No interviews

[SquigglePie]

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Hi Guys,

I'm new here! I am getting a bit worried after not having a single interview for the 2014 cycle. My credentials:

cgpa: 3.75
sgpa:3.68
MCAT: 32
College: Johns Hopkins University

I know those aren't great numbers but I've applied to 25 different school all around the US and did not get a single interview from any colleges. After talking to my premed advisor, he said that one of my letters of rec was a bit lacking. Could this really be the determining factor for not getting any interview invites?

Thanks so much!

 

[NontradCA]

Hi Guys,

I'm new here! I am getting a bit worried after not having a single interview for the 2014 cycle. My credentials:

cgpa: 3.75
sgpa:3.68
MCAT: 32
College: Johns Hopkins University

I know those aren't great numbers but I've applied to 25 different school all around the US and did not get a single interview from any colleges. After talking to my premed advisor, he said that one of my letters of rec was a bit lacking. Could this really be the determining factor for not getting any interview invites?

Thanks so much!

It depends on when and to where you applied.

 

[Ace-Co-A]

Your numbers are fine. What schools did you apply to?

 

[Microglia]

2 questions:

Did you apply to only top schools?
How were your EC's/Essays?

If a letter of rec was pretty bad, it can COMPLETELY tank your app. I'm willing to bet it was quite bad if your premed advisor told you that. You have control over who writes your letters, make sure they are on your team. Sorry to hear about the struggle OP, sometimes crap like that happens..

 

[SquigglePie]

Here is the list of schools I applied to:
Eastern Virginia
Albany Medical College
Drexel University
Temple University
Jefferson Medical College
George Washington
University of Washington
Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin
Loyola Stritch
Rush Medical College
University of Illinois
Tufts University
Boston University
Georgetown
OHSU
Keck School of Medicine: USC
Brown University
UC: San Diego
Columbia University
NYU
Chicago Pritzker
Northwestern
Harvard
Hopkins
University of Pittsburg

I think my essay and ECs were fine. I have many hundred hours of experience both in the healthcare field and research related.

 

[gumdrops]

Here is the list of schools I applied to:
Eastern Virginia
Albany Medical College
Drexel University
Temple University
Jefferson Medical College
George Washington
University of Washington
Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin
Loyola Stritch
Rush Medical College
University of Illinois
Tufts University
Boston University
Georgetown
OHSU
Keck School of Medicine: USC
Brown University
UC: San Diego
Columbia University
NYU
Chicago Pritzker
Northwestern
Harvard
Hopkins
University of Pittsburg

I think my essay and ECs were fine. I have many hundred hours of experience both in the healthcare field and research related.

Oh, shoot...all of those schools would likely get a lot of applicants like you. You're great but there are just too many qualified people applying to those schools. Don't know if you'd be up for this but you'd have been interviewed at southern and midwestern state schools and low-tier institutions. Swap out the blah letter and you'll be set even if you have to reapply.

 

[Ace-Co-A]

OP... did you apply late or anything like that? And by applying late, I mean to ask if you submitted AMCAS after July. If so, that could be a problem. Otherwise, your list looks like a pretty good mix.

 

[QuinnTheEskimo]

"A bit lacking" sounds like code word for a bad letter. If you reapply next year, get different letters.

 

[NontradCA]

OP... did you apply late or anything like that? And by applying late, I mean to ask if you submitted AMCAS after July. If so, that could be a problem. Otherwise, your list looks like a pretty good mix.

Yes this. And get a new letter.

 

[Goro]

Your timing of application, if late, could have sank you. I'm surprised that you didn't get some love at schoos like Rosy F and the trio in Philly. You deifnitely aimed too high for Harvard, Columbia, U Chicago, and UCSD with avg numbers. They'll appreciate the donation in the form of your app fees.

A "lacking" LOR might be innocuous. I once saw a LOR that basically said "Jane Doe was my student". No harm came to her.

But if "lacking" meant "bad", then you need a new LOR writer.

Also, did you have the right ECs?

 

[Cmdr_Shepard]

What was your MCAT breakdown? Don't most of those schools want to see a balance, with no sub-score lower than 10?

 

[SquigglePie]

Thank you so much for the replies! Here is my MCAT Breakdown: 10PS 10V 12BS.

I submitted my AMCAS June 20th and secondaries a month or two after I received them. I have been waiting for half a year now...

I'm thinking about reapplying for next year and switching out letter of recs. I'm just surprised I didn't get any interviews. My premed advisor was surprised too after having gone through my application.

