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Why Rolling admissions?
Started by NontradCA
Admissions offices usually only have a handful of full-time staff sorting through thousands of apps, so rolling admission helps them spread the work load over a few months. But you're right, they potentially miss some more qualified applicants in the process.
They would probably also prefer not to have everything in a short time span should an emergency happen.
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admissions offices like to process bits of data continuously
Can you imagine going through 5k+ applications all at January? None rolling means waiting until after the due date to begin processing apps. I don't think any medical schools are really non-rolling.
Yes I can imagine, and they could buckle down and get it done.
Most undergrad institutions do exactly this, with even more apps
You are right! The only thing that doesn't "roll" in nonrolling admissions is notification of applicants.
Most undergrad institutions don't have secondary applications or interviews.
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I work in an academic office where I handle graduate applications. I have no support staff. The graduate applications is my responsibility, and after I sort everything (including transcripts and LORs), the graduate advisor reviews the files for admission. Our application opens on August 1st and closes on February 1st. The bulk of our applications are received in December and January. I receive about 150 applications per year only. I am extremely busy towards the end of this process, as I have other responsibilities as well.
So non-rolling admissions would be a nightmare for a small office of admissions staff. Pre-meds are also more likely to engage in lengthy conversations.
So non-rolling admissions would be a nightmare for a small office of admissions staff. Pre-meds are also more likely to engage in lengthy conversations.
It's not possible for a school to intervew 500+ people to fill a class of 100-200 people in two weeks.
Not all people get their secondaries in on time either.
When you hire people for a job, you generally keep the interviews and search process going until you find the right person. In all of hte faculty search committees I've been on,
>50% of the applicants were totally unsuited for the position (ie, for a cell bio positon, chemists or neurogeneticists sent in their applicantions).
Same holds true for medical students. After half of the people applying have no business applying to medical school, period, and another half have no business applying to our medical school (but might be OK for, say, LECOM).
Not all people get their secondaries in on time either.
When you hire people for a job, you generally keep the interviews and search process going until you find the right person. In all of hte faculty search committees I've been on,
>50% of the applicants were totally unsuited for the position (ie, for a cell bio positon, chemists or neurogeneticists sent in their applicantions).
Same holds true for medical students. After half of the people applying have no business applying to medical school, period, and another half have no business applying to our medical school (but might be OK for, say, LECOM).
So that explains the 40% admit rate
Out of curiosity, what makes some of the applicants have "no business" applying to med school?
I think he's referring to people that apply with stats that aren't competitive.
If schools were to have the same small interview period, imagine trying to schedule an interview at multiple schools! I was lucky that only one school offered the specific program I was interested in, so I had a solid ranking going into my interviews, but for many applicants, the interview is a deciding factor for them as well.
My bet is that there are people in the 2.0-2.9 range that still apply to medical schools.
Not so much competitive as meeting cut off scores (ex. being autoscreened by GPA or MCAT). There are also people who don't turn in their secondaries or have all their letters. So it probably cuts down the list quite a lot.
It depends on how the interviews are structured. For my state school (non-rolling), we have a point system, so after getting over a certain threshold point level the person will be invited for an interview. The interviews are usually held between Oct-Feb and this is a pretty long time period. The adcoms will then look over the people who interviewed (they meet in March) and make a decision by April.
The tough part is really the committee coming together and looking over who gets in since this will be done in the shortest time frame.
I remember reading by an adcom here that you'd be surprised at the number of applicants that have below a 3.0 that apply MD and DO as a pipe dream.
*cough**cough* dreams do come true...
Despite knowing that their grades or MCAT scores fall below the schools' minimum standards, they apply anyway.
I've heard logic such as "why not"?;"you never know"; "nothing ventured, nothing gained.", and "maybe they won't have enough applicants."
I am NOT making this up!
I've heard logic such as "why not"?;"you never know"; "nothing ventured, nothing gained.", and "maybe they won't have enough applicants."
I am NOT making this up!
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med school admissions is not truly rolling admissions either, they send out interviews as they get applications, yes, but if your borderline they just sit on your app for months until the new year rolls around. Its a way for them to spread out processing and reviewing applications, while interviewing the people they really want first, and making everyone else wait.
