Reach Schools - How likely?

[Piglet2020]

What is considered a “reach” school? Is it a reach if you are below their median stats? Top 20 schools?

And how likely do people actually get accepted into their dream/reach schools? I would be happy with just 1 acceptance considering how competitive this is.

I heard stories from my advisor that some lucky fellas get accepted into their top choice (reach school) while surprisingly rejected from their safety. Stats were avg overall so no yield protection. Goes to show that this process can always surprise you.

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[•Syzygy•]

its not a reach until you are below the 10th percentiles and arent a URM

 

[Dox4lyfe]

There's too many factors to take into account when you try to compare the successes of different people.

Many schools are mission based, so if you apply and don't fit their mission, you have a higher chance of rejection.

Applying to IS vs OOS public schools can lead to different outcomes.

Writing terrible secondaries and unknowingly messing up at interviews can lead to rejections at even safeties.

Just not fitting the profile of the student a particular school is looking for can lead to a rejection even if you have the stats, because guess what, most other people also have the stats.

Anecdotally, one of my close friends applied to ~15-20 schools and the only one he got into was HMS. Apply broadly with mostly target schools and a few reach if you really want to. Never know what will happen.

 

[Disciple of Sattar]

To anecdotally add to Dox4lyfe's post, my friend applied to 24 schools including all of our state schools (not CA or TX), and only got into Columbia. It's not a completely random system but the results can sometimes feel that way.

But your case is different. I say your chance is about 3.5%, repeating of course.

 

[BombsAway]

If you don't apply, your odds are 0%

 

[workaholic181]

It's so hard to gauge due to all the factors, as someone else mentioned. Just apply to schools you're interested in but don't be too heavy. These forums are littered with great applicants who only applied top 20 and didn't get in anywhere.

 

[Piglet2020]

I’m already complete for 25 schools lol. I’m asking for anecdotes from current students to see if their cycle surprised them in any way.

 

[BombsAway]

I’m already complete for 25 schools lol. I’m asking for anecdotes from current students to see if their cycle surprised them in any way.

Ah, i see.

Yes. I'll be attending an interview next week at a place where i'm well below the 10th%ile mcat. It was my only "reach", which makes me wonder if I should have added more.

 

[begoood95]

Honestly, in general, applying to any medical school is a "reach" due to the competitive nature of the beast. What you can do though, is increase your chances of having your "reach" actually tickle an ADCOM's fancy—after which you let your personality shine at the interview.

Of course, there are degrees of reach, and you're correct about the "Top 20's" being at the more reach-y end. Even for high-stat, high-achieving individuals, those are difficult to touch.

 

[MD_Odyssey]

its not a reach until you are below the 10th percentiles and arent a URM

This sht again...

 

[•Syzygy•]

This sht again...

what?

 

[MD_Odyssey]

what?

WhAt?! 😵

 

[DPTinthemaking15]

your chance is about 3.5%, repeating of course.

I hope I'm not the only one who gets this

OP, APPLY! It can't hurt. For instance, I was told by the scholarship director at my university that I WOULD NOT receive the scholarship I applied for. Lo and behold a few weeks later, I received an email stating I was awarded the scholarship.

 

[CloverBale]

Honestly, in general, applying to any medical school is a "reach" due to the competitive nature of the beast. What you can do though, is increase your chances of having your "reach" actually tickle an ADCOM's fancy—after which you let your personality shine at the interview.

Of course, there are degrees of reach, and you're correct about the "Top 20's" being at the more reach-y end. Even for high-stat, high-achieving individuals, those are difficult to touch.

Agreed. Med school is a reach for everyone. All those hours and years and money put into an application and you might not even get in.

 

[bioboy23]

Honestly, in general, applying to any medical school is a "reach" due to the competitive nature of the beast. What you can do though, is increase your chances of having your "reach" actually tickle an ADCOM's fancy—after which you let your personality shine at the interview.

Of course, there are degrees of reach, and you're correct about the "Top 20's" being at the more reach-y end. Even for high-stat, high-achieving individuals, those are difficult to touch.

hang on... 16 II??? Dude I hate you hahaha thats amazing

 

[BombsAway]

hang on... 16 II??? Dude I hate you hahaha thats amazing

LizzyM of 80, so....

 

[begoood95]

Agreed. Med school is a reach for everyone. All those hours and years and money put into an application and you might not even get in.

Exactly, but this brings me to the following point:

hang on... 16 II??? Dude I hate you hahaha thats amazing

LizzyM of 80, so....

Stats, like a LizzyM of 80, will not get you through the door to an acceptance, but—in my opinion—they will put you at the door. I think my success has more to do with a polished primary (that was early), well thought out secondaries, and more of the "intangibles."

It's luck, in a sense, unfortunately.

It's due to chance that my parents put me in a martial art that I continued throughout my life; that's a huge part of my app.

It's due to chance (well, mix in a little genetics and environment too) that my father got cancer; through that, I volunteered at a hospice and a mainstay of my app is the effect that had on me.

It's due to chance that I enrolled in gen chem with a professor who was just starting up his lab; that allowed me to have much more experience (hands-on), and now my app has strong research.

