Letting my top choice know that I've been accepted elsewhere?

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Neur-out-of-my-mind

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Hey all, I've been very fortunate to receive acceptance to a great mid-tier MD school. My top choice, however, is closer to home and will provide me with more opportunities to do rotations/residency in my home state (which does not have a medical school). I am perfectly happy to pick up and move to attend my current school, but want to maximize my chances of not having to do so. The top-choice school is also mid/high tier but not ivy.
For that reason I have already drafted a letter of intent that includes my reasoning above. My concern is about whether or not I should include that I have been accepted somewhere else. The way I see it, schools could look at that one of two ways:
-He's been accepted somewhere else, so what does it matter if we pull him off the WL?
-He's been accepted somewhere else, but would rather come here, showing commitment to the school.

Any suggestions?

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At this point, many schools are hoping (even praying) that >100 applicants will turn them down before matriculation date rolls around. Knowing that some nice applicant got in somewhere is a comfort to someone in the admissions office who wishes there was room for everyone but knows that it is not possible.

Send a letter of continued interest/update if the school is open to them but don't expect mentioning that you've been admitted elsewhere to help or hurt.
 
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Hey all, I've been very fortunate to receive acceptance to a great mid-tier MD school. My top choice, however, is closer to home and will provide me with more opportunities to do rotations/residency in my home state (which does not have a medical school). I am perfectly happy to pick up and move to attend my current school, but want to maximize my chances of not having to do so. The top-choice school is also mid/high tier but not ivy.
For that reason I have already drafted a letter of intent that includes my reasoning above. My concern is about whether or not I should include that I have been accepted somewhere else. The way I see it, schools could look at that one of two ways:
-He's been accepted somewhere else, so what does it matter if we pull him off the WL?
-He's been accepted somewhere else, but would rather come here, showing commitment to the school.

Any suggestions?
They're likely to say "Congrats! Have fun at XSOM".
 
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Please read...


Carefully read the section on how applicants can be ranked on waitlists.

It's no secret your top-choice school knows you live closeby. I presume you were interviewed and you pointed out how the schools is your closest option; if you haven't it should be obvious from your application data.

Saying you have been accepted elsewhere will not help you move off the waitlist, depending on how they manage it.

It is entirely possible that during the week of orientation at your preferred school, they call you to see if you want a spot because someone dropped out. You may have already matriculated at your current school when that call comes. And I presume you would drop your spot to go to the closer school if that happens.

Admissions professionals are colleagues. We do not like scooping others' matriculated students, and we do not want to be seen as poaching students. (This is why we have traffic rules.) Telling us you got an offer at another school puts us in a very awkward position. This isn't a romcom where we act as a "savior" to prevent you from marrying the "wrong person."

Just don't say anything about your other offer. If you get off the waitlist, that's awesome. In short...
 

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