I have a question. How ethical is it to take $100 dollars from someone, never meet them, and not even offer an interview? Just a straight out rejection.
At least make the app fee worth my while and earn the money I sent. Their loss (Georgetown)
DRD
Sorry to hear about your rejection, DrD.
Hi there,
A rejection letter hurts but try not to take it personally. One can never predict the cycle of applications or the whims of an admissions committee. You may have had the misfortune to apply in a cycle where you couldn’t stand out of the crowd or where the school was overwhelmed with applications. They just can’t interview everyone. The bottom line is that there are just too many well-qualified applicants for too few slots. Someone is going to be rejected. Unfortunately, some schools use this fact and the secondary application as a revenue generator.
A couple of things that you can do: 1. Make them earn your $100. Find out why they rejected you and use that information to make your applications elsewhere more competitive. 2. Use this rejection to spur you to greater things at other schools. Living well is the best revenge. It only take one acceptance in the face of numerous rejections.
Sure, it does not feel great to not be wanted but as you said, “It is their loss”. You can still have a great career in medicine without graduating from Georgetown. “Whenever a door closes, a window opens.” Maybe this is not the path that you chose but you can take this path and see where it leads and what new things to be discovered. Even better, you can use this experience to spur you on to excellence.
Use everything that this rejection teaches you to make yourself better. In the end, it is all experience and no patient is ever going to ask you where you graduated from medical school. I did countless rotations with students at both GW and Georgetown. In the end, we were all the same i.e. physicians who try to help our patients. There is no difference in practice among us and I paid far less for medical school!
Experience the pain of the rejection but learn from it. It will make that acceptance all the more sweeter when it comes. Keep pushing ahead and don’t look back. You can’t change the past but you can mightily affect the future. Not too long ago, someone posted on this board about trying to get into medical school for five years. It took four rounds of rejection before this individual was able to get into the University of Colorado.
I also know of a student who took ten years to get into GW. He was finally able to get into the five-year program. I don’t know if he had graduated yet but he had MCAT difficulties and GPA difficulties. The important thing is that he didn’t give up. If medicine is your goal, keep plugging away and try to get some lessons from this experience. In the end, you will be stronger and you will still reach your goal.
Natalie 
Hey Nat,
Thanks for the kind words. I called them this morning and the told me the six criteria that the committee used to make the decision. Leadership (not a ton of, but I could make a case), MCAT (32), Science GPA (3.13, but PS was 13 and post bac was 3.6), Letters of Recommendation (Stellar), Medical Experience (I have a good amount), and the essay explaining why I want to go there.
After reviewing my basic info, the person on the phone said I could write a letter addressing these issues and have my file reevaluated. She also said that out of all the schools I applied to, Georgetown was probably the only one that could not interview someone with my stats. Plus they have 8000 applicants annually and typically the best and the brightest apply there.
She was really helpful and really cool. I told her, “My application is really strong, and I want to make sure that a mistake didn’t happen.” (Sometimes they do!) However, I am going to make them earn their money. I will write a letter, and address everyone of the points. I will make the case that thier evaluations of candidates must include interviews and that I would at least like that much.
We’ll see. I let you all know how it goes.
DRD
Mayo. <!–emo&<_
Didn’t want to live in minnesota anyway. waah. 
I’ve been doing too well in this process to complain too much. Just apply some bactine to my pride and all will be well. 
Wishing all the best for this year’s applicants!
Rejection certainly can get one doubting and questioning…
Yes, I speak from experience. I never got off that wait list status the first time around but the next year I received several acceptances to medical school and as well got into the one PharmD program that I applied to … just in case.
Best wishes and congratulations to everyone who has applied this year!
Hey DRD,
I know how you feel. I got my first rejection soon after AMCAS transmission - they did not ask for a secondary, nor did they receive the LORs or the MCAT. I knew it was a long shot as they accept about 6 from out of state. But getting that thin envelope so soon was a huge crash for me.
