Should I apply to more schools?

[helpme_im_pre_med]

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Hi everybody,
I needed some advice on whether or not I should apply to more schools.
My uGPA is a 3.78 and my sGPA is a 3.8. My MCAT score is a 512 which puts me at the 87th percentile.

I submitted my primary application on June 10th, and was able to submit most secondaries within 3-4 days of receiving them. I have already applied to 28 schools and have received 4 rejections, 1 phone interview (western Michigan), 1 hold (UA Phoneix), and silence from the rest.

I understand that my numbers aren't incredibly strong but I figured since I applied so early I would have at least gotten one concrete interview. Do you guys think it would be wise to submit a couple more applications or is it too late in the cycle where those extra applications would mean nothing but wasted $$. Let me know, any and all advice is welcome.

 

[Doggo]

I would also like to know the responses to this query.

 

[LordH]

Since you already applied to 28 schools, I doubt that adding more schools, especially at this time, would be beneficial. Right now is incredibly late to be adding schools.

What is your school list? Your numbers are above the matriculant average so I would say w/ confidence that it is NOT your numbers that is holding you back.

I would guess it may be something to do with your writing. The fact that you submitted 28 secondaries within 3-4 days of receiving them is both astonishing and concerning.

Of course, it is still too early to say that you have a red-flag in your app. Wait until Thanksgiving and then think about improving your app or reaching out to get feedback on your app (PS, secondaries, etc). You can even email the schools that rejected you to see if they'll be able to provide a reason for their rejection.

 

[Allergic to Toradol]

Your LizzyM is ~70, roughly 2-3 or so points higher than the average matriculant... You were complete very early. You applied to 28 schools. It's now the middle of October.

tl;dr: No

 

[helpme_im_pre_med]

I applied to the following schools: George Washington, Georgetown, Quinnipiac (Netter), Tufts, Virginia Commonwealth, Washington (Seattle), USC (Keck), Tulane, Creighton, New York MC, Hofstra, Miami (Miller), Yeshiva (Albert Einstein), Arizona - Phoenix, Loyola (Stritch), Jefferson, Arizona - Tucson, Rosalind Franklin, Illinois, Albany, Penn State, Drexel, Colorado, Temple, Rochester, Buffalo, UMKC, Western Michigan, Michigan State, and Wake Forest. Just realized I actually applied to 30 schools haha.

But to your point, I had a fairly good sense of which schools I was going to apply to so I pre-wrote a lot of my secondaries based on prompts from previous years. That's how I was able to submit the secondaries in such a timely fashion. I did contact UMKC as to why they rejected me and the admissions officer said that although my application was strong, it just wasn't strong enough for an OOS applicant. I found that interesting considering they take nearly half of their entering class OOS. I did specifically ask him if there were any "red flags" in my application to which he said "no not any that we found". I understand it's still early in the cycle, but a lot of people with a similar Lizzy-M have already gotten multiple interview invites. As a follow up question do you think it's too late to apply to DO schools?

Another thing that really worried me was the I got a rejection from my in-state medical school (UW) which only takes applicants from the WWAMI region.

Also thank you for the responses!

 

[Allergic to Toradol]

I applied to the following schools: George Washington, Georgetown, Quinnipiac (Netter), Tufts, Virginia Commonwealth, Washington (Seattle), USC (Keck), Tulane, Creighton, New York MC, Hofstra, Miami (Miller), Yeshiva (Albert Einstein), Arizona - Phoenix, Loyola (Stritch), Jefferson, Arizona - Tucson, Rosalind Franklin, Illinois, Albany, Penn State, Drexel, Colorado, Temple, Rochester, Buffalo, UMKC, Western Michigan, Michigan State, and Wake Forest. Just realized I actually applied to 30 schools haha.

But to your point, I had a fairly good sense of which schools I was going to apply to so I pre-wrote a lot of my secondaries based on prompts from previous years. That's how I was able to submit the secondaries in such a timely fashion. I did contact UMKC as to why they rejected me and the admissions officer said that although my application was strong, it just wasn't strong enough for an OOS applicant. I found that interesting considering they take nearly half of their entering class OOS. I did specifically ask him if there were any "red flags" in my application to which he said "no not any that we found". I understand it's still early in the cycle, but a lot of people with a similar Lizzy-M have already gotten multiple interview invites. As a follow up question do you think it's too late to apply to DO schools?

Also thank you for the responses!

Ask @Goro, but I'm fairly certain he has said that DO applications aren't approaching "too late" until closer to Thanksgiving considering you would have a much higher LM than the average DO applicant.

 

[gyngyn]

I count 14 schools on your list where you have a fair to good chance at an interview. That's usually enough.

 

[helpme_im_pre_med]

I count 14 schools on your list where you have a fair to good chance at an interview. That's usually enough.

Which 14 schools are you referring to, because I tried to choose schools which had a Lizzy M score below my average, with only a few exceptions.

 

[gyngyn]

Which 14 schools are you referring to, because I tried to choose schools which had a Lizzy M score below my average, with only a few exceptions.

Your MCAT is the equivalent of a 32.
Many of the schools on your list have a much higher median and a large pool from which to choose. Others largely fill their their OOS seats with special programs (RF, UMKC...). You are not WWAMI...

