2018-2019 Waitlist Support Thread

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OchemOficionado said:
I don’t think anyone would suggest using the same secondaries. I was responding strictly about the PS and LORs. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it was my motto (esp. since my issue was only my MCAT. PS was perfect) Changing a few sentences around isn’t doing much. What are the chances that the same reviewer will get your app AND remember every word?
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Verbatim from UWSOM's website:

"How much detail do we have to change in our application?

– At the least: Personal statement and updated letters of recommendation"

N=1 but it's worth considering. Source: https://www.uwmedicine.org/education/Documents/md-program/2018-E19-FORUM-1-Application-CT.pdf
 
ThrowawayShmoaway said:
I totally agree about not having to necessarily get new LORs for a reapplication, but over a year or so, there is probably something that can be improved on a PS, whether or not it's a few sentences or the overall flow of it. Even a few sentences could be worth it. Plus, this recent post from Gonnif actually makes it sound like it's really easy for a school to compare an applicant's current app to their previous one, so it sounds like people should much rather be safe than sorry in terms of at least changing their PS up a bit.
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It you’re worried than change it. I don’t see how it could be a negative if your PS is already on point. Again, a few sentences really doesn’t change the statement considerably nor does it prove that someone isn’t lazy. But, I’m all for people doing what makes them feel most secure and comfortable so if someone is worried change it, it’s simple enough. Just sharing another perspective on it.

Crusher of Souls said:
Verbatim from UWSOM's website:

"How much detail do we have to change in our application?

– At the least: Personal statement and updated letters of recommendation"

N=1 but it's worth considering. Source: https://www.uwmedicine.org/education/Documents/md-program/2018-E19-FORUM-1-Application-CT.pdf
Click to expand...

This isn’t my mountain to die over, lol. I was just sharing my opinion and what I did.
 
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ClamShell said:
If @OchemOficionado got 8 IIs even though he used year old letters, I ain't gonna stress over it then lol
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I mean, n =1 but I didn't consider not using them or changing my PS for one second. Didn't even cross my mind that it would be a big deal. Still don't think it's a big deal in the scheme of things.
 
not really looking forward to applying again because of the debt taken on to apply in the first place so I might want to skip a cycle to save up for another application, unless I apply for private loans or max out cards. have to consider mcat expirations as well which was taken early '18. I probably could have tailored my school list a good bit better There are definitely a large handful of schools I should have applied (and probably just as many I shouldn't have in retrospect) but didn't really know about. more waiting and uncertainty but it was fun.
 
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just wondering if anyone knows reasoning for this.. but why don't schools disclose where you stand on a waitlist? what's the advantage to that, because it would be very helpful to us for planning purposes to know if we are let's #3 on a list vs. #43...
 
1nside said:
5 ii, 2 post-ii R, 2 wl, 1 no decision yet but class filled/won't hear back for another 1-3 months. one wl is IS (Cali) and one is across the country and known to be very high movement. not really looking forward to applying again because of the debt taken on to apply in the first place so I might want to skip a cycle to save up for another application, unless I apply for private loans or max out cards. have to consider mcat expirations as well which was taken early '18. I probably could have tailored my school list a good bit better in terms of fit but applied 40+. There are definitely a large handful of schools I should have applied (and probably just as many I shouldn't have in retrospect) but didn't really know about that favor oos. more waiting and uncertainty but it was fun.
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The uncertainty does suck, but I think your chances of getting an acceptance are good!
 
