Albany "UC" category

[sdnstud]

I was recently placed on Albany's "Under consideration" category (post interview). This makes me wonder, has anyone here on SDN been immediately accepted to AMC? Also, now that my application is in the "under consideration" category, does it get reviewed every week during the Adcom meeting (thus, there is a chance that I might get accepted each week)? Or should I not expect anything until May when the ranked alternate list is compiled?

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[stinkycheese]

I was recently placed on Albany's "Under consideration" category (post interview). This makes me wonder, has anyone here on SDN been immediately accepted to AMC?

I was. Others, too.

Also, now that my application is in the "under consideration" category, does it get reviewed every week during the Adcom meeting (thus, there is a chance that I might get accepted each week)? Or should I not expect anything until May when the ranked alternate list is compiled?

I dont know how it works, but in my experience, their admissions office is very helpful, and they would probably give you a straight answer.

 

[Arb]

This year is very weird. Doesn't AMC accept 50% of their interview pool? That doesn't include waitlist or UC right? With a preference for US citizens, how will international students have a shot when everyone is getting waitlisted!?!

 

[premedgeek]

I was placed in that category too.

I was told by my interviewer that they don't accept/reject many people right off the bat. Most people end up being in that list.

 

[ygreenst]

i'm in that category too -- the email made it sound like the admissions ofice would use the "under consideration" people to make their waitlist. anyone have more info on this?

 

[Prag]

i'm in that category too -- the email made it sound like the admissions ofice would use the "under consideration" people to make their waitlist. anyone have more info on this?

I was placed in this category last year...I know that they accept quite a few people initially, but place the rest in this category (very few, if any, are rejected post-interview)...unless the interview scores are unbelievably low this year, you probably won't hear back until after May 15th...after this date, they create a small ranked wait-list and reject the rest of the people in the "still under consideration" category (last year we didnt hear about whether we were part of this waitlist until late June--and then there really wasnt a whole lot of movement...but each year is different)...if anyone else has any other questions, please feel free to ask...

 

[Arb]

So sending update letters and letter of intent would not really help you get out of the UC category? You are ranked already so it's pretty much just a waiting game?

 

[sdnstud]

Yup...pretty much a waiting game. But, sending update letters and letter of intent wouldn't hurt.

Anyone in UC category heard from Albany lately?

So sending update letters and letter of intent would not really help you get out of the UC category? You are ranked already so it's pretty much just a waiting game?

 

[Arb]

Damn. I hope there's a way to improve one's rank on the list. I held off sending in a letter of update until after the interview....Does anyone know if the rank list is set in stone?

 

[8-)]

What about being placed on "hold" PRE-interview. That's where I'm at. I was complete in November. Has anyone in this position been invited to interview? I'm thinking there's no way I'll get an interview at this point...

 

[Arb]

They interview into April.

"Applicants' files are completely reviewed one time. Rank is
established by a voting process and your score does not change. You are
welcome, however, to provide documents for your file."

It seems updating your file and submitting a letter of intent does absolutely nothing.

 

[Arb]

From what I gather, your rank is set and it doesn't change. So does that mean that those that interview later than you can not be ranked above you? I would ask but I think I pissed off the admissions office when I emailed them to gain clarification on a previous email.

 

[sdnstud]

Applicants who interview later than you can be ranked above you. Here is how I understand it. After the interview, you're assigned an interview score from 1-5 (1 being you sucked and 5 being you're awesome). Your interview score is added to your "pre-interview" scores (based on your gpa, mcat, clinical exposure, research experience, volunteering hours, etc.). Acceptances are offered to those who have the highest cumulative score each week.

Arb, since you're in the UC category, you currently have a score assigned to your application. However, you're not "ranked." In May, the applicants in the UC category with the highest culumative scores are placed on the wait-list. This is when Albany ranks the wait-listers based on their cumulative scores. As space become available, wait-listers get moved into the acceptance group.

In short, your (and my) application has a score assigned to it. Update letters and LOIs will not change this score.

From what I gather, your rank is set and it doesn't change. So does that mean that those that interview later than you can not be ranked above you? I would ask but I think I pissed off the admissions office when I emailed them to gain clarification on a previous email.

 

[Arb]

So those in the UC category will not hear anything until May and only those with a high score are waitlisted and the rest rejected?

