Genetic Counseling Admissions: Match Insights and Advice from Applicants of the 2023 Cycle
By Dominique (Nikki) Alexander
Some people have clarity on the career they want to pursue from a very young age, and their conviction follows them into adulthood. My good friend Megan is one of those people, who has had her heart set on medicine and has never strayed from that dream. I always used to envy Megan and others who were resolute in their path forward, because this was not the case for me. From Hollywood screenwriting to psychiatry, I found myself oscillating between futures that had promising elements, yet never felt quite right. So, when I discovered the career of genetic counseling and realized that it was my Goldilocks fit, I thought the most difficult part of my journey was over. However, for me and other prospective genetic counselors, another mountain must be climbed — the admissions process.
As I have discussed in a previous blog article, the genetic counseling admissions process is extremely competitive due to factors including the limited number of programs, small class sizes, and growing interest in the field. In the 2023 cycle, half of all of applicants who registered for the Match were cut from the process at the interview stage due to not receiving an interview invitation from a program, and of those who did receive interviews, only around half successfully matched. This means that the overall percentage of applicants who matched this cycle was approximately 25%, or 1 in every 4 applicants. The same statistics were true for the 2022 cycle.
The GC admissions Match system was implemented in 2017. Under this system, applicants who receive and complete interviews with programs then rank the programs from most interested in attending to least interested in attending. Programs also rank the applicants they interviewed, and on Match Day, both the applicants and programs find out who ended up where. While either party can express general interest in each other prior to Match Day, both applicants and programs are barred from disclosing their exact rank order.
All of these features of GC admissions introduce sources of anxiety, stress, and uncertainty that can be difficult to understand unless one has been through the process and intimidating to those about to embark on this phase of their journey to genetic counseling. I, along with other Advocate Genetics interns who participated in the 2023 Match, want to be transparent about our experiences in hopes that it can be helpful to prospective applicants as well as a source of validation for previous applicants who experienced similar struggles in their cycle.
Part 1: Submitting Applications
The first step of the application process is deciding which schools to apply to. This is easier said than done, as there are many factors to consider. Take some time to think about what elements are most important to you, as this will vary from applicant to applicant. Some factors applicants can take into account include:
Location of Program
Finances (tuition, work-study, scholarships, cost of living)
Program Curriculum
Program Rotation Opportunities
Program Extracurricular Opportunities
Program Research Opportunities
Program Dual Degree Options
Program Affiliation with Hospitals/Medical School
Class Size
Faculty
Mentorship Opportunities
School Reputation/Rankings/Prestige
Prerequisites
Diversity
Board Passing Rate
Job Placement Rate
Alumni Network
Once you decide what factors are especially important to you, you can begin to look at programs through their websites. The Accreditation Council of Genetic Counseling maintains a database of all accredited programs through an interactive map, as well as a full list you can access here. Personally, I did not have a set location for my studies in mind, so my approach was to examine every program individually. Although I previously mentioned the number of programs is relatively low compared to demand, there are still 50+ programs, and new programs are added every year, so I recommend giving yourself plenty of time to explore.
The number of programs an applicant applies to is up to them and their capacities in finances, effort, and time. As a general rule of thumb, applying to more programs increases the chances you will get interview invitations and therefore increases your likelihood of matching. However, a word of advice from a 2023 applicant:
“Be mindful of how many schools you apply to. I knew my budget for applications and transcripts and thought about realistically how many virtual interviews I could juggle on top of my job when finalizing my list. I picked 10 schools, and in hindsight if I had all 10 interviews that would have been a scheduling nightmare. So think about your schedule, your financial situation, and your mental health when considering the number of schools you will apply to.”
The general components of the applications are the personal statement, resume/CV, transcripts, and letters of recommendation. Programs may also include additional requirements such as a diversity statement or supplemental questions. I found the personal statement to be the most difficult to craft, not only because I find it tricky to portray all of the details I believe to be necessary in representing myself as a person and professional in a cohesive way, but also because each school has vastly different word count limits. I would recommend writing a baseline personal statement, then creating school-specific versions based on word count and language of the prompt.
