Kaplan teacher = wait listed = huh?!

[blondeshell15]

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My Kaplan teacher told me today that she was waitlisted at PCOM...😱

1. To be a Kaplan teacher you must score an 11 or higher in each section - so, she AT LEAST received a 33 MCAT.

2. she seems very smart and is a better teacher than many of my professors, so I can't imagine her grades are subpar.

3. she is a graduate student at a great school in the area, talks about her research in the medical field, and has written a book on her research.

....so....even with just that information...wouldn't you think she would be extremely competitive?!😕

I know schools look at the whole package, but from what I've heard and seen - seems like sister has got it going on.

 

[DadAndPreDOinMO]

It sounds like she has a lot going for her. Maybe she has a list of felony convictions or something???

 

[t-funk]

My Kaplan teacher told me today that she was waitlisted at PCOM...😱

1. To be a Kaplan teacher you must score an 11 or higher in each section - so, she AT LEAST received a 33 MCAT.

2. she seems very smart and is a better teacher than many of my professors, so I can't imagine her grades are subpar.

3. she is a graduate student at a great school in the area, talks about her research in the medical field, and has written a book on her research.

....so....even with just that information...wouldn't you think she would be extremely competitive?!😕

I know schools look at the whole package, but from what I've heard and seen - seems like sister has got it going on.

Is it possible that she seems aroogant or cocky?

 

[DrMidlife]

You need an 11 in one section, not all sections. I get recruited off a 31O.

 

[sexyman]

I think that you needed an 11 to teach that particular subject...so in order to teach the whole course you need a 33...

 

[blondeshell15]

My bad - Kaplan told us you have to have an 11 in each section you wish to teach. My instructor is teaching them all - so I figured she would have at least a 33.

 

[TexasTriathlete]

I was hired to teach at Princeton review, and did not even get accepted the first time I applied. Did not apply DO though (or even know what DO was, except for TCOM). But there is more to a med school application than MCAT scores.

 

[FinchHead]

She probably has a poor ug gpa
​

 

[Dendrite]

From my understanding, you need to get into the 90th percentile on either the real MCAT or one of Kaplan's practice exams. It probably isn't the case, but she may have scored a tad lower on the real exam.

The entire application process is a big crapshoot, so like others have said, there is a huge gray area that doesn't involve the MCAT.

 

[TexasTriathlete]

I was hired before they even got my real scores back. I was owning their practice tests.

 

[spazzz]

I was hired before they even got my real scores back. I was owning their practice tests.

pwning. get it right

 

[JimT30]

I teach for the Princeton Review. They never asked for my MCAT scores until they were trying to figure out my pay level. But you have to take an exam for each subject area that you are going to teach and score extremely well. Then do a teacher audition and if you pass that then go to a weekend of super intense training where not everyone there gets certified. So the process is pretty rigorous but you dont even necessarily have to take the MCAT.

 

[Porco Rosso]

I teach for the Princeton Review. They never asked for my MCAT scores until they were trying to figure out my pay level. But you have to take an exam for each subject area that you are going to teach and score extremely well. Then do a teacher audition and if you pass that then go to a weekend of super intense training where not everyone there gets certified. So the process is pretty rigorous but you dont even necessarily have to take the MCAT.

true that. my surf buddy is a pursuing phd in physics and teach at princeton. makes a pretty good $$ on the side. he is doing this for a while now.

 

[utailor2]

I am a Kaplan teacher.. I really hope I don't get waitlisted at PCOM

 

[Saregamapadanis]

bah, being a kaplan teacher just means that you did well on mcat and can teach those subjects thats it.

It says nothing about your gpa or your chances to get into medical school. I was a kaplan teacher for some time, and I couldn't get into even NY state schools.

It just shows that the whole process is a number's game, nothing more than that. You can be a person who went to a sucky college where you easily get As in all your courses with an easy major, then go take the mcat and get a 30 and get into a decent medical school if you have a few extracurriculars.

Or you can be completely brilliant, go to a great school with a tough major, get mediocre grades, do well on mcat and still you won't be able to get into medical school .

 

[DadAndPreDOinMO]

bah, being a kaplan teacher just means that you did well on mcat and can teach those subjects thats it.

It says nothing about your gpa or your chances to get into medical school. I was a kaplan teacher for some time, and I couldn't get into even NY state schools.

It just shows that the whole process is a number's game, nothing more than that. You can be a person who went to a sucky college where you easily get As in all your courses with an easy major, then go take the mcat and get a 30 and get into a decent medical school if you have a few extracurriculars.

Or you can be completely brilliant, go to a great school with a tough major, get mediocre grades, do well on mcat and still you won't be able to get into medical school .

I know that at KCOM they take into account what ug school you attended. They rate it from 1 to 5 and that that into consideration when looking at grades. For instance my ug college was a 5 and therefore they didn't think it was a big deal that I didn't have a stellar gpa. Some people that went to Bob's College, a 1, and had a 3.6 may be less competitive than someone that went to a 5 and had a 3.3. Of course other things are considered.

