No-II Gang HOW WE FEELIN ABOUT THIS WEEK? ~2020 edition~

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Last cycle, my II came early June, when the next cycle had already begun. IA --> brief WL --> A

I eventually declined it but the point is anything can happen, weird **** can happen, so. Hang in there y'all
 
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Y'all know that there 18% more applicants this cycle, the Fauci effect. Not sure how that is impacting this cohort.
 
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HopeP said:
Y'all know that there 18% more applicants this cycle, the Fauci effect. Not sure how that is impacting this cohort.
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Actually its 18% more applications, not applicants. People just applied to more schools. AAMC's own data showed that 53,370 people applied last cycle and 53,030 applied this cycle. That Fauci effect article was very promptly disproved
 
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thecatdoctor said:
Actually its 18% more applications, not applicants. People just applied to more schools. AAMC's own data showed that 53,370 people applied last cycle and 53,030 applied this cycle. That Fauci effect article was very promptly disproved
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Could you please let us know where you found this 53030 this year stat?
 
r2med said:
Interesting. Published on 10/27/2020. Guess the 2020-2021 usage means academic year 2020-2021 and not the application year.
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An they already know the matriculants for application year as of 10/27.:beat:
 
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First II. Can hardly believe it’s real and not a mistake haha. Reading this thread has given me a lot of hope and positivity. Cheering for everyone! :)
 
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Ya'll think we'll hear anything back before Christmas/New Years? Anyone got some insider information lol
 
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Got my first II this week, goodbye thread!
 
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mvsrocks said:
The data is here: https://www.aamc.org/system/files/2020-10/2020_FACTS_Table_A-16.pdf

This cycle isn't even done yet tho
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As @KnightDoc pointed out, the 2020-2021 data in that document is for people who applied to start medical school in 2020. They applied last cycle.

As of October 22, there were 7,500 more applicants than the previous year. Not applications. Applicants.

Applications to medical school are at an all-time high. What does this mean for applicants and schools?
 
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Officially feeling hopeless. Good luck everyone! think I’m taking a little break from this Med school process lol
 
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Just got my first response at all yesterday (pre-II R), 6 schools left
 
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pinklovemed said:
Officially feeling hopeless. Good luck everyone! think I’m taking a little break from this Med school process lol
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Lowkey same. It's the holidays, let's give ourselves some mental break from this process <3
 
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Manifesting II for us all come this new year.
 
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Glad to see this thread still a little active cuz I am so down in the dumps. I think about how I had an interview last cycle and just basically blew my one chance. Pretty close to cracking, not gonna lie. And trying to study for MCAT while feeling like this is not...productive.

Btw, I got an A in my biochem class last semester. Should I even bother sending an update at this point?
 
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Tetines of Paris said:
Glad to see this thread still a little active cuz I am so down in the dumps. I think about how I had an interview last cycle and just basically blew my one chance. Pretty close to cracking, not gonna lie. And trying to study for MCAT while feeling like this is not...productive.

Btw, I got an A in my biochem class last semester. Should I even bother sending an update at this point?
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Do it ! Send that update anything can help! But I am feeling the exact same!! Super depressed! No rejections or acceptance or any response 😭
 
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Tetines of Paris said:
Glad to see this thread still a little active cuz I am so down in the dumps. I think about how I had an interview last cycle and just basically blew my one chance. Pretty close to cracking, not gonna lie. And trying to study for MCAT while feeling like this is not...productive.

Btw, I got an A in my biochem class last semester. Should I even bother sending an update at this point?
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I don't mean to sound like a Debby downer in the New Year, but I wouldn't send an update just about the A in Biochem (which is a great accomplishment, btw, congratulations!) Can you lump it together with other updates (i.e. more hours, awards/accomplishments, new leadership roles, etc)? My rationale for this is two-fold:
1. The A (alone) is very unlikely to move you from the non-interview to the interview pile
2. If you are sending an update, might as well make it more impactful (rather than just telling the schools you remain interested in them)
 
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HouseJC said:
I don't mean to sound like a Debby downer in the New Year, but I wouldn't send an update just about the A in Biochem (which is a great accomplishment, btw, congratulations!) Can you lump it together with other updates (i.e. more hours, awards/accomplishments, new leadership roles, etc)? My rationale for this is two-fold:
1. The A (alone) is very unlikely to move you from the non-interview to the interview pile
2. If you are sending an update, might as well make it more impactful (rather than just telling the schools you remain interested in them)
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That's actually why I wanted to ask first because I work full-time in clinical research so it's not like I much more to add to it since I don't have time to do a whole lot of other activities. I have been thinking whether I'm going to have to cut back hours in order to beef up my app more but I am REALLY hesitant about that since relying on just his salary is a little precarious. After all, it's not just the two of us. We take care of my parents too.
 
