clarification about the April 30 deadline for MD schools

[Im76at711]

hello!

I was just curious what exactly happens on April 30. I realize this is the date that people are 'supposed' to only hold one acceptance. what happens if they just hold multiple? I read elsewhere that schools have the "right" to revoke admissions after that but won't schools be too busy to check on whether all of their students dropped all acceptances but theirs?

additionally, when is waitlist movement most active? people say in April, but how does that make sense seeing that people drop at the last day of April.

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[Syns]

Its 2016, no one is looking through the acceptance registry by hand. If you violate AAMC traffic rules, expect to lose your acceptance offers.

You can hold one acceptance after the 30th; however, waitlisted opportunities do not factor into these rules. It is common place to narrow your acceptance offers to one on the 30th and acquire a new acceptance from waitlast after that date. It is allowed to than withdraw your application from your old acceptance and matriculate at the medical school who offered you a new acceptance.

 

[DKMA]

They won't be too busy. It's literally their job as an admissions committee to make sure they have a full class. The faster they take note of the post April 30th class size, the easier their job is

And it isn't too hard for the computerized AMCAS to notice the multiple acceptances holds

 

[Im76at711]

thank you for your help.

in your opinion/experience, when is waitlist movement most active? people say in April, but how does that make sense? People will drop at April 30th, so wouldnt most waitlist movement happen torwards May? how late is "too late" to hear back?

 

[gyngyn]

We are not too busy to check on the most important traffic day of the cycle.

 

[Cookiess]

I wouldn't risk holding multiple acceptances beyond the 4/30 deadline. If there's a specific dilemma you're having between two schools, like for example you haven't received the financial aid offer from both schools and that will significantly influence your decision, you can try contact them to let them know about your situation and see what they say. Otherwise, I would make your decision by the 4/30 deadline.

Regarding waitlist movement, I know some schools have already started accepting students off their waitlist. Generally speaking, significant waitlist movement occurs in early May after the 4/30 deadline when schools have a better idea of how many spots they have available.

 

[Im76at711]

@gonnif wow okay thanks, I hope I don't have to wait that long :/

I wouldn't risk holding multiple acceptances beyond the 4/30 deadline. If there's a specific dilemma you're having between two schools, like for example you haven't received the financial aid offer from both schools and that will significantly influence your decision, you can try contact them to let them know about your situation and see what they say. Otherwise, I would make your decision by the 4/30 deadline.

Regarding waitlist movement, I know some schools have already started accepting students off their waitlist. Generally speaking, significant waitlist movement occurs in early May after the 4/30 deadline when schools have a better idea of how many spots they have available.

definitely not in the position you described lol. I dont have multiple acceptances :/
I wonder how they decide who comes off the WL. Like do they have automatic acceptances issued going down the "list", or do they remeet and discuss who will be pulled off. If it is automtic, I suppose we should hear by the 4th or 5th. If not, then it may take longer

 

[Holmwood]

Lets clarify this as its seems most people have the timing skewed neglecting the cascade effect (acceptees now going on WL which means that school may have an acceptee coming from WL who may have been with another school, etc).

1) mid to late April, acceptees start putting in final acceptance some WL movement
2) April 30: Final acceptances for all
3) May 1-15. Schools adjust their acceptance list, start sending out WL in earnest
4) May 7-30 (yes overlap). WL students respond
5) June 1-15 consider the second wave of WL so to speak, less than first but the cascade continues.
6) June 7-30. WL students respond. Most WL is over but not all

I had a Ivy take advisee off of WL last July which in turn cascaded her spot at previous school. And I have more than a few instances of WL candidates finding out just a few days before class starts

I wouldnt consider the WL season "over " until end of June

I really appreciate this timeline, thank you. : )

 

[Cookiess]

definitely not in the position you described lol. I dont have multiple acceptances :/
I wonder how they decide who comes off the WL. Like do they have automatic acceptances issued going down the "list", or do they remeet and discuss who will be pulled off. If it is automtic, I suppose we should hear by the 4th or 5th. If not, then it may take longer

How WL movement works is pretty school dependent in my experience. Some schools have a hidden ranked list of all the applicants they interviewed and will accept them in order based on their rank. Other schools sort interviewees into tiers and may reassemble to decide who to ultimately accept from those in the WL top tier (and later from the WL mid tier). I'm sure there are additional methods schools use to determine which students to admit from their WL.

Even for schools that have a hidden ranked WL, you wouldn't know exactly what position you were. So they could accept 20 students during the initial WL movement in early May, and wait to hear back from those students before accepting the next batch. Depending on where you are on the WL, you might not hear back until June or July (or worse case scenario you might not get accepted by the time you start orientation at another school. )

 

[bearintraining]

FYI at Case we were told that because Apr 30 is on a weekend, the deadline will be May 2 this year (according to AAMC rules for when it falls on a weekend).

 

[Im76at711]

And occasionally it becomes somewhat chaotic further along in WL cascade. That is as person one with an acceptance moves to a different schools with WL then that person's spot opens up which has a another WL acceptee, and so on to sometimes 3 or 4 levels. Multiply this by the number of schools so by June 1st things can be chaotic.

well, I mean I know where you are coming from but the majority of students would not leta "commitment" to another school hinder them from accepting an offer from a school they would more rather attend.

for example, if I interviewed at X and Y in November, and Y is my number one choice but I only got waitlisted. I would drop X's acceptance as soon as I get accepted to Y even if it is in the middle of June or whatever the case is. IDK if that makes any sense.

 

[CowboyNiceguy]

How WL movement works is pretty school dependent in my experience. Some schools have a hidden ranked list of all the applicants they interviewed and will accept them in order based on their rank. Other schools sort interviewees into tiers and may reassemble to decide who to ultimately accept from those in the WL top tier (and later from the WL mid tier). I'm sure there are additional methods schools use to determine which students to admit from their WL.

And sometimes (e.g. Iowa) they tell you your exact rank on the wait list.

 

[gyngyn]

yes, and that is perfectly acceptable by the traffic rules of AAMC. As long as you have not actually started classes somewhere you can take the new wait list

That's orientation, not classes!

 

[jugodeparcha]

After April 30, are medical schools able to see where you are waitlisted? Or only acceptances?

 

[soswim]

This might be a dumb question but - is there a place where applicants can see what schools we have withdrawn from and what schools we keep acceptances at? I sent withdrawals to a couple schools through email, some through the portal, and I didn't get confirmations about all of them so it would nice to quickly check that information without having to email everywhere.

 

[CowboyNiceguy]

This might be a dumb question but - is there a place where applicants can see what schools we have withdrawn from and what schools we keep acceptances at? I sent withdrawals to a couple schools through email, some through the portal, and I didn't get confirmations about all of them so it would nice to quickly check that information without having to email everywhere.

If it's easier at this point, maybe you could email the school you intend to attend, and make sure that they see themselves as your only acceptance?

 

[Valkyro]

This might be a dumb question but - is there a place where applicants can see what schools we have withdrawn from and what schools we keep acceptances at? I sent withdrawals to a couple schools through email, some through the portal, and I didn't get confirmations about all of them so it would nice to quickly check that information without having to email everywhere.

I have this same neurotic feeling. I sent an email to all my schools that I wished to withdraw from. They have all received it and responded back. I assume that I should be good?

 

[soswim]

If it's easier at this point, maybe you could email the school you intend to attend, and make sure that they see themselves as your only acceptance?

ooh that's a great idea! thanks! I'll call them tomorrow