2021-2022 Waitlist Support Thread

[nothisizpatrick]

I’ve been a lurker for so long, but this manifestation thread seems to be working, so I’m tapping in. I WILL be called off a WL/directly accepted very soon. period and amen!

This process is beyond unnecessarily exhausting (and exploitative but what isn’t lol), so sending good vibes to all. It personally helps me to remember that being a physician is a job. One that we all (hopefully) are passionate about and will have positive impacts through, but nonetheless, just a job at the end of the day. Whether it’s your first or third time through this, you’ve made it this far and that’s not something to take lightly. Don’t lose yourself to this! Don’t lose sight of other things that make you happy (or could make you happy).

y’all. it happened 🥲 i’ve been savoring it over the past few days, but I wanted to hop on and send hugs + hope to the other WL baddies on here. especially the ones with zero As (yet). even more so to the ones with lower stats. it can be discouraging to come on here seeking support and instead finding fellow pre-meds pointing out, or worse, even complaining about people with lower stats “getting in before them” (no shade to anyone but it’s not the best look imo). no one knows anyone else’s journey or life story. if you’ve made it this far, knowing you did your best every step of the way, you’re just as “worthy” of a seat. period and don’t you forget it.

now, why did I call all of us former and current waitlistees baddies? because we are. we’ve made it past almost every filtering step thus far. remind yourself that it’s not necessarily you, it’s them (i.e., the growing competitiveness of the process). because even if a school loved 100% of their applicants equally, the logistics just don’t allow for a seat for everyone. so if necessary, you’re gonna check-in with yourself, be positively proactive, jump back on the horse , and show schools how much you want this, while enjoying another year of no med-school-or-grueling-medical-career life. y’all got this.

and I'm preaching to the choir when I say this, but if there's a WL school that seems receptive to LOIs based on past + current SDN threads (which was gratefully the case for me), I definitely recommend sending a strategic LOI if you have yet to. I'm aware that their value has declined over the year as more students don't follow through on them, so pls don't send one just to send one and possibly further screw over future pre-meds more than the process already does lol. But if you're on multiple WLs, carefully consider how realistic getting into your top choice is based on the movement they've seen/expect combined with the strength of your app, and maybe choose a new "top choice" based on that, a school where you have a "better" shot at and could see yourself still thriving. I'm sure we've all sent LOIs at this point but just my two cents for future pre-meds or re-applicants who find themselves in WL purgatory.

now let me go burn all this MCAT retake material right quick.............

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[MotorLover]

I ended up getting an A! I know I complained a lot on here, but I guess things really do work out sometimes. I hope this serves as a reminder to everyone, myself included, to stay strong and stay positive. )

 

[dontstopbelieving7]

I ended up getting an A! I know I complained a lot on here, but I guess things really do work out sometimes. I hope this serves as a reminder to everyone, myself included, to stay strong and stay positive. )

Thanks for that reminder! I think, during this whole waitlist process especially, it’s easy to get discouraged. We all just need the reassurance that things will eventually work out

 

[jdmke]

Today's the day folks. Manifesting this A. Sing it with me I BE-LIEVE

Edit: I'm really hoping people channel their inner donkey from Shrek with this one

 

[dontstopbelieving7]

Today's the day folks. Manifesting this A. Sing it with me I BE-LIEVE

I BE-LIEVE that we will get the A!

 

[TheKid7Yessir]

Almost been a full 10 months since my interview. Still waiting on the waitlist.

 

[alittlebit97]

Manifesting that my top choice starts pulling from the WL today

 

[s517896]

Today is THE dayyy

Another day of manifestation

 

[wysdoc]

I ended up getting an A! I know I complained a lot on here, but I guess things really do work out sometimes. I hope this serves as a reminder to everyone, myself included, to stay strong and stay positive. )

well....where did you get accepted?

 

[StruggleBusConductor]

At this point, I am manifesting the will to finish my 3rd (and probably final) application before it opens in less than a week. Sigh.

