2018-2019 Waitlist Support Thread

[965978]

just want to say its pretty incredible you take the time to reply to all of us. I know I appreciate it a lot. There are so many valid questions I see posted here where we all kind of shrug at eachother its good to have some input from someone who knows what they are talking about.

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[medschoolzombie]

That may be true but for those who are doing it, its unfair and unethical. Its just bothersome because every single one of has worked hard and now its not a level playing field because some people are too selfish to care.

To be fair though, very little about this process happens on a ‘level field’

Did anyone else feel like once they started working on all the tasks for applying next year it felt a little like admitting defeat?

Yes. The hardest part was going back to my reccomenders and asking them for an updated LOR. I’ll never forget the looks of disappointment on their faces

I hear that you can message committees to find our what was wrong with your application. Is that looked poorly vs well upon? Do you get direct/specific answers, or (in general as I'm sure each school may be different) are they more general with nothing of merit?

It’s hit or miss, especially if you’re on a WL. When I called last June/July all my WL schools told me they couldn’t tell me anything cause my file was still active. The rejection schools didn’t bother to respond

 

[ivva5363]

Yes. The hardest part was going back to my reccomenders and asking them for an updated LOR. I’ll never forget the looks of disappointment on their faces

Do they have to update their letters if they are only one year old?

 

[ZFox]

@gyngyn

Do you believe that students with earlier CTE deadlines will be out of luck this cycle?

Do you recommend or recommend against remaining on school's waitlists after CTE?

 

[gyngyn]

Do you believe that students with earlier CTE deadlines will be out of luck this cycle?

Do you recommend or recommend against remaining on school's waitlists after CTE?

Yes.
I would follow the rules of the school that has accepted you.
The abolition of the multiple accepts list has reduced applicant autonomy and I don't see a way round it.

 

[gyngyn]

I had some email correspondence with my one waitlist school (albany) which was a bit concerning. They basically said "we won't tell you where we are on the waitlist, but we believe we'll be finished moving by June, maaaaybe July." So it sounds like they are not expecting more movement than in the past.

They don't have a clue.
If they turn out to be right, it will be a pure accident.

 

[ZFox]

I would follow the rules of the school that has accepted you.
The abolition of the multiple accepts list has reduced applicant autonomy and I don't see a way round it.

So... a school with a late matriculation (August) and an unfilled spot would have the following options

a) Student with zero acceptances
b) Ignore a withdrawal from waitlist (Assuming it was due to CTE deadline and not lack of interest)
c) Student with CTE, but has remained on WL's
d) Student with PTE and even later CTE (Unlikely)

Would options b or c even really be considered this cycle?

 

[gyngyn]

So... a school with a late matriculation (August) and an unfilled spot would have the following options

a) Student with zero acceptances
b) Ignore a withdrawal from waitlist (Assuming it was due to CTE deadline and not lack of interest)
c) Student with CTE, but has remained on WL's
c) Student with PTE and even later CTE (Unlikely)

Would options b or c even really be considered this cycle?

All of these are possible.
B is the most interesting. What will mean more? CTE or LOI...

 

[1nside]

One of my theories is that wl movement in past was essentially just a greater and quicker amount of shuffling due to greater acceptances going around. If schools generally accept less this cycle along with the stagnant wl, applicants may have less options than before (less shuffling and movement), more likely to settle into their pte school, and less movement overall. In essence raising the yield of schools. Of course things are more complicated and I don't have the experience of previous cycles, but plausible?

 

[ChasingMD07]

I am curious to know what a lawsuit would look like for setting hard PTE or CTE deadlines? AMCAS?

Anyone with an idea? I can’t think of a lawsuit here.

Holding schools and students accountable is necessary for this process to work smoothly. Giving students/applicants hard deadlines and giving schools a deadline to process financial aid so as to give everyone the chance to make informed decisions. It really shouldn’t be this hard.

 

[medschoolzombie]

Do they have to update their letters if they are only one year old?

Apparently but I have no idea if that changed this cycle or not. My premed advisor said that they can’t be the same letter according to the advisor guide book and I would have to get modified ones

 

[gyngyn]

Holding schools and students accountable is necessary for this process to work smoothly. Giving students/applicants hard deadlines and giving schools a deadline to process financial aid so as to give everyone the chance to make informed decisions. It really shouldn’t be this hard.

