<p>Many highly selective universities will use a holistic approach to admissions, meaning they try to read the application and discern who the student is as a whole–more than just numbers and gpa. Perhaps you don’t give this admission factor the credit it warrants, as your soft skills (presenting yourself to this public forum, for one) may not appear strong in your application package. Have you heard the term: red flags? </p>
<p>Admissions officers pick up on subtle cues (and sometimes less subtle) to give them the impression of the whole student. The choice of specific words is important. An example: saying “feeds homeless” gives off an impression of condescension–certainly you don’t put forks to their mouths. Instead, saying “worked 400 hours to prepare and serve meals at XYZ Women’s shelter” is showing a capacity to do hard work for people in need. Subtle distinctions in language may be hard for some applicants to discern, but instead of recognizing now just how off-putting the wrong words can be, you appear to be argumentative here. If any of this elitist tone seeped into your essays, or was alluded to in your LORs, those can be red flags that the applicant is not strong in interpersonal communications, which may go on to impede their future progress as med schools may also call on these skills. The exception might be the superior intellect who goes out and works in the lab of a top researcher and has a meaningful role in a medical breakthrough. i.e. demonstrates genius rather than telling about it. If an applicant notes he/she is a great musician, adcoms will see prizes won. There needs to be demonstrable national or international awards and honors to show extreme giftedness, not simply self-reported accomplishments. </p>
<p>Aside from the above, you have also brushed off other evaluations on your qualifications. Your ECs are not competitive for those hoping to get into med school, which makes your stated goals seem immature. Most transfers who are serious about med school will seek out real experience in the field to test/prove their fitness for the field. If you are truly looking to improve your future transfer chances, you will heed the advice you are getting here. No matter if you find people’s reactions rude or kind, they should all be instructive to answering your question of why you were not admitted.</p>