ReApplying After An Acceptance

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JGreg09

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I got into a school for 2009 that I really do not want to attend for numerous reasons (Yes feel free to flame me, call me stupid, ungrateful etc. etc. it all may be true and I know I am committing a deadly sin according to most here). I only applied to 6 schools and did not do so until mid-Sept. and with a low MCAT, so I think I have a decent shot of getting accepted somewhere if I apply to 20 schools or so this round.

My plan is this: retake MCAT on June 18 ( I have been scoring 37-41 on practice exams compared to 26-30 last time around). Then submitt my app. on June 19 (to only one school so it can be verified) if I feel comfortable about how I did. Then, come July 21 if I score a 37+ I will turn down my accpetance and add 20 or so schools to my application and go from there, holding my breath.

My questions are this:

If I submitt my AMCAS on June 19 will I be automatically removed from my acceptance? Will I even be able to submitt AMCAS while holding and acceptance or do I have to give that up first? (if thats the case im not doing it, im not that stupid)

Also, would other schools see that I had been accepted in the past even if I do not matriculate?

Also if anyone has ever done this succsefuly before please PM me and let me know.
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JGreg09 said:
I got into a school for 2009 that I really do not want to attend for numerous reasons (Yes feel free to flame me, call me stupid, ungrateful etc. etc. it all may be true and I know I am committing a deadly sin according to most here). I only applied to 6 schools and did not do so until mid-Sept. and with a low MCAT, so I think I have a decent shot of getting accepted somewhere if I apply to 20 schools or so this round.
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Remember to bite off only what you can chew. I know someone in the same boat as you last year, applied 2 years ago, thought he was too cool for D.O. and thought he would boost his MCAT score significantly and get into an M.D. school.

Sadly, he did worse on his MCAT on the second try. Therefore he lost his D.O. acceptance and couldn't get into M.D. and is stuck with doing his masters, contemplating going to the carribean. Remember the MCAT doesn't give grace points for retaking it. You have an equal chance of doing better as you do of doing worse.

That being said, apply early, study hard and Godspeed.
 
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ofoshoukno said:
Remember to bite off only what you can chew. I know someone in the same boat as you last year, applied 2 years ago, thought he was too cool for D.O. and thought he would boost his MCAT score significantly and get into an M.D. school.

Sadly, he did worse on his MCAT on the second try. Therefore he lost his D.O. acceptance and couldn't get into M.D. and is stuck with doing his masters, contemplating going to the carribean. Remember the MCAT doesn't give grace points for retaking it. You have an equal chance of doing better as you do of doing worse.

That being said, apply early, study hard and Godspeed.
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Thanks.

My acceptance is MD.

And I will not be releasing my acceptance unless I have a 37+ in hand (a 10+ point improvement), if I don't get the 37 then I don't release.
 
jgreg,
I doubt the school that you were accepted to will see that you are retaking the MCAT. I don't know if they will be able to see that you reapplied to med school...I doubt they'd be looking, but I'm not sure.

I am a bit confused about why you'd give up the acceptance you have. In general, all the med schools, particularly the MD ones (unless offshore, etc.) are teaching the same stuff and give you a similar shot at getting a residency. Unless you have a really strong reason for not wanting the school you got into (you really felt that you wouldn't thrive there, and/or it's super expensive and definitely a lower tier school) I'd really think hard about what you are doing.

You may be right, however...if you got into a school last year with only 6 interviews and applying late, you may be able to get in again this year, especially with a higher MCAT score. What was your MCAT score/is your MCAT score now?

You also need to think about what you'll say if you get asked in your interviews whether you've applied to med school before. Will you confess that you applied before and then turned down an acceptance? Possible interview pitfalls abound.
 
Not sure about the mechanics of a school finding out if you take the MCAT and/or reapply while holding an acceptance. Probably only someone from that school could answer the question (which no one is going to ask).

Not sure the motivation to reapply. If it's to get into a much cheaper school or somewhere that is a better location, I guess those are realistic reasons. Not sure I'd recommend it, but I guess I could understand it.

If the reason is to get into a "better" school, then I think it's a waste. Admissions are getting tougher each year. With a better MCAT score you'll probably get in somewhere, but there's a chance you won't. A bigger concern for me would just be wasting a year that you could be in school. That's one year closer to getting done and ultimately 1 year of attending's salary.
 
REALLY bad idea, I mean if you have an MD acceptance, why on earth would you waste the money, time, and effort? Is it worth it for a better school? Even if you do hit the 37 marker (which is unlikely b/c those practice tests are not always accurate and going from the 20's to a mid/upper 30's is VERY RARE), it is just not worth it....
 
