how many schools are you applying to?

[Chankovsky]

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[Medikit]

I'm deciding on doing between 12 and 15 schools. For me, the main reason not to apply to too many schools is doing all of the secondaries.

 

[bigdan]

I'm doing 20. I'm HOPING that even if I have to spend all the money on secondaries, that I'll be able to find a medical school that likes me...

Good luck to all.

dc

 

[bonez318ti]

Are there any resources out there that detail if a medical school does or does not screen AMCAS before sending out secondaries?

 

[superdevil]

Are there any resources out there that detail if a medical school does or does not screen AMCAS before sending out secondaries?

i doubt there's any *official* source, but i've seen several threads about this, if you care to search.

as for the question at hand, my list will number between 6-15, depending on what the AAMC uploads for my MCAT score next week. if i get less than 30, i'll probably just apply to my state schools (ohio resident), but if i strike gold, i'll probably push that to at least a dozen just for the hell of it (i.e., east coast private schools).

 

[Luck]

I'm deciding on doing between 12 and 15 schools. For me, the main reason not to apply to too many schools is doing all of the secondaries.

I would advise you to apply to way more schools than that. Unless you have an above 35 MCAT, 12 schools is not going to cut it for a CA resident particulary since most likely half of those schools are UCs. I would say 30 is a good number for any Cali resident with average numbers.

 

[Scubadoc]

just out of curiosity, any problems with asking your LOR writers for so many letters (i am talking about the ones that will go with the secondaries)? I am trying to decide how many schools to apply to as well and since we don't have a pre-med committee at our school, it would mean bugging the LOR writers a lot if i do get the secondaries! don't want to tick them off of course but don't want to not get accepted somewhere because of not applying to enough schools!

 

[IndyZX]

just have them print 15 or 20 copies now and have them sealed in blank envelopes... then, later you can just put a mailing label on the envelope and youre good to go

 

[cytotech27]

The final count for me was 37. As I was adding schools to the list, I was thinking to myself how much time and money all these secondaries are going to cost me, but I couldn't take any off because that could be the one that accepts me!! It only takes one!

 

[Scubadoc]

just have them print 15 or 20 copies now and have them sealed in blank envelopes... then, later you can just put a mailing label on the envelope and youre good to go

Wow that is a brilliant idea! Do you have them keep the envelopes or will they give them to me as long as they are sealed?

 

[rgporter]

The final count for me was 37. As I was adding schools to the list, I was thinking to myself how much time and money all these secondaries are going to cost me, but I couldn't take any off because that could be the one that accepts me!! It only takes one!

Yikes! I applied to 10 and by the time primaries, secondaries, and interviews were over it cost me about $4000. How do people afford to apply to so many schools? I wish I had cut my list in half, $2000 would pay for my move to the state where I'll be attending medical school. 🙂

 

[akimbo]

I'm only doing 7, and am a little insecure about that! But there's only 7 I really want to go to... I wonder sometimes if I should "pad" so that I look more committed...

 

[Medikit]

I would advise you to apply to way more schools than that. Unless you have an above 35 MCAT, 12 schools is not going to cut it for a CA resident particulary since most likely half of those schools are UCs. I would say 30 is a good number for any Cali resident with average numbers.

Can anyone else confirm that? I'm willing to apply to more.

 

[superdevil]

I'm only doing 7, and am a little insecure about that! But there's only 7 I really want to go to... I wonder sometimes if I should "pad" so that I look more committed...

not necessary. if anything, when you tell an interviewer that you only applied to seven schools, it may seem like you're more serious about those seven and your selection was more thought-out and discriminating. i've never heard of that question being answered in an interview with the interviewer's response being, "oh dear, that's hardly enough. add more, you fool, more!"