However, since then, I got one interview and one 'application reviewed by the Admissions Committee and is in a deferred category waiting for the MCAT scores.'
Hang in there is all I can say - something I say to myself at least once a day.
What’s worse than getting a rejection letter from Mayo without even getting a phone interview??? Getting a followup email rejection addressed to LauraW! 
I guess I’m to the point of having a sense of humor about it now!
Rejected, no interview at Penn, Yale and Northwestern.
Waitlisted after interview at UCSF and the UCSF/UCB joint program.
Accepted Cornell, Harvard, Stanford.
Went to what started as something like my third-choice school: Harvard.
Good luck, everyone, in ending up at the right place for you. The good news is that sometimes they know more than you do about why you shouldn't go there.
–joe
| QUOTE (joewright @ Sep 24 2003, 02:10 AM) |
| Went to what started as something like my third-choice school: Harvard. |
Good Grief!!!
Rejected without a secondary to U of Minnesota-Duluth via email today. 
Kathy
Rejected to U of Washington w/o secondary… didn’t like all the cloudy days anyways… their loss…
Don't let the rejection letters get you down.
I know when I applied the first time around, the rejection letters that came in even before secondaries weren't totally unexpected. . . . but they hurt anyway.
Then the secondaries and interviews happened, thought all was going well. More rejections, some wait lists, and then later rejections from the wait lists. Yeah, it was pretty miserable. . . .
But! Did the whole application cycle a second time. Worked really hard to prove I could still handle the load by taking a few really good courses, and it all paid off in the long run.
Second time around, I had an early acceptance here at WVSOM, several other interviews which I went to and where I was again waitlisted, and a whole bunch of interviews that I simply cancelled because I was happy with my choice of WVSOM.
So, keep putting one foot in front of the other. If you don't get in this time around (and I really wouldn't worry yet, it is still VERY early in the application cycle!), just get back up on the horse and ride again. Show your determination and dedication towards achieving this goal, continue with your studying, and, if you applied to only a few schools this time around, spread a wider net next year.
Remember, you have to package yourself in such a manner that the schools will easily recognize your value to their organization.
Good luck to all of you applying this year. . . and keep believing in yourself!
I have heard NOTHING since my one early rejection from UMD! No rejections, no invitations to interview, NADA! I have this horrible fantasy that the AdComs are all looking over my application and saying its not even worth answering. Boy, talk about application year psychosis!! 
Kathy
| QUOTE (Kahkeetsee @ Nov 3 2003, 03:25 PM) |
| I have heard NOTHING since my one early rejection from UMD! No rejections, no invitations to interview, NADA! I have this horrible fantasy that the AdComs are all looking over my application and saying its not even worth answering. Boy, talk about application year psychosis!! Kathy |
Hi Kathy,
It is still very early in the process. Don't let the process make you crazy! You have to stay positive for when you do get that interview invitation. There is so much time to go yet. If it were June 2004 and you were in the same position, I would say that you have a point but it's November and it's the first week of November. Many schools are just getting underway and have the bulk of their interview invitations to send out. The scores from the August MCAT just came in a couple of weeks ago.
As I have said before, Work on Plan B and make it elaborate. The more elaborate your Plan B, the more likely you are to get that interview invitation and acceptance letter. It is so hard to relax and wait when you are reading about the successes of others on the boards. Kudos to them but it will diminish you in no way if your acceptance letter comes the day before orientation (This does happen and it's a phone call).
Also keep in the back of your mind that having to re-apply is more likely than acceptance in the first time that you apply. I had so many classmates who are doing residencies now that applied two and three times but they are all MDs at this point. We should look at Linda who hung in there and is on her way to becoming a physician. (As a matter of fact, WVCOM is holding an open house later this month and it might be a good time to try to check out this great school that has nailed PBL)
Also, look at what Mary, JP, JoeW and Linda are going through right now. They are studying fools so enjoy this free time and stay positive. Every experience that you have between now and interview will strengthen you as an applicant.
Natalie