WAMC on receiving IIs after a month of silence (3.96/514)

[CarbFan]

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Hello everyone, thank you for stopping by to take a look at my post 😀. In short, I received 4 IIs in November within one week, and since then have heard nothing from any of the other 28 schools I submitted secondaries to. Do you think I will get anymore later in December, in the coming months? If these are my four options I want to begin writing a letter of interest for my top three. But, I am just a bit worried and looking for clarification from others who have a bit more knowledge on the application process. Many say that only a few IIs are sent out past December. I am willing to provide any needed information. Thank you!

1. URM w/ cGPA and sGPA both @ 3.96 Psych major (interested in psychiatry, went down psychopathology, physio, and pharmacology route)
2. MCAT
   1. 1st attempt 499 (126/124/124/125) 2023
   2. 2nd attempt 514 (129/127/129/129) 2024 (applied one year after graduation)
3. Clinical experience (at time of application, paid): 2k+ in a position similar to CNA, 600 hours in ophthalmology (now 1.6k) ~ 3k total at time of app
4. Research: 1,200hrs, basic RA no pubs. Bench bio + psychological research.
5. Shadowing: 50hrs in ophthalmology subspecialty
6. Volunteering: Food bank for underserved community, 120hrs
7. STEM tutoring and non-stem TA: 750 hours
8. Campus leadership: Club president, VP of a different org, and 2k hours working fastfood - raised thousands for our local children's hospital
9. Relevant honors or awards: scholarship, magna cum laude, and poster presentation
10. Spanish level: Intermediate (4 on AP exam)
11. Due to financial constraints, application and secondaries a bit later than traditionally recommended. Submitted July, approved August, and submitted secondaries September through October (Paying every few with each check lol) 32 schools in total
    
    Excuse the random caps or funny names, from my personal tracker.

12. Albany Medical College
    Brown
    Columbia
    Cornell
    Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine
    Duke University School of Medicine
    Eastern Virginia
    George Washington
    Harvard Medical School
    Icahn SOM
    Johns Hopkins
    Kaiser
    Mayo Clinic	II
    Northwestern Feinberg
    NYU LONG ISLAND
    Oakland University William Beaumont (OUWB) School of Medicine
    Ohio State University
    Penn State
    UPENN
    Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
    Saint Louis University	II
    Sidney Kimmel at Thomas Jefferson
    Stanford	R
    Tufts
    UC Davis
    UC Irvine
    UC San Diego
    UCSF
    University of Arizona -Phoenix
    University of Cincinnati College of Medicine	II
    University of Rochester
    University of Southern Florida Morsani
    USC KECK	II
    Vanderbilt
    Yale

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Welcome to the forums. A school list with decisions be helpful. I would focus on the 4 interviews you have. No news since your interviews?

 

[LindaAccepted]

Hello everyone, thank you for stopping by to take a look at my post 😀. In short, I received 4 IIs in November within one week, and since then have heard nothing from any of the other 28 schools I submitted secondaries to. Do you think I will get anymore later in December, in the coming months? If these are my four options I want to begin writing a letter of interest for my top three. But, I am just a bit worried and looking for clarification from others who have a bit more knowledge on the application process. Many say that only a few IIs are sent out past December. I am willing to provide any needed information. Thank you!

1. URM w/ cGPA and sGPA both @ 3.96 Psych major (interested in psychiatry, went down psychopathology, physio, and pharmacology route)
2. MCAT
   1. 1st attempt 499 (126/124/124/125) 2023
   2. 2nd attempt 514 (129/127/129/129) 2024 (applied one year after graduation)
3. Clinical experience (at time of application, paid): 2k+ in a position similar to CNA, 600 hours in ophthalmology (now 1.6k) ~ 3k total at time of app
4. Research: 1,200hrs, basic RA no pubs. Bench bio + psychological research.
5. Shadowing: 50hrs in ophthalmology subspecialty
6. Volunteering: Food bank for underserved community, 120hrs
7. STEM tutoring and non-stem TA: 750 hours
8. Campus leadership: Club president, VP of a different org, and 2k hours working fastfood - raised thousands for our local children's hospital
9. Relevant honors or awards: scholarship, magna cum laude, and poster presentation
10. Spanish level: Intermediate (4 on AP exam)
11. Due to financial constraints, application and secondaries a bit later than traditionally recommended. Submitted July, approved August, and submitted secondaries September through October (Paying every few with each check lol) 32 schools in total
    
    Excuse the random caps or funny names, from my personal tracker.

