Interviews/Acceptances (MD/PhD version)

[Res-J]

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Can we start a list of the number of interviews versus the number of acceptances given out at a particular program?

 

[GlcNac]

At Yale, I think they said they normally interview about 90 candidates for 10 slots. Even assuming 20 acceptances are given out to fill those 10 slots, that's still only a 22% chance of acceptance after interview. 🙁

At Hopkins, I seem to recall them saying that they interviewed 50-60, but I believe their MD/PhD class is somewhat small. Thus the post-interview acceptance odds may not be much better than at Yale.

 

[Turgenev13]

University of Pittsburgh expects to receive 300 applications this year, they interview around 80 for 12 spots. Last year they ended up accepting 44 to fill their 12 spots, so those are really good odds - over 50%.

 

[Res-J]

University of Pittsburgh - 44/80
Yale - 20(?)/90

 

[surge]

At WashU, it can really, really vary - but last year they interviewed about 100 people for what's technically about 25 spots - but they have the funds to be very, very flexible. In other words, if they like you, they will accept you, regardless of how many other people they've already accepted. Last year, we were told that the fewest they've ever accepted was about 45 and the most about 65. So the trick is actually getting the interview (and surviving the committee interview 😉)
Therefore,

University of Pittsburgh - 44/80
WashU - 55/100
Yale - 20/90

 

[doctorvenkman]

Off of Stanford's webpage: they get about 200 applications, interview 50, for about 10 spots. No mention of how many they take to fill those 10, but it can't be that many more than 10 since Stanford knows just about every MSTP applicant would give up their left nut to get in.

 

[magpie]

Originally posted by doctorvenkman
Off of Stanford's webpage: they get about 200 applications, interview 50, for about 10 spots. No mention of how many they take to fill those 10, but it can't be that many more than 10 since Stanford knows just about every MSTP applicant would give up their left nut to get in.

Unless, of course, they have already given up their right nut to get into Harvard, UCSF or Cornell. If they then went to Stanford, they would be eunuchs. Hmmm, that might explain a lot about the guys at Stanford... Got wood?

 

[doctorvenkman]

I agree; my personal preference is UCSF/Stanford over Harvard/Cornell, but that's just because I'm an east coaster, having lived in both Cambridge and New York. That said, I'd pick Palo Alto or San Francisco over New York or Boston any day. The only reason I'd choose the east coast schools would be personal: the professor I need to work with is there, or my girlfriend is there.

 

[Neuronix]

If I remember correctly, Penn typically gives about 40 acceptances to fill about 100 spots. It's a bit deceiving however at all schools, because once a school eats into their waitlist (and sometimes even before), the desire to come to their school is heavily weighed into the decision to accept. This gets extreme to the point where a school will call you to ask if you will come if accepted before giving the acceptance.

I don't know how this was last year at Penn, but I do know they dug well into their waitlist. LOIs at any program post-interview can help tremendously.

Also, to respond to other comments on this thread, don't assume that there's a strict pecking order among MSTPs. At Northwestern one of the first years when I was interviewing turned down Stanford. One of my good friends at Penn turned down Harvard MD/PhD, as well as others I know who turned down other big name programs. There's certainly many at all kinds of programs of all kinds of status who have turned down other big name programs for one reason or another.

 

[looseygoosey]

Originally posted by doctorvenkman
I agree; my personal preference is UCSF/Stanford over Harvard/Cornell, but that's just because I'm an east coaster, having lived in both Cambridge and New York. That said, I'd pick Palo Alto or San Francisco over New York or Boston any day. The only reason I'd choose the east coast schools would be personal: the professor I need to work with is there, or my girlfriend is there.

Palo Alto is only a great place to live if you are 40+ yrs old. Otherwise its a bore and extremely overpriced. My only complaint about my undergrad would be for Stanford to have a real college town associated with it. As much as i love SF being 30 miles away, it can be a pain getting there at times. Cant beat the weather though, its 85 and sunny right now.

 

[doctorvenkman]

Originally posted by looseygoosey
Palo Alto is only a great place to live if you are 40+ yrs old. Otherwise its a bore and extremely overpriced. My only complaint about my undergrad would be for Stanford to have a real college town associated with it. As much as i love SF being 30 miles away, it can be a pain getting there at times. Cant beat the weather though, its 85 and sunny right now.

Um, let's not start a flame war or anything, but in Cambridge it was snowing on Thursday. Still sure you want to go to Harvard??

 

[Neuronix]

I love snow 🙂

 

[Res-J]

Anyone know the numbers for Columbia?