Interview invites before LORs are in?

[spottydotty]

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I was wondering how common it is to get interview invites before all the LORs have been submitted? If I am lucky, I will at most have two in ERAS by the time Sept 1 rolls around. It's really kind of frustrating since it's something that we really don't have a whole lot of control over...

 

[hans19]

I was wondering how common it is to get interview invites before all the LORs have been submitted? If I am lucky, I will at most have two in ERAS by the time Sept 1 rolls around. It's really kind of frustrating since it's something that we really don't have a whole lot of control over...

A few mid to lower tier programs might invite someone with stellar numbers and class rank, but most programs, especially the top ones, will wait until at least the deans letter goes out.

 

[spottydotty]

Really, so not until around November, then? What is the big deal about having everything submitted September 1st? Is there a huge difference between an applicant who submits Sept 1 vs. Sept 15?

 

[hans19]

Really, so not until around November, then? What is the big deal about having everything submitted September 1st? Is there a huge difference between an applicant who submits Sept 1 vs. Sept 15?

Even though residencies will wait until the deans letters go out, it doesn't mean they are going to start weeding through a pile of papers on Nov 2.
They start looking at these things before hand and have in mind who they want to interview. They check the deans letters just to make sure you are on the up and up.

There is probably not a diff b/w sept 1 and sept 15, but there IS a difference between Sept1 and oct1. Many programs have screened the apps and have in mind who they will want to interview, just waiting on the deans letter. The longer you wait, the less interview spots there are remaining.

 

[nockamura]

Yes, they weed prior to Dean's letters and yes, I believe that most programs will offer interviews prior to this date as well.
From the horse's mouth: "Although the official deadline for receiving ERAS applications is November 1, in truth applications are received beginning in mid-September and the filtering and reviewing of applications process is well underway by Nov. 1. Invitations to interview are sent out by us on a first come, first served basis. We do not wait for the Nov. 1 Dean's letter to make our decision to invite you to apply, because the Dean's letter seldom tells us earthshaking new information about you we didn't already know. So, by Nov. 1, we may have already invited 50% or more of the total number of interviews we are going to offer for that year. After about 100 invitations are offered and accepted, we slow down or may even stop looking at applications. So be prepared with your completed ERAS application before the official September 30 deadline." Per http://www.uth.tmc.edu/radiology/guide_to_radiology_match_2007_2008.htm#ERAS

Anecdotally, I have heard that most programs need at least one letter if not two before offering an interview. Also, most PD's don't consider LOR's that important because they should all be stellar.