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Howdy folks!  We’re starting a new conversation series that we will share with you in the coming months.  These conversations are part of our group courses in admissions that we’re building (and we hope you will enjoy).  Our first conversation was with my good friend, Janet Snoyer, 20-year veteran of medical school admissions.

In this clip we talk about application readiness.  You might think, “oh, I can squeeze an application in this cycle, so I should.”  Doing so will hurt your chances.  Watch the clip to find out why.

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Key points (in case you don’t have time to watch):

1. Applying to med school is costly ($4,000+ just to submit the apps), time-consuming (100+ hours writing essays and filling out forms), and emotionally draining.
   
   
2. Admissions is a zero-sum game where one person’s acceptance means another’s lack thereof.
   
   
3. The question should not be “am I ready to apply” but “am I relatively MORE ready to apply than other applicants?” Because being ready to apply helps your chances.
   
   

Watch the video clip here and learn how to get accepted on your first try!

- Rob

Full video transcript:

Rob Humbracht 

Yeah, I usually start with the principle of, let's only apply once. And let's only apply once because, because for several reasons. One, it's incredibly disheartening to apply and not get in. If you apply and don't get in and you're reapplying to the same schools, I think there's an argument that it hurts your chances at those same schools, especially if you haven't done much to change. It is expensive to apply. We're talking four to $6,000 just to submit applications and secondaries. And so,

I don't want students to just apply because they could possibly get it in under the wire. I want them to apply when they're ready, 100%. Do you agree with that?

Janet Snoyer 

I do agree with that. And I think that sometimes that is the first principle is can we just apply one time only and make sure we get in? Because some people feel like, you know, just test the water, see what happens. And other people again, are encouraging them, just try a little. And I think the point you made that I most agree with that people just maybe don't realize in advance is that the disheartening part, the part about just throwing your spaghetti against the wall and seeing if it sticks and then not getting in.

You're never really alone in that process. It's never really your private life that you're applying. Usually other people are involved, especially because of the expenses you mentioned and your family. And when you don't get in anywhere, it's bad. It feels really bad. And we can't have that. We want you to feel good and confident.

Rob Humbracht 

Yeah, and the other argument about that, about applying once you're ready is, your readiness to apply actually affects your chances of getting in. So if you are 100% gung-ho and early and writing your essays with time and thoughtfulness and have a chance to really line up your letters of recommendation and maybe make sure that you have enough time to take the MCAT twice in case you need to and all of that still while applying nice and early in June, that matters. I mean, admissions is a zero-sum game, and whether you're ready to apply depends on how relatively ready you are to apply.

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