How many schools is too many?

[MedicineForLife 777]

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Hi everyone! I was just wondering how many schools you guys are applying to. I'm thinking about applying to 35 (I live in Texas so I have 8 in-state schools). I just want to cover my bases. Is that too many???

 

[Rafa]

It depends on the strength of your application - as well as other considerations like "where you want to end up" and "how much you can afford to spend". Personally, I'm applying to between 5 and 10 next year, probably 7. I don't have a strong application, but I'm hopeful (and willing to attend my state schools if I get into them). Apply to the schools you'd attend if accepted, and you'll be fine (as long as you don't apply to only top-10 schools).

 

[Duchess742]

it depends on how much time and money you are able to devote to the app process. if you're gonna be in school or work full-time, it might be too hard for you to get all the secondaries done. i applied to 20, and i'm already starting to regret it. think of it this way: if you apply to so many, you'll prob withdraw your app from several b/c you either won't have the time for all of them or will lose interest in some of them.
each school you decide not to apply to that you would've withdrawn your app from pre-secondary will save you $30.
" " post-secondary will save you ~$100.

it's totally your call, but i think strategic planning of 12-20 schools (depending on your strength as an applicant) is better. if you don't get interviews to most of your 35, then you wasted money in applying. if you do, then it will be SO expensive to travel that much and you'll only end up matriculating at one anyway.


**exception: if you feel like you're really going to have a hard time getting in (i.e. have something really bad on your record or scores below the mean of every school you're applying to), then apply to 35. you'll have a better chance of saving time and money in the long run in this case by trying to avoid another application cycle.

 

[karirunner]

As a TX resident, on my second time around I applied to three schools (2 TMDSAS and 1 AMCAS) in TX and got into one of the TMDSAS schools and was waitlisted at the AMCAS school. If your MCAT score is above 30 and you have >6 months research experience and >6 months clinical experience, you will have no problems getting into a state school. From my first round of applying, I can tell you:
(1)Apply only to schools within your homestate or ones that you would be stongly motivated to attend and write a good secondary for (i.e. you think their curriculum is incredible and they have great clinical opportunities.) Make sure that your GPA and MCAT fall within three-tenths of a point/ a point or two for each, unless you are at an Ivy or high prestige school (then you can have more flexibility).
(2) Apply as early as possible.
(3) Especially in your TMDSAS essay, include that you want to practice medicine within the state of TX (assuming you do)- state schools are charged by the legislature to educate physicians wishing to serve TX. If you are willing/want to serve underserved populations and are able to express that in the essay, more bonus points.
(4) I personally think that about 10 schools is the max you schould apply to in one cycle. More than that- you lose track of secondary app dates, fees, etc. If your MCAT score is 27 or less, consider applying to a DO or Carribbean school as a back-up.
Good luck!!!

 

[akinf]

If you get into medicine, I don't think you will feel like it was too much. If you have stellar stats and amazing profile, and you get scholarships nearly everywhere you apply, then you will feel like it was too much. It all depends on the person.

 

[Rafa]

As a TX resident, on my second time around I applied to three schools (2 TMDSAS and 1 AMCAS) in TX and got into one of the TMDSAS schools and was waitlisted at the AMCAS school. If your MCAT score is above 30 and you have >6 months research experience and >6 months clinical experience, you will have no problems getting into a state school. From my first round of applying, I can tell you:
(1)Apply only to schools within your homestate or ones that you would be stongly motivated to attend and write a good secondary for (i.e. you think their curriculum is incredible and they have great clinical opportunities.) Make sure that your GPA and MCAT fall within three-tenths of a point/ a point or two for each, unless you are at an Ivy or high prestige school (then you can have more flexibility).
(2) Apply as early as possible.
(3) Especially in your TMDSAS essay, include that you want to practice medicine within the state of TX (assuming you do)- state schools are charged by the legislature to educate physicians wishing to serve TX. If you are willing/want to serve underserved populations and are able to express that in the essay, more bonus points.
(4) I personally think that about 10 schools is the max you schould apply to in one cycle. More than that- you lose track of secondary app dates, fees, etc. If your MCAT score is 27 or less, consider applying to a DO or Carribbean school as a back-up.
Good luck!!!

Good, good advice.

