How would medical shcools view applying to many schools (around 30)?

[Monkeymaniac]

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I'm planning to apply to about 30 schools (about 27 to be exact). But then people from my school's career center were saying how this would badly effect my overall chances, since some of the schools don't view this in postiive ways. They suggested that I apply to rougly 15 schools or so.

But it seems that people here are applying on average to about 20 schools. I have decent stats, but I think I lack some of the mind-blowing extracurricular activities some of the applicants seem to have, so I watned to increase my changes by applying broadly. What do you think? Thanks in advance.

 

[ThatQuestionGuy]

I'm planning to apply to about 30 schools (about 27 to be exact). But then people from my school's career center were saying how this would badly effect my overall chances, since some of the schools don't view this in postiive ways. They suggested that I apply to rougly 15 schools or so.

But it seems that people here are applying on average to about 20 schools. I have decent stats, but I think I lack some of the mind-blowing extracurricular activities some of the applicants seem to have, so I watned to increase my changes by applying broadly. What do you think? Thanks in advance.

They don't know how many you've applied to. I was asked about this sometimes in interviews but they really have no way of checking if your answer is correct and you can always be vague (all around this region, top research schools, etc) I would definitely encourage you to apply broadly as long as you can afford the primary/secondary fees and interview costs

 

[KPCOFGS]

Yeah, schools don't know where else you applied. Maybe the only reason people would warn you against applying to that many is that the secondaries are going to be very difficult to fill out if you get a lot at once. But I'm going the same route as you -- 24 schools -- so here's hoping our extra work begets more acceptances!

 

[empty p orbital]

Someone once told me that they generally like it when applicants apply to lots of schools. It shows that they are very dedicated and serious about becoming a doctor. The other extreme of trying to show loyalty by only applying to one school would probably backfire by making you look arrogant and/or that you don't REALLY want to get it, but are just giving it a shot to see what happens.

 

[silverhorse84]

I sent out my primary application to about 30 schools - its a number that's becoming the norm for applicants coming from states like Ca and who don't have the stats to be super competitive at our state schools.
1. They don't know how many you've applied to. If they accept you, then by a certain date in the spring (march 15 I think), then they can see what other schools have accepted you. But they'll never know how many you applied to.
2. I had one interviewer ask what schools I had applied to. I couldn't think of all of them off the top of my head, so I just mentioned the ones I could (which was the ones I was more interested in and the other schools near the one I was interviewing with). It turned out fine.

 

[harvman11]

If I was an adcom, I'd view it as very unfocused... you should be able to determine where you've got a good chance, and where you think you would like to be by doing some research on the school's website, looking at geography/cities, etc.. The average applicant applies to 13 schools I believe, so you're more than twice the average. Now they don't get to see it, but I was asked several times in interviews what other schools I applied to, and if you're listing off 26 other schools that's going to sound very strange.

That said, I think the bigger disadvantage is cost/stress. each application/interview is expensive, and filling out all those secondaries is going to take a long long time... I spent about 1.5 nights per secondary, so if you're going at a similar rate it'll take you 45 days to get them all done. Of course, if you're a bit smarter than me, you'll have your secondary essays done before you even get the secondaries, so it might not be as big a deal haha.

 

[unhappytnt]

I am planning on applying to that many schools as well. If the interviewers ask me about it, I'll be as vague as possible. 😀

In all seriousness, with acceptance rates for schools hovering around %3's, I don't see how applying to many schools can be held against you.

 

[peripherin]

The number of school that you apply to is no one's business but yours. Given that no one has the exact same stats and ECs as you, you are the best judge of your competitiveness. If applying to 30+ schools means that you'll definitely get in somewhere and won't have to reapply, go for it. If you only apply to 15 schools because some random person told you so and you end up reapplying, you'll end up regretting it.

I applied to 37 schools. I don't think any of my interviewers viewed it negatively - they realize that it's just the way it is nowadays.

 

[longhorn09]

Your health professions advicer sucks a lot that he/she knows little to none about the whole process...Kid, med schools wont know how many schools you apply to.

 

[Slack3r]

They'll just think you got money to blow.

 

[RunningDiva]

If I was an adcom, I'd view it as very unfocused... you should be able to determine where you've got a good chance, and where you think you would like to be by doing some research on the school's website, looking at geography/cities, etc.. The average applicant applies to 13 schools I believe, so you're more than twice the average. Now they don't get to see it, but I was asked several times in interviews what other schools I applied to, and if you're listing off 26 other schools that's going to sound very strange.

That said, I think the bigger disadvantage is cost/stress. each application/interview is expensive, and filling out all those secondaries is going to take a long long time... I spent about 1.5 nights per secondary, so if you're going at a similar rate it'll take you 45 days to get them all done. Of course, if you're a bit smarter than me, you'll have your secondary essays done before you even get the secondaries, so it might not be as big a deal haha.

Unfocused? Nah, not for the general MD applicant. I could find 30+ that I honestly liked based off of the school website. I applied to school focused on research, primary care, etc. because I didn't know which I would fit with best until I went there and saw/felt it. Now if you applied MD/PhD, I could see how you needed to have a more narrowed list of schools.

I think of applying to many schools as using the funnel approach. If you send out 30 secondaries, you may only send back 25. The attrition is usually due to screening failures, cost, length of secondary, or the fact that you realize you really don't want to live in X state, etc. Many secondaries are easy and quick to fill out while others have beastly essays. Prepare essays in advance and reuse, reduce, recycle them. Of those 25 secondaries, maybe you get 10 interview invites. Of those 10, you may go to 8. Those other 2 just didn't work out with scheduling or you were ready to let those schools go. Heck, maybe you already have an acceptance by the time you interview at some schools.