Updates necessary for Re-applying

[lazygun247]

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Hello Everyone,

I am applied last season, but did not get in anywhere. I am re-applying this year, but not much has changed. By not much I mean there wasn't anything drastic. I fixed some of my grades by re-taking some courses, and I added some new activities, but nothing that would replace a "meaningful experience".
Does anyone have any advice in terms of what I should change on my application this year? I am re-writing my personal statement, but as I was preparing for submission this past week, it feels like almost everything else is the same. Am I doing something wrong?

THanks

 

[Slickyfats]

Hello Everyone,

I am applied last season, but did not get in anywhere. I am re-applying this year, but not much has changed. By not much I mean there wasn't anything drastic. I fixed some of my grades by re-taking some courses, and I added some new activities, but nothing that would replace a "meaningful experience".
Does anyone have any advice in terms of what I should change on my application this year? I am re-writing my personal statement, but as I was preparing for submission this past week, it feels like almost everything else is the same. Am I doing something wrong?

THanks

Think harder. Something else had to have changed besides fixing grades. Continued work with EC's, MORE volunteer hours, work experiences over the last year.

If none of that changed, its going to look strange.

 

[NeuroSpeare]

Hello Everyone,

I am applied last season, but did not get in anywhere. I am re-applying this year, but not much has changed. By not much I mean there wasn't anything drastic. I fixed some of my grades by re-taking some courses, and I added some new activities, but nothing that would replace a "meaningful experience".
Does anyone have any advice in terms of what I should change on my application this year? I am re-writing my personal statement, but as I was preparing for submission this past week, it feels like almost everything else is the same. Am I doing something wrong?

THanks

It depends on your assessment of the strength's and weaknesses of your application. Why do you think you had an unsuccessful cycle? Poor GPA? Low MCAT? No clinical exposure? etc. Until you figure out where you went wrong, you can't go about making the necessary changes to solve the problem.

I'm also reapplying this cycle. I took a hard look at my application. I asked for advisement from schools that rejected me. I took all of that blunt, no-nonsense critique and applied it. I got involved in more volunteering, got a new letter of recommendation, and enrolled in an SMP for the next year. These address MY weaknesses, mind you, but that's the process.

As for what you can do now, rewriting your personal statement isn't a bad idea. But I really do recommend cracking open your application and really looking at what held you back. Good luck.

 

[lazygun247]

Thanks guys. Yes I actually have. I believe my major weaknesses were quite varied. I had plenty of volunteer experiences and my GPA is ~3.5 with a MCAT of 34
-I retook an important class that I failed previously.
-I am retaking my MCAT (yes, I am aware it is sufficient at the moment, but it doesn't hurt to re-take if I know I can do better. I have only taken it once before)
-I joined the American Red Cross and participated quite a bit during the disasters with the North Eastern storms (Sandy, followed by the snowstorm)
-I joined the Fire Department as an EMT
-I obtained more shadowing experiences with doctors at my local hospital
-I increased my hospital volunteer hours by ~75hrs (not involved in shadowing)
-I joined a research lab and will aim for a first author publication by the September or October.
-I obtained one more strong recommendation

That pretty much sums up what I changed or increased since the last application season. However, it feels like I haven't done enough. As I am re-doing my application now, it feels like everything is still the same. These changes maybe represent at most 5-10% of my application.

Also, I feel like writing about my bad grades and bad GPA is like self-implicating myself. Should I avoid that or should I try to explain my bad grades or whatever I was lacking somewhere in my application? If so, any advice as to where?


Thanks

 

[Noggin]

Thanks guys. Yes I actually have. I believe my major weaknesses were quite varied. I had plenty of volunteer experiences and my GPA is ~3.5 with a MCAT of 34
-I retook an important class that I failed previously.
-I am retaking my MCAT (yes, I am aware it is sufficient at the moment, but it doesn't hurt to re-take if I know I can do better. I have only taken it once before)
-I joined the American Red Cross and participated quite a bit during the disasters with the North Eastern storms (Sandy, followed by the snowstorm)
-I joined the Fire Department as an EMT
-I obtained more shadowing experiences with doctors at my local hospital
-I increased my hospital volunteer hours by ~75hrs (not involved in shadowing)
-I joined a research lab and will aim for a first author publication by the September or October.
-I obtained one more strong recommendation

That pretty much sums up what I changed or increased since the last application season. However, it feels like I haven't done enough. As I am re-doing my application now, it feels like everything is still the same. These changes maybe represent at most 5-10% of my application.

Also, I feel like writing about my bad grades and bad GPA is like self-implicating myself. Should I avoid that or should I try to explain my bad grades or whatever I was lacking somewhere in my application? If so, any advice as to where?


