How much do schools share applicant information with each other?

[ej37]

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So I was wondering if adcoms from different schools ever share information about applicants that are applying to both schools...

For example, I interviewed at school X, and said I was very interested in their research (a focus of theirs), however I later interviewed at school Y, whose focus is more on the clinical side, and told them how much I am looking forward to taking advantage of all of patient care opportunities...

I guess I am just worried about getting in trouble or blackballed, by the two schools comparing notes saying: "Hey, he told us he wanted to do research, but he told you he was interested in clinical medicine?"

I don't know if I am being paranoid or not here, I was just wondering how often adcoms from schools talk to each other about current applicants.

THANKS!

 

[Habeed]

Pure paranoia. How many people are even in the admissions department? Go to a med school and count them some time. There's maybe 10 full time staff, and then the commitee members who mostly have 'real' jobs and do this on the side.

A typical medical school these days gets between 3,000-10,000 applications. There's just no way.

In fact, due to the sheer volume, this is why it is such a numbers game. To get the number of applicants down to a reasonable number, adcoms basically just ignore all the ones below a certain GPA/MCAT. And honestly, for the "rest"...they rely on what your interviewer 'scored' you as, and a quick skim of your application.

I'm not even sure if they do that..they may just use a composite number and a 1 paragraph description from each interviewer to base their decision on.

At least, that's what I think really happens. I seriously doubt that they have the resources to examine every applicant under the microscope like everyone here assumes they do.

 

[WeAreNotRobots]

I guess I am just worried about getting in trouble or blackballed, by the two schools comparing notes saying: "Hey, he told us he wanted to do research, but he told you he was interested in clinical medicine?"

i'm not sure about what's involved in getting blackballed, but it sounds like it hurts.

i think the only time schools would share info like this is if something extremely unusual happens during your interview...like you threaten the interviewers or show up strung out on crack. but even then, why would one school care to tell another school? adcoms are flooded with info as it is, so i doubt anyone is cross-referencing what you say in your interview.

however, whatever you say at least has to be consistent with the rest of your app. so for example, you'd have a hard time getting credibility if you apply to an MD/PhD program or a research-intense school with no research background or mention of this interest elsewhere in your app.

for the 99% of us that don't make threats to adcoms or take cocaine while visiting schools, selling yourself to each particular school by emphasizing (and sometimes exaggerating) certain things about yourself is fine.

 

[Habeed]

Heck, I suspect you could probably get away with lying your ass off. I've never, ever heard of a school later asking a student who is say, president of the Derm club, about when they are going to start helping the underserved in primary care...

 

[LizzyM]

and a 1 paragraph description from each interviewer

And half of the time our interviewers' handwriting is so bad we can't make heads or tails of it ourselves.

 

[phospho]

Pure paranoia. How many people are even in the admissions department? Go to a med school and count them some time. There's maybe 10 full time staff, and then the commitee members who mostly have 'real' jobs and do this on the side.

A typical medical school these days gets between 3,000-10,000 applications. There's just no way.

In fact, due to the sheer volume, this is why it is such a numbers game. To get the number of applicants down to a reasonable number, adcoms basically just ignore all the ones below a certain GPA/MCAT. And honestly, for the "rest"...they rely on what your interviewer 'scored' you as, and a quick skim of your application.

I'm not even sure if they do that..they may just use a composite number and a 1 paragraph description from each interviewer to base their decision on.

At least, that's what I think really happens. I seriously doubt that they have the resources to examine every applicant under the microscope like everyone here assumes they do.

Heck, I suspect you could probably get away with lying your ass off. I've never, ever heard of a school later asking a student who is say, president of the Derm club, about when they are going to start helping the underserved in primary care...

haha, bitter!! i love it!

congrats on getting in by the way, you freakin' deserve it...

 

[ej37]

Thanks for all the responses everyone.

I guess I embody the "neurotic premed" stereotype to the fullest here.

I guess the main reasons I am asking is that I have yet to hear back from these two schools, 7 weeks post-interview. They are pretty close in geographical proximity, and I wrote letters to both after the fact stating "hey I want to do research" or "hey I want to treat patients." I think part of me is feeling guilty about this, but I really don't think I did anything dishonest, if I went to school X I would want to treat patients, but if I went to school Y I would want to do research.

Again, most of this is probably my nervous venting because I haven't heard back from either of these schools, and I was getting paranoid they compared my letters or something.

Anyway, thanks for the responses. And yes, I will stop posting now, lol.

 

[ButImLETired]

Thanks for all the responses everyone.

I guess I embody the "neurotic premed" stereotype to the fullest here.

I guess the main reasons I am asking is that I have yet to hear back from these two schools, 7 weeks post-interview. They are pretty close in geographical proximity, and I wrote letters to both after the fact stating "hey I want to do research" or "hey I want to treat patients." I think part of me is feeling guilty about this, but I really don't think I did anything dishonest, if I went to school X I would want to treat patients, but if I went to school Y I would want to do research.

Again, most of this is probably my nervous venting because I haven't heard back from either of these schools, and I was getting paranoid they compared my letters or something.

Anyway, thanks for the responses. And yes, I will stop posting now, lol.