12. Albany Medical College
    Brown
    Columbia
    Cornell
    Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine
    Duke University School of Medicine
    Eastern Virginia
    George Washington
    Harvard Medical School
    Icahn SOM
    Johns Hopkins
    Kaiser
    Mayo Clinic	II
    Northwestern Feinberg
    NYU LONG ISLAND
    Oakland University William Beaumont (OUWB) School of Medicine
    Ohio State University
    Penn State
    UPENN
    Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
    Saint Louis University	II
    Sideny Kimmel at Thomas Jefferson
    Stanford	R
    Tufts
    UC Davis
    UC Irvine
    UC San Diego
    UCSF
    Univeristy of Arizona -Phoenix
    University of Cincinnati College of Medicinee	II
    University of Rochester
    University of Southern Florida Morsani
    USC KECK	II
    Vanderbilt
    Yale

Which schools did your come interviews from?
Most schools continue to send out II's through January and February and a few into March. So you could still hear from the 28 that you haven't yet heard from.

Regarding updates to the schools, for those schools that want updates, do send them in. If they don't want it, don't send it. If all four of the interviewing schools are open to updates, then send all 4. Don't just send 3 unless you would refuse to attend the fourth school even if it's the only one to admit you. IOW, you can't be choosy until you have an acceptance in hand.

 

[CarbFan]

Thanks! I added a table on my original post with school list and decisions so far, I can copy it below. I have had two interviews so far, one releases decisions in feb, and the other I'll hear back in 6 weeks. I have one next week, and one in January. II = interview invite, R = rejection, and the rest are blank as they have not come to any decisions yet.

1. Albany Medical College
   Brown
   Columbia
   Cornell
   Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine
   Duke University School of Medicine
   Eastern Virginia
   George Washington
   Harvard Medical School
   Icahn SOM
   Johns Hopkins
   Kaiser
   Mayo Clinic	II
   Northwestern Feinberg
   NYU LONG ISLAND
   Oakland University William Beaumont (OUWB) School of Medicine
   Ohio State University
   Penn State
   UPENN
   Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
   Saint Louis University	II
   Sidney Kimmel at Thomas Jefferson
   Stanford	R
   Tufts
   UC Davis
   UC Irvine
   UC San Diego
   UCSF
   University of Arizona -Phoenix
   University of Cincinnati College of Medicine	II
   University of Rochester
   University of Southern Florida Morsani
   USC KECK	II
   Vanderbilt
   Yale

 

[CarbFan]

Which schools did your come interviews from?
Most schools continue to send out II's through January and February and a few into March. So you could still hear from the 28 that you haven't yet heard from.

Regarding updates to the schools, for those schools that want updates, do send them in. If they don't want it, don't send it. If all for of the interviewing schools are open to updates, then send all 4. Don't just send 3 unless you would refuse to attend fourth school even if it's the only one to admit you. IOW, you can't be choose until you have an acceptance in hand.

Mayo, USC, University of Cincinnati, and Saint Louis thankfully gave me interviews.

Sure thing, I know Mayo likes update letters, not sure what to include as I am just continuing what I have already on my app. Is there any information on SDN where I can learn how to structure LOIs? Thanks for the reply!

 

[Mr.Smile12]

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[LindaAccepted]

Mayo, USC, University of Cincinnati, and Saint Louis thankfully gave me interviews.

Sure thing, I know Mayo likes update letters, not sure what to include as I am just continuing what I have already on my app. Is there any information on SDN where I can learn how to structure LOIs? Thanks for the reply!

Sorry I missed the table in your post. I simply didn't see the results column.

In any case, I do think your list is a little top-heavy. Schools like Yale, Harvard, Stanford, JH were probably a little too ambitious, but you did get the II from Mayo and that's great and frankly, I would have included Mayo in that too ambitious list if you hadn't already gotten an II from it.

@Mr.Smile12 can direct you to the best resources on SDN. My suggestions for material to include in updates would be promotions, new pubs, new initiatives (paid or volunteer), new jobs, great grades, a new MCAT (but yours is fine now.) and occasionally a relevant new insight from a recent interaction with a student or recent alum from the school you are sending an update too. I would not send an LOI to three schools because obviously if you are accepted to all 3, you won't attend all 3 and those have very little credibility anyway. I'd focus on events or developments that have made you a stronger candidate and/or allow you to show greater alignment with the school's mission and values