How to fail.

[birdboybird]

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Suppose someone had a decent gpa ,30 mcat ,decent Extracirrciuclars and applied early..
How could they screw up and not get in ? Or are they safe?

 

[trs88]

I'm pretty sure they'll get interviews and it depends on how badly they blow that, I assume. I can't say what the adcoms look for during the interview other than does this person seem like the right fit for our school? To apply it before the interviews, I guess don't do bad stuff that could jeopardize your future.

 

[Tri4thlete]

Two ways off the top of my head:

1. Not a right "fit" for the school. It's a complicated algorithm, but schools take it seriously and want to make sure you will be successful in their particular school environment.

2. Zero social skills. Usually high academic scores correlate to decent to good social skills, but I've witnessed it with my own eyes. Went to college with someone who got a 33 or something on his MCAT, but you couldn't hold a 5 minute conversation with the bro. He didn't get in his first application cycle.

 

[cliquesh]

Two ways off the top of my head:

1. Not a right "fit" for the school. It's a complicated algorithm, but schools take it seriously and want to make sure you will be successful in their particular school environment.

2. Zero social skills. Usually high academic scores correlate to decent to good social skills, but I've witnessed it with my own eyes. Went to college with someone who got a 33 or something on his MCAT, but you couldn't hold a 5 minute conversation with the bro. He didn't get in his first application cycle.

I always thought the opposite. The higher the scores the more awkward.

 

[doreegon]

Those stats are good enough to get you secondaries, but if you are careless with them or unprepared for the interview then there's a good chance you will not be accepted. As long as you're above average in every way on paper the acceptance is yours to lose.

 

[Fargofargo]

I always thought that Interview invite means that the school is okay with your grades and they just want to see how you socialize?

 

[Goro]

Very easy. One can bomb an interview (myriad ways to do this, too!), or have a red flag in the app, like a bad LOR, or an IA. Poorly written PS or secondaries will also do you in.

I'm NOT saying that OP is doing this, but I've noticed an attitude among hyperpacheiving applicants that they are entitled to a seat in medical school simply because they have the numbers. The numbers get one to the door, the entire packet, especially the ECs, get one in the door. The hyperacheivers have a lot of trouble understanding that.

EDIT: one more thing: applying to the wrong school. No matter how good your packet, if you're from CA, for example, UNECOM will probably reject you, because they have a profound regional bias. This is more prominent with some MD schools, like Mercer, or U MS.

I'll be posting my guide to interviews soon, stay tuned.

Suppose someone had a decent gpa ,30 mcat ,decent Extracirrciuclars and applied early..
How could they screw up and not get in ? Or are they safe?

 

[kelminak]

I'll be posting my guide to interviews soon, stay tuned.

 

[birdboybird]

30 is hyper achieving? How about for MD programs?

Very easy. One can bomb an interview (myriad ways to do this, too!), or have a red flag in the app, like a bad LOR, or an IA. Poorly written PS or secondaries will also do you in.

I'm NOT saying that OP is doing this, but I've noticed an attitude among hyperpacheiving applicants that they are entitled to a seat in medical school simply because they have the numbers. The numbers get one to the door, the entire packet, especially the ECs, get one in the door. The hyperacheivers have a lot of trouble understanding that.

EDIT: one more thing: applying to the wrong school. No matter how good your packet, if you're from CA, for example, UNECOM will probably reject you, because they have a profound regional bias. This is more prominent with some MD schools, like Mercer, or U MS.

I'll be posting my guide to interviews soon, stay tuned.

 

[Fargofargo]

30 is hyper achieving? How about for MD programs?

I don't think Goro meant to say specifically 30 is hyper achieving. I would think like 36+ could be hyper achieving for MD, and even then, it would be for ppl with minimal ECs

 

[Goro]

I take it the MCAT VR reading comprehension was challenging, Birdy? Note what I wrote. I was referring to the people who are 3.8+ GPA/36+ MCAT, who expect that MD Admissions Deans should fall down at their feet because of their good numbers. Capeesh?