 

[Psycho Doctor]

As a TX resident, on my second time around I applied to three schools (2 TMDSAS and 1 AMCAS) in TX and got into one of the TMDSAS schools and was waitlisted at the AMCAS school. If your MCAT score is above 30 and you have >6 months research experience and >6 months clinical experience, you will have no problems getting into a state school. From my first round of applying, I can tell you:
(1)Apply only to schools within your homestate or ones that you would be stongly motivated to attend and write a good secondary for (i.e. you think their curriculum is incredible and they have great clinical opportunities.) Make sure that your GPA and MCAT fall within three-tenths of a point/ a point or two for each, unless you are at an Ivy or high prestige school (then you can have more flexibility).
(2) Apply as early as possible.
(3) Especially in your TMDSAS essay, include that you want to practice medicine within the state of TX (assuming you do)- state schools are charged by the legislature to educate physicians wishing to serve TX. If you are willing/want to serve underserved populations and are able to express that in the essay, more bonus points.
(4) I personally think that about 10 schools is the max you schould apply to in one cycle. More than that- you lose track of secondary app dates, fees, etc. If your MCAT score is 27 or less, consider applying to a DO or Carribbean school as a back-up.
Good luck!!!

those sound like great tips and I wish I paid attention to that when i was applying. based on your 6 month time frame for research and volunteering...is that full time hours? Also do you think part-time hours over a longer time fram carries as much weight?

 

[xanthomondo]

If someone were applying to 10 schools, is that 5-10 or 10-15?

😕

 

[Compass]

It'd probably be 10-15. 🙂

Anyways, I'm still a long ways off, but I'll probably apply to about 15-20. I'm confident that I'll get into at least one, but I have quite a few dream/reach/family-helping schools I want to apply to. 1 is the one my grandfather's last wish for me to go to, plus probably 2 more reach schools, a few is located where my mom has another accounting license (she has two, one for state we currently live in, Maryland.) so if I have to say, go cross-country, she can rent an apartment there to work and make it easier for me on rent/house pay. Maybe 2-3 state schools (Puts me at about 1 + 2 + 3 + 3) and a few more that aren't reach schools, aren't state schools. One of those confident you'll get in more likely than your reach schools, but not guaranteeds. And then maybe a guaranteed. 😉

 

[JohnnyOU]

Hi everyone! I was just wondering how many schools you guys are applying to. I'm thinking about applying to 35 (I live in Texas so I have 8 in-state schools). I just want to cover my bases. Is that too many???

I'd just apply to all those Texas MD schools as long as you have a decent application. Maybe 2 extra dream schools since you never know.

If your stats aren't so good then you may need to apply to all those schools and maybe even a DO school if that's acceptable to you.

35 will cost you a LOT of $$$, and a lot more if you interview out of state as well. Don't do it unless you have to or have a lot of extra $$$ to spend.

I'd be surprised if you didn't get into a TX school though.

good luck
Johnny

 

[notdeadyet]

I think also a lot of it depends on what your home state is. If you live in a state that has a very good record of accepting in state residents, you can cut down on your number of applications dramatically. If you live in a place like Oregon or California, for example, you need to apply to a lot more schools, since your in state odds are bad.

 

[Twitch]

As a TX resident, on my second time around I applied to three schools (2 TMDSAS and 1 AMCAS) in TX and got into one of the TMDSAS schools and was waitlisted at the AMCAS school. If your MCAT score is above 30 and you have >6 months research experience and >6 months clinical experience, you will have no problems getting into a state school. From my first round of applying, I can tell you:
(1)Apply only to schools within your homestate or ones that you would be stongly motivated to attend and write a good secondary for (i.e. you think their curriculum is incredible and they have great clinical opportunities.) Make sure that your GPA and MCAT fall within three-tenths of a point/ a point or two for each, unless you are at an Ivy or high prestige school (then you can have more flexibility).
(2) Apply as early as possible.
(3) Especially in your TMDSAS essay, include that you want to practice medicine within the state of TX (assuming you do)- state schools are charged by the legislature to educate physicians wishing to serve TX. If you are willing/want to serve underserved populations and are able to express that in the essay, more bonus points.
(4) I personally think that about 10 schools is the max you schould apply to in one cycle. More than that- you lose track of secondary app dates, fees, etc. If your MCAT score is 27 or less, consider applying to a DO or Carribbean school as a back-up.
Good luck!!!

