Applications...

[hedixo01]

I'm hoping this is the best place to post my query. My husband is getting ready to take the MCAT on July 28th. He's going to start applying so that as soon as he gets his scores back they'll go directly to the schools he's applied to. My question for you all is how many schools should he apply to? He's considering the two in state schools, and Vanderbilt which is close, and his top choice. That's it, just three schools. I feel like he should apply to more, and he's worried about how much tuition will be out of state. But what if he doesn't get in to the schools here? I'm sure it's unlikely since he's gotten his bachelor's and master's here, but why take the risk?

[Pollyanna]

I'm hoping this is the best place to post my query. My husband is getting ready to take the MCAT on July 28th. He's going to start applying so that as soon as he gets his scores back they'll go directly to the schools he's applied to. My question for you all is how many schools should he apply to? He's considering the two in state schools, and Vanderbilt which is close, and his top choice. That's it, just three schools. I feel like he should apply to more, and he's worried about how much tuition will be out of state. But what if he doesn't get in to the schools here? I'm sure it's unlikely since he's gotten his bachelor's and master's here, but why take the risk?

I would encourage him to apply far and wide. Does your home institution have a history of taking their own? Starting now, everything is a huge crap shoot (and I mean everything) and he might want to increase his chances by applying everywhere. My hubby had great grades, good MCATs, a PhD in genetics, high quality research at a fancy shmancy institution, etc, etc. and even he did not get in every place he applied. Ummm, if your dh is concerned about tuition I am thinking Vandy being at the top of his list is a bit humorous . Good luck and keep us posted!

[SoonerTexan]

Vanderbilt which is close, and his top choice.

Haha--DH is convinced that no one gets in there. Everyone we knew was immediately rejected.

Apply out-of-state. Some schools, including the one DH attends, give enough scholarships to make it equal to in-state tuition and save spots for out-of-staters (I'll send you a PM with the name of the school). We have friends from Utah who are paying less to go to a Texas school than they would have going to their in-state option.

I think DH applied to something like 15-20 schools and got into 4-5 (granted, he declined some interviews after he had gotten accepted at key places). One of my best friends (a Texas resident) applied to EVERY Texas school and Oklahoma's med school and only got into the Oklahoma school. It was expensive, but she still found scholarship options to make it manageable.

APPLY WIDE!

[Vanquisher]

DH applied to, I think (It has been over a decade), over 50 schools. We had only one state school option, and that school has the most stringent admissions statistics of any public medical school in the country. As it is, he ended up at one of the most expensive private schools in the country. We have an ass-load of debt.

However, depending on what he wants to specialize in, one year of lost income in risking not getting in somewhere is HUGE and likely will offset even the most outrageous tuition. Also applying to a lot of medical schools is really expensive, but not as expensive as losing a year.

[Vanquisher]

We have friends from Utah who are paying less to go to a Texas school than they would have going to their in-state option.

Interesting. That's where we are from. Granted, we are dinosaurs, and I am sure things have changed a lot, but when dh applied, most of the Texas schools wouldn't even consider out of state residents. In fact, we applied to a number of Texas schools, especially the ones that seemed more out-of-state friendly because dh did a year at UT Austin. It is so frustrating when schools will not take any or very few out-of-staters when you come from a state with one medical school. Furthermore, Utah only allowed 75 of it's 100 slots to go to Utahns. The rest went to residents of states with no medical schools. Those states with no medical schools have several schools that also give them preference. Utah is the worst place in the country to live to try to get into medical school. I am sure of it.

[Chrisada]

He should definitely be applying to way more schools than that! DH applied to maybe 10-15 schools I think. We wanted to stay in a certain region. You never know about scholarships. DH got a full ride,which he took, to a very highly ranked state school, which was out of state for us. DH's alma mater has a good percentage of out of state students.

[oceanchild]

Furthermore, Utah only allowed 75 of it's 100 slots to go to Utahns. The rest went to residents of states with no medical schools. Those states with no medical schools have several schools that also give them preference. Utah is the worst place in the country to live to try to get into medical school. I am sure of it.

Nevada is like this, too. And then once you're in you have to split your years between Reno and Las Vegas, which sucks for a spouse with a job. We decided (after applying) that it wasn't worth the hassle. And also ended up at one of the most expensive private medical schools in the country. (I think it is currently THE most expensive, but I am not certain of that. Hedixo, don't go there.)

My husband applied to somewhere around 10 schools (coming straight from undergrad). It makes sense to me to cast a somewhat wider net. And with the way in-state tuition is going, it might not end up saving you money for much longer anyway.

[ides]

Dh was a post bacc premed applicant and he applied to something like 20 schools. He got into 2. One was off the wait list- Vanderbilt to be exact- which is where he went. Neither of us enjoyed our time there. The hospital has amazing facilities & resources though, not to mention being a big name, which always helps. Apply widely & hope for the best. I think something like 30% is the acceptance rate for getting into med school.

[Malpka]

DH and SIL both got into Vandy.

Dh applied to all into both state public schools (2 at that time), and 10 other private schools. He went with one of the in state options.

[diggitydot]

DH applied to 14 schools, interviewed at 6 and was accepted to 3 or 4. It was almost a decade ago so I could be off, but I that sounds about right.

My advice; he needs to send out more apps. I've known schools to not accept exemplary students and take some mediocre ones. Sometimes it seems like there's no rhyme or reason. The wider the net, the more likely he is to be accepted and maybe even have his choice if he's accepted at more than one school.

[Chrisada]

Ahh Vanderbilt. DH was working on his Ph.D there in Mechanical Engineering and hated it. He also had a good friend who dropped out of their medical school. I'm from Nashville and Vanderbilt definitely has an outstanding reputation and is pretty competitive.

[MrsK]

3 sounds like way too few. I think I even applied to more schools than that foe undergred. Be sure to apply to some safety schools too.

[hedixo01]

Ummm, if your dh is concerned about tuition I am thinking Vandy being at the top of his list is a bit humorous . Good luck and keep us posted!

Agreed. For how smart DH is, he can also be a bit dumb. lol Vanderbilt is also within three hours from where we currently are which makes it a nice option, but I'm not terribly optimistic. And thank you all for your replies. I had the same answer from one of the doctors we both work with (she applied to 20 schools and got into two). I won't be letting him take any chances.

[hedixo01]

3 sounds like way too few. I think I even applied to more schools than that foe undergred. Be sure to apply to some safety schools too.

He applied to ONE school for undergrad. In the city we live in. I nearly killed him for that, considering with his grades and scores he could've had his pick. Another reason I'm pushing him to apply all over the place.

[SuzySunshine]

3 sounds like WAY to few to me too but DH applied in 1998 (wow, we're old!)

My DH was a good candidate, 4.0 from a top engineering school, great MCAT scores, didn't need financial aid, well rounded in activities, etc. during college and he's a great people person so he interviews well. He applied to about 15 schools, I think, and got into ONE and was waitlisted at two. He eventually got into and enrolled at one of his waitlist schools but my point is 3 is not enough and I don't care if he aces the MCAT's.

Tell him the wise women on the board say 3 is not enough.