Applying To Only 2 Schools?

[WesternUPremed]

Hi everyone

 

So this coming cycle will be my first time applying. Unfortunately due to some family circumstances I can't afford to apply to as many school's as I would like. Just so I'm not putting any undue hardship on my family, I'll only be applying to Queen's, and Western.

 

I'll be applying with a 2YGPA/recent 2YGPA of 3.91

 

I have 2 years of research (chemistry), 190 hours of shadowing a cardiologist, 3 years of sports, volunteered in Sri Lanka (assembling bicycles for orphaned girls), I've volunteered in two hospitals to date (~200 hours), I did a semester in Switzerland where I did minor volunteering and research, I was a best buddies representative for 2 years. I'm also a professional photographer. I have an entrance scholarship award, Renaissance-Award (highest average in 4 disciplines, Math, Science, English, Social Sciences) from highschool, Ontario Scholar (from highschool), and Proficiency Award in Physics (highest average in the school) in Highschool, along with a few deans list certificates in University.

 

I was just wondering if it would be okay to just apply to these two schools. The circumstance within my family is a little complicated; and I don't want to make things worse by spending $733 applying all over Ontario (minus NOSM).

 

Thanks so much all xo

[Bambi]

Have you ever heard the expression, "Expensive can be cheap. And cheap can be expensive."

 

You never know where lightning will strike. For sure, you won't get in where you don't apply. It would be a shame if the school that would have accepted you is the one that you chose not to apply to save a few dollars. When I say a few dollars, everything is relative, of course, but potentially you will lose your last year of earnings, say $300,000 for the sake of saving a little money.

 

It's your decision, it's your life.

 

Welcome to the Forum. 

[NotASerialKiller]

Hi everyone

 

So this coming cycle will be my first time applying. Unfortunately due to some family circumstances I can't afford to apply to as many school's as I would like. Just so I'm not putting any undue hardship on my family, I'll only be applying to Queen's, and Western.

 

I'll be applying with a 2YGPA/recent 2YGPA of 3.91

 

I have 2 years of research (chemistry), 190 hours of shadowing a cardiologist, 3 years of sports, volunteered in Sri Lanka (assembling bicycles for orphaned girls), I've volunteered in two hospitals to date (~200 hours), I did a semester in Switzerland where I did minor volunteering and research, I was a best buddies representative for 2 years. I'm also a professional photographer. I have an entrance scholarship award, Renaissance-Award (highest average in 4 disciplines, Math, Science, English, Social Sciences) from highschool, Ontario Scholar (from highschool), and Proficiency Award in Physics (highest average in the school) in Highschool, along with a few deans list certificates in University.

 

I was just wondering if it would be okay to just apply to these two schools. The circumstance within my family is a little complicated; and I don't want to make things worse by spending $733 applying all over Ontario (minus NOSM).

 

Thanks so much all xo

 

No. No one is okay applying to fewer schools than they can. I appreciate that money can be an issue, but there is no such thing as an applicant that is so strong they can realistically think they'll get in when applying to 2 schools. In fact the same goes for applying to -every- school in Canada you have the stats for, though your chances are obviously much better than with 2.

 

Also what do other people think about including awards like that from high school? I didn't include any, but maybe if they're major.

[WesternUPremed]

I'm aware that I'm at a gross disadvantage. But because I can only apply to these schools (& trust me, I've exhausted all options). Do you think I'm a fair applicant to these places? 

[JohnGrisham]

There is no reason you can't do some odd job or pick up a few extra hours at your current job to save the few hundred it would cost to apply to a few more schools. 700$ is a lot of money, but not getting in and having to re-apply will cost more. 

You haven't exhausted all options, unless you're currently using a public library computer with their free internet and computer, and sold some of your worldly possessions - and  working 80 hours a week during the summer.

You also havent stated your MCAT score.



 

[NotASerialKiller]

I'm aware that I'm at a gross disadvantage. But because I can only apply to these schools (& trust me, I've exhausted all options). Do you think I'm a fair applicant to these places? 