"I'm NOT saying that OP is doing this, but I've noticed an attitude among hyperpacheiving applicants that they are entitled to a seat in medical school simply because they have the numbers. The numbers get one to the door, the entire packet, especially the ECs, get one in the door. The hyperacheivers have a lot of trouble understanding that."

I never see this attitude on the Pre-DO board.

30 is hyper achieving? How about for MD programs?

 

[osteohack10]

I'm hoping that once you have the II in hand your numbers are less of an issue than are your ability to socialize and interview well. I went back and re-read some of my secondaries and found a misplaced apostrophe and it has haunted me all week. <--- absolutely serious about this. Not exactly sure why I'm freaking out, but I am.

 

[Awesome Sauceome]

I'm hoping that once you have the II in hand your numbers are less of an issue than are your ability to socialize and interview well. I went back and re-read some of my secondaries and found a misplaced apostrophe and it has haunted me all week. <--- absolutely serious about this. Not exactly sure why I'm freaking out, but I am.

yea after submitting stuff I never go back through it. I don't think that stuff weighing on me heh.

 

[ananasmed]

I'm hoping that once you have the II in hand your numbers are less of an issue than are your ability to socialize and interview well. I went back and re-read some of my secondaries and found a misplaced apostrophe and it has haunted me all week. <--- absolutely serious about this. Not exactly sure why I'm freaking out, but I am.

In an application for something else important, I wrote the wrong form of the word "aid(e)" in an essay. Noticed it about 2 minutes after submitting, had nightmares for weeks 😛

 

[deleted436726]

Suppose someone had a decent gpa ,30 mcat ,decent Extracirrciuclars and applied early..
How could they screw up and not get in ? Or are they safe?

I can think of many other app-killers:

• bad PS or secondary essays
  
• bad LoRs
• bad interview (caused by bad social skills, creepy personality, etc.)
• excessively pestering an adcom or admissions office about IIs, acceptances, etc.

 

[orangeman25]

I can think of many other app-killers:

• bad PS or secondary essays
  
• bad LoRs
• bad interview (caused by bad social skills, creepy personality, etc.)
• excessively pestering an adcom or admissions office about IIs, acceptances, etc.

How would you define "bad" PS and secondaries? In which ways?

 

[baxt1412]

How would you define "bad" PS and secondaries? In which ways?

plagiarism. not addressing the prompts correctly, not proof-reading to find stupid mistakes, etc. including very controversial topics like abortion/euthanasia and having very strong opinions on them, telling them what makes a good physician (how would you know?), etc.

 

[hallowmann]

I always thought the opposite. The higher the scores the more awkward.

It probably depends on the level. Like someone with a 4.0 and 40+ might have worse social skills, because in order to attain those, they may have lived in the library for 4 years, but someone with a 3.8/37 is arguable just as intelligent, but had some semblance of a social life. So I think its more like discrete thresholds as opposed to a linear correlation.

 

[orangeman25]

plagiarism. not addressing the prompts correctly, not proof-reading to find stupid mistakes, etc. including very controversial topics like abortion/euthanasia and having very strong opinions on them, telling them what makes a good physician (how would you know?), etc.

Hm I agree with everything. But "telling them what makes a good physician" sounds iffy. Aren't you supposed to express what you feel medicine is and the good qualities of the profession. In these ways you are indirectly telling them what makes a good physician.

 

[FutureDrB]

Hm I agree with everything. But "telling them what makes a good physician" sounds iffy. Aren't you supposed to express what you feel medicine is and the good qualities of the profession. In these ways you are indirectly telling them what makes a good physician.

I wouldn't walk in and say, "good doctors are A,B, and C."
I would read this as "what qualities do you have that will make YOU a good physician."

 

[Goro]

In that they're poorly written. It can be poor spelling and grammar, to having foolish, or egotistic or outright scary notions written down. An example is how bad the current medical system is and how they're going to change everything for the better.

One of the more common mistakes I see is someone writing "and that's why I want to go to X COM" when I work at Y COM.

How would you define "bad" PS and secondaries? In which ways?