On #3: Isn't it assumed that as a resident of TX - you'll work in TX after you graduate? Hence the whole reason for having instate vs out of state. Otherwise, you'd see a large # of OOS acceptances at say a state school in LA with folks claiming they'll work in LA afterwards. Similarly on the underserved/rural - that's why they ask which county you live in since there is a greater likelihood you'll return to practice there. Additionally, some schools ask in their secondaries what exactly have you done to backup your claim to work in such a designated area.

Stating an obvious implication on the primary is a waste.

 

[OSUdoc08]

Hi everyone! I was just wondering how many schools you guys are applying to. I'm thinking about applying to 35 (I live in Texas so I have 8 in-state schools). I just want to cover my bases. Is that too many???

There is no such thing as too many, since you cannot guarantee you will get in.

 

[OSUdoc08]

I'd just apply to all those Texas MD schools as long as you have a decent application. Maybe 2 extra dream schools since you never know.

If your stats aren't so good then you may need to apply to all those schools and maybe even a DO school if that's acceptable to you.

35 will cost you a LOT of $$$, and a lot more if you interview out of state as well. Don't do it unless you have to or have a lot of extra $$$ to spend.

I'd be surprised if you didn't get into a TX school though.

good luck
Johnny

Bad idea.

 

[premedicated]

Its more or less a coin toss for Texas res. An avg of 2115 Texas res. applied last cycle for 1095 seats that are guaranteed by law to texas res.

So the best addvice would be to apply to as many as you can afford

http://www.utmb.edu/ia/factbook_data.asp?type=lib&which=Profiles

 

[MedicineForLife 777]

Wow....more people are applying to 30+ schools than I thought! 😀

 

[DrVanNostran]

I will definitely be in the 40s...most likely 42 including osteopathic school

 

[SpinEcho13]

What is the consensus as to how long secondaries take? Cost for app fees/ interviews is not a consideration to how many schools I apply to, I just want to make sure I can do all the secondaries promptly and to the best of my ability. I work 8am-5pm daily, but have no responsibilities outside of the lab, and I have quite a bit of support to bounce ideas/plans off of so I likely won't get bogged down unnecessarily second guessing/editing essays.

Is 25-30 too many for a strong applicant? (3.76/35+, good EC's) I just want a shot at a top tier school but I have to include some mid tier and backups just in case... From MN, so I don't have a multitude of state schools.

 

[medschool22]

Too many does NOT look good. They can see how many schools you apply to (within MD and within DO). You should apply to 20 MD schools TOPS. And NO more than HALF of the DO schools (= ~10 or so).

You can read any med school admissions book, etc to verify this information.

Same goes if you only apply to 1-5 or so. You look cocky. My Uncle took this route...he didn't get in. These people really surprise me. They only want to go to 1 school (maybe a couple more) and decide to put all their eggs in one (to 5) baskets. When my uncle got rejected from his 5 schools, he called them up (after his interview) and asked what went wrong. They said they didn't believe he really wanted to go to school because he applied to so few, and that if he was serious about going he would have applied to a few more schools to show that he was really driven about medicine, and that he didn't care about where he went to school.

 

[MSTP?]

thanks.

 

[MSTP?]

thanks.

 

[MedicineForLife 777]

Can the schools see what other schools you applied to???

 

[ChymeChancellor]

Can the schools see what other schools you applied to???

no

 

[sanche60]

35 sounds like alot. Ive met people who applied to more then that though. Personally, just the thought of all of those secondaries gives me chills.

 

[Rafa]

They can see how many schools you apply to (within MD and within DO).

Incorrect.

You can read any med school admissions book, etc to verify this information.

Also incorrect.

 

[iriechic14]

Hi everyone! I was just wondering how many schools you guys are applying to. I'm thinking about applying to 35 (I live in Texas so I have 8 in-state schools). I just want to cover my bases. Is that too many???

Hey Alisa,
I really think 35 is too many schools. If your stats are reasonable you should be able to get away with 10-15 and 20 at the most. Another thing to consider is to appy to 10-15 first early in the season. If interviews are rolling in, you will probably get in somewhere. If you are not having success at that point, maybe then you should consider applying to more. It may not seem like it, but applying to schools is a pretty painful process. Imagine going to interview at 20 different schools! Flying in and flying out in a day tends to be pretty tiring, especially if you have a test the day you come back! And with so many interviews something like that is bound to happen. Good luck.