 

Are you sure you can't work a few more hours or something? It's not -that- much to add one more school. Each additional school you apply to greatly increases your chances. The reason we're bringing up this issue is because when you're applying to so few schools you're just going to end up paying the application fee several years in a row or giving up if you don't give yourself a real chance.

 

Can't comment on your chances without your MCAT (the cutoff for Western if you're not SWOMEN is not friendly).

[Birdy]

Finances when applying were a big consideration for me. Had I had more interviews, I may well have had to turn some down. I get it.

 

That said... if you're already applying in Ontario, the largest part of the fee is the OMSAS fee itself. It's not that much more to add one or two schools. Queen's is very opaque about what they want and it's pretty hard to predict one's chances there. My applying stats were good (3.98 GPA, 11P/13V/10B MCAT, fairly varied life experience as a non-trad including in health care) and I didn't even get an interview at Queen's or Ottawa, so there are no guarantees.

 

I seriously considered not applying to Mac because of the high number of applications they receive but I am very glad I did, seeing as I am starting there in just over two weeks.

 

If you can find some hours at a job or something to find the application fee, I'd suggest it. You never know what school might turn out to be your best shot, and the process is not entirely predictable.

[virgil]

Unless you have something like ~90-95 percentile MCAT, applying to only western and queens is completely shooting yourself in the foot. Queens has one of the lowest acceptance rates in the country, with only 90 seats for well over 4000 applications. In the grand scheme of things with a physician salary, a few hundred bucks is peanuts that you can make in an hour or two.

 

As an anecdote, I applied broadly and got rejected everywhere in Ontario. I am matriculating at an OOP school that I statistically didn't think I had a chance at, and it was the only interview I got. This process is such a crap shoot that you can't afford (no pun intended) to be picky until you have multiple fish caught in the net.

 

Listen to Birdy's advice - she's the GOAT of this forum.

[shikimate]

What's your MCAT? for UWO if you get an interview it's about 40-60% chance post-interview. It'd be a shame for someone with competitive stats to not apply solely for financial reasons.

 

If you are at UWO, myself, and I am sure many of my fellow residents and medical students would be willing to give you a hand in this matter.

[thehead321]

i'll spot you application money. Just pay me back 1000% interest when you're a doctor mate 

[GH0ST]

i'll spot you application money. Just pay me back 1000% interest when you're a doctor mate 

 

Generous as F@#$... I would have gone at least for the "claim your first born child" option =D

 

- G

[GH0ST]

Finances when applying were a big consideration for me. Had I had more interviews, I may well have had to turn some down. I get it.

 

That said... if you're already applying in Ontario, the largest part of the fee is the OMSAS fee itself. It's not that much more to add one or two schools. Queen's is very opaque about what they want and it's pretty hard to predict one's chances there. My applying stats were good (3.98 GPA, 11P/13V/10B MCAT, fairly varied life experience as a non-trad including in health care) and I didn't even get an interview at Queen's or Ottawa, so there are no guarantees.

 

I seriously considered not applying to Mac because of the high number of applications they receive but I am very glad I did, seeing as I am starting there in just over two weeks.

 

If you can find some hours at a job or something to find the application fee, I'd suggest it. You never know what school might turn out to be your best shot, and the process is not entirely predictable.

 

I gotta say after reading your posts on your blog .... *tear* you're awesome =D

 

BRB gonna ask my mom to be as cool =P

 

- G

[oshaku]

Wow guys, cut OP some slack and be less judgemental about how many hours OP can work. I applied to one school first cycle and was accepted with lower GPA than OP and not much better ECs if at all. So two schools is at least one more than I applied to.

 

MCAT scores is important to know for constructive feedback, which if high enough is a shoe-in for getting interviewed.

I'm curious why OP choose Queen's. It does seem the most "random" in terms of selection process. Why not UofT (since you have a couple years of research) or McMaster?

 

Tbh and as critical as I can, the only unique/interesting aspects of your ECs are the photography and maybe sports. Research, shadowing, hospital volunteer, volunteering abroad are pretty standard premed things. Sports is somewhat common as well. So I'm not sure if being a professional photographer is eye-catching enough to get interviewed at Queen's.

