It doesn't look like anybody's screening this year

[Tweetie_bird]

I just got an email from U Mich and NYMC, both asking for secondaries. Are they screening or what??? The email said that file reviewing will start once they receive our payment etc.

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[Pickle Salt]

oh yeah. they're not screening. they need the 100 bucks. You know, for processing purposes. Like stapling papers. And making a copy or two. And affixing a paper clip. Expensive stuff.

 

[DW]

Uhh, people are screening this year, just might not be the schools you applied to. Stanford is definitely screening if you catch that thread, employing the "lets snort some cocaine and blindly pull names out of a hat" method to see who gets secondaries, apparently. And some schools (like uniformed services) I'm not entirely sure but by the language of the email it sounds like there was a screen involved.

 

[oldman]

there are a lot of schools that don't screen at all. so you just might have applied to those schools. benefit is you get to the secondary stage, drawback...everyone gets to the secondary stage.

 

[Focus]

Hi Tweetie,

I don't think the U. of Mich screens for secondary, they do ask that you don't send in your letters of recommendation until requested though (maybe thats when they give you your interview invite also).

- Foucs

 

[jot]

they ask for recs from "screened" condidates immediately - others wait till the secondary comes in.

 

[geneman]

Just curious, but what's the disincentive for med schools to screen after taking the secondary money? Seems like an easy way to get a lot of extra $.

 

[DW]

screening probably cuts down on their workload in the admissions process, I'd guess

 

[geneman]

Sorry, I didn't make myself clear. I meant, what's the disincentive for schools to first take our $100 secondary money, and THEN do the computer-based screening? (instead of doing computer-based screening, e.g. Stanford, then asking for money from less people)

Originally posted by DW
screening probably cuts down on their workload in the admissions process, I'd guess

 

[chopsuey]

pitt is screening....

 

[tBw]

Originally posted by chopsuey
pitt is screening....

I'm curious why you say this? Because of the way the email was worded? I am not sure - because I received the email inviting me to do the secondary, and I haven't even done the MCAT yet....so are they really screening...?

 

[DW]

Originally posted by geneman
Sorry, I didn't make myself clear. I meant, what's the disincentive for schools to first take our $100 secondary money, and THEN do the computer-based screening? (instead of doing computer-based screening, e.g. Stanford, then asking for money from less people)

Well, maybe they figure if we pay them 100 bucks to apply, the least decent thing they could do is not put all of us through the "reject-o-matic" machine and have someone human at least glance at our essays and such. but i'm not sure all places do that

 

[Bikini Princess]

Originally posted by geneman
I meant, what's the disincentive for schools to first take our $100 secondary money, and THEN do the computer-based screening?

I think this is what most schools do. (especially private schools that accept a lot of out-of-staters) But I don't think even the computer-based screening can eliminate many applicants..otherwise people with 3.4's, etc wouldn't get in. (we know some do)

 

[lola]

Originally posted by the boy wonder


I'm curious why you say this? Because of the way the email was worded? I am not sure - because I received the email inviting me to do the secondary, and I haven't even done the MCAT yet....so are they really screening...?

Yeah... I don't think Pitt is screening. Or at least they are not screening too heavily. I got the secondary even though I haven't taken the MCAT yet.

 

[tBw]

Originally posted by lola


Yeah... I don't think Pitt is screening. Or at least they are not screening too heavily. I got the secondary even though I haven't taken the MCAT yet.

hmmm...so we've established that lola and I are the litmus for whether they are screening or not - if they sent the 2ndry to us - no screening!

 

[lola]

yeah
cause no one in their right mind would give a secondary to us.

 

[I to A]

Money of course. Read in a recent issue of the Economist, a major revenue source for medical schools (that which they use to support faculty pay, research, etc.) comes from the $ that undergrad medical students dish out. So a school is economically well off if it did not screen the AMCAS applications.

For example, Tulane historically receives 5000+ applications per application season, which brings in the school almost 0.5 million dollars. And it all adds up.

