2020-2021 Waitlist Support Thread

[bigsgr]

i, too, feel like poo poo

ya...doesn't help that AMCAS opens in a month....really shoulda been a 2month grace period

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[Julatteluver]

ya...doesn't help that AMCAS opens in a month....really shoulda been a 2month grace period

LOL, my parents were so confused when I told them that cycles overlap for med school application. Honestly, I am still confused about it too

 

[Earthworm Slim]

LOL, my parents were so confused when I told them that cycles overlap for med school application. Honestly, I am still confused about it too

I’m always confused.

 

[tearsforfears]

 

[vpetty28]

Hi guys, I was wondering if anyone has heard of any movement on the WL for VCOM- Virginia. It is my top school and would love to get a seat

 

[amzer-zo_hasta-buan]

WL at three TX schools and one in AZ. I saw movement at my top choice (3 ppl posted about getting As this week) and it's somehow making me less hopeful because there are now three fewer spots available. There's no winning here

 

[NoEyeEyeGuy]

hope everybody's out enjoying themselves this weekend. crazy how much some exercise can help get your mind off of the WL debacle!

 

[bigsgr]

hope everybody's out enjoying themselves this weekend. crazy how much some exercise can help get your mind off of the WL debacle!

or booze lol

 

[Lychiisa]

This last stretch until May 1st has honestly been so slow! 😩

 

[coldkid101]

or booze lol

Why not both. Concurrently 🙃

 

[0rion]

This last stretch until May 1st has honestly been so slow! 😩

Your profile pic resonates with me on a level that I’m uncomfortable with lol

 

[KnightDoc]

WL at three TX schools and one in AZ. I saw movement at my top choice (3 ppl posted about getting As this week) and it's somehow making me less hopeful because there are now three fewer spots available. There's no winning here

I don't want to sound like too much of a rah-rah cheerleader, but I'd look at it like this. You are much better off than if nobody posted about getting As, because you are now AT LEAST 3 calls closer to getting one yourself. Who knows what 3 SDN calls translates to in the real world?

It sucks that you weren't one of the people who received a call. Your relative place on the WL is now fixed, and the fact that they are actually making calls puts you in a better position than if they weren't, which is certainly the case at many schools. Just hang in there. What happened last week is likely nothing compared to what will probably happen in the beginning of May.

 

[Talldoctor96]

I don't want to sound like too much of a rah-rah cheerleader, but I'd look at it like this. You are much better off than if nobody posted about getting As, because you are now AT LEAST 3 calls closer to getting one yourself. Who knows what 3 SDN calls translates to in the real world?

It sucks that you weren't one of the people who received a call. Your relative place on the WL is now fixed, and the fact that they are actually making calls puts you in a better position than if they weren't, which is certainly the case at many schools. Just hang in there. What happened last week is likely nothing compared to what will probably happen in the beginning of May.

The honest truth is you honestly would just be happier if you signed off from SDN. As someone who sat on the 4 WL for months and didn't get in, I can promise you there is nothing healthy, helpful, or positive in anyway at this point looking at the school specific threads for WL movement. You are either going to get the call or you are not. And watching other people do it for months and not getting it yourself is a bad bad feeling. And it only gets worse.

 

[deleted936329]

The honest truth is you honestly would just be happier if you signed off from SDN. As someone who sat on the 4 WL for months and didn't get in, I can promise you there is nothing healthy, helpful, or positive in anyway at this point looking at the school specific threads for WL movement. You are either going to get the call or you are not. And watching other people do it for months and not getting it yourself is a bad bad feeling. And it only gets worse.

I couldn't agree more. Yet I'm still not following this advice rn haha

I think we sort of play into this due to our human nature. We do some things that we know aren't that great for ourselves long term because we just want to have that instant gratification. In this case we fill that neurotic void we have by constantly checking SDN but end up only increasing our worry the longer we do it haha

It's definitely hard for me to have that willpower to not think about these uncertain things such as the WL
But I do believe we all could be happier if we followed @Talldoctor96 's advice
It's easier said than done though lol

And I wish you all the best with the end of April approaching

 

[lanadelgay124]

The honest truth is you honestly would just be happier if you signed off from SDN. As someone who sat on the 4 WL for months and didn't get in, I can promise you there is nothing healthy, helpful, or positive in anyway at this point looking at the school specific threads for WL movement. You are either going to get the call or you are not. And watching other people do it for months and not getting it yourself is a bad bad feeling. And it only gets worse.

