2018-2019 Waitlist Support Thread

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when a school announces now, after apr 30, that their “class is full” what does that mean exactly? i thought schools overaccepted initially and that the class was always full after their initial wave of WL acceptances? like what exactly gives schools the confidence NOW to say that their class is full? is it basically an arbitrary deadline that they set for themselves like “our class is prb full now and at best we’ll have a handful of one to one acceptances”
 
scaredlostconfused said:
when a school announces now, after apr 30, that their “class is full” what does that mean exactly? i thought schools overaccepted initially and that the class was always full after their initial wave of WL acceptances? like what exactly gives schools the confidence NOW to say that their class is full? is it basically an arbitrary deadline that they set for themselves like “our class is prb full now and at best we’ll have a handful of one to one acceptances”
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I think it means that they’ve overaccepted to the point where a larger amount of people have paid a deposit to attend than they anticipated/want. So therefore they don’t anticipate movement since they are still hoping for more people to drop their acceptance to meet their ideal class size. I’m not sure but that’s how I perceive it.
 
scaredlostconfused said:
when a school announces now, after apr 30, that their “class is full” what does that mean exactly? i thought schools overaccepted initially and that the class was always full after their initial wave of WL acceptances? like what exactly gives schools the confidence NOW to say that their class is full? is it basically an arbitrary deadline that they set for themselves like “our class is prb full now and at best we’ll have a handful of one to one acceptances”
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technically a school can never have out more acceptances than seats, it is up to them to decide how they want to distribute them and how long they have to decide but basically at any 1 point in time, if everyone called them up and said yes then they would all be able to sit for the class. Also, schools typically do set an arbitrary date to have all their seats handed out by and then rely on withdrawals to make the class profile that they are hoping for, i.e they might over-accept high ranking applicants even if they will go elsewhere in hopes that some of them stay at their school. but then again, different schools do things differently
 
LabileEmotions said:
Schools always offer more acceptances than there are seats in a class. Even Harvard with an admissions yield of 70% does.

When schools, at this point, says that their class is full, as most of the T20 schools have, it means that they have high confidence that by CTE deadline, all who have CTEd and PTEd, will attend. There will be a few exceptions, as there has been each year, where schools will pull from the WL at or after the CTE deadline. But the numbers here are small.

As has been mentioned, most movement at the T20 schools has stopped and, except for the proviso mentioned above, most movement is over at them.

For other schools, it's a mixed bag Some have underaccepted because of the rules change this year and so will have movement up to and beyond the CTE deadlines. Some have a better sense of there classes at this point and don't forsee much movement.

While there is always hope until classes begin, the window is closing, and so making concrete plans to do one of the following -- attend the school you have been accepted to, reapply or reinvent -- is prudent at this point. Remember most schools can fill their classes 2-3 times over with students from the WL so chances are small of getting off of one.
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What is your prediction regarding movement at mid-low tier schools compared to top 20?
 
kilweedy said:
+pity+ Sooooo, what's a good backup plan for medicine? Think it's time I throw in the towel.
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I really feel you and the fact I'm almost out of my 20s scares me so much since I do want a family. Like, maybe I should just quit, be a NP or more involved in clinical research.

However, I follow a couple of doctors on Twitter and I saw a female doctor say she applied THREE times. The first time she didn't even know about the whole applying-in-July-even-though-the-deadlines-are-in-fall ridiculousness. And she eventually got in to be an anesthesiologist! I saw a med student say they took the MCAT SIX times. So while I understand the fear and disappointment, it ultimately isn't over until YOU decide it's over, not the adcom, not the MCAT, etc.
 
Tetines of Paris said:
I really feel you and the fact I'm almost out of my 20s scares me so much since I do want a family. Like, maybe I should just quit, be a NP or more involved in clinical research.

However, I follow a couple of doctors on Twitter and I saw a female doctor say she applied THREE times. The first time she didn't even know about the whole applying-in-July-even-though-the-deadlines-are-in-fall ridiculousness. And she eventually got in to be an anesthesiologist! I saw a med student say they took the MCAT SIX times. So while I understand the fear and disappointment, it ultimately isn't over until YOU decide it's over, not the adcom, not the MCAT, etc.
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One of the docs I work with applied three (or four) times and is a successful surgeon. He always tells me to make the most of not getting in the first time because his gap years were some of the best of his life.
 
