Why haven't I heard back from any school?

[Gronis418]

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No IIs and no Rs. I know everyone claims it's still early...but I am definitely getting worried that no school has sent me any update. Especially since I can see people getting IIs from several schools I submitted at both around and after my complete date.

Does anyone have an idea why this happens and when they think I will begin to hear back? I'm starting to think my app is not competitive.

App was complete on 7/30

 

[Moko]

How many schools did you apply to and how close of a match are they to your stats? Many reasons why you may have not heard back yet from any schools. Without more info it's hard to say

 

[Gronis418]

How many schools did you apply to and how close of a match are they to your stats? Many reasons why you may have not heard back yet from any schools. Without more info it's hard to say

I applied to 29 schools where about half were more reaches and the other half more closely align with my stats.

MCAT: 519
Half of the schools' medians are above and half below

GPA ~ 3.5
GPA was definitely an outlier for many schools but still, around half fall within 25-50th percentile ranges and half in the ~ 10th percentile range

 

[Moko]

Well your GPA/MCAT combination has a ~70% chance of getting at least one acceptance. Half of your schools being "more reaches" gives me some pause, though you still have ~14 that are more closely matched. As you mentioned, it is still relatively early in the interview cycle: most interview invites still have not been given out. Of the schools that are considered 'matches' for you, are they out-of-state friendly? What are your ECs like? Any glaring deficiencies? Consider posting a list of your schools so @Faha and @Goro can weigh in to see if additional schools need to be added.

 

[Gronis418]

Well your GPA/MCAT combination has a ~70% chance of getting at least one acceptance. Half of your schools being "more reaches" gives me some pause, though you still have ~14 that are more closely matched. As you mentioned, it is still relatively early in the interview cycle: most interview invites still have not been given out. Of the schools that are considered 'matches' for you, are they out-of-state friendly? What are your ECs like? Any glaring deficiencies? Consider posting a list of your schools so @Faha and @Goro can weigh in to see if additional schools need to be added.

Thank you for your response and advice. The "reaches" were relative to my gpa because it falls on the lower side (However I do have a very strong upward trend) for pretty much all school's medians relative to where my MCAT score is. I would consider my freshman year gpa as my only glaring deficiency ~ 3.0. As far as my ECs, I have a strong emphasis on research: 5 publications - 2 first authorships and non-clinical volunteering: >1000 hours. I would say that I lack in clinical volunteering but I have a lot of shadowing experience. Most schools I applied to are out of state friendly. I hope that maybe my application just hasn't been considered yet.

 

[Moko]

I would say that I lack in clinical volunteering

How many hours are we talking about here? Do you at least have paid clinical work and other non-clinical volunteering to make up for this deficiency? Shadowing does not make up for lack of volunteering or clinical experience. Have you been continuing to pursue clinical experiences and volunteering activities? If so, sending an update on hours in late October / early November to receptive schools may be prudent to increase your chances of an II.

 

[CyrilFiggis]

Thanksgiving is when you should worry. At this point the die is cast, you've already applied, can't worry about competitiveness now. If you fail to get any II or fail to get accepted, you then need to do a post-mortem on both your application and your program list. For now, getting feedback from Moko, Goro or the other adcom people on here will just make you feel bad and provides zero help.

I know you don't want to hear, but it's still early. I received 5 II's all after Halloween. If you need some sort of idea as to where you stand, if you are on each school's specific thread, you should know whether they reject people throughout the year, in big chucks or at the end. If people have gotten rejections and you're still standing, consider yourself still in the running. Except for 20% of applicants at the top of stats pool (which make up a disproportionate number of SDN users), a lot of applicants are in the same situation you are.

 

[candbgirl]

Well keep adding to the clinical experience. Stop Shadowing and get direct patient contact. You can use this in an update n a few months or if you have to reapply you’ll use it then.

 

[Gronis418]

How many hours are we talking about here? Do you at least have paid clinical work and other non-clinical volunteering to make up for this deficiency? Shadowing does not make up for lack of volunteering or clinical experience. Have you been continuing to pursue clinical experiences and volunteering activities? If so, sending an update on hours in late October / early November to receptive schools may be prudent to increase your chances of an II.

Well keep adding to the clinical experience. Stop Shadowing and get direct patient contact. You can use this in an update n a few months or if you have to reapply you’ll use it then.

All of my research has been in the clinical setting, but I don't know if that counts as clinical experience. I am beginning more clinical research next month that involves direct patient contact and will be continuing this throughout my gap year. If this doesn't count as clinical experience, how might I consider getting involved in clinical volunteering?

I have been thinking about whether or not to update schools on my most recent activities, but I don't know when the best time is. I just received word that my 5th publication (corresponding author) has been accepted and am about to submit another one (first author). Maybe I update after I begin my clinical research position next month?