This was the previous role of the AAMC. They have abdicated this responsibility.
...and who will hold them accountable now? They do not care what we say and applicants are not an organized block.

 

[EmbracetheKace]

Man that stinks. What school was it that just rejected? And which school are you waiting to hear back from?

Currently I am waiting to hear back from 3 MD schools. If I dont get in, I'll be going to CCOM

Wait, as in Carver at Iowa? I'm currently number 2 on the waitlist there so I'm rooting for you even more if that's the case!

 

[Shammyguy3]

Wait, as in Carver at Iowa? I'm currently number 2 on the waitlist there so I'm rooting for you even more if that's the case!

Oh no, Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine. Sorry for the confusion!

 

[meronebib]

@gyngyn Do you know of any movements recently at Duke or Columbia?

Columbia has had some movement. ~10 or so students have joined the FB group since April 30th.

 

[ZFox]

All of these are possible.
B is the most interesting. What will mean more? CTE or LOI...

Fun Hypothetical building on your comment:

You (An ADCOM member) prefer applicant X over applicant Y. Applicant X sent a letter of intent, biweekly updates, additional letter of rec, and etc but withdrew from the WL because of his current PTE school's CTE deadline. Applicant Y has shown less interest and is a somewhat weaker candidate, but has zero acceptances. Both Applicant X and Y adequately "fill" the empty spot left by applicant Z in terms of mcat, gpa, and diversity.

Would Applicant X need to be in someway significantly stronger in order for you to accept him/her over applicant y? Or is applicant Y, by pure luck, just going to receive the acceptance out of professional courtesy to Applicant X's CTE school?

 

[EmbracetheKace]

Oh no, Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine. Sorry for the confusion!

Ahh well good luck anyway my friend.

 

[lalalallala]

Fun Hypothetical building on your comment:

You (An ADCOM member) prefer applicant X over applicant Y. Applicant X sent a letter of intent, biweekly updates, additional letter of rec, and etc but withdrew from the WL because of his current PTE school's CTE deadline. Applicant Y has shown less interest and is a somewhat weaker candidate, but has zero acceptances. Both Applicant X and Y adequately "fill" the empty spot left by applicant Z in terms of mcat, gpa, and diversity.

Would Applicant X need to be in someway significantly stronger in order for you to accept him/her over applicant y? Or is applicant Y, by pure luck, just going to receive the acceptance out of professional courtesy to Applicant X's CTE school?

Applicant X is no longer on the WL so I’m not accepting them. I pick applicant Y. No applicant is such a superstar that I‘m still holding on even after they say no to our school

 

[ZFox]

Applicant X is no longer on the WL so I’m not accepting them. I pick applicant Y. No applicant is such a superstar that I‘m still holding on even after they say no to our school

@lalalallala

i thought you were an applicant haha

 

[1nside]

Applicant X is no longer on the WL so I’m not accepting them. I pick applicant Y. No applicant is such a superstar that I‘m still holding on even after they say no to our school

They didn't say no to the school though. They have shown much greater interest and candidacy but had an earlier CTE date.

 

[futuredoc0307]

So other than the multiple acceptance report that was removed, was there anything about 4/30 that changed? I still don’t get it

 

[ChasingMD07]

This was the previous role of the AAMC. They have abdicated this responsibility.
...and who will hold them accountable now? They do not care what we say and applicants are not an organized block.

I agree. As a united front, we can get things accomplished but we all know there will be those waiting to put their foot in the door despite universal upset.

I just think for example:
(A) A FAFSA deadline for applicants to submit similar to or a week after secondary applications are due- or a universal October 15 deadline.
(B) Continue to accept students on or after October 15.
(C) Introduce PTE and CTE February 15th- people choose whichever cap fits
(D) Financial Aid deadline for schools April 30
(E) May 15 select one school and wrap up the cycle.

Everybody gets peace for the summer months to come.

 

[gyngyn]

Fun Hypothetical building on your comment:

You (An ADCOM member) prefer applicant X over applicant Y. Applicant X sent a letter of intent, biweekly updates, additional letter of rec, and etc but withdrew from the WL because of his current PTE school's CTE deadline. Applicant Y has shown less interest and is a somewhat weaker candidate, but has zero acceptances. Both Applicant X and Y adequately "fill" the empty spot left by applicant Z in terms of mcat, gpa, and diversity.

