Worth asking for feedback?

[Beast11]

Greetings all:

I got my first semi-unexpected (not a warm fuzzy after the interview) rejection letter today! Hooray! 😛

Do you think if I called the Admin office they might give some general feedback (state I would like to apply again next year-what areas could I address).

I am not expecting any sort of a promise or exact answer-but wonder if it does more damage than good to even ask (seem like a whiner. Not get an answer, but then leave a bad taste in their mouth)

Of course, this is semi-moot if I get in to my other school(s) (including waitlists). Still-as a non-trad professional I have had the door slammed in my face before and had had some success in figuring out why when bluntly asking. Just wondered if a similar effort works here (I'm thinking about matches in the future)

Thanks!

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[Scottish Chap]

If it's your first rejection, and you have other offers/interviews/applications pending, I'd just let it go. If you end up reapplying and this is your top choice, I would set up an appointment with the Director of Admissions to go through your file and to ask for frank feedback. There are so many factors involved in gaining admission, and certain schools put more emphasis on grades, MCAT, experiences, interviews than others.

After helping out in the Admissions Office for the last two years, I will say that the applicant pool as a whole is a very impressive and homogeneous bunch. It's hard to make the final decision, and I'm glad it's not my job.

Good luck, and hang in there.

 

[Beast11]

If it's your first rejection, and you have other offers/interviews/applications pending, I'd just let it go. If you end up reapplying and this is your top choice, I would set up an appointment with the Director of Admissions to go through your file and to ask for frank feedback. There are so many factors involved in gaining admission, and certain schools put more emphasis on grades, MCAT, experiences, interviews than others.

After helping out in the Admissions Office for the last two years, I will say that the applicant pool as a whole is a very impressive and homogeneous bunch. It's hard to make the final decision, and I'm glad it's not my job.

Good luck, and hang in there.

Thanks for the response. Just a quick question. By set up appointment-did you mean face to face? Not a problem-just requires a trip and me to dry clean the suit, haircut-you know-interview regalia (heck-if I was a Scottish Chap I would even whip out the mirkin and kilt-tho' I am a bit averse to going commando!)

certain schools put more emphasis on grades, MCAT, experiences, interviews than others. .

Is this even speculated upon in different SDN threads? My searches have availed little.

And you have crystallized why I asked originally. I want to write this rejection off (heck-I'll just treat it like I was asking for a date. Used to that type of rejection even after all these years!) But my rationale was to figure out what these people really value in terms of performance in med school (I will get in by hook or by crook-but once there-do research? go on missions? serve on umpteen committees?, or is only performance on USMLE what determines where you get in and what you can do with a degree?)

Thanks once again

 

[Scottish Chap]

A face-to-face meeting is best and it will establish personal contact at a school that you would consider your top choice - should the worst happen this year (again, hang in there). Such meetings are useful because you'll be able to gauge what the school feels is important for you to strengthen in your file. Few medical schools are willing to make their selection tools public knowledge, though I'm sure some schools treat the interview and letters of recommendation as a major selection tool once an applicant is invited to interview. I cannot provide names off the top of my head, however.

As for medical school and the USMLE: for better or worse, numerical data continues to be a major part in how you are assessed and I'd be lying if I said such data is not important to you as a medical student. However, much like gaining admission to medical school, USMLE scores and grades are part of what residency directors look for, but they are not everything. Obviously, if you just have to secure a dermatology residency at Johns Hopkins, then it's critical that you shine brighter than most. The USMLE is a totally different type of exam from the MCAT, and I'd argue that the attributes needed to do well in both actually differ.

BTW, I always wear Calvin Klines under my kilt. 👍

 

[montessori2md]

You said you didn't get warm fuzzies at the interview, did that mean You didn't think the school was all that spectacular a fit? That is, do you care what they think?😀

Search through the threads for your specific schools. VCU/MCV has an unusually transparent policy on how they weigh each component of your application, it's thoroughly discussed here and at their interviews. Other schools are very fuzzy about their process.

Good luck!

 

[QofQuimica]

Greetings all:

I got my first semi-unexpected (not a warm fuzzy after the interview) rejection letter today! Hooray! 😛

Do you think if I called the Admin office they might give some general feedback (state I would like to apply again next year-what areas could I address).

I am not expecting any sort of a promise or exact answer-but wonder if it does more damage than good to even ask (seem like a whiner. Not get an answer, but then leave a bad taste in their mouth)

Of course, this is semi-moot if I get in to my other school(s) (including waitlists). Still-as a non-trad professional I have had the door slammed in my face before and had had some success in figuring out why when bluntly asking. Just wondered if a similar effort works here (I'm thinking about matches in the future)

Thanks!

They've already rejected you. What possible harm could it do to call and ask why??? As you've said, it would be good to know what they consider to be the weakest aspects of your app so that you can work on those for next year, should it be necessary.

That being said, there's no guarantee that you'll get a straight answer out of them. As SC suggested, med schools reject tons of perfectly qualified people all the time. I would guess that there are just as many "algorithms" as there are members of medical school adcoms. My school is no different. We have some adcom members who salivate over applicants with super high stats, others who value a strong research background, and still others who are into people who do things like start free clinics in third world countries. Who knows what will pique someone's interest and make them go to bat for you over a dozen other equally qualified folks? There's definitely an element of serendipity involved here based on who your interviewers are and what kinds of things impress them. All you can do is make your app as all-around strong as possible, apply broadly, and hope that the right girl comes along. 😉

 

[Mobius1985]

They've already rejected you. What possible harm could it do to call and ask why??? As you've said, it would be good to know what they consider to be the weakest aspects of your app so that you can work on those for next year, should it be necessary.

I agree with Q completely. You are entitiled to something in exchange for your application fee. I was in the same position a year ago, made an appointment for a telephone conference with one of the deans, and received helpful feedback. The most important thing I found out, that I hadn't known for sure, was that my LORs were excellent. She also discussed my main weakness from her institution's pont of view (no surprise). It was a productive conversation.