Rejected from alma-mater pre-secondary?

[hoqhuuep]

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I searched for a similar thread but couldn't find one...

Just wondering what you guys thought about being rejected from your alma mater, even before the secondary application stage. In the two years I applied there, I got rejected flat out. The 25-or-so other schools at least took my secondary money - I just find it weird because my own school (which is a state school by the way) is the only one that's done this.

Does this have anything to do with a bad letter of recommendation? All my letters are from there too... the reason why I'm thinking this is that I applied for a masters program there also, and go figure, got rejected again. Not even an e-mail, I had to check the status page online.

 

[hoqhuuep]

Oh, and I'm not saying I have a sense of entitlement to an interview... Just seeing a pattern and looking for an explanation is all.

 

[Lshapley]

It might have something to do with the fact that everyone from your alma mater who is pre-med is also applying to that med school. Many schools apparently look at you in relation to people who went to the same undergrad (it gives them a better understanding of what your gpa really means, whether you were taking easy classes, etc), so the competition might just be too extreme. Many medical schools could easily fill their classes with quality students from their affiliated undergrad schools and seem to almost have a quota on how many they take from their undergrad as a result. Maybe they are just trying to keep the classes fresh? Things might get a bit stale if everyone from State U then matriculated to State U Med.

 

[186321]

That is rough. My alma mater doesn't have a med school, but if I got rejected flat out like that twice, I would not be a happy puppy.

There is a little something called taking care of your own, and as long as you fit the bill in terms of stats, LORs, and personality (ie you're the same as everyone else, only difference is you went to the actual school).. I think you should at least get an auto interview.

 

[DoctorDreamer]

It would help to know what your alma mater is. With the exception of clinical experience, it looks like you've been rejected with exceptional stats. Also, how many and what schools have you applied to on previous cycles?

I would be concerned that one of my LoRs is exceptionally weak to get the response you have with your scores.

 

[Dr Roboto]

It can't be because of your letters of recommendation since it's a pre-secondary rejection. (Letters go during the secondary phase.) Schools have certain things they look for in their applicants. Looking at your MDapps, your alma mater could have been looking for people with community service since it is a state school.

 

[189362]

Some school rather just not take their own. I know Pitt doesnt, or dont like to I should say.

 

[nick_carraway]

Or some schools have little preference for their own. I know my alma mater tends to accept older applicants who have had alternative careers and a few alumni. I got rejected pre-secondary, but only once--so far. My boss agrees that it's unfair that I didn't at least get a secondary. I'm not even asking for an interview here!

When my boss interviews applicants for a fellowship, he interviews the candidates from schools at which he's faculty simply as a courtesy. You'd think $40k would buy me courtesy too 🙁

 

[MelnaisLacis]

How much money have you donated to your alma mater ???
No pay = no play.

There is absolutely no reason why a Graduate school should care that you did undergrad at the University they share their name with. Now, if you were applying to say.. law school after you completed med school then that might be a different thing.

 

[hoqhuuep]

It can't be because of your letters of recommendation since it's a pre-secondary rejection. (Letters go during the secondary phase.) Schools have certain things they look for in their applicants. Looking at your MDapps, your alma mater could have been looking for people with community service since it is a state school.

Wow I had no idea about this. Thanks for relieving my do-i-have-mediocre-LOR anxiety... I guess it really was the volunteering then.

I'm not bitter at all, just a little confused because my friend from the "other school" (michigan) got in with way lower numbers and an equal amount of ECs.

My school was michigan state, fyi.

 

[nick_carraway]

How much money have you donated to your alma mater ???
No pay = no play.

There is absolutely no reason why a Graduate school should care that you did undergrad at the University they share their name with. Now, if you were applying to say.. law school after you completed med school then that might be a different thing.

Well I think part of it might be state school v. private school too. Some private schools tend to carry courtesy to their alumni pretty far.

 

[Lshapley]

Some school rather just not take their own. I know Pitt doesnt, or dont like to I should say.

I believe Penn (the ivy, not that state school) doesn't either.

 

[DoctorDreamer]

Because it is his alma mater, the professors already know him, and so they wouldn't need to see his LoRs to get wind of whatever negative could be in them. Meanwhile, he's been rejected from other schools, too, from the look of it, twice. With his scores, I have to believe he was getting secondaries, which meant those schools saw his LoRs.

 

[fisko82]

I searched for a similar thread but couldn't find one...

Just wondering what you guys thought about being rejected from your alma mater, even before the secondary application stage. In the two years I applied there, I got rejected flat out. The 25-or-so other schools at least took my secondary money - I just find it weird because my own school (which is a state school by the way) is the only one that's done this.

If your alma-mater's school colors happen to be green and white, this does not surprise me at all. This school is notorious for rejecting qualified in-state applicants in favor of applicants who fit the school's specific healthcare goals.

 

[hoqhuuep]

If your alma-mater's school colors happen to be green and white, this does not surprise me at all. This school is notorious for rejecting qualified in-state applicants in favor of applicants who fit the school's specific healthcare goals.

They happen to be green and white. Go figure

 

[fisko82]

They happen to be green and white. Go figure

lol can't say I'm surprised... But, on a serious note, sorry about the bad news. Here's hoping next cycle brings better luck

 

[ellaB]

it's because your colors aren't maize and blue🙂
just kidding! have you asked anyone in admissions for feedback? or maybe talked to some students that already go there or an advisor? assuming you're still in EL it should be pretty easy to find someone in the med school to talk to about this right?

anyway..good luck...that is a large snub to get over!

 

[mfrizzo3]

OP,

In your MDApplicants profile it shows that you had no clinical experience the first two times your applied. This is most likely the reason that you were rejected.

 

[hoqhuuep]

OP,

In your MDApplicants profile it shows that you had no clinical experience the first two times your applied. This is most likely the reason that you were rejected.

Yep, that's what almost every interviewer told me. I'm taking care of that part right now 🙂 But I just found it a bit strange that my own school was the only one, both years, to reject pre-secondary. Oh well

 

[seraph524]

Wow I had no idea about this. Thanks for relieving my do-i-have-mediocre-LOR anxiety... I guess it really was the volunteering then.

I'm not bitter at all, just a little confused because my friend from the "other school" (michigan) got in with way lower numbers and an equal amount of ECs.

My school was michigan state, fyi.

lol, i got no love from them either

 

[scowdeva]

MSU is really set on attracting students that have community service track records, as well as show a committed background to underserved populations. Do you want to enter a primary care field? If you lack volunteering in the community, have no ties to an underserved community (either through background or personal interest), and don't express an interest in primary care, I think you would be dead in the water. MSU is my alma mater, and I think that the only reason I got an interview with them with my stats is the fact that I have these three componenets pretty heavily represented on my file. These are the kind of physicians they are looking to train and set up in the Michigan market. I have quite a few friends of mine with fancy stats who are still on hold, or were pre-secondarily rejected, but they stress how important research is to them, or how they have a calling to be a dermatologist. These are just not MSU's strengths.