Record numbers of people applying

[civilleader]

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Does this mean that those of us with lower stats should just start working on back-ups. It seems like school that were within reach are going to be elusive because of the massive load of people currently applying. I mean some like NYMC are getting 14,000 apps or Einstein with 10,000 apps, which is far more than last year. I think the multiple MCAT deal has allowed people with bad scores to retake quicker and made the process far harder than ever before.

Any thoughts about this?

 

[Phoenix.]

All of the schools I've been at have been wide eyed and in shock when they talk about how applications are up 30-50% from this time last year. They seem a little freaked out, and not quite sure why this is happening, or what it means. For the most part, they seemed upset that they're not able to offer invites to all of the students that they'd like to, but they just feel overwhelmed. They also generally stress how lucky those applicants are that turned their apps in really early this year.

I do believe it's because the MCAT is offered 22 times a year now, and score reporting is only one month. I'm guessing, but I'd like to think that applications have not increased that much from last year (they've definitely gone up, but not 50%), but it's simply that there aren't so many people taking the August MCAT and having to wait so long for their scores, so they applied earlier. So, that skewed the numbers, with more apps getting in earlier than last year. At least, that's my theory. Other thoughts?

 

[postbacker]

All of the schools I've been at have been wide eyed and in shock when they talk about how applications are up 30-50% from this time last year. They seem a little freaked out, and not quite sure why this is happening, or what it means. For the most part, they seemed upset that they're not able to offer invites to all of the students that they'd like to, but they just feel overwhelmed. They also generally stress how lucky those applicants are that turned their apps in really early this year.

I do believe it's because the MCAT is offered 22 times a year now, and score reporting is only one month. I'm guessing, but I'd like to think that applications have not increased that much from last year (they've definitely gone up, but not 50%), but it's simply that there aren't so many people taking the August MCAT and having to wait so long for their scores, so they applied earlier. So, that skewed the numbers, with more apps getting in earlier than last year. At least, that's my theory. Other thoughts?

It may be that the total number of applicants to med school is up only slightly (or maybe even static) but the average number of schools applied to has gone up considerably...Mid tier privates that do not have a huge in-state preference would seem to benefit most from this trend, so maybe that is what you are seeing and hearing (where have you interviewed that the folks are "freaked out" by the increases?)...

 

[bullishMD]

All of the schools I've been at have been wide eyed and in shock when they talk about how applications are up 30-50% from this time last year. They seem a little freaked out, and not quite sure why this is happening, or what it means. For the most part, they seemed upset that they're not able to offer invites to all of the students that they'd like to, but they just feel overwhelmed. They also generally stress how lucky those applicants are that turned their apps in really early this year.

I do believe it's because the MCAT is offered 22 times a year now, and score reporting is only one month. I'm guessing, but I'd like to think that applications have not increased that much from last year (they've definitely gone up, but not 50%), but it's simply that there aren't so many people taking the August MCAT and having to wait so long for their scores, so they applied earlier. So, that skewed the numbers, with more apps getting in earlier than last year. At least, that's my theory. Other thoughts?

this is exactly what i think...it has to be the reason

however as you look at it that it was an advantage to apply really early... i agree but..not as big of an advantage to apply early as it has been in past years. unfortunate because i have been complete everywhere since end of july/1st week of august and have only gotten 2 interviews

 

[Adradr]

All of the schools I've been at have been wide eyed and in shock when they talk about how applications are up 30-50% from this time last year. They seem a little freaked out, and not quite sure why this is happening, or what it means. For the most part, they seemed upset that they're not able to offer invites to all of the students that they'd like to, but they just feel overwhelmed. They also generally stress how lucky those applicants are that turned their apps in really early this year.

I do believe it's because the MCAT is offered 22 times a year now, and score reporting is only one month. I'm guessing, but I'd like to think that applications have not increased that much from last year (they've definitely gone up, but not 50%), but it's simply that there aren't so many people taking the August MCAT and having to wait so long for their scores, so they applied earlier. So, that skewed the numbers, with more apps getting in earlier than last year. At least, that's my theory. Other thoughts?

Does anyone know if there's been a commensurate increase in the number of interview slots granted, with the cut coming post-interview, or if getting an interview is simply more competitive now?

I'm guessing that it's the latter, but I would hate to think that I am fighting with 10-15 other applicants for the same seat at each interview! 😱

 

[2008orbust]

Agree to above. IT is just that people have discovered SDN and have learned that you need to apply broadly the first time. You've seen the MDapps with 30 schools on them.