[GH0ST]

Wow guys, cut OP some slack and be less judgemental about how many hours OP can work. I applied to one school first cycle and was accepted with lower GPA than OP and not much better ECs if at all. So two schools is at least one more than I applied to.

 

MCAT scores is important to know for constructive feedback, which if high enough is a shoe-in for getting interviewed.

I'm curious why OP choose Queen's. It does seem the most "random" in terms of selection process. Why not UofT (since you have a couple years of research) or McMaster?

 

Tbh and as critical as I can, the only unique/interesting aspects of your ECs are the photography and maybe sports. Research, shadowing, hospital volunteer, volunteering abroad are pretty standard premed things. Sports is somewhat common as well. So I'm not sure if being a professional photographer is eye-catching enough to get interviewed at Queen's.

 

As much as it's great that it worked out for you.... you have to understand that as a general rule you should push to apply to as many schools as possible to give yourself as much of a fighting chance as you can. What the other posters are asking is not unreasonable and should be mentioned in case the OP could pursue those options, thereby giving him funds to apply to more universities.

 

- G

[ralk]

I'm aware that I'm at a gross disadvantage. But because I can only apply to these schools (& trust me, I've exhausted all options). Do you think I'm a fair applicant to these places? 

 

Provided your MCAT meets the cutoffs for those schools, you'll have a decent shot at Western and an ok shot at Queen's.

 

As the other posters have mentioned, if you're going to apply to med school, you should apply anywhere you have a reasonable chance at admissions. The application costs are small compared the money/time it took to get to this point and the payoffs are worth the cost. If you feel you absolutely must restrict the number of schools you apply to, make sure you're applying to the schools you have the best chance at gaining admissions. You've only posted some of your stats - it's hard to tell if Western/Queen's is the right combination without knowing your full GPA breakdown and MCAT score. There may be better options.

 

In any case, to answer your original question, yes, it's ok to only apply to a few schools. It only takes one to get in, after all. Many current med students were only competitive at a single school. If you only have a real shot at Western and Queen's, applying to them only is a perfectly sound strategy. Still, as the other posters have said at length, if you have a shot at other schools, it's worth doing what you can to find the money to pay for those applications.

[oshaku]

As much as it's great that it worked out for you.... you have to understand that as a general rule you should push to apply to as many schools as possible to give yourself as much of a fighting chance as you can. What the other posters are asking is not unreasonable and should be mentioned in case the OP could pursue those options, thereby giving him funds to apply to more universities.

 

- G

And I guess OP saying he's exhausted all options isn't good enough for the posters on this forum.

[NotASerialKiller]

And I guess OP saying he's exhausted all options isn't good enough for the posters on this forum.

 

I understand where you're coming from, I would never normally question someone's financial decisions/situation, but we're trying to impress on the OP that applying to 2 schools does not make financial sense. The base OMSAS fee is the real expense, and it's just not reasonable to see extra schools as an expense you can avoid. If you can't afford to apply at all that's one thing, but covering the OMSAS fee and then saving on adding schools... you're setting yourself up to spend more money on fees in future years without finding success getting accepted.

 

I'm very glad that it worked out for you, but applying to 1 school without stellar stats and getting in was INSANELY lucky. I'm sure you deserved to be accepted, and would have in future years if it hadn't happened then, but 999/1000 times that will not work out. Especially if you have financial constraints, spending the money on the application while not setting yourself up for success is not the way to go.

[MSWschnoodle]

Hey OP,

Before I get caught up in the assumption train... are you only applying to 2 schools because of the financial cost of the applications or because of the financial cost of actually attending those institutions if you get in (moving, tuition, living on your own etc)? Depending on which financial issue it is, there are likely different answers to your question...

 

For what it's worth, this year I am only applying to a couple of schools... but it's largely because the timing of my master's completion and MCAT date. There are several schools where a completed masters lends a distinct advantage (giving you a few extra points on your application or bumping you up a few GPA points). Unfortunately because of my projected completion date I won't qualify for those advantages this year. I am making the conscious choice to delay my application to those schools until next year (they are coincidentally also the schools that would require a pretty major move and uprooting of my family so they are not my first choice in school). I also have an MCAT date of September 3 so I am choosing not to apply 'blind' to schools that require higher MCAT scores in areas that I know I am weaker in (I'm looking at you, chemistry). 