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health4thefuturegen said:
just wondering if anyone knows reasoning for this.. but why don't schools disclose where you stand on a waitlist? what's the advantage to that, because it would be very helpful to us for planning purposes to know if we are let's #3 on a list vs. #43...
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As far as what I've heard, some schools don't disclose your number because they don't rank individuals on the list. Rather, they keep a whole glob of people on a waitlist, and when someone declines an offer to that school, they try to find someone on the waitlist who is a similar candidate to the person who declined the offer. For example, if a white female with a 510 MCAT/3.6 GPA declines an admissions offer, the school will do their best to find a white female with a similar MCAT/GPA to fill that spot. So, they can't really rank order individuals on the waitlist since they're not sure who's going to decline the admissions offers. It's a tactic for balancing demographics and MCAT/GPA averages for that class, but it's torture for the people on the waitlist.
 
hno1 said:
Waitlisted at two schools (Emory and Davis). Should I start revamping my personal statement and getting my LORs in order?
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Don't use the same PS at schools where you are a re-applicant.
 
southpaw3 said:
As far as what I've heard, some schools don't disclose your number because they don't rank individuals on the list. Rather, they keep a whole glob of people on a waitlist, and when someone declines an offer to that school, they try to find someone on the waitlist who is a similar candidate to the person who declined the offer.
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It's a bit more complicated than that. If there is a large excess of men and a man declines, you replace him with the best woman on the list, not a similar man.
 
gyngyn said:
Don't use the same PS at schools where you are a re-applicant.
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Thank you! Do you know any historical trends regarding waitlist movement at these schools, and would those apply for this cycle?
 
hno1 said:
Thank you! Do you know any historical trends regarding waitlist movement at these schools, and would those apply for this cycle?
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Previous patterns of waitlist movement cannot be used to predict movement this year, sadly.
 
health4thefuturegen said:
just wondering if anyone knows reasoning for this.. but why don't schools disclose where you stand on a waitlist? what's the advantage to that, because it would be very helpful to us for planning purposes to know if we are let's #3 on a list vs. #43...
Click to expand...

Schools with a ranked waitlist could reasonably give you a rank but very few schools have a ranked waitlist...
 
What's the timeline like for SMP programs? Looking like I'm going to be on 3 WLs. If I don't get in, I need to improve my numbers. Should I be looking at programs ASAP? Or are the deadlines usually later in the spring / early summer.
 
7 waitlists here now...I was told I had good interviews at a couple of them.

hno1 said:
Thank you! Do you know any historical trends regarding waitlist movement at these schools, and would those apply for this cycle?
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Just FYI, Emory's WL is likely a dead end. I know this year is very different, but Emory has always overaccepted and used their waitlist very minimally. My advice is you look into Davis more closely.

I'll go ahead and say Emory is one of my waitlists. So take that as you will. Honestly though, this is what I have seen in the past, and I'm absolutely not expecting anything for myself there.
 
Astrotist said:
Either waitlisted or rejected from all the Top 20 school I interviewed at. I hoped that by now I would have been accepted to at least one of them so I could enjoy spring smh
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Same... 7 T20 II -> 5 WL 2 R :scared:
 
OchemOficionado said:
Wright State started rejecting from the WL today. Shocking considering the new traffic rules and the thought that schools would be having longer WLs this cycle. Maybe they just really over did it and realized it already.
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Maybe unpopular opinion, but honestly ,if there is no hope for me to matriculate from a schools WL, I’d rather be rejected soon , rather than just hang there , hoping for a miracle .
 
mmaslyanko said:
Maybe unpopular opinion, but honestly ,if there is no hope for me to matriculate from a schools WL, I’d rather be rejected soon , rather than just hang there , hoping for a miracle .
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I don't think that's an uncommon opinion. That's how I felt.
 
mmaslyanko said:
Maybe unpopular opinion, but honestly ,if there is no hope for me to matriculate from a schools WL, I’d rather be rejected soon , rather than just hang there , hoping for a miracle .
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I don't think that's an unpopular opinon at all, lol.

EDIT: Oppps, didn't see that someone literally said this word for word, hahahha.
 
MDapplicant19 said:
Agreed. I don't know why schools waitlist hundreds of applicants but then rarely accept any of them, especially on ranked or tiered waitlists where the lower ranked people are essentially rejected. IMO it would be better for those applicants if the schools just ripped off the band-aid and rejected them instead of giving them a sliver of false hope.
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You just have to remind yourself that these institutions are also business-based. They care more about not ruining their class size than they do about you as an applicant so that you may begin prepping for a new cycle. it's all business fam
 
@gyngyn Have you ever heard of a school's class roster just getting dropped heavily in the last week of April?

