NOT BEEN INVITED TO ANY INTERVIEWS?
The medical and dental school application process can be long, arduous, and stressful, particularly if you do not receive an invitation to interview. Once your file is complete at the medical and dental school, it can be acted upon in a relatively expeditious manner, can be put into status for continuing review or, in some cases, can be put into a "pile" where the likelihood for future review is unlikely. Unfortunately, when applicants are put into the latter category, a rejection is not always forthcoming. If you are an applicant who has not been invited for an interview by January of the application year, we strongly recommend that you speak with either Ms. Snydman, Ms. Kirby or Dr. Verrier to try to help you assess your application status and strategize a way to improve your credentials and/or develop strategies/options.
In trying to figure out why you have not received any invitation to interview, it is important to realistically assess is your qualifications. A single low score in an MCAT sections or a low overall MCAT score can result in an application not being competitive. The same goes with GPA cutoffs. A low science (BCPM) GPA can – in many cases – automatically disqualify an applicant. By this time in your premedical and dental experience at Johns Hopkins, you should know the GPA ranges that are or are not competitive. It is very hard to overcome a low MCAT or GPA. Applicants must also remember that having strong numbers not enough. The candidate must have a proven commitment to service, notable medically-related experience, leadership, strong communication skills, etc.
Most schools prefer that you do not call or email at this point in the process. It is appropriate to verify with the medical and dental schools that your application is complete, however. Regarding an update, it is only appropriate to notify a school if you have something distinctly different to share with them such as a particularly strong academic performance in the fall semester or a notable new initiative or experience that adds to your application in a manner noticeably different from prior accomplishments. In this case it may be appropriate to send a letter that updates the schools. If you choose to send fall semester grades, they should be requested from the Registrar's Office. The Pre-Professional Office does not handle the mailing of 7th semester grades.
Rarely. The most important information for you to have is that your file is complete. Other than this information, medical and dental and dental schools do not want to receive inquiries from students who have not been invited to interview.
Since this is a formal notification of a status by the medical or dental school, it is appropriate for you to follow-up with a letter that expresses gratitude, gives specific details about why the applicant is interested in the school, provides an update – including information that shows how the you have experience that may be well suited for this particular school, and it’s one page with a readable font size. A sample follows:
Even the strongest applicant should prepare to receive rejections in the professional school application process. Indeed, the national average for acceptances is less than two per accepted applicant. Most who are accepted receive but one acceptance. In short, you can count on receiving more rejections than acceptances. While it is very difficult to place your goals and hopes "on the line" and then not be invited to attend a particular school, you must work to keep this in perspective. You should realistically evaluate what the rejections mean and celebrate the hoped-for acceptances.
Figuring out how a particular medical and dental school makes its admissions decisions can be bewildering. There are a number of factors that may have resulted in the school’s decision not to invite you to interview. Sometimes students can be invited for a multiple interviews only to find out that they were put on hold or rejected from the very school where they believed to be their best bet. The idiosyncrasies and unexplainable parts of the process abound. Don't get fixated on these anomalies. Focus on the schools that show an interest in you and follow up where appropriate. Also, make sure you are well prepared for interviews so that you can do your absolute best. For more information on preparing for your interviews, please visit http://web.jhu.edu/prepro/health/Applicants/interviewing.html.
If you are an applicant who has not been invited for an interview by January of the application year, we strongly recommend that you speak with either Ms. Snydman, Ms. Kirby or Dr. Verrier to try to help you assess your the strengths and weaknesses of your application and to develop a plan which will allow you to present a stronger application at a later date. It is very wise to begin this conversation early in the cycle so that actions can be taken which will strengthen your application for the next cycle rather than needing to wait another entire year before an improved application can be presented.
ONGOING CONTACT WITH SCHOOLS
The most appropriate time to follow-up with a school is following an interview or following the receipt of an official notification of your status. In addition to sending thank you notes to interviewers following an interview, it is appropriate to send a letter to the dean/director in charge of admissions to express the strength of your interest in the school, your impressions of the interview day, your appreciation for the opportunity, and hope that you will be afforded the opportunity to join the incoming class. It is also appropriate to send a letter to a school at the time you may be placed in a status following the interview (e.g., waitlist) indicating, again, your ongoing interest in the school and your hope that you will be afforded the opportunity to join the incoming class.
It is a curious aspect of the medical school admissions process that some schools have rolling admissions and others wait to announce all of their decisions at the end of the application cycle. First, it should be remembered that, following an interview at any medical school, thank you notes to interviewers and a general letter of appreciation should be sent to the appropriate representative in the Office of Admissions. Our advice is not to send – what many term – a “letter of intent” to a particular school. In general, schools are not weighing their decision on you based on whether you say you will attend that school. A “letter of interest” on the other hand, where you may update a school on your recent activities/accomplishments, emphasizes the strength of your interest, and explain how/why you are particularly well matched to the school, is much more appropriate.
Be patient. Sometimes schools cannot meet their stated timeline for notifying an applicant. The fact you have not heard does not necessarily mean bad news. It is fairly common that applicants are put in the position of having to wait – in a number of ways – during this very arduous process.
In general, it only makes sense to make this request if you will be traveling a very long distance, like across the country. Medical schools will vary in their response, however. It cannot hurt your candidacy to make the request. It is best to make it by email.
