Overqualified for schools?

[wanderer]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Judging from the school specific threads and MDapps BU plus the 3 that were previously mentioned (GW, Georgetown, and Tufts) seem to be the main schools (on the East Coast) that reject people for being overqualified. They each get more than 10,000 applications (many from people who are using them as safeties) and can only interview ~ 1,000 of them so that's why those schools are most likely to reject overqualified applicants.
Schools that are similar in the region, like NYU, AECOM, and U of Rochester get much fewer applications than the aforementioned schools.

 

[dru2002]

^i thought ur OP was fine.

anyway, i really want to see some evidence.. mdapps maybe? on the 4.0/40 with interviews but rejected all...

http://www.aamc.org/data/facts/2008/mcatgpa-grid-3yrs-app-accpt.htm

39-45 MCAT, >3.80 GPA, 7% are rejected at all schools. This would be evidence correct?

 

[mvenus929]

^i thought ur OP was fine.

anyway, i really want to see some evidence.. mdapps maybe? on the 4.0/40 with interviews but rejected all...

Look at my first application cycle. Granted, my MCAT score is only 36, but it's still pretty high...

 

[longhorn09]

http://www.aamc.org/data/facts/2008/mcatgpa-grid-3yrs-app-accpt.htm

39-45 MCAT, >3.80 GPA, 7% are rejected at all schools. This would be evidence correct?

And don't you forget ONOY, the phenomenal sdner, who got no acceptance up to around mid Mid this year. Mind you, he got 3.9/39.

 

[caseofthemndays]

http://www.aamc.org/data/facts/2008/mcatgpa-grid-3yrs-app-accpt.htm

39-45 MCAT, >3.80 GPA, 7% are rejected at all schools. This would be evidence correct?

This is empirical. There's a really good chance that 7% of 4.0/40 applicants got cocky and only applied to like top 5 schools, and have no personality. 93% is still a really high acceptance ratio.

 

[jla314]

Judging from the school specific threads and MDapps BU plus the 3 that were previously mentioned (GW, Georgetown, and Tufts) seem to be the main schools (on the East Coast) that reject people for being overqualified. They each get more than 10,000 applications (many from people who are using them as safeties) and can only interview ~ 1,000 of them so that's why those schools are most likely to reject overqualified applicants.
Schools that are similar in the region, like NYU, AECOM, and U of Rochester get much fewer applications than the aforementioned schools.

i'm not sure this is always true... i applied to BU and tufts and got interviews at both (40 mcat/3.99 cGPA). i think i remember seeing that dw got a BU interview as well, and she's got high stats too.

it doesn't make sense for schools to reject people with high stats solely based on a hypothetical conjecture as to a student later rejecting an offer of admission. most med school yields are fairly low to begin with (probably around 50% range, based on the number of accepted applicants vs the number of matriculants). schools realize that students are going to make decisions based on a number of factors (financial, location, appeal of the curriculum, etc) and that the school is not going to win 100% of the time. therefore, from a school's perspective, it makes a whole lot more sense to try to attract the students they perceive to be strong, good-fit applicants, regardless of whether that consists of 'high' or 'low' or 'both' stats people. they are trying to fill out a class based on their particular philosophies and knowledge of their educational environment.

OP - it wasn't your stats that got you rejected. BU does interview kids with 'high' stats, and they also interview kids with 'low' stats. it might have been a feeling on their part regarding a mismatch of values, poor rec letters, that intangible 'fit' factor was lacking, etc. don't take it too personally - you'll find a school that fits well in the end!

 

[berriesandcream]

This is empirical. There's a really good chance that 7% of 4.0/40 applicants got cocky and only applied to like top 5 schools, and have no personality. 93% is still a really high acceptance ratio.

I agree, I mean, I would take that 93% and run with it. The 7% could be multiple factors: the person could be a douche, ECs, LORs, anything. Like it's been said time and time again, NUMBERS AREN'T EVERYTHING! it's only the initial part of the application. I would not want to go to a doctor who is a douche. sorry.

