For those of us only on waitlists, what are you all doing in the mean time?

[T3ckFr3s]

Wow, really? If you don't mind me asking, how many waitlists are you on? Best of luck with your reapplication, although I'm hoping that you won't need to reapply!

2 waitlists (interviews in Oct. and Nov, both from schools with history of significant WL movement so I'm still pretty hopeful)

I'd rather have luck for this cycle than the next haha, but we'll make it.

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[juliuspepperwood]

So I've officially started working on my reapplication. Although I'm still stubbornly optimistic, I also like to be prepared.

Still hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst.

+1

Still hoping, but gonna get some more research out ASAP and maybe some shadowing in fields I didn't have from last app.

 

[nambajuice]

Currently on 4 wait lists and still waiting to hear from one school for a post-interview decision. I definitely can relate to everyone's anxiety!

I'm in exactly the same boat! haha
After 5 MD interviews: 4 waitlists/ "continuing to be evaluated"/ "holds" & still awaiting 1 post-interview response.
I have 1 DO interview coming up next month but I definitely feel everyone's pain here. Hopefully there is turnover and we get off these darn wait lists!!!

 

[lalalapartay012]

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[kevinus]

I personally got accepted off the waitlist without submitting any update... didn't even know I was supposed to show continued interest hahah

 

[gumdrops]

So here's a new question for all of you in this thread. Would be particularly interested in seeing what @gyngyn and @LizzyM have to say about this, as they are the helpful adcom on the other side of the table

How often is too often to send update letters? I've looked through the forums and there seems to be a wide range of answers. While some applicants will just send updates every month (some every 2 weeks) to express their continued interest, other applicants will wait until they have more substantial updates before sending a school an update letter. Do these letters even have any weight if they are not new publications or new honors/awards, but are "just" new activities?

Let's discuss

What's wrong with sending an update letter that expresses your continued interest in the school and how you'd fit in there without any substantial changes to your app? That seems worthwhile to me! Schools want people who want them back too.

 

[lalalapartay012]

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[gumdrops]

Hahah you are just that awesome congrats!



I don't think there's anything wrong about sending in an update letter expressing continued interest + fit. I meant more of people sending in updates every month but there hasn't been much change in their activities or their updates aren't actually as "impressive" as a new first-author publication or winning the Nobel Peace Prize or something like that. And also, correct me if I'm mistaken, but even an update letter about continued interest + fit would just be 1 letter instead of multiple letters over a period of time, right?

Haha, yeah, you're right. Wasn't sure if people were including fit in a letter of continued interest or not. On the Jefferson thread, someone sent in two letters and got an interview a week after the second. I think it could help. Besides, what's the worst that could happen? They just won't read it and nothing has changed. As long as you don't look obsessive, I can only see it helping and not hurting.

 

[LizzyM]

As it gets closer to the first day of orientation, it is less likely that a slot will open up but if it does, the person responsible for finding someone to fill that seat may become more desperate to fill it with the least amount of aggravation and the greatest likelihood of getting an affirmative answer. So, someone who has just sent an update & expressed an interest is most likely to be tapped, don't you think?

 

[lalalapartay012]

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[T3ckFr3s]

The wait list is definitely a game of luck. Luck being that a spot opens up and that your file gets noticed out of many for reconsideration.

 

[lalalaaaaaa]

1 high priority waitlist
1 recent interview and havent heard back
1 interview march 31

Reapplicant ...
...studying for mcat retake in may :/ mine expired this year

 

[T3ckFr3s]

That sucks, you had an awesome score too! Best of luck.

1 high priority waitlist
1 recent interview and havent heard back
1 interview march 31

Reapplicant ...
...studying for mcat retake in may :/ mine expired this year

 

[lalalapartay012]

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[T3ckFr3s]

I don't know why but I feel like prior to this thread, I felt pretty confident about getting in off of a waitlist... but now, slowly, I'm starting to feel like the chances that I won't are pretty high

My optimism is like a rollercoaster ride. There are days where I feel I have a real shot at med school and there are days when anxiety takes over. My post didn't mean to discourage you, but to remain realistic. Good news is that you have a much better chance than I do with all your wait lists.

 

[lalalapartay012]

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[pDeluxe]

I feel exactly the same way. My feelings between hopeful optimism and anxious despair oscillate back and forth from day to day. It wasn't your post in particular that discouraged me, but just the plethora of stories about people not getting in after being on x waitlists. I think I want to believe that we all will get in, but the realist in me is telling me that not all of us can be lucky

I think the hardest part is knowing that as waitlistees, it is not that we are not good enough to be doctors. There is just not enough room.

My thoughts exactly.

