Losing Hope...

[Bretzel]

After getting three rejections, I am beginning to lose hope for all of my dream schools. I am a bit bummed that even after doing research at Vandy, I didn't get an interview. Can you all help me by sort of ranking my schools by my chance of interview? Hopeful, Slight chance, Good Chance, Very good chance....etc.....I would really appreciate hearing what others think....See my mdapps page...

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[wasteoftime]

With a 35 mcat? Don't sweat it, kid. You will be getting interviews somewhere, I promise

 

[Star2008]

agree! it's still early in the game.

 

[Bretzel]

It's not that I don't think I will get any interviews. I am just second guessing my optimism that I'd ever even be considered at:
Brown
Cornell
Harvard
Yale
Columbia
Johns Hopkins
Stanford
Northwestern
UPenn
Wash U

 

[bozz]

You got rejected from some of the most selective medical schools in the country. UChicago and Vandy are rejecting people with 37+ MCATs and 3.7+ GPAs left and right (I am one of them).

I see that you're from a top 10 undergrad. It's easy to say, "Hey I'll probably get an interview at a top school." It really isn't like undergrad admissions though. I have 3 interview invites so far at more "middle-tier" schools, and I'm really happy. I feel like the whole process is definitely very humbling.

The rest of your schools aren't even handing out interviews. Keep your chin up, and you'll do well. It just so happened that the first few rejections you got were from the most selective of your list.

The school list you posted above. I applied to those schools as well. Nobody should really "expect" to get an interview at those schools regardless of stats. If you get one great, but if you don't, don't beat yourself about it. You have to let go of that "top 20" craze, for now.

 

[Bretzel]

that's very true. I have been going about this with a very prestige-oriented mindset at times. My common sense tells me that it doesn't matter much where I go, but I was hoping to satisfy my pride. I recognize this is a bad way to look at things....

 

[bozz]

It's not that I don't think I will get any interviews. I am just second guessing my optimism that I'd ever even be considered at:
Brown
Cornell
Harvard
Yale
Columbia
Johns Hopkins
Stanford
Northwestern
UPenn
Wash U

And from that list, I think you have the best shot of getting an invite from Northwestern and WashU. But then again, WashU gives out a looot of interviews. I'm crossing my fingers for Northwestern too man.

 

[Bretzel]

i'll be keeping my fingers crossed too....Northwestern is one of my top choices...

 

[abcabc1]

I'm not sure if you posted a general inquiry before, but your profile looks familiar. Keep in mind that the 8 in VR really doesn't help. I think you may have asked about retaking the MCAT and I think you were fine not to retake it. That said, I'm not surprised it seems to be hurting you at some of the top schools. Your chances at the schools you listed in post #4 may not be that great. You might get some interviews, but I doubt they take many people will less than 10 in any given section. Don't know much about Brown, though.

Keep waiting. You should get in somewhere and have at least one choice. G'luck!

 

[MilkmanAl]

Holy reach list, Batman! Dude, you really should've applied more broadly than you did. It looks like you basically rattled off the top 15 schools and stuck a couple safety-ish choices in with them. That's a risky proposition with a 4.0/40 and Mother Theresa's clinical experience. I think you'll probably be okay, but still...

 

[daniellema13]

Holy reach list, Batman! Dude, you really should've applied more broadly than you did. It looks like you basically rattled off the top 15 schools and stuck a couple safety-ish choices in with them. That's a risky proposition with a 4.0/40 and Mother Theresa's clinical experience. I think you'll probably be okay, but still...

I agree. Your list is very top heavy. I think your stats are great but so are many MANY other peoples, there are no guarantees in this game. I'm sure you're not keen on adding even more schools to your list, but IMO you should add some more mid-low tiers. None of your schools so far are true safeties. I think you deserve a spot at a top school but in reality the majority of those that do, don't get them

Good luck!

 

[Lukkie]

Why no UMich?

 

[Bretzel]

No U Mich since I am trying to pick as many big cities as possible. I have a girlfriend that may be looking at med schools in two years, so I wanted to make it as likely as possible for us to be in same city



If I was to add one school to my list, any recommendations? Try and keep in mind what I said above....

 

[MilkmanAl]

No U Mich since I am trying to pick as many big cities as possible. I have a girlfriend that may be looking at med schools in two years, so I wanted to make it as likely as possible for us to be in same city

...and you did so by applying to the most selective schools available?

If I was to add one school to my list, any recommendations? Try and keep in mind what I said above....

Temple might be a good choice or one of the many NY schools.

 

[Bretzel]

Well my mentality was that I'd be happy at any school near Chicago. To live farther away, it would have to have something really special. I didn't say we had to go to the same school....just saying same city....Chicago has lots of med schools, philly, new york, etc...

 

[spyderracing32]

No U Mich since I am trying to pick as many big cities as possible. I have a girlfriend that may be looking at med schools in two years, so I wanted to make it as likely as possible for us to be in same city

When I read "as many big cities as possible." I figured I'd be able to explain away why Umich would be as good as any city hospital, but your reason for choosing a big city school is pretty poor. This is a highly selective process where you can't limit yourself based on someone else. If you two are meant to stay together she will understand and try to make it work. If not, go on with your life.

Umich is great though because anything in the state of Michigan that strolls into an ER and is deemed too difficult to handle at that hospital is immediately sent to the university hospital. I can't count how many times I've seen the life-flight helicopter take off and land while at rugby practice.