Well, the two things aren't necessarily mutually exclusive either. People who only want to do research don't go into medicine, they get a Ph.D. If you're going to med school, you're at least somewhat interested in patient care, so I don't see the problem with expressing two different wishes at two different schools (or you know, even at the same school). If you interview at a school like, say, Duke, and don't mention that you're interested in research to some extent, they'll rightfully assume you're wrong for the school. If you go to an extremely clinically-inclined school with few research opportunities but a bustling trauma 1 center and a commitment to the underserved, not mentioning an interest in getting a great clinical education also makes zero sense. So even if the schools DID talk to each other (which I don't think they do), you wouldn't have done anything wrong. !

 

[cubssox2000]

Schools can't see where else you applied or have acceptances for until May 15. Before that, no school is going to just call up another and say "Hey did this person apply to you? What did they tell you?" Don't worry about it.

Also, if these are Chicago schools - where schools like UIC and Rush are litterally across the street from each other and Loyola is just a few miles to the west - they don't care, because they expect you to have different interests in different schools. Every school is different, and they know you applied to more than one school and have reasons for each application.

 

[linguini]

I posted this on the Columbia thread but I'll share again. When I was interviewing at Columbia, there was an invitation addressed to someone to interview at CORNELL on the sign-in desk. So, I wouldn't say that schools don't talk to each other about applicants, especially about ones that they really want to recruit.

 

[crimsonkid85]

i know that at least amongst the md/phd programs, the directors often communicate on memorable applicants at mstp meetings during the interview season. also, it's true that after may 15, schools can see an entire list of schools that you have been accepted to, and this list is definitely circulated and discussed upon as schools try to move the waitlist...

 

[Neuronix]

i know that at least amongst the md/phd programs, the directors often communicate on memorable applicants at mstp meetings during the interview season.

The MD/PhD adcoms who come by the MD/PhD forum get really pissed when I say things like this, though I've definitely heard these sorts of rumors and some things said by adcoms that would make me believe that. The defensiveness and persistance of the rumor makes me wonder sometimes.

But regardless, I'm not sure what you could say to a program other than YOU'RE MY TOP CHOICE then turn around to another and say YOU'RE MY TOP CHOICE that would piss them off. You'd probably have to put in writing to both for them to even notice/care. Unless maybe you did something really crazy. But even the kid who got kicked out of a program for making racist comments at a second look ended up at another program.

Anyways, I don't think the op has anything to worry about.

 

[MightyChip26]

I know for a fact that schools know if you've been accepted at other schools by this point in the game. This is how I definitely know:

I was accepted by one school but forgot to return the card saying I was accepting their offer. A few days ago, I received an email from the Dean of Admissions to that school that said: "I know you've received two other offers of admission by this point so please let us know if you are still considering our school." So this proves that they definitely know to how MANY schools we've been accepted to. I don't know if they actually know WHICH schools, though. Maybe they do?

 

[deleted74029]

I know for a fact that schools know if you've been accepted at other schools by this point in the game. This is how I definitely know:

I was accepted by one school but forgot to return the card saying I was accepting their offer. A few days ago, I received an email from the Dean of Admissions to that school that said: "I know you've received two other offers of admission by this point so please let us know if you are still considering our school." So this proves that they definitely know to how MANY schools we've been accepted to. I don't know if they actually know WHICH schools, though. Maybe they do?

Isn't it only after they accept/reject you that they know your status at other school?

 

[MightyChip26]

Isn't it only after they accept/reject you that they know your status at other school?

oh. maybe? idk?

 

[Kakoy]

i know that at least amongst the md/phd programs, the directors often communicate on memorable applicants at mstp meetings during the interview season. also, it's true that after may 15, schools can see an entire list of schools that you have been accepted to, and this list is definitely circulated and discussed upon as schools try to move the waitlist...

Does it show all the schools that we applied to or only those that accepted us?

 

[REL]

Does it show all the schools that we applied to or only those that accepted us?

As of Feb 2: Any school that accepted you can see any other acceptances

As of (early March): Any school that you applied to can see your acceptances

As of March 15: All MD programs must report a full class to AMCAS

MD programs can never see where your have applied via AMCAS. It is not their business and they should not ask --- tho some do --- you do not have to tell them.

 

[sirius08]

If schools know by early February where applicants have been accepted, do they use that information in financial aid offers (e.g., for merit-based aid)?

 

[REL]

If schools know by early February where applicants have been accepted, do they use that information in financial aid offers (e.g., for merit-based aid)?

My experience is that it the information is not used in that manner at all. Each school has enough to do and usually dwell on their own applicants and their own process to award merit aid, not worrying about who else has offered what. Tho my experience is with state schools who generally have little to no merid aid to give, therefore I would not be the best source to answer your question.

 

[Neuronix]

If schools know by early February where applicants have been accepted, do they use that information in financial aid offers (e.g., for merit-based aid)?

At big name private school there is a definitely a behind the scences negotiating process intended to draw people from other big name private schools. Of course, some people who don't have other big name private school acceptances sometimes get good scholarships too. But that is a factor in second look negotiating.

It's "Director of Admissions and Financial Aid" for a reason 😉