Waitlisted, accepted, turned it down... problem?

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WaffleDoc

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Hi!

K, so question. Last year, I applied rather late in the cycle and ended up getting a load of rejections due to classes being filled up near the end of the school year. I got one interview at LECOM-E, and they waitlisted me. In mid-June, they e-mailed me with a spot offer, but I turned it down because I wasn't going to be able to handle the financials of getting over there (I live in CA and LECOM's classes start in mid-July, I think). I applied again this year, but do you think that since I turned them down last year that it will have a negative impact on my current application? And, if so, do you think I should try to explain my reasoning in a letter of interest (or do you have any other suggestions)?

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And crapola, sorry if this is in the wrong forum. I thought I was in the regular DO forum, not the school-specific one..
 
Hi!

K, so question. Last year, I applied rather late in the cycle and ended up getting a load of rejections due to classes being filled up near the end of the school year. I got one interview at LECOM-E, and they waitlisted me. In mid-June, they e-mailed me with a spot offer, but I turned it down because I wasn't going to be able to handle the financials of getting over there (I live in CA and LECOM's classes start in mid-July, I think). I applied again this year, but do you think that since I turned them down last year that it will have a negative impact on my current application? And, if so, do you think I should try to explain my reasoning in a letter of interest (or do you have any other suggestions)?

Wow, this is really a sad situation you're in. I wish you came and posted your conundrum before actually withdrawinng because now you've dug yourself into a really difficult position. First, schools will ask if you have been accepted to another school. When they hear that you have, it will raise eyebrows in a bad way. Second, you are now a reapplicant. Adcoms will look at you with scrutiny and look at if you've done enough to improve over the last year. It's not impossible or unheard of to be accepted next year. You will have a much more difficult time.
 
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And crapola, sorry if this is in the wrong forum. I thought I was in the regular DO forum, not the school-specific one..

You done messed up, son. You should have floated everything on a credit card until financial aid was disbursed and then paid it off. You just wasted a year of your life for no reason.
 
You done messed up, son. You should have floated everything on a credit card until financial aid was disbursed and then paid it off. You just wasted a year of your life for no reason.


Damn, I would have asked everyone I knew for $$, panhandled, stood on the corner, etc.
 
Yes, I would send them a nice letter with a very good explanation. They liked you last year. Maybe they'll put you on waitlist again.
 
The year off wasn't JUST because of money. There were other factors, but the bit that tipped the scales was the fact that in order to get over to the school on time, I would have put myself in the poorhouse.

I wrote them a letter of interest and explained everything to them, so hopefully that will be enough!
 
The year off wasn't JUST because of money. There were other factors, but the bit that tipped the scales was the fact that in order to get over to the school on time, I would have put myself in the poorhouse.

I wrote them a letter of interest and explained everything to them, so hopefully that will be enough!

Well, its too late to worry about what you did last year. If I were you, I'd so what you did, send a letter or contact admissions in some way to explain your situiation. It's understandable why you did what you did. I'm sure things will work out for you!
 
Just wondering---most schools have a deferral option of up to 1 year. If it was late for you and you were going to apply again next year any ways, why didn't you just choose to take one year off and then join this school that accepted you the following year by requesting a deferral. This way, you are guaranteed a spot and don't have to apply again...
 
Just wondering---most schools have a deferral option of up to 1 year. If it was late for you and you were going to apply again next year any ways, why didn't you just choose to take one year off and then join this school that accepted you the following year by requesting a deferral. This way, you are guaranteed a spot and don't have to apply again...

Honestly? I totally forgot about that option until it was too late. I woke up one morning to an e-mail saying I had the spot if I wanted it, but I needed to respond immediately. I panicked because at that point, I had given up on hearing from them and I had just taken a new job the day before, so I sent back my turndown before I had really thought about all my options, lol.

I'm not really all that bummed that I did it, though, because I like that I'll (hopefully) have more options this year since I've started the app process so much earlier than I did last year!
 
Apparently they didn't hate me too much since they offered me an interview today! :D
 
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Medical school application process is financially draining but couldn't you have deferred your admission to the next years class?
 
Wow, this is really a sad situation you're in. I wish you came and posted your conundrum before actually withdrawinng because now you've dug yourself into a really difficult position. First, schools will ask if you have been accepted to another school. When they hear that you have, it will raise eyebrows in a bad way. Second, you are now a reapplicant. Adcoms will look at you with scrutiny and look at if you've done enough to improve over the last year. It's not impossible or unheard of to be accepted next year. You will have a much more difficult time.

Nope. Doesn't happen. They ask if you had matriculated, not if you were accepted.
 
I was in a similar, though not entirely similar, situation.

I had been applying to both medical schools and graduate schools, got wait listed at a few D.O. schools, but one called at the end of May saying the spot had opened. I had decided to go get a higher degree and had been more interested in basic science research than medicine at the time, and, more importantly, I had already decided to go another graduate school when admissions from the D.O. school called in May.

