2020-2021 Waitlist Support Thread

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Mungmoong said:
Anyone else's WL school also seem like historically the school had a lot of WL movement by now but this year it's close to being silent on sdn...? SLU had a lot more WL movement in previous years... but there has been one sdn post who got off the WL for this entire week 😢😢😢 is the class full..
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YES. And I am scared. Like is this year really THAT much different? I keep telling myself they’re just a little slow this year....
 
Otterly said:
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-8255

Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 or message us on Facebook Messenger.
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Wanted to let people know that you do not have to be in a life or death crisis to reach out

Crisis counselors are willing to talk with anyone no matter what
If you’re feeling like you just want to vent to someone random over the phone or through chat, please don’t hesitate to reach out

I’m loving the support the community is demonstrating here ❤️
 
Mungmoong said:
Anyone else's WL school also seem like historically the school had a lot of WL movement by now but this year it's close to being silent on sdn...? SLU had a lot more WL movement in previous years... but there has been one sdn post who got off the WL for this entire week 😢😢😢 is the class full..
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I keep telling myself that they're just running a bit late! I know schools have been a bit flexible this year with PTE. Hopefully good news will come next week!!! HODL!!!
 
anotherdude said:
I keep telling myself that they're just running a bit late! I know schools have been a bit flexible this year with PTE. Hopefully good news will come next week!!! HODL!!!
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Me hanging on to my WL like
1620424779353.gif
 
koki22z said:
I’m on 3 WL, 2 have been silent (that I know of), the other has had a fair bit of movement. You’re probably right, it’s easy to forget that it’s only been one week. Historically both silent schools have had lots of movement May 2 and 3 though, which makes me more cynical than I would otherwise be.
I do appreciate the vote of confidence though, maybe I shouldn’t write myself off just yet!
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Definitely not. You have nothing to lose by giving it at least until the end of the month. By then, if you are not one of the fortunate ones who come here every day to report success, it might be time to reassess, although, as many people have reported, good things DO continue to happen right through the summer.
 
KnightDoc said:
Definitely not. You have nothing to lose by giving it at least until the end of the month. By then, if you are not one of the fortunate ones who come here every day to report success, it might be time to reassess, although, as many people have reported, good things DO continue to happen right through the summer.
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Knightdoc do you anticipate bigly WL movement next week?? 😎
 
SicilianDragon said:
Anyone else feel like they're stuck in this weird loop where you're living the same day over and over and over again?
  • Wake up, check emails and SDN school threads
  • Go to work, constantly refreshing emails and SDN threads
  • Develop a feeling of hopefulness while you see movement in your school's WL
  • Hopefulness slowly replaced by depression and anxiety as 5PM arrives
  • Eat, shower, cry, wonder what else you can do and why life is so cruel, sleep
  • *Rinse and repeat the next day...
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No joke this is my exact day everyday
 
amzer-zo_hasta-buan said:
Yeah I think the general consensus is that once you send one, that's the only one you should ever send during that cycle. Otherwise it undermines the power of that letter.
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This^^^^^.

The bottom line, at least according to all of the adcoms, is that the horse has already left the barn on these. We keep writing them because we feel like we need to do something. The power of the letter has been destroyed over the years. It is gone.

People keep posting questions regarding the ethics of screwing around with these. For every person who makes a post asking, there are probably at least 10 other people just writing Letters of Intent to all of their WL schools without checking in with us.

Schools have been burned repeatedly by these over the years. Adcoms who contribute here tell us they receive little to no weight. So, the answer is, don't worry about the ethics. Do whatever you want. It really doesn't matter.

Two weeks before classes start, if you are still on a WL, it will make a difference. Right now, it won't, because your mind will keep changing with each new opportunity you receive between now and your CTE date, and all schools know this, through experience.
 
tahinitajin said:
I'm scared that if I send an LOI to a school that they'll be more willing to accept me later on in the cycle. They'll know I'll say yes no matter what so they'll go through everyone else on the WL first and then when they're desperate bcus someone drops the A in like late july then they'll go to me. Bcus they know I'll fill the seat. Or am I just paranoid?

