2017-2018 Eastern Virginia Medical School

[mnbmnb]

Does anyone know if the admissions office accepts additional letters of recommendation if you are on the waitlist?

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[aec3kc]

Does anyone know EVMS's Step 1 and Step 2 averages from 2017?

 

[mcatjelly]

Does anyone know if the admissions office accepts additional letters of recommendation if you are on the waitlist?

Yes. It just won't get looked at unless/until your file is pulled again.

Does anyone know EVMS's Step 1 and Step 2 averages from 2017?

So far only the 2016 data has been released to students.

 

[NGCSU_SFL]

any idea when the financial aid packages get released?

Unfortunately, they aren’t very fast about getting them out. I think we got them around mid summer last year and at that point some scholarships still hadn’t been awarded yet

 

[NickiB0427]

Just withdrew my acceptance here sadly!! I hope it goes to someone here who adores EVMS as much as I did

 

[cavalier95]

Does anyone know when second look is?

 

[Dremt]

Just withdrew my acceptance here sadly!! I hope it goes to someone here who adores EVMS as much as I did

IS or OOS? URM or ORM?

Thanks!

 

[masshole1995]

IS or OOS? URM or ORM?

Thanks!

+1

 

[NickiB0427]

IS or OOS? URM or ORM?

Thanks!

OOS ORM

 

[rukia013]

Does anyone know when second look is?

Second look/preview weekend is April 20-21 this year! Due to limitations in accommodation, I believe only students who have been accepted are invited to attend.

 

[cavalier95]

Second look/preview weekend is April 20-21 this year! Due to limitations in accommodation, I believe only students who have been accepted are invited to attend.

Thanks! I was asking since I figured that around that date there would be some movement on the WL if people decide EVMS isn't for them.

 

[rukia013]

Thanks! I was asking since I figured that around that date there would be some movement on the WL if people decide EVMS isn't for them.

It is close to traffic day (April 30 I believe) so fingers crossed for you and everyone on the waitlist that there will be lots of movement around that time

 

[swgadoo]

Just withdrew my acceptance! IS, not URM.

 

[Dremt]

Just withdrew my acceptance! IS, not URM.

Thank God, finally an IS ORM

 

[Dremt]

Two weeks until traffic day

 

[kitkat13]

Two weeks until traffic day

Do you know if its likely to hear back from WL before traffic day?

 

[Dremt]

Do you know if its likely to hear back from WL before traffic day?

On last year's thread people mostly seemed to hear back the week beforehand and then a week or two afterwards

 

[mcatjelly]

Do you know if its likely to hear back from WL before traffic day?

There have to be spots in the class available for applicants to be pulled from the waitlist, and people tend to wait until the last day to drop their multiple acceptances. So it’s not likely, but it’s possible..

 

[kitkat13]

There have to be spots in the class available for applicants to be pulled from the waitlist, and people tend to wait until the last day to drop their multiple acceptances. So it’s not likely, but it’s possible..

Ok!! Do you think letters of interest are helpful?

 

[mcatjelly]

Ok!! Do you think letters of interest are helpful?

I don't think they're particularly helpful unless you have a special interest in or tie to the school/area that wasn't previously addressed, but there's no harm in writing one since they're receptive to them. Just know that it wouldn't be looked at unless/until your application is being considered for a spot in the class (i.e. it won't be read as soon when it's received).

 

[ManUnited13]

Just got the email that I’m on the waitlist. Interviewed 3/30. Did anyone who interviewed march get acceptance or is everyone who interviewed late pretty much on the waitlist? Also, do I call them to find out how I am ranked in the waitlist?

 

[Baby Bunzz]

Just got the email that I’m on the waitlist. Interviewed 3/30. Did anyone who interviewed march get acceptance or is everyone who interviewed late pretty much on the waitlist? Also, do I call them to find out how I am ranked in the waitlist?

Interviewed 3/9 and waitlisted this morning too. Call the office to ask what 3rd you’re in

 

[EngageEi8ht]

I interviewed in March and was predictably waitlisted. I called and was informed i was in the middle third. Historically, have people from the middle third been accepted? I'm OOS, ORM.

Do we know the factors by which the AdComs select waitlisted applicants? IS/OOS seems to be obvious, but are we sure that URM/ORM is a criterion?

 

[EarthOneFlash]

Just withdrew my acceptance here. IS ORM. The school is amazing, but I think my calling is somewhere else. Best of luck to you all in your medical journey!

 

[rukia013]

I interviewed in March and was predictably waitlisted. I called and was informed i was in the middle third. Historically, have people from the middle third been accepted? I'm OOS, ORM.

