Key Takeaways

Ranking Strategy

After you have evaluated all the programs where you have applied that are participating in the Match, you must determine your order of preference for these programs. On your Rank Order List, you should rank your most preferred program first, your next most preferred program second, and so on.

Your Rank Order List should accurately reflect the true desirability of each program to you, regardless of how you think the program will rank you. You do not need to make prior commitments to programs or submit to inappropriate pressures in constructing your Rank Order List (e.g., "I'll rank you high only if you rank me high"). Because of the way the matching algorithm works:

Your best strategy is to rank your choices in order of your true preferences without consideration for how you expect to be ranked by any program.

You may rank as many programs as you wish. There are generally more applicants than there are positions available; therefore, there is strong competition for most positions. By submitting a longer list of programs, you may reduce the likelihood of being left unmatched. You should rank all programs participating in the Match to which you have applied and with which you are prepared to accept a position.

You will be matched to the most preferred program on your list that ranks you and does not fill all its positions with applicants it prefers.

Do not rank any program that you consider unacceptable (i.e., you would not want to be matched to the program, under any circumstances). As noted in the Applicant Agreement, the results of the Match are binding. If you are matched, you must accept the Match result. If you do not accept your Match result, you may be subject to penalties, as well as legal and/or disciplinary actions on the part of APPIC, your academic program and/or internship program, as outlined in the Applicant Agreement.