Oh and another thing, I said I didn't get any interviews but so far, I have rejections to 16 of the 25 schools I applied too. Is there still hope for me this year? Or should I just spend time and energy preparing for the next cycle?

Also, I know I reached a little too high with my list of schools. Are there any schools you'd recommend that fit my numbers better?

 

[Ismet]

Your numbers were low for Pitt as well. You do have a good number of schools that are in range stat-wise. Getting so many rejections pre-interview makes me think it's an issue with LORs or maybe how you come across in your writing. Have you had your advisor/other people read over your essays on AMCAS and secondaries?

 

[medmedman]

Thank you so much for the replies! Here is my MCAT Breakdown: 10PS 10V 12BS.

I submitted my AMCAS June 20th and secondaries a month or two after I received them. I have been waiting for half a year now...

I'm thinking about reapplying for next year and switching out letter of recs. I'm just surprised I didn't get any interviews. My premed advisor was surprised too after having gone through my application.

Oh and another thing, I said I didn't get any interviews but so far, I have rejections to 16 of the 25 schools I applied too. Is there still hope for me this year? Or should I just spend time and energy preparing for the next cycle?

Also, I know I reached a little too high with my list of schools. Are there any schools you'd recommend that fit my numbers better?

When you reapply,
1) Submit your primary the day it opens
2) Submit your secondaries a day or two after you receive them, not a month or two. I'm tempted to say that month or two is the problem. There is no difference in applying Jun 20th and sending out your primary August 20 then if you did your primary in July 20 and submitted your seconary Aug 20. The point of applying early is to submit your secondaries early.

 

[LuciusVorenus]

Thank you so much for the replies! Here is my MCAT Breakdown: 10PS 10V 12BS.

I submitted my AMCAS June 20th and secondaries a month or two after I received them. I have been waiting for half a year now...

I'm thinking about reapplying for next year and switching out letter of recs. I'm just surprised I didn't get any interviews. My premed advisor was surprised too after having gone through my application.

Oh and another thing, I said I didn't get any interviews but so far, I have rejections to 16 of the 25 schools I applied too. Is there still hope for me this year? Or should I just spend time and energy preparing for the next cycle?

Also, I know I reached a little too high with my list of schools. Are there any schools you'd recommend that fit my numbers better?

It might be your secondaries. Don't underestimate how important they are in getting you an interview. I definitely saw a decline in my quality of writing as I got farther into writing and then ended up seeing a decline in interview invites at those later schools as well.

 

[justAstudent]

Thank you so much for the replies! Here is my MCAT Breakdown: 10PS 10V 12BS.

I submitted my AMCAS June 20th and secondaries a month or two after I received them. I have been waiting for half a year now...

I'm thinking about reapplying for next year and switching out letter of recs. I'm just surprised I didn't get any interviews. My premed advisor was surprised too after having gone through my application.

Oh and another thing, I said I didn't get any interviews but so far, I have rejections to 16 of the 25 schools I applied too. Is there still hope for me this year? Or should I just spend time and energy preparing for the next cycle?

Also, I know I reached a little too high with my list of schools. Are there any schools you'd recommend that fit my numbers better?

Some schools on your list are still giving out and will continue to give out II's. If I were you, I'd hope for the best and start prrparing for the worst soon.

 

[Law2Doc]

You need someone different to go through all of your application materials. Your numbers are adequate for a number of the programs you applied to. There may be something problematic in the essays, letters. Or you may have red flags you aren't telling us about.

 

[lalalaaaaaa]

I have very similar stats and similar schools and I also have zero interviews. I'm a reapp though. I've lost most hope this cycle but there are some II still going out. Definitely start prepping for next cycle. Good luck!

 

[Cmdr_Shepard]

I don't understand the stigma of re-applicants. Is this actually a well documented phenomenon? Or is it just speculation based on the idea that someone is "so bad" they didn't get in on their first try?

Why wouldn't an adcom look favorably upon someone who is persistent?

 

[Microglia]

I don't understand the stigma of re-applicants. Is this actually a well documented phenomenon? Or is it just speculation based on the idea that someone is "so bad" they didn't get in on their first try?

Why wouldn't an adcom look favorably upon someone who is persistent?

For some reason unknown to me, reapplicants are compared to other reapplicants at most schools. This puts them in a more competitive pool. Definitely true, though. Being a reapplicant is a disadvantage.

 

[kyamh]

I don't understand the stigma of re-applicants. Is this actually a well documented phenomenon? Or is it just speculation based on the idea that someone is "so bad" they didn't get in on their first try?