Here is how it should play out. There should be MUCH more waitlist movement. The trickle down effect after May 15th will last all summer and there will be lot more people getting in in the 11th hour.

 

[civilleader]

Agree to above. IT is just that people have discovered SDN and have learned that you need to apply broadly the first time. You've seen the MDapps with 30 schools on them.

Here is how it should play out. There should be MUCH more waitlist movement. The trickle down effect after May 15th will last all summer and there will be lot more people getting in in the 11th hour.

Thats good news...but doyou think that there will be way less interviews offered?

 

[postbacker]

Thats good news...but doyou think that there will be way less interviews offered?

Well, this should be an ascertainable fact...someone has posted that Tulane has cut down on interview numbers...and I think I read that Pitt cut down, too...but in general, I don't think it necessarily follows that "more apps = fewer interview slots" but it may very well trickle down to fewer interview invites for any one person...

Apply EARLY and BROADLY - this cannot be overstated...

 

[Adradr]

Agree to above. IT is just that people have discovered SDN and have learned that you need to apply broadly the first time. You've seen the MDapps with 30 schools on them.

There is NOTHING wrong with applying to 30+ schools 😳...especially when SDN makes you so paranoid! (Or perhaps just realistic.)

Here is how it should play out. There should be MUCH more waitlist movement. The trickle down effect after May 15th will last all summer and there will be lot more people getting in in the 11th hour.

This sounds appealing until you realize it's based on a higher percentage of applicants holding multiple acceptances and everyone else stressing out until said 11th hour.... But I think you're right.

 

[Phoenix.]

It may be that the total number of applicants to med school is up only slightly (or maybe even static) but the average number of schools applied to has gone up considerably...Mid tier privates that do not have a huge in-state preference would seem to benefit most from this trend, so maybe that is what you are seeing and hearing (where have you interviewed that the folks are "freaked out" by the increases?)...

That could be part of it. I remember in my last two interviews, which were both "mid tier privates" that they were shocked by the increase. But I definitely recall hearing it at one or two more schools I've interviewed at. Just can't recall which.

Had anyone heard this kind of "shock" from "top tier" or state schools that they've interviewed at? Maybe it is a "mid tier private" phenomenon, compounded by the early MCAT situation.

 

[2008orbust]

Thats good news...but doyou think that there will be way less interviews offered?

Schools might find themselves in a sticky situation this year. IF the great applicants have applied to a ton of schools and taken up all of the interview slots (at their safety schools), schools may have so many people declining acceptances that the waitlist pool will not be big enough. I suspect there may be more late winter/spring interviews this year than normal. IF schools are smart, they will be putting more people on hold, too many rejections and schools may find themselves in a very new situation of not enought butts for the seats.

Of course this is all guess work, but the numbers can't pan out in a traditional way this year.

 

[postbacker]

Schools might find themselves in a sticky situation this year. IF the great applicants have applied to a ton of schools and taken up all of the interview slots (at their safety schools), schools may have so many people declining acceptances that the waitlist pool will not be big enough. I suspect there may be more late winter/spring interviews this year than normal. IF schools are smart, they will be putting more people on hold, too many rejections and schools may find themselves in a very new situation of not enought butts for the seats.

Of course this is all guess work, but the numbers can't pan out in a traditional way this year.

Yes, it is all "guess work" but I think you are on to something here...

 

[ocddoc]

I agree with the above posters regarding people applying early. I also wonder if rumors of another economic depression are stimulating more people to consider a career in medicine. I heard somewhere that when the economy takes a downturn, medical school applications start to increase. Alan Greenspan is predicting in 10 years the dollar will have 50% of it's current purchasing power. While medicine may not be as profitable as it has been in the past, people will always need medical care and doctor's will always have a job.

 

[st0w]

It seems to me like there are several different phenomena that are contributing to the change in numbers this year.

* An increase in the overall number of applicants
* Quicker MCAT score release, and more options to take the test
* Many people applying more broadly - so an increase in the average number of applications per applicant
* Many people applying earlier, so the numbers seem MUCH higher now than they will when the dust settles

The net result of this seems to be that schools are overloaded. I definitely agree with the above that an increase in the number of late acceptances, more waitlist movement and an increase in the duration of the interview season are all likely events to happen.