Also they might be less willing to give me any financial aid since they know I'll go no matter what
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Yes, you're paranoid. They'll take you when your number comes up. An LOI isn't going to hurt, but it's also probably not going to motivate anyone to take you out of turn. If they wait until the end, and you are an attractive candidate, the risk is you will no longer be available.

As for aid, you're already in a weak position in May with zero As. If you have need and they have money available, you should receive it anyway. If not, not. Whether or not you write LOIs, with no As in May, schools know they don't have to throw money at you to get you excited to attend.
 
Felt really optimistic after meeting with my therapist today about being on 3 waitlists. Just checked my school-specific threads and have seen there's been very minimal movement. I'm so unbelievably frustrated at this sh*tshow of a cycle, and that my 2018 MCAT will expire at some schools should I have to reapply a *fourth* time. This is so unbelievably unfair and I know my family is going to be so disappointed in me. Gonna watch RuPaul's Drag race to try to numb the pain. Love y'all.
 
Doglover6900 said:
Felt really optimistic after meeting with my therapist today about being on 3 waitlists. Just checked my school-specific threads and have seen there's been very minimal movement. I'm so unbelievably frustrated at this sh*tshow of a cycle, and that my 2018 MCAT will expire at some schools should I have to reapply a *fourth* time. This is so unbelievably unfair and I know my family is going to be so disappointed in me. Gonna watch RuPaul's Drag race to try to numb the pain. Love y'all.
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I promise you no one will be disappointed in you! This is the absolute hardest admissions process in the country! Just having the will and perseverance to apply 4 times says a lot about you as an individual!!! You are absolutely loved and cherished! Clear eyes, full heart, can't lose my friend!
 
I wish you could push the “periodic table” button to open and close the periodic table window on the mcat.

you know just thoughts coming to my head studying for my retake in case none of my 3 waitlists come through for me. ❤️
 
Microbe_Hunter said:
Knightdoc do you anticipate bigly WL movement next week?? 😎
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Okay everyone -- here is next week's projection, courtesy of yours truly:

First off, I have to say this because it isn't said enough around here. You guys really are amazing, and don't give yourselves enough credit because you constantly compare yourselves to the rock stars in the SDN universe.

Over 60,000 people applied this cycle, which makes this one of the most competitive cycles EVER, including going back decades, when there were thousands fewer seats than today. Just getting a single II is an accomplishment in this environment, and multiple IIs even more so.

While some schools don't reject anyone post-II, others do. You know which category your schools fall into, so you know where you should feel proud just to be here on 5/7, having interviewed and still being in the game. Yes, it sucks to not yet have an A, but, it really could be so much worse, and is, for tens of thousands of people who applied alongside you this cycle.

That said, some trends did reveal themselves this week and the end of last. Some schools saw very healthy WL movement while many, unexpectedly, did not. Some school threads are reporting schools either being fully subscribed or even over subscribed.

This does not mean WL movement is going to fall off a cliff next week, but it does signal that this year isn't going to be that different from prior years, despite hopes for an explosion of movement due to virtual interviewing. It turns out a ton of top candidates weren't hogging a bunch of As that were destined to be released around 4/30, and schools' yields did not drop precipitously. In fact, some unexpectedly rose.

Next week, schools that didn't make calls last week but have vacancies will get off their butts and make calls. Some of them will have vacancies created by people who were called off other WLs this week. Others will be from people who received calls this week but turned them down. It looks like it will be the typical pattern. Not less than last year, but, it's not looking like it's going to be more, at least not at most schools.

This is not terrible, and the next few weeks should still see significant movement. Just keep in mind, every seat has to be filled, and no one can fill more than one. Also keep in mind that a record number of people applied this year, and some schools compensated by interviewing more people. At the same time, more seats were not created.