This is the best advice. If/when you're pulled from a waitlist, the school will make sure you know about. They'll email or call, and it'll be on your portal; there's no way to miss it.

I'm on a waitlist at my top choice, and I finally (for the most part) ignored the school-specific thread because it was anxiety-inducing and made me feel just . . . ****ty. It's worse when there's WL movement, honestly, and I'm not part of it. It's better to be blissfully unaware, and potentially super surprised and pumped when that call comes.

 

[NNH2018]

For those of you considering reapplication, do you think we can reach out to schools about asking for application help? I had success with two schools last year, (the vast majority said no) but I'm afraid asking schools for things can come off negatively. I know that if you are an active applicant (in-cycle or on a waitlist) they cannot help you, but is there any harm in reaching out to schools where you already received an R?

 

[KnightDoc]

For those of you considering reapplication, do you think we can reach out to schools about asking for application help? I had success with two schools last year, (the vast majority said no) but I'm afraid asking schools for things can come off negatively. I know that if you are an active applicant (in-cycle or on a waitlist) they cannot help you, but is there any harm in reaching out to schools where you already received an R?

I don't see the harm, since you are now out of play. As you experienced last year, the vast majority will blow you off anyway, and those that might be willing to help might be too busy right now, but there is absolutely no reason not to ask after you receive a R. JMHO, but I'd do it if I were you.

Why do think it might be perceived negatively?

 

[Hello_There_117]

I don't think there is harm in reaching out to a school that already gave you the R. Both of the schools I have been rejected at post-II were happy to give feedback so I'd say it's worth a shot.

 

[NNH2018]

I don't see the harm, since you are now out of play. As you experienced last year, the vast majority will blow you off anyway, and those that might be willing to help might be too busy right now, but there is absolutely no reason not to ask after you receive a R. JMHO, but I'd do it if I were you.

Why do think it might be perceived negatively?

Some of the messages I received from the schools last year in response to my question sounded pretty annoyed. Also, I've just been taught to never email the admissions committee unless absolutely necessary. I'm never really sure what may or may not hurt my chances.

 

[KnightDoc]

Some of the messages I received from the schools last year in response to my question sounded pretty annoyed. Also, I've just been taught to never email the admissions committee unless absolutely necessary. I'm never really sure what may or may not hurt my chances.

FWIW, and I've not yet applied, but I assumed you'd be reaching out to the office staff, and not the adcom itself. Is that what you are talking about?

If so, while I would never go out of my way to annoy anyone (other than maybe some of my fans on SDN and reddit ), I think the risk/reward dictates taking the shot after you have already been rejected. At that point, what do you have to lose? Another application with no direction after a rejection?

IMHO, if they not only refuse to help, but actually get annoyed that you are asking, maybe just cross them off your list and devote your time, money and effort to another of the 150+ schools in AAMC. This is an extremely competitive, emotionally draining experience. It is far from unreasonable to ask for a little constructive criticism and guidance after a failed cycle.

 

[thebillymed]

Feels like the time between last week and this week went by much slower in anticipation of the 30th

 

[shaquille.oatmeal]

yeah agreed ^ do you guys think anything will happen this week or will things just be quiet until after april 30?

 

[0rion]

yeah agreed ^ do you guys think anything will happen this week or will things just be quiet until after april 30?

My mental state could really use some movement this week lol

 

[Meowster007]

We have to account for mvmt that is happening and people not reporting on sdn or reddit so I am sure some peeps are getting something

 

[KnightDoc]

We have to account for mvmt that is happening and people not reporting on sdn or reddit so I am sure some peeps are getting something

Absolutely!! SDN is merely a non-representative barometer, not an accurate reporting vehicle.