Keep in mind that there will probably be a small increase in the number of matriculants (~2% maybe?) due to increased class size, and there will probably also be an increase in the number of applicants (~5%?). The net result will still be the same number of people being accepted, but the numbers will be more frightening since each school's acceptance rates will decline due to significantly increased "per-school" numbers.

So at this point, I think it just SEEMS a lot more scary than it will be in the end. And we'll probably all be waiting a lot longer to find out our ultimate fates. 👎

 

[LovelyMD]

That could be part of it. I remember in my last two interviews, which were both "mid tier privates" that they were shocked by the increase. But I definitely recall hearing it at one or two more schools I've interviewed at. Just can't recall which.

Had anyone heard this kind of "shock" from "top tier" or state schools that they've interviewed at? Maybe it is a "mid tier private" phenomenon, compounded by the early MCAT situation.

Michigan's website posted a 40% increase in applicants during early to mid september compared to the same time last year, but as of Monday, this was changed to a 20% increase... so I suspect that more people were applying earlier to Michigan, which made the early September numbers seem inflated.

 

[KeyzerSoze]

I agree with the above posters regarding people applying early. I also wonder if rumors of another economic depression are stimulating more people to consider a career in medicine. I heard somewhere that when the economy takes a downturn, medical school applications start to increase. Alan Greenspan is predicting in 10 years the dollar will have 50% of it's current purchasing power. While medicine may not be as profitable as it has been in the past, people will always need medical care and doctor's will always have a job.

I seem to recall seeing the opposite trend. Wasn't there a study which correlated economic downturns with fewer applicants, because people don't have the luxury of spending so much time in school?

 

[postbacker]

It seems to me like there are several different phenomena that are contributing to the change in numbers this year.

* An increase in the overall number of applicants
* Quicker MCAT score release, and more options to take the test
* Many people applying more broadly - so an increase in the average number of applications per applicant
* Many people applying earlier, so the numbers seem MUCH higher now than they will when the dust settles

The net result of this seems to be that schools are overloaded. I definitely agree with the above that an increase in the number of late acceptances, more waitlist movement and an increase in the duration of the interview season are all likely events to happen.

Keep in mind that there will probably be a small increase in the number of matriculants (~2% maybe?) due to increased class size, and there will probably also be an increase in the number of applicants (~5%?). The net result will still be the same number of people being accepted, but the numbers will be more frightening since each school's acceptance rates will decline due to significantly increased "per-school" numbers.

So at this point, I think it just SEEMS a lot more scary than it will be in the end. And we'll probably all be waiting a lot longer to find out our ultimate fates. 👎

I wonder about the reported "acceptance rates" - is there any standard for reporting these? Is it the number accepted divided by the number of applicants? Because lots of schools report that they only get back, say 60 percent of the number of secondary invites sent out (Pritzker comes to mind here), so when they report their "acceptance rate" is the denominator the number of primaries received (huge number), or is it the number of secondaries offered (also a big #), or is it only the secondaries actually returned (a smaller #)?

And for that matter, is the numerator the number of acceptances offered, or simply the lower number of actual matriculants? Monkey around with these stats enough and you can produce some frighteningly low numbers...

I don't really pay much attention to acceptance rates for individual schools...

 

[bashini]

It seems to me like there are several different phenomena that are contributing to the change in numbers this year.

* An increase in the overall number of applicants
* Quicker MCAT score release, and more options to take the test
* Many people applying more broadly - so an increase in the average number of applications per applicant
* Many people applying earlier, so the numbers seem MUCH higher now than they will when the dust settles

The net result of this seems to be that schools are overloaded. I definitely agree with the above that an increase in the number of late acceptances, more waitlist movement and an increase in the duration of the interview season are all likely events to happen.

Keep in mind that there will probably be a small increase in the number of matriculants (~2% maybe?) due to increased class size, and there will probably also be an increase in the number of applicants (~5%?). The net result will still be the same number of people being accepted, but the numbers will be more frightening since each school's acceptance rates will decline due to significantly increased "per-school" numbers.

So at this point, I think it just SEEMS a lot more scary than it will be in the end. And we'll probably all be waiting a lot longer to find out our ultimate fates. 👎

Does this mean I won't hear anything from my 5 schools around OCT 15th? That sucks. I would hate to have to live through this ordeal for the entire school year. Everyone is looking forward to the week of oct 15th but what if most of us get waitlisted because schools want to see if they can get better applicants later on in the cycle, and also to make sure that they have ppl on waitlist...kind of scary

 

[postbacker]

I seem to recall seeing the opposite trend. Wasn't there a study which correlated economic downturns with fewer applicants, because people don't have the luxury of spending so much time in school?