For example, on April 27 it's completely full but by May 1 it's half empty? Do you think it might happen to some schools this year?
 
ClamShell said:
@gyngyn Have you ever heard of a school's class roster just getting dropped heavily in the last week of April?

For example, on April 27 it's completely full but by May 1 it's half empty? Do you think it might happen to some schools this year?
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Traffic rules were developed so that schools would be able to fill classes in an orderly fashion and applicants would have a good idea where they would attend early enough to get settled.
This year is likely to be different, especially at new schools or schools with inexperienced admissions deans.
 
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gyngyn said:
Traffic rules were developed so that schools would be able to fill classes in an orderly fashion and applicants would have a good idea where they would attend early enough to get settled.
This year is likely to be different, especially at new schools or schools with inexperienced admissions deans.
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I feel like gigantic applicant piles are starting to wear down admission committees.

Probably why UCLA decided to establish stat cutoffs....
 
ClamShell said:
I feel like gigantic applicant piles are starting to wear down admission committees.
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Not at all. GT, Drexel and GW manage to whittle through mountains of aps with no problem.
The end game is a lot different, though.
 
ClamShell said:
I feel like gigantic applicant piles are starting to wear down admission committees.

Probably why UCLA decided to establish stat cutoffs....
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I doubt this only because I know the schools like the $$$. Also, they don't have to review each if they don't want to. Can set up an auto screen or have admin staff heavily sort before apps move up the ladder.

Making cutoffs public is to benefit the applicants is my guess.
 
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Not to derail the thread, but I feel that not having a more strict pre-secondary screen is unethical and profiteering. Schools like GW who recieve 15,000 primary apps, send a secondary to all who submit, and charge $130 per secondary should have a pre-secondary screen like UCLA. With those numbers they will be making almost $2 million. And the problem is students will pay it because we are desperate and want a chance even if there are less than 200 spots and the odds are insurmountable.

Just my two cents.
 
dapperdoc said:
Not to derail the thread, but I feel that not having a more strict pre-secondary screen is unethical and profiteering. Schools like GW who recieve 15,000 primary apps, send a secondary to all who submit, and charge $130 per secondary should have a pre-secondary screen like UCLA. With those numbers they will be making almost $2 million. And the problem is students will pay it because we are desperate and want a chance even if there are less than 200 spots and the odds are insurmountable.

Just my two cents.
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It's voluntary so I don't think it's unethical, but I agree that it's a bit much. Harvard does the same and we all know their admit rate is like 2%, lol.
 
futuredoc0307 said:
your boy just got placed in first tier at his dream school. Most if not all of this tier is known to get accepted. send prayers my way!
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Hmmmm I think your time travel expedition has changed the history timeline
 
I'm sitting on multiple post waitlists with only 1 offer🙁 so any words of encouragement would be greatly appreciated
 
PunjabiBoy1993 said:
I was placed on fourth waitlist today :'(!!!! Waiting to hear back from another but damn
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Right now, being waitlisted may have more to do with the lack of traffic rules (and associated uncertainty) than the strength of your candidacy. Have courage.
 
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OchemOficionado said:
I hear ya.

Don't all of the UCs compose their class overwhelmingly of CA residents?
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Yes, for some of them. UC Davis and UC Riverside heavily favor those who reside in CA and have ties to the areas. The other difficult thing about being a CA applicant is that some of the UC's are in the Top 30, so one has to deal with the sheer competitiveness instead of in-state bias
 
curiousbunnie2019 said:
Yes, for some of them. UC Davis and UC Riverside heavily favor those who reside in CA and have ties to the areas. The other difficult thing about being a CA applicant is that some of the UC's are in the Top 30, so one has to deal with the sheer competitiveness instead of in-state bias
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All of the UCs favor in state applicants (just checked MSAR), competition is just stiff. Cali has SO many pre meds. Rough state.
 
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