I just wanted to wish you all luck as you enter the home stretch the next few weeks. If the past two years are a guide, more and more people are going to drop excess As as 4/30 approaches, and WL movement is going to start to pick up over the next month or so, peaking in the first two weeks of May.

The first wave will be caused by people dropping existing As between now and 4/30, with the next wave being caused by people who receive an A off a WL in the next few weeks either dropping it or the A they hold on 4/30. Just remember -- every seat is going to be filled by the time classes begin. Once a school has reduced the number of outstanding As down to its class size, every single A after the first one held by someone is ultimately going to result in someone without an A receiving a call! It might take a few waves to get there, but this is what happens between now and orientation at every school.

I have a feeling, based on SDN posts from this time in both 2018 and 2019, that many of you are going to receive good news in the next few weeks. I sure hope so, since I don't want to have to compete with you guys next cycle!!!

 

[deleted1057987]

My mental state could really use some movement this week lol

I think I’ll lose my mind even more if I see movement that doesn’t involve me 🤧

 

[TYJC16]

WL at three TX schools and one in AZ. I saw movement at my top choice (3 ppl posted about getting As this week) and it's somehow making me less hopeful because there are now three fewer spots available. There's no winning here

I've had dreams where

Absolutely!! SDN is merely a non-representative barometer, not an accurate reporting vehicle.

I just wanted to wish you all luck as you enter the home stretch the next few weeks. If the past two years are a guide, more and more people are going to drop excess As as 4/30 approaches, and WL movement is going to start to pick up over the next month or so, peaking in the first two weeks of May.

The first wave will be caused by people dropping existing As between now and 4/30, with the next wave being caused by people who receive an A off a WL in the next few weeks either dropping it or the A they hold on 4/30. Just remember -- every seat is going to be filled by the time classes begin. Once a school has reduced the number of outstanding As down to its class size, every single A after the first one held by someone is ultimately going to result in someone without an A receiving a call! it might take a few waves to get there, but this is what happens between now and orientation at every school.

I have a feeling, based on SDN posts from this time in both 2018 and 2019, that many of you are going to receive good news in the next few weeks. I sure hope so, since I don't want to have to compete with you guys next cycle!!!

Thanks for this post! This WL thread has been a nice corner on SDN of encouragement/positivity for all of us still waiting.

Praying for all of us in the upcoming weeks!! Our time is coming

 

[thebillymed]

Absolutely!! SDN is merely a non-representative barometer, not an accurate reporting vehicle.

I just wanted to wish you all luck as you enter the home stretch the next few weeks. If the past two years are a guide, more and more people are going to drop excess As as 4/30 approaches, and WL movement is going to start to pick up over the next month or so, peaking in the first two weeks of May.

The first wave will be caused by people dropping existing As between now and 4/30, with the next wave being caused by people who receive an A off a WL in the next few weeks either dropping it or the A they hold on 4/30. Just remember -- every seat is going to be filled by the time classes begin. Once a school has reduced the number of outstanding As down to its class size, every single A after the first one held by someone is ultimately going to result in someone without an A receiving a call! It might take a few waves to get there, but this is what happens between now and orientation at every school.

I have a feeling, based on SDN posts from this time in both 2018 and 2019, that many of you are going to receive good news in the next few weeks. I sure hope so, since I don't want to have to compete with you guys next cycle!!!

Good luck everyone!

 

[NoEyeEyeGuy]

Good luck everyone!

dare i say? ....................................lets get this bread!

 

[Microbe_Hunter]

I cant handle this anymore. Im on 5 WL with 1 highpriority WL. Do you guys think my chances are good? Im seriously losing it

 

[KnightDoc]

I cant handle this anymore. Im on 5 WL with 1 highpriority WL. Do you guys think my chances are good? Im seriously losing it

Yes! Nobody who is not on your schools' adcoms can say for sure, but with 5 WLs, including 1 HPWL, you are statistically likely to convert 1 or 2 of them into As (especially the HPWL!), based on average conversion rates of IIs into As, which include people being called off WLs. I really think you are in pretty decent shape.

 

[shaquille.oatmeal]

what about if you're only on two unranked waitlsits, what are the chances then lol ?