Sorry to hear that friend but I wouldn’t count yourself out at the third round. If anything I’d advocate for 4 times. Most people will try three times. In the meanwhile maybe you can bump up your lab stuff by doing a certified lab technician position.

 

[StruggleBusConductor]

Today's the day folks. Manifesting this A. Sing it with me I BE-LIEVE

Edit: I'm really hoping people channel their inner donkey from Shrek with this one

Cause ya got-ta got-ta got-ta got-ta handle ittttt! 🐴

 

[someqsaboutstuff]

What are all the schools that so far have had zero waitlist movement? I know RWJMS is one, curious about others

 

[Colsophys]

Manifesting one big FAT A next week 🙏🏻 Prayers all the way up for all of us

 

[Reapp97]

What are all the schools that so far have had zero waitlist movement? I know RWJMS is one, curious about others

Indiana

 

[boofah]

What are all the schools that so far have had zero waitlist movement? I know RWJMS is one, curious about others

Emory

 

[throwaway198773]

Emory

Drexel & Penn State (at least not a single post)

 

[alittlebit97]

What are all the schools that so far have had zero waitlist movement? I know RWJMS is one, curious about others

MCW

 

[YeeOldeMillenial]

Emory

UWSMPH stated they had zero movement and dismissed the remaining waitlist.

 

[siloaddict]

Almost been a full 10 months since my interview. Still waiting on the waitlist.

Our school is NOT pulling thru 😭

 

[Reapp97]

Indiana

Indiana got movement for the first time about an hour ago...


...by mail lol

 

[siloaddict]

Indiana got movement for the first time about an hour ago...


...by mail lol

Literally the only school that notifies mail first 😑

 

[Reapp97]

Literally the only school that notifies mail first 😑

just in time for a holiday weekend so no mail on Monday

 

[JMoneyStackzz]

What are all the schools that so far have had zero waitlist movement? I know RWJMS is one, curious about others

Can anyone elaborate on the situation with RWJMS as to why they have had zero movement?

 

[KnightDoc]

Can anyone elaborate on the situation with RWJMS as to why they have had zero movement?

????? Why does any school not have movement? Because they do not have any open seats!

As you can see, they are not unique. Some schools intentionally under accept with plans to make extensive use of their WL. Others don't. It's pretty clear which category RWJMS falls into.

 

[someqsaboutstuff]

Can anyone elaborate on the situation with RWJMS as to why they have had zero movement?

I think every school overaccepts the same way airlines book more tickets than there are seats. Schools that see zero WL movement are likely those that accepted far more than they can matriculate, so even after a big chunk of applicants withdraw, there are still enough remaining students to fill the entire class.

Over accepting by a yuge amount defeats the purpose of waitlists, so idk how these schools put 100+ on WL knowing they won’t accept the vast majority of them.

 

[alittlebit97]

????? Why does any school not have movement? Because they do not have any open seats!

As you can see, they are not unique. Some schools intentionally under accept with plans to make extensive use of their WL. Others don't. It's pretty clear which category RWJMS falls into.

I mean MCW told us 2 weeks ago there would be movement, so lack of movement by now doesn't necessarily mean no seats open

 

[letfirstserve]

What are all the schools that so far have had zero waitlist movement? I know RWJMS is one, curious about others

BU

 

[someqsaboutstuff]

I mean MCW told us 2 weeks ago there would be movement, so lack of movement by now doesn't necessarily mean no seats open

RWJMS told us something similar, but I don’t think any surge of withdrawals will occur out of thin air.

It’s rough out there :/

 

[KnightDoc]

I think every school overaccepts the same way airlines book more tickets than there are seats. Schools that see zero WL movement are likely those that accepted far more than they can matriculate, so even after a big chunk of applicants withdraw, there are still enough remaining students to fill the entire class.

Over accepting by a yuge amount defeats the purpose of waitlists, so idk how these schools put 100+ on WL knowing they won’t accept the vast majority of them.

