Who else doesn't know why they're in WL/Hold Limbo?

[orangenostalgia]

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[anfleisch]

Stats? ECs?

 

[naijaboi]

Harvard interviews a lot of people. Much more than other institutions (about one-fifth) of their applicant pool. Therefore they can afford to take a chance for the diamond in the rough so to speak. You have a better chance a getting an interview there (and a lower chance of acceptance) than at many other lower ranked places. The lower tier schools have fewer interview spots (with a higher acceptance yield), hence they screen out more people pre-interview as each interview spot counts. Therefore it is not as perplexing. I have encountered individuals who have interviewed at Harvard but did not get in there or at any other place. Usually, they are almost always URMs.

I hope that you get in off one of your wait-lists. Good luck.

 

[anfleisch]

One of the things that bothers me is how they don't seem to consider a high GPA as much as a I thought. Especially with a good range of upper level science courses. You would think a 3.98 would get you in over a 3.3-3.5 person. Even when you have good research and leadership, and an interviewer who said they recommended you.

Still perplexes me at some schools. I kind of think the older Adcoms forget just how big a difference there is between a 3.5 and close to a 4.0. To get a 4.0 through college you need to be scoring in upper 90s in most courses to not have slip ups. Whereas, a 3.5 you need some Bs and A-s, and a few As. Setting the curve with the highest grade in a large course vs. scoring an average to slightly above average grade.

 

[Appless]

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[Cyradis]

All the reasons people listed so far + Harvard looks for diversity in its class more than some less well-known state schools might. So, if you have something that's particularly interesting/unique about you, but your stats aren't that good, that could definitely explain the situation.

 

[flip26]

I have never heard of someone interviewing at Harvard and a DO school in the same cycle, much less applying to both and having the "right stuff" to get an interview at Harvard...something fishy here...

 

[christina30]

I have never heard of someone interviewing at Harvard and a DO school in the same cycle, much less applying to both and having the "right stuff" to get an interview at Harvard...something fishy here...

🙄

 

[flip26]

🙄

Do you have a different experience?

I have looked at many hundreds of MDApps and have never seen it.

The OP says he applied to 12 schools, and indicates at least 2 of them were DO, and one was Harvard where he got an interview. He seems to be purposefully vague - maybe if he filled in the blanks a little more?

He says he never heard back from Howard? Is he URM? Or what?

If true, that is the most unusual list of med schools I have ever seen.

 

[mdeast]

I have never heard of someone interviewing at Harvard and a DO school in the same cycle, much less applying to both and having the "right stuff" to get an interview at Harvard...something fishy here...

I think the OP mentioned Howard? It's likely he's an URM. There's always funny things that go on when you're an URM. Top schools sometimes end up fighting over them to increase diversity.

 

[flip26]

I think the OP mentioned Howard? It's likely he's an URM. There's always funny things that go on when you're an URM. Top schools sometimes end up fighting over them to increase diversity.

Yeah, I guess so, but he did not hear back from Howard? I can understand Howard not inviting non URMs, but I don't know...I think if I was a URM applicant, I would have hounded Howard for an answer...

Something out of kilter with this thread - maybe the OP will be a little more forthcoming.

Could be as simple as he didn't apply to enough schools. 12 schools is a low number for even a superstar applicant - for us mere mortals, that is a low number.

If, and I mean if, the OP is a troll, he has done a great job promoting the idea of med school admissions as a total crapshoot where an applicant interviews at Harvard but never hears back from Howard. Would make more sense if he reversed those schools...

 

[chelala]

Howard does not automatically invite someone to interview just because they are URM. And there are plenty of non-URMs who apply to HBCUs. As someone already mentioned, Harvard is more likely to interview if they have something you unique and/or throw a bone.

 

[christina30]

Same goes for DO schools - assuming that they're good safety schools is stupid, even if you're a URM.

 

[longhorn09]

And this is OP's first thread in sdn...

 

[DrBowtie]

Same goes for DO schools - assuming that they're good safety schools is stupid, even if you're a URM.

Considering his 1 acceptance was a DO school, I think his experience shows the opposite.

 

[DoctwoB]

Yeah, I guess so, but he did not hear back from Howard? I can understand Howard not inviting non URMs, but I don't know...I think if I was a URM applicant, I would have hounded Howard for an answer...

Something out of kilter with this thread - maybe the OP will be a little more forthcoming.

Could be as simple as he didn't apply to enough schools. 12 schools is a low number for even a superstar applicant - for us mere mortals, that is a low number.

If, and I mean if, the OP is a troll, he has done a great job promoting the idea of med school admissions as a total crapshoot where an applicant interviews at Harvard but never hears back from Howard. Would make more sense if he reversed those schools...

It is a bit of a crapshoot though.

I interviewed at columbia, UCSD, Pitt, Cornell, Sinai, and Uchicago, but got rejected outright at temple and jefferson.

While I in no way feel that interviewing at a top school "entitles" you to an interview at a lower school, I do feel that there is a fairly significant luck factor involved.

 

[orangenostalgia]

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[orangenostalgia]

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[flip26]

Thanks, that really clears things up for me. I am a URM (hispanic), but I assume Howard prefers African-Americans over other kinds of URMs.

Actually, Harvard said they had ~9,000 applicants and interviewed ~900, so that would be 1/10 but still a pretty high percentage... They shouldn't interview everyone like that, giving people false hope. There seemed to be many other interviewees with me who didn't know why they were chosen. I assumed they chose me because I have 3 years of research, international research, a national conference award, etc. Maybe its because I'm hispanic, which frankly really sucks.

I chose 12 schools because I don't have the money to apply to schools I couldn't attend, anyway. I only applied to Harvard because they sent me a recruitment letter and my advisor told me I'd be crazy not to. He also said with my record (see below) I should have applied to more top 10 schools (I don't agree). The D.O.'s were my safety, and I think they are a good safety for someone with good stats. Mine are ~3.5 overall avg (crazy upward trend: 4.0 through jr and sr years), 32R MCAT (9PS, 12VR, 11BS).

I hope I get into Downstate... they couldn't accept me because I had a C- in both Chem 1 and Orgo 1, but during my year off, I retook them and got some easy A's (had to re-learn the material for the MCAT beforehand). My final transcripts should be in by the end of May.

Thank you everyone for your replies 🙂. (Even the random period...?) I am the type of person that gets ignored in forums/life, so thats why I waited so long to check. BTW I am not a troll!! ::trolls are fake and gay:: jk

Isn't this a problem at more schools than just Downstate? I have always had the impression that med schools won't accept anything less than a C in the pre reqs...I know I read that on many school websites. May not be the case at all schools, but this seems like a real red flag that cost you.

Just want to clarify my earlier posts - I said that something seemed amiss in your posts - something missing, maybe? And it is the little details like this that go pretty far in explaining it (along with your URM / Hispanic status).

Seems like your advisor did not help you, and may have hurt you, too.

 

[orangenostalgia]

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