Would Applicant X need to be in someway significantly stronger in order for you to accept him/her over applicant y? Or is applicant Y, by pure luck, just going to receive the acceptance out of professional courtesy to Applicant X's CTE school?

I still don't know how much we, as schools, can be expected to follow the "guidelines" set up by the AAMC that only serve...the AAMC.
Right now, I'm feeling like applicant X should be accepted.

 

[Dream of the Endless]

This was the previous role of the AAMC. They have abdicated this responsibility.
...and who will hold them accountable now? They do not care what we say and applicants are not an organized block.

I blame early admissions programs for messing this up for us. (Was there any news on this case?) This process should be becoming more streamlined, not less. Now that you have all seen the new way this process is run... Is there a potential fix to this?

The only answer I could see from my end would be moving up several deadlines (Financial Aid for sure), and incentivizing schools for compliance. (A deal that you can't deny. Universal compliance would be the goal and a necessity.) All the snatching shenanigans would be done sooner, and final WL movement would be finalized sooner so students know if they need to reapply and aren't sitting in purgatory for so long. Schools also wouldn't be concerned about not having a filled class on later days. Example, say everything was done for the prior cycle by middle of May before the next cycle began. People wouldn't still be getting interviews even now. (I saw some guy on Reddit posted a pic of receiving an interview X2 weeks ago. That's late, man.) That's the quick and easy answer, but we all know complex problems don't have simple answers. I know borderline candidates may get shafted because of rushed decisions. Strain on school's resources etc.

I still don't know how much we, as schools, can be expected to follow the "guidelines" set up by the AAMC that only serve...the AAMC.
Right now, I'm feeling like applicant X should be accepted.

I know, "life's not fair." But I'm sure most can agree this is something fixed on your end. That's an unfortunate case, and we can clearly tell who wanted it more. I would advocate for X, if I had a say. It's not reasonable to expect all schools to "work with applicants" who have similae situations. Cause I'm sure there will be quite a few.

 

[ra88]

Does anyone know if Northwestern’s CTE already happened? I see on the website that they had to make some sort of commitment on April 30th, but I can’t tell if it’s CTE or PTE. If it’s CTE that’s prettt early, right?

 

[BirdMD123]

You can only PTE to your accepted schools. But both your accepted and waitlist schools can see if you PTE’d to another school

Thank you!

 

[BirdMD123]

Oh boy. Okay I think I can tackle this from what I've read.

If school A accepts you before their own CTE deadline, you're golden. You take that acceptance, and CTE to school A. No harm, no foul.

If school A accepts you off their waitlist AFTER their own CTE deadline but BEFORE the CTE deadline of school B, you're also golden. Again, you CTE to school A.


For the more complicated scenarios: Theoretically, if you CTE to school B, you must withdraw your waitlists. Nobody is enforcing this but the schools, however. So if you decide to CTE to school B without removing yourself from the waitlist at school A, it's entirely possible that school B will just rescind your acceptance. School A will see that you CTE'd.

However, we're not entirely sure what's going to happen here. It looks like "poaching" might be a problem this cycle: where a school will offer you an acceptance with the explicit intention of taking you away from another school that you've committed to, so that they can fill their own classes.

Thank you so much!! I feel very lucky that my waitlisted school has an earlier CTE date. Good luck to everyone out there still waiting!

 

[BirdMD123]

You technically shouldn't even have the option of going to school A if you arent accepted off the waitlist before the CTE deadline at school B. Per other's comments this has been a big point of contention for a lot of people on here without any acceptances because if you dont give up your waitlist spots when you need to commit to enroll at another school it slows the pace down considerably for everyone else. Luckily, your first choice school has a CTE date before your other acceptance so you could potentially get in during that window.

Okay, I get it now. Thank you so much.

 

[BirdMD123]

People are openly flaunting their acceptances

oh, yikes.

 

[MK521]

I just joined (after reading a ton silently oops) and Im on 4 waitlists, no acceptances. I cant see the PTE/CTE tool on my application, is that normal? I haven't seen anyone else mention it so I'm wondering if im just lost/missing it completely

 

[pinkowl250]

I just joined (after reading a ton silently oops) and Im on 4 waitlists, no acceptances. I cant see the PTE/CTE tool on my application, is that normal? I haven't seen anyone else mention it so I'm wondering if im just lost/missing it completely

Yes that is normal. You will only be able to see the PTE/CTE tool if you are holding at least 1 acceptance

 

[MK521]

Yes that is normal. You will only be able to see the PTE/CTE tool if you are holding at least 1 acceptance

Thank you! I was so nervous that I just missed something

 

[ReturnToMed]

So should WL movement be expected to be lower this year? I am still confused after reading everything.