So, more people interviewed, resulting in more people being on WLs, in preparation for a potential decrease in yield that doesn't seem to have manifested. This might make it seem like there is less movement, but there isn't. There just might end up being more people vying to benefit from the same movement.

Time will tell. It isn't over until it's over. A stitch in time save nine. Caveat emptor. YMMV. Most importantly -- have faith in yourselves. You survived a brutal, miserable year, and a brutal, miserable cycle. Hang in for a few more weeks, and allow whatever is destined to happen to happen. GOOD LUCK!!!
 
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Is the WL movement less because most schools over accepted their A’s? So more applications led to more interviews and then to more acceptances? So when the dust settles and the applicants settle in their PTE, the school will be close to their class size?

Is it possible that Adcoms gave more A’s than previous cycles knowing this dynamic this year?
 
atdr2020 said:
Is the WL movement less because most schools over accepted their A’s? So more applications led to more interviews and then to more acceptances? So when the dust settles and the applicants settle in their PTE, the school will be close to their class size?

Is it possible that Adcoms gave more A’s than previous cycles knowing this dynamic this year?
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I’ve heard conflicting anecdotes from school representatives who reported actually under-extending acceptance offers. Regardless of which schools are actually doing this, the fact that they are only means that the students who get accepted as a result of that will withdraw their apps elsewhere and allow waitlist movement at those other schools.
 
atdr2020 said:
Is the WL movement less because most schools over accepted their A’s? So more applications led to more interviews and then to more acceptances? So when the dust settles and the applicants settle in their PTE, the school will be close to their class size?

Is it possible that Adcoms gave more A’s than previous cycles knowing this dynamic this year?
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Very possible that they must have thought more people will decline. I have not been following this thread. But is the WL movement very less in all school overall so far?
 
r2med said:
Very possible that they must have thought more people will decline. I have not been following this thread. But is the WL movement very less in all school overall so far?
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Yes, it seems to be. But also very school dependent
 
atdr2020 said:
Is the WL movement less because most schools over accepted their A’s? So more applications led to more interviews and then to more acceptances? So when the dust settles and the applicants settle in their PTE, the school will be close to their class size?

Is it possible that Adcoms gave more A’s than previous cycles knowing this dynamic this year?
Click to expand...
So far, the movement hasn't really been less. It just hasn't been more.

Nobody gave more As in response to more applications, without increasing their class size. What would this accomplish if they don't have room for everyone?

Some gave more IIs, which resulted in larger WLs. Some gave fewer As out of an abundance of caution. Others gave around the same. There has been WL movement, and it will continue.

While it's not less than prior years, it also, at least so far, doesn't seem to be more, and that is disappointing a lot of people who were hoping under accepting and larger WLs would lead to more WL movement than in the past. On the other hand, it is still very early.
 
KnightDoc said:
So far, the movement hasn't really been less. It just hasn't been more.

Nobody gave more As in response to more applications, without increasing their class size. What would this accomplish if they don't have room for everyone?

Some gave more IIs, which resulted in larger WLs. Some gave fewer As out of an abundance of caution. Others gave around the same. There has been WL movement, and it will continue.

While it's not less than prior years, it also, at least so far, doesn't seem to be more, and that is disappointing a lot of people who were hoping under accepting and larger WLs would lead to more WL movement than in the past. On the other hand, it is still very early.
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I already gave up lmao
 
KnightDoc said:
Some gave more IIs, which resulted in larger WLs.
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Since interviews were all online this cycle, which is way easier and less time consumming for schools, schools may have given out more II than in the past. This may have resulted in a school puting more applicants on their WL and/or hand out more Rs, but the the nuber of As for the school will stay approxiately the same as in previous years. Bigger WL is not good, but more people having multiple As is good because that may result in more WL movement as CTE dates approaches.
 
