How do schools know your old applications?

[future11doc]

Hi all

I heard more than enough that being a reapplicant can be a disadvantage for you. However, although adcom knows that you are a reapplicant because you may have marked it in AMCAS or secondaries, how does adcome know that you have improved from last or previous years' application? Do they keep your old application on file, so they can just take it out and compare with your new application? How does it work?

Thanks!

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[DrMidlife]

Do they keep your old application on file, so they can just take it out and compare with your new application?

Exactly. All your apps go in a "file".

 

[2050vlsb]

Hi all

I heard more than enough that being a reapplicant can be a disadvantage for you. However, although adcom knows that you are a reapplicant because you may have marked it in AMCAS or secondaries, how does adcome know that you have improved from last or previous years' application? Do they keep your old application on file, so they can just take it out and compare with your new application? How does it work?

Thanks!

I don't know if medical schools will explicitly pull your application from the previous year and compare it .. however, because AMCAS does ask you whether you've applied before, they will know and likely expect to see activities/changes that you've accomplished in the past year.

Also, being a reapplicant isn't necessarily a major disadvantage unless you actually had an acceptance and declined it because you wanted to go somewhere "better" ... in fact, if you've seriously considered where you might be lacking and remedied those factors, you shouldn't be at any disadvantage

 

[startoverat40]

i applied back in 92 and 93, so i only remember a couple of schools that i applied to that time. if i mark all the other schools this time as "no i didn't apply before" will i get into trouble if i had in fact applied to those schools before?

 

[startoverat40]

anybody know the answer to my question above? I can't remember which schools I applied to nearly 20 years ago. Should I just play safe and mark them all as "applied before"?

 

[SisterDisco08]

anybody know the answer to my question above? I can't remember which schools I applied to nearly 20 years ago. Should I just play safe and mark them all as "applied before"?

Call the schools you're interested in and ask. My guess would be they don't care if you applied to their school two decades ago

 

[movax]

anybody know the answer to my question above? I can't remember which schools I applied to nearly 20 years ago. Should I just play safe and mark them all as "applied before"?

Just be honest and mark it, if/when they go to look for your old app, they will have to pay extra attention after realizing 1) they don't have it because it was old, 2) it's been microfilm'd / archived in a dusty archive room somewhere.

 

[scarshapedstar]

As far as reapps go, "I applied 18 years ago" is pretty different from "I applied last year". I really don't think honestly is going to hurt you here. It might even be kind of fun to fill out the "what have you done since your last application?" section

 

[FadetoBlack]

Does anyone know if schools that you didn't apply to last cycle will have the AAMCAS from last cycle? I know schools that you are reapplying to will have your file archived somewhere...but what about schools you didn't apply to? Thanks

 

[lisataylor003]

Does anyone know if schools that you didn't apply to last cycle will have the AAMCAS from last cycle? I know schools that you are reapplying to will have your file archived somewhere...but what about schools you didn't apply to? Thanks

I am also interested to know about this question. Any student doctor, please shade some light.

 

[xadmin]

I am also interested to know about this question. Any student doctor, please shade some light.

It depends on the school. Stanford keeps your file for a few years. Most school do and after a few years, they throw it away.

 

[400292]

What do you mean schools you didn't apply to have your AMCAS? A med school doesn't even know you exist if you didn't indicate their school on your AMCAS app. Even if you did apply to a school, and are now reapplying, there is a chance they won't even look at/realize they have your old AMCAS.