"Easy" schools

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sairules

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Hi guys & gals:

I know I've seen this thread before... but I can't find a way to search for this topic. I'd like to know what you all think are 'easy' schools to get into considering the following stats:

3.7 - 3.8 OGPA, with > 3.6 SGPA
MCAT: around 30
decent ECs (nothing special though)
good LORs
a killer personal statement
a non-science undegrad major (not bio or chem)

what do you think? From what I remember before, I've read these are 'easy':

Albany
Temple
Alabama
New York Medical School
Ohio schools (don't know which particular one)
Wayne State (not sure)

So tell me what you think and if you have any to add to the list. Thanks for all your help guys!
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Why would you want to go to an easy school? And what exactly do you mean by an "easy" school??
 
Try plugging your information into <a href="http://www.studentdoc.com/medfind.html" target="_blank">here</a>. Also, it might help if you gave your undergrad institution (nice GPA by the way), major, and state of residence.

I would add MCP-Hahnemann, University of Vermont, and Saint Louis Univeristy. And by the way, it's New York Medical College, not School.
 
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•••quote:•••Originally posted by Aeromonas:
•Why would you want to go to an easy school? And what exactly do you mean by an "easy" school??•••••Just wanted to know for 'security'. I wanted to know which schools I should use as backups.
 
There may be easy 'colleges' but there are no such things as easy 'medical schools'.
 
There are no "back-ups" in the medical school admissions game, although there are some
lower or non-ranked schools where your odds of admittance might be higher than at a higher
ranked school. Make sure you check to see if state schools you're considering applying to take any significant number of out-of-staters. Check the MSAR (available from AAMC) for this information.
 
If you are out of state and have those stats, don't think Alabama is easy to get into AT ALL. A good friend of mine has a 4.0 GPA and a 28 MCAT and she is on the 2nd tier waitlist and she's in state. UAB is NOT easy to get into even for the state residents. South Alabama is also a definite challenge for out of state residents (way to go Bubba!).
 
the backup schools tend to have many more applications than the reach schools. thus they end up balancing out. it becomes just as hard to get in at the schools with high gpa averages as the ones with the low gpa averages.
 
Not only should you use them us backups, but you should realize that there are a TON of competitive applicants all vying for the same spots at top schools, so you should apply to a lot of lower tier schools and how ever many top tier schools you choose. I have seen too many wonderful applicants not in yet b/c of this. So people, when the OP said "easy" schools, he/she really means "lower tier with a high chance of acceptance" schools. :p

Now that I have rambled, I will list the schools I applied to, since I have lower stats than you and I thought VERY carefully before designating schools for this very reason.

(I'm not listing the FL schools)

Sent in secondaries to:
George Washington
Finch/Chicago med
Boston U (kinda reach school)
Tuftfs U (reach school)
Albany
Sinai (reach school)
New York Medical College
Jefferson
MCP Hahnemann
Penn State
Temple U
U Vermont
Tulane (reach school)
Einstein (reach school)
Rochester (didn't realize it was a reach school at the time)

Interviewed at:
BU
GW
Vermont
Finch
Temple
(U Florida)

Accepted at so far:
Finch

I'm not saying the schools I interviewed at would be easier to get into, but my application just appealed to them more. I do think Finch is one of the easier ones to get into once you have an interview.

hope this helped. Dr Kermit applied to very similar schools that I did and she has done extremely well with 5 acceptances. Her stats I believe were similar to yours, and she came from a top undergrad.

What state are you a resident of? Also your undergrad will make a difference.
 
I dont know who thinks the Ohio schools are easy to get in to....they, like any of the others, have standards they apply to applicants....some fare well, some dont. Until this year, each of the schools had roughly 20% of their class from out of state (case highest with 40%, neoucom with single digits), and that doesnt translate into a treasure of seats for grab by out-of-staters.

Summary: Carefully consider a medical school before you apply (redundant statement given the number of times its said, but had to say it) :)
 
•••quote:•••Originally posted by kiddoc2B:
•South Alabama is also a definite challenge for out of state residents (way to go Bubba!).•••••<img border="0" alt="[Laughy]" title="" src="graemlins/laughy.gif" />

Thanks, kiddoc2B!

sairules: When you think you understand the game, the rules change. Med schools don't make a damned bit of sense!
 
just my $.02 here - don't be surprised by how random the game is. I got flat out rejected by BU after like 9 months of waiting. And some consider that a lower stats school. Not a peep from them... just took my money and ran (and I applied EARLY!). Whereas I got accepted to some schools Doctora graciously categorized as "reach" having sent in their secondary the day it was DUE. Bizarro! I WOULD def. add to your list, MCW. They seemed to even say, implicitly, that it was a backup school for many Californians (in case you are) and others who couldn't get into their state school. When I was first applying, they were actually my school of choice... they are just so student friendly and had an all around humanistic approach to medicine. They are the ones with the beautiful huge placard hanging in the school foyer that reads "Where the art of medicine is loved, there also is love of humanity" or something like that. I digress. :wink:
 
there are no easy schools. stop being pretentious. some people would be offended if you called the only school they've been accepted at, an "easy" school. like it's not a major accomplishment or something. please dude, grow some sense and be thoughtful. you know where to find avg acceptance stats at all the schools..that's all you need to know, roughly. DUH!!
 