Actually I think it is the other way around...applications to professional schools (law, medicine, MBA) go up during downturns...

 

[Phoenix.]

Does this mean I won't hear anything from my 5 schools around OCT 15th? That sucks. I would hate to have to live through this ordeal for the entire school year. Everyone is looking forward to the week of oct 15th but what if most of us get waitlisted because schools want to see if they can get better applicants later on in the cycle, and also to make sure that they have ppl on waitlist...kind of scary

Personally, I think that if a school liked your app enough to invite you for an early interview, and your interview went well, that you have the same chance of getting an "early" acceptance this year as you would have last year. But that's just my guess.

 

[Phoenix.]

However, in past years an applicant that may not have received an invite in the first round had a decent chance of getting one later on a second or third review. I'm worried that if the number of applicants really has gone up dramatically, that if you were passed over initially, they may never get back to reviewing your app again. That's why I've been thinking that anywhere I haven't heard back from yet is a lost cause. I really hope you guys are right that this isn't the case.

 

[postbacker]

Does this mean I won't hear anything from my 5 schools around OCT 15th? That sucks. I would hate to have to live through this ordeal for the entire school year. Everyone is looking forward to the week of oct 15th but what if most of us get waitlisted because schools want to see if they can get better applicants later on in the cycle, and also to make sure that they have ppl on waitlist...kind of scary

Well, a waitlist (purgatory?) of some sort beats the hell out of an outright rejection...Oct 15 is not going to be the "end" of the cycle for the vast majority (say 95 percent) of applicants (even though we will undoubtedly read of "success" stories on SDN, I believe those numbers get skewed by the population here...).

 

[namsoon]

Schools might find themselves in a sticky situation this year. IF the great applicants have applied to a ton of schools and taken up all of the interview slots (at their safety schools), schools may have so many people declining acceptances that the waitlist pool will not be big enough. I suspect there may be more late winter/spring interviews this year than normal. IF schools are smart, they will be putting more people on hold, too many rejections and schools may find themselves in a very new situation of not enought butts for the seats.

Of course this is all guess work, but the numbers can't pan out in a traditional way this year.

Is this something that can really be done this year? I mean, with a machine this huge, it seems to me like it would take some time for the change to be implemented. Maybe not...I guess it isn't that difficult to tell interviewers to stick around an extra week or two. I guess the first step is realizing the problem. Which brings me to my next question, do you think the schools have realized this problem yet? 🙄

 

[st0w]

I wonder about the reported "acceptance rates" - is there any standard for reporting these? Is it the number accepted divided by the number of applicants? Because lots of schools report that they only get back, say 60 percent of the number of secondary invites sent out (Pritzker comes to mind here), so when they report their "acceptance rate" is the denominator the number of primaries received (huge number), or is it the number of secondaries offered (also a big #), or is it only the secondaries actually returned (a smaller #)?

And for that matter, is the numerator the number of acceptances offered, or simply the lower number of actual matriculants? Monkey around with these stats enough and you can produce some frighteningly low numbers...

Yeah... :\ I wish there were more standardization. I believe that the number accepted really is the number of applicants who were, whether initially or off the waitlist, offered admission to the school. Otherwise, the number wouldn't really make much sense. Number of matriculants, of course, would be the number that actually went to school there. Most schools clearly differentiate between the two. Whether or not they provide both is another story.

I have read somewhere (and nope, I don't have a reference - sorry) that schools list the number of applicants as the number who applied via the AMCAS application. This is often drastically different from the number who completed the secondary. I believe it was Georgetown, I recall, which differentiates between ~8k primary applicants, and ~6k secondaries received. It would seem to benefit the school more to list total number of primary applicants, since the resulting acceptance rate is lower and the school appears more selective. Selectivity plays into rankings, so the more selective the school is, the higher it is ranked and, ostensibly, the higher the caliber of students who subsequently apply. But you are correct that there is no standard for calculating this number, so it's definitely unclear if not misleading.

However, in past years an applicant that may not have received an invite in the first round had a decent chance of getting one later on a second or third review. I'm worried that if the number of applicants really has gone up dramatically, that if you were passed over initially, they may never get back to reviewing your app again. That's why I've been thinking that anywhere I haven't heard back from yet is a lost cause. I really hope you guys are right that this isn't the case.