Tetines of Paris said:
I really feel you and the fact I'm almost out of my 20s scares me so much since I do want a family. Like, maybe I should just quit, be a NP or more involved in clinical research.

However, I follow a couple of doctors on Twitter and I saw a female doctor say she applied THREE times. The first time she didn't even know about the whole applying-in-July-even-though-the-deadlines-are-in-fall ridiculousness. And she eventually got in to be an anesthesiologist! I saw a med student say they took the MCAT SIX times. So while I understand the fear and disappointment, it ultimately isn't over until YOU decide it's over, not the adcom, not the MCAT, etc.
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Having a family can be done if you have a partner who is willing to provide you with all the support you need. It’s scary and I can’t attest to it as I’m only 21 going into OMS1 but would you rather be doing what you love when you’re 40 or wondering ‘what if’
 
So I've been creeping on this thread for the last month or so, and I was just wondering about whether or not I should throw in the towel on my waitlists.

I applied super late in the game and managed to score 5 interviews, one DO and 4 MD. (all of which I'm super thankful for)

I got into the DO school but I'm currently waitlisted at the other four schools. Do you guys think I have shot at getting off one of the other waitlists?
 
ashway said:
Having a family can be done if you have a partner who is willing to provide you with all the support you need. It’s scary and I can’t attest to it as I’m only 21 going into OMS1 but would you rather be doing what you love when you’re 40 or wondering ‘what if’
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This is probably the one thread that is always tugging at me even when I feel the worst...ugh!
 
Tetines of Paris said:
This is probably the one thread that is always tugging at me even when I feel the worst...ugh!
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Its true though. Some people will say “oh well, look into being a PA or a NP,” but for me I couldn’t live my life thinking about what if, or working beneath somebody I aspired to be because I decided to give up. And there is NOTHING wrong with being a PA or a NP, but if I aspired to be a doctor and dedicated all this time to being doctor.. a doctor is what I will become no matter what.

I remember the person who interviewed me asked me what I would do if I wasn’t accepted and I told them, well you’ll see my name again in a year or two.
 
Ec310 said:
Its true though. Some people will say “oh well, look into being a PA or a NP,” but for me I couldn’t live my life thinking about what if, or working beneath somebody I aspired to be because I decided to give up. And there is NOTHING wrong with being a PA or a NP, but if I aspired to be a doctor and dedicated all this time to being doctor.. a doctor is what I will become no matter what.
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Also PA and NP have different prerequisites so if you haven't taken those and you're on the older side of the applicant age it doesn't make sense to do so.
 
Tetines of Paris said:
This is probably the one thread that is always tugging at me even when I feel the worst...ugh!
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There are also many other careers outside of direct patient where you can contribute meaningfully toward the advancement of science/medicine/healthcare.

That said, DON'T GIVE UP!
 
ReturnToMed said:
Also PA and NP have different prerequisites so if you haven't taken those and you're on the older side of the applicant age it doesn't make sense to do so.
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True. The point I’m making though is that never give up on what you aspire to be. A rejection, other people’s perception, or whatever should not deter you. I’m 29, and yea it’s not ideal that if I don’t get in this cycle I will be looking at matriculating at the age of 31. But at the end of day, whatever. Run your own race and when you finish it’s going to be one h*ll of a good story.
 
gyngyn said:
It is not uncommon for a school to have more than twice the number of acceptances as seats.
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while that is most often the case, on a given day, that does not mean that there are more acceptances given out as number of seats. heres a scenario to what I am talking about. a school has 10 seats and has given out 10 acceptances as of today. tomorrow 2 students withdrawal and 2 more acceptances are given out. the total number of acceptances goes to 12, but if the students all CTE today then everyone still has a seat. (except the students who withdrew obviously).
 
l;aksjdf;aljk;f said:
heres a scenario to what I am talking about. a school has 10 seats and has given out 10 acceptances as of today. tomorrow 2 students withdrawal and 2 more acceptances are given out. the total number of acceptances goes to 12, but if the students all CTE today then everyone still has a seat. (except the students who withdrew obviously).
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Yes, once equilibrium is reached, the process is a lot more like you have described.
 