 

[Microbe_Hunter]

Yes! Nobody who is not on your schools' adcoms can say for sure, but with 5 WLs, including 1 HPWL, you are statistically likely to convert 1 or 2 of them into As (especially the HPWL!), based on average conversion rates of IIs into As, which include people being called off WLs. I really think you are in pretty decent shape.

Thanks Knightdoc , I need some hopium for the weeks ahead

 

[TheMCATWorther112]

Yes! Nobody who is not on your schools' adcoms can say for sure, but with 5 WLs, including 1 HPWL, you are statistically likely to convert 1 or 2 of them into As (especially the HPWL!), based on average conversion rates of IIs into As, which include people being called off WLs. I really think you are in pretty decent shape.

Only thing that makes me doubt this optimism is the number of members on various schools' Class of 2025 Facebook Groups. I took a look at some of the FB groups for the Class of 2025 at a few of my WL schools, and they are all either just at the school's entering class capacity or even over it by 20-30+ people. It made me question how much WL movement actually occurs, and perhaps served as a reminder that WL movement is truly minimal at each school as each school has already offered As at or above class capacity.

Feel free to combat this line of thinking, I'd be happy to hear.

 

[bluecar06]

Only thing that makes me doubt this optimism is the number of members on various schools' Class of 2025 Facebook Groups. I took a look at some of the FB groups for the Class of 2025 at a few of my WL schools, and they are all either just at the school's entering class capacity or even over it by 20-30+ people. It made me question how much WL movement actually occurs, and perhaps served as a reminder that WL movement is truly minimal at each school as each school has already offered As at or above class capacity.

Feel free to combat this line of thinking, I'd be happy to hear.

Many current students and graduating MS4's join the FB group to promote programs, sell their apartment room, etc.

Students who also were accepted a while ago but decided to go elsewhere may have never left the group.

 

[Julatteluver]

Only thing that makes me doubt this optimism is the number of members on various schools' Class of 2025 Facebook Groups. I took a look at some of the FB groups for the Class of 2025 at a few of my WL schools, and they are all either just at the school's entering class capacity or even over it by 20-30+ people. It made me question how much WL movement actually occurs, and perhaps served as a reminder that WL movement is truly minimal at each school as each school has already offered As at or above class capacity.

Feel free to combat this line of thinking, I'd be happy to hear.

FB group member, in my humble opinion, is a pretty bad method to gauge the school’s class capacity. First, it’s not just newly entering class who are in the fb group, there has to be faculty and student members who are there to guide the new kiddos. Plus a lot of accepted kids join fb once they are accepted (especially since we couldnt visit the campus or interact with anyone), and leave once they commit to a diff place!

 

[KnightDoc]

what about if you're only on two unranked waitlsits, what are the chances then lol ?

Obviously, not as good as 5 WLs with one HPWL, but still far above zero!

It's a blind guess, since we don't know exactly what's in your file, or how it compares to everyone else on your WLs, but it's a rough rule of thumb that says 3 IIs = 1 A. It comes from the fact that post-II A rates vary from around 15% to around 75%, with 33% being a conservative estimate across all schools.

This doesn't mean you can't convert a single II into an A, or that someone with 10 IIs can't strike out, but, it's an average that holds up pretty well across 50,000+ applicants every year. Good luck!!!

 

[NoEyeEyeGuy]

im putting myself in the shoes of someone with multiple A's. I think i'd join all the FB groups just to get a vibe check, or some additional information that would potentially help me make a decision.

 

[deleted1087429]

Hi everyone. Just found this thread. My people!! lol. I'm on 3 WLs right now, including at my top choice. I looked at the thread from last year at my top choice and there was a LOT of movement on April 30th (which was a Thursday) and on May 1. I'm hoping for the best for this Friday, while also expecting the worst so I don't get too emotionally invested. This cycle has been... a lot... to say the least. I'm glad it's almost over.

 

[emily3590]

Just bumping this spreadsheet in the hopes that there's some good news and people can add their As!



