One waitlist, 4 rejections, 7 schools silent

[Einfari]

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Since it's mid December, I'm starting to feel very worried about my chances of getting into medical school. I got one interview on October for my state school, but was waitlisted. Otherwise, I have 3 rejections and silence from everywhere else.

Also, my qualifications are 32 old MCAT, 3.8 GPA, 3 letters of rec, tutor, 2+ years research, president of 2 students groups, exec board member previously, and over 100 hours of clinical volunteer experience and at least 100 more through student groups.

I went to pre-med advisors and coworkers several times, and they told me my personal statement looked good, and I had a pretty good chance. I also had my secondaries done by late August. I'm deciding on if I should apply for jobs for this/next year or continue to wait, thinking I may have a chance. I am currently taking a gap year, and working full time in one of the labs I was in during undergrad. I hate the job and find it miserable and unrewarding. The only reason I'm still there is because I couldn't find another job and don't want to starve to death.

Any advice? I'm really worried and feeling down about the terrible job+lack of med school luck. If I had to spend another year at my current job, I would rather shoot myself in the foot.

 

[Lost in Translation]

Some may say otherwise, but IMO 100-200 hours of clinical experience is like nothing if you have 4 years to do stuff (100-200 is roughly 2 academic semesters' worth, at least in the volunteer programs I'm a part of). Your ECs in that area might be holding you back.

Are you still volunteering even though you have a lab tech job?

 

[Okazaki Frag Grenade]

What's your state of residence? And your school list?

 

[Einfari]

I still do clinical volunteering each week for a few hours in addition to having a full time job. My state of residence is in Minnesota, and the U of M was where I was waitlisted. I also forgot to mention that I graduated from college 2 years early. I just turned 21 years old if that means anything. The schools I'm waiting on are:
UC Irvine
Baylor
UNC Chapel Hill
Tufts
UC Denver
Emory
Cincinatti

 

[md-2020]

I still do clinical volunteering each week for a few hours in addition to having a full time job. My state of residence is in Minnesota, and the U of M was where I was waitlisted. I also forgot to mention that I graduated from college 2 years early. I just turned 21 years old if that means anything. The schools I'm waiting on are:
UC Irvine
Baylor
UNC Chapel Hill
Tufts
UC Denver
Emory
Cincinatti

Well for starters I can tell you the school list wasn't the best. UCI, UNC, UCD, and Cincy are pretty much no-go's b/c you're OOS. Baylor and Emory are reaches. Tufts is a lowish reach. You have no "matches" here (idk about the schools that rejected you).

 

[piii]

I still do clinical volunteering each week for a few hours in addition to having a full time job. My state of residence is in Minnesota, and the U of M was where I was waitlisted. I also forgot to mention that I graduated from college 2 years early. I just turned 21 years old if that means anything. The schools I'm waiting on are:
UC Irvine
Baylor
UNC Chapel Hill
Tufts
UC Denver
Emory
Cincinatti

You really had no business applying to Denver, Cinci, UNC, Baylor, and UCI. Emory is a reach, Tufts is low yield. It is unfortunate but poor school choices is a huge reason qualified applicants like yourself don't get in. Retool the list and you'll have a better outcome next time if you have to reapply.

 

[Einfari]

The online resources I looked at like first class said that all the schools I applied to would take out of state applicants. There really aren't many in state options in MN. Additionally, I looked at schools that had a genetics focus, as I'm hoping to go into clinical genetics.

 

[piii]

The online resources I looked at like first class said that all the schools I applied to would take out of state applicants. There really aren't many in state options in MN. Additionally, I looked at schools that had a genetics focus, as I'm hoping to go into clinical genetics.

The only tool your should use is MSAR. Did you buy that?
Typically the rule is that if an OOS public school has over 20% OOS students, it is reasonable to apply there if your stats are above their average.