InFreudWeTrust said:
1. Stop studying for the MCAT. You’re not doing yourself or your future score any favors by carrying on while in your current state.
2. If you do not obtain an acceptance this year, make sure that it’s your MCAT holding you back and not something else.
3. Be kind to yourself. Take a break. Breathe. If you do not receive an acceptance this year, that does not automatically imply that you don’t have the chops at this current time. Sometimes things just don’t work out.

Regroup, get back your mood and energy, receive feedback, and then make sure this never happens again (if you don’t get in). I’ve said this before, but one of my smartest and most accomplished classmates applied 3 times. Keep your head up.
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It's funny because everything you're saying is in my head already but it's always easier to listen to the negative emotions/thoughts than the calmer ones, you know? I think my main freak out is that I'm going to be 31 literally next week and...well...yea, lots of implications follow. Still here, banging my head against the door trying to get in, trying to have a shot at a secure future (my family had a serious financial collapse that was pretty traumatic while I was in undergrad).

Thanks for including the tidbit about your classmate. It helps and I try to hold on to those stories as much as possible <3
 
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On a related note, if we have course grade updates, should we explicitly say in our letters that we got As in xyz courses? Or should we just mention it briefly and say we’ll send updated transcripts soon? Explicitly saying “I got an A in xyz courses” sounds a bit tacky to me so I was going to go the second route but I also don’t want to not include these grades in my letter and sell myself short. Really appreciate input!!
 
Tetines of Paris said:
That's actually why I wanted to ask first because I work full-time in clinical research so it's not like I much more to add to it since I don't have time to do a whole lot of other activities. I have been thinking whether I'm going to have to cut back hours in order to beef up my app more but I am REALLY hesitant about that since relying on just his salary is a little precarious. After all, it's not just the two of us. We take care of my parents too.
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You can add personal stuff like "I have continued to work full time at this job, which has allowed me to support x number of family members" to make the update more significant. At least that's what I did. You can also briefly talk about anything new you've learned or progress you've made in your research (I've seen others tie it into how it would make them a good doctor too). Or tie the research into the school. All this with your A I think is a decent update
 
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Soo it looks like schools are waking up again, let's get a breakthrough this week fam
 
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On a positive note, if we don't get an II this cycle, there's a chance that we will never have to complete VITA. So that's nice.
(Unless they want to keep it around for next year in which case I would like an II sooner rather than later please.)
 
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ThePACK said:
On a positive note, if we don't get an II this cycle, there's a chance that we will never have to complete VITA. So that's nice.
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One exception...anyone who applies to UMASS gets sent VITA as part of their secondary.

UMASS is a super far reach school for me, but I'm glad I got VITA out of the way, regardless.
 
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To think at one point I was scared about fitting in interviews with my work schedule, at least I got to use last year's PTO without wearing a suit!
 
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CowBoy98 said:
Hi Everyone I never received no II till date , but 4 rejections from top 10 schools . I applied all secondary's in September and October ( I know this is late but due to family medical issues and MCAT delay I was not able to apply early) . I am chemical engineering major with GPA 3.85 and Science GPA is 3.88 and MCAT 526 ...
  • Honors Awards: 1
  • 2 Poster Presentation
  • Clinical Research around 2080 hrs
  • Community Service clinical volunteering (2100 hrs.)
  • Community Service Nonclinical volunteering for underserved communities (320 hrs.)
  • Paid employment: 2 yrs. at admission office (280 hrs.)
  • Peer Mentor for Engineering department
  • TA for 3 professors
  • Physician shadowing (extensive)
  • Leadership: Took 3 leadership position while serving the EMT Executive board for the college
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I'm very surprised that you didn't get at least one II to the top X schools with your stats and ECs. I've interviewed applicants with much less impressive applications at this tier of schools. Makes me think that either your essays or LORs were bad, or that there's something else we're not aware of (e.g IAs, majority of classes done at community college, etc). Applying late certainly didn't help, but the fact that you received 4 rejections means that your application was at least evaluated and deemed insufficient for an interview invite. Feel free to PM me your application and I can at least see if the essays are the problem.
 
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Moko said:
I'm very surprised that you didn't get at least one II to the top X schools with your stats and ECs. I've interviewed applicants with much less impressive applications at this tier of schools. Makes me think that either your essays or LORs were bad, or that there's something else we're not aware of (e.g IAs, majority of classes done at community college, etc). Applying late certainly didn't help, but the fact that you received 4 rejections means that your application was at least evaluated and deemed insufficient for an interview invite. Feel free to PM me your application and I can at least see if the essays are the problem.
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I agree with Moko, here. Apply in June next year and take Moko up on his offer to read your essays. The way I read your post, it seems as if English might not be your first language, and it might help to get some light grammar editing of your essays. Good luck next time!
 
