2010-2011 Columbia Application Thread

[mmmcdowe]

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Yeah I'm going to call them Monday. I'll share... if its nothing too personal 🙂

Maybe you should give them a few more days to respond to your email. You may not get as open a response if you start banging down the door.

 

[Dr Gerrard]

all right i can wait a few days.

but the email i sent them was not rude at all. this was before i realized how weird of a situation it was. when i sent it, i figured many rejections went out that and the meeting dean nicholas was in that morning was a adcom meeting to reject applicants

but ill call on wednesday

 

[mmmcdowe]

all right i can wait a few days.

but the email i sent them was not rude at all. this was before i realized how weird of a situation it was. when i sent it, i figured many rejections went out that and the meeting dean nicholas was in that morning was a adcom meeting to reject applicants

but ill call on wednesday

It may be that things have changed. This is Dr. Nicholas's first year as the full leader of the adcom. It may be that they are now doing post-interview rejections during the season. Perhaps someone else who is reading the forum also got one?

 

[UnclePhil]

^maybe, but it is weird to have it happen to someone who had a 2nd interview lined up and everything. I suppose they all have their reasons for doing things... but I would be curious no doubt. Dr. Gerrard, glad to hear that you do have other options that you are happy with.

 

[med4321]

Has anyone heard anything about the wait list in the last week or so? It doesn't seem like anything is happening and I'm dyinggg.

 

[ERmaven]

Has anyone heard anything about the wait list in the last week or so? It doesn't seem like anything is happening and I'm dyinggg.

Right there with you... though given the "atypical" number who have kept their acceptances, I have to wonder how much it's going to move. At this point, I'm looking into housing for my current first choice, but keeping the hope alive for columbia. Also sounds like if anything is going to happen, it'll happen by the end of next week. So hopefully the wait won't be too much longer...

 

[AlphabetCity247]

Hi all- I'm a longtime lurker, first time poster. I just wanted to tell everyone not to give up hope on P&S! I LOVED columbia when I interviewed and had pretty much given up on them after not hearing anything and not getting invited for a second interview after requesting one in a letter. But I recently got a call from Dean Nicholas saying I'd been accepted! I still can't believe it! I think I sent 2 letters of interest and two LORs after getting wait listed.

Good luck to those still waiting! dont give up!

 

[JSBB]

alphabetcity - when is "recently"?

 

[UCStudent]

It may be that things have changed. This is Dr. Nicholas's first year as the full leader of the adcom. It may be that they are now doing post-interview rejections during the season. Perhaps someone else who is reading the forum also got one?

Soo...I'm guessing if we haven't heard anything by now, we're probably not in? oh well 🙁

 

[Boston boy]

Soo...I'm guessing if we haven't heard anything by now, we're probably not in? oh well 🙁

hey mmmcdowe, any news about movement? If it's still happening?

 

[mmmcdowe]

hey mmmcdowe, any news about movement? If it's still happening?

Unfortunately, I am on surgery and there is no chance of me stopping by during office hours. I would encourage updates, but you will have to rely on another poster for that info.

 

[NeuroE]

Unfortunately, I am on surgery and there is no chance of me stopping by during office hours. I would encourage updates, but you will have to rely on another poster for that info.

I'll consult my Hanson poster.

 

[ERmaven]

I'll consult my Hanson poster.

You can mmmbop your way right into a straight jacket

 

[NeuroE]

You can mmmbop your way right into a straight jacket

Nothin' crazy about loving Hanson more than anything else in the world... 😏

 

[JoeandAngie]

Hey mmmcdowe, since you're on rotations, can you tell us how many med students are generally on a given team? I've heard that apparently this is a good question to ask since some schools will put like 5 med students on one team, but you don't find out til you get there

 

[NeuroE]

Hey mmmcdowe, since you're on rotations, can you tell us how many med students are generally on a given team? I've heard that apparently this is a good question to ask since some schools will put like 5 med students on one team, but you don't find out til you get there

Good question to ask during interviews 😀

(I realize the downfall of this [good-natured] sarcasm could be that you've been offered a spot off the waitlist at Columbia and the decision has really come down to such specific things as how many students are put on a team during surgical clerkships. If that's the case, man you're in a tough spot.)

 

[PnSLove]

Hey all!
Dropped by the Admissions Office at the end of last week. Sounds like waitlist movement is still going, maybe slowing a little, but definitely not done! Also, they have been sending out a few rejections to the waitlist and some update on status emails to give people a better idea of what their chances are. You can't request these, but they are coming out slowly, so don't be surprised if you hear about them. Hope no one has too much anxiety around this. I can tell you that you'll wind up being happy where ever you go if you put your whole self into it! To think! I didn't think P&S was going to be the right place for me! Good luck and take a breather. It is summer after all (unless you're a first year P&Ser, in which case you have 10 days to go!)

 

[UnclePhil]

Pnslove, any idea on how long the waitlist is at this point?

 

[Anonnn1]

Pnslove, any idea on how long the waitlist is at this point?

also, does anyone know how long people typically have to respond to columbia's offers?