Do we know the factors by which the AdComs select waitlisted applicants? IS/OOS seems to be obvious, but are we sure that URM/ORM is a criterion?

Not here to burst your bubble or anything but I do want to clarify the waitlist process so that you don't get drawn into the false sense of security that you have a high chance of getting off the waitlist simply because you are in the top third.

Candidates are picked off the waitlist to best match the demographics of the candidate who gave up their seat. So while you do have a better chance than someone from the middle or lower third, if you don't match the stats, the adcoms will move to the other two thirds to find a match. There are also 100+ people per third of the waitlist, so even if "half the class comes off the waitlist", that's only ~75 people out of the total 300+ people on the waitlist who eventually are accepted (and a large majority of those will be OOS).

Back when I was applying, I was waitlisted in the middle third and my friend was waitlisted in the top third--I was an OOS non-white non-URM female and he was an OOS white male. I eventually got off the waitlist and he never did, so not everyone who is in the top third will get accepted.

I don't mean to be a debbie downer at all but I also don't want people here to get their hopes up and bank on getting that eventual acceptance just because they are in the top third. Yes, we have a good number of the class from the waitlist but that does not necessarily mean that everyone in the top third of the waitlist is going to get accepted. It's all going to boil down to whether someone similar to you gives up their seat.

With that said, I wish everyone on the waitlist the best of luck! May the odds be ever in your favor

tl;dr yes it's possible to be accepted off the middle third as an OOS/ORM, it just depends how well you match the candidate that withdrew (stats, OOS/IS, ORM/URM, extracurriculars/experiences, etc.). (I came off the waitlist in mid-May)

 

[theberrybest]

Accepted this morning from middle third of waitlist!!!!!!! IS URM

 

[Blakeb_212]

Accepted this morning from middle third of waitlist!!!!!!! IS URM

You give me hope! Mind sharing or Pm’ing your stats? OOS middle third URM

 

[theberrybest]

You give me hope! Mind sharing or Pm’ing your stats? OOS middle third URM

3.4 sgpa, 3.5 cgpa, 508 MCAT

 

[Please?]

tl;dr yes it's possible to be accepted off the middle third as an OOS/ORM, it just depends how well you match the candidate that withdrew (stats, OOS/IS, ORM/URM, extracurriculars/experiences, etc.). (I came off the waitlist in mid-May)

The only thing they look at is OOS/IS when reviewing the waitlist. They review apps from all thirds when they're filling a spot, so everyone has an equal shot at the opening. It just tends to be more likely for middle third to be accepted mid-May and beyond, so don't lose all hope!

 

[rukia013]

The only thing they look at is OOS/IS when reviewing the waitlist. They review apps from all thirds when they're filling a spot, so everyone has an equal shot at the opening. It just tends to be more likely for middle third to be accepted mid-May and beyond, so don't lose all hope!

Unless you are an EVMS adcom with the latest update on the admissions process, I will have to disagree. We try to have a well-rounded diverse incoming class so there are many other factors besides OOS/IS status that determines who comes off the waitlist, especially when there are 100+ people in each third. Yes, there is a chance that someone from the middle or lower third can come off the waitlist but those in the top third have the highest chance since they will be taken into consideration before the other two thirds.

People are accepted off the waitlist to best match the demographics/"stats" of the candidate who withdrew their seat--they adcoms will first go through the upper third and move down to the middle third then lower third until they find a similar match. "Similar" includes IS/OOS status, ethnicity, and gender as well as your application as a whole ie. if the person who withdrew their seat had a lot of community service experience with a certain type of population, the adcoms will try to find the person most similar to that in order to keep the class diverse. In the past, being OOS gives you a better chance off the waitlist because most OOS people will withdraw their seat (due to tuition, getting into their home state med school, etc.) and the adcoms will look for another OOS student to fill that seat.

With that said, people waitlisted in the upper third /tend/ to have the best chance of getting accepted but in the end it really boils down to whether or not your stats are similar to the withdrawn candidate's.

