Response to 'You're my #1 ranked school' email

[snb2128]

I just wrote a program to tell them I'm ranking them number 1, and the program director wrote back to say 'this made my day!' and that I should let him know if I had any questions up until I submitted my very final list.

I'm trying to read this as a generally positive sign, and nothing else. It is too easy to parse his language and try to find hidden meaning either way. Thoughts on this would eb great.

Also wondering what kinds of emails get sent out after sending similar 'im ranking you #1' emails?

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[LebronManning]

i think ur probably getting ranked to match there

 

[Jesus1]

I would be careful. Programs are quite good at telling people what they want to hear so more people rank them (and they get the best folks in the process). So be careful. I would still rank programs based on where you want to go.

 

[evilbooyaa]

It probably (not definitely) means they like you.

Continue with your day to day life. Don't read too much into it. It's already your #1 so no concerns about changing your rank list at this point.

 

[Merely]

My number one gave me that same response then I didn’t match there. Good luck

 

[anon6134]

My number one gave me that same response then I didn’t match there. Good luck

Let the anxiety commence

 

[FindMeOnTheLinks]

Sent a #1 email to my favorite TY and to my favorite advanced program, didn’t get a response from either lol. At least a “Thanks for letting us know!” in response would’ve been nice but oh well.

 

[username456789]

Literally read nothing into this. It can not possibly change how you should rank programs.

 

[Tenk]

No contract, no commitment.

 

[whoknows2012]

I got “good luck to us both in the match.” No thank you or anything nice comments, matched there and found out after the fact that this PD in particularly had very strong feelings about post interview communications (ie thought it should be completely absent, unless questions about program 2nd look etc). Eventually it became a policy several years later and she requested no “number 1” letters from applicants.

 

[VincentAdultman]

It means absolutely nothing and you should probably forget it.

 

[IlDestriero]

I guess it’s better than, “Great! That and $5 will get me a bowl of soup.”
I wouldn’t go house hunting just yet.

 

[Psai]

I guess it’s better than, “Great! That and $5 will get me a bowl of soup.”
I wouldn’t go house hunting just yet.

God soup is so expensive these days

Its just flavored water

 

[alprazoslam]

It means absolutely nothing and you should probably forget it.

Ah yes we have people house hunting at my school prior to match.


Snowflakes

 

[deleted950463]

Here’s the deal. The only two phrases that have meaning in the match are

“I am ranking you number one” from student and “I am ranking you to match” from PD.

Because those are the only two statements that are verifiable (PD knows student lied if student matches elsewhere when he/she rank student one, and student knows PD lied if student rank place number one but not match there).

All other languages are BS.

 

[alprazoslam]

Here’s the deal. The only two phrases that have meaning in the match are

“I am ranking you number one” from student and “I am ranking you to match” from PD.

Because those are the only two statements that are verifiable (PD knows student lied if student matches elsewhere when he/she rank student one, and student knows PD lied if student rank place number one but not match there).

All other languages are BS.

That’s bs too it’s not in writing

 

[Psai]

Here’s the deal. The only two phrases that have meaning in the match are

“I am ranking you number one” from student and “I am ranking you to match” from PD.

Because those are the only two statements that are verifiable (PD knows student lied if student matches elsewhere when he/she rank student one, and student knows PD lied if student rank place number one but not match there).

All other languages are BS.

Ranked to match does not mean anything specific and does not guarantee anything
Neither does "you're my number 1"

 

[snb2128]

update:

the same PD wrote an email to internal applicants at my school saying they wouldn't send us any personal notes until match day.

 

[ACSurgeon]

Here’s the deal. The only two phrases that have meaning in the match are

“I am ranking you number one” from student and “I am ranking you to match” from PD.

Because those are the only two statements that are verifiable (PD knows student lied if student matches elsewhere when he/she rank student one, and student knows PD lied if student rank place number one but not match there).

All other languages are BS.

Ranking you to match could mean you’re ranked in the top third of their list if the program usually has to go down about half way to fill all their spots.