I too am scared about this. One would hope that upon a re-review of the application that more invites would be offered, but if the schools never get to that re-review before the class is full then who knows. But if the total applicant pool isn't significantly bigger, then it would seem to me that a lot more spots will open when people with more acceptance offers than they would have had last year start to release those spots.

Long story short - if at all possible, be nice to everybody and don't hold multiple acceptance offers throughout the season if you're lucky enough to have them!! But since financial aid isn't offered until early Spring, that makes it hard to decide.

 

[Karen12345]

I like how you think. For some reason, I find hope in your comment.

edit: Well, I guess the said "hope" should only be felt by those who can apply to many schools (not me).

Schools might find themselves in a sticky situation this year. IF the great applicants have applied to a ton of schools and taken up all of the interview slots (at their safety schools), schools may have so many people declining acceptances that the waitlist pool will not be big enough. I suspect there may be more late winter/spring interviews this year than normal. IF schools are smart, they will be putting more people on hold, too many rejections and schools may find themselves in a very new situation of not enought butts for the seats.

Of course this is all guess work, but the numbers can't pan out in a traditional way this year.

 

[ChimpanzeeMinky]

Long story short - if at all possible, be nice to everybody and don't hold multiple acceptance offers throughout the season if you're lucky enough to have them!! But since financial aid isn't offered until early Spring, that makes it hard to decide.

I'm really curious about this. Since most schools seem to require a response to their offer of admission within two weeks, and given that acceptances could come at varied times, how is it even possible to hold multiple acceptance offers throughout the season? Once you accept one, aren't you obligated to turn down others? Or are people actually sending deposits to multiple institutions? And if the later, isn't that B A D?

 

[2008orbust]

I'm really curious about this. Since most schools seem to require a response to their offer of admission within two weeks, and given that acceptances could come at varied times, how is it even possible to hold multiple acceptance offers throughout the season? Once you accept one, aren't you obligated to turn down others? Or are people actually sending deposits to multiple institutions? And if the later, isn't that B A D?

You can collect as many as you want until May 15th and still get a refund.





Thanks Karen1235🙂

 

[blurry]

Does anyone know if there's been a commensurate increase in the number of interview slots granted, with the cut coming post-interview, or if getting an interview is simply more competitive now?

At my interview, the school told us that in spite of the dramatic increase in the number of applications, there will not be an increase in the number interviews granted this year. I guess it is slowly getting tougher to get an interview. 🙁

 

[2008orbust]

At my interview, the school told us that in spite of the dramatic increase in the number of applications, there will not be an increase in the number interviews granted this year. I guess it is slowly getting tougher to get an interview. 🙁

I know schools are saying that, but, here is how the numbers may work.
Say a low/mid teir school only interviews 400 people. Now say 350 people with amazing top notch stats apply to that school as a safety and they all get interviews. (follow me here) Now these 350 all get aceepted, but later turn them down for a top tier school. That low tier school is now stuck and has no choice but to go back and interview more. With really awesome applicants sending apps to more and more safety schools, the system will have to adjust.

 

[Funky]

I know schools are saying that, but, here is how the numbers may work.
Say a low/mid teir school only interviews 400 people. Now say 350 people with amazing top notch stats apply to that school as a safety and they all get interviews. (follow me here) Now these 350 all get aceepted, but later turn them down for a top tier school. That low tier school is now stuck and has no choice but to go back and interview more. With really awesome applicants sending apps to more and more safety schools, the system will have to adjust.

maybe this is the reason why i dont have an interview yet 🙄

 

[Phoenix.]

I know schools are saying that, but, here is how the numbers may work.
Say a low/mid teir school only interviews 400 people. Now say 350 people with amazing top notch stats apply to that school as a safety and they all get interviews. (follow me here) Now these 350 all get aceepted, but later turn them down for a top tier school. That low tier school is now stuck and has no choice but to go back and interview more. With really awesome applicants sending apps to more and more safety schools, the system will have to adjust.

That's why some low to mid tier schools don't bother interviewing applicants if their stats are truly stellar. Then you see those applicants on SDN ticked off that they didn't get an interview at one of their safeties. I think it's just the nature of the beast, and that med schools have to take into consideration whether they really think that you'll end up at their school. While some schools do this already, perhaps more will be doing it next year (if in fact, that's what's accounting for the increase in numbers).

