2020-2021 Re-Applicant Support Thread

[hosie618]

Hi guys, if i have fee assistance and submit my application for verification without picking all schools. Will it still be the lowered price $40 if I want to add more schools after?

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[Bada Bing]

Hi guys, if i have fee assistance and submit my application for verification without picking all schools. Will it still be the lowered price $40 if I want to add more schools after?

I think you can submit for verification and then add more schools. Here is the FAP benefits page.

As far as I can tell, FAP gives you a waiver for 20 medical schools, with reduced prices after the first 20. It shouldn't matter when you add those. But, you might call AMCAS to make sure.

 

[hosie618]

I think you can submit for verification and then add more schools. Here is the FAP benefits page.

As far as I can tell, FAP gives you a waiver for 20 medical schools, with reduced prices after the first 20. It shouldn't matter when you add those. But, you might call AMCAS to make sure.

Thank you so much ! i appreciate it !

 

[sun_flower580]

Who else just saw that AMCAS has received DOUBLE the amount of transcripts as the other cycles already. I’m ready to jump off a cliff. Might as well start packing my sunscreen

 

[micro_glia]

Who else just saw that AMCAS has received DOUBLE the amount of transcripts as the other cycles already. I’m ready to jump off a cliff. Might as well start packing my sunscreen

Where did you see that?

 

[expressojoe]

Maybe it's people sending in multiple transcripts. I'm sure many people who mailed it in initially hadn't had their transcript marked as received so they either sent it again and it sent it online too

 

[sun_flower580]

Where did you see that?

 

[Bada Bing]

No more rolling? I busted my butt to get my primary in early and my secondaries prewritten. I'm not interesting enough to stand out when compared to all the applicants at once!

 

[mdtobe061]

I believe that it's still "rolling" in that early applications will still be viewed and judged but all decisions would be released on the same day. I'm not 100% sure tho. Viewing all applicants at the same time seems like a nightmare for the admissions committee when they get thousands of applications.

 

[expressojoe]

Are any of you back to back reapplicants? I applied 2019-2020 cycle, got 3 MD II --> WL. I called each of the 32 schools I applied to, and only 2 (which I didn't even interview at) gave me feedback. Anyways, I found out that my app didn't have red flags. My stats are high and I had decent LOR and ECs. Where I could have improved were my essays, primary and especially secondaries. Plus given no As interview skills even though I felt they went well. I've taken steps to address these, mainly hiring professional help on essays, and adding extra LOR and gap year experiences on amcas.
Still, is it too early to reapply? While browsing I saw that several people took at least a year break before reapplying but I'm not sure if that's needed.

 

[deleted1043308]

Are any of you back to back reapplicants? I applied 2019-2020 cycle, got 3 MD II --> WL. I called each of the 32 schools I applied to, and only 2 (which I didn't even interview at) gave me feedback. Anyways, I found out that my app didn't have red flags. My stats are high and I had decent LOR and ECs. Where I could have improved were my essays, primary and especially secondaries. Plus given no As interview skills even though I felt they went well. I've taken steps to address these, mainly hiring professional help on essays, and adding extra LOR and gap year experiences on amcas.
Still, is it too early to reapply? While browsing I saw that several people took at least a year break before reapplying but I'm not sure if that's needed.

I'll say that I'm having a very similar experience. I'm reapplying to around 25 schools this time and 21 of them are different schools. I honestly think it's all about refocusing your PS, rewriting essays, and hoping. I don't know your particular context, but I believe that it is okay if you can afford it! It's going to be a tough ride to push through rewriting.
It is not too early to reapply, just diversify your list and make your essays especially crafted!!!

 

[hosie618]

Are any of you back to back reapplicants? I applied 2019-2020 cycle, got 3 MD II --> WL. I called each of the 32 schools I applied to, and only 2 (which I didn't even interview at) gave me feedback. Anyways, I found out that my app didn't have red flags. My stats are high and I had decent LOR and ECs. Where I could have improved were my essays, primary and especially secondaries. Plus given no As interview skills even though I felt they went well. I've taken steps to address these, mainly hiring professional help on essays, and adding extra LOR and gap year experiences on amcas.
Still, is it too early to reapply? While browsing I saw that several people took at least a year break before reapplying but I'm not sure if that's needed.

i am LITERALLY in the same boat... and I am reapplying for 2021. I recently sent in my reapplication. I haven't called the schools though. I think I know where i needed to improve, but maybe calling them will give me an idea of what to fix for my secondaries. I really don't want to take an extra year break;/ I'm going for it but whatever you're comfortable with

 

[lovelybones789]

how important do you guys think it is to get the people who wrote your LORs to update the date to this year? i graduated a year ago and reaching out to them to say i didn't get into med school and ask if they could change the date and resubmit to our committee sounds so awful

 

[micro_glia]

how important do you guys think it is to get the people who wrote your LORs to update the date to this year? i graduated a year ago and reaching out to them to say i didn't get into med school and ask if they could change the date and resubmit to our committee sounds so awful

I had two of my LOR writers to update letters because I've continued to work with them in the last year and got my committee letter updated as well. My others, I kept the same. I don't know about the general consensus about just updating the date though if there aren't content updates.

