Not getting interviews from mid tier schools

BU Medical Sciences
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Mad Jack said:
Nice humblebrag.

Yes, it's a thing called Yield Protection. You want to ensure the highest percentage of interviewees that are qualified and you offer an acceptance to also end up attending your institution.
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But why does that matter to the school? They end up with a full class either way. Why not throw admittance at the strongest applicants possible, and if they bail, move down the list.
 
efle said:
I'm pretty certain they give all non admits a waitlist position (500+), ~400 accept their waitlist position, and they internally cut it down to ~100 from which 10-15 get drawn
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They said WL is usually 400 in size, self-selection and committee action down to ~100, 12-25 get in off of that. So basically, yeah.
 
Iz_FtB said:
But why does that matter to the school? They end up with a full class either way. Why not throw admittance at the strongest applicants possible, and if they bail, move down the list.
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Because they don't want to waste resources on applicants who are unlikely to attend based on past historical trends.
 
Iz_FtB said:
But why does that matter to the school? They end up with a full class either way. Why not throw admittance at the strongest applicants possible, and if they bail, move down the list.
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Because you end up having to interview four times as many people, which is a waste of time. Adcoms are busy people that don't just do admissions- they're teaching and research faculty that are really busy. They can't just take an extra 8 hours out of every week to interview people that have a 95% chance of not attending their institution.
 
I should add to this that recruitment $$ is a thing however. An average place might still interview a superstar if they're thinking about throwing money at them. But yeah, they can't just interview superstars. If USC interviewed the exact same cohort as Stanford they would have trouble matriculating enough to fill their class.
 
Right, I was thinking post-interview yield, but the two are connected, obviously.
 
VIZ1 said:
This cycle, I applied to nearly 30 schools and found that mainly the top tier schools have been interviewing me. Is there such a thing as being overqualified for some schools? Out of 7 interviews, only one of them is a mid tier school.
NYU is another one of my interviews that some people consider to be mid tier since their top 15 ranking is very recent and I've seen many people speculate that their rank could drop back to ~30 soon due to their FEMA lump sum wearing off.
It just seems quite hard to set some "safety schools" if schools reject people for being over qualified.
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Yes, it is possible to be "over-qualified." I don't know what your stats are, but if they are well above the average of students who actually go to some of these schools, they don't want to waste too much time on you--unless there is an obvious reason why you would possibly go to the school, such as geographic proximity, in-state tuition, legacy, etc.

It would be similar to me sending my CV to the local Best Buy and wondering why I don't get called back about that Magnolia sales rep position. OK, maybe not quite like that... 🙂
 
Iz_FtB said:
Right, I was thinking post-interview yield, but the two are connected, obviously.
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I think interview slots are a limited resource, and thus the resource/yield protection usually refers to pre-interview decisions. Post-interview yields depend on many factors and I don't think yield protection occurs here as strongly because the interviews have been given out already at that point.
 
piii said:
Your obsession with rank is very cringe inducing.
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What do you mean? I'm totally fine with going to a mid tier school. I don't even mind the fact that some people consider NYU to be mid tier!
 
I also need advice.

I'm finding many mid-tier schools are rejecting me and I think it is because my application is so strong. I mean I guess they would feel they needed to offer me lik a deanship or something so they haven't given me an interview I got 2 interviews but a lot of my backup schools rejected me like the one in New Haven, Durham, and Ann Arbor. I don't even mind that i had to apply to mid tier schools which provide a substandard education.
 
efle said:
It really depends on the schools. Some places will reject post-interview and only waitlist a small group that they actually draw a good number from (for example Yale waitlists ~75 and admits 20-30 of them). Other places simply waitlist everyone post-interview that doesn't get in, and you can safely assume it's a reject (for example Penn waitlists like 500 people and admits 10-15 of them).
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Sorry to derail this (sorry not sorry) but any idea on how many dartmouth waitlists @efle ??
 
VIZ1 said:
What do you mean? I'm totally fine with going to a mid tier school. I don't even mind the fact that some people consider NYU to be mid tier!
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I think NYU will be pleased that you will bare to attend there instituiton if offered a acceptance despite it being classified as midtier. You say you dont care about rankings but reading your post it is clear that you do and thats fine. Whatever floats your boat, I hope you get off one of the waitlist
 
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I don't get why everyone thinks OP is obsessed with rank? It's literally impossible to bring up their question without the issue of "rank," because yes, actually, whether it's in our heads or not, there are "ranks" of schools. You don't have to accuse an OP of "obsession with rank" every single time it's brought up, jeeze.

They have a genuine question, and I think it's been answered fairly well. Applying to medical school is competitive, and there are many, many amazing people in this cohort! As others have suggested, it seems like an interview issue. You're on multiple WL's, so hopefully you'll get off.

