Schools that screen

[nabeel76]

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How do you know what schools screen for secondaries? I have not yet taken the mcat, taking it in August, but have already recieved 27 out of 31 secondaries. The only 4 schools that I have not recieved secondaries from as of yet are Stanford, VCU, Drexel and Wake Forest. Can I assume that the other 27 schools that I have recieved secondaries from ALL send them out to everyone or is it possible that they sent me the invite based on my verified AMCAS without my mcat score? Not sure just curious if this happens or not.

 

[Poliscidoc]

How do you know what schools screen for secondaries? I have not yet taken the mcat, taking it in August, but have already recieved 27 out of 31 secondaries. The only 4 schools that I have not recieved secondaries from as of yet are Stanford, VCU, Drexel and Wake Forest. Can I assume that the other 27 schools that I have recieved secondaries from ALL send them out to everyone or is it possible that they sent me the invite based on my verified AMCAS without my mcat score? Not sure just curious if this happens or not.

Damn, whats your GPA?

 

[Naijaba]

Did the secondaries come before your AMCAS was verified? If so, then they are *all* probably non-screened (except the ones you haven't received yet).

 

[nabeel76]

Did the secondaries come before your AMCAS was verified? If so, then they are *all* probably non-screened (except the ones you haven't received yet).

I would say about half of them came prior to verification and the other half has been since. I have been verified since approx the 15th of July.

 

[estelyk]

Several questions:

Do med schools invite you to do their secondaries once you submit your primary? Or do I have to go to their websites and find them?

How long after submitting the primary app will you receive the invitation for secondaries?

From other threads I have read that secondaries must be submitted with a week after receiving the invitation. Is that true?

Thanks

 

[NickNaylor]

The MSAR reveals all...

Here's the list of schools that screen secondaries according to the 09-10 MSAR:

Alabama
South Alabama
Arizona
UC Davis
UC Irvine
UCLA
UCSD
UCSF
Central Florida
Florida International ("with minimum scores")
Florida ("applicants of interest")
Florida State
South Florida
Georgia (OOS only)
Mercer
Morehouse
Hawaii ("cutoff scores")
Loyola
Southern Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas (OOS only)
Kentucky
Louisville
Wayne State
Missouri - Columbia (OOS only)
Nebraska ("invited applicants only")
Nevada
New Mexico
UNC - Chapel Hill
Wake Forest
Toledo
Northeastern Ohio
Oregon
South Dakota
East Tennessee
Tennessee
Utah
Eastern Virginia
Virginia Commonwealth
Washington
West Virginia ("select applicants")
Wisconsin

Some schools didn't have the information available, and some may have changed as my MSAR is a year old.

 

[nabeel76]

Damn, whats your GPA?

Thats exactly why I am confused, my GPA isn't all that stellar. My cumm GPA is 3.53 and my science is 3.67; however my overall gpa would be a lot higher if it wasn't for a semester of 5 F's at a CC in 1995 when I abandoned 1 school for another.

I got straight A's at the other school but it was an unaccredited technical school that didn't factor into my AMCAS GPA, unfortunately the F's at the CC did. I explained the situation thouroughly in my primary application however.

I am also a very non-traditional applicant with a previous career and have been told by advisors that my story is very unique but I am not sure if this has anything to do with why I am recieving all of these secondaries. Definitely not complaining though.

I guess my question is, is it unusual to recieve so many secondaries prior to any screening processes? I applied to a handfull of top tier schools, hand full of mid-tier schools and only a few low tier schools.

 

[NickNaylor]

I'm sure someone more familiar with the process will chime in, but I believe that at schools that don't screen you're almost automatically granted access as soon as you submit your primary. The MSAR noted that some schools require AMCAS verification and some don't. Some require the fee to be paid before access to the secondary is granted and some don't.

You may still get the secondary, but your application certainly won't be reviewed until they get your MCAT score.

 

[nabeel76]

The MSAR reveals all...