Letters of recommendation can also also be a challenging aspect of the application because the applicant must forge connections with faculty and community members, decide who they would like to ask for a letter, reach out, and confirm that recommenders submit their letters in a timely manner. Most schools require 3 letters, but it is a good idea to have 4 people in mind in case one of your recommenders is unable to deliver or your program allows you to submit an additional letter. It is also recommended that the people you ask are representative of multiple aspects of yourself. For example, an applicant could seek 1-2 recommenders from their undergraduate experience such as teaching faculty or a research coordinator, 1 person from a job/internship, and 1 person related to volunteering, GC shadowing, or another activity. Be sure to reach out to your recommender well in advance so that they have time to write a meaningful and personal letter. To make my recommender’s process as seamless as possible, I also created and sent an information packet with anything they could possibly need to know about me or my programs.
A perhaps obvious yet important final note about submitting applications is to be aware of each program’s application deadline, and to avoid waiting until the last minute to submit. Ensure that you have enough time to check that the school has received all of the required materials from you and that all of your letters of recommendation have been submitted. For all the work you have put in, the last thing you want is for your application to be thrown out because it was accidentally incomplete!
Part 2: Interview Season
There is quite a bit of a gap between submitting all of your applications and hearing back from programs about your interview status. The majority of program applications are closed by the end of December, and the earliest applicants can expect to hear back from programs is typically February. Some applicants have described this period as freeing and peaceful, as there is nothing more they need to do or prepare for until they receive feedback. For others, the months of waiting are fodder for anxiety. The GC Chat Discord keeps an updated calendar of when program interview notifications occur, when official rejections are sent, and whether interview invites are rolling or not. I found this to be very helpful as the programs themselves do not indicate any precise notification dates.
Receiving even one interview is a huge accomplishment and is cause for celebration! In the interest of accessibility, most programs conduct their interviews virtually and allow applicants to select days and times via email. Once you have your interview scheduled, you can begin preparing.
Interview preparation looks different for every applicant depending on their style. There is no wrong way to go, but be sure to think about what approach feels right to you. Here are how a few of our Advocate interns prepared for their interviews:
“First, I learned everything there was to know about the program. I reviewed the website and notes that I took in informational events for every school I considered (~25 GC programs) months prior. Then, I would use the schedule the school sent to me to research every one of my interviewer’s basic career path and role in the program, and create interviewer-specific questions. I would also generate a list of general questions to ask throughout the interview day, such as after the general information portion or when speaking with current students. Additionally, I would briefly consider what type of research I was interested in doing with that program for my thesis/capstone by reading the titles of previous and current projects. Lastly, I would look up average rent for the city, the larger school that houses the GC program (I.e. school of medicine, school of biomedical sciences, etc) and their reputation, and where their alumni are now.”
“I prepared answers to common interview questions and made reflections on each of my experiences.”
“I did no prep besides looking at any assigned materials before interviews.”
Personally, I prepared by creating an information packet for each program I interviewed with based on their websites and any additional information they sent prior to the big day. You can check out what that looked like for the program I matched with (Rutgers University) in the Resources section of this article. I also relied on journaling and deeply reflecting on my relevant experiences like shadowing, volunteering, and extracurricular activities. I did one mock interview with a genetic counselor prior to my first interview, and I found that to be extremely helpful in managing pre-interview stress.
Although interview season can be extremely intense and overwhelming, remember that the programs are in no way “out to get you,” they just want to get to know you better! By making it to the interview stage, they already view you as a qualified candidate for their program. It is also an opportunity for you to get a better feel for how you would fit into the program and have any and all of your questions answered. Make sure you reward yourself after your interviews no matter how you feel they went — interview days can be up to 6 hours long, so treat yourself for showing up and giving it your best!
Part 3: Ranking and Matching
After all of your interviews are completed, it’s time to submit your Rank Order. Your Rank Order is submitted through the National Matching Service and numerically lists your programs in order from most interested to least interested in attending. Submitting your list serves as a binding contract that states you will attend whatever program you are matched to, which is why it is important that you do not rank a program if you would be unwilling to go there. Each program has a track indicated by a number, and programs can have multiple tracks if they offer scholarships (ex: Rutgers University, 2 Yr MS Program Scholarship, 11610). Accordingly, an applicant can separately rank a program’s scholarship and no scholarship tracks. For example, you could list Program A with Scholarship as rank 1, Program B as rank 2, then Program A with no scholarship as rank 3.