MY ADVICE TO THOSE WAITLISTED
-If you have any updates, please send them via email to one of the 3 emails listed on the admissions site and the update will be added to your file (you should get an email confirmation but please know that it may take a few days since these have to be manually added by the staff). Once your primary/secondary app is received from the portal, they do NOT check it again so do NOT send updates through the portal as they will not be seen.
-Know the difference between a letter of INTENT and and letter of INTEREST and send them accordingly. If you do not have any acceptances, sending a letter of interest will probably have next to zilch effect on your status. Also do not come across as desperate when sending such emails--if you do you risk lowering your chances of getting accepted.
-Show your continued interest! Send updates regularly if applicable (1-2x per month and maybe more as Traffic Day rolls around in April). EVMS values talent and non-academic skills and really encourages artistic expression so if you draw, write poetry, sing, dance, etc. show that off in your email--it'll make you more memorable as well
-If sharing updates, also include how that will make you a better candidate/student/physician and how that makes you valuable to EVMS. For example, if you help out at a soup kitchen, share about how working with homeless/low income populations will prepare you with working with similar patient populations here at EVMS. Bonus if you can tie it into an extracurricular here at EVMS like HOPES, BEACH Buddies, Young At Heart, etc. because it shows that you're already looking into the many populations that we serve here and seeing where you can fit in. You can see the different extracurriculars we have here: eventmedley

 

[Please?]

Unless you are an EVMS adcom with the latest update on the admissions process, I will have to disagree. We try to have a well-rounded diverse incoming class so there are many other factors besides OOS/IS status that determines who comes off the waitlist, especially when there are 100+ people in each third. Yes, there is a chance that someone from the middle or lower third can come off the waitlist but those in the top third have the highest chance since they will be taken into consideration before the other two thirds.

Dude, relax. I'm not saying that's the only thing. I'm just saying that they don't sit there and match the fact the you both scribed, both studied abroad, both tutored inner city kids, etc. I was told that the only thing they literally match up is IS/OOS. It's about whether they like someone in the top third more than someone in the other thirds.

 

[mcatjelly]

Dude, relax. I'm not saying that's the only thing. I'm just saying that they don't sit there and match the fact the you both scribed, both studied abroad, both tutored inner city kids, etc. I was told that the only thing they literally match up is IS/OOS. It's about whether they like someone in the top third more than someone in the other thirds.

Where did you hear this from? Rukia and I are both EVMS students involved with the admissions process and as far as we're concerned, EVMS *does* make an effort to match the profiles of those on the waitlist to applicants who drop their acceptances.

 

[Robin64]

Accepted this morning!! Thank you Jesus!!
Was waitlisted back in Jan. IS URM

 

[Ravenclaw prefect]

Accepted this morning!! Thank you Jesus!!
Was waitlisted back in Jan. IS URM

What tier were you in?

 

[Robin64]

What tier were you in?

Middle third

 

[medicalone]

Where did you hear this from? Rukia and I are both EVMS students involved with the admissions process and as far as we're concerned, EVMS *does* make an effort to match the profiles of those on the waitlist to applicants who drop their acceptances.

There's so much conflicting information with the whole process. Earlier you said LOIs aren't recommended unless there was something not discussed in interviews or whatever, but my two interviewers specifically said to write LOIs if I got waitlisted, specifying that it would set me apart from those who did not write letters.

 

[rukia013]

There's so much conflicting information with the whole process. Earlier you said LOIs aren't recommended unless there was something not discussed in interviews or whatever, but my two interviewers specifically said to write LOIs if I got waitlisted, specifying that it would set me apart from those who did not write letters.

I can't account for anything that mcatjelly or anyone else has posted but I know I personally have never said that LOIs /aren't/ recommended. All LOIs and updates will be manually added to your file and will only get viewed IF you are currently in the active pool of applicants being considered for admission. There might have been a misunderstanding or something got lost in translation so I will clarify once again: 1) do not confuse LOIs with letters of interest--do NOT send a letter of intent if you currently do not hold any acceptances because you risk coming across as desperate, and 2) there are people who get off the waitlist without ever sending a post-interview LOI/update so it is not necessary in order to get accepted. With that said, I don't think it hurts to send LOIs/updates especially around this time of the cycle but you just have to be careful to find balance between expressing continued interest vs. being desperate. Also do NOT repeat information--think of new things to mention with each letter.

I had posted my tips early on in this thread but I will post it here again:

MY ADVICE TO THOSE WAITLISTED
-If you have any updates, please send them via email to one of the 3 emails listed on the admissions site and the update will be added to your file (you should get an email confirmation but please know that it may take a few days since these have to be manually added by the staff). Once your primary/secondary app is received from the portal, they do NOT check it again so do NOT send updates through the portal as they will not be seen.
-Know the difference between a letter of INTENT and and letter of INTEREST and send them accordingly. If you do not have any acceptances, sending a letter of intent will probably have next to zilch effect on your status. Also do not come across as desperate when sending such emails--if you do you risk lowering your chances of getting accepted.
-Show your continued interest! Send updates regularly if applicable (1-2x per month and maybe more as Traffic Day rolls around in April). EVMS values talent and non-academic skills and really encourages artistic expression so if you draw, write poetry, sing, dance, etc. show that off in your email--it'll make you more memorable as well
-If sharing updates, also include how that will make you a better candidate/student/physician and how that makes you valuable to EVMS. For example, if you help out at a soup kitchen, share about how working with homeless/low income populations will prepare you with working with similar patient populations here at EVMS. Bonus if you can tie it into an extracurricular here at EVMS like HOPES, BEACH Buddies, Young At Heart, etc. because it shows that you're already looking into the many populations that we serve here and seeing where you can fit in. You can see the different extracurriculars we have here: eventmedley

Hope this helps!

