yup and its tough because even some of the clinical jobs that are available in my area, my family wont let me do while i live under their roof, since they are high risk. I totally get it, but i just feel like schools wont be as understanding next cycle about why I havent been able to do much to improve myself experience wise. i wish i had the money to live alone so I could help out in some capacity, but i do not. :/
2020-2021 Waitlist Support Thread
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On 2 WL. Last year I made the mistake of holding out hope too long as I was on 3 WL and never got off and applied very late this cycle as a result. So I’m just gonna take it as 2 R’s and keep it pushing. I want to be early and prepared this cycle. Hopefully I’ll be pleasantly surprised but not counting on it. Texas apps open in 9 days.... I’m sick hahahahahaha. Round 3 here we come yeehaw
same. also, i have a question about PS and the activities for AMCAS. If we don't have any major "new" events that happened to us, can we reuse our personal statement and activities?
From my understanding each cycle u should update ur PS. Nothing drastic but at least change the intro and a few minor things throughout Bc if they see the exact same PS word for word it’s not a good look. I would put enough to make it evident to the ADCOM that u have evolved and matured since last cycle. I think we r good to reuse activities tho, I re-used a good amount of mine this cycle, I just updated the meaningful activities to spice it up a little
There is essentially no reason to pay for Netflix these days. I'm just too lazy to tell my mom to cancel it because walking her through the steps that I predict this will take sounds exhausting lol.
Just here to say how sad I am that I’ve decided to drop $2000+ on an mcat course to reapply even though I’m on 3 waitlists 😭
does anyone anticipate any WL movement this upcoming next week? or should we not expect anything until after April 30th. ?
Despite the fact that my anxiety keeps telling me to ask people the same question, the answer is basically in two parts. (1) There might be some movement in this next week, but don't get your expectations up too high because there is nothing really forcing the movement. (2) The April 30th deadline forces people to narrow down their acceptances to 1, so on/after that point, people will be dropping their additional acceptances and [maybe some] WL spots - this is where we'll see bulk movement.
I'm waitlisted, which I'm happy for (lower end stats, interviewed 3/5), but this waiting is killing me. Any tips on what all documents to have prepared for an A?
Immunizations (which hopefully you are currently working on completing, especially the Hep B one) and final transcripts. Not sure of anything else as specific schools may require certain things for their own records
WL at my only II 
i am crushed but also rewritting my PS tomorrow...
feeling hopeless, trying to not lose hope but not be too hopeful.... does that make sense?
i am crushed but also rewritting my PS tomorrow...feeling hopeless, trying to not lose hope but not be too hopeful.... does that make sense?
5 WL, still waiting to hear back from 2 schools. my anxiety is at an all time high. what're you all doing to make it through the next few weeks?
keep ur chin up bro. i'm on 2 WL with 0 A's so far and i just been trying to re-study for the mcat in case i need to re-apply but ngl its hard to focus when all your hopes and prayers are on these WL's. no clue how to make these next 2-3 weeks go by.
Do you really attribute your no A’s to your mcat score since after all you got to WLs? Mcat retest is a low reward effort since so many schools will average the scores anyway. This means you really only get 1/2 point credit for each real point you go up.
I would think further investing in ECs and your essays would have higher value to a reapplication.
Just wondering, how do you know if schools average out the MCAT scores? And if that’s the case, do you happen to know which schools openly admitted to averaging?
Schools typically state how they look at multiple scores on their website. Tbh I have never heard of a school averaging scores, but thats just me. It seems to be the case that they usually just consider the latest test, even if its not your best score. They may also look at trajectory of scores. You just have to do research on each school to see how they look at multiple scores
yes, it's usually on their website. most schools that I know of don't average and take the highest but of course, there may be other schools that avg scores
People say this because averaging is what is recommended by AAMC. The truth is that no one knows for sure what will happen, because individual adcom members can also do what they want, no matter what the school's official policy is.
The bottom line is no one can say that a retake is a low yield effort without knowing what the original score was, how many IIs were received, and what the results were. It would be kind of pointless for someone with a 517 gunning for a 520+, who had 6 IIs and no As. It would make a lot of sense for someone with a 508 who thinks they could hit 512+ on a retake, who had 2 IIs and no success. Blanket statements are worthless without details.
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I feel like poo poo, I just wanna know!!! Like damn even if it’s a no just let me know!!!! Tired of this wait. Who tf designed this app process??? What a ****show
Maybe we could form a band called the poopoo band and we could be the next BTS or One direction or something..
Our hit songs could be "Waiting on the List" or "Silent Rejection"
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
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
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
hope everybody's out enjoying themselves this weekend. crazy how much some exercise can help get your mind off of the WL debacle!
Your profile pic resonates with me on a level that I’m uncomfortable with lol
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.
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
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.
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?
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.
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.
Feels like the time between last week and this week went by much slower in anticipation of the 30th
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
