What lessons did you learn from applying?

[dayman]

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Since interview season is winding down, I thought it may be useful to start a thread sharing personal advice from the 2013-2014 application cycle to help out all future applications (first timers and reapplicants alike). Having applied this cycle there are a few things I know I'd do differently in the future or wish I knew in June:

1. Do not rush the MCAT. I took the MCAT in May one week following undergrad finals so I could get a score and my application in, and I was never able to devote full attention to the test. This hurt my score and was one of the main factors hurting my application.

2. Be patient, the cycle is long. I got my first II in August and naively thought I would be into a med school in October/November. I received my last II in late March with dead silence for most of the time and am now just hoping to be accepted at all. The neuroticism all summer was wasted.

3. Take care of things on your end as quickly as possible, to compensate for everything outside of your control. The delay in applications and me not getting my application the first day cost me a few weeks of being complete and more waiting.

 

[asebasp]

• Submit your application early. Never underestimate how important that is - especially if you're applying to applications that open earlier than AMCAS, like Texas TMDSAS
• Don't settle on the MCAT if you know you can definitely do better. You'll regret it later - peace of mind is essential with such a long process.
• SDN is not representative of the applicant pool. Don't freak out too much - just enough.
  
• Lots of practice interviews.
• That said, interviews are an important part of considering your application, but a killer interview doesn't mean you're in. Likewise a less-than-ideal interview does not mean you're done.
• Be able to talk about ECs in a meaningful way. Some people can tell from your attitude if you're just checking off boxes.
• No one likes a gunner - including fellow applicants, current students, and admission committees. Don't do it.
• Stay humble - don't take anything for granted and never feel like the cycle owes you anything. It doesn't.
• Be a real person. Not what you think admissions wants to see. Passion can't be faked and being genuine goes a long way.
• Short of a horrendous visit or discovering something that makes you uneasy after applying, do not apply to a school you would not attend.

 

[Reckoner]

Mostly:

 

[Oso]

1. Try to give yourself some time to explore the city, either before or after the interview. Most of the time, I arrived the night before and left soon after the interview. Now I kinda wish I had walked around a bit more.

2. Have fun interacting with the other interviewees. This was definitely one of my favorite parts of the process. Don't be that awkward guy who sits there mentally reciting his personal statement or listening to everyone's conversations without taking part in it.

3. Staying with student hosts was awesome and inexpensive. Definitely do it if you can.

4. Just because the coffee is free and abundant doesn't mean you need to consume it like a thirsty hippopotamus would drink water on a hot sub-Saharan afternoon. Wanting to use the bathroom while trying to meaningfully explain why you want to pursue medicine is surprisingly difficult.

 

[compstomper]

1 - Be friendly, courteous, and professional at all time at all places to all people. Treat the janitor the same way you'd treat the dean of the school. This should be common sense but is all too often forgotten by interviewees.

2 - Be ready to talk about anything and everything you've put in your application with passion. If you cannot, then don't put it into your app as anything is fair game during your interview.

3 - Be your best self, and bring something to the table other than your grades and numbers. Med schools don't want robots, they want real people with lives and passions outside medicine.

4- Be confident but not arrogant. Being nervous is understandable, but your nerves will get the best of you. If you stumble during your interview, don't dwell on it and move on. Not only is the school interviewing you, but you're also interviewing the school. Much like dating, desperation is a huge turn off.

 

[nellbot2000]

1) Apply early! I was a re-applicant this cycle and I applied late the first time around, huge mistake!
2) Mock interviews are your friend. It really helps you focus on your weak spots and also help you figure out how to talk in the setting and carry yourself.
3) Power stance! (http://www.ted.com/talks/amy_cuddy_your_body_language_shapes_who_you_are) It helps with confidence.
4) Have fun and relax on your interview day. I tried to talk with other interviewees about anything other than interviewing, and it made the day feel more relaxed.