Yup, same thoughts as everyone else above. I'm 30, first time applicant. I was just talking to a family friend who retired recently at 70 as an oncologist. So I'm looking at how I'm planning to spend the majority of my time for the next 40 years. That's quite literally 33% more time than I have existed, and the first few years of that I wouldn't really describe as being conscious. I'm in this for the long haul -- sent my second primary in last week. And for anyone who is younger and struggling with this, If I look back on my 20s I've had some massive accomplishments and sweet adventures I could not have pulled off had I gone straight into medicine.
 
Ec310 said:
True. The point I’m making though is that never give up on what you aspire to be. A rejection, other people’s perception, or whatever should not deter you. I’m 29, and yea it’s not ideal that if I don’t get in this cycle I will be looking at matriculating at the age of 31. But at the end of day, whatever. Run your own race and when you finish it’s going to be one h*ll of a good story.
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JPM2012 said:
Yup, same thoughts as everyone else above. I'm 30, first time applicant. I was just talking to a family friend who retired recently at 70 as an oncologist. So I'm looking at how I'm planning to spend the majority of my time for the next 40 years. That's quite literally 33% more time than I have existed, and the first few years of that I wouldn't really describe as being conscious. I'm in this for the long haul -- sent my second primary in last week. And for anyone who is younger and struggling with this, If I look back on my 20s I've had some massive accomplishments and sweet adventures I could not have pulled off had I gone straight into medicine.
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Oh wow, I feel SOOOOO much better about my age yall have no idea! As I had expressed before on here, my gap years were NOT voluntary (family lost everything so I had to go to work to support myself and parents) so I will never have that feeling of "Oh well, I purposely took those gap years to pursue something I wanted", but still good to know I'm not alone age-wise. :cat::cat::cat:
 
Hey everyone, I wanted to share a bit about my story as a way to contribute to this thread as other people's stories always gave me hope during the last few months as I lurked. This application cycle has been an incredibly grueling and unforgiving process for many. Despite receiving my first acceptance this week, I still monitor this thread daily and want to see you guys all get in too.

I am an ORM from California with a 3.3 cGPA and a 509 MCAT. I went to a top school in California for undergrad and graduated 7 years ago. I never thought I would make it to this point and have cried many times over the prospect of leaving medicine. I grew up really poor with a single parent, and can now say that I am the first in my ENTIRE family to go into medicine, if not graduate school in general. I screwed up in college and had some traumatic events happen during that time which contributed to my lower GPA, and felt like my undergrad GPA was going to haunt me for the rest of my life. I have been told repeatedly that my stats are far too low for an ORM but that I should not give up on becoming a doctor, it will just be a very long road to get there. To combat my lower stats, I completed a post-bacc program, and have worked in multiple top ranked hospitals across the country. I re-took the MCAT. I volunteered thousands of hours for various organizations I care about and have worked hard to publish articles and attend conferences. I looked at one of my weaknesses (research) and took a job a few years ago at one of the top institutions in the country to help offset my lack of research experience. Throughout this time, my mom was getting angrier with me for pursuing this dream relentlessly when I was not getting any "real signs" of moving forward towards med school with my app cycles.

I know that not everyone with my stats or even with those with much higher stats will get into medical school but I wanted to say that it IS possible. Do not give up. All you need is ONE school to take a chance on you and I am so extremely grateful to be given this chance to pursue an MD. These gap years have taught me a lot and I know the reasons for this success is the hard work I've put in these past 7 years after college and the support I have had from attendings, PIs, coworkers and even internet strangers. I previously posted a few years ago from another account on Reddit and was met with such support I cried for a few hours after I read some of the private messages. I know this post is just some blurb from an internet stranger but if there is anyone out there who needs to talk or needs support during this really stressful time, I am happy to help in any way I can. Good luck to everyone and thanks again for sharing all of your stories too! 🙂
 
anonymous_premed said:
Hey everyone, I wanted to share a bit about my story as a way to contribute to this thread as other people's stories always gave me hope during the last few months as I lurked. This application cycle has been an incredibly grueling and unforgiving process for many. Despite receiving my first acceptance this week, I still monitor this thread daily and want to see you guys all get in too.