Thanks

Did you apply late or did you not apply broadly enough? Those reasons in itself could be why you had an unsuccessful cycle.

 

[lazygun247]

Did you apply late or did you not apply broadly enough? Those reasons in itself could be why you had an unsuccessful cycle.

Yea. I submitted my primary at the beginning of August and did not finish my secondaries until november. I feel that was one of the primary reasons. However, I also think that my failing grade was very important as it is in a science class, hence the reason I retook it.

 

[Mt Kilimanjaro]

Don't retake a 34.

 

[Slickyfats]

Yea. I submitted my primary at the beginning of August and did not finish my secondaries until november. I feel that was one of the primary reasons. However, I also think that my failing grade was very important as it is in a science class, hence the reason I retook it.

What about your school list?

Honestly I wouldn't retake your MCAT. You MIGHT be able to do better, but you've already done really ****ing well. If by some strange twist of fate you do WORSE its going to look bad

 

[sinombre]

Don't retake a 34.

+1

Terrible idea

 

[lazygun247]

My school list wasn't that low-tier but my MCAT was near the average for the majority of the schools I applied to. I think my grade had a big factor as that likely generated a fear that I couldn't handle medical school. Again I did retake that course, but in order to balance out my low GPA, I feel i need a stronger MCAT.

I applied last season to a lot of school of all tiers and I didn't got only 1 interview. I feel like there is something majorly wrong, but no school wants to tell me what. I feel like it is the failing grade and one or two C's in biochemistry courses.
T_T

 

[487806]

Yea. I submitted my primary at the beginning of August and did not finish my secondaries until november. I feel that was one of the primary reasons. However, I also think that my failing grade was very important as it is in a science class, hence the reason I retook it.

Ouch. You're right. This is the main reason you were unsuccessful. Also, don't retake a 34.

 

[lazygun247]

Ouch. You're right. This is the main reason you were unsuccessful. Also, don't retake a 34.

Ahh. I did suspect this. Thanks

 

[487806]

Ahh. I did suspect this. Thanks

The best approach is submit your primary in June and submit the secondaries by July (or early August at the latest). Many medical schools are on rolling basis, so lots of interviews are given in August/September with acceptances given out in October.

 

[lazygun247]

The best approach is submit your primary in June and submit the secondaries by July (or early August at the latest). Many medical schools are on rolling basis, so lots of interviews are given in August/September with acceptances given out in October.

How early would you say you should submit primary? First day? First week? Etc... Is there differences between submitting within first 2 weeks?

 

[487806]

How early would you say you should submit primary? First day? First week? Etc... Is there differences between submitting within first 2 weeks?

It doesn't matter when you submit your primary in June since schools won't see it until the end of June. It's better to submit a thorough, well-written primary on late June/early July as opposed to submitting a fast primary in the first week of June.

 

[lazygun247]

kk ty

 

[chillaxbro]

This is my biggest fear about reapplying this year
I don't have any new activities, just more hours of doing the same things. By the time I get interviews, I may have a job working in a health setting which I think would be a big boost
Should I hold off submitting my AMCAS so I can include it in my activities?

 

[lazygun247]

Kind of my situation, but I guess I had a few more updates than you, but it certainly doesn't feel like anything.

Well for me, I improved a lot of the things I did and did a lot of new things. It feels like nothing, but I wanted to see what everyone else thought.

For you, it may be a bit worse. You should try and find out or figure out why you didn't get in last year and try and fix that. If you are doing extracurriculars when your weakness is in your writing or grades, it doesn't help you to do more of them or getting a job (Don't get me wrong, it won't hurt you either to do them, and it will make you look better in the sense that they will see you are at least trying). Call or email the schools. See if you can figure out what is wrong, then see if you can improve on it for this season, if not, then perhaps hold off for a year.

I would suggest you look for a research position (volunteer or paid, but paid usually requires connections or luck). It can help tremendously with a publication and an additional strong recommendation. Grades are harder to improve, but still possible (master's degree or post bac). And of course, there are many other improvements you can try and make depending on your weakness

 

[Nanoo]

I also agree that your unsuccessful cycle was due to submitting your primary/secondaries so late- I had a similarly late and unsuccessful cycle last year as well....I'm aiming to submit my primaries within a week of applications opening to avoid making the same mistake

 

[BecksTriad]

I'm also reapplying this cycle. I took a hard look at my application. I asked for advisement from schools that rejected me. I took all of that blunt, no-nonsense critique and applied it. I got involved in more volunteering, got a new letter of recommendation, and enrolled in an SMP for the next year.

I feel like most schools say don't call them for feedback 🙁. did you just call/email every school that rejected you? or only certain ones