Regional bias for secondaries or just coincidence?

[It’s Over!!!]

Hi everyone! First post so forgive me if this has been asked.

3.99 from a top midwest undergrad. 522 MCAT. Northeast resident. Primary app submitted two weeks after opening because undergrad on quarter system and waited for updated transcript. I applied to 32 schools, including most of top 20-25 as well as local schools where I live and where I went to undergrad.

I received secondaries from all of my schools except for southern and west coast schools. I am still waiting for Stanford, UCSF, Vanderbilt, Emory, and Washington (I know a long shot as OOS). Also, only just received UCLA and UNC.

So my question is do you think I am being viewed as a northeast/midwest realistic only applicant and there is regional bias going on? Or is it just a coincidence that except for Duke, all of my outstanding secondaries and the last two I received are from southern and west coast schools.

Thanks so much!

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[Labe]

Hi everyone! First post so forgive me if this has been asked.

3.99 from a top midwest undergrad. 522 MCAT. Northeast resident. Primary app submitted two weeks after opening because undergrad on quarter system and waited for updated transcript.

I received secondaries from all of my schools except for southern and west coast schools. I am still waiting for Stanford, UCSF, Vanderbilt, Emory, and Washington (I know a long shot as OOS). Also, only just received UCLA and UNC.

So my question is do you think I am being viewed as a northeast/midwest realistic only applicant and there is regional bias going on? Or is it just a coincidence that except for Duke, all of my outstanding secondaries and the last two I received are from southern and west coast schools. I applied to 32 schools, including most of top 20ish as well as local schools where I live and where I went to undergrad.

Thanks so much!

Check the threads on here, Vanderbilt has released secondaries to almost nobody (started trickling them out to mainly MSTP applicants starting just yesterday afternoon). Emory and Stanford have not sent any whatsoever to anybody. UCSF is slow and trickles them out and same for UCLA since they both screen. You're doing just fine, no need to worry. Most schools don't screen so you will get their secondaries.

 

[It’s Over!!!]

Check the threads on here, Vanderbilt has released secondaries to almost nobody (started trickling them out to mainly MSTP applicants starting just yesterday afternoon). Emory and Stanford have not sent any whatsoever to anybody. UCSF is slow and trickles them out and same for UCLA since they both screen. You're doing just fine, no need to worry. Most schools don't screen so you will get their secondaries.

Thank you!

 

[gyngyn]

AMP is a mess this year. That should explain 90% of it.

 

[It’s Over!!!]

AMP is a mess this year. That should explain 90% of it.

Thank you!

 

[Mr.Smile12]

AMP is a mess this year. That should explain 90% of it.

Software updates...?

 

[gyngyn]

Software updates...?

They are no longer young, nimble and hungry.
Now it's bloated, over-complicated and complacent.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

They are no longer young, nimble and hungry.
Now it's bloated, over-complicated and complacent.

Let's see what happens with the ERAS/Thalamus project...

 

[kath00]

AMP is a mess this year. That should explain 90% of it.

What is AMP?

Also, I wonder if the same is true for CA applicants. They look at my app and say nah, this kid is staying in Cali or the West Coast and is not likely to move across the country to come to Boston/RI/NY etc... and then pass on your app for maybe a higher yield person from the East?

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Application Management Program (just to describe what we mean): it's the program many (but not all) medical schools use to manage applications, schedule interviews, and organize decision notes and communications.

Many of the websites are branded as "iapply."

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I wonder if the same is true for CA applicants. They look at my app and say nah, this kid is staying in Cali or the West Coast and is not likely to move across the country to come to Boston/RI/NY etc... and then pass on your app for maybe a higher yield person from the East?

Not for California applicants. Admissions teams know they are an applicant exporter.

But mission fit is important, and if a public school is constrained with the number of OOS seats and interviews they need to give out, then what you say does happen. Probably not for the private schools, but you need to remember the clinic preceptors need to know their students can connect with their patients, and coming from similar communities and regions helps.

Mission fit, mission fit, mission fit.

 

[It’s Over!!!]

Update: Vanderbilt received.

 

[It’s Over!!!]

Update: Stanford received today.