 

[Konkurro]

So should WL movement be expected to be lower this year? I am still confused after reading everything.

TL, DR of the whole thread: most likely will see elevated WL movement closes to matriculation and commit to enroll dates. But no one really knows. Weeeeeee!

 

[ahsteeze]

Thought I’d join this thread...anyways on 6 WL now down to 5, my favorite school I was waitlisted at responded to my LOI by saying their class was full and I won’t be taken off the waitlist. Fml

 

[VTDSPMed]

Columbia has had some movement. ~10 or so students have joined the FB group since April 30th.

I've tried not to look at the FB groups because it just gives me unneeded stress haha. Other students have told me even if they got accepted a few weeks ago, they might not join until now. Also, a lot of current students join for various reasons (recruiting for various clubs, need roommates, looking for someone to take their lease, etc).

 

[920820]

Ecstatic to be accepted but it's a bummer to see everyone getting off waitlists while I'm waiting for one of my two top schools to give me some love.

 

[Princess Pre-Med]

How do you know when a school's CTE deadline is?

 

[meronebib]

I've tried not to look at the FB groups because it just gives me unneeded stress haha. Other students have told me even if they got accepted a few weeks ago, they might not join until now. Also, a lot of current students join for various reasons (recruiting for various clubs, need roommates, looking for someone to take their lease, etc).

Unless an accepted student on FB has asked others on FB whether anyone has come in off the waitlist, divining FB new joiners as former waitlisters is NUTS!

The number I gave for Columbia was minus those that I could see were current students (like 15+ have joined since April 30th). I also doubt that these were students that were accepted from before and decided to join the FB group now - Columbia only has one acceptance date, back in late February, and the FB page size has stayed very stable until a few weeks ago (April 30th). It’s definitely not 100% accurate, but it does give an idea if there’s some movement. Of course, it’s best to have an accepted student notice these things, as they can see if the new members are already current students.

 

[futuredoc0307]

How do you know when a school's CTE deadline is?

Ask accepted people in school-specific thread

 

[bxz3]

Someone posted that they got in off of geisinger commonwealth's waitlist

 

[edb63]

i've seen people talking about biweekly updates-what do they put in these? what could possibly be changing every two weeks? Are they just emphasizing their interest?

 

[gains.anatomy]

Yesterday i got accepted off of the wait list of a school in chicago! I had my mcat retake scheduled 2 weeks from now and my AMCAS app for next year completely ready to submit. There's hope, everyone!

 

[ZFox]

i've seen people talking about biweekly updates-what do they put in these? what could possibly be changing every two weeks? Are they just emphasizing their interest?

They very likely don’t make a difference in terms of you being qualified. It’s not like school A is waiting for 1 more publication from Jacob in order for him to be competitive enough to get an Acceptance.

It’s really just a non-repetitive way to reaffirm your interest every 2 weeks.

 

[asdfwelldoit]

Yes.

Could you give a percentage of students who are still holding multiple acceptances?

 

[gyngyn]

Could you give a percentage of students who are still holding multiple acceptances?

I don't know if our school is representative of others.

 

[annieb_baxter]

Oh no, Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine. Sorry for the confusion!

Thats my plan too! I'm on two MD waitlists, but I have a seat a CCOM! So If don't hear by June Ill likely be going there because my husband has a potential job offer that we can't just pass up on a maybe from the MD schools. This whole process sucks.

 

[futuredoc0307]

Wow would you look at that. this school actually enforced the amcas tool

 

[MomJeansandDadJorts]

So you can hold multiple acceptances still? I currently hold 2 because I was accepted off the WL last week and was waiting for financial aid info to be released. Im trying to see if school 1 can match the finaid at school 2. But I havent heard back and I dont want anything to happen to either acceptance.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

So you can hold multiple acceptances still? I currently hold 2 because I was accepted off the WL last week and was waiting for financial aid info to be released. Im trying to see if school 1 can match the finaid at school 2. But I havent heard back and I dont want anything to happen to either acceptance.

You need to look at both schools’ rules. The new school should have given you a deadline by which to make a decision.