Unusual Disposition

[Posture]

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Hello Everyone,

I am shocked by this unfortunate adcom decision. Last cycle, I applied to MD programs (~18) last year w/ 33(10PS,11V,12BS) and 3.7 GPA(both). I received two interviews that resulted in one WL and 1 outright rejection.

I re-applied this cycle to the school that WL'd me, and I was rejected pre-interview. It seems as though I was adequate last cycle, but there was simply not enough room. This cycle, I was cast away like chopped liver.

Can anyone offer any explanation for this? I am upset, but more so, I am very confused. LizzyM, where art thou?

 

[afugazzi]

What were the schools you applied to, and what were your ECs? It is possible the school that WL you last semester thought you didn't have enough improvement in your application between last year and this year.

 

[AGLAIA]

Hello Everyone,

I am shocked by this unfortunate adcom decision. Last cycle, I applied to MD programs (~18) last year w/ 33(10PS,11V,12BS) and 3.7 GPA(both). I received two interviews that resulted in one WL and 1 outright rejection.

I re-applied this cycle to the school that WL'd me, and I was rejected pre-interview. It seems as though I was adequate last cycle, but there was simply not enough room. This cycle, I was cast away like chopped liver.

Can anyone offer any explanation for this? I am upset, but more so, I am very confused. LizzyM, where art thou?

Did you contact the schools after the app season last year to find out what they felt could be improved and take their advice? My guess is there was something they felt was important that went unchanged between applications. Alternatively, perhaps they did not feel that you were a personality fit after your interview last year.

 

[LizzyM]

Can you tell us what proportion of applicants like yourself (resident or non-resident) are interviewed at that school each year? A look through the MSAR puts the proportion interviewed anywhere from >50% (UMASS, instate) to 8% (U Chicago, non-resident). If it is a school that interviews <20% of applicants like yourself (instate/out of state) there is some degree of luck of being plucked from the masses of applications and being honored with an interview. Having been waitlisted last cycle is no guarantee of an interview slot in a subsequent cycle.

Have you received an offer yet this year?

 

[Posture]

Thanks for your reply. I applied broadly last year. This year I chopped off all of the top-tier schools, like cornell, yale, brown, etc. I am from the Northeast, and I only applied to Northeastern schools.

I think this may be the case. Besides a publication and finishing undergrad, I did not improve on much. My PS was a bit lame, as well.

Anyone know of similar situations? How did 3rd application turn out?

 

[Posture]

Did you contact the schools after the app season last year to find out what they felt could be improved and take their advice? My guess is there was something they felt was important that went unchanged between applications. Alternatively, perhaps they did not feel that you were a personality fit after your interview last year.

I did not contact any schools to see what I should improve. The confusing part is that I was WL'd at this school (my state school) the prior year, so they probably saw that I was a good fit.

Can you tell us what proportion of applicants like yourself (resident or non-resident) are interviewed at that school each year? A look through the MSAR puts the proportion interviewed anywhere from >50% (UMASS, instate) to 8% (U Chicago, non-resident). If it is a school that interviews <20% of applicants like yourself (instate/out of state) there is some degree of luck of being plucked from the masses of applications and being honored with an interview. Having been waitlisted last cycle is no guarantee of an interview slot in a subsequent cycle.

Have you received an offer yet this year?

I am a resident applying to my state school. They interview 50-60% of their applicants. I felt very good after my interview last year. My pre-med advisor is "shocked." I don't know...
Thanks for replying!

 

[Geneticist]

Wow. This is really scary. I'm a resident in the northeast as well and don't foresee having much better stats than those...

 

[LizzyM]

Given the school, it is surprising.... I don't know enough about how that school makes decisions regarding granting of interviews to say why you weren't tapped this year.

Did you get any interviews this cycle? Out of how many applications? Do you have any offers?

 

[Ursa]

Reapplicants are expected to show significant improvements and additions to their applications.

 

[LizzyM]

Reapplicants are expected to show significant improvements and additions to their applications.

A "waitlisted" applicant should be fully qualified for admission and therefore "significant improvements and additions" on paper may not be necessary or even possible. Sometimes the problem is the way the applicant came across in the interview (less strong than those who received straight up offers of admission) and nothing but another interview can fix that. The frustration is not getting that second interview. It is hard for me to understand why when the school is so generous in granting interviews to instate applicants.

 

[Posture]

Wow. This is really scary. I'm a resident in the northeast as well and don't foresee having much better stats than those...

Well, there is more to the application that mcat and gpa. I applied at quite young my first time apply last cycle, so maybe I just need more experiences in health care.

I found a few similar examples on sdn. Most people who consulted the admissions found that the application did not improve enough.

Oh, and I have not received any interviews, yet.

 

[Ursa]

A "waitlisted" applicant should be fully qualified for admission and therefore "significant improvements and additions" on paper may not be necessary or even possible. Sometimes the problem is the way the applicant came across in the interview (less strong than those who received straight up offers of admission) and nothing but another interview can fix that. The frustration is not getting that second interview. It is hard for me to understand why when the school is so generous in granting interviews to instate applicants.

I agree with this, but an interview is one of many variables, the rest of which are in the application themselves. That's why I generalized towards the application rather than the interview. But it is odd that OP didn't get another interview.

My SO was waitlisted at a PA school last year and was 4 spots away from getting in. This year, she didn't get an interview from them but got one at a top PA school in the nation. You just never know.

 

[wanderer]

Some schools don't or rarely reject post interview, so being waitlisted for those schools tells you very little. Also some schools seem reluctant to interview applicants two years in a row, while other schools don't care as long as your current app is decent. It's hard to read a lot into it, as you don't know about that school's particular approach. Also if you didn't get any interviews this time around I'm guessing your app wasn't too solid.

Did you reuse your personal statement the second time around?

 

[LizzyM]

There is always some luck involved which is why "apply broadly" is usually suggested as a way of increasing one's luck. Limiting applications to a single geographic region is generally NOT a good idea. I would not recommend less than 15 applications with the majority being at schools with averages close to your own gpa/MCAT.

 

[Posture]

GPA 3.7
MCAT 33
Graduated in 3 years
Third author publication 3rd year (senior year)
A few short term volunteer stints
Summer internship at Cancer Institute in Boston
(guessing) decent recommendations (did not know any recommender >1 year)
For what its worth, I have a good personality. I speak calmly, humbly, but confidently. I know most people feel positively about their own personalities, however, I am social and likable. I had great rapport with both interviewers, making them laugh appropriately. I was told by one interviewer that, unlike the majority of applicants, I come across as very sincere about my desire to become a physician.

Anyways, all that aside, as LizzyM pointed out, the frustrating and confusing aspect of the scenario is that I was found to be a satisfactory applicant. The WL at my state school is HIGHLY selective. A large portion of the class comes from this list, and in my advisors experience, 9 out of 10 applicants in my very position were accepted that cycle from the WL. This is an unusual situation. It is tough because inquiring to the adcom would yield no info.