 

[dayman]

1. Get your suit fitted-Don't wear a garbage bag to your interview
2. Send in occasional update letters, may get your file re-examined
3. Take state residency into account for which schools to apply to. Some schools are less OOS-friendly than others
4. The process seems extremely random at times. Stay calm
5. Staying with a host at an interview is a great way to learn the tiny nuances of a school.
6. Your interviewer may be late to your scheduled interview. Don't let it unnerve you.
7. Be genuine with interview responses and do not sound scripted. It shows.
8. Talk to other interviewees and be friendly. Awkwardness pre-interview can set a tone for the day.

 

[snowflakes]

Understand that your inherent value as a person is independent of the results of the app cycle.

 

[MDdream777]

I have a question, I applied for Medical school this year with a 28 MCAT (10,8,10) and a 3.96 GPA. I only got one interview at WVU, but then got a rejection letter. They asked me if I would apply again to WVU, I said yes. What are my chances getting in the second time? I am afraid to take the MCAT again because I think I will do worse, I know thats my best chance of getting in. I actually studied for three months for the MCAT, I was getting 30s on the practice tests (I took 20), so I know I can get a higher score, but I just am too afraid
of getting a lower score. I also didn't send out my application until the middle of September! Help me please!!!

 

[Oso]

I have a question, I applied for Medical school this year with a 28 MCAT (10,8,10) and a 3.96 GPA. I only got one interview at WVU, but then got a rejection letter. They asked me if I would apply again to WVU, I said yes. What are my chances getting in the second time? I am afraid to take the MCAT again because I think I will do worse, I know thats my best chance of getting in. I actually studied for three months for the MCAT, I was getting 30s on the practice tests (I took 20), so I know I can get a higher score, but I just am too afraid
of getting a lower score. I also didn't send out my application until the middle of September! Help me please!!!

Apply at the beginning of the cycle and use the MSAR to make a smart and broad list of schools (look at median MCAT and 10 & 90 percentiles). Idk anything about WVU, but if they offered you an interview, then they must have seen something they liked, so definitely reapply. Good luck.

 

[Mad Jack]

Eat a big breakfast before your interview, fly in the night before and get to bed early, and ask for your LORs as soon as possible before the cycle. Most writers have lives, so it may take weeks or months to get those letters.

 

[ruedjgtc]

I had to scroll up and make sure I was contributing, lots of good advice here.

1. Book multi-flight if you can plan it.
2. Remember interview day is a mutual interview for you and the school. They'll see if you fit them and vice versa.
3. If you don't want to be nervous, talk to others, they're nervous too. It helps break the tension.
4. Show up ridiculously early, but DON'T hover around admissions until about 15-20 minutes before the interview day starts. If you see they're doing badge check and stuff, then it's probably okay to make it easier on everyone by showing up a little earlier.
5. If you're not applying early then there's a high chance you'll be sitting this cycle out, even if you're a good applicant.
6. Stay with hosts whenever possible, forget the costs savings, they'll give you the heads up on everything.
7. Research the school, and the surrounding neighborhoods, any at risk populations in the area before going to the interview. You probably will hear about it during introduction anyways, but not always, my interview at Loyola was cold with no lead up or introduction. They told us more about the school after our first interview.
8. If you have a notepad, then write down the ups-downs for the program, it'll come in handy later when it comes time to either write thank you cards or when making decisions if you have multiple acceptances.
9. Show up early to the interview, but don't hover over the admissions department, just tell them you're there and ask them where you should wait.
10. The best way to not be nervous for me was to help others not be nervous.
11. Try to do something social w/ applicants after, it's fun.

 

[MDdream777]

Apply at the beginning of the cycle and use the MSAR to make a smart and broad list of schools (look at median MCAT and 10 & 90 percentiles). Idk anything about WVU, but if they offered you an interview, then they must have seen something they liked, so definitely reapply. Good luck.

Thanks, I already bought the MSAR yesterday. The problem is the schools that are within my MCAT range are out of state, I live in Ohio, so most of the schools are really competitive, and most out of state schools only accept state residents. I hope I get in this year, I will apply the first day amcas opens up

 

[Oso]

Thanks, I already bought the MSAR yesterday. The problem is the schools that are within my MCAT range are out of state, I live in Ohio, so most of the schools are really competitive, and most out of state schools only accept state residents. I hope I get in this year, I will apply the first day amcas opens up

Well don't apply to out of state public schools, apply to in state public and in/out of state private schools (no IS preference). But this is not the place for this, feel free to start a new thread in the 'what are my chances' forum.

