<p>Hi,
While every student's situation is different, is there a general rule of thumb when applying to medical schools, as to how many applications a student should send out? Is there a "too few" or "too many" number? Of course pre-med advisers can help sort this out with individual applicants, but how do you factor in things like yield driven schools, being under/over-qualified for a particular school, etc.? </p>
<p>Just wondering how many schools folks are applying to or have applied to and if they felt it was the right number, as well.</p>
<p>The number I’ve heard is between 12-15. And those should all be schools where the applicant is within spitting distance of those typically accepted. (Unless you have something really special and unique about your application, then you have more latitude.) But 20-22 applications isn’t all too uncommon either. I’ve heard of a student submitting as many as 30 applications! It all depends on how many secondaries you can do and do well in a short period of time.</p>
<p>I would say fewer than 10 applications severely limits your chances for an acceptance. Less than 8 seems like it would be the kiss of death.</p>
<p>If you’re significantly OVERqualified, you’re as likely to get rejected as you are if you’re UNDERqualified since ALL med schools are EXTREMELY yield conscious. Your GPA +MCAT should fall within the range of typically accepted students. (One exception: your state med school[s]. Apply to them. All of them.)</p>
<p>Use MSAR to research the accepted applicant data from last year and use it as a guide to decide which schools are within your GPA+MCAT range. Then narrow on geographic preference, curriculum, research vs. cinical, etc. If you have a significant mismatch between GPA and MCAT–you need to apply more widely. Probably closer to 25 than 12.</p>
<p>I applied to 17 this cycle with an excellent GPA and a pedestrian MCAT. Limited my schools somewhat geographically. For me that was the midwest and northeast. I did apply to 3 of the schools on the low acceptance rate list that wowmom posted. I also applied to two other schools that are true reaches MCAT wise. So, overall I applied to twelve target schools and five high risk schools. I have garnered one invite from one of the risky schools and four invites from my target schools so far. </p>
<p>So far I feel that 17 was a pretty good number for me. In hindsight, I probably would have knocked off a school or two from my target or reach school categories to bring it down to 15 or so apps. If I had a better MCAT, I probably would have applied to 12-14 schools.</p>
<p>It seems like 10-20 is the average number for the usual applicant, the 20-40+ crowd would usually be the kid who forecasts a slim chance at admissions to their state school, either due to their numbers (MCAT/GPA) or due to the simple issue that some state schools are incredibly competitive (CA).</p>
<p>So if you are from a state where you are likely to get in, say TX with strong stats, there is no reason to apply to tons of other schools across the country, but rather just pick a few that you might find competing with your affections for staying in state. If you are an average CA applicant, you may be wise to apply widely across the country, especially if you have any stat below average.</p>
<p>Thanks. Great information. One of the reasons I ask is that I’ve heard that sometimes “overqualified” students don’t get invited for interviews at some schools, even when the schools seem to be a ‘fit’ with the MCAT/GPA, which could leave them in a position of hoping that their real reach schools give them a shot. It seems that you have to over-apply just to make up for schools that for whatever reason don’t offer you a second look. I’ve also heard from someone that some pre-med advisers will flat out say, ‘Don’t apply there, they don’t accept our students.’ Seems bizarre and arbitrary. But they are going by their own school’s stats, so there must be something to it. </p>
<p>1) All schools in your state, esp public ones</p>
<p>2) Any schools that have agreements with your state, or are favorable to students from your state (my school’s website says so right on the website–students from contiguous states “will have files opened”)</p>
<p>3) Any private schools that are in your stats ranges (watch out for ones that appear to be in stats ranges but are actually super selective because of the number of applications they get!)</p>
<p>4) If you want, a few “reach for the stars” schools–because hey, it could happen.</p>
<p>If you can find 10-15 schools that fall into one of the above categories, that have attractive programs in areas you’d like to live, apply to those and be done with it!</p>
<p>(PS: 3.8/30 from a big state school. 13 apps–>4 interviews–>1 withdrawal, 2 wait lists, 1 acceptance (in Dec, so I withdrew all other apps at that time)–>currently attending)</p>
<p>Have your son or daughter ask their advisor if there are schools that seem to “like” students from his/her school. Although my D goes to a small school, I definitely see trends in the med schools that their grads go to.</p>
