How many med schools should you apply to?
There’s no magic number, but I will break down my own stats!
I applied to 18 total MD and DO programs. I submitted 12 secondaries and received 5 total interviews at both MD & DO programs. I ended up attending only 2 interviews, because once I got into one of my top choices I cancelled my other interviews.
If I could do it again I would:
- Apply only to programs I would submit a secondary for (that would have saved around $500).
- I would make my breakdown:
- 5 safety apps (programs whose stats are lower than mine)
- 7 normal apps (programs whose stats fit mine)
- 4 reach apps (programs whose stats are higher than mine). I applied to too many reach programs. I only received 1 interview at a reach program.
With all of that in mind, consider your OWN application. If you think you are a strong applicant maybe you can apply to fewer total schools or more reach programs. I chose to apply to so many programs because I wanted to avoid applying twice.
And of course, you should apply to any dream programs you have regardless of stats!! The cost of an application isn’t worth giving up on a dream!