TMDSAS Schools non-rolling?

[Alexander99]

I have a question about the advantages of interviewing early (if any) at Texas schools. Specifically, I have an interview invite to UT Southwestern and I can choose to go either in 2 weeks or all the way in January.

If Texas schools ran on a strictly rolling basis like most other schools do, it'd be a no-brainer and I'd fork out the money to go in 2 weeks. But from what I read on the TMDSAS website, sometime between January 15 to Feb 1, the TX schools submit a finalized ranking of their applicants (known as the medical school matching program.)

So it seems to me there's no difference in interviewing this month or January since the schools don't rank their applicants until mid January anyway. Also, no decisions are announced until Feb 1 so it's not as if applying early will lead to an earlier decision.

The reason why I'm debating going in January is I've applied to 3 other TX schools and if I get other interviews, I want to be able to combine trips to save money, which I don't have much of. Your thoughts are appreciated as usual.

Alexander

The TMDSAS match program url is:

http://www.utsystem.edu/tmdsas/ey03_appinfo/acceptances/matching.htm

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[ndi_amaka]

I'd get it over with as soon as possible. I had a friend 2 years ago that had an interview really late at a Tx med school and her friend died so she felt she needed to reschedule at the last minute. Since it was so late they couldn't accomadate her and she went to the interview anyway and felt that she bombed it.

Anyway, the lesson is that you should schedule earlier than later in case things happen and you have to push it back. Just gives you extra cushioning time.

 

[Alexander99]

So one person says the advantage in applying early to TX schools is that you give yourself time in case something comes up and you need to reschedule. In other words, interviewing early doesn't directly affect your chances of admissions. Anyone else have any insight? (If you are going to state that interviewing early helps you get in, I'd like specific reasons why because the evidence seems to indicate it doesn't really matter when you interview, at least in TX.)

 

[TexasRose]

We've been told on the interview circuit that there is no advantage to interviewing early. Everyone gets thrown in the proverbial pile and ranked in mid January. Match day is Feb 1st.

Your biggest obstacle is being out-of-state. TX schools are only allowed to take 10% of their class from OOS. UTSW is the one that takes as many as they can, I believe.

Good luck! You'll like UTSW, great program and good interview day.

Theresa

 

[Alexander99]

Thanks for the info Theresa. According to MSAR, 360 out of state students applied to that school last year, 82 were interviewed, and 27 matriculated.

I think going by those numbers, since I've made it to the interview stage already, my chances of getting in are about the same as those for TX residents. I keep hearing how TX schools show out of state applicants no respect but I don't believe the hype anymore.

 

[lowbudget]

Typically being invited early in Texas is a good sign and being invited late is a bit more challenging. I would interview early if possible so that you're not stereotyped as being "invited late" despite getting your invitation early. Plus, the later the interview, the more tired you and your interviewer are of the whole damned process anyways, making the actual interview a bit lack luster. You're right that spots aren't finalized until late and everyone finds out on the same day on Match Day, but I find it hard to believe that when committees see an awesome candidate that they don't say to each to other, "hey, we need to save a spot for this kid."

Fork out the money if you're serious about UTSW. A lot of people are, so it would suck if you forked it out and your heart's not into it.

 

[Gleevec]

At UTSW they said the earlier you interview the better your chances of getting in.

This could mean many things though:

1. We interview high-priority candidates first

2. We accepted more people who interview early (accept = rank higher initially)

3. or some combination of the above two.

 

[Alexander99]

Originally posted by Gleevec
At UTSW they said the earlier you interview the better your chances of getting in.

When you say "at UTSW," do you mean this is what they told you at the interview? I'm always careful as to the source of information. I know a good 50% of more of the stuff people say is sometimes just a rumor and nothing more. The whole you have no chance to get interviewed if you don't live in TX or have family there is obviously a rumor. I have no ties to there whatsoever.

 

[Gleevec]

Originally posted by Alexander99
When you say "at UTSW," do you mean this is what they told you at the interview? I'm always careful as to the source of information. I know a good 50% of more of the stuff people say is sometimes just a rumor and nothing more. The whole you have no chance to get interviewed if you don't live in TX or have family there is obviously a rumor. I have no ties to there whatsoever.

Haha of course I mean that "at UTSW" means at the interview. Other people on SDN heard similar things as well from the students, deans at lunch, etc.

Whoever told you that you wont get interviewed for UTSW out of state is wrong. Of any of the TMDSAS schools, UTSW is the most likely to interview an out of stater.

 

[Megalofyia]

I thought that the idea of the earlier the interview the better applied to all the Texas schools.

 

[Gleevec]

Originally posted by Megalofyia
I thought that the idea of the earlier the interview the better applied to all the Texas schools.

Probably, but I can only speak with relative certainty about UTSW.

 

[Tone2002]

Originally posted by Megalofyia
I thought that the idea of the earlier the interview the better applied to all the Texas schools.

I believe it does. My interviewer specifically said its better to get the interview earlier, so you won't be fighting for the last available seats. Once you are presented to the committee by your interviewer, I think its pretty much set where you are ranked at.

 

[Alexander99]

Originally posted by Tone2002
I believe it does. My interviewer specifically said its better to get the interview earlier, so you won't be fighting for the last available seats. Once you are presented to the committee by your interviewer, I think its pretty much set where you are ranked at.

You seem to contradict yourself here. If you are presented to the adcom by your interviewer, they'll rank you somewhere on the list, right? What's to keep someone interviewing on the last possible day to end up being ranked very high on the list?

In other words, the idea of a ranking is that each applicant is given some type of rating and there is eventually a list that's created based on those ratings. As long as you can get a good rating, you can be ranked high enough on that list to get an acceptance regardless of when you interviewed. The opposite would be true. You can interview on the first day but if everyone who interviewed after you ends up rated higher, you'll be ranked too low to be accepted.

 

[Gleevec]

As I said earlier, there are two factors at play here in earlier applicants getting a greater benefit from the TMDSAS (non-rolling) schools.

I can only speak for UTSW, as they were the only school that mentioned that earlier is better.

In any case, its as likely that the stronger applicants are interviewed earlier in the cycle as it is that they are somehow given a boon in the rankings by interviewing early. I dont think there is any good way to seperate these variables based on the data we have or what were told at interviews however.

 

[OrthoFixation]

Originally posted by Alexander99
Thanks for the info Theresa. According to MSAR, 360 out of state students applied to that school last year, 82 were interviewed, and 27 matriculated.

I think going by those numbers, since I've made it to the interview stage already, my chances of getting in are about the same as those for TX residents. I keep hearing how TX schools show out of state applicants no respect but I don't believe the hype anymore.

Approximately 50% of in-state applicants matriculate to Texas schools. So yes, it does matter.

 

[HollyJ]

Seriously, Alexander99, it sounds like you've already made up your mind here. If you want to interview later, interview later.

I agree with Gleevec, though. Yes, it is possible to get in no matter when you interview. However, earlier interviews do give you an advantage. Those two things really aren't contradictory.