Because they don't care about us. It's all about them. The WL is not strictly to give us late acceptances. It's an insurance policy for schools in case their yield is lower than anticipated because, come hell or high water, every class is going to be filled.

Some schools are very conservative, and intentionally undershoot, planning to make extensive use of their WL. Those are the schools where a lot of movement is reported. Others are more comfortable with their projections, so they don't undershoot by a lot, if at all. Those are the schools with little or no movement.

All schools are always going to build a significant WL, just in case. The alternative is not doing so, and then reopening IIs in May or June if they happen to have a need, like Hackensack is doing this year.

MUCH better for the school to build a WL and not use it than to have to start interviewing again a few weeks before orientation, for a variety of reasons. And THAT is why schools put 100+ on a WL, knowing they are not going to accept the vast majority of them. As much as I hate to admit it, the wise @gonnif is 1,000,000% correct in repeatedly telling us to prepare for a reapplication from the moment we submit, and to take nothing fro granted until we actually have an A in hand.

 

[someqsaboutstuff]

@wysdoc are you disagreeing or just agreeing that situation sucks

 

[wysdoc]

@wysdoc are you disagreeing or just agreeing that situation sucks

I am giving a thumbs down to the continual comments that “the schools don’t care about us”

 

[KnightDoc]

I am giving a thumbs down to the continual comments that “the schools don’t care about us”

Agree to disagree. My experience, as an actual live applicant this cycle, is that people like @gonnif really know what they are talking about.

It's a sellers' market, and adcoms' objective is to seat a class, not care about applicants. Some schools have really awesome admissions staffs, and go out of their way to be caring, compassionate and transparent to all applicants. Most don't, focus on the people they identify to fill their classes, and really, really, really don't care about the vast majority of their applicants.

That is why some schools do not bother to communicate rejections, months after they stop interviewing. Or place hundreds on WLs because it's easier than pruning the list around 4/30, providing false hope to literally hundreds of people who are never going to receive a call. And then providing no transparency regarding relative positioning on a list, as though they spin a wheel when a spot opens up to decide who gets a call.

Maybe your school is one of the good ones, but trust me, most schools don't care about us, unless and until we are identified as someone they might want to choose to be part of their class.

I totally respect your perspective as someone on the other side of the wall, but, as someone on many of these WLs, this is my honest perspective.

 

[wysdoc]

Agree to disagree. My experience, as an actual live applicant this cycle, is that people like @gonnif really know what they are talking about.

It's a sellers' market, and adcoms' objective is to seat a class, not care about applicants. Some schools have really awesome admissions staffs, and go out of their way to be caring, compassionate and transparent to all applicants. Most don't, focus on the people they identify to fill their classes, and really, really, really don't care about the vast majority of their applicants.

That is why some schools do not bother to communicate rejections, months after they stop interviewing. Or place hundreds on WLs because it's easier than pruning the list around 4/30, providing false hope to literally hundreds of people who are never going to receive a call. And then providing no transparency regarding relative positioning on a list, as though they spin a wheel when a spot opens up to decide who gets a call.

Maybe your school is one of the good ones, but trust me, most schools don't care about us, unless and until we are chosen to be part of their class.

I totally respect your perspective as someone on the other side of the wall, but, as someone on many of these WLs, this is my honest perspective.

We are both adults with our own opinions @KnightDoc
Mine is as valid as yours

 

[KnightDoc]

We are both adults with our own opinions @KnightDoc
Mine is as valid as yours

Absolutely! Please note the last sentence of the post you quoted!

 

[someqsaboutstuff]

I am giving a thumbs down to the continual comments that “the schools don’t care about us”

I sincerely apologize to all the medical schools that may have been offended from this discussion

 

[KnightDoc]

I agree, it is only a business and it isn't personal to them. Schools let way too many people on their wait-list where there is no hope for more than 60%. Why not prune it down earlier. I also think they charge excessive fees for primary and secondary applications.

I really, really, really hate to be in the position of defending the schools, but it's worth keeping in mind that fees are not excessive when you take into account that they are not only funding the admission process, but are also being used to subsidize everyone receiving FAP.

