How realistic is it to have a "top choice" school?

[ciestar]

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I've wondered about this for a while.
I think most of us have a school we would drop everything for if it meant getting into it…
but how realistic is it to have a top choice going into the application season? Nothing at all is guaranteed, and this process makes no sense sometimes.

And, FWIW, my "top" choice isn't one of the top schools anyway (SKMC/Jefferson). Does this necessarily change anything?

 

[godawg300]

I've wondered about this for a while.
I think most of us have a school we would drop everything for if it meant getting into it…
but how realistic is it to have a top choice going into the application season? Nothing at all is guaranteed, and this process makes no sense sometimes.

And, FWIW, my "top" choice isn't one of the top schools anyway (SKMC/Jefferson). Does this necessarily change anything?

Why not? But just be able to live with the idea that you might have to go somewhere else. I would honestly just be flexible. You might go interview at a place and really like it .

 

[ciestar]

Why not? But just be able to live with the idea that you might have to go somewhere else. I would honestly just be flexible. You might go interview at a place and really like it .

Why question it? Because I'm a natural born skeptic, and I didn't want to "place all my eggs in one basket" so to speak. Obviously not thinking in that direction, but I'm sure you get the idea. At least i have the ability to be flexible.

 

[godawg300]

Why question it? Because I'm a natural born skeptic, and I didn't want to "place all my eggs in one basket" so to speak. Obviously not thinking in that direction, but I'm sure you get the idea. At least i have the ability to be flexible.

I have a top choice school. I hope I get an II there and hopefully an acceptance, but I know my end goal is to be a physician and that can happen at many places.

 

[RTC19]

I think as long as you flexible in where you wind up going, there is absolutely nothing wrong with having a top choice IMO. It may make you more genuinely enthusiastic about that particular school in secondaries and interviews. That's always a plus.

Good luck to you, OP.

 

[Cyberdyne 101]

A top choice is subjective and is subject to change as you go through the process.
What if you get into a reach school or two?! But even in such a scenario, your original top choice may not change. Just give every interview, secondary, etc your best.

¡Buena suerte!

 

[Narmerguy]

Why question it? Because I'm a natural born skeptic, and I didn't want to "place all my eggs in one basket" so to speak. Obviously not thinking in that direction, but I'm sure you get the idea. At least i have the ability to be flexible.

Having a top choice school shouldn't affect your candidacy at other schools. If you find yourself taking other schools less seriously and not putting effort into your application there, then perhaps I can see why having a top choice would be a problem. But most applicants are mature enough to understand that they cannot assume they will get into their top choice, and that they must try their best at all (or at least the significant majority) of schools they apply to so that they can have the most options at the end of the day.

 

[QofQuimica]

How realistic it is depends on how rock star awesome your app is, as well as on how well you fit in with the school's mission.

If you have a strong reason for wanting to attend a specific school and a strong app, check into whether that school offers an ED app program. It's probably going to be too late to apply ED for this year though.

 

[Goro]

Well, considering that the odds of any one applicant getting into any one school are about 1-5%, I'd say it's OK to have a top choice, but one should be prepared to go elsewhere.

I've wondered about this for a while.
I think most of us have a school we would drop everything for if it meant getting into it…
but how realistic is it to have a top choice going into the application season? Nothing at all is guaranteed, and this process makes no sense sometimes.

And, FWIW, my "top" choice isn't one of the top schools anyway (SKMC/Jefferson). Does this necessarily change anything?

 

[SN12357]

I've wondered about this for a while.
I think most of us have a school we would drop everything for if it meant getting into it…
but how realistic is it to have a top choice going into the application season? Nothing at all is guaranteed, and this process makes no sense sometimes.

And, FWIW, my "top" choice isn't one of the top schools anyway (SKMC/Jefferson). Does this necessarily change anything?

