I haven't given up hope, but I find it is best to live life as if I was rejected from the alternate. I'm doing job apps in my city, looking for work and volunteering possibilities. This here would be my third year applying to dental school and while i understand why i was rejected initially i cannot sit and hope for the best, i've learned too many times to take the route you'll expect in your lower scenario's. Until that route changes, you should be doing everything you expected to, including boosting your resume, bumping those volunteer hours and doing whatever you need to do to make your application well rounded. I guess this was a message for those yun'uns applying for dental school but also for the majority of the alternates. Who knows, you might be accepted and you can drop everything you were trying to do to make yourself a top list candidate, but if your acceptance does not happen you will still be boosting your already fantastic application. Sorry to chime in on the whole alternate app process, but i think a lot of you folks are anxious to get in and I thought I would at least say something as a seasoned veteran of rejection. I will get into dental school, whether it be now, or two to three years away, i know what I want to do with my life and I will achieve it. For those of you who got rejected for being too young, keep with it. For those of you who had no idea what you wanted to do until it was too late (me!), keep with it. There is still plenty of time for movement so again keep your hopes up, you're all worthwhile candidates. Until then, act as if you were still applying for the next round.
Edit: Obviously this message is to those who have not been accepted yet or for those who have been alternate listed. Congrats to those who have been accepted already of course! Ya'll are in an amazing educational program which truly puts your education before panic of 4 course finals, (though I'm sure panic is involved regardless).