Ranking and Match: How it All Works

Hi everybody! Since I last saw you, I have interviewed at 5 schools over the course of the last month and a half. I plan on writing all about my experiences with the 2021 cycle after Match Day rolls around! In the meantime, I wanted to write about ranking and the match process, as ranking opened on March 31. It can be a confusing process no matter what stage you are in the application process, so I hope that this post can help clear up some things!

So, how did the Match come about anyway? Before 2018, the admissions process for genetic counseling was similar to most other graduate/professional school admissions processes. You'd interview and wait to get a call about whether you were being offered admissions or not. There was a lot of waiting, waitlists, and uncertainty about when or where you'd get in. The GC Admissions Match came along to help make the process easier and organized for applicants and schools alike. Sometimes it can be hard to see the benefits of the Match when you think about how long the application cycle is and how long you have to wait to find out if you've matched or not, but the system takes the applicant's preferences into account and helps programs fill their spots as soon as possible.

How does the Match work? All applicants that are applying to genetic counseling programs in the U.S. and Canada must register for the Match and pay the $100 fee. This year there have been Match waivers, so if you are planning on applying in the future, be on the lookout for these waivers! After interview offers have been sent out and most interviews have been conducted, students can submit their Rank Order List ranking the programs (and any available tracks within each program) they interviewed with based on their preference. If you were not to receive any interviews, you may withdraw from the Match in order to stop receiving emails or because it's your personal preference to do so. The deadline for applicants to submit their Rank Order List usually falls around 1-2 weeks before Match Day. This year, the deadline is April 14 at 11:59 pm EST. Programs will also submit Rank Order Lists of their own, and they may choose to rank some or all of the applicants the interviewed. After the lists have been submitted, the NMS will run its matching algorithm and place applicants into schools based on the preferences in their Rank Order Lists. Then, on Match Day, which is April 23 this year, emails will be released before noon EST informing applicants of their result. If for some reason they do not receive an email, the results will also be posted on the NMS website that day at noon EST.

How do you go about ranking programs and tracks? (Disclaimer: These are my thoughts and opinions on the matter and should not be taken as a definitive answer or as fact.) Throughout the entire application process, from determining what schools to apply to, to submitting your final rank list, I would recommend establishing what aspects of programs are most important to you, whether it be cost, location, etc. It is completely fine for cost to be the biggest decision in your rankings or to not play an important role. Every applicant and their situation is different, and there is no wrong way to go about the process. Personally, I am using a spreadsheet that compares things that are important to me, such as cost, rotations, and vibes to help numerically rank my programs. However, I already have a gut feeling of how I want to rank based mostly on the vibes I felt during my interviews and how well I think I connected to each program. I do have some programs that have several tracks, and I'm hoping having values for each one will help me better organize them. Ultimately, you are the person that will be living in this area and attending this school for the next 2 years, and you should rank the programs and their tracks based on whatever will make you most comfortable and happy.

Do I have to rank every program that I interviewed at and all their available tracks? You should only rank tracks and programs that you would be happy to attend/be a part of. The Match is binding, and there are consequences if you match to a track/program you don't want to. If you are having a hard time deciding whether or not to rank a track or program, think about what's most important to you in a program and think about if the cons of the track/program outweigh the pros. If you're unsure if you would be happy living in an area or completing a specific track, you can always reach out to current students and get their opinion about your concerns. If you're still struggling, the best advice I've received regarding the matter is ask yourself, "would I rather not match than attend this program/track?" It is okay if the answer to this is yes. Last year, I decided to not rank a program because it was in an area where I knew nobody and would be far away from my support system, and I wasn't sure if the program was really a good fit for me. I decided for that particular program, I would rather not match than have to move far away and attend a program I was unsure about. I don't regret my decision because I believe I found programs that better match what I am looking for this year.

Does it hurt my chances of matching if I rank scholarship tracks first? No, it does NOT hurt your chances of matching if you rank any scholarship tracks above full tuition tracks. It is highly recommended that you rank any scholarships above full tuition, and the NMS may even reach out to you if you rank full tuition above scholarships to see if that's really what you meant to do. You can still match to a program even if you don't get a scholarship spot. It is also okay to only rank the scholarship tracks if that is the only way you could justify attending a program. Finances play a big role in this process, and it is reasonable to let them play a factor in your rankings.

How does the post-match process work? If you do not match to any of the programs you ranked, there is still a possibility you could match to a program with open spots in the Post-Match (also known as the Unmatched Applicant Program). Programs may have available spots due to a numerous amount of reasons, such as adding more after match or having a student withdraw from the program. These open spots will be shared on the NMS website after noon EST on Match Day, and these programs will also receive contact information from the pool of unmatched applicants. In most cases, the program(s) will contact students that did not interview/apply at the program and will invite them to submit an application for a post-match interview. For example, last year Columbia had spots available post-match, and I was contacted in May about applying for an open spot. I chose not to apply for a spot, so I'm not sure how exactly a program would conduct their search for these spots, but I imagine it's a fast-forwarded version of their usual process.

I hope that this post helps answer any questions that you or your support system may have about the Match process! If you still have questions, or feel that something could be explained better, please feel free to shoot me a message on here or on Instagram! I will also include the links to some videos and blog posts I have found helpful below.

The Matching Algorithm - Explained: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVTwXNawpbk

The Matching Algorithm - Advanced Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRm8ZDHdpKc

Career of Compassion: Happiest Outcome Guaranteed: How the Match Works: https://careerofcompassion.com/2019/04/04/happiest-outcome-guaranteed-how-the-match-works/

Matching Algorithm Demo: https://natmatch.com/gcadmissions/demo-algorithm.html

To my fellow 2021 applicants- These next few weeks leading up to Match Day can be incredibly stressful and filled with anxiety. Please remember to take care of yourself! If you end up not matching, I promise you that it will be okay and that things will get better. I thought it was the end of the world, but here I am, more determined, resilient, and sure of myself. If you need somebody to talk to, my DMs are always open. Feel free to subscribe to the blog at the bottom of the page, or you can follow me on Instagram @journey2gc!