It's not a problem but I honestly think it's kind of silly to have a top choice given a)the abundance of excellent schools and b)the fact that as a premed, you have no context for picking one single 'top' choice. You don't know enough about either the school that you think you favor, or the other possibilities. Most people's 'top' choices are going to fluctuate throughout the interview cycle as you interview at more places. Fixating on one school just doesn't make sense.

 

[NYCdude]

How would one define a "reach school?" And how many should you apply to?

 

[masaraksh]

Harvard is my top choice because they are #1 by US News, get the most NIH funding, and are located in Boston.

 

[Monika12]

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[godawg300]

What's ED? I tried to google it and nada.

Try ED AMCAS next time.

https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/requirements/edp/

 

[Dr Muz]

What's ED? I tried to google it and nada.

Early Decision!

 

[Monika12]

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[HCHopeful]

I think it's more than okay to have one top choice. I grew up in rural Nebraska (actually rural, town of 800 people). My top choice is UNMC, because I wish to practice in a rural setting. I have no desire to attend medical school at a place where research is more important than primary care. If my MCAT score is up to snuff, I will be applying early decision there. I disagree with anyone that says a pre-med has no right to have a top choice. Some schools are better fits than others. On the other hand, if your stats aren't top-of-the-line, you'll have to be pretty flexible.

 

[BeancheBlanco]

it's definitely not ok to have a top choice school. I'm going to tell your mother you were even considering the idea. You should be ashamed of yourself!

 

[mimelim]

Everything depends on what your application looks like. If you are a highly sought after applicant, you pick the school you go to in the same way that the best medical students pick their residency program more than the residency program picks them.

 

[Ace Khalifa]

I think it's okay to have a top choice as long as it's based on fit. My top choice is my state school UNC because it's a great school in all aspects and it would offer me the cheapest tuition. My 2nd choice is Miami Miller because of location and their emphasis on community service. All my other 20 schools (including my alma mater WUSTL) are all places I would go to if not those first two.

 

[PantherPride]

Plenty of people make it into their top choice school. A top choice doesn't have to just be a top 10. Your top choice may be a top choice because of location, price, curriculum, and fit.

 

[Ace Khalifa]

Plenty of people make it into their top choice school. A top choice doesn't have to just be a top 10. Your top choice may be a top choice because of location, price, curriculum, and fit.

Exactly. My highest ranked school according to US News is WUSTL, but it's not my top choice. Fit is more important than prestige and rank.

 

[ace12345]

Just be prepared to change your mind. It's tough to get a good sense of the school before the interview day, even from mission statements, etc.

Oh and then there's when financial aid comes out in the spring. That'll change people's minds in a hurry.

 

[ciestar]

it's definitely not ok to have a top choice school. I'm going to tell your mother you were even considering the idea. You should be ashamed of yourself!

Hah. My mom would be ashamed of anything that didn't land me back living with her. TCMC would put me wayyy close though.

Just be prepared to change your mind. It's tough to get a good sense of the school before the interview day, even from mission statements, etc.

Oh and then there's when financial aid comes out in the spring. That'll change people's minds in a hurry.

You make a great point, money changes everything.

Everything depends on what your application looks like. If you are a highly sought after applicant, you pick the school you go to in the same way that the best medical students pick their residency program more than the residency program picks them.

Unfortunately, my application isn't exactly complete yet. I'm applying next year but my major hurdle is the mcat right now. It's my last piece, except maybe some more clinical experience as @Catalystik suggested I do.

Idk, this is what I think about when I'm not studying.

 

[SouthernSurgeon]

I think most applicants should not have a "top choice" this early in the process, simply because they don't know enough about any of the programs to make an informed decision.

 

[sunflower18]

I had a "top choice" going in, but knew that my chances at that school were really small. Now that I have a handful of interviews (my initial "top choice" not among them), I have sort of picked my favourite from the schools I'm going to visit, based upon thorough research of the schools. I assume that my preferences will shift a bit after I interview. I'm really trying to have an open mind about this whole process and not zero in on any particular school too early, lest I be blinded and not give a chance to another great program.