<p>One thing I’ve noticed over on that “other premed forum” is that a number of high stats kids have no acceptances and LOTS of rejections. </p>
<p>The common theme seems to be that they’ve applied to a high number of schools, and some may think that they’ve applied broadly, but they haven’t. Some are mostly only applying to Top SOMs, but others are also applying to OOS publics without having any tie to that state. </p>
<p>Obviously, the Top SOMs get a gazillion apps so they can afford to be ultra picky. </p>
<p>The point that other future applicants can take from this is that if you have high stats (MCAT 34+ 3.8+ GPA), you still need to apply to some “reasonable safeties” (I know, there’s no safeties in med school) For someone with those stats, their “reasonable safeties” are likely going to be Midwest middle-tier privates and their instate publics (unless you’re in Calif or similar). The unranked SOMs might also work, but they may think that you’d get better offers and go elsewhere. </p>
<p>Another, misstep I’ve noticed is that it’s January, some are fretting because they lack IIs or acceptances, yet they haven’t bothered to send updates to their schools. If I had their stats and had no acceptances, I’d be sending out a couple of updates hinting that I would attend their school if accepted.</p>
<p>You have to be careful about sending updates—not all schools accept them. (In fact, some schools specifically say NOT to send updates and you really don’t want to annoy the adcomm by not following directions.) Check first!</p>
<p>^ In DS’s year, UT-SW specifically said not to send updates after a certain day (likely Feb. 1.)</p>
<p>
Why Midwest?</p>
<p>Does it mean that the applicants from Midwest could have an easier time in getting into a Midwest middle-tier med school (than, say, NY or WA) because of regional bias?</p>
<p>DS knew an applicant with a high stats, from California. Lots of interviews but very few acceptances (actually a single one only which happened very late in the application cycle.) It likely has something to do with the his top heavy list of med schools he had applied to and he is not very well-rounded.</p>
<p>I agree about checking whether they accept update letters. My school does not allow update letters, and considers your file closed after your interview (meaning you absolutely can’t add anything to it–not grades, update letters, whatever). I believe the reason is that each student is discussed and ranked the same week as their interview, thus the update letter would be useless unless it came in the same day as the interview (and wouldn’t you just say whatever you’d write anyway?). The students with the highest scores are then accepted–occasionally in the winter (top scorers), but typically in the spring.</p>
<p>D2 sounded numb and exhausted when she called, but very glad she’s done.</p>
<p>P.S. She said the experimental section was “weird”–along the lines of “if what was on that test was biochemistry, it was biochemistry like I’ve never seen it before.”</p>
<p>*Quote:
For someone with those stats, their “reasonable safeties” are likely going to be Midwest middle-tier privates and their instate publics
Why Midwest?</p>
<p>Does it mean that the applicants from Midwest could have an easier time in getting into a Midwest middle-tier med school (than, say, NY or WA) because of regional bias?</p>
<p>DS knew an applicant with a high stats, from California. Lots of interviews but very few acceptances (actually a single one only which happened very late in the application cycle.) It likely has something to do with the his top heavy list of med schools he had applied to and he is not very well-rounded.*</p>
<p>Because NE and Western SOMs seem to be harder to get into. I’ve seen a good bit of success from E and W students applying to Midwest private SOMs ( I don’t mean NU or UChi).</p>
<p>You have to be careful about sending updates—not all schools accept them. (In fact, some schools specifically say NOT to send updates and you really don’t want to annoy the adcomm by not following directions.) Check first!</p>
<p>Very true. Always check the website first. And, look to see how they want the updates sent.</p>
<p>^I have no idea how I did I have no great faith in the predictive power of the AAMC practice test so I’m just going to put it out of my mind and wait. …</p>
plumazul, I believe DS had no idea how he had done when he walked out of the test center. Actually, one section that he thought he could have done the worst turns out to be the best.</p>
<p>We know this because we drove him there. His test was just a few days after his commencement so we were at his campus at that time. (It’s a long story as regard to why he took it so late.)</p>
<p>After his MCAT test, our family went to Sushi Palace for all-you-can-eat meals – to “celebrate” a job well done, no matter what the result would be. It helped him (and us :)) unwind.</p>
<p>^ Not a big fan of sushi, but a few hours of mindless television served the same function of unwinding for me.</p>
<p>On a side note, flipping through my old MSAR revealed this find: Roughly 2/3 of in-state applicants earn an interview at one of my in-state public med schools. About 1/2 of those in-state interviewees are accepted into the class. </p>
<p>I know getting accepted into medical school is not guaranteed, but I find those numbers to be slightly encouraging (at least in relation to some of the other schools that I’ve looked at).</p>
<p>I stayed with my parents the night before since they live much closer to the testing center. (and I don’t drive ) The center is very close to one of the largest malls in my state, so we went shopping and ate mall food! It was great. Bought me a new suit (pinstripes!!)</p>
<p>D2 lives 20 minutes from her testing center (and 1200 miles from her parent) so she drove herself. Afterwards she went home and had take out pizza and beer with her BF. No TV watching because she doesn’t have a working TV. </p>
<p>Like plum, she has no clue how she did. </p>
<p>But she did use her Amazon coupon code from AMCAS for taking the experimental section to help pay for a new Kindle.</p>
<p>does the experimental section come at the end?</p>
<p>I remember when I took the mcat, I was running out of time for the bio section. ended up not reading the last passage and just going straight to the questions and made educated guesses. luckily, ended up doing awesome.</p>
<p>The experimental section is an optional section at the end of the exam. AMCAS is pilot-testing questions for biochem and the new human behavior section of the 2015MCAT.</p>
<p>It’s being tacked on to all 2013 MCATs starting this month.</p>
<p>I only took half the allotted time for the experimental section. It was a lot of biochem and I’ve just finished a year of biochem and physical organic. I think I aced it. If it had been psychology I would have been lost. Not sure how much this helps them.</p>
<p>H and I happened to be in our daughter’s college town yesterday for business. So I drove her to the testing site which was several miles from campus with no bus service. She was calm and confident going in and the same coming out. The Kaplan review helped and the 13 full practice tests she took helped also. </p>
<p>In regard to Midwest discussion. I am not familiar with the rest of the country actually, as D. applied ONLY in Midwest. She had stats close to what was mentioned. So, I tend to agree about Midwest, again, I have no opinion about the rest as I do not have an experience with it. D. has refused applyin somewhere else, despite of strong advising at her UG. She was correct, at the end she had solid choices.</p>
I have no great faith in the predictive power of the AAMC practice test so I’m just going to put it out of my mind and wait. …</p>
) The center is very close to one of the largest malls in my state, so we went shopping and ate mall food! It was great. Bought me a new suit (pinstripes!!)</p>