For me, the period between the end of interviews and Match Day, when I had to decide my rank order, was actually the most stressful part of the GC admissions process. I thought that it would be easy to rank my programs after having talked to them, but with so many factors to consider, I had an incredibly difficult time and was back and forth between which program I would rank first up until the final day to submit! Here is how some other interns felt about deciding their rank order:
“Deciding my rank order was difficult because diversity is very important to me, so I had to make sure I really asked current students in programs about that. But I also did not want to go too far from where I live. I ended up trusting my gut when it came to rankings and by looking at my finances.”
“Ranking was a very stressful process for me. I knew very clearly which programs did not stand out as much to me and which ones felt like a perfect fit, but then taking my top three schools and giving them numerical values in my rank list, not to mention the various tracks for each that were offered, was very difficult. I tried to create a spreadsheet with factors I found important for my GC training and what each school did to address those things, but that only helped to resolve which two programs I liked the best, but not their order. Ultimately, I had conversations with important people in my life to come to a decision, including my parents, my significant other, my boss/mentor, GCs at work, and my research PI. But it still was not an easy decision. I actually submitted a list and then a day before the list was due, I changed it last minute!”
“Ranking was pretty easy for me since I only had 2 programs to rank and one was a Canadian school, which I prefer since I am Canadian.”
Ultimately, a decision must be made, and after you submit your list, there is nothing left to do but wait! There is typically a week between when rank orders are due and Match Day, and for me, that week felt like a year. After so much time working hard to gain experience, meticulously crafting an application, diligent interview preparation, and strenuous decision-making, I suddenly found myself in a place of complete powerlessness. In one night of particularly intense anxiety during that week, I reflected on this feeling in my journal, and this reflection is what I will leave you with:
“Match Day. April 19. 7 days. Feels so soon but so far away. All this time preparing — practically my entire undergraduate experience and even during high school — to be the best applicant possible… it’s a strange feeling, something you worked so hard for and focused solely on, being within reach.
I’ve always said that sad songs are my favorite songs, and it’s true — I listen to them no matter what mood I’m in. So that’s what I’m doing tonight as I wind down, and it occurred to me: this experience is probably the closest experience I've had to these sad love songs I listen to. You give everything, try to be what they want but also true to yourself. And here you are, wondering if it’s enough. Because no matter what you give, how much you care about them, how vividly you imagine your future with them to be, the ball is ultimately in their court.
It’s a painful release of control, one that I’m having a really hard time with. I am trying to let go, but I feel as though my hands are so tightly gripping this dream, knuckles bone-white from the effort, that someone would have to break my fingers to pry them off. This whole thing comes down to what everything always comes down to — the desperate want to be wanted. To be chosen. I know it all sounds super dramatic, but that’s how it feels.
One mindfulness grounding exercise we were taught on the Crisis Line was called Leaves on a Stream. The idea is to encourage people in crisis to let their thoughts come and go, to be an observer free of judgment. Like watching cars on a highway. Well, I’ve never been good at that — the catch and release. I hang on too tight. I chase certainties that can’t exist.
Logically, I know that I can’t know. Some people can find peace in that, but for me the unknown is turmoil. These seven days will be spent locked in a waiting room: sweating, pacing, running hands through hair. Hoping for the best but crushed by the weight of the worst.
Maybe someday I’ll look back on this entry from a place of growth, where uncontrollable and unknowable aspects of my life and future are just leaves floating down the stream. I hope that is true, but I understand if it’s not. It’s still valiant to fight a losing battle. We might not get there, but we can try. I think there is solace in that.”
Resources
Content
Katie Lee GCG YouTube channel/blog (tips and advice for applications and interviews)
DNA Today podcast/website (interviews with former applicants and more info on genetic counseling)
@scagcpsn Instagram/Twitter (mock interviews, application advice, ranking support)
Templates
Letter of Recommendation Information Packet (to send to recommender)
Program Information Packet — Rutgers 2023 Example (created prior to program interview)