 

[TheRealMD]

Last year you had to wait 2 months before you got your score instead of one month now. I'd expect apps to taper off faster though compared to years previous. Your app really should have been submitted a long time ago anyway.

 

[civilleader]

unfortunately, those of us complete only in September are pretty screwed because things will take forever! Stupid committee letter really really delayed me.

What I am getting is that the hold is going to be more important, and there will be more waitlist movement.

After one hold and one rejection, I am not looking forward to the upcoming decisions.

It seems like the underdogs such as myself should really have been the first to apply because later on, its going to be far far worse.

But does anyone know why people are applying to more schools? I can't see how that has anything to do with the MCAT.

 

[st0w]

But does anyone know why people are applying to more schools? I can't see how that has anything to do with the MCAT.

None of us can conclusively say that people are, in fact, applying to more schools. It's all just conjecture based on some specific reports of a large increase in applications coupled with the assumption that there is not a concomitant increase in applicants.

It could also be that we're all applying to the same schools, or that there really is a drastically unexpected surge in applicants this year. Sadly, we won't know for sure for at least another year. 2007 application stats aren't even out yet.

 

[postbacker]

None of us can conclusively say that people are, in fact, applying to more schools. It's all just conjecture based on some specific reports of a large increase in applications coupled with the assumption that there is not a concomitant increase in applicants.

It could also be that we're all applying to the same schools, or that there really is a drastically unexpected surge in applicants this year. Sadly, we won't know for sure for at least another year. 2007 application stats aren't even out yet.

This has a lot to do with it...we could easily name the handful of mid-tierish private schools that have minimal in-state preferences and it seems that everyone applies to: Georgetown, GW, BU, Tulane, Miami, NYMC, Wake, Tufts...there aren't that many of them if you come to think of it...these are the schools that get flooded with primaries...and people get very frustrated when they get pre interview "rejections" from schools that seem to most closely line up with their own stats...probably half the people applying to med school don't even have these concerns (and aren't on SDN) because they have a minimal to moderately competitive state school system and they don't even bother applying to all of these other schools...

I am at least a year away from applying, and I am almost certain I will NOT be applying to Wake, BU, Tufts, and GW based on things I have read about them, in particular the numbers games they play...I am focusing on my state schools, and then I will shoot primaries out to some schools that interest me the most...

 

[M.Furfur]

I think this will mean that most schools will accept september scores next year and also that the ability of repeating the MCAT 3 times in the same summer will lead to 2 things: Higher MCAT averages for acceptance or maybe AAMC limiting the number of MCAT that we can take (which is unlikely since it makes them so much money).
So for next year the thing to do to have a reasonable chance to get accepted.
1-Write MCAT in april and try to get over 32
2- Submit your application the first day applications can be submitted
3- Make sure all your secondaries are submitted the same day you receive them!

I was verified on the 18th of July, Finished all my secondaries by the first week of August, 28 MCAT and all I got is 1 interview and 5 freaking holds!!!!!

 

[civilleader]

I think this will mean that most schools will accept september scores next year and also that the ability of repeating the MCAT 3 times in the same summer will lead to 2 things: Higher MCAT averages for acceptance or maybe AAMC limiting the number of MCAT that we can take (which is unlikely since it makes them so much money).
So for next year the thing to do to have a reasonable chance to get accepted.
1-Write MCAT in april and try to get over 32
2- Submit your application the first day applications can be submitted
3- Make sure all your secondaries are submitted the same day you receive them!

I was verified on the 18th of July, Finished all my secondaries by the first week of August, 28 MCAT and all I got is 1 interview and 5 freaking holds!!!!!

Hey you have an interview...stop complaining!

Some of those private schools are great for those of who have only one super competative state school (in my case University of Colorado) which has really really high stats.

 

[mordounhas]

It's quite possible that there will be more applicants in this year only, for the following reason: If those who took the MCAT last August waited until this year to apply, they'll add to the pool. While that would normally be offset by the number of students who would take the test in August and hold off until the next year, if many of those students are applying this year because of the shorter waiting time (or taking June/July MCATs and applying), there will be a surge this year only. It'd be impossible to guess the size of the increase, but if there is an upswing in apps this year, that might be part of the reason.

 

[2008orbust]

That's why some low to mid tier schools don't bother interviewing applicants if their stats are truly stellar. Then you see those applicants on SDN ticked off that they didn't get an interview at one of their safeties. I think it's just the nature of the beast, and that med schools have to take into consideration whether they really think that you'll end up at their school. While some schools do this already, perhaps more will be doing it next year (if in fact, that's what's accounting for the increase in numbers).

