So, they do not read in the order they receive?
Do you think that Admissions staff have time to read 1000+ apps in a month?
I am not an admissions staff, but from the tone of your question, I understand the answer as no. But then how do admissions staff go to some people with October submission date versus some in July? How do they keep track?
If adcoms don't go back to review an application, why do we send in update letters - if you were an applicant whom the adcom reader originally was iffy about or didn't want to extend an interview invite, how does an update letter affect that decision? Or do update letters only help if your original secondary app hasn't be reviewed yet?
I am sure some adcom on SDN will answer that Q, but my Q was about applications that do not have any updates.
Also, do schools get so many applications that each admissions staff member has to read 1000+ each month?
To me this kind of calls into question the widespread advice that you have to apply early to increase your chances. Why submit primary June 1 to get verified June 21, and then rush to get secondaries in against that supposed 2-week timeline, just to have it all sit for a couple months. One would think that all July completes would be reviewed first, then all August completes, etc. I guess early is still better but sounds like it's a lot less important than advertised.
This rings true to me....which is why a person who sent their app in in July and one who sent in October might both receive iis in the same week
Meaning person from June was in "interview eventually" or "may be interview" buckets, but the October person is int the "Interview immediately" bucket, right?
Actually if the idea is that they immediately get put into one of 4 buckets when they arrive (as theorized above) then it makes sense that earlier applications are more likely to end up in bucket 2 or 3 rather than the reject bucket....by the time you're on application 8773, nobody looks good.
Its very simple. The earlier you apply the more interviews there are to give, the standards are a bit lowers. Think of it as a numbers game because lets be frank: at most schools it is. Your file gets a score, there is a threshold score for getting an interview. That threshold may increase as time goes on because there are less II to give. So if you have a 509 and a 3.5 getting it in early means lower threshold score for II more II to give higher chance of II.
Or applying in October you're at the top instead of being at the bottom like the guy who submitted in mid-July.
The term "crapshoot" comes to mind.
Well no you’re definitely not at the top. What happens is the moment your app comes in at least at my school you’re instantly sorted into piles: examples would be kids with IA, kids with really high stats. If you apply in October and have really high stats you’re still gonna have priority. But if you’re average you’re at the bottom of the average pile.Or applying in October you're at the top instead of being at the bottom like the guy who submitted in mid-July.
I think it's reasonable to expect interviews in January even when you applied in July (based on last year threads). Schools like UCSD has pre-interview hold lists and then review those in January. Other schools may have holds but may not tell you.
Yes it’s not over yet
You might get an II tomorrow, or in March.
17 years?!
K-12 + 4 UG
It's a seller's market
Counting it for the hard work done during that time. Still remember those early accelerated readers, swim, other ECs, etc.
Yes - the competition is insane, seems to be increasing, and especially this year.
What are these?
Things from Kindergarten
Good for you in kindergarten tbh, meanwhile I was probably the kid in the corner eating glue
it's the same situation with UG admissions also, you get some high tier ones but get rejected from lower tier. That's why you need to apply broadly.
But you also have at least one A, right?
Agree. Thinking that we have to go through this again for residency - guess that's what we signed up for
lol very very true, I'm still counting my lucky stars. Congrats to you too!!
It is, but gets better for residency and fellowship.
Thank you. But Better might again be determined by which specialty, which program etc, but I am sure it's not 1 million applications for 22k spots. Will cross that bridge in 4 years.
And it's not really 1 million applications here, either. It's 55,000 APPLICANTS for 22,000 spots. Sure, it's a million applications, but it's also true that most folks account for between 20 and 30 of them, not one, and each applicant can ultimately only occupy one seat, so it's more meaningful to think in terms of applicants, not applications, since your true odds are 22/55, not 22/1,000!!!
Baby future doctor: "Mmm, tastes like polyvinyl acetate and bowel obstruction!"