 

[superdevil]

Can anyone else confirm that? I'm willing to apply to more.

well, i'm not a CA res, but it sounds like an exaggeration IMHO. if your MCAT is 31-34, you should have a great shot if you only apply to 20-25 schools...assuming you pick your schools wisely.

or i could be totally wrong. i can already smell the posts of cali peeps saying "you dumb ass country bumpkin! if you're from cali, you need an MCAT over 40 to apply to less than 50 schools!"

whatever.

 

[akimbo]

not necessary. if anything, when you tell an interviewer that you only applied to seven schools, it may seem like you're more serious about those seven and your selection was more thought-out and discriminating. i've never heard of that question being answered in an interview with the interviewer's response being, "oh dear, that's hardly enough. add more, you fool, more!"

Lol. That would be a terrible interview...

I'm taking a very common sense approach to this whole thing. We'll see how far it gets me! Thanks for the reality check.

 

[Medikit]

well, i'm not a CA res, but it sounds like an exaggeration IMHO. if your MCAT is 31-34, you should have a great shot if you only apply to 20-25 schools...assuming you pick your schools wisely.

or i could be totally wrong. i can already smell the posts of cali peeps saying "you dumb ass country bumpkin! if you're from cali, you need an MCAT over 40 to apply to less than 50 schools!"

whatever.

Thanks. I do have schools in mind to fill in those spots, there is just something on the main SDN page that recommends only doing 12 max. My science GPA is like a 3.5 or 3.6 and my nonsci about 3.4... I think I'll get a 32 on the MCAT so that makes me pretty average. What isn't average is my D in Anatomy, my two withdrawals and my 2.9 GPA after my sophomore year...

 

[Luck]

Can anyone else confirm that? I'm willing to apply to more.

Do you mind sharing your stats? If you're just a 3.6gpa, 30 MCAT, you'll be shooting yourself in the foot if you only applied to 12 schools with 5 being UCs. Do a search on CA residents and you will discover the reality of things.

Edit: Ok I just read your above post. Yes your 2.9 sophomore year and D in anatomoy is horrendous. You're fooling yourself if you think you'll get in by applying to only 12 schools. I would suggest applying to DO and caribbean schools as well if you don't want to reapply.

Also, don't assume a 32 until you get your scores.

I know this post is harsh but it is the reality of things. It's better to be straightforward then to sugar coat things as some people will say to you when advising you.

 

[R@j]

It seems 15 schools seems to be the magic number unless you have one of those phenomenal 4.0/40+ stats. I'm trying to narrow down my list to 15 schools with a 3.56/36 (MD resident).

 

[balaA7180]

Yikes! I applied to 10 and by the time primaries, secondaries, and interviews were over it cost me about $4000. How do people afford to apply to so many schools? I wish I had cut my list in half, $2000 would pay for my move to the state where I'll be attending medical school. 🙂

How in the world did applying to TEN schools cost you $4000??? I applied to 28 schools and it cost me a total of $5500 (including 8 interviews). I say, figure about $150 per school ($30 for AMCAS, $100 for secondary, and $20 for any additional stuff you have to pay for) Interview expenses can vary depending on how many you go on, but I can't imagine how that could total $4000....

 

[IndyZX]

Wow that is a brilliant idea! Do you have them keep the envelopes or will they give them to me as long as they are sealed?

well, my health office will forward any letters from people affiliated with the University, so i dont have to worry about that.

but i have a letter from someone i know through volunteer work, and she printed, signed, and sealed 20 letters for me with a return address stamp on it.

i just have to put a stamp and label on there and drop it in the mail. the nice thing is i dont have to keep bothering her throughout the summer

 

[babyface]

Thanks. I do have schools in mind to fill in those spots, there is just something on the main SDN page that recommends only doing 12 max. My science GPA is like a 3.5 or 3.6 and my nonsci about 3.4... I think I'll get a 32 on the MCAT so that makes me pretty average. What isn't average is my D in Anatomy, my two withdrawals and my 2.9 GPA after my sophomore year...

