If there was anything you could change about your application cycle...

[minerva3121]

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what would it be?

Do you wish you had applied more broadly to increase your chances? Or do you feel burnt out (and broke) because you applied to too many schools? Were you happy with the # and type of LORs you had in your file? Do you regret not sending any updates/LOIs to a particular school? Did you feel adequately prepared for interviews?

Even if you're happy with where you ultimately ended up for med school and wouldn't change the outcome of your application cycle, perhaps there was something that would've made the whole process a lot easier for you?

Any insight would be greatly appreciated 🙂

 

[mauberley]

what would it be?

Do you wish you had applied more broadly to increase your chances? Or do you feel burnt out (and broke) because you applied to too many schools? Were you happy with the # and type of LORs you had in your file? Do you regret not sending any updates/LOIs to a particular school? Did you feel adequately prepared for interviews?

Even if you're happy with where you ultimately ended up for med school and wouldn't change the outcome of your application cycle, perhaps there was something that would've made the whole process a lot easier for you?

Any insight would be greatly appreciated 🙂

Me: fewer reach schools, more that are in line with my stats; and not being such a damned slacker about my transcripts and LORs.

 

[Tapepsi]

I wish I wouldn't have applied to schools that I had no interest in attending but only added it b/c my stats were close to their averages. I also wish I would've applied earlier.

 

[Geekchick921]

I would have liked to interview at Penn, but I'm perfectly happy with my school.

So... I'm going to say I wish I hadn't gotten a parking ticket on one of my interview days. That sucked.

 

[mauberley]

I would have liked to interview at Penn, but I'm perfectly happy with my school.

So... I'm going to say I wish I hadn't gotten a parking ticket on one of my interview days. That sucked.

I'm happy with my school, too, but: *pthbbt*

 

[NYBills987]

I wish I could've somehow screende out the schools who were gonna reject me straight up with no interview and saved my money.. I also wish I was mentally prepared for how long and nerve wracking the application process really is and how little of it is really in your hands. Very powerless feeling.

 

[Avoidthetiger]

Should have applied to less reach schools. I thought my research-background would make them care... it didn't.

But I don't regret applying to so many schools. I didn't burn out, and I'm an average applicant that had a few acceptances by October as a result.

 

[UnclePhil]

Should've applied about 2 months earlier than i did, and been more prepared in general but I'm very happy with where I'm going next year so I suppose it doesn't really matter that much.

 

[Geekchick921]

I'm happy with my school, too, but: *pthbbt*

I just want my money back!

 

[Ladoctora44]

Seems like everyone is saying the same...I wish I would have applied to less schools and saved my money. However, foreknowledge allows me to say that. If I were to go back in time without any knowledge of the school I am going to, I probably would have done the same thing.

Also, wish I would have done well on the MCAT the first time and could have sent in my secondaries earlier.

 

[Ladoctora44]

Should've applied about 2 months earlier than i did, and been more prepared in general but I'm very happy with where I'm going next year so I suppose it doesn't really matter that much.

1. I agree, I am happy with where I'm going and it doesn't matter

2. Can I just give your avatar a hug? I love Uncle Phil! 😀

 

[pkwraith]

Only applied to schools that accepted me.

On a serious note, probably check all my emails, even "status change" emails that I think means something else. I ended up completely missing an interview, because I received one of those generic "your status changed! Click this link" email, which I thought was just confirming my application complete. If I actually had clicked the link, I would've discovered "interview scheduled." On an amusing note, I actually got accepted into the school, after I rescheduled my interview after I missed going the first time.

 

[Avoidthetiger]

Only applied to schools that accepted me.

On a serious note, probably check all my emails, even "status change" emails that I think means something else. I ended up completely missing an interview, because I received one of those generic "your status changed! Click this link" email, which I thought was just confirming my application complete. If I actually had clicked the link, I would've discovered "interview scheduled." On an amusing note, I actually got accepted into the school, after I rescheduled my interview after I missed going the first time.

I got an interview invite through a status change. It was in December and I assumed it was going to be a "on hold" or rejected change. Nope. Interview invite.

I don't understand why schools can't directly email you such important information.

 

[paul411]

Study hard for the MCAT the first time 🙄

 

[aSagacious]

1) I tremendously underestimated the weight given to the essay portions of the application (ie primary statement, activity descriptions, secondary application essays, etc). In my opinion (and this is still my prevailing notion) I find these items to be extremely superficial and not useful for determining an applicant's personality/motivations (which is what they were designed for). I have since resigned myself to 'playing the game' since they are unavoidable and apparently hold a lot of weight.

2) I did not initially appreciate the competitiveness of the process, so my school selection was poor. For example, when selecting 'safety schools' my thought process was something like, 'Oh hey, a 3.55 and 30 is average at Drexel... I've got these numbers so I'll apply' (while at the same time 11000 others have this realization --> no longer a safety school). So I cannot overemphasize the importance of picking a handful of schools with a relatively low number of applicants (<4000 or so). An additional consideration that now ranks high on my list is 'out-of-state friendliness.' Many of the schools that I applied to last cycle interviewed something like 5% of all out of state applicants (and accepted half as many) making the odds difficult for even the best of applicants.

 

[DrShazam]

I wish I could trade 1 MCAT point for a 0.1 increase in sGPA

 

[kpcrew]

I wish I applied last year.