Thanks for the replies. I scored a 28 last time, to answer your question, but did so while taking BioChem and Genetics and TPR, all at the same time, during the summer, study time was minimal and my MCAT suffered in order to do well in my classes.

In retrospect I should not have even applied last year, I was late, my score was lower than I know it could be, I did not even have enough money to apply broadly or finish all my secondaries...It was a mistake. Some how I got in.

As for the motivation to reapply. Location is some of it, I would consider the school mid tier but I think I (and others) have at least legitamate concerns about the direction of the school (and that does not feel good heading into an expensive four year ordeal), money isn't really a concern here, I also am not crazy about the curriculum, especially the way yrs. 3&4 are set up, and lastly there are schools out there that are a much better fit for me. It has nothing to do with getting into a top 10 ranked school ( I don't think there is but 1 I would apply to) but rather a school with oppurtunities and experience that I know will help me get to where I want to be. Maybe those are bad reasons for turning down an acceptance, it is something I am still thinking about.

Again, I don't forsee me going through with this with out a 37+ and also with out a solid, well defined (much better than I have now) reasoning for turning down the acceptance. I recently quit my job (which was a great EC to put down on my re-app if I go through with it) so now I have tons of free time to study solid for a month. And just see what happens.

My only concern is if I am going to go ahead and do this I need to subbmit AMCAS soon (before MCAT is back) so that I am not applying late again, waiting for it to verify, and Im afraid submitting AMCAS will automatically kick me from my acceptance. So maybe if I called AMCAS they would know? Im sure its not a question any one gets often.
 
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alibai3ah said:
REALLY bad idea, I mean if you have an MD acceptance, why on earth would you waste the money, time, and effort? Is it worth it for a better school? Even if you do hit the 37 marker (which is unlikely b/c those practice tests are not always accurate and going from the 20's to a mid/upper 30's is VERY RARE), it is just not worth it....
Click to expand...


Yes I know most think its a bad idea, thats not what my question was. If I get a 37+ then its a risk I am willing to take, If I don't, then its not and I won't go through with it.

If I get the score I am looking for I would much rather pay an extra $1,000 now to go to a school I am excited about for 4 years (thats $250 a year to go from one of the lowest 10 schools on my list to on of the top 20 schools on my list, beyond worth it).
 
dude it's hard to get a 37.

i think it's stupid to reject an MD offer unless it's too expensive. i would definitely just go.

first time i took mcat i got a 30 using examkrackers without practice tests
second time i got a 37 using kaplan class and their practice tests

it is possible to do well but it depends on your scenario.
if you got a 28 studying very hard i don't think a 37 is possible.
did you get a 28 because you were ill prepared?
 
anxiousteen said:
dude it's hard to get a 37.

i think it's stupid to reject an MD offer unless it's too expensive. i would definitely just go.

first time i took mcat i got a 30 using examkrackers without practice tests
second time i got a 37 using kaplan class and their practice tests

it is possible to do well but it depends on your scenario.
if you got a 28 studying very hard i don't think a 37 is possible.
did you get a 28 because you were ill prepared?
Click to expand...

see post 9. I studied for the MCAT alone for 5 days probably about 8 hours a day ( I sat through TPR for about a month but did not have time to study then). And it was the 5 days leading up to the exam so I was skipping around and spazzing out because there was so much information I knew I was not going to have time to even look at.

If you went from a 28 to a 37+, were going to be attending a school you weren't really crazy about, only completed apps at 6 schools, and in early september, wouldn't you do the same thing? Is it really that crazy?

(AND I KNOW A 37 IS NOT GURANTEED, I KNOW, I JUST WANT TO GIVE MYSELF A CHANCE AND SEE)
 
it really depends. you didn't tell us anything about your stats or school. if you really think you're that great, don't listen to what everyone else says and just retake the mcat and try again.

when i applied, i thought i was great, but didn't get in. i learned my lesson and i'm reapplying with a more humble attitude.
 
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I would call amcas to make sure that your planned MCAT date will not show up on your current AMCAS...if it does Im sure the school will not be too happy.
 
Go ahead and retake the MCAT but don't reapply to AMCAS until July 21st. It will not be late at all. You'd be surprised at how much the schools can find out so wait till you have the score in hand before submitting AMCAS.
 
mkracker has a good point,
would think that late July is still early enough to apply...
OP, you may just want to ask AMCAS, though, and see what they say about the school being able to see if you applied again, if you go through with this.

I echo the sentiments above about the difficulty of raising the MCAT score that much...would think you can pull it above 30, but if only to low 30's then not sure it's going to help your application a ton...and getting into a mid-tier MD school should be sufficient to get you the career you want. I hate to break it to you, but med school probably won't be that fun no matter where you go.
 