 

[bluemonkey]

I'll add to the mix. I was a Kaplan teacher and had plenty of rejections. But it only takes one acceptance!😀

 

[spicedmanna]

This is something that pre-medical students rarely comprehend, or don't want to comprehend: MCAT score is only part of the picture. It is entirely possible to have great numbers and still receive rejections, or get waitlisted; having an excellent MCAT score doesn't necessarily preclude it. While MCAT/GPA are important, don't underestimate the power of other, perhaps more qualitative, and even so-called extracurricular/non-academically-related, elements in a complete application. MCAT and GPA get over-emphasized. There are many elements to a successful application. Don't forget that your entire application gets viewed at some point in the process. Make everything in your file as good as you can get it.

🙂

 

[blondeshell15]

I agree that the whole applicant is and should be taken into account - perhaps as the course moves on I will learn more about her application process

 

[sexyman]

One of my kaplan teachers went to SGU, and another dropped out of UMDNJ lol.

 

[scpod]

...MCAT score is only part of the picture. It is entirely possible to have great numbers and still receive rejections, or get waitlisted; having an excellent MCAT score doesn't necessarily preclude it...

Absolutely. There are people with 30+ MCATs getting turned away every day now. A couple of years ago it probably mattered a lot more. WVSOM actually advertised a "no hassle" application on their website a few years ago where you could be accepted automatically with a 27 MCAT and a good GPA, without an interview-- not anymore, though. There are just too many excellent, well-rounded candidates these days. Remember that in 2003 there were only 6,300 DO school applicants. The number of DO applicants this year is expected to more than double that. Even though the number of slots has increased, the competition has gotten fierce.

 

[Syncope82]

Actually, I've heard of top students getting rejected from DO schools...but only because their scores are too good to be true for DO schools...they probably just figure she is applying DO as a backup..and she will surely get an acceptance from her MD route...why bother interviewing and accepting a student you know will probably not end up going to your school?

Unless she was strictcly focused on allopathic medicine...or did not make a strong enough point of why she wanted to go DO...I can definetly understand why she would be rejected....

keep in mind that the adcom is not trying to find the smartests students..they are trying to find students that perfectly match their school and will most likely matriculate to their school.

I also have a friend who got rejected to all schools in IL...that is because he had like a 34 mcat and nearly a 4.0 gpa and was from CA...he really wanted to go to Northwestern or RUSH, however, he got denial letters...after calling in to see why he was denied...they simply said b/c they don't think he'll be a good match and he will most likely matriculate to a UC medical school in state...it's stupid..but i guess it makes sense

so the moral of the story? if you surpass the schools average entrance scores...i would also write a strong letter of intent for that particular schools o they can see you have a genuine interest...otherwise..they think ure just another applicant just looking to secure a spot

hope this logic makes sense..because adcom's do utilize this logic

 

[GreenShirt]

Actually, to teach for Kaplan you only need to score in the 90th percentile for the section you teach....so she doesn't necessarily have a +33. Also, her GPA may not be very good. Lots of different factors go into the decision.

 

[boodthedog]

Actually, I've heard of top students getting rejected from DO schools...but only because their scores are too good to be true for DO schools...they probably just figure she is applying DO as a backup..and she will surely get an acceptance from her MD route...why bother interviewing and accepting a student you know will probably not end up going to your school?

Unless she was strictcly focused on allopathic medicine...or did not make a strong enough point of why she wanted to go DO...I can definetly understand why she would be rejected....

I completely agree with this. I spent time trying to figure out why I received a "no decision at this time" letter from PCOM while being accepted at other MD and DO schools. I've decided I probably failed to convince them that I really wanted to attend there over md schools in Philly in my interview. It was my first interview and I decided to change some of my answers to common questions afterwards. I wish I had interviewed differently because they were my number one choice, but I can't imagine I'm the only one who has done this. Then again, who knows why they made (or I guess didn't) make their decision, it really is a crap shoot.

 

[Syncope82]

I completely agree with this. I spent time trying to figure out why I received a "no decision at this time" letter from PCOM while being accepted at other MD and DO schools. I've decided I probably failed to convince them that I really wanted to attend there over md schools in Philly in my interview. It was my first interview and I decided to change some of my answers to common questions afterwards. I wish I had interviewed differently because they were my number one choice, but I can't imagine I'm the only one who has done this. Then again, who knows why they made (or I guess didn't) make their decision, it really is a crap shoot.

you could always write a letter of intent and address these same concerns. they could take you more seriously then...try speaking with a director or something

 

[boodthedog]

you could always write a letter of intent and address these same concerns. they could take you more seriously then...try speaking with a director or something

I sent them what I thought a strong letter of intent within a few weeks, this was October, and haven't heard anything. I've gotten into schools I really like, so I'm willing to wait a while before trying to meet with anyone.