Typically how many schools does one apply to?

[ovenmitts]

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I understand that it depends on your stats as well - but if I wanted to apply to about 25 schools, how many of those should be reaches, how many fits, and how many safeties?

 

[kickster]

I would say at least 15 fits, and then 5 each of safeties/reaches. If anything, decreasing the safeties/reaches to increase fits. Applying to 25 schools will be very expensive, though.

 

[MossyFiber]

Also wondering. Is 25 too much? Is 30 too much, especially if you have lower stats and are trying to apply broadly?

 

[alerk323]

There are only 2 limits to how many schools you apply too. Money and time. If you have the money, and have the time, apply to all 500.

Seriously though, schools don't even know how many other schools you've applied too unless you tell them, it matters not its only money and time. Ive had friends apply to over 50, get at it

 

[TheLastofUs]

What would people's advice be if you have good scores (MCAT > 38 ,GPA >3.9) technically these scores put you in range for every school, but aren't all top 20s "reaches" for everyone give the crap shoot nature of the game? I currently have 16 top 20, 2 state schools, and 2 ranked around 30-40. This is the 20 that many recommend, but it feels like 16 reaches lol.

 

[NCKSD]

What would people's advice be if you have good scores (MCAT > 38 ,GPA >3.9) technically these scores put you in range for every school, but aren't all top 20s "reaches" for everyone give the crap shoot nature of the game? I currently have 16 top 20, 2 state schools, and 2 ranked around 30-40.

Unless you're fine with possibly taking a gap year and applying again, I would add more safety schools. You can't assume you'll get into any of the top 20 schools even if you apply to 16 of them. Unless your state schools accepts 90% in state and you are for sure a shoo in, I would add more safeties or trade some top 20 spots for them.

 

[DrSolus]

Don't apply anywhere you could never see yourself going. Apply to everywhere else (time, money, and STATS allowing).

~15-22 is the middle range it seems. 2-3 should be considered "far" reach (based on stats), perhaps more if you have a few favorites/in a highly competitive location like NYC, but absolutely no more than 5 "far" reaches, imho. There are no real safeties in med school apps, only "more likely." I would say 5 "more likely" schools (where you beat avg stats), and the rest stat match schools. If there are any schools whose mission really appeals to you, apply regardless of stats.

 

[alerk323]

What would people's advice be if you have good scores (MCAT > 38 ,GPA >3.9) technically these scores put you in range for every school, but aren't all top 20s "reaches" for everyone give the crap shoot nature of the game? I currently have 16 top 20, 2 state schools, and 2 ranked around 30-40. This is the 20 that many recommend, but it feels like 16 reaches lol.

Yea definitely add 5-6 "safeties" (which will be safeties for those stats if you apply early). Lots don't have difficult secondaries so its not such a burden.

 

[Catman21]

all of them

 

[mcloaf]

What would people's advice be if you have good scores (MCAT > 38 ,GPA >3.9) technically these scores put you in range for every school, but aren't all top 20s "reaches" for everyone give the crap shoot nature of the game? I currently have 16 top 20, 2 state schools, and 2 ranked around 30-40. This is the 20 that many recommend, but it feels like 16 reaches lol.

Add to more mid tiers. You can always decline the interview offers if you don't need them.

 

[A7X]

16 top 20's is a bit much, I'd limit it 10 top 20's and 6 more mid tiers.
Unless your dead set on attending a top 20.

 

[Pacna]

Do NOT apply to only the schools you'd like to go to. If you'd grudgingly go to a school, then apply there if your stats dictate it. What I mean by that is if you have a strong application, applying to 15 schools is probably minimal. If you have a weak application, applying to 30 schools is minimal. If you already meet your minimal required amount of schools, then I wouldn't worry about adding the ones you don't really want to go to.

 

[Mt Kilimanjaro]

Depends on your personal life.

More schools if you are traditional applicant with no other considerations. Fewer if not the case.

10-15 well chosen seems like a better idea to me than shot gunning 30 schools and charging the expenses to your parents Visa.

 

[PanRoasted]

I'm personally doing about 8 reaches, 10 middle, 8 safeties. I would say you really can't apply to too many schools, unless you are strapped for time and won't be able to do all of your secondaries justice, or if you're strapped for cash, in which case you really don't have much of a choice in the matter. Also, only apply to the reaches you would REALLY want to go to. If you're attracted to a name and not much else, then it's a complete waste of a reach position on your list.

Also, for the "safeties," I picked mostly based on location. At a certain point, all medical schools are exactly the same and it'll be mostly what you put in = what you get out. Going to a top school has its advantages, but an MD is an MD. I'd rather live somewhere tolerable at a lower tier school than live somewhere intolerable at a lower tier school.

