"too good" = Pre-Interview Rejections

[Juice42]

I was wondering if "non-top" schools that get a large number of applicants tend to reject "over-qualified" students because the school thinks that the student will not attend even if accepted.

Is this known to happen, or are the individual cases I've seen the large random element?

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[Lshapley]

It is known to happen. There are many posts regarding this. It just comes down to economics for the schools. I don't know that stats, but I wouldn't be surprised if this was more prevalent in cities where there are multiple med schools, so that applying to a school for geographic location would be nullified. Perhaps schools like BU, Drexel, and NYMC may be more likely to do this since they have "higher tier" schools only a couple miles away. It costs money and time to interview a student, so they likely are trying to do it wisely.

 

[jebus]

I was wondering if "non-top" schools that get a large number of applicants tend to reject "over-qualified" students because the school thinks that the student will not attend even if accepted.

Is this known to happen, or are the individual cases I've seen the large random element?

Ha ha ha ha ha!
You can think whatever you want to help get you through the day, honey.

 

[aaj117]

Schools don't reject applicants for being "too good", they reject them for not being a good fit. If you have a 40, 4.0, and are clearly interested in biochemical research, have no interest in public or global health, no ties to an underserved community, and you apply to a school who has average lower stats and a mission statement to help get medicine to underserved and international communities, you are going to get rejected. If it is clear that your intentions and interests don't match with that school's, then it isn't going to happen, they know you're using them as a backup and wouldn't really go there not just because of your stats but because of who you are. If you applied to GW with perfect stats but were able to convince them through your past activities, essays, and LORs that your main interests lie in public health and global research and you want to work with the world health organization in DC and believe that GW would best suit your needs to do so, they won't reject you just because your numbers are high. That's what people say to make themselves feel better about getting rejected from these schools even though they clearly weren't tailored for them. You really have to know how to play the game and pick schools that are appropriate for you as a person to be applying to, not you as a set of numbers.

 

[postbacker]

Schools don't reject applicants for being "too good", they reject them for not being a good fit. If you have a 40, 4.0, and are clearly interested in biochemical research, have no interest in public or global health, no ties to an underserved community, and you apply to a school who has average lower stats and a mission statement to help get medicine to underserved and international communities, you are going to get rejected. If it is clear that your intentions and interests don't match with that school's, then it isn't going to happen, they know you're using them as a backup and wouldn't really go there not just because of your stats but because of who you are. If you applied to GW with perfect stats but were able to convince them through your past activities, essays, and LORs that your main interests lie in public health and global research and you want to work with the world health organization in DC and believe that GW would best suit your needs to do so, they won't reject you just because your numbers are high. That's what people say to make themselves feel better about getting rejected from these schools even though they clearly weren't tailored for them. You really have to know how to play the game and pick schools that are appropriate for you as a person to be applying to, not you as a set of numbers.

There will always be inexplicable rejections, but this post surely covers 95 percent of the "high stat" rejections at mid tier schools...

 

[Juice42]

Ha ha ha ha ha!
You can think whatever you want to help get you through the day, honey.

So buttercup -- I was just wondering since I've noticed a lot of people on this forum get rejected from "lower" tier schools, and get invites at "higher" tiers who have great stats.

And yes, I understand the fit argument.

Just curious.

 

[hermit]

This does happen. One of SDN's adcom posters commented on this recently. In a nutshell, a school does the best it can to minimize the ratio between acceptances granted and students attending. It looks bad for them when they have to make 600 offers to fill a class of 150. Stats like these essentially announce to the country that they are America's "safety school."

 

[bellacnella]

Here what I think:

People also need to "get over themselves" just a tad bit. What does it mean to be "over-qualified"? Are you referring simply to someone's scores or to their EC's as well? I thought you were either qualified or not. I might be wrong about this though...

I mean there are so many people out there with high numbers, so I don't understand why it is so surprising that a lot of people with high stats are being rejected. Someone HAS to be rejected. I was rejected from a school where other people with lower stats than me got interviewed. I can see now that the school was not a good fit for what I wrote in my personal statement, etc. Sometimes it really is about the fit of the school. Really. Or maybe I wasn't what they were looking for in some other way. Whatevs.

Maybe some schools do have some sort of algorithm for taking a certain # of people in a certain range. But does this mean you got rejected for being "too good?" I think the sheer # of people applying is the main reason why qualified people are being rejected.

Also, I am sure some schools do consider whether you would be likely to matriculate at the school. Anyone who doesn't think this is so is lying to themselves. Some schools have a hard time getting accepted students with multiple options to marticulate because their location is undesireable. If a school looks at your file and you don't seem to be a good fit (as they judge from your EC, personal statement and secondary) + they think you'll go somewhere else = rejection or a verrrrrry long hold. School are not interested in being someone's backup plan so you must be a good fit for them to want you and grades are not always the deciding factor.

 

[Juice42]

Here what I think:

People also need to "get over themselves" just a tad bit. What does it mean to be "over-qualified"? Are you referring simply to someone's scores or to their EC's as well? I thought you were either qualified or not. I might be wrong about this though...

When people get interviews at Yale, Columbia, and HMS but get rejected flat out at BU -- this may be a case where BU thought there was no way in hell the student would attend.

Maybe some schools do have some sort of algorithm for taking a certain # of people in a certain range. But does this mean you got rejected for being "too good?" I think the sheer # of people applying is the main reason why qualified people are being rejected.

I agree. Every School can not interview their top 500 students. Then, a small number of people would get accepted in the country leaving many spots in med school unfilled.

Also, I am sure some schools do consider whether you would be likely to matriculate at the school. Anyone who doesn't think this is so is lying to themselves. Some schools have a hard time getting accepted students with multiple options to marticulate because their location is undesireable. If a school looks at your file and you don't seem to be a good fit (as they judge from your EC, personal statement and secondary) + they think you'll go somewhere else = rejection or a verrrrrry long hold. School are not interested in being someone's backup plan so you must be a good fit for them to want you and grades are not always the deciding factor.

This is my point I am trying to make.

2 students with simialr great EC's, personal statements, etc but one has a 4.0/40 and the other 3.7/32 at a "lower" tier school, I'd imagine that the 3.7/32 is more likely yo get an interview, unless the 4/40 has strong ties.


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Anyone things schools in teh same geographic area talk to eachother?