Although schools couldn't foresee this increase. I think schools that turned down EDPers with decent stats might have shot themselves in the foot. Playing musical chairs at the very end of the season will only cost them more time/money when they could have had a sure thing in SEPTEMBER with the EDPers who really wanted that school. Just an extra 2 cents here.

 

[postbacker]

Although schools couldn't foresee this increase. I think schools that turned down EDPers with decent stats might have shot themselves in the foot. Playing musical chairs at the very end of the season will only cost them more time/money when they could have had a sure thing in SEPTEMBER with the EDPers who really wanted that school. Just an extra 2 cents here.

Very few people go the EDP route IIRC the MSAR stats...it seems like a "bad deal" to me because it screws up your timing of primaries and secondaries with other schools if you get rejected...EDP would have to resolve by mid summer to interest me...I don't think any of the schools I am interested in offer it anyway...

 

[osli]

Alan Greenspan is predicting in 10 years the dollar will have 50% of it's current purchasing power. While medicine may not be as profitable as it has been in the past, people will always need medical care and doctor's will always have a job.

I really hope so. I could use a healthy dose of inflation during the years I'm in residency. So long as physician salaries stay relatively steady when accounting for inflation, then this huge debt I'm racking up going to med schools shrinks. I'd love for the dollar to have a quarter of the value and physicians to have four times the salary. Paying back loans under those terms (with most if not all of those loan dollars having fixed interest rates) would be a breeze.

 

[bashini]

That's why some low to mid tier schools don't bother interviewing applicants if their stats are truly stellar. Then you see those applicants on SDN ticked off that they didn't get an interview at one of their safeties. I think it's just the nature of the beast, and that med schools have to take into consideration whether they really think that you'll end up at their school. While some schools do this already, perhaps more will be doing it next year (if in fact, that's what's accounting for the increase in numbers).

HAHA I got rejected by Tulane....I have a 30 MCAT. Don;t think i'm one of them stellar applicants.

 

[abcxyz0123]

I really hope so. I could use a healthy dose of inflation during the years I'm in residency. So long as physician salaries stay relatively steady when accounting for inflation, then this huge debt I'm racking up going to med schools shrinks. I'd love for the dollar to have a quarter of the value and physicians to have four times the salary. Paying back loans under those terms (with most if not all of those loan dollars having fixed interest rates) would be a breeze.

physicians salaries have never stayed steady when accounting for inflation, so inflation would suck.

 

[mordounhas]

Watching the dollar go to the crapper isn't exactly my idea of a fun time. On the other hand, it means the American tourism industry is going to get a big boost (yay?)

 

[Law2Doc]

physicians salaries have never stayed steady when accounting for inflation, so inflation would suck.

Agreed. Physician salaries have not been keeping pace with inflation for more than a decade.

 

[2008orbust]

Very few people go the EDP route IIRC the MSAR stats...it seems like a "bad deal" to me because it screws up your timing of primaries and secondaries with other schools if you get rejected...EDP would have to resolve by mid summer to interest me...I don't think any of the schools I am interested in offer it anyway...

I do realize that EDP is a longshot and also kind of rare these days. I was just saying that because of this last minute scramble that may occur next summer, schools that did turn down some EDPers may wish they would have accepted them in September. And yes, I do personally know someone who was EDP (this year) with a pretty nice app that was well suited to a school and was not picked up by ED.

Who knows how this all is going to pan out. 😕

 

[ruggerboy123]

Well, as mommy and daddy always say...

There's always next year.

 

[2008orbust]

Lizzy, please set us straight. How does the influx at individual schools change things for the average applicant?

 

[Blondnuttyboy]

wow what a disheartening thread...I applied to so many "mid-tier" safeties and I was complete at most mid-late Sept...in other words, I applied to all those 10k+ applicant schools way too late.

Ugh...I keep telling myself I'm interesting and unique.

 

[Old Grunt]

HAHA I got rejected by Tulane....I have a 30 MCAT. Don;t think i'm one of them stellar applicants.

I know plenty of people who have interviewed and gotten into Tulane with a sub-30 MCAT.

I wouldn't take their rejection personally or as a statement on your candidacy.

The process is so competitive, especially at Tulane which doesn't screen secondaries, that they can pick and choose who they want based on a multitude of factors that might not matter somewhere else.