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Sairules,
Med school is not like some women(Cane)...none of them are easy. I look at it like it is Las Vegas... it is all a gamble, but you have better odds at various tables,games, and slut machines, i mean slot machine, right cane?

I am kidding girl. :)
 
ROFL @ that website mpp...it like popped up this whole kadooooooozy of schools that I wouldn't be competitive at! If I hadn't already been accepted my feelin's woulda been hurt! <img border="0" alt="[Laughy]" title="" src="graemlins/laughy.gif" />
 
I have to agree with everyone...there is no such thing as a backup med school or an "easy" school. You will see when you go through the application process this upcoming year. I'd tell you that those schools are easier to get into than Harvard, but then again I know tons of people rejected from those schools who got into better schools. There is no way to tell. Apply to all schoools you can and don't take anything for granted.
 
right on A.Caveman.~ I don't think any med school should be labeled as being "easy," especially since the ones that may not be widely recognized as part of the top tier pool do attract a lot more applicants...I'd imagine it being harder for the adcoms at these schools to sort thru their significantly larger pool of applicants and interviewees & accept students who reciprocate a genuine interest.

So Sairules, I wouldn't necessarily bet on applying to these schools for just safety purposes...also consider where you'd definitely go if that was one of the few/many places that accepts you. One of my friends got accepted to his state school, & it's a shame that he's letting the stigma of it not having that "Stanford, Harvard, JHU, Northwestern" high caliber rep get to him...So he's turning down that acceptance, only to possibly reapply.
 
so sensitive!
notice the quotes around "easy"
be excellent to each other
 
•••quote:•••Originally posted by Michelys:
•ROFL @ that website mpp...it like popped up this whole kadooooooozy of schools that I wouldn't be competitive at! If I hadn't already been accepted my feelin's woulda been hurt! <img border="0" alt="[Laughy]" title="" src="graemlins/laughy.gif" /> •••••LOLOL....you're hilarious Michelys.
 
There is no such thing as a backup or easy medical school.

Like someone mentioned, the percieved "easy" schools are flooded with applications and thus they become pretty selective.

Apply to a range of schools, including some out-of-state State schools.
 
everyone's right that there're no easy schools. Also, this whole process is a crapshoot. You may get into Columbia, but then get rejected by Creighton without interview. Also, some schools look favorably upon a given trait in candidates, compared to other schools.

Having said this, these are some of the schools I recommend an average candidate to apply to. Of course, this is NOT a complete list and is just my opinion.

MCPH
NYMC
Saint Louis
MC Wisconsin
Finch
Loyola
Penn St
Tulane
Temple
Jefferson
Albany
Boston U
 
Oh my freakin God, I used that website and guess what schools it indicates I'm competitive at:

Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Duke, UCSF, Cornell.

I applied to only 2 of these schools (UCSF and Stanford) and were rejected from both. After a 30-second non-stop rolling around the floor laughing, I then realize that I really missed out by not applying more to some of these top schools. Since this process is a crapshoot, by sheer number alone I would have gotten at least an interivew at the other schools. At the time I was applying, I chickened out and applied only to my Cali schools and no top schools outside of Cali. So lesson be learned, don't be discouraged by top schools. You might get accepted. There are plenty of people who are rejected from UC Irvine but accepted to Columbia. Since you are spending a lot of money anyway, why not spend an extra $30 applying to Harvard. If you get rejected, oh well. But if you get an interview, kiss your lucky buttocks. If you get accepted, get down on your knees and thank every god from every religion.
 
There aren't any so-called easy medical schools unless you are like super qualified and consider getting into Harvard Medical easy. Actually every medical school in the United States is selective.
 
There aren't any so-called easy medical schools unless you are like super qualified and consider getting into Harvard Medical easy. Actually every medical school in the United States is selective. :)
 
At Wake forest if you are rejected from another medical school you will not be deemed admission into their medical school. That don't make too much sense to me. :confused: <img border="0" alt="[Pity]" title="" src="graemlins/pity.gif" />
 
huh? i got rejected by a crapload of schools, and wake forest accepted me! first and only so far.
 
not sure how that would be relevant to this topic if it were true. :confused:
 
I saw that Wayne State was listed on the "easy school" list, but I would have to qualify that by saying that it is "easy" only if you are a Michigan resident. They like 90% of their incoming class to come from Michigan. Check the residency requirements out before applying. Most Ohio schools have residency quotas also.
 