 

[Please?]

Where did you hear this from? Rukia and I are both EVMS students involved with the admissions process and as far as we're concerned, EVMS *does* make an effort to match the profiles of those on the waitlist to applicants who drop their acceptances.

Well maybe some adcom members have a slightly different take on the process. I was told this by my interviewer. Believe me, don't believe me, I don't care. I was simply trying to let those people who are nervous about their position know that there is more to the process than being as close of a match as possible to those who withdraw. But no good ever comes from attacking people over the internet for saying something that slightly contradicts what you say. There's enough bad in this world without all that petty fighting guys.

 

[rukia013]

Well maybe some adcom members have a slightly different take on the process. I was told this by my interviewer. Believe me, don't believe me, I don't care. I was simply trying to let those people who are nervous about their position know that there is more to the process than being as close of a match as possible to those who withdraw. But no good ever comes from attacking people over the internet for saying something that slightly contradicts what you say. There's enough bad in this world without all that petty fighting guys.

You're right, we're all on the more neurotic side here at SDN so we may have jumped the gun a bit too fast but when someone who has just made an account and has 0 credentials makes a post that outright states "The only thing they look at is OOS/IS when reviewing the waitlist" without any context, it's only natural that those who have more insight on the admissions process are going to respond to the supposed spreading of false information.

I don't doubt that that is what your interviewer told you but keep in mind that during the interview, we are more interested in hearing from the candidate than spending time talking about the admissions process so it's possible that they gave you a very very short rundown of the process--yes, IS/OOS may be the first thing we look at but that's not the /only/ thing, as you had implied. We may not exactly match candidates down to the nitty gritty details (ie. this person who scribed at XYZ has turned down their offer, now we need to find someone else who also scribed at XYZ) but we do try to match similar ECs/experiences/etc. as I have already mentioned throughout this and last year's threads.

 

[connect1234]

Has anyone else still not heard back yet?

 

[mcatjelly]

Well maybe some adcom members have a slightly different take on the process. I was told this by my interviewer. Believe me, don't believe me, I don't care. I was simply trying to let those people who are nervous about their position know that there is more to the process than being as close of a match as possible to those who withdraw. But no good ever comes from attacking people over the internet for saying something that slightly contradicts what you say. There's enough bad in this world without all that petty fighting guys.

I'm sorry that I made you feel like I was attacking you! I really was just trying to see where your information was from.

There's so much conflicting information with the whole process. Earlier you said LOIs aren't recommended unless there was something not discussed in interviews or whatever, but my two interviewers specifically said to write LOIs if I got waitlisted, specifying that it would set me apart from those who did not write letters.

I didn't say they weren't recommended, just that they're not particularly helpful but there's no harm in writing them- but you're right, there's a lot of conflicting information. Sorry, I know this process is beyond stressful and frustrating. Don't mean to add to it.

 

[weebly8]

Can we call and see if we've moved up the waitlist? Or is that not recommended?

 

[chicagocavalier15]

Can we call and see if we've moved up the waitlist? Or is that not recommended?

I don't know if we ever "move up" given how the waitlist is structured into thirds, but I don't think it would hurt to call them and ask about an update regarding the WL. I know I'd love to hear what their plans are/if they are expecting any movement in the near future

 

[aec3kc]

I don't know if we ever "move up" given how the waitlist is structured into thirds, but I don't think it would hurt to call them and ask about an update regarding the WL. I know I'd love to hear what their plans are/if they are expecting any movement in the near future

When I called and asked they said waitlist 3rds dont move. So basically if you get placed top third in the beginning and then more people interview, you remain in the top third. And if you are middle third and people get accepted off the waitlist you still remain in the middle third. This is what they told me when I called but im not sure how that works haha.

 

[rukia013]

When I called and asked they said waitlist 3rds dont move. So basically if you get placed top third in the beginning and then more people interview, you remain in the top third. And if you are middle third and people get accepted off the waitlist you still remain in the middle third. This is what they told me when I called but im not sure how that works haha.