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CowBoy98 said:
Hi Everyone I never received no II till date , but 4 rejections from top 10 schools . I applied all secondary's in September and October ( I know this is late but due to family medical issues and MCAT delay I was not able to apply early) . I am chemical engineering major with GPA 3.85 and Science GPA is 3.88 and MCAT 526 . I am giving up at this stage now , no hopes I would get interviews since most schools done by Jan mid week . Few thoughts on how to strengthen my app. till June and next yr . to re apply in June 2020. ( applied 32 schools , so far 4 rejections (NYU, Uchicago , Dartmouth, John Hopkins) , Drexel put me on hold , 28 - no news yet..)
  • Honors Awards: 1 (Academic achievement)
  • 2 Poster Presentation: 2 summer posters presented, had another 1 schedule in Spring 2020 but got cancelled due to COVID Clinical Research Hours: (2080 hrs.)
  • Clinical Research around 2080 hrs., : 2 summer intern position and 2 Years undergraduate research in Neuroscience lab: 1020 Hrs.
  • Community Service clinical volunteering (2100 hrs.) - Pediatric department at children’s hospital: 300 hrs. and Volunteer EMT at College campus for 4 yrs.: 1800 Hrs.
  • Community Service Nonclinical volunteering for underserved communities (320 hrs.)
  • Paid employment: 2 yrs. at admission office (280 hrs.)
  • Peer Mentor for Engineering department for 1 yr. :100 hrs.
  • TA for 3 professors for 600 hrs.
  • Physician shadowing: Primary care 32 hrs., Emergency medicine: 32 hrs., Cardiology :80 hrs., Neurosurgeon: 100 hrs.
  • Leadership: Took 3 leadership position while serving the EMT Executive board for the college
Click to expand...

You have an objectively amazing application that may have been harmed by that late submission. Don't give up! There's still some chance now and if not apply again next year, I'm sure you'll get in. Just make sure your essays and letters are good and you submit day 1. Schools are missing out on a top applicant by not interviewing you.
 
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When is this Jan wave starting lol
 
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Pieceofmindthegap said:
Hi :( so I’m feeling very very distraught, and realize that I really must have applied too late... my original MCAT was scheduled for early May, but it got pushed to late June, and I decided to apply after taking my MCAT and ended up submitting my primary on July 11th. My application wasn’t verified until 8/22. I then did all 32 secondaries in those two weeks (some up to 3 weeks) submitting all my secondaries by the first week of september. All of my classmates with similar scores are already into multiple medical schools and I haven’t received a single interview yet. Was I really that late??? I’m being self absorbed but I’m just so sad :(
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Okay, first; take a big breath!

Second; congratulations on finishing all 32 secondaries in 2-3 weeks; that is a big and noteworthy accomplishment.

Third; if you were submitted (complete) by 1st week of September, SDN indicates that your app is still on time. This year, due to COVID-19, your app may even be considered early.

I'm sorry to hear that you didn't receive any interviews yet. Since you are stressed, I would try to NOT compare yourself to others, as you want to run your own race. Do you have an IA? Are you low on clinical, volunteering hours? How's your GPA? What is your MCAT score? Did you re-write? Are you 1 st time applicant? Are you ORM, URM, international student? Without these details (which I'm not asking you to post, because I (we) aren't privileged to know), it's hard to do a ddx.
 
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ThePACK said:
On a positive note, if we don't get an II this cycle, there's a chance that we will never have to complete VITA. So that's nice.
(Unless they want to keep it around for next year in which case I would like an II sooner rather than later please.)
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Yeah, but I really don't want to do that Casper thing again. That was awful.
 
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Not sure if this is the best place to post, but I'm also feeling very let down with this cycle. I finished my secondaries relatively early but didn't end up complete at most schools until the end of August due to committee letters from my school being held up. I ended up getting an II to a T10 school with instate preference in September but only R's since. My app is definitely lopsided (high GPA/MCAT and significant research, decent clinical hours, subpar volunteering/leadership), so maybe the II was just a fluke? Is this cycle over for me?
 
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I was a late applicant as well, and when I say late I mean LATE. I'm sticking with the mantra that it isn't over until it's over. I'm very lucky to have one II so far from a great school despite my late submissions, and the individual school threads I follow are showing that applicants who submitted well into October and even November have started to receive IIs. Since most schools are interviewing through late February and some into March, I wouldn't count yourself out entirely until at least then!
 