ON THE WAITLIST…
Being “on hold” or “waitlisted” takes on different meanings based on timing in the application cycle. If you receive a hold or waitlist letter after interviewing in the fall, it may mean that the admissions committee wants to review more candidates before they make their decision. By late spring, being “on hold” or “waitlisted” means that while the admissions committee has reviewed your application and determined you are a good fit for the program, they have already filled their incoming class. In other words, they didn’t say no to your application but they didn’t say yes, either. Most waitlists are typically numbered, so that each student is assigned a specific numbered spot on the list.
Medical schools use waitlists to ensure that their incoming class is full by the beginning of their programs in August. Since they know a certain percentage of students they admit will choose other schools, medical schools accept more students than the number of places available. If a higher number of students decline admission than the medical school anticipated, spots will open up and waitlisted students will be accepted. The number of waitlisted students who are accepted varies greatly from year to year and school to school. For example, Tufts states that “in some years, [they] have filled as many as a third of the seats in the entering class from the wait list; in other years, as few as a dozen.”
You will only be admitted when a spot opens up. This could happen any time between April until the incoming class matriculates in August. Many schools report that they accept the highest number of waitlisted students in late May, June, and July but sometimes spots will become available the week or even the day before the program begins.
Schools do not create waitlist rankings based on the quality of your application. If a student has been waitlisted, he/she has been deemed qualified for admission. When students withdraw from the incoming class, many schools will look to admit waitlisted candidates who would best balance the composition of the class. Since this process is ongoing, schools do not create numbered or ranked waitlists. Finally, schools do not create waitlist rankings because of the uncertain timing of when spots become available. For example, if a spot opens up in August, many of the waitlisted students may have already been accepted elsewhere or made other plans.
This is an excellent opportunity to demonstrate to a school that they are your top choice. Send a letter to the school that restates your strong interest in their program and highlights the unique contribution you would make. We provide a sample letter for an MD/PhD applicant as a guide. Your letter can also inform the school of your recent professional and academic accomplishments. The letter should be concise, focused, and no longer than 2 pages. If you have any questions or would like to discuss your letter, please schedule an appointment with an advisor.
As noted above, our advice is not label a “letter of intent” to your top school as a "letter of intent." In general, schools are not weighing their decision on you based on whether you say you will attend that school. A “letter of interest” on the other hand, where you may update a school on your recent activities/accomplishments, emphasize the strength of your interest, and explain how/why you are particularly well matched to the school, is much more appropriate. There are cases, however, when the term “intent” to attend a school that is your top choice is appropriate to be used.
This is a very difficult and personal decision that involves weighing how long to remain available for a medical school offer versus making alternative plans for the fall and beyond. Some students choose to start the reapplication process in June or July and begin working full-time or pursuing graduate programs. Others choose to wait until August to see if they may be accepted and then make alternative plans once they receive formal notification that their schools of interest have concluded the admissions process.
Reapplying right away is not always the best strategy. You want to make sure that your application is as strong as possible, which may mean you need to address areas of weakness in your background before applying again. Your second application should feature new and different experiences. These can range from additional coursework to volunteer work to research and more. Developing a new personal statement also helps demonstrate the additional experience and maturity you have gained since the last time you applied. While waiting before applying again may be frustrating, it often means the difference between being accepted and not. Commit to spending the time to become the most competitive candidate possible.
GETTING ACCEPTED!
Congratulations! Your first step is to celebrate your success! Next, you need to decide whether to accept the school’s offer of admission. Throughout the spring, you can continue to wait and see if you are accepted by any other schools. You have until May 15th to consider multiple admissions offers; after that point, you are in danger of having offers rescinded. Once you have decided on your school, follow their instructions about submitting a deposit and any other steps they require. Also, continue to investigate ways to fund your medical school education. It is important that you closely follow the acceptance procedures for entering first-year med students which includes your responsibilities as a professional school applicant and the procedures and rules that medical schools must abide by in offering acceptances and waitlist decisions to applicants.
No. In fact, we strongly recommend that you do not interview at any school if you have been admitted to your top school. You are taking up valuable interview slots at schools for candidates who truly may be interested in and seriously considering that medical school. If you have been admitted to your top school, you have an ethical obligation to notify all of your remaining schools that you have accepted an invitation to attend another medical or dental school.
Each medical school usually has its own deferral policy. Some will only allow students to defer if they have received a significant opportunity (Fulbright, Rhodes, etc) whereas others will allow you to defer, no questions asked. Check with the individual medical school regarding their policy. In general, however, it is not advised to apply to medical or dental school if your intention is to defer your admission.
AMCAS "traffic rules" state that medical school applicants can hold multiple acceptances until May 15 of the year of matriculation. After May 15, applicants select one school. Students must notify all schools of their decision or they risk having all offers of admission rescinded. Once schools know how many students will be matriculating, they may begin using their waitlists to fill any open spots. Please refer to this document:
Most allopathic (MD) medical schools have deposits of $100 or greater. The deposits are usually refundable or will be applied toward your tuition if you ultimately attend the school. Therefore, if you pay a required deposit at a school when you are holding a position at a school where you desire to attend more, you will lose the deposit. For most osteopathic (DO) schools, the deposits are between $500 and $1,500 and typically non-refundable.
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