 

[sdnstud]

yes and yes.

So those in the UC category will not hear anything until May and only those with a high score are waitlisted and the rest rejected?

 

[Fusion]

So those in the UC category will not hear anything until May and only those with a high score are waitlisted and the rest rejected?

Actually, no and yes.

From what I have gathered from old threads as well as from a friend of mine who is an MS1 at AMC, it really depends what happens on a week to week basis. If one week there is a group of students that have lower overall committee scores than yours, then you'll get in immediately.

So here is my take on the overall admissions process at AMC. Like previous posters have mentioned, interviewees are provided a score of 1-5 after their interview. This score gets taken into consideration during the post-interview committee meeting, during which an applicant's other credentials are taken into consideration, and he/she is provided an overall score. Those students who score above a pre-set cutoff (which seems to vary a little depending on the time of year) are offered an immediate acceptance. The rest are placed into the "under consideration" category. Some of these applicants may get an admissions offer within a short time (i.e., a couple weeks), while the majority will have to wait until May or June to find out if they have even made the waitlist. At that point, they will either be rejected or notified of their official waitlist status. Those who make it to the waitlist are ranked, and once the waitlist is set, the school will simply start at the top and work their way down until they have their official class roster (which may not be finalized until the first day of orientation).

Does this sound reasonable?

 

[sdnstud]

anyone in UC group accepted recently?

 

[MrTee]

anyone in UC group accepted recently?

SDN, would you consider going to AMC over the other schools you were accepted to? I didn't interview at penn st or rush, so I don't know what you're choosing between...but I did visit AMC and was not exactly blown away with what I saw. BTW, I've been in the UC category since the beginning of Dec, but I'm not going to go even if I get in.

 

[Freakingzooming]

anyone in UC group accepted recently?

Anyone hear back from them today? I got an email from the dean and am in. I was in the UC group. This was totally unexpected, it came out of nowhere and way before May.... yay!! just wanted everyone to know that it appears that they do a week by week review like a previous poster has already said.

 

[sdnstud]

Thanks Freakingzooming for the information. This is very good news.
have you fill out the institutional financial aid form? If so, where did you find a copy?

Anyone hear back from them today? I got an email from the dean and am in. I was in the UC group. This was totally unexpected, it came out of nowhere and way before May.... yay!! just wanted everyone to know that it appears that they do a week by week review like a previous poster has already said.

 

[JohnBasedow]

Anyone hear back from them today? I got an email from the dean and am in. I was in the UC group. This was totally unexpected, it came out of nowhere and way before May.... yay!! just wanted everyone to know that it appears that they do a week by week review like a previous poster has already said.

I got the same email from them this morning, so I guess people are withdrawing or they have some bizarre method of pulling people from the UC pile.

 

[ygreenst]

I got the email too! It's my first acceptance I was put in the UC category in the beginning of Febuary.

 

[MDApplicant2005]

Hi, I also got the email! I am so excited to be off the UC list. My email said something about receiving a letter of acceptance that will describe the conditions upon which this offer is being made. I was wondering if there was similar wording in everyone's emails. If so, what do you think this means? Thanks in advance!

 

[Calizona]

Hi, I also got the email! I am so excited to be off the UC list. My email said something about receiving a letter of acceptance that will describe the conditions upon which this offer is being made. I was wondering if there was similar wording in everyone's emails. If so, what do you think this means? Thanks in advance!

Hey all, I am just wondering if anyone has recently gotten off the Albany Under Consideration Pile. Does anyone know if any more significant movement is supposed to occur before May 15th? Also, does everyone who interviews get put on the UC pile, or are there some rejections given by Albany post-interview? I would appreciate any information you guys could give. Thanks!

 

[docjolly]

Hey all, I am just wondering if anyone has recently gotten off the Albany Under Consideration Pile. Does anyone know if any more significant movement is supposed to occur before May 15th? Also, does everyone who interviews get put on the UC pile, or are there some rejections given by Albany post-interview? I would appreciate any information you guys could give. Thanks!

BUMP

I'm curious about this myself. I, too, was placed on the "UC" list

Calizona, when did you interview?

 

[Calizona]

BUMP

I'm curious about this myself. I, too, was placed on the "UC" list

Calizona, when did you interview?