 

[Harpsx]

- The importance of applying early can't be understated

- A good conversation doesn't mean a good interview. Most applicants are generally nice, sociable people. Don't let a relaxing conversation make you forget that you're in an interview. You should still always be actively selling yourself. Take initiative and opportunities to show them you are mature, thoughtful, and right for their school.

- Be honest and genuine. Don't try to make a pretty standard experience seem like it was your biggest life changing experience. It's really easy to see through the BS. You're 100X better off just being honest about what you learned and liked.

 

[Jennyfishy]

Avoid SDN on acceptance release/II days, use the MSAR, and apply early 😛

 

[Kalydeco]

This is the best of SDN distilled into a single thread. People paying it forward to help out future applicants. Y'all rock.

My thoughts. Some are probably redundant with what's above, but if it's repeated it's probably worth saying twice:

1. It's important to remember that what you write in your primary and secondary applications plus your letters of rec constitutes literally everything the adcom knows about you. Prior to the interview, they don't know you're a well-rounded person unless you communicate it to them. They cannot read your mind. Don't assume that the adcom can draw any conclusions beyond what you write.

2. Accordingly, put effort into your secondary essays. Real, thoughtful, deliberate, introspective effort. It's my personal opinion that the importance of the PS is overrated and the importance of secondaries is underrated. The secondary is a great chance to exhibit some of the "softer" traits -- empathy, perseverance, selflessness -- that might not come across as well in the primary when you're describing activities. If it could have been written by anyone other than you, trash it.

3. Apply early. Every year, the chorus is shouting it even louder: Apply early! And every year, SDNers learn the hard way. If your application is going to be complete any later than mid-September and your stats are anything short of stellar, sit the cycle out.

4. It can be easy to psych yourself out when you see how accomplished everyone else in the waiting room is. We've heard the "ladder" analogy, and it's true -- not everyone comes into the interview on equal footing. But don't let that impact your interview performance. Your thoughts prior to the interview should be exclusively positive. Project confidence. You are a force. You deserve to be there. It is not a fluke.

5. Assume there is always an Adcom standing over your shoulder, listening to the conversation you're having with your fellow interviewees. Don't say anything aloud during an interview day that you wouldn't be comfortable having an Adcom overhear.

6. It's fine to write down tidbits here and there over the course of the interview day, but don't be the person hunched over their notebook transcribing every word out of the speaker's mouth. To the extent that you can, be present during the entire interview day. Write down your thoughts the evening after the interview day, after you've had a chance to process your experience.

7. The conventional wisdom that your undergrad doesn't matter, or matters very little, is wrong (particularly for "top 20" schools). The list of accepted students at Michigan, for example, is pretty much Michigan residents + Ivy League/WashU/Duke/MIT etc. It seemed like 2/3 of people at Columbia's second look were from top-tier undergrads. I know people will say that students from those schools have better applications overall -- maybe, but I don't think that accounts for a lot of the top-tier undergrad overrepresentation. For better or worse, that's just how it is.

 

[indianjatt]

1) Don't compare yourself to others. This cycle is a huge crapshoot.
2) Get your LORS early and store them on Interfolio or any other LOR service.
3) The cycle is very, very expensive.
4) Interviews were not as stressful as I thought they would be. I was so overwhelmed before my interviews, but they are really laid back. Enjoy interview days.
5) APPLY early! I cannot stress how important this is. A lot of schools are on rolling admissions. The later you apply, the lower your chances are at snagging an II.
6)I think the biggest surprise for me was: EVERYONE is really normal, down-to-earth, and chill. I thought I'd be in a room full of nerds who are always in their books, but everyone is normal and social when on the interview trail.

 

[MoLyko]

What range of time do you really consider early for submitting the applications? e.g. by the end of May for AMCAS app?

 

[Kalydeco]

What range of time do you really consider early for submitting the applications? e.g. by the end of May for AMCAS app?