Here's the list of schools that screen secondaries according to the 09-10 MSAR:

Alabama
South Alabama
Arizona
UC Davis
UC Irvine
UCLA
UCSD
UCSF
Central Florida
Florida International ("with minimum scores")
Florida ("applicants of interest")
Florida State
South Florida
Georgia (OOS only)
Mercer
Morehouse
Hawaii ("cutoff scores")
Loyola
Southern Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas (OOS only)
Kentucky
Louisville
Wayne State
Missouri - Columbia (OOS only)
Nebraska ("invited applicants only")
Nevada
New Mexico
UNC - Chapel Hill
Wake Forest
Toledo
Northeastern Ohio
Oregon
South Dakota
East Tennessee
Tennessee
Utah
Eastern Virginia
Virginia Commonwealth
Washington
West Virginia ("select applicants")
Wisconsin

Some schools didn't have the information available, and some may have changed as my MSAR is a year old.

Thanks for the post. According to that list I have only applied to 3 schools that are on it, of the three EVMS, VCU and Wake Forest I have only recieved the invite to complete the secondary from EVMS. So maybe some how I just happened to apply to schools that don't really screen.

 

[NickNaylor]

Thanks for the post. According to that list I have only applied to 3 schools that are on it, of the three EVMS, VCU and Wake Forest I have only recieved the invite to complete the secondary from EVMS. So maybe some how I just happened to apply to schools that don't really screen.

It's not surprising, really. Most of the top-tier/mid-tier schools don't screen, if only to wrench that application fee out of you. Most of the schools on that list are state schools.

 

[nabeel76]

I'm sure someone more familiar with the process will chime in, but I believe that at schools that don't screen you're almost automatically granted access as soon as you submit your primary. The MSAR noted that some schools require AMCAS verification and some don't. Some require the fee to be paid before access to the secondary is granted and some don't.

You may still get the secondary, but your application certainly won't be reviewed until they get your MCAT score.

Yeah, I believe that is the way it works. School that don't screen automatically send you a link to their secondary. And I am certain that no school will invite your for an interview without the mcat score. I guess I was just under the impression that more schools screened the GPA and MCAT prior to sending you their secondary and since I have recieved most of mine was a little confused as I haven't yet taken the mcat. I guess I just happened to apply to most of the schools that don't screen.

 

[nabeel76]

It's not surprising, really. Most of the top-tier/mid-tier schools don't screen, if only to wrench that application fee out of you. Most of the schools on that list are state schools.

Yeah that does suck, guess that means I will end up spending more money since most of the schools I applied to were private schools that don't screen with very few of the out of state schools (VA resident) that possibly would've.

 

[nabeel76]

Several questions:

Do med schools invite you to do their secondaries once you submit your primary? Or do I have to go to their websites and find them?

How long after submitting the primary app will you receive the invitation for secondaries?

From other threads I have read that secondaries must be submitted with a week after receiving the invitation. Is that true?

Thanks

To answer your questions,

1. Yes schools will only invite you to submit your secondaries after you've indicated that you are applying to them via your completed and submitted primary application. You don't go to their website and just complete it as most of them require a username and password in which they assign to you. All schools that want you to complete their secondary will send you an email with a link to their secondary.

2. I guess that depends, I started recieving mine immediatley following submission. I would say about 2-3 per week since I submitted and then maybe about 4-5 a week after verification. I am only waiting on 4 more.

3. No - secondaries are due prior to their deadline, which for most schools range from November to January. The secondary applications for each specific school will inform you of that deadline. However, it will be to your advantage to turn around secondaries well in advance of that date as admissions is rolling at most schools.

