Rejection from UCs pre-secondary with a 4.0 GPA and 520 MCAT?

[desklamp]

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Is this normal? Anyone else experienced this recently? Is there any point in appealing (or is there any avenue to do so)?

Have many ECs, research and shadowing.

Got secondaries from Ivys, Hopkins, Stanford, UCLA, UCSD, UCI etc... but UC Davis gave me a flat out rejection pre-secondary and haven't heard from UCSF yet...now I'm really worried since UCs are at the top of my list 🙁. I literally can't wrap my head around this...and I swear I haven't robbed any banks or eaten any cocaines that would cause an outright rejection like this.

 

[ZPakEffect]

Yield protection, bro.

 

[CaliforniaDreamer]

Welcome to the club.

 

[AnonPanda1]

Are you instate or out of state for California?

 

[expicept]

I have a 3.8 GPA and a well balanced 511 and also got rejected from Davis this afternoon. My stats aren't as nice as yours but considering that you're not the only person to get rejected from there with great stats, I think we just don't fit the mold they're looking for.

 

[xxabi]

Davis is very mission-oriented I believe...I have lower stats than you but I received a secondary because I think I fit their mission quite well (not saying that you don't just making an observation). I wouldn't stress though, you got plenty of secondaries from excellent schools both in state and out of state!

 

[Lost In Transcription]

I'm trying to shed a tear but somehow it isn't coming...

But yeah, it's just because your stats are too good.

 

[Goro]

Resource protection, actually.

UCD is looking for people who wish to serve their geographical region. Perhaps OP expressed too much of what Stanford and UCSF want.

Moral of the story to ALL applicants: don't think you're a lock, anywhere.

Yield protection, bro.

 

[Pusheen]

I don't think the other schools you mentioned besides the UC's screen for secondaries, so that's not really relevant.

UCD is more service oriented, so if you don't fit their mission, they don't need to waste your time 🙂

 

[Lawpy]

Resource protection, actually.

Is resource protection something unique to certain MD schools like UC Davis (i.e. not aligning with the mission) as well as low-yield schools like Drexel/Jefferson/NYMC (i.e. due to historical trends + stats being above 90th percentile)?

Or is resource protection something done by all medical schools (both MD and DO)?

 

[TheBiologist]

it is generally known that if a school thinks your stats are too HIGH they will reject you because they know you won't attend

you may also get rejected from UCI; it'll be fine

 

[Goro]

This, and it's based upon historic norms collected by schools.

MD schools are able to do this because they can see who goes where by Feb or so ( I forget the exact date...gyngyn has discussed this extensively) of the cycle.

DO schools do NOT practice resource protection....at least, mine doesn't.

it is generally known that if a school thinks your stats are too HIGH they will reject you because they know you won't attend

you may also get rejected from UCI; it'll be fine

 

[Lawpy]

This, and it's based upon historic norms collected by schools.

MD schools are able to do this because they can see who goes where by Feb or so ( I forget the exact date...gyngyn has discussed this extensively) of the cycle.

DO schools do NOT practice resource protection....at least, mine doesn't.

Is it possible to convince a school to avoid resource protecting against an applicant? Say an applicant with a 3.9+/520+ applies to a low yield school (despite their stats falling above the school's 90th percentile). Can they convince the school in some way to interview them? Such as by focusing their secondaries as to how they fit the school's mission? And addressing family ties?

 

[mw18]

Moral of the story to ALL applicants: don't think you're a lock, anywhere.

This is the most important lesson any high stats applicant can learn. I attend a top school, and got rejected pre-secondary from a school that is not what most would consider top 15. And it was in my home state (private school, but still). Some people just won't want you.

 

[HereWeGo2121]

This is the most important lesson any high stats applicant can learn. I attend a top school, and got rejected pre-secondary from a school that is not what most would consider top 15. And it was in my home state (private school, but still). Some people just won't want you.

And if that's the case, then you don't want them either.

 

[mw18]

And if that's the case, then you don't want them either.