First, good job on pulling your GPA from a 2.9 to a 3.5/6 in just a couple of years! In my opinion, your stats aren't gonna keep you out at most of the schools, even the ones at the top (with the exception of maybe WashU and the H's). However, nobody gets in just because they have decent stats, and a large part of your application depends on the ECs, LOR's, etc.

Given that, if I were you, I'd apply to around 25 schools as a CA resident. I'm also from CA and I applied to ~30 last year with similar GPA and a 35 MCAT. I decided to apply to so many because of 2 reasons: 1) I wanted to get in and 2) I didn't want to sell myself short at the reach schools. It's true that there is a lot, A LOT, of randomness in this process. You just never know what school will like you. I've gotten interviews at some great schools that I didn't expect to, like Duke and Columbia, but gotten pre-interview rejections from many others, like 15 others.

I think if you apply to just 12 schools and choose wisely, you'll probably get into at least 1 of them. But that probably means you can only apply to may 3-5 of the reach schools in opposed to maybe 10 of them if you apply to 25. True, it'll cost you more in the short-term, but it may save you more money in the long run with disparity in financial aid. Just my $0.02. Good luck +)

 

[Medikit]

First, good job on pulling your GPA from a 2.9 to a 3.5/6 in just a couple of years! In my opinion, your stats aren't gonna keep you out at most of the schools, even the ones at the top (with the exception of maybe WashU and the H's).

Thank you, it was so hard to watch it barely budge by a few .1 every semester, I added in a second major which gives me one more semester to get my overall GPA to a 3.5 and has already helped by giving me a lot more BCPM classes. Also thanks for the advice and the encouragement 🙂.

How hard was it for you to keep up with all of those secondaries and interviews?

 

[acab]

Filling out the secondaries wasn't so bad, as many of them just ask you to send in the money. The ones that have essays usually ask the same or similar questions, so after you've gone through a couple, you can just copy and paste. If you do that, make sure you proofread it a couple of times before submitting it. I heard of someone who forgot to change the name of the school and sent in something like "I want to go to school X because of ..." to school Y.

 

[UCLAstudent]

I applied to 30. I am a Cali resident, though. I am perfectly fine with applying to that many schools. I don't want to have to go through the process again.

 

[rgporter]

How in the world did applying to TEN schools cost you $4000??? I applied to 28 schools and it cost me a total of $5500 (including 8 interviews). I say, figure about $150 per school ($30 for AMCAS, $100 for secondary, and $20 for any additional stuff you have to pay for) Interview expenses can vary depending on how many you go on, but I can't imagine how that could total $4000....

Because I interviewed at almost all of them and I had to fly across the country to do it each time. Even cheap airfare is expensive 7 times, add in rental cars, hotel rooms, food, etc. It's an expensive process, don't underestimate the hidden costs. 😉

 

[brodaiga]

43 schools

 

[Scubadoc]

43 schools

43 schools!? that has got to be a record....

 

[brodaiga]

43 schools!? that has got to be a record....

I have an honors violation from freshman semester for something dumb. I assume some schools will reject me just for that reason. So...I'm playing the chances hoping to get in this year

 

[Scubadoc]

I have an honors violation from freshman semester for something dumb. I assume some schools will reject me just for that reason. So...I'm playing the chances hoping to get in this year

fair enough...good luck to you 👍

 

[CanIMakeIt]

I submitted my AMCAS app with just 3 schools on it ..... will add more depending on the score in about 2 weeks

if I get good score then add otherwise why waste money.

 

[angstrom55]

I applied to 44 (seems like insanity, but it was my second time applying--first time was only to UC schools). This was actually a cut down from around the 60 my mom wanted me to apply to (haha). Plus, I also applied late (sept) so I knew my chances were a lot less.

I think if you have decent scores, good ec's, and a good personal statement, around 20 schools is okay. It also helps if you apply early too! 30 is doing it safe. As for the UC's, i think it's really random with them. My b/f had lower scores than me and got secondaries to UCLA and stanford and I didn't (go figure).