Still no secondary after more than a month. Is this common ?

[GravityDefier]

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Hi everyone,

While the majority of the schools I applied to have already given me secondaries, there are 3 schools that I still have not heard anything from. I was verified in early July, and a few days later these 3 particular schools sent me the email acknowledgement that they received my AMCAS application . But after that, I have not heard anything from them regarding secondaries. The school-specific threads indicate that interview invitations have been given out at these schools for a while. All 3 screen before sending secondaries, but it has been more than a month now. Is this common ? These schools are my state schools, so that is why I am very concerned. My GPA is about their average/above average, but my MCAT score is below their average a few points.

Also, another OOS school I have added about a week ago has not sent me any acknowledgement at all. This should be normal right ?

What is usually the amount of time after which I should be worried if I do not receive a secondary ?

Thanks everyone.

 

[dsk89]

Hi everyone,

While the majority of the schools I applied to have already given me secondaries, there are 3 schools that I still have not heard anything from. I was verified in early July, and a few days later these 3 particular schools sent me the email acknowledgement that they received my AMCAS application . But after that, I have not heard anything from them regarding secondaries. The school-specific threads indicate that interview invitations have been given out at these schools for a while. All 3 screen before sending secondaries, but it has been more than a month now. Is this common ? These schools are my state schools, so that is why I am very concerned. My GPA is about their average/above average, but my MCAT score is below their average a few points.

Also, another OOS school I have added about a week ago has not sent me any acknowledgement at all. This should be normal right ?

What is usually the amount of time after which I should be worried if I do not receive a secondary ?

Thanks everyone.

Are you talking about the UC's? If so, it may be you got screened. But you never know, you're not rejected until you're rejected.

 

[Irish Football]

Assuming you wouldn't get screened, I do believe that this is odd. You can always call the schools and ask if you were screened out though.

 

[Nymphicus]

Last year, from 34 schools, I was

Verified: 6/17/11

First secondaries: 6/17, 6/20, 6/20
Last secondaries: 7/18, 7/20, 7/27, 7/27, 8/3.

If you're still concerned, give them a call and see.

 

[skiing]

Not all schools screen by numbers - some also include ec's, PS, LORs in the equation like UCSF. =\

It's tough waiting. I freaked out and added 5 schools on my AMCAS just in case the other day haha

 

[GravityDefier]

Thanks guys for your comments.

Assuming you wouldn't get screened, I do believe that this is odd. You can always call the schools and ask if you were screened out though.

Last year, from 34 schools, I was

Verified: 6/17/11

First secondaries: 6/17, 6/20, 6/20
Last secondaries: 7/18, 7/20, 7/27, 7/27, 8/3.

If you're still concerned, give them a call and see.

I did call UCI (one of the 3) and they said they still reviewed apps. I still found it odd though 🙁 I hope they didn't screen me out. My numbers are definitely in their ranges based on MSAR, and I believe my EC's and LORs are good as well (may not be stellar but at least have got me one interview invite so far from an OOS school). Just so weird with these schools.

 

[LizzyM]

Sometimes for some odd reason or another, a school falls behind schedule. It could be an unexpected hospitalization of the person who needs to sign off before the secondary goes live, or the need to have the school's legal dept sign off or any number of things.

Check the school specific thread. If no one has received a secondary, relax. If others have received & you have not, it might be worth a phone call.

 

[tonguetalker]

On another question along the same vein, if rolling schools have sent out a few interview invites but you have not received one, is that indicative of a rejection? Or do they hold on and keep reviewing your file?

 

[LizzyM]

On another question along the same vein, if rolling schools have sent out a few interview invites but you have not received one, is that indicative of a rejection? Or do they hold on and keep reviewing your file?

At this point in the year, some schools have received 25% of all the applications that wil arrive and the rest will arrive before Oct 1. That's a mountain of reading. It could be that no one has reviewed your file and that by (un)luck of the draw, you are toward the back of the queue.

 

[boshtrich]

The director of admissions retired at a school I applied to last year, and they were pretty behind on getting secondaries sent. I assume things like this happen at other schools too. Like LizzyM said, if nobody else has gotten a secondary, I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[GravityDefier]

The director of admissions retired at a school I applied to last year, and they were pretty behind on getting secondaries sent. I assume things like this happen at other schools too. Like LizzyM said, if nobody else has gotten a secondary, I wouldn't worry about it.

Sometimes for some odd reason or another, a school falls behind schedule. It could be an unexpected hospitalization of the person who needs to sign off before the secondary goes live, or the need to have the school's legal dept sign off or any number of things.

Check the school specific thread. If no one has received a secondary, relax. If others have received & you have not, it might be worth a phone call.

2 of these 3 schools have handed out secondaries and interview invites for a while already. I called them a few days ago and they said apps were still under review and I would just have to wait (although I've been waiting more than a month for secondaries already).

Do you know what the deadline for schools to send secondaries usually is ? Are there any tricks I can do now that may somehow remind them of my application ?

 

[LizzyM]

2 of these 3 schools have handed out secondaries and interview invites for a while already. I called them a few days ago and they said apps were still under review and I would just have to wait (although I've been waiting more than a month for secondaries already).

Do you know what the deadline for schools to send secondaries usually is ? Are there any tricks I can do now that may somehow remind them of my application ?

I'd guess that the last date for sending secondaries would be 2 weeks before the deadline to submit secondaries.

You could send an "update" letter with information about what you have done since submitting the AMCAS. I don't know if it will help but it can't hurt.

 

[GravityDefier]

I'd guess that the last date for sending secondaries would be 2 weeks before the deadline to submit secondaries.

You could send an "update" letter with information about what you have done since submitting the AMCAS. I don't know if it will help but it can't hurt.

Thank you LizzyM 🙂