Strategy of calling/emailing schools to avoid autoscreening and yield protecting?

[Sherlock555]

I’ve heard from a few sources (questionable credibility) that in some rare cases, a good strategy to avoid being auto screened or yield protected against is to try to contact the schools and provide a brief explanation of your unusual application to make the case that someone should actually review it and avoid electronic removal.

An example of this type of situation could be:

Non-trad with significant career and volunteer experience, 2.5-2.8 science and cumulative GPA, very high MCAT, a high GPA in the last 18 hours of science courses.

this candidate would probably be auto screened out due to GPA or yield protected against by lower tier due to high MCAT, but the application may have a bit of merit.

What’s the consensus on the strategy of contacting med schools in this case?

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[deleted853360]

I’ve heard from a few sources (questionable credibility) that in some rare cases, a good strategy to avoid being auto screened or yield protected against is to try to contact the schools and provide a brief explanation of your unusual application to make the case that someone should actually review it and avoid electronic removal.

An example of this type of situation could be:

Non-trad with significant career and volunteer experience, 2.5-2.8 science and cumulative GPA, very high MCAT, a high GPA in the last 18 hours of science courses.

this candidate would probably be auto screened out due to GPA or yield protected against by lower tier due to high MCAT, but the application may have a bit of merit.

What’s the consensus on the strategy of contacting med schools in this case?

I’m wondering this too. I saw from a few physicians + their premed advice page that you can ask for a manual review of your application.

 

[Morningnight]

you can ask for a manual review of your application.

Any idea/advice on how to approach schools and ask for a possible manual review?

 

[Sherlock555]

Anybody have any information on this process?

 

[ampersandwich]

I'm a sub-3.0er so I can only speak to my experience, but here's what happened. I tried this strategy at a bunch of DO schools with a hard 3.0 screen, citing my post-bacc (over 40 science credits at 3.7), my SMP (3.6), and my MCAT score (95th percentile) and I got exactly NADA. No exceptions, <3.0 is a death sentence 🙃

I had a lot more luck at MD schools. I didn't call any admissions offices but I did research schools that don't screen and applied SUPER DUPER early. I do believe that adcom get "app review fatigue" and are more likely to be lenient to application flaws earlier in the cycle.

Personally I think 18 credit hours is not enough to salvage a <3.0 GPA even with a high MCAT but YMMV.

 

[Sherlock555]

I'm a sub-3.0er so I can only speak to my experience, but here's what happened. I tried this strategy at a bunch of DO schools with a hard 3.0 screen, citing my post-bacc (over 40 science credits at 3.7), my SMP (3.6), and my MCAT score (95th percentile) and I got exactly NADA. No exceptions, <3.0 is a death sentence 🙃

I had a lot more luck at MD schools. I didn't call any admissions offices but I did research schools that don't screen and applied SUPER DUPER early. I do believe that adcom get "app review fatigue" and are more likely to be lenient to application flaws earlier in the cycle.

Personally I think 18 credit hours is not enough to salvage a <3.0 GPA even with a high MCAT but YMMV.

Thanks for sharing! How did you research for schools that don't screen? I can't find any info on school websites about that. Additionally, all SMPs I have looked at don't accept below a 3.0 - how did you change that? Again, thanks for the info.

 

[ampersandwich]

Thanks for sharing! How did you research for schools that don't screen? I can't find any info on school websites about that. Additionally, all SMPs I have looked at don't accept below a 3.0 - how did you change that? Again, thanks for the info.

You make your school list first, then google "school+secondary screen" to make sure it's not hiding somewhere on their website. This list (from a wonderful crazy person on Reddit) was also useful, though it may be outdated now.

For SMPs, look for programs where 3.0 is only "recommended" and also email the admissions office for extra guidance. That's what I did, because my final AMCAS cGPA is only 2.8!