I interviewed in the last week of January and have been the UC list since then. I wonder how much movement there is on the UC list before May 15th and after May 15th. When did you interview?

 

[tchantel21]

Hey, for accepted students anyone start looking for places to live? Also is there any1 around who interviewed in the last week of March?

 

[ma-bas]

Hey, for accepted students anyone start looking for places to live? Also is there any1 around who interviewed in the last week of March?

I'm going! I haven't started to look for housing but I'm thinking about it. You?

 

[tchantel21]

I'm going! I haven't started to look for housing but I'm thinking about it. You?

Yeah, I've done a little research online but thats about it. I want to look for something ASAP though; just as 4th years are graduating and before post-May 15th acceptees begin scrambling to secure something. I don't think I want to live too close to the school either. I think I'd like something in a more suburban setting

 

[Calizona]

Has anyone heard of any UC movement since a few months ago? Does Albany have pretty large waitlist movement?

 

[j04177117]

Has anyone heard of any UC movement since a few months ago? Does Albany have pretty large waitlist movement?

is the waitlist ranked? if so, does Albany usually tell waitlisters their position?

 

[Badger150]

is the waitlist ranked? if so, does Albany usually tell waitlisters their position?

Someone asked about this when I interviewed there today, and this is what I heard, "straight from the horse's mouth..."

Yes it's ranked, and no they will absolutely not tell you your rank. There is also no way to affect your rank, so update letters do you nothing, although it's getting late for those anyhow.

 

[Calizona]

Someone asked about this when I interviewed there today, and this is what I heard, "straight from the horse's mouth..."

Yes it's ranked, and no they will absolutely not tell you your rank. There is also no way to affect your rank, so update letters do you nothing, although it's getting late for those anyhow.

I think that is kind of lame that they don't tell you if you are in the top 1/3, middle 1/3 or bottom 1/3. Must we continually walk through this pitch black room squinting our eyes, attempting to see where we stand? (sarcasm)

 

[j04177117]

I think that is kind of lame that they don't tell you if you are in the top 1/3, middle 1/3 or bottom 1/3. Must we continually walk through this pitch black room squinting our eyes, attempting to see where we stand? (sarcasm)

how about knowing total accepted already, total under consideration? i want to know my chances sitting on these waitlists before re-applying or doing something else....

 

[Badger150]

how about knowing total accepted already, total under consideration? i want to know my chances sitting on these waitlists before re-applying or doing something else....

They said they have enough people holding acceptances to fill their class, but of course there will be some spots opening up as people decide to go to other schools, and after May 15th of course.

As for the number that are still UC, I have no idea. They cut down the UC list to a "waiting" list near June 1, and sometimes they get a lot of openings in the summer and sometimes not. If I remember correctly, last year they took less than 5 off the waiting list, and two years ago they took almost everyone off that list by the time classes started, so it's a crapshoot(like everything else about this process.)

 

[Supercluster]

Hey everyone, I've been watching this thread for awhile and now I have some happy news to share--I got into Albany today! I interviewed in November and have been "UC" ever since. This is my first acceptance, so I'm really psyched. Just wanted to share the good news and let everyone know that the UC list is moving! Good luck everyone, thanks for all the helpful information in your posts

 

[j04177117]

Hey everyone, I've been watching this thread for awhile and now I have some happy news to share--I got into Albany today! I interviewed in November and have been "UC" ever since. This is my first acceptance, so I'm really psyched. Just wanted to share the good news and let everyone know that the UC list is moving! Good luck everyone, thanks for all the helpful information in your posts

wow, cool. how did they notify you? did they update you with anything between the time of your UC email and now? did you send any updates/LOIs? thanks in advance.

 

[bioteacher]

I applied 47 medical schools. One interview Albany. I am also in the UC category. I'm non-trad so I don't have anything except my job to update. I was disappointed when I got the UC email but is there any way to know where you are in the list? (top third, etc.) I had pretty much given up hope because during interviewing I thought that last year they only used five (but in years past had used more). Anyone got more info on this situation?