 

[OSUdoc08]

Hey Alisa,
I really think 35 is too many schools. If your stats are reasonable you should be able to get away with 10-15 and 20 at the most. Another thing to consider is to appy to 10-15 first early in the season. If interviews are rolling in, you will probably get in somewhere. If you are not having success at that point, maybe then you should consider applying to more. It may not seem like it, but applying to schools is a pretty painful process. Imagine going to interview at 20 different schools! Flying in and flying out in a day tends to be pretty tiring, especially if you have a test the day you come back! And with so many interviews something like that is bound to happen. Good luck.

In reality, the OP won't get 20 interviews.

If the OP's stats were THAT good, they would not be posting on here in the first place.

I cannot emphasize enough that 20 schools may not be an adequate number. Applying to medical school is a crapshoot anyway, and you can't base anything off of your stats.

 

[Rafa]

Applying to medical school is a crapshoot anyway, and you can't base anything off of your stats.

I've got to disagree. People on SDN say this constantly, but it isn't a crapshoot. Calling it that might make it easier to explain rejections, but it makes no attempt to improve one's chances (might as well not actually research my schools and just apply to 50 since it's a crapshoot har har), and it completely disregards the fact that adcoms aren't just picking names out of a hat. There's a process behind it all, and at the end of the day, you've got to do everything you can to make yourself the best applicant possible. Calling it a crapshoot seems more and more a means of avoiding responsibility for one's shortcomings.

To the poster thinking of 35 schools, I'd recommend cutting it down. Apart from the prohibitive cost of applying to so many schools, you'll likely end up spending less time (and therefore doing a worse job) on the secondaries, simply because it's impractical to write 35-100+ essays for 35 applications. You aren't going to give them the same amount of dedication that you would to a dozen secondaries simply due to fatigue and apathy. You'll improve your chances far more by applying to at least 10 fewer schools, and taking the time to select schools likely to accept you with your circumstances. Applying to 10 well-picked schools >>>> 35 hat-picked schools every single time.

 

[OSUdoc08]

I've got to disagree. People on SDN say this constantly, but it isn't a crapshoot. Calling it that might make it easier to explain rejections, but it makes no attempt to improve one's chances (might as well not actually research my schools and just apply to 50 since it's a crapshoot har har), and it completely disregards the fact that adcoms aren't just picking names out of a hat. There's a process behind it all, and at the end of the day, you've got to do everything you can to make yourself the best applicant possible. Calling it a crapshoot seems more and more a means of avoiding responsibility for one's shortcomings.

To the poster thinking of 35 schools, I'd recommend cutting it down. Apart from the prohibitive cost of applying to so many schools, you'll likely end up spending less time (and therefore doing a worse job) on the secondaries, simply because it's impractical to write 35-100+ essays for 35 applications. You aren't going to give them the same amount of dedication that you would to a dozen secondaries simply due to fatigue and apathy. You'll improve your chances far more by applying to at least 10 fewer schools, and taking the time to select schools likely to accept you with your circumstances. Applying to 10 well-picked schools >>>> 35 hat-picked schools every single time.

You must have good stats.

No, you will not improve your chances by applying to LESS schools.

If someone doesn't have the best stats, let them apply to more schools.

Everyone may not be as lucky as you.

P.S. It takes 30 minutes to write a secondary. You can do all of them in a few days ----they don't need any "dedication."

 

[MSTP?]

X

 

[MiesVanDerMom]

On #3: Isn't it assumed that as a resident of TX - you'll work in TX after you graduate? Hence the whole reason for having instate vs out of state. Otherwise, you'd see a large # of OOS acceptances at say a state school in LA with folks claiming they'll work in LA afterwards. Similarly on the underserved/rural - that's why they ask which county you live in since there is a greater likelihood you'll return to practice there. Additionally, some schools ask in their secondaries what exactly have you done to backup your claim to work in such a designated area.

Stating an obvious implication on the primary is a waste.

I disagree. A doctor who helped me with my PS told me to explicitly state in my PS I want to work in the rural underserved area I'm from. I did and I am glad I did. The essay is about why you want to be a doctor, after all, and if that's your intention then it is a big part of your motivation. I would never, for instance want to be a beverly hills plastic surgeon. Putting it in your PS would only make your motivation for medicine more clear.