UNC - 15% OOS, 3.8/33
UCI - 15% OOS, 3.8/34
UCD - 33% OOS, 3.8/33
Cinci - 33% OOS, 3.8/34

You aren't exceedingly above their averages. If nothing sticks out to them, why would they accept you over an in state student?

You are a solid applicant and with a better school list you have a great chance. I have no state schools, so I know it sucks. But you need to find private schools that fit your stats. Worry about the clinical genetics after you get into school.

 

[Goro]

Suggest working on the interview skills.

Keep job hunting. Lab skills are valuable and good techs are hard to find (after all, they keep leaving to go to grad or med school!)

You also need to have a MUCH better list than the one you had. Too many OOS state schools.

Here's a more reasonable one, in case you're shut out this cycle:


U VM
Miami
St. Louis
Albany
Albert Einstein
Rochester
Rush
Rosy Franklin
BU
Hofstra
NYMC
VCU
EVMS
Wake Forest
Jefferson
Temple
Drexel
Creighton
George Washington
Emory
Tulane
Loyola
Any new MD school. Skip Central MI and the three new FL schools. I can't recommend CNU.
U MN
Any DO program. Start with DMU and CCOM.

Since it's mid December, I'm starting to feel very worried about my chances of getting into medical school. I got one interview on October for my state school, but was waitlisted. Otherwise, I have 3 rejections and silence from everywhere else.

Also, my qualifications are 32 old MCAT, 3.8 GPA, 3 letters of rec, tutor, 2+ years research, president of 2 students groups, exec board member previously, and over 100 hours of clinical volunteer experience and at least 100 more through student groups.

I went to pre-med advisors and coworkers several times, and they told me my personal statement looked good, and I had a pretty good chance. I also had my secondaries done by late August. I'm deciding on if I should apply for jobs for this/next year or continue to wait, thinking I may have a chance. I am currently taking a gap year, and working full time in one of the labs I was in during undergrad. I hate the job and find it miserable and unrewarding. The only reason I'm still there is because I couldn't find another job and don't want to starve to death.

Any advice? I'm really worried and feeling down about the terrible job+lack of med school luck. If I had to spend another year at my current job, I would rather shoot myself in the foot.

 

[GrapesofRath]

What state are you a resident

What was your list of schools you applied to

 

[WedgeDawg]

What state are you a resident

What was your list of schools you applied to

They said MN in a previous post.

 

[GrapesofRath]

I'm not using the latest MSAR data but U of Minnesota interviews a little over 400 IS applicants and has about 180-200 IS matriculannts a year.

There are 150 matriculants from MN each year who leave the state for med school. Let's take a wild guess and say half of them got into U of M and chose not to go(emphasis on guess). That means the school made about 250-275 offers out of 400 IS interviewees. If you didn't get in with those stats my guess is the interview didn't go all that great

 

[vellez]

I'd look into ways to make your application better for next year. You aren't going to get in this year. If your waitlist were a private school, I'd say maybe...but usually in state med schools have limited movement, especially for a good school like Minnesota. I'll respectfully disagree that 1/2 of the Minnesotans who left Minnesota got into Minnesota. Seems like state usually export students when their schools aren't big enough.

Look for a job and apply again next year. Good luck. Goro's school list is spot on.

 

[GrapesofRath]

I'd look into ways to make your application better for next year. You aren't going to get in this year. If your waitlist were a private school, I'd say maybe...but usually in state med schools have limited movement, especially for a good school like Minnesota. I'll respectfully disagree that 1/2 of the Minnesotans who left Minnesota got into Minnesota. Seems like state usually export students when their schools aren't big enough.

Look for a job and apply again next year. Good luck. Goro's school list is spot on.

Any idea/reason as to why or why not you think that's the case.

The average Minnesota matriculant to medical school has a 32.1. That's above U of M's average for their class. Hence it's not unreasonable to assume those who didn't get in there had above average stats for the school and a number of them could have easily been accepted and chose to go elsewhere.

