I definitely can’t speak authoritatively on this, but it seems like the Goucher class (the only one I can speak to) is very close to full based on their published class sizes. I don’t know about the other programs, but I think in general the earlier you apply in the cycle, the better your chances.
It depends on what kind of postbac you are looking for! A lot of the programs with a summer start closed their cycle on the Feb 15 deadline, while some like GWU have a later deadline of March 15. However @boxalarm is right that applying earlier in the cycle is better for most programs since they use rolling admissions rather than a hard deadline, and at this point there are very few seats left to be filled, if any. There are some postbacs that have variable start dates (Loras College comes to mind- no linkages but affordable and connected to a reputable 4 year college) in other semesters. If you're a competitive candidate and have your heart set on a 'big name' program or one with linkages, then that ship has probably sailed for this year, but there are still some very good (imo) options available for programs that might not be as well known but are more flexible with admissions and still a great option in terms of value and getting the education you need.
I asked after I wasn’t taken off waitlist after interview, and the school was really gracious and helpful about it. Ofc ymmv, but I feel like the worst they can do is say no as long as you ask respectfully and thank them for their consideration.
I’m trying to stay in California as well. I’ve heard back from LMU and just heard back from Mills today (although I think that’s too far for me), and am still waiting to hear back from UCI. Hope your interview went well!
That's awesome! Did you get accepted to both? Out of curiosity, what standardized test score did you submit to Mills and what did you get for it?
Yeah. I submitted my SAT. My standardized test score was only high for reading comprehension lol. I think for math I had like a 640, which is somewhat low, I think. Pretty frustrating that you're being judged on a test you took a long time ago (for me at least lol.)
Haha oh absolutely not fair. I’ve been trying to take any standardized test (ACT/SAT/GRE) since November and this weeks is the first that hasn’t been cancelled! So I’m literally waiting to submit ASAP.
This episode is very helpful, and I remember it being particularly so for considering the application timeline though the conversation is wide-ranging enough to be informative about a number of topics.
Can I ask what your background is? I'm a recent Columbia grad and looking at the postbacc program since I had many pre-med friends be very successful at Columbia, but I've been seeing a lot of negativity towards the program. Do you think the reason for Columbia not having a good rep is because a lot of the post-baccs were unprepared for the workload, or is there an inherent difference between undergrad premed and the post bacc that most might not be aware of?
If you haven't looked at the AAMC list, it might be of use though it looks like it might not offer the option to sort by deadline. I think that the PostbacCAS list does have deadline information, but not every postbac will be listed depending on if they use the system for their applications.
I applied in late January and received a rejection letter about a month later. I would reach out to them, it's possible there was a system error that didn't send out a decision notification
There’s also practical issues factored in like payment and gaining more experience at the job I currently have in an ED.
I would cast a large net. I went to a coffee chat with Scripps in December and their directer referenced the Fauci Effect and how real it was–so many more applicants have applied this year/last for this year's cohort.
Hi! I went through the Hopkins interview process a few weeks ago, and while it ended in rejection (🙃), I learned a ton from the current student they connected me with! Her and I spoke for well over an hour. The students don't report back to admissions or anything like that, so we were able to have a really candid discussion about what being in the program is like, how to balance your time, etc.
I don't think it is at all "insane" to decide to reapply next year earlier in the cycle, with more experience and other things like finances more sorted out. I've seen people on SDN write that they reapplied the next year and were accepted to their top programs. Its ultimately a very personal decision, but its a really big choice to make, and for me, I would probably lean to reapplying if I wasn't very enthusiastic about the programs I was accepted to. Sometimes a little longer of a road ends up getting you exactly where you wanted to go.
I applied exactly on March 1st (lol) and I haven't gotten a response back either from Tufts. I think I saw on the application they'd give us a decision on April 1st? Not 100% about that though
I agree, it's not "insane" at all. Ppl say getting into med school is a marathon, not a sprint. You can easily spend another year gaining volunteering hours, shadowing, clinical hours, or whatever you want to do to strengthen your post-bacc/med school application and possibly lighten your workload while you're in the post-bacc.
Hi! In the same boat as you with Columbia and Tufts! I applied to Columbia in mid-January and just got my acceptance letter from them. If you haven't received a decision try reaching out about the decision timeline! Also Tufts doesn't do rolling decisions and decisions/ interview invitations are supposed to be released tomorrow 4/1!
Just got an X from Columbia a few days ago, and from the looks of it I applied just a bit before you, so keep your eyes on the look out!
This is hilarious, I love it! Yes! Yes! Yes! Thanks for the explainer haha also let ter I think becomes message in a bottle
I believe that it is good form to send follow up emails, but I think it is better if you have something of genuine interest in doing so. Sending a template email for the sake of it will probably not help (maybe even hurt, but idk). Use it as an opportunity to highlight the strong points of the interview, maybe mention something that you have done since, or follow up with a question that you had (or they had) during the interview. One thing I've done before is reached out and thanked them for such interesting questions, and provided an answer that I hadn't thought of to one of them that I thought was discussion worthy. I tend to treat interviewers like friends, and try to establish a rapport with them, and if it goes well afterwards I will still try and talk to them. You'll possibly (maybe probably) get different advice from other people, but those are just my two bits of Easter wisdom.