 

[Kenken514]

how important do you guys think it is to get the people who wrote your LORs to update the date to this year? i graduated a year ago and reaching out to them to say i didn't get into med school and ask if they could change the date and resubmit to our committee sounds so awful

I sent them a copy of my new PS and a new list of my activities so that they could see what I’ve done in the past year and update my letter even if I haven’t seen them. It sucked having to email people and be like “I didn’t get in, can you send a letter again” but everyone was super nice about it. My old philosophy professor told me it took her three times to get into a doctorate program. Your science teachers are also probably used to people not getting in the first time around and needing another letter. The ones I’m using again wanted to put in some sort of update to their letter so provide them with the materials to do so. Good luck!

 

[expressojoe]

Do we need to get letters updated? I haven't had any new experiences with old letter writers and got new letters to add on

 

[sun_flower580]

Can someone please explain was AAMC VITA is because I’m super confused

 

[Kenken514]

Can someone please explain was AAMC VITA is because I’m super confused

It’s an interview interface without a live interviewer. So you would get the question, get x minutes to think and y minutes to answer and then go on to the next question. Schools get to decided if and how they incorporate it. But you only do one VITA interview and it goes to all the schools that want it. Some schools won’t use it at all. Some will use it to supplement their own virtual interviews. I haven’t heard of any schools saying it’ll be their only form of interview.

 

[DrLlamaCake]

Hello fellow reapplicants!

I applied two years ago in the 2019 cycle. Though academically I felt confident, I didn’t realize until going through the cycle how much my application lacked depth, clinical experience, and timely applications. I wasn’t complete at most schools until end of September...

Two years later, I am proud of how much I’ve grown both professionally and personally. This time around, I’m submitting everything as close to day one as possible. My LORs are also people who can speak much better to my qualities as well.

Although I’m still nervous, I feel very good about where I am in life. Good luck to you all!

 

[sun_flower580]

is anyone else retaking the mcat and concerned about the validity of retaking the AAMCs? was considering just continuing altius/next step bc im paranoid that i will subconsciously remember and get inaccurate scoring. test day is july 23. so far i took 3 next step, 2 altius and aamc 2 (bc i never took that one last year, but already took aamc 1 and 3)

 

[Kenken514]

is anyone else retaking the mcat and concerned about the validity of retaking the AAMCs? was considering just continuing altius/next step bc im paranoid that i will subconsciously remember and get inaccurate scoring. test day is july 23. so far i took 3 next step, 2 altius and aamc 2 (bc i never took that one last year, but already took aamc 1 and 3)

It may still be good for practice, endurance, and getting you in the right mindset but I would take the score with a giant grain of salt.

 

[sandycheeks25]

Hello fellow reapplicants!

I applied two years ago in the 2019 cycle. Though academically I felt confident, I didn’t realize until going through the cycle how much my application lacked depth, clinical experience, and timely applications. I wasn’t complete at most schools until end of September...

Two years later, I am proud of how much I’ve grown both professionally and personally. This time around, I’m submitting everything as close to day one as possible. My LORs are also people who can speak much better to my qualities as well.

Although I’m still nervous, I feel very good about where I am in life. Good luck to you all!

Love to hear this!! Thank you for sharing you’ve (we all) got this!!

 

[retro2021]

is anyone else retaking the mcat and concerned about the validity of retaking the AAMCs? was considering just continuing altius/next step bc im paranoid that i will subconsciously remember and get inaccurate scoring. test day is july 23. so far i took 3 next step, 2 altius and aamc 2 (bc i never took that one last year, but already took aamc 1 and 3)

After doing UWorld I transitioned to Altius exams so that I could practice with material I had never been exposed to before. However, in the final weeks of prep I did exclusively AAMC material as I think it's important to get immersed in their style of questions and logic prior to the real deal. I would def look at all FL scores (for repeat attempts) with a grain of salt, though I do think retaking them and re-reviewing them is valuable.

Good luck! I am also testing in July!

 

[sun_flower580]

I am also planning to retake, and am in the final stages of prepping. After doing UWorld I transitioned to Altius exams so that I could practice with material I had never been exposed to before (it was also on sale due to Covid). However, in my final weeks of prep I have done exclusively AAMC material as I think it's important to get immersed in their style of questions and logic prior to the real deal. I am definitely taking all FL scores with a grain of salt, though I do think retaking them and re-reviewing them is valuable.