 

[C.P. Jones]

Incorrect.

although they can't actually see how many schools....what if they ask how many you applied to? i was asked this on an interview, and i know you don't have to answer, but i think that would be dumb to say "i don't want to answer that". so choosing to answer....would saying "i applied to 35 schools" look bad? show insecurity? i would hope not since for me it would just be to increase chances as this is my third application cycle......if all the apps were free, wouldn't a lot more ppl apply to as many as they could? i know i would.

 

[SpinEcho13]

I've got to disagree. People on SDN say this constantly, but it isn't a crapshoot. Calling it that might make it easier to explain rejections, but it makes no attempt to improve one's chances (might as well not actually research my schools and just apply to 50 since it's a crapshoot har har), and it completely disregards the fact that adcoms aren't just picking names out of a hat. There's a process behind it all, and at the end of the day, you've got to do everything you can to make yourself the best applicant possible. Calling it a crapshoot seems more and more a means of avoiding responsibility for one's shortcomings.

To the poster thinking of 35 schools, I'd recommend cutting it down. Apart from the prohibitive cost of applying to so many schools, you'll likely end up spending less time (and therefore doing a worse job) on the secondaries, simply because it's impractical to write 35-100+ essays for 35 applications. You aren't going to give them the same amount of dedication that you would to a dozen secondaries simply due to fatigue and apathy. You'll improve your chances far more by applying to at least 10 fewer schools, and taking the time to select schools likely to accept you with your circumstances. Applying to 10 well-picked schools >>>> 35 hat-picked schools every single time.

You're right. From a ADCOM member's point of view it isn't a crapshoot, they know exactly what they're looking for, but from any applicant's point of view it is seemingly random. I for one don't label the process as a crapshoot because I am trying to shift blame away from the weak points of my application but rather because there is no way you can be 100% sure that you will be admitted to any certain school no matter what your stats. Really all we have to go by are the published numbers for avg. MCAT GPA in state/OOS etc and the things that undebately are good on applications such as published research or shadowing. The rest is all guesswork.

Some random factors include, your state of residence (for private schools), your undergraduate major (assuming you're not Bio), the people who interview you (IE Family Med doc or Radiologist? Despite the standardized interview, I have a feeling both will rate the same applicant a little differently based on what they feel is important in medicine.), and the specific experiences you have (an ADCOM may look at an applicant with African volunteer work and label it as a cliche "amazing EC" and choose an applicant who volunteered in Russia instead).

Regardless, there are a huge number of subjective and subliminal factors and we as applicants know very little about them or how they are evaluated. For that reason someone with a stellar application may be rejected and a very genuine person with a weaker application for any given school may be accepted. Unless you are extremely close to someone on an ADCOM for a specific school it's doubtful you can accurately gauge your application in the subjective factors, and even then it's unlikely that you will be able to transfer that judgement to the ADCOM of another school.

To say you are a shoe-in (without strong connections, IE family on ADCOM) at a given school is short-sighted and highly overconfident.

 

[docolive]

Hi everyone! I was just wondering how many schools you guys are applying to. I'm thinking about applying to 35 (I live in Texas so I have 8 in-state schools). I just want to cover my bases. Is that too many???

OMG!!!!!!!!!!!! 35 schools! I thought 15 would be a safe number. $$$$$
It says in my Pfizer manual that in applying to 15 schools, a student has a 50% chance of acceptance.

 

[SpinEcho13]

OMG!!!!!!!!!!!! 35 schools! I thought 15 would be a safe number. $$$$$
It says in my Pfizer manual that in applying to 15 schools, a student has a 50% chance of acceptance.

But those are pure statistics, you can't even go by that. A person with 4.0 and 45 applying to 15 schools (assuming a wide distrobution, and no character deficiencies in the applicant) will almost 100% get an acceptance whereas an applicant with a 3.0 and a 25 will likely not get accepted to any allopathic schools. Most of us fall somewhere in between, but where in between is the million dollar question.

The only way to raise your chances of admission at this point are to apply as broadly as your funds and free time will allow. Again, how broadly is the big question.

For everyone it's different, I have no concerns about the cost of the process (peanuts in comparison to the tuition at a private school) and am only worried about the time to fill out apps in a quality manner, whereas some of my friends are only applying to 10 because they feel that they have a good chance at those and don't want to spend the money applying elsewhere. It's all a compromise.

 

[Darkshooter326]

My opinion is that more than 20 is overkill. If you pick your schools well, and have realistic expectations, you will get into a Medical School. 😎

 

[Rafa]

You must have good stats.