I would definitely suggest that NO ONE even attempt to make a list of schools that are "easier" to get into than others.... Some of the schools on these lists I applied to and didn't even get an interview at... however, I did get interviews and acceptances at schools that some might consider more "competetive." All in all, its a bunch of bull*%#t. One of my previous employers gave me the best advice when asked her whether it matters what med school you go to... she told me that there are the top schools that are great, but besides those very very few at the top, it doesn't matter where you go.
If you are applying to schools and are thinking that you will definitely get interviewed/into some schools, its gonna be a huge kick in the ass when you realize that NONE of those schools even want to interview you. With the stats you described, it looks like you will get in somewhere. :)
 
Otter, You think Jefferson and Boston U are for average students. I went to their site, and they seemed competitive. I look forward to your thoughts, as I am in search for more non-competitive schools.
 
that med school finder is funny.. it says i would be most competitive at Finch and Albany, two schools which rejected me cold. it also does not consider me to be a competitive applicant for Tufts, which is where I just finished my first year!
 
What happened to your friend? Did he get in anywhere this year after turning down his State school?

Some of these schools listed may have lower stats to get in (MCP-H, Florida, Alabama, Finch, Tulane, Tufts, Wake Forest, Wayne), but all of those schools are in the U.S. and provide the student with an MD upon graduation. That's no small feat. :cool:

Originally posted by swtchelle
right on A.Caveman.~ I don't think any med school should be labeled as being "easy," especially since the ones that may not be widely recognized as part of the top tier pool do attract a lot more applicants...I'd imagine it being harder for the adcoms at these schools to sort thru their significantly larger pool of applicants and interviewees & accept students who reciprocate a genuine interest.

So Sairules, I wouldn't necessarily bet on applying to these schools for just safety purposes...also consider where you'd definitely go if that was one of the few/many places that accepts you. One of my friends got accepted to his state school, & it's a shame that he's letting the stigma of it not having that "Stanford, Harvard, JHU, Northwestern" high caliber rep get to him...So he's turning down that acceptance, only to possibly reapply.
Click to expand...
 
What/Where is that website everyone is talking about
 
A school can have higher admission standards and still be "easier" to get into than a school with lower admission standards. (Dartmouth may have a lower acceptance rate than Yale, even though Yale may have higher admission standards and is higher ranked. One reason would be that Dartmouth doesn't support as many students).

There are several factors that make it "easier" to get into med school:

1) If a student qualifies for special consideration (such as minorities ...)

2) If the school's admission requirements are not as high as others (including Caribbean schools, Osteopathic schools ...).

3) If the school's student body is large in number and doesn't have to turn away as many applicants.

4) If the school isn't extremely well-known, so there are less applicants.

The 1st category applies to 95% of medical schools in the U.S. in having Affirmative Action, etc....

But some of the schools mentioned in this thread (Wisconsin, Temple, Ohio State, Saint Louis) fall into one of the last 2 categories.

ex: Temple is huge and therefore, doesn't have to turn down as many students because of its student body size...not because of its admission standards.

ex: Saint Louis isn't as widely known as, say, UCLA, so not as many students apply there and consequently, Saint Louis doesn't turn down nearly as many.

But as has already been stated several times. If you're getting an MD from any school in the United States, then you're not going to find any "easy" route; because there is none.
 
Originally posted by Nirvana
Some of these schools listed may have lower stats to get in (MCP-H, Florida, Alabama, Finch, Tulane, Tufts, Wake Forest, Wayne), but all of those schools are in the U.S. and provide the student with an MD upon graduation. That's no small feat. :cool:
Click to expand...

Florida has a very low admission rate and a bio chem requirement. Just in case anyone's interested! :p
 
Originally posted by Michelys
ROFL @ that website mpp...it like popped up this whole kadooooooozy of schools that I wouldn't be competitive at! If I hadn't already been accepted my feelin's woulda been hurt! <img border="0" alt="[Laughy]" title="" src="graemlins/laughy.gif" />
Click to expand...

Where is that website?
 
i'm posting...look on the first page of this thread. there's a link.
 
Originally posted by INeedAdvice
A school can have higher admission standards and still be "easier" to get into than a school with lower admission standards.
Click to expand...
So true. A school can have a rep as a fun Party School (not that any of them are really Party Schools), and have a ton of students applying there and so it ends up with a very low admission rate.
 
AIN"T THAT HARD YALL. come on.

its NOT THAT HARD TO GET INTO A MED SCHOOL!

the overall chance that one will get into at least one school is almost 50%!