I told them that I had decided to pursue other avenues and decided to attend a graduate program elsewhere. This was in 2008.

Now that I'm finished (2011), I applied to the same school, more wiser now that medicine was part of my future (with research as well). I hope they won't hold that against me because I explained the situation well enough. And, to be fair, I wasn't entirely confident that, at the time in 2008, medicine was what I wanted to do, and that my spot should go to someone else more certain. I never actually verbalized this.

I don't think they will because they realize that there are so many circumstances that occur. I'm sure they're used to things like this.
 
Honestly? I totally forgot about that option until it was too late. I woke up one morning to an e-mail saying I had the spot if I wanted it, but I needed to respond immediately. I panicked because at that point, I had given up on hearing from them and I had just taken a new job the day before, so I sent back my turndown before I had really thought about all my options, lol.

I'm not really all that bummed that I did it, though, because I like that I'll (hopefully) have more options this year since I've started the app process so much earlier than I did last year!

I would come up with a better answer than this if it comes up in the interview...
 
I would come up with a better answer than this if it comes up in the interview...

Either way, it's too late now.

I would generally be on the offense during an interview and not mention anything about your previous application occurrences unless asked.

Schools clearly know when you reapply (at least, they theoretically should if they ask you on the application).
 
WaffleDoc, I would definitely give a written explanation about your situation

However if called back be prepared to give a valid explanation on your case

Problems are inevitable, if you have good intentions than you shall prevail.
 
Lol, do some of you guys actually read the thread? He was already invited back for another interview at LECOM this cycle.

How'd things turn out for you, WaffleDoc?
 
I'm curious as to why everyone thinks your situation is so dire. At the very least, other schools don't know that you were accepted at LECOM and rejected the invitation. I have heard of some adcoms looking at re-applicants as a GOOD thing assuming you did more to boost your application in the intervening year. It shows resolve in some people's eyes. Good job getting another interview. From my experience interviewing there, the interviewers don't actually get to look at your file so you may not have to answer any questions about that. Do well with the questions you're asked and try to shine. With the letter that you sent the admissions committee, you may just get another acceptance. Wish you the best of luck!
 
Lol, do some of you guys actually read the thread? He was already invited back for another interview at LECOM this cycle.

How'd things turn out for you, WaffleDoc?

I missed that part :oops:
 
Wow, this is really a sad situation you're in. I wish you came and posted your conundrum before actually withdrawinng because now you've dug yourself into a really difficult position. First, schools will ask if you have been accepted to another school. When they hear that you have, it will raise eyebrows in a bad way. Second, you are now a reapplicant. Adcoms will look at you with scrutiny and look at if you've done enough to improve over the last year. It's not impossible or unheard of to be accepted next year. You will have a much more difficult time.

Not to be disrespectful in anyway, but I actually disagree a lot with this statement.

First, you probably shouldn't have turned it down, because you'd already be a year ahead, but you did, and there is no going back, so let's forget about that.

Second, only schools that you are re-applying to will know that you are a re-applicant, and only LECOM-E will know that you had an acceptance there and turned it down. If they ask, it's up to you to share.

Third, if you have done anything to make your application better, then reapplying should not hurt you. When you interview at Erie (assuming you haven't yet), and you explain to them the situation that you were in last year, and your continued interest in them, it make come out favorably for you.

Lastly, yes, it is more difficult to be a re-applicant because schools do want to see an improvement in your application. They want to know if you took time off, what you did with that time to make you a more desirable candidate. Hopefully you've spent some time on your application this past year. However, given that a decent portion of matriculants are re-applicants, I would say that you still have a decent shot at an acceptance (given that you've improved your application).

Good luck at your interview!
 
I'm a 'she', first off! haha :p But I interviewed on 10/7 I believe, and was accepted again within 2 weeks. My situation wasn't so bad, apparently. ;)
 
I'm a 'she', first off! haha :p But I interviewed on 10/7 I believe, and was accepted again within 2 weeks. My situation wasn't so bad, apparently. ;)

congrats on the acceptance!
 
I'm a 'she', first off! haha :p But I interviewed on 10/7 I believe, and was accepted again within 2 weeks. My situation wasn't so bad, apparently. ;)

Yeah, med schools can understand the problems people face, because many on the admissions boards or conducting interview were in your position at one point. Last year, I applied to several schools, and only ended up completing the secondary for my in-state school because while I was working on my secondaries, I got engaged. My fiance was still finishing up school and we couldn't figure out a good way to relocate and make things work. When I interviewed at KCUMB, they asked me about being a reapplicant. Apparently they weren't sure why I didn't get in last year. I explained the situation, and that my fiance had family in Kansas City and how it was at the top of our list on places that would be the best fit for the both of us. And they were just fine with that explanation. I was accepted a week after my interview. Admissions people are not against you, if they give you an interview, they want to get to know you and find out if you would be a good fit at their university.
 
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