JGreg09 said:
I got into a school for 2009 that I really do not want to attend for numerous reasons (Yes feel free to flame me, call me stupid, ungrateful etc. etc. it all may be true and I know I am committing a deadly sin according to most here). I only applied to 6 schools and did not do so until mid-Sept. and with a low MCAT, so I think I have a decent shot of getting accepted somewhere if I apply to 20 schools or so this round.

My plan is this: retake MCAT on June 18 ( I have been scoring 37-41 on practice exams compared to 26-30 last time around). Then submitt my app. on June 19 (to only one school so it can be verified) if I feel comfortable about how I did. Then, come July 21 if I score a 37+ I will turn down my accpetance and add 20 or so schools to my application and go from there, holding my breath.

My questions are this:

If I submitt my AMCAS on June 19 will I be automatically removed from my acceptance? Will I even be able to submitt AMCAS while holding and acceptance or do I have to give that up first? (if thats the case im not doing it, im not that stupid)

Also, would other schools see that I had been accepted in the past even if I do not matriculate?

Also if anyone has ever done this succsefuly before please PM me and let me know.
Click to expand...

I hate to poke to much into privacy. But right now I am trying to find a medical school that might accept me with a lower MCAT score (25). Would you be willing to tell me here or pm which school you got accepted to?
 
Then why did you apply to that school? I don't think that you are going to get much sympathy here. I also think that if you go ahead with your plan, you are going to really handicap yourself greatly.
 
Hey all, i'm looking to get some feedback.
 
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It won't be an issue for getting a license or residency, if you do well the 2nd time around. The obstacle would be getting back in to medical school in the first place. You can apply and see if you can get in, but schools may not take you since you already dropped out once. The fact that you apparently left (rather than being kicked out or failing out officially) might help, but I have heard that it's very hard to get back into med school if you leave.

Again, I don't think you have to worry about getting a license, etc. later. It's getting back into medical school that might be hard. You can try and see what happens. I guess you could not tell/confess that you went to med school before, but I don't know if the schools would find out.
 
Well, Got a 32. I told myself 35 and above I would reapply but now coming down to it a 32 seems decent. If this were my first application I would be pumped with a 32 and think I would have a good shot. So its hard to turn down the chance. On the other hand I realize even more now what big risk it is. But it seems to me if I apply broadly enough with a 32 and additional great EC I am bound to get in somewhere. Plus I have not matriculated yet so I dont have to worry about putting that down on the app....so I don't know...I do know what most of the responses will be however.
 
JGreg09 said:
Well, Got a 32. I told myself 35 and above I would reapply but now coming down to it a 32 seems decent. If this were my first application I would be pumped with a 32 and think I would have a good shot. So its hard to turn down the chance. On the other hand I realize even more now what big risk it is. But it seems to me if I apply broadly enough with a 32 and additional great EC I am bound to get in somewhere. Plus I have not matriculated yet so I dont have to worry about putting that down on the app....so I don't know...I do know what most of the responses will be however.
Click to expand...

wasn't your goal 37, you've fallen quite short.
 
Take the acceptance while you have it!

While I understand you want to aim high, you seem to have your head in the clouds with unrealistic goals. For instance, no one should expect to score a 37+ on the MCAT. A 32 is a good improvement, but you shouldn't take the gamble.

If you reapply, med schools are going to very interested to know what you did with the year after graduation. If you don't have something lined up now, it's going to be really hard to account for the gap year.

There's no guarantee, and I think even with an MCAT increase, an impromptu gap year might actually weaken your application.
 
A bird in the hand is worth two/(twenty in this case) in the bush. Take the acceptance and do well. Schools know who have been accepted and to not take an acceptance will tank you for any future acceptances. Unless you used another person's AAMC number/SSN, you can be easily tracked. Don't be stupid. Medical school is a very short portion of your training for practice. If you were accepted in the United States, you should take that acceptance, do well and do residency at the place you wanted for school. School doesn't matter as much as residency anyway.
 
JGreg09 said:
see post 9. I studied for the MCAT alone for 5 days probably about 8 hours a day ( I sat through TPR for about a month but did not have time to study then). And it was the 5 days leading up to the exam so I was skipping around and spazzing out because there was so much information I knew I was not going to have time to even look at.

If you went from a 28 to a 37+, were going to be attending a school you weren't really crazy about, only completed apps at 6 schools, and in early september, wouldn't you do the same thing? Is it really that crazy?