It's due to chance (and laziness, or an unchallenging environment) that I graduated with an abysmally low high school GPA, forcing me to delay chemistry and biology till my sophomore year; that allowed me to be productive and obtain 2 extra degrees, a "unique" aspect of my app.
--
Moral of the story, don't be hard on yourself, but work hard to better yourself and your app so that you increase those chances at admission. Many things are purely due to chance, but you have to work as best you can with what you have!

 

[Goro]

What is considered a “reach” school? Is it a reach if you are below their median stats? Top 20 schools?

And how likely do people actually get accepted into their dream/reach schools? I would be happy with just 1 acceptance considering how competitive this is.

I heard stories from my advisor that some lucky fellas get accepted into their top choice (reach school) while surprisingly rejected from their safety. Stats were avg overall so no yield protection. Goes to show that this process can always surprise you.

My rule of thumb is that the higher up the pole you wanna climb, the slipperier it gets, hence, to be competitive, once needs to be closer to the median for the Top Schools. The stats ***** schools have very tight distributions of their stats. Now Duke, on the other hand, and a 10th %ile of 499! Looks like someone is actually doing holistic review!

 

[bobmccorweg]

My rule of thumb is that the higher up the pole you wanna climb, the slipperier it gets, hence, to be competitive, once needs to be closer to the median for the Top Schools. The stats ***** schools have very tight distributions of their stats. Now Duke, on the other hand, and a 10th %ile of 499! Looks like someone is actually doing holistic review!

In your app guide earlier in the summer you mentioned being 2-4 points below the median as being in striking distance. But do you think it also depends on the school? for example UVA and Stanford both have medians of 518 but their 10th and 25 percentiles differ. Stanfords 10-25%tile is 515-516 while UVAs 10-25%tile is 512-515. Just from an MCAT perspective, how do you think someone with a 515 would be viewed at each school? Is there a big difference (in your eyes) between 515 and 518? or does that depend on the spread of accepted scores?

 

[Goro]

In your app guide earlier in the summer you mentioned being 2-4 points below the median as being in striking distance. But do you think it also depends on the school? for example UVA and Stanford both have medians of 518 but their 10th and 25 percentiles differ. Stanfords 10-25%tile is 515-516 while UVAs 10-25%tile is 512-515. Just from an MCAT perspective, how do you think someone with a 515 would be viewed at each school? Is there a big difference (in your eyes) between 515 and 518? or does that depend on the spread of accepted scores?

From a med schools Adcom's perspective (using the gestalt of what I have seem from posts on SDN from Adcom members), there IS a difference between a 515 and 518, and the difference might very well keep one out of NYU, or happily welcomed into Keck.

Thus, when someone has a 518, I feel they can apply to any med school.
With a 516, any med school.
A 515? I start getting more cautious, and tend to not recommend Harvard/Stanford class schools, but Keck class schools are fine.

 

[bioboy23]

Exactly, but this brings me to the following point:



Stats, like a LizzyM of 80, will not get you through the door to an acceptance, but—in my opinion—they will put you at the door. I think my success has more to do with a polished primary (that was early), well thought out secondaries, and more of the "intangibles."

It's luck, in a sense, unfortunately.

It's due to chance that my parents put me in a martial art that I continued throughout my life; that's a huge part of my app.

It's due to chance (well, mix in a little genetics and environment too) that my father got cancer; through that, I volunteered at a hospice and a mainstay of my app is the effect that had on me.

It's due to chance that I enrolled in gen chem with a professor who was just starting up his lab; that allowed me to have much more experience (hands-on), and now my app has strong research.

It's due to chance (and laziness, or an unchallenging environment) that I graduated with an abysmally low high school GPA, forcing me to delay chemistry and biology till my sophomore year; that allowed me to be productive and obtain 2 extra degrees, a "unique" aspect of my app.
--
Moral of the story, don't be hard on yourself, but work hard to better yourself and your app so that you increase those chances at admission. Many things are purely due to chance, but you have to work as best you can with what you have!

Well said. I would wish you luck this cycle, but I don't think you'll need much... good luck anyway 😉

 

[MareNostrummm]

From a med schools Adcom's perspective (using the gestalt of what I have seem from posts on SDN from Adcom members), there IS a difference between a 515 and 518, and the difference might very well keep one out of NYU, or happily welcomed into Keck.

Thus, when someone has a 518, I feel they can apply to any med school.
With a 516, any med school.
A 515? I start getting more cautious, and tend to not recommend Harvard/Stanford class schools, but Keck class schools are fine.

What about a 512 at Keck class schools?

 

[Goro]

What about a 512 at Keck class schools?

510 is my floor for the Keck class schools.

 

[Piglet2020]

510 is my floor for the Keck class schools.

What about JHU and Pittsburgh?

 

[AnatomyGrey12]

This sht again...

Do you have a problem with facts?

OP, once you get into the top 20 it is probably safe to say that they are all "reaches" in the sense that it starts to get even more random in who gets interviews or acceptances because most of their applicants are all stellar. Obviously the higher up you go the truer that gets, and (my personal opinion coming) that once you break into the top 10 it becomes less about numbers and more about the intangibles and ECs.

 

[Goro]

What about JHU and Pittsburgh?

My floor for Pitt is 512, for JHU, 516.