 

[dayman]

I am on 1 waitlist and one hold. At this point I go between trying to boost my application for if I have to reapply, and constantly checking the mail and my email in hopes that I hear positive news for this cycle.

 

[nellbot2000]

2 wait lists and 1 decision deferred. No other interviews at the moment either.

I'm currently working full time doing research, but now I'm wondering if I should apply to a masters program. Not sure which would be better for my app if I need to apply again, another year of research or some sort of masters program...

First, I just wanted to say, I like your user name!

Second, last year I had only one interview really late in the season and ended up on the waitlist. I didn't get in. I worked really hard to make my app better and reapplied. This cycle I had 2 interviews early in the season, I got waitlist day one and accepted at the other.

Don't give up hope guys!! Work hard and stay positive. It's easy to feel negative, but perseverance pays off!

 

[lalalaaaaaa]

I think I check email on my phone at least 100 times a day just out of habit/ocd. Recently I tend to just get a rejection from a school I haven't heard back from in over 8 months. This waiting sucks. I can't think of any other process where you wait nearly a year to just get a rejection (Presidential election, perhaps?). What a terrible process.

 

[dayman]

I wish I could graph my email refreshes per minute this cycle. I spent all summer with my email practically always up, to accepting defeat and never checking it for a few months to once again always checking it because I want to get off a waitlist so bad.

I have accepted that this is all just part of the process with the end reward of getting into med school. I'm sure there will be some pay off eventually even if I have to go through it all again.

 

[lalalapartay012]

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[juliuspepperwood]

Today's just one of those days where I'm feeling very pessimistic and down about my chances of getting in off a waitlist. :/ not enough anecdotal stories of people getting in off waitlists

Ah well. :/ Time to go play with babies at the hospital....

There's tons of good stories of people having great cycles as a reapp though!

Weather is great today, I'm going out and about and not worrying about waitlists until may.

 

[lalalapartay012]

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[T3ckFr3s]

I would take 6 waitlists over 2 lol

 

[corndogger]

I'm just focusing on classes for now, gotta make sure my marks stay good if I have to reapply. Two waitlists, but I still have 1 interview and 1 school to hear back from (both Canadian schools).

 

[masaraksh]

Only waitlists and waiting to hear back from my last interview.

I can't help but feel extremely pessimistic.

 

[ReadyToRumble]

Let's make that 6 waitlists now.

While an acceptance would clearly make your life more relaxed, six waitlists is a pretty good place to be. Your chances are great that someone will pull you off! Still, I'm not at all going to belittle the fact that you must be dying because you don't really know where you'll be going or if for sure you'll be going somewhere this school cycle but I'm really pulling for you! Good luck.

 

[lalalapartay012]

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[corndogger]

Sorry to hear that.... Hopefully there will be lots of movement for both of us!



Good luck on your upcoming interviews! Just curious, are you Canadian?



Agh... I know the feel. Good luck to you!



Thanks for the encouragement! This message makes me feel a lot better and describes how I feel very well.... Hope your cycle has been going well (if you applied)!

yup, not too many canadian schools that accept americans!

 

[Ramo711]

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[OchemNerd]

Last cycle, I was waitlisted at 4 schools; all 4 rejected me in May/June.

For the most part, the depressing truth is that the post-interview wait-list game is a scam. Obviously, some people do get pulled off, but the vast majority do not. Have hope, pray hard, and send out letters of update/interest, but if nothing changes come April (and definitely by early May), you should be ACTIVELY planning your re-application strategy. I've been through it, and I won't lie: it's painful. But it's reality.

Don't give up though! I re-applied this cycle and currently have a handful of offers.

 

[juliuspepperwood]

I have had food poisoning for the last 2 days. Stay away from the chicken wings at Vons

 

[lalalapartay012]

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[OchemNerd]

Congrats on your acceptances so far! Thanks for sharing your experience, though it isn't as immediately hopeful as I think many people would like to hear (myself included). In a way, I'm actually glad that I made the decision not to reapply this upcoming cycle since it means I won't have to stress out 2x the amount and I can try to remain optimistic instead of preparing for the worst. Interesting, though, that you suggest people actively plan in April/early May, which is prior to May15--the date after which most waitlist movement tends to occur. But I suppose by that time, AMCAS submissions are just around the corner.

Thanks!!!

And yes, exactly. What I meant to say is: you should be thinking about whether you want to re-apply immediately or take a full gap year before re-applying if you don't have offers by April/May. Either way, you're sitting around waiting for schools to get back to you.

I apologize for painting such a bleak, pessimistic future and perhaps reinforcing some of your fears. I was so sure I'd get into at least one of the 4 schools I was wait-listed at, but it simply didn't happen. Good news NEVER hurts, so the only thing left to do is to prepare for the worst.

