are on par or above to the averages of the matriculated or accepted students, i wouldn't call those reach schools
it's more like a crapshot (ie. if they think you are a good "fit", etc)

In my situation Penn is a reach, haha. A far reach. The only reason I'll apply, depending on my MCAT, is because its next to me and I won't have to relocate across the country.

 

[CGuy07]

Applying to 19 with a 3.9/31

 

[Chuck's Right Foot]

Applying to 17
MCAT: 37S
GPA: 3.6 BCPM
GPA: 3.67 Overall

EC: Average-ish (maybe below average).
LORS: Committee letter should be good.

 

[Haro4130Frame]

only applying to teaxs schools so 7 including TCOM (didnt apply to baylor because i would have had to fill out AMCAS for one school. Im a texas resident so that will def play in my favor.

31N
3.84 Overall
3.9 Science

 

[deuce924]

3.8/32.....Applying EDP to 1 school.

 

[loh]

Only 2 schools...both in state.

Alabama
South Alabama

I don't have the stats or $$$ to go out of state.

 

[dazlindz]

12 schools (3.9/40Q), and now thinking i should apply to more b/c everyone seems to be applying to a lot. how do you do secondaries?? i still have 4 secondaries left...

 

[UBCvan]

to all of you:


are your GPA's out of 4.33 or 4.0
im asking because my school is based on 4.33.

 

[RPedigo]

to all of you:


are your GPA's out of 4.33 or 4.0
im asking because my school is based on 4.33.

4.0. If yours is out of 4.33, your AMCAS GPA reported to medical schools will be significantly less than your transcript GPA.

 

[UBCvan]

4.0. If yours is out of 4.33, your AMCAS GPA reported to medical schools will be significantly less than your transcript GPA.

so what is the average of GPA of people who get into the program? or what is the ideal GPA for someone to get in?(i m talking about states)

because in canada where i live i know the average is 4.0/4.33

 

[RPedigo]

so what is the average of GPA of people who get into the program? or what is the ideal GPA for someone to get in?(i m talking about states)

because in canada where i live i know the average is 4.0/4.33

If you apply to US schools, your GPA will take a hit.

These are all out of 4.000

http://www.eckerd.edu/academics/nas/premed/MCAT_GPA_List.htm

Obviously the "ideal" GPA is a 4.000, but it is by no means the average.

 

[UCDavisdude]

over thirty...

 

[jae9970]

exactly 30!

 

[UBCvan]

If you apply to US schools, your GPA will take a hit.

These are all out of 4.000

http://www.eckerd.edu/academics/nas/premed/MCAT_GPA_List.htm

Obviously the "ideal" GPA is a 4.000, but it is by no means the average.

thanks for the link

i cheked all the averages and it seems that most of you people on SDN will get in to all the unis you have applied 👍 your gpas are freakin awesome ..over the averages of all unis

 

[hp540]

3.8/32.....Applying EDP to 1 school.

Man, that's awesome!

 

[WurangBlang]

26... i am a cali resident and i have 7 on verbal.

 

[BoilerWolverine]

31 done, with another 20 to do. I have some weird circumstances, so I'm making sure I get in somewhere

 

[deleted103730]

27. I just want to get out of georgia.

 

[littlealex]

3.5GPA/36MCAT. 32 schools as a California resident.

 

[AvidAvatar]

3.8 / 29N

PA Resident - 12 Schools.

I figured that if I can't get into the 6 schools in PA, I won't get in anywhere!

I'm not goint to spend an additional 1,000 bucks to increase my chances .1%.

 

[Jolie South]

I submitted my AMCAS to upwards of 20, but after receiving 8 invites have reduced to the ones that I submitted secondaries for (13). Plus, I'm applying to 3 Texas schools (which I sorta consider 1 since there was one app).

 

[LovelyMD]

i'm jealous!!! my undergrad school won't let us apply to more than 25 schools =(

really dumb question (i'm not applying this cycle, so I dont know much about the process)--I see that a lot of people withdraw pre-secondary. I'm guessing that this means there isnt much investment to apply to many schools for the primaries. Do you just check a box on the amcas for each school? Does it cost more for each school? And why would someone withdraw pre-secondary, since moving past 2ndaries isnt a guarantee at other schools? thanks!!

Ha, I didn't realize colleges did this too. My high school limited us to 7 college applications.

Anyway, I'm planning to submit between 15 and 20 secondaries

 

[freshh.]

I have a list of 20 schools that I plan on applying to, but between now and then some of them may end up getting cut and some others may be added. There are a couple of reach schools on there, but I made sure that the majority of the schools on the list will at least send me a secondary application.