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I have been a part of the no-II gang for two entire cycles and most of this one, but as of today, I am leaving the no-II gang! I hope all of you get to leave the no-II gang someday, whether it be during this cycle or another one. Best of luck everyone!
 
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BeingForItself said:
I have been a part of the no-II gang for two entire cycles and most of this one, but as of today, I am leaving the no-II gang! I hope all of you get to leave the no-II gang someday, whether it be during this cycle or another one. Best of luck everyone!
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So happy for you! Congrats on that II!
 
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Pieceofmindthegap said:
Hi :( so I’m feeling very very distraught, and realize that I really must have applied too late... my original MCAT was scheduled for early May, but it got pushed to late June, and I decided to apply after taking my MCAT and ended up submitting my primary on July 11th. My application wasn’t verified until 8/22. I then did all 32 secondaries in those two weeks (some up to 3 weeks) submitting all my secondaries by the first week of september. All of my classmates with similar scores are already into multiple medical schools and I haven’t received a single interview yet. Was I really that late??? I’m being self absorbed but I’m just so sad :(
Click to expand...

I have a very similar timeline, however I only applied to 17 schools. I did so because I knew that it would be very difficult to write good secondaries if I was churning so many of them out everyday. I think that maybe the quality of your secondaries could be lower due to the volume and the time crunch you were in.
 
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CowBoy98 said:
Hi Everyone I never received no II till date , but 4 rejections from top 10 schools . I applied all secondary's in September and October ( I know this is late but due to family medical issues and MCAT delay I was not able to apply early) . I am chemical engineering major with GPA 3.85 and Science GPA is 3.88 and MCAT 526 . I am giving up at this stage now , no hopes I would get interviews since most schools done by Jan mid week . Few thoughts on how to strengthen my app. till June and next yr . to re apply in June 2020. ( applied 32 schools , so far 4 rejections (NYU, Uchicago , Dartmouth, John Hopkins) , Drexel put me on hold , 28 - no news yet..)
  • Honors Awards: 1 (Academic achievement)
  • 2 Poster Presentation: 2 summer posters presented, had another 1 schedule in Spring 2020 but got cancelled due to COVID Clinical Research Hours: (2080 hrs.)
  • Clinical Research around 2080 hrs., : 2 summer intern position and 2 Years undergraduate research in Neuroscience lab: 1020 Hrs.
  • Community Service clinical volunteering (2100 hrs.) - Pediatric department at children’s hospital: 300 hrs. and Volunteer EMT at College campus for 4 yrs.: 1800 Hrs.
  • Community Service Nonclinical volunteering for underserved communities (320 hrs.)
  • Paid employment: 2 yrs. at admission office (280 hrs.)
  • Peer Mentor for Engineering department for 1 yr. :100 hrs.
  • TA for 3 professors for 600 hrs.
  • Physician shadowing: Primary care 32 hrs., Emergency medicine: 32 hrs., Cardiology :80 hrs., Neurosurgeon: 100 hrs.
  • Leadership: Took 3 leadership position while serving the EMT Executive board for the college
Click to expand...
If I didn't give up on myself, you shouldn't either friend. Stay hopeful! If it helps, try to set yourself on two paths where you're building your app but still remaining positive when it comes to checking status updates on apps, learning more about your favorite schools/top choices, etc. That way when you get that first interview (and the many more after that), you'll really impress them even off paper. You'll do great! :) Best of Luck
 
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Just got hit with my 7th R. Still waiting to hear back from 12 schools but am quickly losing hope as the cycle inches towards a close. How are y'all doing mentally? I, for one, was not emotionally prepared for this process lol At least if I'm a reapplicant I'll know what to expect next time.
 
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FloatingHead said:
Just got hit with my 7th R. Still waiting to hear back from 12 schools but am quickly losing hope as the cycle inches towards a close. How are y'all doing mentally? I, for one, was not emotionally prepared for this process lol At least if I'm a reapplicant I'll know what to expect next time.
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I've heard nothing from all but 4 of my schools (2 Rs, 2 pre-II holds). I've already rewritten my personal statement and I'm currently reworking my Work & Activities section. And studying for an MCAT retake. I feel like next cycle I'll feel so much more prepared for this grueling process.
 
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FloatingHead said:
Just got hit with my 7th R. Still waiting to hear back from 12 schools but am quickly losing hope as the cycle inches towards a close. How are y'all doing mentally? I, for one, was not emotionally prepared for this process lol At least if I'm a reapplicant I'll know what to expect next time.
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Still waiting on 20 schools with 7 Rs and 3 pre-II holds. Really not in a good place :/ wondering if there’s any hope left for me at all for this cycle
 
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