Wanted to bump this post from user
@damon99 from last cycle, for those of us wondering how to proceed on the alternate list. This is information from a GW Alternate List webinar from March/April 2020:
WEBINAR GW
is the class full? wouldn’t answer except that there will be WL movement
how can i improve my chances? send updates, but choose quality over quantity
upload directly to portal instead of emailing unless you are updating on other school's due dates or something time sensitive
please don’t show up at the school, calling is less effective
is the pool ranked? there is a private internal rank, you won’t know
if you have additional LORs you can have them send to the medadmit email directly, they should not call the office
movement will start by mid april, typically none in march, bulk of movement in may, slows down a LOT in june/july/august
they will eventually close the alternate pool and notify everyone
if you want to be taken out of the alternate pool, it is NOT done in the portal, and you need to send an email. this will also happen if you choose “commit to enroll” at another institution
if you apply for next year it in no way changes your status as an alternate
you may be contacted by email or by phone, ultimate acceptance letter will be sent by email
they may reach out to you and ask you questions if there is “impending” movement
if you will have no phone/email access for extended times, you should reach out to them and identify someone else as a contact for them
they will give you about 24 hours to respond if they reach out to talk to you
more than 3 acceptances by april 15th—> you must drop down to 3 acceptances, you can stay on as many WLs as you choose as long as you don’t choose “commit to enroll”
after April 30th, you must choose 1 acceptance but can still be on as many WLs as you want provided you don’t choose commit to enroll. If you get new offers after that, you typically have about a week to decide
they can always ask you if you are holding spots somewhere and what your priority list is
GW has some institutional financial aid forms to fill out, you should have that ready but DO NOT submit it unless you are accepted
you can only accept an offer from GWs waitlist if the other school you are into you select “plan to enroll” and that other school does not start for at least 3 weeks/21 days
you can tell them about DO deadlines for deposits but they likely won’t move anything because of it
does getting in later off WL affect financial aid package? he claims it doesn’t and it will be expedited, the priority dates are not a problem
they will NOT provide any information on past years on the number of WLs given, number of acceptances off of the WL, and the percentage of people from the current class which came off of the WL.
You can be considered for merit scholarships off of the WL.
Waitlisted students are never allowed to attend second look day, which has been canceled anyways.
There is no way to see past updates, so you should save them yourself so that you are not repeating things, although if you do a little that’s OK.
If you select “plan to enroll” but not “commit to enroll” GW could still see it but won’t see the name of the school. PTE doesn’t “mean a whole lot to them” at GW, so clicking PTE shouldn’t hurt your chances in the alternate pool. You don’t need to tread carefully with PTE, but you DO need to tread carefully with commit to enroll because then they can’t extend you an offer.
If you are not accepted off the waitlist, there is no formal different consideration if you reapply, but it’s “never a bad thing” and the adcom does see it.
There isn’t one particular day that the adcom meets or sends out decisions