Good luck! I am also testing in July!

Thanks for the insight! Best of luck to you as well!

 

[sasquatch123]

Hi guys, do we know if there are re-applicant related secondary questions usually? If so - what do they look like?

Thanks!

 

[rigamarole]

Hi guys, do we know if there are re-applicant related secondary questions usually? If so - what do they look like?

Thanks!

Usually if there are reapplication questions they‘ll ask when you applied before and how your application has improved since.

 

[eggs2020]

Hi! Long time lurker but never posted until now. I reapplied and received a secondary from a school I'm on the waitlist for. Do I need to let admissions know before submitting the new secondary? Thanks in advance!

 

[expressojoe]

Hi! Long time lurker but never posted until now. I reapplied and received a secondary from a school I'm on the waitlist for. Do I need to let admissions know before submitting the new secondary? Thanks in advance!

I would ask them for an update on the waitlist and mention that you received a secondary

 

[BigData_MD]

i applied for several years before getting accepted, and it was really stressful.

Just personal opinion: DO NOT MENTION failing to get in the first time. First of all, a lot of ppl dont. Talk about it only if their secondary asks about it, or if they ask during interview, and if they do, focus on how you are grateful for not getting in, because that extra year helped you grow and change. Application essays have limited space and it should be used to important stuff, - like, why do you want to be a doctor, what are serious adversities you might have experienced, etc. Of course, others might disagree with me, but if i was reading the essays and someone wouldve written about not getting in, i would think "really? if this is his/her idea of serious stuff, how am i supposed to trust him/her with life threatening things, and how am i supposed to trust that person talking to patients who are going through things?" .
About timing, when i reapplied, i re-took my MCAT in January, and applied in May on the first day the applications were open. Literally, i was sitting on the computer, and clicked the button 15 min after they were open. My application was verified in only 24 hours. This might be jumping the gun a bit, but i just wanted to be sure that i did everything i could. Definitely apply as EARLY as you humanly can. And submit the secondaries as soon as you receive them. Academic advisor in NIH told me to ideally submit secondaries within 24-48 hours of receiving them, because this gives the school impression that they are your top choice. I dont know if this is correct or not, but i did it, and received a good number of interviews, especially considering my mediocre MCAT and GPA, and multiple MCAT attempts.

Holy smokes! Thanks for replying with those words of experience.

I was getting pretty insecure about re-applying on the 2020-21 cycle considering that I am going to take the MCAT for the 3rd time - I got rocked by CARS on my second attempt.

Hopefully I do better next time around. I bought a kindle and have been reading a book a week to improve my reading comprehension and speed. Plus I am also planning to buy CARS practice Qbanks and tests.

When you reapplied did you copy paste your activities from your prior application onto the new one?

 

[Kenken514]

Holy smokes! Thanks for replying with those words of experience.

I was getting pretty insecure about re-applying on the 2020-21 cycle considering that I am going to take the MCAT for the 3rd time - I got rocked by CARS on my second attempt.

Hopefully I do better next time around. I bought a kindle and have been reading a book a week to improve my reading comprehension and speed. Plus I am also planning to buy CARS practice Qbanks and tests.

When you reapplied did you copy paste your activities from your prior application onto the new one?

AMCAS will bring over all your information from your previous application to your new application except for school list and LOR. This is only if you are reapplying the very next cycle, if you take a cycle off it won’t input. So your W/A will get moved over and then just edit what you need to (new hours, changing description, etc).

 

[M&L]

Holy smokes! Thanks for replying with those words of experience.

I was getting pretty insecure about re-applying on the 2020-21 cycle considering that I am going to take the MCAT for the 3rd time - I got rocked by CARS on my second attempt.

Hopefully I do better next time around. I bought a kindle and have been reading a book a week to improve my reading comprehension and speed. Plus I am also planning to buy CARS practice Qbanks and tests.

When you reapplied did you copy paste your activities from your prior application onto the new one?

No , I wrote everything fresh .

 

[BigData_MD]

No , I wrote everything fresh .

Gotcha, but is it safe to assume that you had the same activities down, but you took a "deeper dive" into them?

 

[M&L]

Gotcha, but is it safe to assume that you had the same activities down, but you took a "deeper dive" into them?

well, i did have a few new activities, but even for old ones, i took a deeper dive. Just looked at the ways to improve everything in my application, you know?

 

[BigData_MD]

well, i did have a few new activities, but even for old ones, i took a deeper dive. Just looked at the ways to improve everything in my application, you know?

Gotcha!!

 

[deleted1038508]

Does anyone have any advice for someone reapplying MD-only this time, having applied MD/PhD last cycle? I already submitted all my secondaries and avoided talking about previous applications where I could, but I worry about how schools will view this switch.