<p>My daughter is guilty of applying to way too many schools. This was basically based out of a MCAT score that she was not happy with, and she also wanted to make sure that she would get accepted somewhere so as not to have to go through the process again a year later. Now only being 3 weeks since being complete, we realize she could have cut her list in half. That being said,she can always pare down the list when the time comes.</p>
<p>D. has met someone during her interview trips, who applied to 127 Med. Schools. The only question I had, why not to the rest?<br>
In general, it depends what you are looking for. Some people apply to Harvard because of “why not?”, others are trying to match their stats to the list very well so that they save another $95. Still others might be looking regionally which usually increases chances. As you have mentioned, it is very personal. If you want to collect statistical data, here is example of my D. She applied to 8 all within 4.5 hrs driving from home. Got accepted to 4 with 2 rejections and 2 wtls. She had great choices and had hard time deciding, went to Second Look events and changed her preference after them. Her “special” situation was that she already had a spot being in bs/md, which made her list much shorter and whole process much more relaxed. She definitely paid attention to what her pre-med advisor said, but she did not apply outside of her own criteria. If you ask around, you will hear very different stories with very different criteria and outcomes and decision making. Pay much more attention to your personal situation than advices from others.</p>
[quote]
If you are an average CA applicant, you may be wise to apply widely across the country, especially if you have any stat below average.[/qjuote]</p>
<p>Correct. The California applicants that I know apply to 20+, particularly if they are below a 3.8/35. (There are only 2 instate med schools that have “average” matriculant numbers. Three UCs are nationally-ranked.)</p>
<p>More great advice, even to not listen too much to advice! Thank you. A few folks have mentioned the ‘Reach for the Stars’ applications. Has anyone heard of any success stories in that regard?</p>
<p>I went 3-for-4 with interviews at my “Reach for the Stars” schools (Mayo, Duke, Northwestern interviews, Harvard rejection). I had 4 interviews total. I ended up withdrawing from one of them (city’s not for me) and waitlisted at the other two–I eventually withdrew from them mid-July after I realized that my current school’s the best place for me :)</p>
I guess the top 3 UCs are ucsf, ucla and ucsd. Are other UCs UC Davis, UC Irvine, and UC Riverside?
What are the 2 instate med schools that have “average” matriculant numbers? Are they UC Riverside and some private medical school in southern California (forgot its name, may start the name with “L”)?</p>
<p>Riverside does not have a med school (yet). Irvine and Davis are the “average” public med schools, with “average” being relative (since the other three UCs are ranked in the top 15 nationally). Loma Linda is the private in SoCal, but LL has a very specific mission and not attractive to some as is on oos med school.</p>
<p>Note, I forgot the word ‘public’ in my earlier post.</p>
<p>Does anyone know how long it takes for schools to get back to you once you’ve applied? If you are not auto-rejected (as I’ve read that some seem to be early on), does that mean that your application is still under review? Are some schools slower in processing than others?</p>
<p>Admission committees meet periodically during the application season. Maybe once or twice a month, depending on the school. Occasionally weekly, depending on the school. When the committee sits, they basically divide the applicant pile into 3 groups: interview; no action; reject.</p>
<p>The interview invitations and rejections hear back pretty quickly–within 2 weeks to a month tops. But the “no action” pile (which includes the majority of applications) can wait for months and months without hearing anything back. (D1 didn’t hear anything from one school until mid-June!)</p>
<p>Once the admissions committee puts an application in the “no action” pile, they then rank them roughly by desirability. Every time the committee sits, they review the only new applications, then rank them. They only delve into the “no action” pile once application deadlines have passed and they get a feel for how many of their early interviewees are likely acceptances. Then they start looking at the the top group of “no action” applications, re-rank them and offer interviews. Applications that don’t make the interview list go back into the pile to be possibly reconsidered at a later date.</p>
<p>Some schools do not let you know at all. They behave like you have never applied. Others might reject within 24-48 hrs (U of Chicago is famous for that). So, be prepared for both.</p>