 

[DokterMom]

What would people's advice be if you have good scores (MCAT > 38 ,GPA >3.9) technically these scores put you in range for every school, but aren't all top 20s "reaches" for everyone give the crap shoot nature of the game? I currently have 16 top 20, 2 state schools, and 2 ranked around 30-40. This is the 20 that many recommend, but it feels like 16 reaches lol.

For your safeties, bear in mind that a school most people would consider a 'safety' is going to know they're not in your 'want to go to' list, and would be, in my opinion, less likely to invest their scarce interview time in you because of the low, low chance that you'll go there. With numbers like yours and good ECs, 30-50 rank schools *are* safeties. Leave the unranked safety schools for the <30 MCAT crowd ;-)

 

[Anathema]

For your safeties, bear in mind that a school most people would consider a 'safety' is going to know they're not in your 'want to go to' list, and would be, in my opinion, less likely to invest their scarce interview time in you because of the low, low chance that you'll go there. With numbers like yours and good ECs, 30-50 rank schools *are* safeties. Leave the unranked safety schools for the <30 MCAT crowd ;-)

Ha yeah seriously.

Some of the "safeties" I have aren't even safeties b/c of their bias towards IS so it's tough to choose my battles here. So far I have 26. If it were GPA/MCAT and ECs alone I'd have 11-12 as fits but about 5 of them could sway against OOS apps.

 

[NickNaylor]

For your safeties, bear in mind that a school most people would consider a 'safety' is going to know they're not in your 'want to go to' list, and would be, in my opinion, less likely to invest their scarce interview time in you because of the low, low chance that you'll go there. With numbers like yours and good ECs, 30-50 rank schools *are* safeties. Leave the unranked safety schools for the <30 MCAT crowd ;-)

Terrible advice. It is a myth that schools are going to reject you pre-interview because your stats are "too high." Schools definitely might reject you for not being a good fit or for not fitting a school's mission, but you aren't going to be rejected from Meharry, for example, for getting a 40+ on the MCAT. That's ridiculous.

Sent from my SGH-M919

 

[shawshank613]

When you guys are classifying reach, fit, and safeties, do you think the cGPA or sGPA is more important?

Do you compare the GPA and MCAT to the median provided by the MSAR or by the average?

If one of your numbers is below the 10 percentile mark, is it still worth applying there as a reach school?

 

[NickNaylor]

When you guys are classifying reach, fit, and safeties, do you think the cGPA or sGPA is more important?

Do you compare the GPA and MCAT to the median provided by the MSAR or by the average?

If one of your numbers is below the 10 percentile mark, is it still worth applying there as a reach school?

1) I would say cGPA but this likely varies.

2) Use the median.

3) Depends on your resources. If you're not hurting for money, then definitely go for it. After all, averages are just averages. Just set your expectations accordingly.

Sent from my SGH-M919

 

[TheLastofUs]

Terrible advice. It is a myth that schools are going to reject you pre-interview because your stats are "too high." Schools definitely might reject you for not being a good fit or for not fitting a school's mission, but you aren't going to be rejected from Meharry, for example, for getting a 40+ on the MCAT. That's ridiculous.

Sent from my SGH-M919

That is good to know. What do you classify as a reach, fit, and safety? Is it based off GPA/MCAT and if you are around or above the median it is a fit?

My biggest issue I guess is calling any top 20 university a fit, since they get boat loads of people with stats at or above their medians

 

[circulus vitios]

That is good to know. What do you classify as a reach, fit, and safety? Is it based off GPA/MCAT and if you are around or above the median it is a fit?

My biggest issue I guess is calling any top 20 university a fit, since they get boat loads of people with stats at or above their medians

No, they get exactly half of their people with stats above the median and exactly half of their people with stats below the median.

 

[Propylene]

That is good to know. What do you classify as a reach, fit, and safety? Is it based off GPA/MCAT and if you are around or above the median it is a fit?

My biggest issue I guess is calling any top 20 university a fit, since they get boat loads of people with stats at or above their medians

"Fit" also indicates you would get along well with the general culture of the school. Ie, more interested in research, more laid back, more serious etc. A good starting point for this is looking at the mission statements of the different schools.

 

[tewpac]

OP, I found this thread really helpful when thinking about how many schools to apply to.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=374646

 

[MossyFiber]

OP, I found this thread really helpful when thinking about how many schools to apply to.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=374646

Glorious.

 

[reviliver]

Yes, apply to at least 20 schools if your stats are low/middling.

BUT don't underestimate the time factor. Secondaries can be seriously time consuming and don't always overlap, content-wise. If you are going to have a demanding job/school schedule in the summer/fall when you will be filling out the secondaries, take that into account. It sucks pretty hard to shell out the $ to submit your primary to a school and then blow the secondary (even more money!) or not complete it all. 30 secondaries is a lot, and it's possible that they will all come within 1 month of each other. Better to find schools that are a good fit (based on location, mission of the school, AND stats) and stick to fewer than send primaries everywhere and then narrow it down later based on how crazy little time you have.