No, you will not improve your chances by applying to LESS schools.

If someone doesn't have the best stats, let them apply to more schools.

Everyone may not be as lucky as you.

Dude, don't assume. Whether I have good stats or not doesn't change the fact that for the vast majority of people, applying to 35 schools will be a waste of money, time, effort, and efficiency. If you have lower stats, don't use the top 10, 20, 30, 40, or 50 schools as an application guide. No medical school requires a 4.0/40+ for admittance. But applying broadly doesn't mean wasting resources on three dozen schools. That's just bad planning.

For that matter, if I or you or anyone else were to have good stats, I'd hope you'd attribute some of that to effort/dedication/etc, and not simply to luck. :^) But that's not at issue. The point is that if you're applying to 35 schools, 99.9999% of the time, it'll be because you haven't taken the time to pick out a smaller number of schools that you'd be a better match or 'fit' for.

P.S. It takes 30 minutes to write a secondary. You can do all of them in a few days ----they don't need any "dedication."

Finally, If you're spending 30 minutes on writing secondaries - especially ones consisting of multiple essays - you're lessening your chances of acceptances right there. If you don't put in the time to complete an app, why should an adcom put in the time to review it? Saying secondaries don't need any "dedication" is like saying the personal statement is "just another essay". Not the best attitude to have come application season.

If you research 10 schools, write the best secondary essays you can for them, and communicate your desire to attend said schools to said schools throughout the application process, your chances will be X. If you apply to all ~125 allopathic schools and follow the above procedure for only 10 of those schools, your chances of getting into medical school will be X + .00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000001. Applying to more schools while plugging your fingers in your ears and singing "it's a crapshoot" won't do crap shvt for your application because more schools doesn't mean more chances unless you give 100% for each school you apply to. And very few people (re: ~0) can give as much, per school, to 35 schools, as they can to 10 or 12 or 20. I mean all of this with all due respect, and my "you", as almost always, is a general you. But I had to weigh in.

 

[newbie1kenobi]

I originally thought that I had a really good chance with my in-state school, but I'm just on their low priority waitlist at this time, eventhough I was accepted to three other OOS schools. I'm inclined to say that it's a crapshoot. 😡 (note sour grapes tone)

 

[durfen]

I'm going to apply to 3-4 schools, around my area that is.. two 'want-tos', two backup. I want to stay close to family as that is important to me, don't know how that reason's going to fly if I get asked the question though. If I get rejected, make myself a better applicant and apply more broadly next year is my plan.

 

[MSTP?]

x

 

[notdeadyet]

More fodder for the "is it possible to apply to too many schools?" debate:

Ask yourself this:

1. Are you an older applicant transitioning from a completely unrelated career?
2. Are you applying with mediocre (or worse) grades or MCAT score?
3. Do you come from a state where your state school is NOT a safety (WA, CA, OR, etc.)
4. Will you be applying late (e.g.: will be taking the MCAT for the first time in August)?

I can answer yes to three of the four, so I need to hedge my bets. If you can answer "no" to all four of these questions, I think applying to over 25 schools is probably overkill. Applying to 20 schools with nearly identical stats is probably redundant.

 

[gostudy]

Too many does NOT look good. They can see how many schools you apply to (within MD and within DO). You should apply to 20 MD schools TOPS. And NO more than HALF of the DO schools (= ~10 or so).

You can read any med school admissions book, etc to verify this information.

Same goes if you only apply to 1-5 or so. You look cocky. My Uncle took this route...he didn't get in. These people really surprise me. They only want to go to 1 school (maybe a couple more) and decide to put all their eggs in one (to 5) baskets. When my uncle got rejected from his 5 schools, he called them up (after his interview) and asked what went wrong. They said they didn't believe he really wanted to go to school because he applied to so few, and that if he was serious about going he would have applied to a few more schools to show that he was really driven about medicine, and that he didn't care about where he went to school.

Excuse me sir, from where do you derive such information? It's best not to confuse premeds with incorrect information and/or advice.

 

[jbrice1639]

Hi everyone! I was just wondering how many schools you guys are applying to. I'm thinking about applying to 35 (I live in Texas so I have 8 in-state schools). I just want to cover my bases. Is that too many???

my only advice here would be don't apply to schools you're not excited about. it's a waste of money to apply to schools you have no interest in. narrow your list down to a bunch of schools you're REALLY interested in and then put a lot of effort into your secondaries and your interviews (if you get them). your enthusiasm will go a long way and you won't be stretching yourself too thin applying to schools you have little or no interest in.