Thanks for all of your thoughtful advice, I really appreciate it.

 

[Goro]

No IIs and no Rs. I know everyone claims it's still early...but I am definitely getting worried that no school has sent me any update. Especially since I can see people getting IIs from several schools I submitted at both around and after my complete date.

Does anyone have an idea why this happens and when they think I will begin to hear back? I'm starting to think my app is not competitive.

App was complete on 7/30

Patience is a virtue; the need for instant gratification is not.

Schools stratify the apps as they come in and don't send out secondaries or IIs merely in chronological order.

Secondaries are often a tax on the hopelessly naïve, if not pathologically optimistic.

Not directed at you, OP, but SDNers are advised to not to have the mindset of “I sent in my apps; where are my IIs???!!!”

 

[Gronis418]

Thanks for your input, that is definitely comforting to hear.

SDNers are advised to not to have the mindset of “I sent in my apps; where are my IIs???!!!”

I completely understand this and didn't mean it like that. Any status update would be appreciated by me. I wish that the whole process was more transparent.

 

[Goro]

Thanks for your input, that is definitely comforting to hear.



I completely understand this and didn't mean it like that. Any status update would be appreciated by me. I wish that the whole process was more transparent.

Schools are not obligated to give you any update, alas.

I STILL have yet to hear from Cal State Long Beach when I interviewed for a Faculty job there in 1999!

 

[LizzyM]

At least you haven't gotten rejections. Please update this thread on Dec 1st and let us know if you got an interview invite before Thanksgiving. I suspect you'll have at least one by then. In the meantime, keep building your track record of face-to-face contact with patients.

 

[Moko]

All of my research has been in the clinical setting, but I don't know if that counts as clinical experience. I am beginning more clinical research next month that involves direct patient contact and will be continuing this throughout my gap year. If this doesn't count as clinical experience, how might I consider getting involved in clinical volunteering? I have been thinking about whether or not to update schools on my most recent activities, but I don't know when the best time is. I just received word that my 5th publication (corresponding author) has been accepted and am about to submit another one (first author). Maybe I update after I begin my clinical research position next month?

My thoughts:
- Not all research in a clinical setting counts as clinical experience in my opinion, and most of one's clinical experience should not come from their research activity. Depends on the study population (chronically ill vs young and healthy), how much direct patient contact you had, and what you did in your capacity as a researcher vs non-researcher.
- At this point, updates on more publications is unlikely to help. You've already proven yourself to be very academically productive, so that's not in question. There are diminishing returns with each activity
- Schools might ding you on the lack of volunteering / clinical experience depending on how much you have, though an update stating that you just started a position is unlikely to move the needle (words are cheap).
- Consider looking into volunteering at a local hospice for additional clinical exposure.
- I would be surprised if you had zero interviews. Best of luck!

 

[iris314]

@Gronis418
If it makes you feel better I'm your stats twin (3.55/519) and I've also had complete radio silence. (70% complete 7/20, the last one by 8/5). I know I've got all my bases covered in terms of ECs and I think my school list is fairly well-distributed.

To me it makes a lot of sense that we've heard nothing: our GPAs aren't going to win us any particular attention in the first rounds of interviews, but our MCATs are good enough that schools might hold on to our apps for awhile.

 

[rdyotz]

Not directed at you, OP, but SDNers are advised to not to have the mindset of “I sent in my apps; where are my IIs???!!!”

I definitely agree with that last part... Think bigger... "Where are my As???!!!"

 

[imbesrs]

(post count #035)

I just noticed this part 😆 😆 😆

 

[Dr panda]

I STILL have yet to hear from Cal State Long Beach when I interviewed for a Faculty job there in 1999!

Patience is virtue. (Joke)

 

[deleted688779]

Thanksgiving is when you should worry. At this point the die is cast, you've already applied, can't worry about competitiveness now. If you fail to get any II or fail to get accepted, you then need to do a post-mortem on both your application and your program list. For now, getting feedback from Moko, Goro or the other adcom people on here will just make you feel bad and provides zero help.

I know you don't want to hear, but it's still early. I received 5 II's all after Halloween. If you need some sort of idea as to where you stand, if you are on each school's specific thread, you should know whether they reject people throughout the year, in big chucks or at the end. If people have gotten rejections and you're still standing, consider yourself still in the running. Except for 20% of applicants at the top of stats pool (which make up a disproportionate number of SDN users), a lot of applicants are in the same situation you are.

Did you apply in late-Aug or Sept last year something?

 

[bceagle411]

buckle in, the interview season is long. My buddy had a 515 and 3.8 GPA at my school and he didnt get his first interview until january (invite in december)

 

[akimhaneul]

-Having Secondary and all LORs complete to school by Labor Day is early/ontime. By late or end of September is about middle/normal speed, by end of October is about late.

So are you saying that you are not screwed if you become complete at schools like right now?