Hi
they ask for every school that you have ever applied to, md or do. Why? What could their reasoning be?
are there ways of finding this out without telling them?
Does it look bad if I applied two years in a row, and third year finally to them? I hope it doesn’t appear that I am desparate or that they are an afterthought.
I just wonder if I should allocate resources to them if I really have little chance to get in.
i find this question odd. Also the HS class rank thing…um…I graduated in 1990???
Hi! When it comes to TMDSAS you want to apply to every school in the Texas system regardless of whether you really want to go there or not. You will have the opportunity later to rank the order of which schools you prefer. They will then try to “match” you with the schools that accept you with the order of your preferences.
Having done my undergrad here in Texas, I’ve become very familiar w/TMDSAS…though I do wish they’d get with the program and go to AMCAS. Talk about a pain of an application! 
Anyways. As I said they do want to see you apply to ALL of the Texas schools on the TMDSAS. From what I’ve heard from advisors and other applicants this reason is two-fold: 1) they want to see that you really are interested in going to school in TEXAS (yes we do tend to think we’re the center of the universe down here 
) 2) during interviews if you only apply to a few schools on the TMDSAS, I have heard repeated stories of kids getting “grilled” about not applying to more…basically being told “well you must not be serious about wanting to be a doctor if you didn’t apply to every possible school!” … of course every possible school referring to Texas schools.
I’m applying to every school on the TMDSAS, even the DO school in Dallas, it’s only $10 extra for each school so I’m not going to take any chances (I think the total for all 8 schools is $115). Plus I figure if I really don’t want to go to a particular school, I just won’t follow up with the secondary (which isn’t through TMDSAS).
Well I hope some of this helps. Don’t worry about your previous attempts…and definitely put it down on the application. You don’t want to not do it and then risk them finding out. I’d just apply to all of the schools and if anything it may show them that you are persistent and determined to get into school here.
Good luck and keep us posted.
Bea
Hi again,
I re-read your posting and realized I missed your other question about HS ranking. As I’m sure you’ve noticed by now…TMDSAS is not the most user friendly, especially for us older non-trads. And what’s up with the short line limits! 
Anyways. I too graduated HS in 1991…I had to dig out my old files and find my ranking. I would go ahead and put it…because it probably won’t let you skip it. The TMDSAS is VERY particular, and if anything isn’t “just right” it will get processed and sent back to you to be re-done. Don’t worry about it if your ranking isn’t great…they will see that you are older and your work/life experience should balance that out.
Also, as you get to the work experience/activties section, make sure you click on the help button and look at the format they want…again they will be VERY particular on this part. If it’s not the right format, when you check on the “status” of your application it say that there is an error that needs to be corrected. Again, not applicant-friendly…there’s no room in their format for ANY explanations/expanding…just dates, title, hours, position. PERIOD!
I still haven’t finished my TMDSAS…I’m putting off the THREE essays! HELLLOOO…get with AMCAS! 
Take care,
Bea
thank you for your input, I was only going to apply to the DO but now I might as well do all.
their application is a pain, but I am almost done. The statements will essentially be the same as either my MD or DO, so no biggie there. I really wish their DO would join aacomas and their MDs to amcas. And the descriptions cut off at each line! what’s up with that??? crazy.
My hubby spent time in Texas in air force training, but that is really all I am connected with it. I just really want to go to a school…