Is it okay to cold-call admissions for advice?

[aharr157]

I'm not applying until June 2017, but I am trying to decide which schools I want to apply to...
is it okay to simply call or e-mail the director of admissions about advice or if I actually stand a chance at getting in or is this frowned upon?

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[laurenlee3]

You should probably just check out schools using MSAR to see if you are competitive. I would think adcoms are busy enough fielding questions from current applicants and could potentially find this annoying

 

[Lawpy]

You should probably just check out schools using MSAR to see if you are competitive. I would think adcoms are busy enough fielding questions from current applicants and could potentially find this annoying

Additionally, feel free to post in the WAMC forums for assistance in constructing your school list. I think cold calling/emailing admissions for specific application advice is annoying for admissions staff + dean, who are already very busy with the current application cycle. Best not to bother them.

 

[flapjack3d]

Many schools specifically say in their FAQ that they will not provide premed advising. Heck, nearly all won't even tell you why they rejexted you after you paid hundreds of dollars for them to spend 5 minutes reading over your app

 

[Meeehai]

I'm not applying until June 2017, but I am trying to decide which schools I want to apply to...
is it okay to simply call or e-mail the director of admissions about advice or if I actually stand a chance at getting in or is this frowned upon?

It's one of those things where it's their job but you shouldn't because it can be irritating.

 

[sliceofbread136]

No don't do that

 

[Goro]

Your college should be providing services to do this. It's NOT the jobs of Admissions dep'ts to advise you.

I second the suggestion of getting MSAR Online.

You can also ask for advice here. there are a lot of altruistic people here, if you can avoid the hyper-angst.

I'm not applying until June 2017, but I am trying to decide which schools I want to apply to...
is it okay to simply call or e-mail the director of admissions about advice or if I actually stand a chance at getting in or is this frowned upon?

 

[Frogger27]

If you email them asking for your chances, you'll just get a response from an administrative assistant. This will either be a "can't provide pre-med advising" answer or the opinion of an administrative assistant, both of which are extremely unhelpful (trust me, I did this last year). One of the schools that accepted me this cycle explicitly told me that my MCAT was too low and they recommended retaking

 

[Jalby]

The Adcom at USC did this back in the day. So... Maybe?

 

[PutABirdOnIt]

Honestly, calling adcoms rarely yields information of any use beyond that specific to the school's secondary application/interview day. It would just be a waste of your time.

 

[Kpw101]

Check the school sites first. A school actually had me come in and talk to someone but they explicitly stated that they were happy to provide pre-med advising. I can see how this would be annoying if you don't take the steps to see if it's okay first so definitely check.

 

[aldol16]

This is generally not advisable. However, there are several viable alternatives (these are not mutually exclusive!):

1) School pre--med advising. These are the most experienced people in terms of what somebody with your stats and ECs/story from your school is competitive for. They will help in constructing a school list and as resources for you to glean information about similar past applicants.

2) Online Q&A sessions with admissions deans from various schools. Various schools do this throughout the year, so you'll have to keep an eye out for those.

3) Here. The WAMC threads can help in constructing a school list, but you should always keep in mind that since your information should be relatively anonymous, the advice will necessarily be very general. If you have a unique story to tell that your stats don't really show, then you could well be competitive at higher tier schools than those recommended.

 

[aharr157]

Thanks for everyone's advice. I guess now might not be good time to reach to admissions with the current app cycle