However... I think it's important to acknowledge a couple of things... 

1. I fully acknowledge that in making this choice I am significantly reducing the chances that I get in. In fact I acknowledge that I might be reducing them so greatly that I am essentially doing the application equivalent of tire kicking. This doesn't mean I don't want in (you will hear the scream across Canada if I get an interview, let alone admission) but I am treating this year as the first step in a marathon. Basically it's a 'fitness test' prior to the run that I am hoping will give me some data on what I should improve for the next round.

2. I'm not applying in Ontario. The others are right that the OMSAS fee represents a huge chunk of the application fee. Every year you apply you are adding that chunk of money as well as the year of potential earnings to your 'cost' of medical school admissions. If I was applying in Ontario I would likely approach this differently.

If I was in your position, knowing that the OMSAS fees are a significant part of the application cost, I would see if I could do something to raise the couple hundred bucks needed to throw a few more schools on the application (provided it was the application cost and not the attendance cost that is holding me back). You've mentioned you've exhausted your options, but even if you can mow a couple lawns or something to scrape up a few extra bucks it could be worth it. Heck, make a sign saying "Have brains, need money for medical school applications" and go busking for an afternoon if you have a busk-able talent (and don't require a business license to busk in your city). In my experience people are pretty generous when they know the motives behind why you're asking. Plus, if you do get in then you'll have an AWESOME story... "Let me tell you what I had to do to make this dream happen...".
 

This is where the cost of potentially delaying your admission should be taken into consideration. And do keep in mind that it is a potential delay, not a known delay. You could very well get in at one of the schools you currently plan to apply to. Conversely, you could apply to every school in Ontario and not get in to any of them. Applications are a gamble. You can increase your odds by buying more tickets (submitting more applications) but you cannot assume that you are automatically losing a year of income as a doctor by choosing to apply to fewer schools. Only you can decide if buying extra tickets is worth it based on what your application looks like. If you have a strong GPA, strong MCAT, strong ECs and you cured ebola last summer then you might be better to gamble with more applications. If you are more middle of the pack of being competitive but perhaps not insanely competitive then you might be better off to apply to a couple schools and spend an extra year doing things to boost your application. 

If it is the cost of actually attending interviews or medical school that is preventing you from applying to multiple locations then I would still apply and cross that bridge when you come to it. Attending interviews can be expensive, but you have several months to earn some money between the time you apply and the time you start getting interview offers. Get yourself a savings account and start putting some cash away at every opportunity knowing that you will be using the money for applications, interviews or tuition. You'll also have some time to investigate ways to lower your costs (greyhound bus instead of flying, staying in a hostel instead of a hotel etc.). If you do get an offer for an interview at a school that you don't realistically think you can attend due to cost you can always turn the interview down. 

 

Regardless of where you get in you are probably looking at accruing student loans and debts, so I would work on getting an acceptance first then start banging on doors to figure out how to pay for it if it is the cost of medical school that is holding you back from applying elsewhere. Medical school is still a decent bet for the banks, so most of them will happily help you figure out how to finance it. If you wind up getting in somewhere that will cost you a little more in tuition/living expenses then it is almost certainly worth the extra money to take that admission offer vs. doing another year of applications because then you do have a known loss of at least 1 year of doctor salary. 

At the end of the day, applying to 2 schools makes your gamble a little worse (like others have said, it's easier to get hit by lightening if you are the person in the field waving a golf club in the air every time there is a storm rather than just 2 select storms) but if that is truly the best option for you or the only option you have then focus on making your application as strong as it can possibly be and swing hard for the fences.

[JohnGrisham]

Queens and UWO are 4-5 hrs apart, not sure that the geographical restriction of costs is at play(unless they have family they could live with at both areas).

 

Op didn't really imply it was actual cost of medical school and moving that is limiting them. IF that is the case, osap and LOC more then cover it all, from that perspective.

 

Anyways, until op gives more details about MCAT, no useful advice can be given aside from what's already been said.