Probably going to have to reapply...any advice?

[MedGuy692]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Hello everyone!

So to put it mildly, this application cycle hasn't exactly gone as I had hoped it would. I applied to 12 schools, interviewed at 5, and got waitlisted at all 5. Based on what I've found out about how those waitlists are moving and where I am on the my state's school waitlist, I'm facing the ever-increasingly likely prospect that I will need to reapply, and I'd much rather have a back-up plan in case things don't pan out. Here's a quick synopsis of my current state:

Academics: 3.96 overall (science is roughly similar), 32 MCAT (10 VR, 11 PS, 11 BS), a bunch of scholarships and honor societies
Clinical: shadowed 2 doctors each for about a month, worked in a surgery center full-time during a summer and two winter breaks, volunteered at a local hospital (mainly primary care) junior year until graduation
Research: worked a semester in a research lab on campus and worked at NIAID this past summer
Volunteering: tutored at a local high school for two years, worked at an after school program continually for a year, several individual service projects through my clubs that I was in
Other: I was also heavily involved in extracurriculars and held a couple of leadership positions.

I think what did me in were a late application-mine didn't get submitted until late June because I was busy working and had to balance that and AMCAS-and interviews (my first interview didn't go so well, although I thought the other ones went fairly well). I guess my MCAT could be a little better as well.

Any thoughts on what I should do? I'm sorry if it's a long read but I really appreciate any feedback you might have.

 

[Plecopotamus]

Hello everyone!

So to put it mildly, this application cycle hasn't exactly gone as I had hoped it would. I applied to 12 schools, interviewed at 5, and got waitlisted at all 5. Based on what I've found out about how those waitlists are moving and where I am on the my state's school waitlist, I'm facing the ever-increasingly likely prospect that I will need to reapply, and I'd much rather have a back-up plan in case things don't pan out. Here's a quick synopsis of my current state:

Academics: 3.96 overall (science is roughly similar), 32 MCAT (10 VR, 11 PS, 11 BS), a bunch of scholarships and honor societies
Clinical: shadowed 2 doctors each for about a month, worked in a surgery center full-time during a summer and two winter breaks, volunteered at a local hospital (mainly primary care) junior year until graduation
Research: worked a semester in a research lab on campus and worked at NIAID this past summer
Volunteering: tutored at a local high school for two years, worked at an after school program continually for a year, several individual service projects through my clubs that I was in
Other: I was also heavily involved in extracurriculars and held a couple of leadership positions.

I think what did me in were a late application-mine didn't get submitted until late June because I was busy working and had to balance that and AMCAS-and interviews (my first interview didn't go so well, although I thought the other ones went fairly well). I guess my MCAT could be a little better as well.

Any thoughts on what I should do? I'm sorry if it's a long read but I really appreciate any feedback you might have.

A June submission is not late, and even if it were, late apps are typically passed over pre interview.

5 interviews resulting entirely in waitlists tends to mean that you're just really putting forth a bad impression in interviews rather than in any part of your application packet. Have you had any feedback from a mock interview? Are you someone who struggles in social situations? Did you appear unprofessional in attire or grooming? Those are the types of questions you need to ask yourself -- you should not retake your mcat (if you're getting interviews, it's not the problem, & once over 30 you're statistically too likely to decrease for it to be worth the risk)

 

[The Chemist]

Academics: they're fine, just make sure you mostly applied to schools with an average ~32 mcat for matriculants AND a few good backup schools with <32 average
Clinical: this is enough, but if you are reapplying, maybe keep a 1 time a week commitment to demonstrate continual interest
Research: great! can you get good LORs from these?
Volunteering: it sounds like (I could be wrong) you didn't really do continual sustained community service to demonstrate altruism; clinical volunteering is not enough
Others: if these are interesting, this could help get you an interview
Interviews: Plecopotamus has some good ideas ^^^^
Application submission time: late June is fine, when were your secondaries submitted? before September?---no issue then.
My advice: either (1) reevaluate which schools you are applying to, practice interview, rewrite essays to emphasize your human traits, i.e. altruism, passion, empathy etc. OR (2) take a year off for community service/continued clinical/human service-type job and do all of (1), so you would be reapplying in June 2015

Do not give up for this year. 5 waitlists is a lot of waitlists. In your position, I would wait out the summer and reapply June 2015, if necessary.

 

[MedGuy692]

I'll do the best I can to address some of the points raised.

I know my interviewing skills did me in at least for my first interview. I did fine for the mock interview that my advising office offers, but I fell apart in that first interview. I appreciate the feedback on that. The volunteering thing I probably wasn't really clear on. I was involved with a lot more long-term projects; I just didn't want to go into detail with them. But basically from freshman to junior year I tutor at a local high school with disadvantaged students. I'd be happy to go into more detail.

The reason I brought up MCAT is because I only had about a month to study intensely for it (as in do nothing but study MCAT all day), and I always thought that perhaps if I had a longer time period to study, I could have done better.

Appreciate the feedback thus far! I know the cycle isn't over yet, but I don't want to be caught at the end of the summer without a plan of action.

 

[qwertysdn]

I would start looking for jobs now.
I'm in a similar situation as you.
For me, I'm waiting a year to reapply to strengthen my app more. Although you had five interviews so it may be as the others said (working on interview skills).

 

[qwertysdn]

Perhaps apply to more schools as well if it is possible financially for you.

 

[QofQuimica]

Retaking your MCAT is pointless when the issue here is likely that you have poor interviewing skills (and maybe also that you didn't apply as strategically as you could have).

First, you should broaden your school list. Your GPA is stellar and your MCAT is slightly above average for allo matriculants. I would say that somewhere in the range of 20 schools is reasonable for you. If you're not from CA, make sure you apply to all of your state schools. If you are from CA, you should focus your efforts on schools in other states that take a lot of OOS applicants, as your MCAT is average or slightly below average for most of your state schools.

Second, for sure you need to practice interviewing. Pick someone who doesn't know you very well and who has experience with interviewing candidates for jobs or in other contexts. Have them mock interview you and give you feedback on ways to improve your interviewing. In addition, you may find it instructive to mock interview one or two of your fellow premeds who have been accepted to multiple med schools. Pay attention to how these people present themselves and how they would be able to convince you that you should accept them to your med school if you were an adcom.

Third, you need to study and prepare for your interviews just like you would for any other test you've ever taken. Make sure you've read up on each school beforehand (go over their website). Look through the SDN interview feedback for each school to get an idea of what kinds of questions you might be asked, and think in general terms about how you might respond. However, don't memorize your answers or give canned answers, as this will also leave a bad impression.