Chances? Backup Plan? Dual-apply vs SOAP?

[Guest]

Spot on

[Guest]

I am also involved in reviewing applications. As someone wise said above, we have very limited time to assess an application so we usually have a system to scan an application and look for things that stand out. The system also accommodates to the ERAS website layout. After the step 2 score filter, I check the “personal experience” tab. This year, this is probably the most underutilized space in the application. It is surprising how the majority of applicants waste such an incredible opportunity to tell the evaluators something outstanding about themselves in two lines. Those that have the courage to put something there that is actually interesting certainly go up in my list. Then I check publications. I do check how many of those are first author. Having 1 or 2 first author neurosurgery publications in any journal is more impressive than 20 but having your name in the middle of 15 other authors. Then I check the hobbies; I want to know you are a normal person and that you can hopefully work with people. Then I check the personal statement and LORs. The only thing I look in the LOR is what the residents said about you (again, I want to know if you can work with people), and then something like “we will be ranking him/her highly in our program”.

After that, just be normal in the interview.