When is it appropriate to apply to OOS public schools?

[bananafish94]

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Looking at the MSAR, there are many OOS public schools that have considerably higher OOS interview rates than private schools. For example, University of Nebraska, University of Vermont, University of South Dakota, and University of West Virginia, and University of Missouri at Columbia interviewed 13%, 8%, 9%, and 16%, and 11% of their OOS applicant, respectively.

Comparatively, OOS interview rates for private schools are often quite low (i.e. TCMC, Quinnipiac, MCG all at 5% or lower).

I realize that for private schools these numbers are in part due to the incredible number of applications that they receive. But I'm wondering which OOS applicants public schools are interviewing here. Are these numbers artificially inflated by applicants that live in bordering states, or have extremely high stats?

This is relevant to me because I think one of the strongest parts of my application is considerable research experience with publications, which appeals to research universities but not as much to private schools with a primary care focus.

Thanks!

 

[raiderette]

I had good luck getting interviews with OOS publics. Cincinnati, Iowa and Kentucky gave me interviews and none were considered OOS friendly. It is so hard to tell. I think my MCAT helped the most, but I was virtually ignored by most private schools.

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OOS applicant to interview percentage is an inidcator yeah
I am applying to I think 6 or 7 OOS publics, but avoiding places like GW, Georgetown, Quinnipiac etc. which - though they have a high matriculant absolute number for OOS applicants, either get so many applications - or have a poor applicant to interview/matriculant ratio - that they are worse than publics with ~3-5k apps, even if the public favor instate.

 

[Goro]

I think several things underlie these numbers:

OOS applicants who have significant ties to a state (and you gramma living there doesn't count as a significant tie)
OOS applicants who are in neighboring states. For example, gyngyn as pointed out that the AZ schools take a fair number of CA residents. I believe that this holds true for the public schools around the Great Lakes.

The private schools that you cite have particular missions.

My rule of thumb is that if that for OOS, matriculants: # apps is 15% or better, then it's worth a try, BUT your stats should be > the school's median, since state schools favor the home team.

Looking at the MSAR, there are many OOS public schools that have considerably higher OOS interview rates than private schools. For example, University of Nebraska, University of Vermont, University of South Dakota, and University of West Virginia, and University of Missouri at Columbia interviewed 13%, 8%, 9%, and 16%, and 11% of their OOS applicant, respectively.

Comparatively, OOS interview rates for private schools are often quite low (i.e. TCMC, Quinnipiac, MCG all at 5% or lower).

I realize that for private schools these numbers are in part due to the incredible number of applications that they receive. But I'm wondering which OOS applicants public schools are interviewing here. Are these numbers artificially inflated by applicants that live in bordering states, or have extremely high stats?

This is relevant to me because I think one of the strongest parts of my application is considerable research experience with publications, which appeals to research universities but not as much to private schools with a primary care focus.

Thanks!

 

[bananafish94]

I think several things underlie these numbers:

OOS applicants who have significant ties to a state (and you gramma living there doesn't count as a significant tie)
OOS applicants who are in neighboring states. For example, gyngyn as pointed out that the AZ schools take a fair number of CA residents. I believe that this holds true for the public schools around the Great Lakes.

The private schools that you cite have particular missions.

My rule of thumb is that if that for OOS, matriculants: # apps is 15% or better, then it's worth a try, BUT your stats should be > the school's median, since state schools favor the home team.

This is great advice, thanks! In your opinion, what exactly does constitute a significant tie? Not trying to be facetious, but my grandmother and other family members actually lived in Michigan and because of that I've spent a considerable amount of time there throughout my life even though I've never been anything but an Illinois resident.

 

[bananafish94]

OOS applicant to interview percentage is an inidcator yeah
I am applying to I think 6 or 7 OOS publics, but avoiding places like GW, Georgetown, Quinnipiac etc. which - though they have a high matriculant absolute number for OOS applicants, either get so many applications - or have a poor applicant to interview/matriculant ratio - that they are worse than publics with ~3-5k apps, even if the public favor instate.

Yeah. With my numbers you can't really avoid those types of schools though. You just have to embrace the randomness.

 

[Goro]

My rule of thumb is this:

You grew up in the state
You went to school in the state
You worked for a significant time in the state.

This is great advice, thanks! In your opinion, what exactly does constitute a significant tie? Not trying to be facetious, but my grandmother and other family members actually lived in Michigan and because of that I've spent a considerable amount of time there throughout my life even though I've never been anything but an Illinois resident.

 

[ed*26]

Even if you don't really meet "significant ties" criteria, I can't imagine that being able to talk about your impressions of Michigan based on actual experience won't give you a leg up over people who've never been.

I've been told to stick to surrounding states and schools with high %s of OOS classes (OSU, for example). I think you're splitting hairs with the % interview thing - just because they interview more OOS people doesn't mean they admit more.

 

[Mansamusa]

If you offer something that an OOS school is looking for, they may interview you. But it's hard to what they are looking for

 

[bananafish94]

OOS is sometimes unpredictable. I had 1 IS interview (out of my state's 4 public schools). 2 Florida OOS interviews. 1 Virginia OOS interview. 1 Ohio OOS interview. 2 Penn OOS interviews (one was TCMC, which is public). It's hard to tell what these schools will be looking for in OOS students, which is why applying as broadly as you can afford is good. I had a low science GPA and good MCAT, so I applied to 20 schools where my sGPA was above the 10th percentile and like 10 where it wasn't. I'm not some crazy high stats person, but I have some interesting stories and I can articulate pretty well what brought me to medicine. (I also went to a top 10 school, which could have played a role in why I got those interviews)

Don't waste money on Missouri though. They send a pdf to all OOS applicants saying that they only want OOS students who bring racial/SES diversity or have strong ties to the state. You have to write a response detailing how you fit one of those categories and if you don't, you get rejected without a secondary.

I was just using Missouri as an example. I don't actually intend to apply there, although I'm glad they don't waste your money with a useless secondary! I was thinking more along the lines of a school like Central Michigan...even though it's public, I've spend a pretty considerable amount of time in that community and have long-term family connections to the area. Also, my stats would be very high for that school and they get few enough applications that they actually get to read your application seriously.

 

[Mansamusa]

I was just using Missouri as an example. I don't actually intend to apply there, although I'm glad they don't waste your money with a useless secondary! I was thinking more along the lines of a school like Central Michigan...even though it's public, I've spend a pretty considerable amount of time in that community and have long-term family connections to the area. Also, my stats would be very high for that school and they get few enough applications that they actually get to read your application seriously.

Yeah, I think you would be good to go with them. I also just remembered that I got a phone interview with Western Michigan Homer Stryker and I completely botched it, so I didn't get an in person interview, haha (they seem IL friendly based on their class profile).

You're from IL (right?) which is also close to Michigan. So I would definitely add it

 

[bananafish94]

Yeah, I think you would be good to go with them. I also just remembered that I got a phone interview with Western Michigan Homer Stryker and I completely botched it, so I didn't get an in person interview, haha.

You're from IL (right?) which is also close to Michigan. So I would definitely add it

I got a phone interview and real interview with WMed even though I was convinced I botched the phone interview. It's very hard to read people over the phone...but hey, I guess it was good enough for an in-person interview!