I am an ORM from California with a 3.3 cGPA and a 509 MCAT. I went to a top school in California for undergrad and graduated 7 years ago. I never thought I would make it to this point and have cried many times over the prospect of leaving medicine. I grew up really poor with a single parent, and can now say that I am the first in my ENTIRE family to go into medicine, if not graduate school in general. I screwed up in college and had some traumatic events happen during that time which contributed to my lower GPA, and felt like my undergrad GPA was going to haunt me for the rest of my life. I have been told repeatedly that my stats are far too low for an ORM but that I should not give up on becoming a doctor, it will just be a very long road to get there. To combat my lower stats, I completed a post-bacc program, and have worked in multiple top ranked hospitals across the country. I re-took the MCAT. I volunteered thousands of hours for various organizations I care about and have worked hard to publish articles and attend conferences. I looked at one of my weaknesses (research) and took a job a few years ago at one of the top institutions in the country to help offset my lack of research experience. Throughout this time, my mom was getting angrier with me for pursuing this dream relentlessly when I was not getting any "real signs" of moving forward towards med school with my app cycles.

I know that not everyone with my stats or even with those with much higher stats will get into medical school but I wanted to say that it IS possible. Do not give up. All you need is ONE school to take a chance on you and I am so extremely grateful to be given this chance to pursue an MD. These gap years have taught me a lot and I know the reasons for this success is the hard work I've put in these past 7 years after college and the support I have had from attendings, PIs, coworkers and even internet strangers. I previously posted a few years ago from another account on Reddit and was met with such support I cried for a few hours after I read some of the private messages. I know this post is just some blurb from an internet stranger but if there is anyone out there who needs to talk or needs support during this really stressful time, I am happy to help in any way I can. Good luck to everyone and thanks again for sharing all of your stories too! 🙂
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Congrats fellow CA fam!!
Do you mind PMing the school? It is rough in these streets for us CA premeds...
 
Tetines of Paris said:
Oh wow, I feel SOOOOO much better about my age yall have no idea! As I had expressed before on here, my gap years were NOT voluntary (family lost everything so I had to go to work to support myself and parents) so I will never have that feeling of "Oh well, I purposely took those gap years to pursue something I wanted", but still good to know I'm not alone age-wise. :cat::cat::cat:
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I’m turning 28 in December. Somehow, the years escaped me. 2nd time applicant. Accepted this year. We all have a different path.
 
My school's CTE deadline was earlier this month, but waitlist movement has still not even started, and we've received no updates. This is probably a bad sign for waitlisters, huh?
 
My school said that they are willing to give acceptances to the next 25 people who call the admissions office. It's a T30 school.
 
ph0ebunny said:
My school's CTE deadline was earlier this month, but waitlist movement has still not even started, and we've received no updates. This is probably a bad sign for waitlisters, huh?
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I'm in the exact same boat...
 
I won't say what school though. I want to remain anonymous. But rest assured... it's my school.
 
SecretWombat said:
My school said that they are willing to give acceptances to the next 25 people who call the admissions office. It's a T30 school.
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Why in the world would they do this? Sorry, but this does not sound real.

Are they haven't issues with not enough people CTEing? If so, they have a plethora of people on the WL probably. They have plenty to choose from
 
SecretWombat said:
My school said that they are willing to give acceptances to the next 25 people who call the admissions office. It's a T30 school.
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Yoooo what?! Can you dm me the number? Im not on the waitlist though so idk if it’ll work but worth a shot.

I’ll just explain that im not on the waitlist because I was never offered a spot. But thats their fault for not interviewing me. Granted I should have applied to said school but I think that’s just a formality.
 
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