 

[someqsaboutstuff]

it is only a business and it isn't personal to them

RT. Institutions don't care about individuals, they simply prioritize their own incentives

 

[someqsaboutstuff]

I really, really, really hate to be in the position of defending the schools, but it's worth keeping in mind that fees are not excessive when you take into account that they are not only funding the admission process, but are also being used to subsidize everyone receiving FAP.

*stares bleakly at t50 school's billion dollar endowment*

 

[ujsc]

I bet you a candidate who has absolutely nothing in common with T20 schools, and doesn't fit their stats, will be asked for a secondary from majority of these schools. Why? It is a business first.

 

[KnightDoc]

I bet you a candidate who has absolutely nothing in common with T20 schools, and doesn't fit their stats, will be asked for a secondary from majority of these schools. Why? It is a business first.

You're absolutely correct. The justification is the so-called "holistic review" that will cause a lucky few to break through who would never have a shot if they were pre-screened, but, in general, you are correct.

It's the penalty imposed on those who do not do their homework before applying, and it's how they not only fund their offices, but also keep their selectivity sky high by taking applications from anyone with a pulse and then promptly tossing them in the reject pile.

 

[Hippocratesintraining]

I bet you a candidate who has absolutely nothing in common with T20 schools, and doesn't fit their stats, will be asked for a secondary from majority of these schools. Why? It is a business first.

This is very true but also the student must do their homework on that school and ultimately, it's the students choice to submit the primary application.

I would be a hypocrite though to say that I never felt the same frustrations from this medical cycle so if you catch me next Tuesday I could be screaming to burn the system down.

 

[someqsaboutstuff]

It's the penalty imposed on those who do not do their homework before applying

way too much homework for something that should be as simple as submitting an application

 

[wysdoc]

Y’all, not much will happen over Memorial Day Weekend so complain or cry or whine or whatever you want to those who want to listen to you.
Just don’t drive after drowning your sorrows because that will kick you off the WL forever.

I would love for the WL support thread to be used by those:
Who lend support
Who need support
Who don’t have acceptances

See ya on Tuesday

 

[waterrr]

I feel like waitlist movement is still happening, people are still deciding between schools on the Help Me Decide threads so that must be a good sign for us. I'm sure it's less than early May but I'm hopeful there is still movement until early June.

 

[MotorLover]

I feel like waitlist movement is still happening, people are still deciding between schools on the Help Me Decide threads so that must be a good sign for us. I'm sure it's less than early May but I'm hopeful there is still movement until early June.

When I got off the WL, no one had reported movement on the school's SDN thread in the prior weeks or in the following days. Something to keep in mind

 

[MickeyRose6]

Hey y’all! Happy Memorial Day Weekend! Let’s keep the faith and celebrate the progress we HAVE made this cycle. Praying for an A later this week

 

[mdog31415]

Sure, the bulk of WL movement already happened, but that’s not enough of a reason to lose hope just yet. Three reasons. 1.) the chain reaction of people getting pulled off waitlists at school A and therefore giving up their seat at school B is still happening. Just check out the X vs Y med school forum- it’s still going strong. 2.) June 1 is a big CTE date for many schools. Not that it necessarily frees up a lot of spots, but it does start to thin out WLs a bit, moving those still on them up a little. 3.) June is a big month for deferrals to occur. 1-10 people requesting deferrals at an institution can make a big splash in WL movement and the chain reaction I talked about in A. Point is: good vibes, and keep good hopes!

 

[s517896]

Tomorrow is going to be THE day!!!

 

[JMoneyStackzz]

I am highest priority waitlist on a school that has had 0 movement. At this point do you guys think it is worth sending an update letter with my spring semester grades?

 

[KnightDoc]

I am highest priority waitlist on a school that has had 0 movement. At this point do you guys think it is worth sending an update letter with my spring semester grades?

No reason not to, although it is highly unlikely to make a difference this late. You are already highest priority, assuming there is movement.