So are the schools that screen, Stanford, et al, financially well off. Imagine the lost revenues by screening.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[chopsuey]

hmmm.....well, then, that was a weird way for pitt to phrase their secondary!!!

i give up....frankly, i don't care enough to worry about if they're screening or not! if they are and i get rejected, i've saved money. if they're not, then it's not like i'm going to decide to not send a secondary because they're not screening....

tweetie-- i agree that it would be nice to know, but i'm still trying to save the stressing out for later! i'm guessing there will be plenty of it!!!! ( )

 

[Tweetie_bird]

chop,
that's what the MSAR said about the other schools I applied to and got secondaries from. I still don't think these people are screening, except for Stanford and a few other elites.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

Originally posted by Bikini Princess

I think this is what most schools do. (especially private schools that accept a lot of out-of-staters) But I don't think even the computer-based screening can eliminate many applicants..otherwise people with 3.4's, etc wouldn't get in. (we know some do)

Bikini mama,

actually, a 3.4 and 33+ MCAT will be looked at more seriously than a 3.8 and 30...or so I'm told...the MCAT, if big, offsets the GPA, and then trends in GPA can be looked at.

 

[Spiderman [RNA Ladder 2003]]

Yes, Yes, Yes, everyone wants you $$$

 

[opus]

yep.....they want your money...costing me a shut load

 

[Adcadet]

if only AMCAS/AAMC would establish a set of "financial fairness" policies that basically state that med schools can't rape us. For example, this "Financial Fairness" policy would stipulate two things:

1. Med schools would only charge their applicants pool an amount proportionate to the cost of running the admissions office - no more, no less.

2. Each applicant would have to pay his/her own way at each stage(unless they have a fee-waiver or such). Med schools would not be allowed to defer the cost of processing/interviewing some candidates by charging others a higher fee. If a secondary application processing fee were required, the school would have to prove that it needed the money to cover their costs. And if an "interview" fee is required, so be it.

These two things would prevent med schools from unfairly taking advantage of applicants who have little to no chance at admission to certain schools - these applicants would be screened out sooner, saving the applicants and admissions offices time, money, and headache.

 

[SMW]

Well, Stanford screens for sure. Also Wake Forest. Mayo does a phone interview as their screen. U. Michigan asks for your secondary and pic, then, if those pass muster, your LOR's before deciding whether to grant an interview.

 

[USeF]

or some schools make their secondary app a screen by having lotsa essays.

applicant A: "4 more essays?! forget that.."
applicant B: "That's a lot of work, but I really dig this school."

a truly useful screen, IMO... but maybe I'm biased

 

[The Mysterious Stranger]

Originally posted by the boy wonder


I'm curious why you say this? Because of the way the email was worded? I am not sure - because I received the email inviting me to do the secondary, and I haven't even done the MCAT yet....so are they really screening...?

FYI--Pitt does screen secondaries. I talked to someone in the admissions office and they said that Pitt does not send secondaries to every applicant. Knowing that taking the Aug. MCAT will delay a lot of competitive applicants, they will send secondaries to applicants who have not yet taken the MCAT if other factors are in their favor.

 

[Explosivo]

Originally posted by the boy wonder


I'm curious why you say this? Because of the way the email was worded? I am not sure - because I received the email inviting me to do the secondary, and I haven't even done the MCAT yet....so are they really screening...?

When I applied to Northwestern 2 years ago I was an August MCATer and they sent me a secondary without my scores. They did screen me and even sent me a "congratulations" letter in the mail telling me I had passed their initial screen. Pitt probably does the same thing, they probably look at your GPA and perhaps a few other things and then assume your MCAT scores will correlate with your GPA.

 

[basha]

Would anybody know if they get tougher on sending secondaries to everyone as time passes. I will be sending in my amcas around late august, would I get screened by schools that usually don't, or get screened more rigorously. I figure I will send in my essay replys as soon as I recieve the secondaries since I will know most of the secondary questions before hand (thanks to SDN and you guys!!). I hope I don't get screwed with a different set of secondary questions, sending in my amcas that late.

 

[jot]

the screening should be the same - same secondaries - the interview decision however many vary - goodluck on the 'cats.