 

[deleted1038508]

Not sure how much advice I can offer, but I'm in a similar boat--applying 50-50 MD and MD/PhD this time.

Good luck!! I'm doing only MD this time. I figured that MDs can still do very impactful research in their careers. And if I'm so inclined, I can even internally apply to the MSTP in most schools if I get into research there. That could be an option for you too

 

[Bada Bing]

Good luck!! I'm doing only MD this time. I figured that MDs can still do very impactful research in their careers. And if I'm so inclined, I can even internally apply to the MSTP in most schools if I get into research there. That could be an option for you too

Are you applying to many of the same schools? I'm a reapplicant too and I tried to apply to mostly new schools this time around so that I could minimize that line of questioning. I'm sure it'll come up in some interviews, but just be honest! MDs do tons of great research.

 

[deleted1038508]

Are you applying to many of the same schools? I'm a reapplicant too and I tried to apply to mostly new schools this time around so that I could minimize that line of questioning. I'm sure it'll come up in some interviews, but just be honest! MDs do tons of great research.

Yes, I am!! I applied to 15 schools first time around, and 23 this time. Of those 23, 13 are the same as the original 15. Really hoping they treat me like a normal first time applicant...

 

[basophilic]

Are any of you back to back reapplicants? I applied 2019-2020 cycle, got 3 MD II --> WL. I called each of the 32 schools I applied to, and only 2 (which I didn't even interview at) gave me feedback. Anyways, I found out that my app didn't have red flags. My stats are high and I had decent LOR and ECs. Where I could have improved were my essays, primary and especially secondaries. Plus given no As interview skills even though I felt they went well. I've taken steps to address these, mainly hiring professional help on essays, and adding extra LOR and gap year experiences on amcas.
Still, is it too early to reapply? While browsing I saw that several people took at least a year break before reapplying but I'm not sure if that's needed.

What kind of things did they ask you to improve on your primary and secondaries? If they didn't mention specifics, I'm curious to know what you think the flaws in your secondaries/primary were. Good luck for this cycle though.

 

[stillwaiting1234]

Hi guys,

I am struggling with secondaries, I thought my secondaries from last cycle were good, but given that I only got 1 II and was WL, I'm assuming they need some improvement. Any advice on how to write them without sounding dull but also answering the question asked?

 

[deleted1043308]

Hi guys,

I am struggling with secondaries, I thought my secondaries from last cycle were good, but given that I only got 1 II and was WL, I'm assuming they need some improvement. Any advice on how to write them without sounding dull but also answering the question asked?

I had the same issue last year. A lot of my secondaries last year were filled with generalizations and abstractions without fully answering the prompts. Being straightforward with concrete examples is the best way to communicate how you would be a good applicant. My general structure was Anecdote/example --> What this demonstrates --> how this answers the question (depending on the secondary)... also it's good to align yourself with the schools value system/mission!

 

[slayer28]

Is it typical that reapplicants don't receive interview invites later than first time applicants because their application needs to be read more carefully? The stress of waiting for interviews kills.

 

[deleted1038508]

Is it typical that reapplicants don't receive interview invites later than first time applicants because their application needs to be read more carefully? The stress of waiting for interviews kills.

RT, wondering if reapplicants hear back later than first time applicants??

 

[slayer28]

RT, wondering if reapplicants hear back later than first time applicants??

yes

 

[deleted1038508]

yes

Yes, you mean they do? Is that confirmed? If so, do you know why-maybe just because reapps are put into a separate file for later review, or maybe they deliberately take longer to compare your old app and new one?

 

[slayer28]

Yes, you mean they do? Is that confirmed? If so, do you know why-maybe just because reapps are put into a separate file for later review, or maybe they deliberately take longer to compare your old app and new one?

Oh sorry, I was also asking as I don't know, but I feel re-apps take longer to review, or it could be just me trying to calm myself down because people around my complete date have received interview invites and I haven't yet, lol

 

[retro2021]

Rooting for everyone on this thread! This is such a long journey with so many unknowns.

 

[sasquatch123]

Have any other re-applicants not heard of any interview invites yet? Definitely getting a little nervous—but also confused because I know my application is stronger this time!

 

[mvsrocks]

Have any other re-applicants not heard of any interview invites yet? Definitely getting a little nervous—but also confused because I know my application is stronger this time!

I'm a reapp too, and 3 out of 4 of my IIs are from new schools I didn't apply to last cycle. I also felt like my app improved tremendously, and I'm praying that schools aren't biased against reapps who've improved.

 

[hopefulmdtobe]

Have any other re-applicants not heard of any interview invites yet? Definitely getting a little nervous—but also confused because I know my application is stronger this time!

Meeee