when do schools find out where else you hold acceptances?

[Dulcina]

When can schools see where else you have interviewed, and where you hold acceptances?

I ask bc I heard of some story (on SDN) of someone trying to get into school X, and holding ~10 acceptances. They had a friend on the adcom ask about them, and they were recommended to drop a bunch of acceptances. After they did so, they were accepted in a few days. Seems odd to me!

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[funkydrmonkey]

March 15th

 

[Dulcina]

March 15th

wow thanks! I was expecting some convoluted confusing answer where every school does it differently

 

[Raryn]

wow thanks! I was expecting some convoluted confusing answer where every school does it differently

They can see march 15th, but you're allowed to hold multiple acceptances with no penalties till may 15th...

 

[Dulcina]

They can see march 15th, but you're allowed to hold multiple acceptances with no penalties till may 15th...

have you guys heard of not getting an acceptance between mar15 and may15 bc you're holding too many other acceptances?

 

[DaiCa86]

Actually, I heard that schools know sometime in January. This was from one of the admissions people at an interview I went to.

 

[AligBorat]

Do schools ever know where you have interviewed? How about just applied to?

 

[Chemist0157]

Hmm, I haven't heard anything, but that would make sense, especially if someone was holding 10! acceptances and some of those are excellent schools.

 

[Dulcina]

Actually, I heard that schools know sometime in January. This was from one of the admissions people at an interview I went to.

Baby Link!

 

[dragonfly99]

I really can't think of any good reason for an applicant to be holding 10 acceptances at once. It isn't fair to the schools or to the other applicants who are waiting to see whether they can get in. I can understand holding on to maybe 3 or 4 at most, only if you are still deciding and/or waiting to hear about financial aid, but 10 is ridiculous.

 

[Retsage]

I really can't think of any good reason for an applicant to be holding 10 acceptances at once. It isn't fair to the schools or to the other applicants who are waiting to see whether they can get in. I can understand holding on to maybe 3 or 4 at most, only if you are still deciding and/or waiting to hear about financial aid, but 10 is ridiculous.

Financial aid considerations are an excellent reason to hold onto as many acceptances as you get.

 

[UNMorBUST]

I really can't think of any good reason for an applicant to be holding 10 acceptances at once. It isn't fair to the schools or to the other applicants who are waiting to see whether they can get in. I can understand holding on to maybe 3 or 4 at most, only if you are still deciding and/or waiting to hear about financial aid, but 10 is ridiculous.

Totally agree. Obviously if you have more than one, you know which one you would rather attend then the other. So i really don't see how you could possible hold 10. You would have to be the most indesicive person in the world.

 

[chad5871]

I have heard that a school can see where else you've applied as soon as you've been accepted at their school.

 

[pianola]

I have heard that a school can see where else you've applied as soon as you've been accepted at their school.

Really? Can a school that accepts me also see where else I'm holding acceptances? Or is that the whole March 15th thing?

Can we call AAMC with questions like this?

 

[funkydrmonkey]

Who are you guys talking to? AMCAS opens up the floodgates of applications on March 15th, so that everyone on the ADCOMs can see where you applied/ where you were accepted. I am possibly gonna have problems with the former...

 

[chad5871]

Really? Can a school that accepts me also see where else I'm holding acceptances? Or is that the whole March 15th thing?

Can we call AAMC with questions like this?

From what I've read on SDN in the past, a school that accepts you can immediately see where else you've applied. Then, on March 15th, all schools you applied to can see where you've been accepted.

If someone can confirm or disprove this, please do so.

 

[scarletgirl777]

From what I've read on SDN in the past, a school that accepts you can immediately see where else you've applied. Then, on March 15th, all schools you applied to can see where you've been accepted.

If someone can confirm or disprove this, please do so.

I really don't see why they need this information.

 

[silverhorse84]

See, I heard it a different way. Once you're accepted, they can immediately see where else you've been accepted; that they never know where else you applied, unless they accepted you. And the reason, was so the school could bet on whether you'd choose them over other schools. That way if they think you won't they could accept someone else, thinking your spot would be open. But this is all speculation, and something I heard from my adviser, who isn't always right

 

[beachblonde]

There sure is a lot of misinformation out there.

I glanced at the AAMC website, but I'm not seeing any solid info either way regarding this stuff. Anybody who can find an official document regarding these policies wins a prize! And by prize, I mean a fun smiley in thanks! Ready, set, go....

 

[disorder]

From what I've read on SDN in the past, a school that accepts you can immediately see where else you've applied. Then, on March 15th, all schools you applied to can see where you've been accepted.

If someone can confirm or disprove this, please do so.

See, I heard it a different way. Once you're accepted, they can immediately see where else you've been accepted; that they never know where else you applied, unless they accepted you. And the reason, was so the school could bet on whether you'd choose them over other schools. That way if they think you won't they could accept someone else, thinking your spot would be open. But this is all speculation, and something I heard from my adviser, who isn't always right

There may be some truth to both of these statements. When I interviewed at a school, we asked our tour guides if they had any advice... he said, hold your seat EVERYWHERE you get accepted (ie, just send the $100). Somehow, the adcom's do know where you get accepted and what your decisions are. This is why...

He went to his first interview, and got accepted. He held is seat. He went to his second interview, got accepted, but declined his seat. He went to 8+ more interviews, and was never offered a seat again.

He talked with an admissions person after the fact, and he said, once schools saw that he had held his first seat, and declined the second, schools automatically assumed the first school was his top choice (which it kinda wasn't), and thus, he wasn't offered a seat anywhere else.

 

[pianola]

Well, I'd really like to call about this. Should I be calling AMCAS or the AAMC or someone else?

OR...maybe LizzyM could comment.

 

[LizzyM]

I have this second hand myself:

If a school accepts you, then on March 15 they can see where you hold acceptances.

On May 15 a school can see every other acceptance still being held (& maybe every waitlist) of every applicant they've accepted or waitlisted.

At some point after that (in the summer), with some work (manually entering indentifiers), a school can see the outcome of any applicant to their school.

In the cycle for admissions in 2002, schools could see all the schools where you applied. This was a bug in the AMCAS online application software that was fixed the following year.


In defense of those who hold multiple offers -- financial aid is a big issue for many people. In some cases, an applicant may hold multiple offers waiting to see how things turn out for a significant other.

 

[chad5871]

Thanks for your input LizzyM!

One question (not sure if you can answer this: If a school really likes an applicant, can holding other acceptances factor into the institutional financial aid offering (scholarships/grants)?

 

[pianola]

Thanks, LizzyM. .

 

[skiqueen]

In defense of those who hold multiple offers -- financial aid is a big issue for many people. In some cases, an applicant may hold multiple offers waiting to see how things turn out for a significant other.

Thanks LizzyM. This is exactly my problem. I'll be waiting to see where my husband gets in to grad programs, and keeping my fingers crossed. Definitely will hold on to any/all acceptances until then!