Exactly. And it's important to not take any of it too personally (I struggle with this and sometimes hold grudges against that school's innocent residency programs lol). We pour our hearts into apps, so we feel like it's truly personal. But medical schools have the truly difficult task of having to choose out of an applicant pool within which most people are well-qualified. And they have to worry about things like creating a diverse class, and one that will function well, and interviewing people who are likely to come there if accepted.

 

[Mansamusa]

Is it possible to convince a school to avoid resource protecting against an applicant? Say an applicant with a 3.9+/520+ applies to a low yield school (despite their stats falling above the school's 90th percentile). Can they convince the school in some way to interview them? Such as by focusing their secondaries as to how they fit the school's mission? And addressing family ties?

Yeah

 

[musicalfeet]

Sometimes they know off the bat you aren't a good fit. Now that I can actually speak openly about my cycle lol...

UCLA didn't give me a secondary, and it was the only UC not to have done so. I mean, okay it was a reach, but my stats were within its ranges overall, so I thought that while I wouldn't get an II, at least I'd get a secondary right? I was all butt-hurt at first, ESPECIALLY because it's my undergrad! But in retrospect, I'm totally okay with it. It was more my ego being upset than anything. Truthfully, I hated my 4 years of undergrad at UCLA and I didn't enjoy the area, hated the traffic, and didn't like much about the campus. The brand name of David Geffen was cool, but the reality is I didn't like living there already. Santa Monica didn't do much for me (not really a beach person), and the living situation around Westwood sucked for me in general (unless you want to shell out $$$ for them grad apartments which were nice because they're already furnished and stuff).

Not to mention, I was pretty vocal about my dislike about UCLA + Westwood the whole time I attended school there lol... so who knows if word got around. (Totally separate department but ya never know!)

 

[Goro]

Family ties are worthless for admissions, unless accompanied by a six figure donation check.

Evidence of walking the walk, and not merely talking the talk, will help with mission based schools. About 10% of the students at HBCs are Asian.

Is it possible to convince a school to avoid resource protecting against an applicant? Say an applicant with a 3.9+/520+ applies to a low yield school (despite their stats falling above the school's 90th percentile). Can they convince the school in some way to interview them? Such as by focusing their secondaries as to how they fit the school's mission? And addressing family ties?

 

[Goro]

It's not about wanting you; this isn't the high school prom. There are simply more applicants than seats.

This is the most important lesson any high stats applicant can learn. I attend a top school, and got rejected pre-secondary from a school that is not what most would consider top 15. And it was in my home state (private school, but still). Some people just won't want you.

 

[mw18]

It's not about wanting you; this isn't the high school prom. There are simply more applicants than seats.

I mean, you can say it isn't the high school prom - but a rejection is the school not wanting you. Not saying they wouldn't take you if there weren't other options (much like a high school prom date), but rejecting someone you could have is the definition of not wanting someone. My next comment clarified that the issue is that there are more qualified applicants than spots, so schools get put in a tough spot with that.

 

[Goro]

One has to have a thick skin in this process. You'll go through the same thing with residency choices.

I mean, you can say it isn't the high school prom - but a rejection is the school not wanting you. Not saying they wouldn't take you if there weren't other options (much like a high school prom date), but rejecting someone you could have is the definition of not wanting someone. My next comment clarified that the issue is that there are more qualified applicants than spots, so schools get put in a tough spot with that.

 

[Lawpy]

Family ties are worthless for admissions, unless accompanied by a six figure donation check.

Evidence of walking the walk, and not merely talking the talk, will help with mission based schools. About 10% of the students at HBCs are Asian.

The bold makes sense for mission-based schools. Not sure how that works for low-yield schools like Drexel/Jefferson/NYMC though.

 

[Goro]

It may very well NOT work for them.

The bold makes sense for mission-based schools. Not sure how that works for low-yield schools like Drexel/Jefferson/NYMC though.

 

[mw18]

Family ties are worthless for admissions, unless accompanied by a six figure donation check.

Evidence of walking the walk, and not merely talking the talk, will help with mission based schools. About 10% of the students at HBCs are Asian.

There's a rumor that a direct relative of Denton Cooley (grandchild, I believe) couldn't get into Hopkins...