16K spots/ 34K applicants?!! those odds rn't that tought. fo sho, some get multiple accepts but they can only take one spot, so eventually 1 outta 2 persons will get into one med school or another....what's the big fuss about?
 
waz up dr kevin?

Interesting figures. They're believable especially if those 16k spots include seats in overseas and osteopathic colleges. I haven't met a wannabe doctor that couldn't get into at least 1 of those types of schools.


Originally posted by dr kevin40
AIN"T THAT HARD YALL. come on.

its NOT THAT HARD TO GET INTO A MED SCHOOL!

the overall chance that one will get into at least one school is almost 50%!

16K spots/ 34K applicants?!! those odds rn't that tought. fo sho, some get multiple accepts but they can only take one spot, so eventually 1 outta 2 persons will get into one med school or another....what's the big fuss about?
Click to expand...
 
well if u can't get into that 50% group, then there's always next yr...and such.

screamingtrees,

I don' tthink that includes osteopathic schools. ifu think about it, 100+ med schools. if each med schools take in about 150 persons, then that's about 15,000 ppl a year. a lot of openings. ppl just need to stop flippingout.

wooooooooo whoooooooooppp
 
Originally posted by dr kevin40
well if u can't get into that 50% group, then there's always next yr...and such.

screamingtrees,

I don' tthink that includes osteopathic schools. ifu think about it, 100+ med schools. if each med schools take in about 150 persons, then that's about 15,000 ppl a year. a lot of openings. ppl just need to stop flippingout.

wooooooooo whoooooooooppp
Click to expand...

the odds are not bad. No reason to stress
 
"Low tier schools" actually means the set of, mostly private schools, that people can get into when they can't get into top tier schools and foolishly don't want to go to their state schools. Stats are lower than for the elite schools. But don't assume the stats are lower than for most state schools. For example, in a recent year, NYMC's 30.1 avg MCAT (3.5 GPA) put in 47 out of the 125 MD schools ordered by MCATs. Such private schools are especially important to Californians. In a recent year, there were 4448 Californians applying; 2529 didn't get in that year; 835 got into one of the 988 CA slots (569 UC and 419 private school slots); 1084 Californians had to go to a non-CA slot. Which, bottom line, means they will be borrowing $200k for their 4 years, instead of the $100k the lucky 569 will have to come up with. Of course, some of these 1084 chose Hopkins, etc over UCSF as being worth the extra $100k, but you figure how large that group must have been....Thus NYMC last year had 17% Californians. In fact, 40% of the entering class was from a UC, an Ivy League, NYU, or Hopkins. So don't expect the competition to be a slam dunk.
 
i think ralph's point is fascinating. i was unaware of the act that californians, ivy leaguers, violets and hopkins people made up such a huge caucus at nymc. i am going to be a senior at nyu this fall, and will apply next summer, and so i'd like to get some feedback from some of the more knowledgeable people on this board as to why nyu and hopkins send so many to nymc.
 
Who are "VIOLETS" ? :confused:



Originally posted by ankitovich
i think ralph's point is fascinating. i was unaware of the act that californians, ivy leaguers, violets and hopkins people made up such a huge caucus at nymc. i am going to be a senior at nyu this fall, and will apply next summer, and so i'd like to get some feedback from some of the more knowledgeable people on this board as to why nyu and hopkins send so many to nymc.
Click to expand...
 
Speaking of SLU, I knew some students that had high credentials and couldn't get in there, so it's not as easy as one may think.



Originally posted by INeedAdvice
A school can have higher admission standards and still be "easier" to get into than a school with lower admission standards. (Dartmouth may have a lower acceptance rate than Yale, even though Yale may have higher admission standards and is higher ranked. One reason would be that Dartmouth doesn't support as many students).

There are several factors that make it "easier" to get into med school:

1) If a student qualifies for special consideration (such as minorities ...)

2) If the school's admission requirements are not as high as others (including Caribbean schools, Osteopathic schools ...).

3) If the school's student body is large in number and doesn't have to turn away as many applicants.

4) If the school isn't well-known, so there are less applicants.

The 1st category applies to 95% of medical schools in the U.S. in having Affirmative Action, etc....

But some of the schools mentioned in this thread (Wisconsin, Temple, Ohio State, Saint Louis) fall into one of the last 2 categories.

ex: Temple is huge and therefore, doesn't have to turn down as many students because of its student body size...not because of its admission standards.

ex: Saint Louis isn't as widely known as, say, UCLA, so not as many students apply there and consequently, Saint Louis doesn't turn down nearly as many.

But as has already been stated several times. If you're getting an MD from any school in the United States, then you're not going to find any "easy" route; because there is none.
Click to expand...
 
Anyone want to take a crack at answering my "violet" question a couple of posts ago? :D
 
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