 

[nambajuice]

Last cycle, I was waitlisted at 4 schools; all 4 rejected me in May/June.

For the most part, the depressing truth is that the post-interview wait-list game is a scam. Obviously, some people do get pulled off, but the vast majority do not. Have hope, pray hard, and send out letters of update/interest, but if nothing changes come April (and definitely by early May), you should be ACTIVELY planning your re-application strategy. I've been through it, and I won't lie: it's painful. But it's reality.

Don't give up though! I re-applied this cycle and currently have a handful of offers.

I'm wait listed at 5 places. At least you got the actual rejections in May/June so that you knew for sure it was time to reapply. My fear is that I'll be wait listed at all these schools and they string me along all the way through August. I have dreams about getting accepted I want it so bad lol. Just one and I'd be over the moon!
I hope I get definitive answers of accept/reject soon too. I just want to know. Limbo land is exhausting

 

[iTcanBdone]

Waitlisted at 1 school, waiting on a post-interview decision at another.

Both are my last hopes for this cycle... seriously praying for good news everyday!! In the meantime, I'm working as a research assistant, teaching assistant and tutor. Volunteering and looking for a job to fill my possible (yet hopefully not) gap year!

Stay strong and hopefully we won't be waiting much longer!

 

[lalalapartay012]

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[nambajuice]

Wow, I'm actually amazed by how many of us all-waitlistees exist! I remember that at the start of the cycle, I thought it was a rarity for a person to be on a lot of waitlists w/o acceptances, but it seems like this is actually quite prevalent. D: In any case, ~2 more months until the waitlist movement rush! I hope we all get in somewhere

Yes! Yes! I hope we all get in somewhere too!!

 

[andy13]

Waitlisted at 2 schools, just trying to enjoy this last semester of undergrad as much as possible. Working in a lab, as a bio TA, and enjoying my free time here and there. Crazy how often my email is checked!! Lol Planning for the upcoming year just in case no good news gets here this cycle.

Good luck to you all!

 

[deutschzweiteil]

Just curious, do people only on the waitlist fills out Need Access? ( I already completed FAFSA) All three schools I am waitlisted at require NeedAccess for Fin Aid but I don't want to pay $28 if I eventually did not get anything this year.

 

[MedGuy692]

5 Waitlists and nothing else-either rejections or silence. Those 5 waitlists were the only interviews I had. Those of you out there with no acceptances are in good company-everyone thought that with my grades, MCAT, and ECs that I'd be a sure acceptance at at least 1 school (as did I), but that (evidently) wasn't the case.

If there's any hope I have, it's USUHS. Their waitlist is different-they can't overfill their class with acceptances (being the military and all), so once they send out enough acceptances to fill their class, everyone who would normally be accepted gets put on their waitlist (so technically I'm in, I just have to wait for people to drop). They told me that the vast majority of people who are on that waitlist get in, so I can only hope.

Currently I'm working at DHHS, volunteering at a hospital, and doing a ton of community service. I'm trying to just focus on that and not get too caught up with the waitlists (aside from the semi-regular update letter) since I probably won't find out until May 15th. Oh, and I also go to the gym and lift/exercise. I need to get in shape for the military fitness standards (my first choice is USUHS, but I'd do HPSP anywhere else), but if nothing else, it's a healthy habit for me to get into.

 

[Jay11jayjay]

I feel you hombre. 2 waitlists, 2 post-interview holds, and 0 acceptances. I am just trying to cherish my last semester of undergrad, yet still trying to ace this last semester in hopes to move me up on that waitlist. I have been on a mission to experience every bar and ethnic restaurant in my college town before I leave this place, so that helped keep my mind off things. I am also stoked up about a cruise I am going on next week for spring break with my girl and the bros : ) I am not even going to think about med school until I get back!

Hi, what's the difference between a waitlist and a post-interview hold?

 

[pDeluxe]

Hi, what's the difference between a waitlist and a post-interview hold?

Instead of saying "The committee has completed their evaluation of your app and decided that you are on the waitlist" its more like "The committee skipped over evaluating your app and will come back to it later to issue a final decision"

 

[MDreamaker]

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[Staffsy77]

My 2 waitlists are "top 20" schools... So I'm crossin fingers and toes

You're going to get there man. Gut feeling. Best of luck!!

 

[juliuspepperwood]

You're going to get there man. Gut feeling. Best of luck!!

Thanks! I appreciate it

 

[lalalapartay012]

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[juliuspepperwood]

Yay, you're alive and survived the chicken wings at Vons! \(^.^)/

Haha yea after 30 hours of misery and a few days to recover I feel somewhat alive again!

 

[nambajuice]

Read this article: http://www.studentdoctor.net/2009/08/good-things-come-to-those-who-are-waitlisted/
There is still hope guys