 

[Calizona]

Congrats Supercluster! I also found out today that I was accepted to Albany. I am really hoping that those of you still on the list will get in very soon!! It seems like they are starting to pull people off the list. Some movement is better than no movement. Good luck to all

 

[j04177117]

Congrats Supercluster! I also found out today that I was accepted to Albany. I am really hoping that those of you still on the list will get in very soon!! It seems like they are starting to pull people off the list. Some movement is better than no movement. Good luck to all

well, if they are pulling people off the UC list before the wait list is formed, that should mean a lot of people accepted are withdrawing, right? so hopefully that means better chances for us all. Calizona, can you tell us if you sent any updates/LOIs? How did Albany contact you? thanks!

 

[Calizona]

well, if they are pulling people off the UC list before the wait list is formed, that should mean a lot of people accepted are withdrawing, right? so hopefully that means better chances for us all. Calizona, can you tell us if you sent any updates/LOIs? How did Albany contact you? thanks!

I didn't send a single update or LOI b/c from what I've heard the list is ranked by adcom committee scores. Your score was likely determined like 1 week after you interviewed and cannot change. Basically, they tell people that nothing you do can change your score and that they pull people off the list solely based on the score. They also will not tell you your score or let you know where you rank in comparison to others. If you feel an obligation to send more information, go ahead. I would only do this if it makes you feel better, kinda like a just in case thing. However, in my opinion you would be wasting your time sending one to Albany. I'm sure at this point they realize that if you are still on the UC list, you are still interested in going. I have no idea if many people are withdrawing but I would assume that if people are getting off the UC list that at least several people are withdrawing. I'd say, keep your fingers crossed, and if you are waiting on your first acceptance, definitely set up a back-up plan just in case you don't get in. I have faith that if I was able to get off the UC List than anyone can get off it. Good luck in this difficult process. Let us all know how it turns out too

BTW: I heard from Albany via email and was told that my acceptance packet was in the mail. I am supposed to receive it within 7-10 days. I wonder if they will continue to do this after May 15th or if they will contact people by phone. If I were you I would call them to find out. You have to figure, it isn't going to affect your rank if you call anyways!

 

[Supercluster]

wow, cool. how did they notify you? did they update you with anything between the time of your UC email and now? did you send any updates/LOIs? thanks in advance.

I received an email yesterday morning at about 8:30 am with the same info as the other applicant--basically it said Congrats, we couldn't wait to let you know, and the acceptance letter is in the mail. I called the fin aid office with some questions today and they were a little annoying, basically telling me that it's great that I'm in but I'm not in the system yet so they really can't help me. So yeah, I guess I have to wait for the packet to come before it's official.

I did write an update letter, but from what I understand it probably didn't affect anything. Also to echo the sentiments of the other applicant (sorry I don't remember your name!) if I got in then I think everyone who's waiting has a good shot. I'm no slouch, but I'm definitely not a stellar applicant

 

[Arb]

It seems they only accept people on Wednesdays.

 

[Badger150]

It seems they only accept people on Wednesdays.

Might be that way (at least right now) since their adcom meets on Tuesdays.

 

[j04177117]

Might be that way (at least right now) since their adcom meets on Tuesdays.

today is wednesday! c'mon AMC, holla this way.

 

[Supercluster]

today is wednesday! c'mon AMC, holla this way.

hey guys, just for clarification, I was one fo the 2 SDNers accepted a few weeks back, and we were actually accepted on May 3rd, a Tuesday. The email came at 8:30 AM, so I'm guessing they made the decision Monday? I don't think they're sticking to the Tuesday committee meeting thing anymore.
Best of luck, I'm pulling for ya.

 

[Arb]

Send some luck my way. Come on AMC!

 

[bioteacher]

I just emailed them. Here was the conversation

"Dear __________,

You have been correctly informed that additional materials will not
impact an applicant's status in the Under Consideration category.
We do not yet have a wait list, but expect to form a list in early
June. At that time, it will be necessary to let some applicants in the
Under Consideration category know that they are no longer being
considered for a place in the class. If an applicant is placed on the
wait list, they will be kept on the list until the end of summer,
unless of course, they are offered an acceptance.
We do not provide info. on placement on the alternate list, however,
late in the summer the Director of Admissions (Joanne Nanos) may be
able to estimate whether we might reach an applicant on the wait list or
not."

So just wait it out and plan on doing something else next year.