Self-Assessment Guide: A Good Tool For Unsuccesful Applicants To Utilize

It is a fact, unfortunately, that over half of the nation's medical school applicants do not get accepted, meaning most students fail to matriculate into any of their medical school choices when they first apply.

More specifically, American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) statistics show that just under 42% of applicants in 2013 matriculated into medical school. The reality is there's a ton of great applicants for which schools simply don't have open seats.

At MSU in particular, we receive thousands of applications annually from students who have put in a great deal of time and effort to prepare their medical school applications. We understand how one can feel taxed after not receiving an acceptance.

If the MSU College of Human Medicine (CHM) was one of those choices that you were unsuccessful with and you have not been admitted to any of your additional choices, there are steps you can take to become a more competitive applicant should you intend to reapply to CHM in the future.

Steps to improve your application for the following cycle can only begin once a review of your profile has taken place. Awareness of where your application may have been weak is key to knowing how to correct your deficiencies going forward.

For that reason, any unsuccessful applicant who applied to CHM can use this Self-Assessment Guide, which will help you assess where you have room for improvement. One of our admissions advisors will review and respond with comments.

An honest assessment of your application can identify areas to strengthen.
Some common problem areas for unsuccessful applicants are:
  • Inadequate GPA and/or MCAT scores
  • Limited Experiences and Achievements
  • Issues with Prerequisites
  • Poor Essays
Please note that anyone who intends to reapply to the college in the future must complete and submit the Self-Assessment Guide. From there, our admissions advisors are available* to meet with unsuccessful applicants for a self-assessment appointment.

Appointments can be held in person, by phone, or even Skype. However, advising appointments are exclusive to unsuccessful applicants who:
  • have completed and submitted their Self-Assessment Guide
  • have been rejected from all other schools, and
  • have not yet submitted the AMCAS application for the next application cycle
Once all of the above criteria are met, submit your completed Self-Assessment Guide to us by fax at 517. 432.0021 or by mail:

Michigan State University
College of Human Medicine
Office of Admissions
804 Service Rd., Room A112
East Lansing, MI  48824-1317

After submitting your Self-Assessment Guide, go to our Advising Appointment form and complete the form. One of our advisors will contact you by email to set up an appointment.

To be a successful reapplicant, analyzing your profile will help you determine which factors might have contributed to your non-acceptance.

If you're convinced medical school is still the path for you to take, a little perseverance can go a long way. For those that are willing, that still can mean medical school.

*Decisions made by the Committee on Admissions are not subject to appeal or revision. Therefore, representatives of the Office of Admissions will not discuss your application with you once a final decision has been made. So while we cannot go over any specifics regarding why your application was not accepted, advisors are happy to help identify areas you can strengthen.

For more daily tips and insight, follow the MSU College of Human Medicine Office of Admissions on Facebook and Twitter.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

So You've Been Put On The Waitlist: What's Next?

Image
You've  waited for a decision and word has finally arrived: you've been placed on the waitlist. It's okay for applicants to feel some anxiety when placed as an alternate. That's normal. More uncertainty isn't something an applicant begs to endure. But don't necessarily take it as a bad omen either. More than disappointment, you should have hope. You still have a chance, after all. Considering the sheer number of applicants across the country each year, the truth is that it's actually pretty common to be in this situation. Thousands of accepted students matriculate off the waitlist each year. With only 5-10% of students matriculating from the waitlist at some schools, others accept as high as 50-60% of their incoming class from waitlisted applicants. The question then is, "What should I do now?" Remain Positive Waitlist does not mean rejection. While this isn't ideal, getting your name onto a waitlist is an accomplishment and shows ...
Read more

After Acceptance: A User’s Guide to Preparing for Medical School

Image
The summer before I started medical school at the College of Human Medicine (CHM), I often wondered what I was getting myself into. What will med school be like? What will I learn? Will I be able to keep up? Would I still have a life? Will I embarrass myself in front of a bunch of medical professionals? What don’t I know that I need to know? With (almost) two years of medical school down, I would tell all those who are about to matriculate (along with my past-self) to calm down. Relax. You will learn all that you need to know when you need to know it. You will be able to keep up. It may be hard, but it’s doable. Sure, it can be draining at times, but med school is still incredibly rewarding. You will be pushed, but you will grow. So before you begin classes, the biggest thing you can do before starting med school is prepare while simply enjoying the process. Here are five pieces of advice to help make the transition to med school a bit easier. Relax and enjoy your last s...
Read more

New College of Human Medicine Prerequisite Models Offer A Variety of Pathway Options

Image
It doesn't take a philosophy major to understand that change is constant. Some changes are serious and life-altering; others, not so much. In the world of science, new discoveries and knowledge add foundational context from which the future of medicine must learn to incorporate and adapt.  Higher education communities have raised concerns about whether or not premedical curricula have kept up with these changes; what seemed to work yesterday may not be what works tomorrow . Many medical experts agree that an undergraduate education should not be geared towards only getting students into medical school; instead, these years should be dedicated to creativity within an intellectually stimulating liberal arts education. Congruent with this mindset is the concept that prerequisites (or for that matter any scripted course of undergraduate study) should not be so overwhelming that the applicant seems pressured to emphasize (major in) science in lieu of other academically rigorous...
Read more