Here is the Google Form to add your As! 2021 MD Waitlist Acceptance Tracker

 

[Loves puppies]

Does anyone have the tracker for acceptances? I can't seem to find it anywhere!

 

[proudofmykids]

We have to account for mvmt that is happening and people not reporting on sdn or reddit so I am sure some peeps are getting something

You have to look for Indirect clues that something is happening. Watch the X vs. Y forum, Especially after April 30. And less so, the school threads via new questions about program details this late in the decision process.

 

[proudofmykids]

Only thing that makes me doubt this optimism is the number of members on various schools' Class of 2025 Facebook Groups. I took a look at some of the FB groups for the Class of 2025 at a few of my WL schools, and they are all either just at the school's entering class capacity or even over it by 20-30+ people. It made me question how much WL movement actually occurs, and perhaps served as a reminder that WL movement is truly minimal at each school as each school has already offered As at or above class capacity.

Feel free to combat this line of thinking, I'd be happy to hear.

I’ve posted about this before. Let’s say five similar schools each only offered 100 As for 100 seats each. If the schools are in fact quite similar, there is a good chance that there is not insignificant overlap of candidates who received As at multiple of the schools. In aggregate, there would therefore be a deficit and need to draw from the WL. The higher ranked the schools are, the more likely this occurs.p due to the bell curve shape of stats.

 

[NoEyeEyeGuy]

I’ve posted about this before. Let’s say five similar schools each only offered 100 As for 100 seats each. If the schools are in fact quite similar, there is a good chance that there is not insignificant overlap of candidates who received As at multiple of the schools. In aggregate, there would therefore be a deficit and need to draw from the WL. The higher ranked the schools are, the more likely this occurs.p due to the bell curve shape of stats.

interesting point, i would have originally thought that it would be the opposite, that the higher ranked the school is the higher their yields tend to be. Therefore i wouldve thought that schools in the top 10-20 have pretty insignificant movement. wouldve thought that lower, middle of the pack schools would have the most cause the top candidates likely have A's there, as well as at the top schools. im sure there's data for this somewhere, i havent looked into it

 

[ThatsAmore]

So can we also assume that low yield schools with over 10,000 apps in a normal cycle will also see more WL movement this cycle? I’m thinking that a lot of high stat applicants with a lot of acceptances would apply to those types of schools as well

 

[Julatteluver]

It's a blind guess, since we don't know exactly what's in your file, or how it compares to everyone else on your WLs, but it's a rough rule of thumb that says 3 IIs = 1 A. It comes from the fact that post-II A rates vary from around 15% to around 75%, with 33% being a conservative

So can we also assume that low yield schools with over 10,000 apps in a normal cycle will also see more WL movement this cycle? I’m thinking that a lot of high stat applicants with a lot of acceptances would apply to those types of schools as well

As someone with 3 WLs and one of them is from low yield school (top choice), I’m loving you guys’ statements. ✨confirmation bias✨

 

[deleted1057987]

So can we also assume that low yield schools with over 10,000 apps in a normal cycle will also see more WL movement this cycle? I’m thinking that a lot of high stat applicants with a lot of acceptances would apply to those types of schools as well

This is what I’m hoping for! My low yield only md interview had a lot of high stat people accepted and I’ve seen some of them withdraw already...hoping for the best🤧

 

[lanadelgay124]

Only thing that makes me doubt this optimism is the number of members on various schools' Class of 2025 Facebook Groups. I took a look at some of the FB groups for the Class of 2025 at a few of my WL schools, and they are all either just at the school's entering class capacity or even over it by 20-30+ people. It made me question how much WL movement actually occurs, and perhaps served as a reminder that WL movement is truly minimal at each school as each school has already offered As at or above class capacity.

Feel free to combat this line of thinking, I'd be happy to hear.

As someone who was only just reminded to leave the fb groups of the schools I withdrew from (thanks lol), I can say that some people stay in multiple school's fb groups until April 30th, until they have all of their questions answered/financial aid/etc.

 

[armaragon]

Can't believe we're so close to April 30th...I'm scared.

 

[TheDirtiestDiaper]

Can't believe we're so close to April 30th...I'm scared.

So close, but still so far away