 

[Allergic to Toradol]

Which 14 schools are you referring to, because I tried to choose schools which had a Lizzy M score below my average, with only a few exceptions.

At this point, it is not worth the anxiety of trying to identify where you have a "good" chance of getting an interview. You've already applied and that was the time to be considering such a question, not now. Take the words coming directly from a faculty member (@gyngyn) that you have good chances and leave it at that. Worrying about it only makes things much worse.

 

[helpme_im_pre_med]

I think you're right, I'm just being a neurotic pre-med. Thank you both for the advice.

 

[Goro]

This

Ask @Goro, but I'm fairly certain he has said that DO applications aren't approaching "too late" until closer to Thanksgiving considering you would have a much higher LM than the average DO applicant.

 

[CerseiLannister]

I think best advice is to stay off this website if it is getting to you... seeing other people get II's will kill you inside, but does not mean you won't be accepted eventually this cycle

 

[freak7]

I applied to the following schools: George Washington, Georgetown, Quinnipiac (Netter), Tufts, Virginia Commonwealth, Washington (Seattle), USC (Keck), Tulane, Creighton, New York MC, Hofstra, Miami (Miller), Yeshiva (Albert Einstein), Arizona - Phoenix, Loyola (Stritch), Jefferson, Arizona - Tucson, Rosalind Franklin, Illinois, Albany, Penn State, Drexel, Colorado, Temple, Rochester, Buffalo, UMKC, Western Michigan, Michigan State, and Wake Forest. Just realized I actually applied to 30 schools haha.

But to your point, I had a fairly good sense of which schools I was going to apply to so I pre-wrote a lot of my secondaries based on prompts from previous years. That's how I was able to submit the secondaries in such a timely fashion. I did contact UMKC as to why they rejected me and the admissions officer said that although my application was strong, it just wasn't strong enough for an OOS applicant. I found that interesting considering they take nearly half of their entering class OOS. I did specifically ask him if there were any "red flags" in my application to which he said "no not any that we found". I understand it's still early in the cycle, but a lot of people with a similar Lizzy-M have already gotten multiple interview invites. As a follow up question do you think it's too late to apply to DO schools?

Another thing that really worried me was the I got a rejection from my in-state medical school (UW) which only takes applicants from the WWAMI region.

Also thank you for the responses!

Contact UWSOM for a feedback session in January. (Assuming I read that correctly and you are in fact WWAMI)

 

[helpme_im_pre_med]

Contact UWSOM for a feedback session in January. (Assuming I read that correctly and you are in fact WWAMI)

Yeah I already contacted them and they said to reach out in January.

 

[helpme_im_pre_med]

Your MCAT is the equivalent of a 32.
Many of the schools on your list have a much higher median and a large pool from which to choose. Others largely fill their their OOS seats with special programs (RF, UMKC...). You are not WWAMI...

Confused by your last statement "you are not WWAMI". I'm not posting my drivers license on here but I am from Washington.

 

[libertyyne]

I applied to the following schools: George Washington, Georgetown, Quinnipiac (Netter), Tufts, Virginia Commonwealth, Washington (Seattle), USC (Keck), Tulane, Creighton, New York MC, Hofstra, Miami (Miller), Yeshiva (Albert Einstein), Arizona - Phoenix, Loyola (Stritch), Jefferson, Arizona - Tucson, Rosalind Franklin, Illinois, Albany, Penn State, Drexel, Colorado, Temple, Rochester, Buffalo, UMKC, Western Michigan, Michigan State, and Wake Forest. Just realized I actually applied to 30 schools haha.

But to your point, I had a fairly good sense of which schools I was going to apply to so I pre-wrote a lot of my secondaries based on prompts from previous years. That's how I was able to submit the secondaries in such a timely fashion. I did contact UMKC as to why they rejected me and the admissions officer said that although my application was strong, it just wasn't strong enough for an OOS applicant. I found that interesting considering they take nearly half of their entering class OOS. I did specifically ask him if there were any "red flags" in my application to which he said "no not any that we found". I understand it's still early in the cycle, but a lot of people with a similar Lizzy-M have already gotten multiple interview invites. As a follow up question do you think it's too late to apply to DO schools?

Another thing that really worried me was the I got a rejection from my in-state medical school (UW) which only takes applicants from the WWAMI region.

Also thank you for the responses!

Where are your state schools!

 

[gyngyn]

Confused by your last statement "you are not WWAMI". I'm not posting my drivers license on here but I am from Washington.

My presumption, sorry. I didn't see that included.

 

[helpme_im_pre_med]

Where are your state schools!

UW

 

[libertyyne]

The following list matches your LizzyM profile based on my analysis . The top of the list is favorable to OOS candidates compared to the bottom of the list. There is a lot of overlap. I think your school selection was good.
Its not numbers that will keep you out now.


George Town
George Washington University
Creighton
Tulane
Frank H Netter
Virginia Tech
Wake Forest
New York Medical College
Rosalind Franklin Chicago
Tufts
Drexel
Thomas Jefferson
U of Rochester
Penn State
Western Michigan
U of Miami
Oakland University Beaumont
Loma Linda
loyola
Medical college Wisconsin
Michigan State
VCU
EVMS
Rush
West Virginia
Hofstra
Ohio State University College Of Medicine
Wright State University
University of Arizona
University of Iowa
Temple University
University of Arizona College of Medicine