 

[vellez]

Any idea/reason as to why or why not you think that's the case

Well, I'm just speaking from experience in my home state(s). If a state only has one in state option (and a good one at that), I think in-state folks are highly inclined to chose that option, if for the cost only. In Washington, people only leave Washington if they didn't get into UW (Washington exports >150, and the WL only moves by like ~30).

 

[GrapesofRath]

Well, I'm just speaking from experience in my home state(s). If a state only has one in state option (and a good one at that), I think in-state folks are highly inclined to chose that option, if for the cost only. In Washington, people only leave Washington if they didn't get into UW (Washington exports >150, and the WL only moves by like ~30).

The data shows Washington exports alot more than Minnesota. It's two completely different state and dynamics. Washington applicants have to compete with WWAMI states which makes things more complicated.

 

[vellez]

The data shows Washington exports alot more than Minnesota. It's two completely different state and dynamics. Washington applicants have to compete with WWAMI states which makes things more complicated.

Well, no. Every WWAMI state has their own pot of seats, and they are only in competition with people from their own state. But that's another story.

 

[GrapesofRath]

Well, no. Every WWAMI state has their own pot of seats, and they are only in competition with people from their own state. But that's another story.

It means there are fewer total seats which is what I was getting at.

Washington you have 590 applicants competing for 120 IS spots.
Minnesota 890 for 201.

Washington I believe also has the highest MCAT average of any state in the nation for its matriculants. Its a very very competitive state.

 

[Pantaloooons]

Suggest working on the interview skills.

Keep job hunting. Lab skills are valuable and good techs are hard to find (after all, they keep leaving to go to grad or med school!)

You also need to have a MUCH better list than the one you had. Too many OOS state schools.

Here's a more reasonable one, in case you're shut out this cycle:


U VM
Miami
St. Louis
Albany
Albert Einstein
Rochester
Rush
Rosy Franklin
BU
Hofstra
NYMC
VCU
EVMS
Wake Forest
Jefferson
Temple
Drexel
Creighton
George Washington
Emory
Tulane
Loyola
Any new MD school. Skip Central MI and the three new FL schools. I can't recommend CNU.
U MN
Any DO program. Start with DMU and CCOM.

Any particular reason why you recommend skipping over the three new FL schools? They seem to be decent institution, so I just wanted to know if I'm missing something. Thanks!

 

[Goro]

Poor chances if you're OOS; not impossible, but you need to be > avg.

Any particular reason why you recommend skipping over the three new FL schools? They seem to be decent institution, so I just wanted to know if I'm missing something. Thanks!

 

[gyngyn]

Poor chances if you're OOS; not impossible, but you need to be > avg.

I can confirm that these schools are taking relatively high stats applicants from OOS (34 MCAT).

 

[robin911]

The online resources I looked at like first class said that all the schools I applied to would take out of state applicants. There really aren't many in state options in MN. Additionally, I looked at schools that had a genetics focus, as I'm hoping to go into clinical genetics.

Coming from MN maybe I can give a little advice:
1. i am hoping you applied to Mayo just b/c it is mayo and you are IS (even though they are above your reach and are private), just saying, you never know if you could get lucky, ha.
2. The U of MN saw waitlist movement of 15-20 students consistently the last 3 years (according to Dimple the Assoc. Dean of Admissions who told us this at the interview)
3. average age of matriculation at the U of M is 24. Other people who have applied have had 3 years more experience than both of us (I am also 21). The admissions com looks at age harshly I think at MN. Reapply to MN next year - if you are not on the top 30 alternate list which comes out in April. Lack of diversity is a key factor why students are usually waitlisted (again according to adcom).

I am telling you these things because I have personally learned them through making mistakes in this application cycle that I did not know ahead of time and will significantly change both where I apply and what I include in my PS next cycle if I don't get in.

 

[MediocreGunner]

Practice interviewing, be optimistic. I was not accepted until April from one of my later interviews. Try to have fun with the process.