 

[PnSLove]

Hey all,
Sorry, I'm not sure exactly how long the waitlist is at this point, but it should be nice for some people to get some feedback before the end of the summer. I don't think there's a specific deadline, but I could be wrong. I would say that about a week is normal?

 

[Calliope15]

Hmm... I just got off the waitlist at another school which is one of my top choices and I'd be happy to go there over the spot I'm currently holding. But P&S is where I really really want to be... I have one week to respond to the other school. The catch is that I would have to withdraw from all waitlists by the end of the week if I plan to accept the offer. Is it really not possible to request a status update? What to do, what to do...

Hey all!
Dropped by the Admissions Office at the end of last week. Sounds like waitlist movement is still going, maybe slowing a little, but definitely not done! Also, they have been sending out a few rejections to the waitlist and some update on status emails to give people a better idea of what their chances are. You can't request these, but they are coming out slowly, so don't be surprised if you hear about them. Hope no one has too much anxiety around this. I can tell you that you'll wind up being happy where ever you go if you put your whole self into it! To think! I didn't think P&S was going to be the right place for me! Good luck and take a breather. It is summer after all (unless you're a first year P&Ser, in which case you have 10 days to go!)

 

[RogueUnicorn]

Hmm... I just got off the waitlist at another school which is one of my top choices and I'd be happy to go there over the spot I'm currently holding. But P&S is where I really really want to be... I have one week to respond to the other school. The catch is that I would have to withdraw from all waitlists by the end of the week if I plan to accept the offer. Is it really not possible to request a status update? What to do, what to do...

can they legally do that?

 

[Calliope15]

Hmm I'm not sure that it is... AMCAS just says:

6. After May 15 of the matriculation year (April 15 for schools whose first day of class is on or before July 30), April 30 for M.D.-Ph.D. programs, each school or program implement school-specific procedures for accepted applicants who, without adequate explanation, continue to hold one or more places at other schools or programs. These procedures:

c. Should permit accepted applicants to remain on other schools' or programs' waiting lists and to withdraw if they later receive an acceptance offer from a preferred school or program.
​

8. After June 1, May 15 for M.D.-Ph.D. programs, any school that plans to make an acceptance offer to an applicant already known to have been accepted by another school or program for that entering class ensure that the other school or program is advised of this offer at the time that the offer is made. This notification should be made immediately by telephone and promptly thereafter by written correspondence delivered by regular or electronic methods. Schools and programs should communicate fully with each other with respect to anticipated late roster changes in order to minimize inter-school miscommunication and misunderstanding, as well as the possibility of unintended vacant positions in a school's first-year entering class.

(https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/recommendations/62826/policies_admissionofficers.html)

can they legally do that?

I think I kind of answered my own question though... I just called the admissions office explaining my situation, and they said that while they don't offer status updates over the phone, waitlisted applicants can expect to receive an email tomorrow or by next week at the latest. So I'll probably have a response before the deadline to respond to the offer...

 

[Pyrex]

The catch is that I would have to withdraw from all waitlists by the end of the week if I plan to accept the offer.

I have never heard of this before. The only time when you would need to withdraw from all waitlists is if you sent an LOI to the school that you just got accepted to. Other than that, getting in off of a waitlist should only require of you that you withdraw from the 1 school you were holding an acceptance at after May 15th. Has anyone else heard about these types of conditional acceptances?

 

[mdeast]

I have never heard of this before. The only time when you would need to withdraw from all waitlists is if you sent an LOI to the school that you just got accepted to. Other than that, getting in off of a waitlist should only require of you that you withdraw from the 1 school you were holding an acceptance at after May 15th. Has anyone else heard about these types of conditional acceptances?

There's no way whatsoever they can require this. First off, the school that accepts you will not have access to information that states at which schools' waitlists you remain on. They can only see which schools you currently hold acceptances at. You would have to withdraw from any schools you hold acceptances at in order to enroll at their school (after May 15th you can't hold more than one acceptance).

You can remain on as many waitlists as you like, and no school can tell you to withdraw waitlist positions as a condition of offering you an acceptance.

 

[ButterfingerBBs]

Email came across the airwaves a few minutes ago:

I very much appreciate your interest in P&S and would like to update you concerning how things currently stand. Unfortunately we have had many fewer withdrawals than I had expected by this time of year, and the likelihood that we will have an available slot for you is low. I wish I could send you better news. Nevertheless you may be assured that we will keep your candidacy under active consideration, and if things do work out we will give you a call.

 

[RogueUnicorn]

🙁

 

[JKBPR]

Got that e-mail too. Ouch. Well at least it wasn't a waitlist rejection! I'm going to try to enjoy my summer the best I can without getting bummed out about this.

 

[mmmcdowe]

Hey mmmcdowe, since you're on rotations, can you tell us how many med students are generally on a given team? I've heard that apparently this is a good question to ask since some schools will put like 5 med students on one team, but you don't find out til you get there

Depends on the rotation, but I have thus far never been on a team greater than 2 (or less than 1 😉 ) during graded rotations. During sub-specialty rotations we were in a group of 6, but we did things one on one with residents/attendings. There weren't really any teams per se.