 

[jbrice1639]

Too many does NOT look good. They can see how many schools you apply to (within MD and within DO). You should apply to 20 MD schools TOPS. And NO more than HALF of the DO schools (= ~10 or so).

You can read any med school admissions book, etc to verify this information.

yep...you can read any med school admissions book to verify that this information is false.

 

[MedicineForLife 777]

There's false information on here??? 👎

 

[UCLAMAN]

Too many does NOT look good. They can see how many schools you apply to (within MD and within DO). You should apply to 20 MD schools TOPS. And NO more than HALF of the DO schools (= ~10 or so).

You can read any med school admissions book, etc to verify this information.

Same goes if you only apply to 1-5 or so. You look cocky. My Uncle took this route...he didn't get in. These people really surprise me. They only want to go to 1 school (maybe a couple more) and decide to put all their eggs in one (to 5) baskets. When my uncle got rejected from his 5 schools, he called them up (after his interview) and asked what went wrong. They said they didn't believe he really wanted to go to school because he applied to so few, and that if he was serious about going he would have applied to a few more schools to show that he was really driven about medicine, and that he didn't care about where he went to school.

this is not true. when i applied(albeit 4 years ago. maybe times have changed.) schools do not know where you have applied. i applied to 30+ schools and interviewed at almost half of them. i was either waitlisted or accepted at these schools that i interviewed at.

 

[UCLAMAN]

I've got to disagree. People on SDN say this constantly, but it isn't a crapshoot. Calling it that might make it easier to explain rejections, but it makes no attempt to improve one's chances (might as well not actually research my schools and just apply to 50 since it's a crapshoot har har), and it completely disregards the fact that adcoms aren't just picking names out of a hat. There's a process behind it all, and at the end of the day, you've got to do everything you can to make yourself the best applicant possible. Calling it a crapshoot seems more and more a means of avoiding responsibility for one's shortcomings.

To the poster thinking of 35 schools, I'd recommend cutting it down. Apart from the prohibitive cost of applying to so many schools, you'll likely end up spending less time (and therefore doing a worse job) on the secondaries, simply because it's impractical to write 35-100+ essays for 35 applications. You aren't going to give them the same amount of dedication that you would to a dozen secondaries simply due to fatigue and apathy. You'll improve your chances far more by applying to at least 10 fewer schools, and taking the time to select schools likely to accept you with your circumstances. Applying to 10 well-picked schools >>>> 35 hat-picked schools every single time.

i agree with you. i HATE how sdn people call the application process a "crapshoot." lets face it, its like the NBA draft...if you've got the skills to play in the league you will get drafted. it is NOT a crapshoot to get into the league. the only crapshoot is which team is going to draft you. medical school is the same way, if you have the stats/skills, you WILL get in, period.
you have got to know which "teams"/schools you have the best shot at.

however, with that said...i disagree with the amount of schools to aplly to...i think 10 is too little(then again, i am a california resident). i think a nice safe number is 15(5 "safeties", 5 schools you are on par with, 5 reaches).

but lets reiterate fellow SDNers....getting into medical schools is NOT a crapshoot!!!!

 

[Haemulon]

For what its worth, I have decent MCAT and a lower, but still in the running GPA. I'm a non-trad with great experiences and a graduate degree. I have maybe 6 schools that I really want to go to, but since I don't want to go through the app process again, I applied to other schools I also would like, but am not quite as excited about. All total: 14.

 

[coco11]

i think a lot of it is about school selection. be realistic. everyone has a few dream schools - put them down. but if you have a 3.0 and 25 on the MCAT, don't apply to every single ivy/top 10. it isn't worth it. if you won't be able to sleep without putting down a dream school - put it, but you don't need all of them.

 

[MossPoh]

I'm applying to a very wide range..including all allo and osteopathic in florida, dad's old school, school from my old homestate, ones that generally take more non traditionals, 1 or 2 osteos in midwest, 1 on east coast, and then maybe 2 reach schools. depending on the funds I might throw a few more in but I am looking at the 15 to 20 range right now. My stats aren't stellar but I'm really doing a range here and am yet to take the mcat so I will alter my decisions based on that.