Why wouldn't an adcom look favorably upon someone who is persistent?

I mean...if you know that every other medical school rejected an applicant, wouldn't you look extra hard to figure out "what's wrong"? If you know that the applicant has been rejected at your institution, that means that either you or one of your colleagues already deemed the applicant not a good fit. The re-applicant must therefore work hard to show an improvement from last cycle so that it is obvious that the adcoms are not looking at the same application a second time.

 

[Cmdr_Shepard]

Well doesn't everyone have to basically show continued improvement each year? That requirement isn't exclusive to reapps. Or are you saying they are more closely examined for improvements?

Additionally, there aren't enough spots for every well-qualified applicant so there is not necessarily going to be something "wrong" with the applicant if they didn't get in. I think we've all seen our fair share of rejection letters telling us that there just are not enough seats, but we're well qualified and that the rejection shouldn't be considered a judgement on our suitability for a career in medicine. Theoretically, if an applicant applied just a little too late, while also being out of state, with no URM or legacy status, that person could be a great applicant but not get in anywhere.

Why wouldn't the adcom give that person a fair shake? (rhetorical)

 

[histidine]

I don't understand the stigma of re-applicants. Is this actually a well documented phenomenon? Or is it just speculation based on the idea that someone is "so bad" they didn't get in on their first try?

Why wouldn't an adcom look favorably upon someone who is persistent?

Very school specific. I reapplied to Pitt after getting rejected the first time, and they offered me an interview before my secondary was even marked complete (incomplete LOR). I reapplied to Mayo, and the rumor over there was that reapplicants are put in a separate pile and are looked at last. By the time they look at reapplicants there may be very few interview slots available. My reapp has been extremely successful, but my first app was very weak to begin with so there was a lot of room for improvement. Joining SDN made me realize how competitive MD admissions is.

 

[StBernardsRule]

Isn't it just very common that someone gets unlucky during an application cycle? Even if OP had a 1/12 chance of an interview everywhere he applied (so he should on average expect to get a couple interviews), he'll still

For some reason unknown to me, reapplicants are compared to other reapplicants at most schools. This puts them in a more competitive pool. Definitely true, though. Being a reapplicant is a disadvantage.

I've never heard this before. Can you explain where you heard this or how you know this? (not doubting you're correct, just want to know how widespread it is)

 

[kevinus]

Hey OP, you're my alumnus.
Since you applied early in the cycle, I don't think that you will receive any interview invitation. I applied in August, and my latest II was from a UC in the first week of this month.
You applied to a lot of extremely competitive schools with your numbers. My pre-prof advisor told me that one of my letter of rec is crappy ("He is one of the fine students I had."), but i received 4 II's from the list of your schools. I met fellow JHU students at NYU and Columbia interviews, and they both had 3.9+ GPA (I do too after BME). I don't think any adcom trashed your application for having a sub-par rec letter, unless it said "Don't take this student." Maybe you should have applied more broadly to more schools.

edit: please forgive me if I offended you with the post

 

[gyngyn]

I don't understand the stigma of re-applicants. Is this actually a well documented phenomenon? Or is it just speculation based on the idea that someone is "so bad" they didn't get in on their first try?

Why wouldn't an adcom look favorably upon someone who is persistent?

If you list all the possible reasons that someone has become a re-applicant, you will notice that a significant number of the reasons are traits we are not looking for.

 

[Cmdr_Shepard]

If you list all the possible reasons that someone has become a re-applicant, you will notice that a significant number of the reasons are traits we are not looking for.

I think that's probably true for some, but there's a likely a large number of reapplicants who simply chose the wrong set of schools, were international students, or had a bad interview day. It's unlikely that most were unsuitable for medicine, and I think treating the whole pool as if they were deficient in some way is contrary to the idea that the process is competitive and spots aren't available for all qualified applicants each year.

I suspect you know this in a general sense though, so this post isn't necessarily directed at you.

 

[gyngyn]

I think that's probably true for some, but there's a likely a large number of reapplicants who simply chose the wrong set of schools, were international students, or had a bad interview day. It's unlikely that most were unsuitable for medicine, and I think treating the whole pool as if they were deficient in some way is contrary to the idea that the process is competitive and spots aren't available for all qualified applicants each year.

I suspect you know this in a general sense though, so this post isn't necessarily directed at you.

The re-applicant pool is viewed differently, but an individual assessment is still made. That's why many re-applicants gain admission.