Any reason for the average applicant to apply to the top 10-20 programs?

[idkididk]

246 step 1, 5/7 H in MS3, few posters, few projects in progress, low-mid tier US MD school, no class rank but not Jr AOA, worked for a year as an ophtho tech, biomedical engineering background

I think I'm an average, if not below average, applicant. Just wondering if I can save myself a few hundred dollars by not applying to the top 10-20 programs. The average # of apps last year was 75 and that's crazy to me

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[Twoeyes2020]

UCLA (Stein) interviewed me. One faculty thought allowed "why did we interview you? We usually only interview those from top med schools".

 

[dantt]

Apply to all programs you might want to go to. It's hard to determine who you'll click with. No reason a top program wouldn't consider you.

 

[Newyawk]

Idt youre below average....

 

[increscence]

There are two ways to look at the application fees (and all the other "optional" fees associated with being a physician). Either 1) it's an investment, or 2) it's a wasteful burden.

I tend to go the "investment" route. I honestly think you should apply to the programs you might wish to attend. Instead, to save money, screen out the programs you would NOT want to attend and programs that have hard application requirements that you cannot or do not want to fulfill.

I don't think it's a good idea to preempt yourself and not apply because you assume that you won't get an interview.

 

[Baller2016]

Absolutely!! Got into a top 5/10 program with average stats (similar step scores and clinical grades as yours). I know this is a case of n=1, but never sell yourself short!

You should definitely go for it! Couple hundred dollars is honestly nothing in the grand scheme of things.