So, the only language that matters is what you get on match day. Everything else can be comforting or encouraging but there is always a chance things don’t work as they seem.

 

[Raney Schauer]

God soup is so expensive these days

Its just flavored water

Broth is not soup.

 

[Stagg737]

My number one gave me that same response then I didn’t match there. Good luck

My OB attendings told us about a guy who was told something's like this by a program (who he ranked #1) and then ended up not matching at all. Kicker was he ended up scrambling...INTO THAT SAME PROGRAM. Which means that not only did they lie about ranking him highly, they didn't rank him a at all!

It was our attending's story with the lesson of don't be trust anything said until you get your actual match letter.

 

[Raney Schauer]

Which means that not only did they lie about ranking him highly, they didn't rank him a at all!

And then you have to spend three+ years walking the halls there knowing that.

It's a game. It's people's lives but it's a game.

 

[atomi]

My OB attendings told us about a guy who was told something's like this by a program (who he ranked #1) and then ended up not matching at all. Kicker was he ended up scrambling...INTO THAT SAME PROGRAM. Which means that not only did they lie about ranking him highly, they didn't rank him a at all!

It was our attending's story with the lesson of don't be trust anything said until you get your actual match letter.

Literally the same thing happened to me except they didn’t respond to my email about trying to scramble in. And they didn’t respond to my polite inquiry about where I went wrong to avoid be ranked at all after being told initially I would be ranked. They took an FMG out of the match instead. Honestly I’m glad I didn’t end up there. Something fishy about the whole thing.

Bottom line, don’t trust anything you tell you.

 

[MSTP18]

Ranking you to match could mean you’re ranked in the top third of their list if the program usually has to go down about half way to fill all their spots.

So, the only language that matters is what you get on match day. Everything else can be comforting or encouraging but there is always a chance things don’t work as they seem.

That's not what rank to match means. Rank to match means if they have 10 spots you are ranked in the top 10. I agree that even being told you are rank to match in an email is no guarantee but if taken on it's face, being told "you are ranked to match" is a guarantee of being able to match there.

 

[nimbus]

That's not what rank to match means. Rank to match means if they have 10 spots you are ranked in the top 10. I agree that even being told you are rank to match in an email is no guarantee but if taken on it's face, being told "you are ranked to match" is a guarantee of being able to match there.

Not necessarily.

For example, a program may historically fill 10 spots by going down to 30 on their rank list. They can honestly say you are “ranked to match” if you are number 23 on their list but they may fill by number 20 on their rank list this year.

 

[whoknows2012]

Not necessarily.

For example, a program may historically fill 10 spots by going down to 30 on their rank list. They can honestly say you are “ranked to match” if you are number 23 on their list but they may fill by number 20 on their rank list this year.

It’s fuzzy. For some it likely means what the previous poster said. For others it may be more like what you’re saying. For large IM programs where you typically go to 100 or lower the wiggle room is far greater

 

[7331poas]

Here’s the deal. The only two phrases that have meaning in the match are

“I am ranking you number one” from student and “I am ranking you to match” from PD.

Because those are the only two statements that are verifiable (PD knows student lied if student matches elsewhere when he/she rank student one, and student knows PD lied if student rank place number one but not match there).

All other languages are BS.

lmao. How does those statements mean anything?

 

[LoGo]

This classic bit from Jingle All the Way comes to mind.

 

[MSTP18]

Not necessarily.

For example, a program may historically fill 10 spots by going down to 30 on their rank list. They can honestly say you are “ranked to match” if you are number 23 on their list but they may fill by number 20 on their rank list this year.

I'm going with the NRMP's definition based on how they use it in their "how does the match algorithm work" videos and other materials. If a program has 10 spots, everyone ranked 11+ is flat out not "ranked to match" at that program. They may be ranked in a place where people historically match from, but they are not "ranked to match," and to tell someone at said program ranked #23 that they are "ranked to match" is a lie, plain and simple.