Supplementary Application
Certain schools have designed their own
supplementary applications containing ques-
tions that they require you to answer (such as,
How do you see yourself ten years from
now? What will medicine be like in the next
century?) or that are optional (List the
medical schools that you have applied to).
Receipt of a supplementary application to be
completed suggests that the school is interested
in you. However, not all schools have
supplementary applications and not getting one
should not be interpreted as a lack of
interest in you. You may also merely receive a
postcard asking if you have ever been
convicted of a felony.
If you receive a supplementary application, it
is essential that you respond promptly.
Your application for admission cannot move
forward without the information they want.
Once your supplementary application is
received, as well as your letters of recommen-
dation, the basis is available for determining
if you should be invited for an interview,
placed on a waiting list, or
rejected.
Interview
After you have been screened, your application
will be rated to determine your eligibil-
ity for an interview. You may be invited for an
interview promptly if your rating is high,
relative to the established numerical standard;
you may be placed on an interview-eligi-
ble list making it quite likely that you will
be invited in due course; you may be placed
on hold for further review; or you may be put
on an ineligible list. The last classification
may result in your receiving a rejection, which
may or may not require full committee
confirmation.
Determination
After your interview, a report drafted by the
interviewer will be placed in your file,
which subsequently will be presented to the
entire committee. It will then be discussed
and rated, and depending on the rank it
receives, an acceptance, hold, or rejection letter
will follow.
In general, there are three areas of
consideration that influence admissions commit-
tees when formulating their definitive decision
as to acceptance, hold, or rejection.
These are:
1. Success potential. Committees are aware that
medical school is a demanding
program and they want all students to succeed.
They need to feel confident that
to the best of their ability, this will likely
happen with every applicant they
accept. They formulate an initial judgment on
the basis of the applicant's GPA,
science com, and MCAT scores.
2. Motivation and character. The committee is
anxious to enroll individuals who
have an intense desire to achieve their
professional goal and have the drive to
do so. They therefore seek people who have done
well in college while being
active in various extracurricular activities.
This serves to demonstrate their
intense energy level, which bodes well for
those undertaking medical studies.
Similarly, they are impressed by those who have
undertaken a challenge,
applied their skills, and followed the project
to successful conclusion. This
information should be obtainable from your
application and essay. In addition,
your character is an important factor in the
assessment process. Entering such a
sensitive profession as medicine requires
individuals of emotional stability, high
ethical standards, and sound personal values.
Information in this regard can be
obtained from your letters of recommendation
and interview evaluation report.
3. Personal suitability. Given the very large
volume of qualified applicants, with
more than two applicants for each place, an
unbiased, but subjective dimension
associated with admission undoubtedly exists.
Committee members come with
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