You are correct--once you are put in a third, you do not move even if people get pulled off the waitlist. The main reason is that there is no way to constantly update the waitlist especially since people aren't strictly ranked. Each third has 100+ people so even if a handful come off the waitlist, it isn't enough to warrant re-stratifying everyone else that's still waiting. And even if it was done, the original people in the top third would still be considered first before the other two thirds.

Hope that makes sense!

For those who are currently on the waitlist and do not hold any acceptances at this time, my advice is to start thinking about your plan B **JUST IN CASE**. Around this time of the cycle for me, I was already trying to get feedback on what I could improve on my apps, looking into post-bacc programs and applying to a few, rewriting my personal statement, and notifying my letter writers of the possibility that they would have to send another letter of rec. I know that this is not ideal for anyone but it's always better to prepare and not have to fall back onto plan B than to hold out and then have plans fall through. This is especially crucial for those who are considering applying again this upcoming 2018-2019 cycle because waitlist movement can happen all the way up to the day of the white coat ceremony (one of my classmates who was the last to come off the waitlist was notified 2 weeks before orientation), and if you hold out until late July/early August and find out that you couldn't land an acceptance, you've essentially lost your early advantage for submitting your app for the next cycle. Again, it's not an ideal situation to be in or to even think about but it's always better to be safe than sorry.

 

[believer!]

You are correct--once you are put in a third, you do not move even if people get pulled off the waitlist. The main reason is that there is no way to constantly update the waitlist especially since people aren't strictly ranked. Each third has 100+ people so even if a handful come off the waitlist, it isn't enough to warrant re-stratifying everyone else that's still waiting. And even if it was done, the original people in the top third would still be considered first before the other two thirds.

Hope that makes sense!

For those who are currently on the waitlist and do not hold any acceptances at this time, my advice is to start thinking about your plan B **JUST IN CASE**. Around this time of the cycle for me, I was already trying to get feedback on what I could improve on my apps, looking into post-bacc programs and applying to a few, rewriting my personal statement, and notifying my letter writers of the possibility that they would have to send another letter of rec. I know that this is not ideal for anyone but it's always better to prepare and not have to fall back onto plan B than to hold out and then have plans fall through. This is especially crucial for those who are considering applying again this upcoming 2018-2019 cycle because waitlist movement can happen all the way up to the day of the white coat ceremony (one of my classmates who was the last to come off the waitlist was notified 2 weeks before orientation), and if you hold out until late July/early August and find out that you couldn't land an acceptance, you've essentially lost your early advantage for submitting your app for the next cycle. Again, it's not an ideal situation to be in or to even think about but it's always better to be safe than sorry.

For plan B, if you got invited for the interview early on but did not get accepted so far does that indicate that interview did not go well?

 

[mcatjelly]

For plan B, if you got invited for the interview early on but did not get accepted so far does that indicate that interview did not go well?

Not necessarily. The interview is viewed within the context of your application as a whole- you're not on equal playing field with other applicants once you reach that part of the process. Best case scenario is you blow your interviewees out of the water, worst case is you demonstrate a lack of social skills, but usually people fall somewhere in between.

 

[rukia013]

For plan B, if you got invited for the interview early on but did not get accepted so far does that indicate that interview did not go well?

Seconding mcatjelly's response--your interview/impression on the adcoms is viewed within the context of your entire application, and candidates that are selected for earlier interviews may have been selected for reasons different than those who interview later in the cycle. We look at you as a person and balance that with the rest of your application. For example, let's say we have candidate A and candidate B: candidate A interviews early and has a stellar application/stats on paper but in person, they come across as lacking social skills/are arrogant/not the most ideal fit for our school's mission and focus on community service/etc. Candidate B interviews late and has a fairly typical application that didn't particularly stand out as much as the earlier interviewers' applications but they demonstrate good interpersonal skills/are community oriented/down to earth personality/etc. during their interview. When the adcoms compare these two candidates, yes, candidate A had a much stronger application on paper but candidate B is more likely to be accepted because they overall are a more balanced applicant and seems to be a better fit for our school.

This isn't to say that you left a terrible impression on your interviewers--it could just be that you as a whole package (application + interview) do not seem to fit as well into our mission statement as another candidate. It doesn't make you a terrible person and in no way means that you have been deemed incompetent for med school, it just means that someone else may have more to contribute to the incoming class that better aligns with the school's mission and community service oriented focus. Keep in mind that each med school is completely different from the others, and while an applicant may get straight up accepted at one school, they may get outright rejected by another, and it's mostly because of fit.

Hopefully this makes sense!

 

[Ravenclaw prefect]

Does anyone know if people get called more on traffic day or the day after?

 

[narutoverse13]

Just withdrew my acceptance (accepted outright). Hope it goes to one of you guys! LM 72, OOS, Non-URM