Huh?? I Thought Med Schools Can't See Where You've Applied?

[gatawatago]

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Hi,

So I know that schools don't know of other schools you've applied to until May, and only the schools that have accepted you know what other schools you've gotten into by February (or something like that).

But in my AMCAS application (the printable version), it lists all of the medical schools I applied to under "Letters of Evaluation/Recommendation" and AAMC indicates that it sends all of the AMCAS information to medical schools. Does this mean, then, that they see all of the schools that I have applied to?


Please let me know!

 

[justAstudent]

I don't think they see that.

 

[WillburCobb]

Does this mean, then, that they see all of the schools that I have applied to?

No they do not see it. The application the schools receive looks different than what is available to you.

 

[LizzyM]

I concur. The first year that AMCAS went electronic (2001-2002 cycle) we could see them but that was a programming error that was corrected in the following cycle.

 

[gatawatago]

Great, thanks so much! Love quick and easy threads.

 

[RogueUnicorn]

I concur. The first year that AMCAS went electronic (2001-2002 cycle) we could see them but that was a programming error that was corrected in the following cycle.

i can only imagine the nuclear explosion that happened in most premeds' minds when they found that out

 

[ductus]

What about in May? Can schools see ALL the schools you applied to? Only the ones you were accepted to? Or/And the ones you were waitlisted to?

@LizzyM

 

[RogueUnicorn]

they can see where you've been accepted, but i don't believe they know where you've applied

 

[LizzyM]

i can only imagine the nuclear explosion that happened in most premeds' minds when they found that out

I wasn't on SDN at the time... but keep in mind that Sept 2001 had more troubles than that including suspension of all flights for more than a week meaning that schools that were asking students to print & send documents that weren't going through the electronic system couldn't use overnight mail or FedEx and then there was the anthrax situation which further screwed up the mail system. Air travel to interviews was more difficult at least through December because flight schedules were cut and everyone was nervous about travel.

Knowing that a school knew where else you'd applied was small potatoes compared to the other things we were dealing with.

 

[snowflakes]

they can see where you've been accepted, but i don't believe they know where you've applied

What about if a school accepts you and then you withdraw your app. Can schools still see that you were accepted at one point?

 

[RogueUnicorn]

What about if a school accepts you and then you withdraw your app. Can schools still see that you were accepted at one point?

I'm afraid I must inform you I am not aware of the consequences of every permutation of the function "acceptance"

 

[alt12345]

Check the last page of the printable application, under AAMC Notes and Explanations, number 4.

"The schools to which you apply do not receive such a list of the schools you have designated" or something like that (on my phone).

 

[allantois]

Why is it so bad if medical schools could see where else the applicant applied?

 

[Goro]

I've always wondered this myself!

Why is it so bad if medical schools could see where else the applicant applied?

 

[lmn]

I think people feel that theoretically schools may not want to bring students to interview or accept them if for example they are a strong student applying a mid-low tier school that they really like, but the rest of their schools are top tier, or upper tier, and that the school may figure that person would pick any of their other choices over them if given the opportunity. It's hard to tell how adcoms would react to having this information, I personally had interviewers ask me where else I had received interviews - not sure what they were hoping to find out by asking or what to do with the information, but just the possibilities were enough to make really wonder and want to remain vague with my answer.

I would wonder even more about schools that waitlist you being able to see your other acceptances, sure it may look like that person would clearly choose their other (maybe higher rank or IS) option over that school, but that doesn't mean they wouldn't. And I would really wish/hope that schools wouldn't consider other acceptances when they are deciding to accept off WL's.

 

[LilEngineThatCould]

I always thought acceptances make more of a difference than where you applied to. Unless if they somehow judge you on your choices...? In this case, they would've laughed their asses off about my choices on my first cycle (let's just say I wasn't at all very smart about it) lol I was one of those dumb pre-meds.

 

[Heday]

I've always wondered this myself!

Would safety schools realize they may be "safety schools" and disregard an applicant because they don't believe the applicant has a genuine interest?

I also remember reading a long time ago about a student that had an interview at Cornell. They spoke to someone at Columbia to see if they could get an interview there or something to that matter. Long story short, the student had to pick interviewing at either Cornell or Columbia due to scheduling (but there was a sense of rivalry between the schools that may have caused the applicant with only being able to interview at one of the programs). Although, I'm not sure how true it was though.

 

[Goro]

This is indeed the case. As gyngyn comments, it's all about return on investment. You invite people to interview who are most likely to attend. A kid from Chicago with a 3.9 GPA and 37 MCAT is less likely to attend Rush than he will Northwestern or U Chicago.

Would safety schools realize they may be "safety schools" and disregard an applicant because they don't believe the applicant has a genuine interest?