 

[RecyclingBinh]

How do you know what schools screen for secondaries? I have not yet taken the mcat, taking it in August, but have already recieved 27 out of 31 secondaries. The only 4 schools that I have not recieved secondaries from as of yet are Stanford, VCU, Drexel and Wake Forest. Can I assume that the other 27 schools that I have recieved secondaries from ALL send them out to everyone or is it possible that they sent me the invite based on my verified AMCAS without my mcat score? Not sure just curious if this happens or not.

did you get a an email from VCU? if you did, it has a link where you can check your status. they don't let people know if they got the seoncary or not. you have to check your online account under the secodnary tab.

 

[nabeel76]

did you get a an email from VCU? if you did, it has a link where you can check your status. they don't let people know if they got the seoncary or not. you have to check your online account under the secodnary tab.

Actually I did get an email from them and at the time I think the status just said something generic like we'll inform you if we invite you to complete the secondary etc. but I haven't heard from them and its been at least two weeks or so. I am glad you reminded me because I just assumed they will email me to let me know - I guess not. I am going to check to see if the status has changed but since I haven't taken the mcat I don't think they'll invite me yet.

 

[UnfeatyOblation]

did you get a an email from VCU? if you did, it has a link where you can check your status. they don't let people know if they got the seoncary or not. you have to check your online account under the secodnary tab.

Forreals? Damn, thanks for the heads up...I had no idea.

 

[atomi]

Yeah that does suck, guess that means I will end up spending more money since most of the schools I applied to were private schools that don't screen with very few of the out of state schools (VA resident) that possibly would've.

-

 

[nabeel76]

Wait a second. You're a VA resident and you applied to 31 schools????!!! Thirty-one!
If you get above a 31 on the MCAT, you're a sure thing at EVMS.

Well I indicated 31 schools on my primary, I will definitely weed some of them out at the secondary stage and probably end up actually applying to about 20-25. I didn't realize that anybody was a sure thing anywhere but I hope your right. I am also taking the August 21st MCAT so my score and app won't be complete till approx Sept. 21st so I am not sure how late that will be considered and figured the more schools I apply to the better my chances with a late app etc.

 

[TAWS]

Well I indicated 31 schools on my primary, I will definitely weed some of them out at the secondary stage and probably end up actually applying to about 20-25. I didn't realize that anybody was a sure thing anywhere but I hope your right. I am also taking the August 21st MCAT so my score and app won't be complete till approx Sept. 21st so I am not sure how late that will be considered and figured the more schools I apply to the better my chances with a late app etc.

Takes some guts to apply to 31 schools without an MCAT score lol

 

[Abdullaah]

Yeah, I applied to one, got my mcat score, got verified, then applied to the other 30. 🙂

 

[nabeel76]

Takes some guts to apply to 31 schools without an MCAT score lol

Not sure what you mean by this. Should I be applying to more schools or less? I am assuming you mean less, but I wanted to be on the safe side - hence 31 schools.

Ideally, had I taken the mcat sooner, I would've applied to only a couple of schools and then added after the mcat but since I am taking the mcat so late, August 21st, I don't want to wait till the end of september to decide I need to add schools as a result of my score and have that be compounded by the fact that I am now super late at those schools. Therefore I decided to apply to more now and have the secondaries complete prior to my score being released so that I am complete at all of them by the time my score is released.

 

[TAWS]

Not sure what you mean by this. Should I be applying to more schools or less? I am assuming you mean less, but I wanted to be on the safe side - hence 31 schools.

Ideally, had I taken the mcat sooner, I would've applied to only a couple of schools and then added after the mcat but since I am taking the mcat so late, August 21st, I don't want to wait till the end of september to decide I need to add schools as a result of my score and have that be compounded by the fact that I am now super late at those schools. Therefore I decided to apply to more now and have the secondaries complete prior to my score being released so that I am complete at all of them by the time my score is released.

I don't know if you are on a fee waiver but 31 schools is really expensive (>$3000??) while still having a big unknown like your mcat score. I definitely don't think you should be applying to the higher-tier schools like Stanford until you know exactly what your mcat score because you would need an amazing mcat score to outweigh your GPA.