 

[slowbutsteady]

Will schools not give interviews to people who they think are overqualified/not attend? It makes sense to because they 1) want to pad their stats 2) value interviewing people who will likely attend.

I ask this because I sent in my apps late in the process and just started receiving interview invitations - and have been receiving them to top 10 medical schools - but was recently denied by a lower tier / safer school. I understand that no school is a lock for anyone, but I was shocked that I didn't even get an interview.

If you need to know more about me to answer this question, I'll be happy to list some of my credentials (just didn't want to drop them here to come off cocky).

Don't worry, you came off cocky anyway. Well played.

 

[slowbutsteady]

Not "over" qualified. Maybe "above average stats" applies. But whatever "qualified" means to different med schools, it is ridiculous for an applicant to think of himself in terms of being "over" or "under" qualified for schools.

Far more goes into admissions decisions than stats. Using terms like "over qualified" is misleading, or it misses the whole point.

Research your schools, and apply broadly. You will be surprised, or disappointed, or elated, by the reactions your app gets from different schools. And it only gets crazier when it comes to post interview decisions.

Excellent post. Numbers on a page can never, ever make someone "overqualified" for any med school. Period.

I agree that most of you just don't get it.

 

[flip26]

OP - it wasn't your stats that got you rejected. BU does interview kids with 'high' stats, and they also interview kids with 'low' stats. it might have been a feeling on their part regarding a mismatch of values, poor rec letters, that intangible 'fit' factor was lacking, etc. don't take it too personally - you'll find a school that fits well in the end!

This is the correct analysis.

People with high stats who believe med schools will automatically welcome them with open arms are sometimes mistaken, as is the OP.

OP: you conveyed a sense of entitlement in your first post. My guess is that you conveyed a similar sense in your primary app, via your PS, or in one of your LORs someone said something a little less than flattering about your personality.

Be grateful for every interview you get. To focus on the "one that got away," especially when you are "over qualified," is the epitome of douchey-ness.

 

[dw2158]

i'm not sure this is always true... i applied to BU and tufts and got interviews at both (40 mcat/3.99 cGPA). i think i remember seeing that dw got a BU interview as well, and she's got high stats too.

it doesn't make sense for schools to reject people with high stats solely based on a hypothetical conjecture as to a student later rejecting an offer of admission. most med school yields are fairly low to begin with (probably around 50% range, based on the number of accepted applicants vs the number of matriculants). schools realize that students are going to make decisions based on a number of factors (financial, location, appeal of the curriculum, etc) and that the school is not going to win 100% of the time. therefore, from a school's perspective, it makes a whole lot more sense to try to attract the students they perceive to be strong, good-fit applicants, regardless of whether that consists of 'high' or 'low' or 'both' stats people. they are trying to fill out a class based on their particular philosophies and knowledge of their educational environment.

OP - it wasn't your stats that got you rejected. BU does interview kids with 'high' stats, and they also interview kids with 'low' stats. it might have been a feeling on their part regarding a mismatch of values, poor rec letters, that intangible 'fit' factor was lacking, etc. don't take it too personally - you'll find a school that fits well in the end!

yes, i did get a BU interview. so they don't always hate on high-stats peeps!

anyway, OP, you need to chill. consider the number of people that apply to schools like BU. now consider the number of people in each year's starting class. obviously BU has to reject almost everyone, so it's inevitable that some really qualified people will get rejected. and you know what? it's inevitable that some people who would have been really good "fits" (whatever that really means) get rejected too. it's just a questions of sheer volume of applicants.

 

[dw2158]

i have a feeling i know where you go/went.

haha i figured some people would know. but i decided to keep some level of anonymity just for funsies.

 

[RogueUnicorn]

haha i figured some people would know. but i decided to keep some level of anonymity just for funsies.

+100 points for you.