Med Schools with High Early Decision Acceptance Rates

[majorlazer4196]

I wanna ask if anybody knows about any medium to low tier SOMs that are known to have high acceptance rates for their early decision applications. I recently toured the Mercer University School of Medicine and was super shocked to see that it's acceptance rate for the early decision pool of about 110 applicants was an incredible 65% (I do realize that it's a small pool and the pool likely had quite above average applicants applying but the acceptance rate is still huge for an early decision program). I'd consider Mercer SOM, but I'm not a fan of their medical school infrastructure, affiliated hospitals, and the city's boring. I am aware that applying to an early decision program will put me at a high disadvantage in regular admissions if I seek interest in multiple medical schools, but I wanna see what SOMs are out there with those kinds of early decision admissions stats so I can schedule visits with those campuses and research their M.D. programs and what they have to offer and see if that school's a great fit for me. I want to look for that ideal med school that I am so confident I want to be in that I can't see any other med school that fits the bill.

Note: as of now I haven't taken the MCAT yet so I don't have an exact idea of what my degree of competitiveness is at the moment.

My other motivation for early decision is that if the early decision acceptance rate is high enough and I am a way above average candidate relative to that pool, it would make my decision to go to that med school solid. I don't want to waste 1-3 years of my youth taking unproductive gap years applying to med schools asking myself the question of if a medical school is ever gonna accept me or subjecting myself to costly SMP programs that are a sink to my time and money for the not as stellar return on investment you make towards the degree. I wanna practice medicine as a doctor as soon as I can and have my youth for a little while longer as a doctor. So anybody know about this?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[watermelon master]

If you have to ask, early decision is not for you. Wait until your MCAT score is back and apply regularly.

 

[Anthrax175]

Also you assume that you will be way above avg for the ED applicant pool but in that case, wouldn't you not have to spend 1-3 gap years strengthening your app? Doesn't make sense.

 

[Monkitty]

It's a marathon, not a race. You got plenty of youth to spend. If you have to spend 1 -3 years improving yourself to get in, then do it. Applying before you are ready will just lead to heartache.

As you mentioned, applying to ED programs puts you at a disadvantage in the regular schedule. Plus, as heard from my advisor when I asked the same thing, if a school would accept you during ED, they would accept you during regular admissions.

I want to look for that ideal med school that I am so confident I want to be in that I can't see any other med school that fits the bill.

Be careful of this approach. Just because you can't see yourself anywhere else doesn't mean they can't see you anywhere else. If you're gunning for this school and apply to their ED then don't make it in, you are hurting yourself in the long run. Best bet, apply to that school (and all your others) on the first day applications are available. It'll be a better use of your time and money.

 

[majorlazer4196]

Also you assume that you will be way above avg for the ED applicant pool but in that case, wouldn't you not have to spend 1-3 gap years strengthening your app? Doesn't make sense.

I said I don't want to spend 1-3 gap years. I don't know where your getting that.

Sent from my SM-G920T using SDN mobile

 

[darkjedi]

I said I don't want to spend 1-3 gap years. I don't know where your getting that.

Sent from my SM-G920T using SDN mobile

If you're the type of candidate that needs 1-3 gap years to be successful, you would not be a good ED candidate.

If you didn't then you would honestly be more successful in the general pool regardless.

The only good reasons for doing ED is if you are 100% committed to the school, whether you are from the area and have family nearby or have relatives who are faculty or something. ED is a terrible idea for the vast majority of applicants.

 

[majorlazer4196]

I appreciate the advice so far. I really do. However, my question hasn't been answered yet.

Sent from my SM-G920T using SDN mobile

 

[Yorick]

I don't see why this information would be useful to you. People usually don't simply apply early decision. They apply after meetings and open communication with admissions and assessments of their numbers and application to see if they could get accepted. The 'high acceptance rate' isn't just because of applying early decision.

Gap years are as productive as you make it. There is a lot of growth, life experiences and maturity to be gained from taking gap years.

Anyway thinking about applying early decision before you even have an MCAT score is putting the cart before the horse.

 

[watermelon master]

I appreciate the advice so far. I really do. However, my question hasn't been answered yet.

Sent from my SM-G920T using SDN mobile

You already found the answer. It's Mercer SOM with their 65% ED acceptance rate.

 

[Monkitty]

Be wary of ED acceptance rates. At least at the institution I'll be attending their ED acceptance rate is similar. However, what they often don't tell you is that only 3 or 4 people apply to their ED program. So bear that in mind when looking at these stats if they don't explicitly tell you how many apply.