 

[med55555]

I also received the "low likelihood" email yesterday. Did any other WLers receive something different? Or did everyone get that?

 

[NeuroE]

I also received the "low likelihood" email yesterday. Did any other WLers receive something different? Or did everyone get that?

I didn't get an email. Does everyone (anyone) think that's good or bad?

Actually I just remembered Calliope said everyone should get an update by next week, so it probably means nothing.

 

[Moonq]

I also didn't receive the email but have no idea what that it means. I'm going to try and request an update if I don't hear anything by the end of next week.

 

[ERmaven]

I also didn't receive the email but have no idea what that it means. I'm going to try and request an update if I don't hear anything by the end of next week.

Got the same email...

 

[Boston boy]

No email here either, just hoping I don't get a rejection next week...

 

[NeuroE]

Got the same email...

I got it today, laame.

 

[Boston boy]

Just got the message too... sad :/

 

[NeuroE]

Just got the message too... sad :/

There's no consensus on what it means though, right? It's not a rejection and we haven't heard of anyone getting anything better, so maybe this is just what they send everyone on the WL.

 

[Boston boy]

There's no consensus on what it means though, right? It's not a rejection and we haven't heard of anyone getting anything better, so maybe this is just what they send everyone on the WL.

Sure, that's definitely a possibility. But I think at this point, if Dean Nicholas is sending out this email, our chances are probably pretty bleak. Only time will tell though, so I guess we keep playing the waiting game. Maybe someone will receive a different letter later this week? My two cents...

 

[NeuroE]

our chances are probably pretty bleak

Agreed

 

[Moonq]

Still haven't received the e-mail... but I'm guessing their just sending it out in groups.

 

[Lady Mix a Lot]

Still haven't received the e-mail... but I'm guessing their just sending it out in groups.

I wonder why they have groups rather than just one giant list of all of the alternates. Are different groups tiered or categorized by strength (like if an athlete turns down P&S the admissions office goes to the athlete list to find a replacement)?

 

[ERmaven]

I wonder why they have groups rather than just one giant list of all of the alternates. Are different groups tiered or categorized by strength (like if an athlete turns down P&S the admissions office goes to the athlete list to find a replacement)?

I would guess it's something like that. It's not like they're stuffing envelopes...they could easily send out a group email. The fact that they didn't probably means there might just be some kind of rank to this unranked waitlist.

 

[jcsimmo]

I would guess it's something like that. It's not like they're stuffing envelopes...they could easily send out a group email. The fact that they didn't probably means there might just be some kind of rank to this unranked waitlist.

I ggot that e-mail but it was addressed to someone else. Ill tell you what, im very impressed with the constent updates the Columbia adcom give us.

Anyway im getting back to my scrubs.

 

[mmmcdowe]

I would guess it's something like that. It's not like they're stuffing envelopes...they could easily send out a group email. The fact that they didn't probably means there might just be some kind of rank to this unranked waitlist.

The reason is that the adcom is going through the waitlist. They are sending it out as they go rather than wait until they get through it all.

 

[PnSLove]

There's no consensus on what it means though, right? It's not a rejection and we haven't heard of anyone getting anything better, so maybe this is just what they send everyone on the WL.

Hey all,
Just so you know, the email means what it says it means. They are sending it out little by little as they work through the waitlist (as mmm said). Not everyone is receiving this email. There are also SOME rejection emails going out to people on the waitlist and some people are not getting any emails at all at this point. AdCom is trying to make sure you all know where you stand. I know first hand what it's like to be on waitlists and I know I would have appreciated even the slightest idea of where I stood. Hope this has been a helpful thing for you all!

 

[Lady Mix a Lot]

Hey all,
Just so you know, the email means what it says it means. They are sending it out little by little as they work through the waitlist (as mmm said). Not everyone is receiving this email. There are also SOME rejection emails going out to people on the waitlist and some people are not getting any emails at all at this point. AdCom is trying to make sure you all know where you stand. I know first hand what it's like to be on waitlists and I know I would have appreciated even the slightest idea of where I stood. Hope this has been a helpful thing for you all!

Thanks PnSLove and mmmcdowe! What does it mean if you haven't gotten the "class is full/alternate list is moving slow" email?

 

[ERmaven]

Thanks PnSLove and mmmcdowe! What does it mean if you haven't gotten the "class is full/alternate list is moving slow" email?

It probably just means they haven't gotten to you on the list yet, or it's a good sign?

 

[mmmcdowe]

It probably just means they haven't gotten to you on the list yet, or it's a good sign?

It could mean you haven't been reviewed yet, but if you never get one then that's good.

 

[Anonnn1]

has there really been no recent movement at all on SDN since before 5/25?

=(

 

[med55555]

any accepted students waiting to get off the WL elsewhere? care to give us WLers here some hope?