The AMCAS cannot be submitted until early June (I think it was June 10th this year). You should submit your application as close to this date as you possibly can. I would say that you put yourself at a significant disadvantage if you submit your AMCAS any later than July 31st. If you cannot have your AMCAS application submitted by July 31, 2014, you should take a year to strengthen your application and make sure you submit on June 10, 2015. This perspective is probably draconian even by SDN standards but I think it's the way to go.

There are really two aspects to "applying early" -- getting the AMCAS in early, followed by prompt submission of secondaries and LORs. I think the two-week turnaround rule for secondaries is solid. My personal opinion is that your application should be "complete" (primary plus secondary plus LORs) absolutely no later than the first week in September. Even that is really not optimal.

 

[chenzt]

Never arrive to interview late. Give yourself plenty of time and go to Starbucks and relax for 15-30min. Won't have to worry about traffic in a city you are unfamiliar with.

 

[gobigorgohome22]

That im not as special as my mom said I was 😢😢😢

 

[MedWonk]

-Don't rush the MCAT, as mentioned above
-The cycle is long, don't freak out
-Get your **** in early.
-Really research the schools you apply to. Don't waste money/time on schools you wouldn't want to go to anyway, or schools where you have little chance of even being interviewed because of IS bias or just not close stats-wise.
-Talking to other interviewees is a great way to warm up and relax before the interview
-Staying with a student host is a great way to learn about the school
-Call your credit card company/bank to tell them you're flying across the country for any interview so your card doesn't get rejected when getting yourself a double double at In-n-out.

 

[dayman]

Even an applicant with no flaws won't be accepted everywhere

Do stuff because it interests you not because it will "look good"

Many students take a gap year for a good reason. It's hard to get everything in place for a good application while in school and may take away from some potential real world experience.

 

[PMJ2012]

1- be yourself. It sounds redundant but it's super important. This process is like the first few months of dating: you remain courteous and cute but you still remain true to self. It'll hurt you in the end being somewhere you don't like.

2- patience. Patience. Patience. This process will have you up and down, left anc right in your feelings. You will second guess your awesomeness quite a few times before and after interviews. But it's really important to remain sane and patient.

3- applying early is really important. You'll be surprised how dependent success in the cycle is on timing.

4- travel early. You really need some time the night before to unwind and gather your thoughts. My interviews we're early in the morning so there was no time to "think" before the interview.

5- SDN is a virtue and a vice. I got some really good information on here but comparing your story to anyone else's will only make you paranoid (like a lot of ppl on here! Lol).

6- hang out with your friends and family. Travel. Have fun as much as you can. It'll keep your mind occupied, & make time pass faster. Also, if med school works out, you'll be crazy busy in school. Take the time now to be with those you love and have fun with.

 

[CyberMaxx]

I had to scroll up and make sure I was contributing, lots of good advice here.

3. If you don't want to be nervous, talk to others, they're nervous too. It helps break the tension.
4. Show up ridiculously early, but DON'T hover around admissions until about 15-20 minutes before the interview day starts. If you see they're doing badge check and stuff, then it's probably okay to make it easier on everyone by showing up a little earlier.

Nice thread OP, I was actually thinking of making one like this so you beat me to it! I've quoted two points above from ruedjgtc which I think are ridiculously spot on. I generally got to interviews an hour early, found the room I needed to be at, and then walked around the campus. This strategy eliminates the stress of being on time and knowing where you need to go, which for me was huge. Additionally, any extra stress I had was generally eliminated once I started to chat with fellow applicants. Meeting people and enjoying their company is a great way to get out of your head and relax.

Additional points:

1. Unless a school you are applying to strictly reviews applications chronologically don't overly stress if others who submitted when you did have already gotten IIs. If you are a less competitive applicant for a particular school you may get an interview invitation months after a more competitive applicant even though you both applied at the same time. I received interview invitations beginning in September and ending February, with my later interviews coming from more competitive programs than my earlier interviews.

2. Carry your interview clothes onto the plane.

3. Be the best version of yourself on interview day, but don't try to be somebody else. Its actually pretty easy to spot someone who is putting on a show.