This year...More competitive than previous years???

[ZekeMD]

Everyone I've talked to seems to agree that this years applicant pool is much more competitive than previous years. My advisor seems to agree, but I am unsure. Does anyone know anything that may confirm or deny this? If it's true, I suppose that may explain my waitlists (2 schools that I thought I would get into fairly easily).

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[nezlab99]

check the characteristics of aamc's applicant pools if they are up yet

 

[Spitting Camel]

Oh PLEASE! Look at how many interviews you have... I'm sure you are one of those "competitive" applicants you are worried about.

What is with all of these pretentious threads that have been popping up all over the board?


If you have 14 interviews, that's a good thing...

Accepted: SUNY Upstate
Interviewed (Waiting): Pittsburgh, Rochester, Stony Brook, BU. SLU
Rejections: Mayo, UChicago, Duke, Cornell, MSU (???)
Waitlisted: SUNY Buffalo, Penn State
Upcoming Interviews: VCU, U. of Virginia, Drexel, Vermont, MSSM, AECOM

 

[ZekeMD]

Originally posted by AlreadyInDebt
Oh PLEASE! Look at how many interviews you have... I'm sure you are one of those "competitive" applicants you are worried about.

What is with all of these pretentious threads that have been popping up all over the board?

I'm not meaning to be pretentious at all. I'm actually curious about the applicant pool. I realize that I am very fortunate, but I have some friends who I view as competitive who haven't received any interviews yet. So that makes me ask if the pool is more competitive than previous years. I'm not trying to boost my ego as you imply.

 

[g3pro]

this is just what i've noticed over the many years of following admission: every year is always the most competitive year yet, but only in the eyes of those who apply in that year.

 

[Kashue]

Originally posted by ZekeMD
Everyone I've talked to seems to agree that this years applicant pool is much more competitive than previous years. My advisor seems to agree, but I am unsure. Does anyone know anything that may confirm or deny this? If it's true, I suppose that may explain my waitlists (2 schools that I thought I would get into fairly easily).

Yep, the numbers of med school applications have gone up this year compared to several years of decline.

 

[jlee9531]

well obviously...if there are more people applying for a fix number of slots into medical school then it has gotten more competitive.

every year kids emphasize how important it is to get the grades and the scores. they try harder and harder to achieve those numbers which is why everyone new that comes on here asking about their chances are concerned with their numbers even though they are good. (obviously there are some trolls as well).

more competitive numbers wise...not sure if that means that the applicant pool is better tho.

 

[TheFlash]

More than an increase in the base number of applicants, I think the primary reason that each cycle is more competitive is that each applicant applies to more schools every year. Look at GW, with 10,000+ applications, about 1 in 3 applicants has applied there! At most of the schools I've interviewed at, they've said that, "This is a record-breaking year in the number of our applications." But the number of applicants this year is still less than a few years ago in the '90's, so the only explanation is that back then people didn't apply to as many schools as they do today.

Especially very competitive applicants applying to 15+ schools. This leads to the competitive applicant holding a ton of acceptances and making the application cycle tougher for the rest of the applicant pool. In the end though each applicant can only hold one. So does that mean heavy waitlist movement this year after May 15th? I dunno, we'll see.

tf

 

[ZekeMD]

Bump Bumpity Bump Bump

 

[camstah]

Originally posted by TheFlash
In the end though each applicant can only hold one. So does that mean heavy waitlist movement this year after May 15th? I dunno, we'll see.

tf

this makes it sound like appyling to medical school is like being in the movie highlander....in the end, there can be only one...... everyone else gets their heads chopped off...maybe it's not so different really?

 

[edik]

Originally posted by camstah
this makes it sound like appyling to medical school is like being in the movie highlander....in the end, there can be only one...... everyone else gets their heads chopped off...maybe it's not so different really?

Oh but there is a difference. We are not immortal. There is only so many times you can reapply before getting old...

 

[verbalassasin]

How would anyone know if this year is more competitive than previous years. No statistics have been released yet. Maybe there are actually less applicants then before that is why schools are taking a very thurough look at each individual applicant. Who knows. It is way to early to tell.

 

[Jalby]

The number of applications for medical schools increased 5% this year compared to last, so yes, it is more competative.

 

[zinjanthropus]

Originally posted by verbalassasin
How would anyone know if this year is more competitive than previous years. No statistics have been released yet. Maybe there are actually less applicants then before that is why schools are taking a very thurough look at each individual applicant. Who knows. It is way to early to tell.

some statistics have indeed been released and they are available here
http://www.aamc.org/data/facts/2003/2003slr.htm

 

[Disenchanted 1]

Sorry I am not trying to sound condescending or anything but I really think you should be thankful and I am sure you will get at least one and most likely several acceptances. For me its harder to sympathize with this because I have seen so many of my intelligent, hardworking, and truly motivated friends not even get one interview and it is as heartbreaking for me to see them go through it as I am sure it is for them. There are plenty of people I know who have fallen flat on their face even though they also thought that they would get into at least one of their top preferred schools. Just be thankful for what you have because so many people would die to be in your position. I hope you dont take offense to this....I just meant to make you realize that you are very fortunate and I hope and pray you get into your preferred schools !!