Need advice for upcoming interview

[MercuryBlade]

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So last year my stuff was in pretty late, I took the MCAT at the end of August, and I was debating on whether or not to even apply, given how late in the cycle I would be.
After talking to various people, I decided to apply to just a handful of schools (four), to test the water. I ended up getting 1 interview and 3 rejections, I was wait-listed at the school I interviewed, but didn't get in.

Will schools know I applied to other schools last year? How do I explain to a school that I didn't apply to them the year before, and still come off as serious?

I didn't go all out in my applications process last year because I didn't want to shoot myself in the foot applying so late. I just want to maximize my odds of getting in, and I've heard from several docs I work with that being a re-applicant is not always a very good thing. <- Is that a substantial explanation?

 

[cabinbuilder]

So last year my stuff was in pretty late, I took the MCAT at the end of August, and I was debating on whether or not to even apply, given how late in the cycle I would be.
After talking to various people, I decided to apply to just a handful of schools (four), to test the water. I ended up getting 1 interview and 3 rejections, I was wait-listed at the school I interviewed, but didn't get in. Never know until you try. Sometimes it's the luck of the draw.

Will schools know I applied to other schools last year? This doesn't matterHow do I explain to a school that I didn't apply to them the year before, and still come off as serious? This doesn't matter either. They don't ask this type of question. They know that everyone applies broadly and many times it takes multiple years to get in.

I didn't go all out in my applications process last year because I didn't want to shoot myself in the foot applying so late. I just want to maximize my odds of getting in, and I've heard from several docs I work with that being a re-applicant is not always a very good thing. <- Is that a substantial explanation?

I don't know why these docs are telling you this. Not everyone gets in on the first try (most don't) I personally applied 4 times before getting into medical school. I look at it like a lottery, the more chances you have out there, the more likely you will be accepted. You are worrying about the wrong thing here. Worry about how strong your application is. When I was waitlisted and denied at one school, I called them. I didn't change anything on my app for the next year except my essay. I was told to APPLY EARLY. I put my app in on June 1st and had much better chances because classes aren't filled yet.

 

[MercuryBlade]

I don't know why these docs are telling you this. Not everyone gets in on the first try (most don't) I personally applied 4 times before getting into medical school. I look at it like a lottery, the more chances you have out there, the more likely you will be accepted. You are worrying about the wrong thing here. Worry about how strong your application is. When I was waitlisted and denied at one school, I called them. I didn't change anything on my app for the next year except my essay. I was told to APPLY EARLY. I put my app in on June 1st and had much better chances because classes aren't filled yet.

This is good to hear.
What kinds of things did you do between application cycles, and did you take any time off between cycles?

 

[OGMD]

I'm a reapplicant who applied to 20+ schools last time around. I just had my first interview this year at a school I didn't apply to last year and they had no idea I was a reapplicant, at least the interviewers didn't.

 

[dragonfly99]

I think it's a myth that schools don't like reapplicants. They know that often it takes multiple tries to get in. There may be a few schools (Johns Hopkins, Wash U,etc.) where they don't end up with many reapplicants at interviews, but that is probably because the people who end up at interviews there have such high numbers/stats, they usually are not the type who have to apply more than once.

I agree you are worrying about the wrong things. Most interviewers are so busy and harried, they either won't look to see you are a reapplicant, or wouldn't care if they did know. Even if they did, the fact that you applied a bit late and only to a few schools the year prior should be enough of an explanation.

 

[cabinbuilder]

This is good to hear.
What kinds of things did you do between application cycles, and did you take any time off between cycles?

I didn't really do anything different. I first applied in 1994 - wasted time and effort - naive.

Then applied January 1999 just before having baby
Took MCAT the third time August 1999 - denied
Then applied Sept 1999, interviewed March 2000, waitlisted, denied
Then Applied June 1st 2000, interviewed Nov 2000 accepted for July 2001
The only thing I really changed was my PS, got help from some doctor friends and made alterations there.

I didn't have time to do anything different. My application was as good as it was going to get. It really was timing of my application - I had 2 kids by then and almost no money so I couldn't apply until I had saved up. I worked all through that time since I did my post-bacc 1997-1998

 

[fahimaz7]

30% of our class were re-applicants.

 

[wanderer]

I believe AMCAS indicates if you are a re-app. A bunch of secondaries also ask if you ever applied before, although these are usually one of those radio buttons or such a small part of the secondary that applicants often forget about them by the time the interview comes around. You should be prepared to answer why you should be accepted this time around, but you won't always be asked (so far I was asked about this at 3/5 interviews. 1 of those schools I interviewed at last time, and the other two schools asked if I was a reapplicant on their secondary).