People are annoying. The question was legitimate, and OP seems innocent. You don't have to assume the OP is the literal devil every time rank is discussed. :bang:

I hope that, if/when you become physicians, you all lose some of that cynicism.
 
begoood95 said:
I don't get why everyone thinks OP is obsessed with rank? It's literally impossible to bring up their question without the issue of "rank," because yes, actually, whether it's in our heads or not, there are "ranks" of schools. You don't have to accuse an OP of "obsession with rank" every single time it's brought up, jeeze.

They have a genuine question, and I think it's been answered fairly well. Applying to medical school is competitive, and there are many, many amazing people in this cohort! As others have suggested, it seems like an interview issue. You're on multiple WL's, so hopefully you'll get off.

People are annoying. The question was legitimate, and OP seems innocent. You don't have to assume the OP is the literal devil every time rank is discussed. :bang:

I hope that, if/when you become physicians, you all lose some of that cynicism.
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Concur with this post. OP applied broadly and targeted schools that met their stats etc. One has limited funds for the process so you have to target them appropriately. OP's cycle indicates that they were favored for interview by higher ranked schools. OP is not obsessed with rank and is merely stating facts. Many posters appear to be butthurt about whatever perceived slight they have and need to move on with their day.

OP, 6 waitlists isn't a terrible place to be. Contact the schools with updates if anything notable has happened over the cycle and reiterate again and again and again that you'd really like to go there. In my cycle, I literally begged my way into one of the last interview slots for a school and ended up being admitted shortly thereafter. Point being... the adcomms are people too. You're in an awkward position that you're holding lots of waitlists but no acceptances. Make sure they know that. They know for fact that you'd go if you're in. So remind them of why you're awesome and why you like them and would be a good fit for them and how their opportunities will help you contribute to the community blah blah blah.
 
VIZ1, you're in a really tough spot and one app cycle is draining - I'm sure three cycles is very hard. I remember reading the same comments from @bananafish94 last year who was on four waitlists.

Whether it's just being a reapplicant or an interviewing problem or a school selection mis-match with stats - whatever it is it is a difficult time for you and facing another cycle is just daunting. Make sure that you seek help in person from your IRL friends/family and a counselor.

I posted briefly before but I think you (and others in the same situation) might consider applying to the Tulane ACP program which is a one-year program only open to those who have current MD waitlist positions. The reason that I'm recommending it is because it keeps you from potentially having a MCAT expiration and having to pay for another cycle. Maybe check it out and find out when the deadline is (it's sometime in May I think). Who knows - you may apply and not need it after all when you get an acceptance from one of your waitlists. Good luck and hang in there.

VIZ1 said:
This cycle, I applied to nearly 30 schools and found that mainly the top tier schools have been interviewing me. Is there such a thing as being overqualified for some schools? Out of 7 interviews, only one of them is a mid tier school.
NYU is another one of my interviews that some people consider to be mid tier since their top 15 ranking is very recent and I've seen many people speculate that their rank could drop back to ~30 soon due to their FEMA lump sum wearing off.
It just seems quite hard to set some "safety schools" if schools reject people for being over qualified.
Click to expand...
 
precisiongraphic said:
VIZ1, you're in a really tough spot and one app cycle is draining - I'm sure three cycles is very hard. I remember reading the same comments from @bananafish94 last year who was on four waitlists.

Whether it's just being a reapplicant or an interviewing problem or a school selection mis-match with stats - whatever it is it is a difficult time for you and facing another cycle is just daunting. Make sure that you seek help in person from your IRL friends/family and a counselor.

I posted briefly before but I think you (and others in the same situation) might consider applying to the Tulane ACP program which is a one-year program only open to those who have current MD waitlist positions. The reason that I'm recommending it is because it keeps you from potentially having a MCAT expiration and having to pay for another cycle. Maybe check it out and find out when the deadline is (it's sometime in May I think). Who knows - you may apply and not need it after all when you get an acceptance from one of your waitlists. Good luck and hang in there.
Click to expand...

Thanks
The tuition seems fairly steep and I'm not sure I'm able to afford it after this application cycle
But in any case, I'll consider it seriously and explore all my options
 
@VIZ1 Here are some random musings fed by lack of sleep:
First of all, I'm sorry. This really sucks and I'm sympathetic to the fact that it really sucks. I've played the waitlist game and it's not remotely fun, and I honestly can't imagine what it's like to go through that for multiple applications.

First, the school issue. I'm going to speculate wildly here. When you say "mid-tier," what kinds of schools are we talking about here? For example, there are a lot of very small, specifically focused schools that I think one could describe as mid-tier. Likewise, there are also a lot of bigger schools with fairly reasonable admissions averages located in neutral parts of the country to which everyone and their cousin applies (think schools like George Washington, etc.) Normally, I think stories of "yield protection" are pretty far-fetched but in this case your scores are extraordinary and it could very well apply. If one of these schools with 10000+ applications, who can basically afford to throw out any application that has the slightest problem, sees your numbers I could see them assuming that you probably wouldn't come to the school and not wanting to send you one of their few interviews.

