WedgeDawg's Calculator and School List Discrepancies? Confused!

[deleted1140957]

Hello everyone,

After looking for a school list based on my stats many people recommended many DO schools and low-tier MD schools. However, based on WedgeDawg's applicant rating system I should be applying to category 2 (high) schools such as Michigan, UCLA, Cornell, Mayo, etc. and category 3 schools (mid) UVA, Keck, Dartmouth, Einstein, etc.

What's up with the difference? I'm having a hard time making a school list based on these discrepancies. WedgeDawg's system seems to be the best from what I've read and used (especially from my low gpa high MCAT). Can anyone give some insight into this? Should I make a school list off WedgeDawg's system?

Thanks!

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[SooConfused]

I used a combination of the system plus common sense. SDN recommendations are certainly not the be-all. Neither is WARS.

WARS is a very clever system that goes far beyond LizzyM by incorporating the holistic elements that school use in evaluating applications. The problem with WARS is the same "garbage in - garbage out" issue that any algorithm has. The weakness is the inherently subjective numerical values we assign to our experiences. Unless you have experience on an adcom, you really have no way to know how your research, clinical, volunteering, etc. will be viewed until after you have gone through a cycle.

My advice is to use WARS as a starting point, and then expand it based on a conservative view of how you will be judged (i.e., adding lower tier schools). Adding schools on top of the WARS recommendations will only cost you some time and money, but will give you comfort that all your bases are covered. From there, it will be beyond your control.

 

[candbgirl]

I used a combination of the system plus common sense. SDN recommendations are certainly not the be-all. Neither is WARS.

WARS is a very clever system that goes far beyond LizzyM by incorporating the holistic elements that school use in evaluating applications. The problem with WARS is the same "garbage in - garbage out" issue that any algorithm has. The weakness is the inherently subjective numberical values we assign to our experiences. Unless you have experience on an adcom, you really have no way to know how your research, clinical, volunteering, etc. will be viewed until after you have gone through a cycle.

My advice is to use WARS as a starting point, and then expand it based on a conservative view of how you will be judged (i.e., adding lower tier schools). Adding schools on top of the WARS recommendations will only cost you some time and money, but will give you comfort that all your bases are covered. From there, it will be beyond your control.

This is so important. Everyone thinks they have fabulous ECs and in reality most have good or okay. (Not saying this is you.) And every ADCOM member brings certain biases to the review table . Ultimately you can apply wherever you want . But remember if a school has a 3.0 or 3.2 sGPA set as a filter you will be excluded right away. Some reviewers might question your very low sGPA (with a post bacc included) and a great MCAT and wonder about the discordance. Again, not saying this will happen but it might and people that replied before were looking at what you posted here and not how you filled out the WedgeDawg profile.
Applying to med school is a crap shoot at best where less than 40% of all applicants are accepted each cycle.
Good luck.

 

[Goro]

Hello everyone,

After looking for a school list based on my stats many people recommended many DO schools and low-tier MD schools. However, based on WedgeDawg's applicant rating system I should be applying to category 2 (high) schools such as Michigan, UCLA, Cornell, Mayo, etc. and category 3 schools (mid) UVA, Keck, Dartmouth, Einstein, etc.

What's up with the difference? I'm having a hard time making a school list based on these discrepancies. WedgeDawg's system seems to be the best from what I've read and used (especially from my low gpa high MCAT). Can anyone give some insight into this? Should I make a school list off WedgeDawg's system?

Thanks!

Make a post in the WAMC forum and we can advise you