Bad Vibe City

I am having to face down the fact that despite getting 35T on my MCAT, Fulbright Scholarship, straight As, blah blah blah that is probable I will not get in ANYWHERE. I was given six interviews:
SUNY Downstate
SUNY Buffalo
SUNY Stony Brook
Mt. Sinai
Johns Hopkins
Cornell
So far I have gotten only two responses-- both negative. Waitlist at Mt. Sinai and rejection at Buffalo. It appears that I am being rejected by the less selective places first, which really bodes poorly for the more selective places. I didn’t put any thought into what I would do if this happened-- the expense of the applications and interviews was SO extreme, I didn’t think I might have to spend it all again. Not to mention I was staying alive at my job only with the knowledge I would be leaving in July. Now I’m having to face the fact that I may be stuck there indefinitely.
It’s probably a bit late (March of the year I want to go ito school!) but I need to start meditating on what I’m going to do if NOTHING pans out for me.

I wouldn’t give up hope yet, Matt. You can’t predict what another school will do based on the ones you’ve already heard from. I think it is actually quite common for people to be accepted by more selective schools but rejected by less selective ones, especially if the less selective schools have the impression that you are using them as a backup or safety school. Good luck with the rest of your interviews, and I hope that something pans out for you.

Quote:

I am having to face down the fact that despite getting 35T on my MCAT, Fulbright Scholarship, straight As, blah blah blah that is probable I will not get in ANYWHERE. I was given six interviews:
SUNY Downstate
Hang in there this is the tough part, waiting.
SUNY Buffalo
SUNY Stony Brook
Mt. Sinai
Johns Hopkins
Cornell
So far I have gotten only two responses-- both negative. Waitlist at Mt. Sinai and rejection at Buffalo. It appears that I am being rejected by the less selective places first, which really bodes poorly for the more selective places. I didn’t put any thought into what I would do if this happened-- the expense of the applications and interviews was SO extreme, I didn’t think I might have to spend it all again. Not to mention I was staying alive at my job only with the knowledge I would be leaving in July. Now I’m having to face the fact that I may be stuck there indefinitely.
It’s probably a bit late (March of the year I want to go ito school!) but I need to start meditating on what I’m going to do if NOTHING pans out for me.

I was feeling very sorry for myself last night and had to publish. BUT I have recovered from a momentary bout of pessimism. I feel much better now about leaving it all to the Good Lord above. Something has got to come through. Thank you for reading and supporting!
Matt

Matt
you have terrific stats and will doubtless get in somewhere, if not this cycle then the next. Everything happens for a reason. Be of good cheer!

Matt, the season isn’t over yet. All is not lost. Have you let these schools know, very specifically, why you want to attend?
Cheers,
Judy

I DEFINITELY emphasized the factors in the individual programs that I liked when I was composing my secondary essays.
I have a question for anyone who knows anything about wait lists… should I send a reacquaintance letter to Mt. Sinai, restating and amplifying my case? Or is now not the time?
Matt

Matt, YES now is the time. Furthermore, plan to send another letter in early May - those who are fortunate enough to hold multiple acceptances have to start paring down their lists on May 15 and that’s when the waitlist movement really gets going.
Mary

Came home today to more terrible news from Cornell and Stony Brook:
SUNY Downstate: unknown
SUNY Buffalo: REJECTED
SUNY Stony Brook: WAIT LISTED
Mt. Sinai: WAIT LISTED
Johns Hopkins: unknown
Cornell: REJECTED
So it looks like it’s all up to SUNY Downstate or Johns Hopkins (!) unless my letters are able to sway Stony Brook or Mt. Sinai to take me off their wait list. It’s going to be a longer spring than I anticipated.
I will not lie: this is all very discouraging.
Matt

Sorry, Matt. Hope you get some good news soon.

Hey Matt,
It only takes one acceptance and you are in the running to have one. Hang in there and work on your Plan B. The more elaborate your Plan B, the sooner you get that acceptance letter. (Besides, it keeps you from going nuts waiting at the mailbox).
Natalie

Hey Dr. Belle:
Thank you for being so kind. Truth is I REALLY enjoyed myself at Mt. Sinai and Stony Brook on Interview Day. (For different reasons-- you probably couldn’t imagine two more different institutions that still both have the MD curriculum.) So I will redouble my efforts to getting off these wait lists.
Matt

Matt,





I know from experience that rejections are very hard to take. I rec’d a TON of them (not unexpected) due to my horrible Ugrad numbers from long ago…still did not make it any more palettable . It is not uncommon for folks, even with strong numbers, to have to apply more than once. That is true both for non-trads & trads, although I suspect the rate is probably a bit higher for the non-trad applicants.





I would make two specific & two general recommendation to you. One, assertively lobby the programs where you are on wait-lists. Now, definitely do not cross the line where you become a pest. I concede that line is probably rather fuzzy, but our resident expert in this tactic is the good Dr. Renard.





Two, invest this time you have by beginning to hone your application for round two. This is not tantamount to admitting defeat. It is a productive investment of your time & will help ease the “pain” of rejection. Take your app package to someone you can trust to be honest & objective. Have them dissect it for bug-a-boos. Also, if you are working w/ a pre-med advisor or committee, ask them to review your app & LORs for any ‘rats’ or typos that may be unexpectedly lying there. I found a serious typo in what AMCAS transmitted was too late - they reported my BS-grad date as Dec 99 instead of May 99 making it appear as though I was applying to med school w/o a BS or BA. I suspect that this was a critical factor in many of my rejections.





Third, even though this is very tough to cope with, it is critical that you remember not to personalize these rejections. You, as a person, represent far more than a balance sheet of grades & MCAT scores. This process is so intense & competitive, it is easy to inadvertently get sucked into this perspective. You are competing with the academic elite - a very tight & essentially statistically indifferentable sub-set. Being anywhere in this pile of folks is an impressive & noteworthy accomplishment.





Finally, take time to reflect upon the process & what it has taught you. I tell every Jr resident & med student I supervise, “every person [and situation] you encounter has something of value to teach you. It is your responsibility to invest the time & energy to fingure out what that is & then use it to better yourself.” This same precept applies to application/reapplication.





I wish you the best of luck & success! I am confident that you will succeed if you persevere.

Hey Matt,
Keep hanging in there! The admission season is not over yet–at some schools, I don’t think letters even start going out until March or April. I would definitely stay in touch with the schools where you’re on the wait list. Those wait lists will really start to move in May.
Good luck, and keep us updated!