I recently attended a talk on residency applications. A different ballgame, but I think that the same principles apply. A program director said that due to a phenomenon called "application bloat" a lot of programs see competitive applicants applying from some completely different place in the country, assume they're doing it just to add an extra safety factor to their application, and because of that don't get an interview. But he also said that this can sometimes be avoided by an email, specifically explaining your motivations for that program beyond the application itself. Perhaps something to consider? In a lot of cases, this sort of thing might not hold a lot of weight--and it still might not--but your extremely strong numbers might give it some extra horsepower.

With regard to the interviews, six waitlists is not a terrible place to be in. They also have a reason for waitlisting you and not outright rejecting you. So you're definitely still in the ballgame. I would recommend keeping in contact with some of the admissions offices without being annoying. It's generally against SDN dogma to send unsolicited messages to admissions offices, but I disagree. I think that you want them to recognize your name and your story, so that when it comes time for them to pull from the waitlist you're at the front of their minds. All this being said, it does seem like you have an unusually large number of waitlists. If you don't get in somewhere this year (and I truly hope you're not in that position) I would strongly urge you to contact all of the admissions offices where you were waitlisted and ask them for feedback. They might be able to provide a perspective to your interview that you can't recognize yourself.

Overall, I wish you the very best of luck...I hope that things turn around soon!
 
bananafish94 said:
@VIZ1 Here are some random musings fed by lack of sleep:
First of all, I'm sorry. This really sucks and I'm sympathetic to the fact that it really sucks. I've played the waitlist game and it's not remotely fun, and I honestly can't imagine what it's like to go through that for multiple applications.

First, the school issue. I'm going to speculate wildly here. When you say "mid-tier," what kinds of schools are we talking about here? For example, there are a lot of very small, specifically focused schools that I think one could describe as mid-tier. Likewise, there are also a lot of bigger schools with fairly reasonable admissions averages located in neutral parts of the country to which everyone and their cousin applies (think schools like George Washington, etc.) Normally, I think stories of "yield protection" are pretty far-fetched but in this case your scores are extraordinary and it could very well apply. If one of these schools with 10000+ applications, who can basically afford to throw out any application that has the slightest problem, sees your numbers I could see them assuming that you probably wouldn't come to the school and not wanting to send you one of their few interviews.

I recently attended a talk on residency applications. A different ballgame, but I think that the same principles apply. A program director said that due to a phenomenon called "application bloat" a lot of programs see competitive applicants applying from some completely different place in the country, assume they're doing it just to add an extra safety factor to their application, and because of that don't get an interview. But he also said that this can sometimes be avoided by an email, specifically explaining your motivations for that program beyond the application itself. Perhaps something to consider? In a lot of cases, this sort of thing might not hold a lot of weight--and it still might not--but your extremely strong numbers might give it some extra horsepower.

With regard to the interviews, six waitlists is not a terrible place to be in. They also have a reason for waitlisting you and not outright rejecting you. So you're definitely still in the ballgame. I would recommend keeping in contact with some of the admissions offices without being annoying. It's generally against SDN dogma to send unsolicited messages to admissions offices, but I disagree. I think that you want them to recognize your name and your story, so that when it comes time for them to pull from the waitlist you're at the front of their minds. All this being said, it does seem like you have an unusually large number of waitlists. If you don't get in somewhere this year (and I truly hope you're not in that position) I would strongly urge you to contact all of the admissions offices where you were waitlisted and ask them for feedback. They might be able to provide a perspective to your interview that you can't recognize yourself.

Overall, I wish you the very best of luck...I hope that things turn around soon!
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Thanks for the insight and support. I'll definitely consider sending them an email the next time around if I do reapply.
I've contacted schools in the past but they don't tell me much other than the fact that there are too many competitive applicants. I guess I can try to contact the schools this cycle at the end of it though.
 
VIZ1 said:
Thanks everyone
I did get professional help and have worked customer service before
I guess I might need to try more of that
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What kind of professional help? If you don't mind me asking. Was it social anxiety disorder?
 
VIZ1 said:
Thanks
The tuition seems fairly steep and I'm not sure I'm able to afford it after this application cycle
But in any case, I'll consider it seriously and explore all my options
Click to expand...
Tuition may be steep but what are the costs (psychic, time, actual monetary costs) of a fourth cycle and its uncertainties. And you can probably get a loan for it, unlike costs for an application cycle. Anyway, I hope the best for you and that you get off one or more of the waitlists. Sometimes when I have what appears to be an insolvable problem, I pretend I'm Einstein and say to myself "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over again and expecting a different result." Not that you're insane but maybe a new approach is needed.
 
precisiongraphic said:
Tuition may be steep but what are the costs (psychic, time, actual monetary costs) of a fourth cycle and its uncertainties. And you can probably get a loan for it, unlike costs for an application cycle. Anyway, I hope the best for you and that you get off one or more of the waitlists. Sometimes when I have what appears to be an insolvable problem, I pretend I'm Einstein and say to myself "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over again and expecting a different result." Not that you're insane but maybe a new approach is needed.
Click to expand...
That's a good point too! I'll consider applying to that
 
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