Hello Applicants! I'm a system developer here at the College of medicine (COM). A few things about the application process. We screen at multiple levels. The first screening is based on an algorithm (@
Inspector JacquesClouseau was quite close). MCAT and GPA weighted by college weight smoothed over several years of the GPA's of medical school matriculants from the college (or a default weighting if too few matriculants)). The algorithm is much more complex than that, but you get the idea. With over 8000 applications for appoximately 300 seats, we need to be a bit selective. Additionally, if you've indicated that you're going to be taking an upcoming MCAT (or we haven't yet received scores for a recently taken MCAT), your application is held until those scores come in and we can use our algorithm to determine whether we would like you to submit a supplemental. We limit who we request a supplemental from because submitting it costs extra money. However, the cutoff is quite low, and the vast majority are asked to submit a supplemental. Once we receive the supplemental, and payment for it, and your letters of recommendation are all received and given an initial perusal by an admissions officer for application completeness, the applications are reviewed by an individual screener, whose assessment is then reviewed within a screening committee. The funnel narrows precipitously after that point, with offers to come in and interview, so that we can get a feel for you personally, as opposed to just looking at you as represented in documents. From there, offers are made to some at varying points in time over the admissions cycle as we try to build the best class possible.
New for this year is CASPer. Although you are required to take it, we are working out the details of how we will be using it. We don't anticipate at this point that it will affect screening, but we'll certainly need to have received your CASPer results at some undetermined (at this time) point in time. CASPer estimates that scores for a given test will take about a month to get to us.
Additionally, we've implemented a new password setting/recovery system this year...yes, believe me, I'm aware that many are having trouble with it. I, and others, have been emailing back and forth many, many...many times. We're working on resolving the issues. Until then, your patience is appreciated. Now this is developer humor, but I'm going to suggest that your reaction to the password recovery process be made a CASPer question...just kidding! /snark
Anyway, good luck, and I hope to see you here next year! I'll check in from time to time, but we're quite busy now. Hope this helps!