(AND I KNOW A 37 IS NOT GURANTEED, I KNOW, I JUST WANT TO GIVE MYSELF A CHANCE AND SEE)
Click to expand...

If you want it that badly, then go ahead and do it. What we're trying to tell you is that a 37 is unlikely. Going from a 28 to a 37 is possible, but unlikely. Believe me. Even if you got that 28 while taking all these other courses and you didn't have enough time to study, jumping 9 points in that range is so ridiculous. Possible of course, just not likely. I think it's more likely you'll go from a 28 to a 33 or 34 and then you'll just regret the whole thing anyway.

Oh, I just read your later posts. You got a 32. What a surprise.
 
JGreg09 said:
Well, Got a 32. I told myself 35 and above I would reapply but now coming down to it a 32 seems decent. If this were my first application I would be pumped with a 32 and think I would have a good shot. So its hard to turn down the chance. On the other hand I realize even more now what big risk it is. But it seems to me if I apply broadly enough with a 32 and additional great EC I am bound to get in somewhere. Plus I have not matriculated yet so I dont have to worry about putting that down on the app....so I don't know...I do know what most of the responses will be however.
Click to expand...

Seriously I can't believe you're still considering reapplying. I've never seen a dumber post. A 32 isn't that great, especially around this time in the cycle you're just going to look like everyone else.

Use your experience with the MCAT as a lesson. Your "realistic" expectation was that you could hit a 37 going from a 28. Stop being victim to your own poor planning and expectations.
 
JGreg09 said:
Well, Got a 32. I told myself 35 and above I would reapply but now coming down to it a 32 seems decent. If this were my first application I would be pumped with a 32 and think I would have a good shot. So its hard to turn down the chance. On the other hand I realize even more now what big risk it is. But it seems to me if I apply broadly enough with a 32 and additional great EC I am bound to get in somewhere. Plus I have not matriculated yet so I dont have to worry about putting that down on the app....so I don't know...I do know what most of the responses will be however.
Click to expand...

First you had the reapply cutoff at 37, then you lowered it to 35, and now 32? I hope you realized that it's not that easy getting a 37+.

Based on your 1-deviation-off prediction of your MCAT score, it would seem that you have a knack for overestimating your abilities. It calls to concern your judgment. What if you became a surgeon and did the same thing?
 
womp said:
First you had the reapply cutoff at 37, then you lowered it to 35, and now 32? I hope you realized that it's not that easy getting a 37+.

Based on your 1-deviation-off prediction of your MCAT score, it would seem that you have a knack for overestimating your abilities. It calls to concern your judgment. What if you became a surgeon and did the same thing?
Click to expand...

What if he became a doctor and did the same thing? I don't understand how some of these people become doctors at all.
 
wait, u were scoring between a 37-41 on practice and got a 32 on the real test?
 
I DONT UNDERSTAND!!!!!!!!!!!!

and btw, I have a 32 with a 3.9, and I am sweating over here with 25 schools and hoping I get in, are you kidding? GO to medical school. :wtf:
 
Be smart and take the acceptance. Also, here's another way of looking at the siutation (which was ultimately my reason for taking one of my acceptances a year ago; my hesitancy boiled down to the high price tag of the schools I was accepted to). If you wait and reapply and by some chance do get accepted elsewhere, you're going to be throwing away a year's salary as a physician. Depending on what you specialize in and where you go to school, that amount of money could be more than enough to pay back your educational debt.
 
extremely foolish.
There are tons of people with 32 MCATS who don't get an acceptance anywhere. You lucked out that you got one before with your high 20's MCAT. You should be kissing the ground of that school even if it was not your first choice. You are damn lucky...there are hundreds of people who would kill to be in your shoes.

njb is correct, also. If I were on an adcom, I don't think I'd take an applicant who had a previous MD acceptance and turned it down, unless there was some extreme reason. "I didn't really like this particular med school that much!" isn't a good enough reason. You want to be a doctor or you don't. Med school is likely to be painful wherever you go...I hate to break it to you. Whatever you want to do in medicine, attending one particular US MD school vs. another isn't going to determine whether you can do it...could make it a bit easier vs. harder, but won't be the determining factor.
 
Originally Posted by JGreg09
I am considering applying to Mayo but had a couple of questions I was hoping some on this board could answer:

1) I have no significant research experience, how much will this hurt my chances at mayo? (I feel I do have stellar clinical experience and working with patient stuff hopefuly to balance that out?)

2) I see a lot of you have had your apps in a while. I am submitting my AMCAS today. Is it too late for Mayo?

Thanks
 
There are tons of people with 32 MCATS who don't get an acceptance anywhere.
Click to expand...

the avg MD acceptance is around a 30...
 
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