The Geisel School of Medicine saw a 27 percent increase in applications for the fall’s entering class than for the entering class of 2013. Candidates sent in 5,241 completed applications to compete for fewer than 90 available spots, which will result in a acceptance rate of about 1.7 percent, according to a recent Geisel press release.
This marks the highest number of applicants the school has ever received, up by 1,104 from last year.
Associate dean of student affairs and director of financial aid Dino Koff said the change could be attributed both to the general upward trend in medical school applications and the unique experiences that Geisel offers.
While medical school applications are up across the country, Geisel’s 27 percent increase was far greater than the average, Koff said.
“Students at Geisel are able to engage in opportunities that are really hot topics — global health, community service learning and research opportunities,” Koff said. “Students can do this right away.”
Processing such a high number of applications will be difficult, Koff said, but the high number offers Geisel the opportunity to select an especially strong incoming class. The diverse and academically talented candidate pool may force admissions staff to evaluate less quantifiable measures like clinical experience.
Admissions officers will look at applicants’ commitment to improving patients’ lives and their ability to engage in teamwork, Koff said.
The rise in applications has not aligned with a specific increase outreach efforts, he said.
Koff said the increase shows the success of Geisel’s 20x20 plan, Koff said. The initiative aims to move the school into the ranks of the top 20 U.S. medical schools by the year 2020, and efforts include boosting the school’s external reputation and endowment.
Geisel does not plan to increase class sizes, Koff said.
Catherine Baker ’15 applied and was accepted to Geisel’s early assurance program for Dartmouth undergraduates. The program, in its second year, accepts five Dartmouth juniors annually, provided they do not apply to other programs.
Baker said she applied to Geisel because of its relevance to the modern medical profession, citing its work with health care delivery and efficiency as appealing factors.
“It’s a tumultuous time to enter the medical field,” Baker said. “But Geisel is a part of the change, and there’s a huge opportunity for students be a part of the change.”
Additionally, Geisel’s partnership with Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center provides a unique chance for students who want to make a difference in a rural community, Baker said.
Geisel also offers a more comfortable atmosphere for students than larger and possibly better-known medical schools, where students may have bigger egos, she said.
Baker said she looks forward to a more selective and diverse class in 2014, adding that the increase in applications reflects positively on the school.
“It feels good to know that many people are interested,” she said.
Matt Sattler ’14, who was also accepted to Geisel through the early assurance program, said he applied because he appreciated Geisel’s focus on patient interaction and the “human side” of medicine.
While he was glad to hear about the increase in applications, he said he does not put too much weight behind the statistics.
“I’m not going to medical school for prestige,” Sattler said. “I’m going to medical school so I can be a doctor and help people, and Geisel is very good at that.”
Adele Shenoy ’15, a pre-med student who is unsure if she will apply to Geisel, said in an email that while application numbers do not affect her opinion of a school, seeing acceptance rates decline can be intimidating.
Additionally, although she said this year’s increase was impressive, Shenoy voiced concerns about the recent suspension of admissions to Geisel’s M.D./Ph.D. dual degree program. The decision has sparked controversy, leading to a petition outlining concerns that boasts around 1,000 signatures.
“Cancelling that program reflects negatively on a school and could actually decrease future applications,” Shenoy said.
Applications to Geisel have increased significantly in the past decade. In 2004, Geisel received 3,855 applicants. The largest previous year-on-year increase was in 2007, when applications rose 12.2 percent, according to data provided by Koff.
