picked for secondary application

[nebur4]

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How do schools go about when picking potential candidates for secondary applications? I read on the school application process and they pick who receives a secondary app. Anyone have any insight as to what they could possibly look at when picking who receives one?

Thanks!

 

[P0ke]

How do schools go about when picking potential candidates for secondary applications? I read on the school application process and they pick who receives a secondary app. Anyone have any insight as to what they could possibly look at when picking who receives one?

Thanks!

If schools do screen for secondaries, they usually screen by GPA and MCAT. Those MCAT/GPA thresholds will vary by school. Some don't screen and just send a secondary to everyone.

 

[Catalystik]

How do schools go about when picking potential candidates for secondary applications? I read on the school application process and they pick who receives a secondary app. Anyone have any insight as to what they could possibly look at when picking who receives one?

Thanks!

While some schools screen by stats, those with a regional preference screen by your permanent address ( and probably stats, too). Others might screen based on how closely your ECs fit their mission, with less regard to raw numbers. Many, as mentioned, don't screen at all until later in the review process.

 

[nebur4]

I was quite surprised to receive one from this particular school. My MCAT is not competitive but my GPA is above average. This school is going on its second year as a medical school, and they are only picking 50 students per class. I figured since they are screening for secondaries they are picking out students who they personally see best fit for the university. Knowing that I don't have an MCAT score anywhere near competitive makes me believe that maybe my EC's and essays on the main application were possibly impressive to someone on the committee? Their email said that they are "delighted" to inform me that I have been selected to receive a secondary app. I would think that they would possibly review GPA and MCAT before sending a secondary, right? Why waste time picking someone for a secondary if you as a committee member know they won't meet their GPA/MCAT criteria?

 

[CloverBale]

Plenty of schools will hand out secondaries to everyone because it's free $$ for them.

 

[SpoiledMilk]

UT Austin-Dell???

 

[Eleithyia]

This school is going on its second year as a medical school, and they are only picking 50 students per class.

I am thinking this is Mayo Clinic SOM, Arizona campus due to the class size. If so, their first class as a med school starts (started?) this fall; this is only their second application cycle.
If you look in the school-specific thread for Mayo-AZ, you'll see that this year, Mayo did screen by MCAT score. Only applicants with an MCAT score in the top 25% were sent a secondary invitation--that's all applicants with an MCAT ~507 and above.

I would think that they would possibly review GPA and MCAT before sending a secondary, right? Why waste time picking someone for a secondary if you as a committee member know they won't meet their GPA/MCAT criteria?

You should only assume your app has been screened if the school expressly says they screen before secondaries. Not many schools do. Most send secondaries with associated fees to all applicants.
As for "Why waste time...?" Secondary app fees... $$$.