KnightDoc said:
So far, the movement hasn't really been less. It just hasn't been more.

Nobody gave more As in response to more applications, without increasing their class size. What would this accomplish if they don't have room for everyone?

Some gave more IIs, which resulted in larger WLs. Some gave fewer As out of an abundance of caution. Others gave around the same. There has been WL movement, and it will continue.

While it's not less than prior years, it also, at least so far, doesn't seem to be more, and that is disappointing a lot of people who were hoping under accepting and larger WLs would lead to more WL movement than in the past. On the other hand, it is still very early.
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Could you please kind enough to point us to sources for

1. "Nobody gave more As"
2. Some gave fewers As, Others gave around the same.
3. It's not been less than prior years.
 
r2med said:
Could you please kind enough to point us to sources for

1. "Nobody gave more As"
2. Some gave fewers As, Others gave around the same.
3. It's not been less than prior years.
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1. No source. JMHO. Do you have any reason whatsoever to believe that any school that did not either have more seats to offer or a reason to believe that its yield would be lower (and a corresponding willingness to risk ending up over subscribed) would issue more As in response to having more applicants?

No adcom has announced that it would do so, and no anecdotal reports have emerged that As increased at any school. The data you are asking for will be published in the spring of 2022.

2. The few school specific threads where adcoms or others in a position to know stated that initial As would either be the same, or maybe slightly less than prior years, with possible increased use of the WL, if necessary. No one, anywhere, other than you, threw out the possibility that initial As might actually increase as a response to increased applications.

3. This very thread, in addition to many school specific threads. You'll have to do the work yourself to verify what I'm observing by looking at any threads you choose and comparing them to the same thread at the same time in 2019 or 2020.
 
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MDMechEngr said:
Since interviews were all online this cycle, which is way easier and less time consumming for schools, schools may have given out more II than in the past. This may have resulted in a school puting more applicants on their WL and/or hand out more Rs, but the the nuber of As for the school will stay approxiately the same as in previous years. Bigger WL is not good, but more people having multiple As is good because that may result in more WL movement as CTE dates approaches.
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Not exactly. This was the theory with respect to PTE (that more people would have more multiple As due to virtual interviewing), but it hasn't really panned out yet, which suggests it might not have happened.

The speculation about CTE happens every year, and every year it's wrong.

Other than people who were just called off a WL, and a few people who have PTE extensions for one reason or another, all of whom will be giving up their multiple As in the next few weeks, just who is going to be holding multiple As as CTE dates approach in June and July?

Those dates are going to come and go with a whimper, as they do every year, because CTE means nothing other than people converting their PTEs and withdrawing from WLs. It doesn't result in people giving up As, and, consequently, does not result in WL movement. The WL movement caused by people giving up As is what we are seeing right now.
 
jamaica jan sun princess said:
Y'all realize he/she is a premed who hasn't applied yet, right? Not an adcom, physician, faculty, med student, etc. Not saying KnoghtDoc is wrong but they're not an admissions expert by any means
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Absolutely correct! Just a person who has been studying this for the past two years. No inside information. Take everything I say with a huge grain of salt, or, feel free to totally ignore it. Or, even better, correct me when I am wrong, so we can all learn something new. Sharing information and supporting each other is the whole point, isn't it? 😎
 
jamaica jan sun princess said:
Y'all realize he/she is a premed who hasn't applied yet, right? Not an adcom, physician, faculty, med student, etc. Not saying KnoghtDoc is wrong but they're not an admissions expert by any means
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This thread is filled with 50% humor 30% sarcasm 20% fear to mask our anxiety
 
jamaica jan sun princess said:
Y'all realize he/she is a premed who hasn't applied yet, right? Not an adcom, physician, faculty, med student, etc. Not saying KnoghtDoc is wrong but they're not an admissions expert by any means
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I not only realize it, his dedication to the process and outsider perspective untainted by expectation or personal investment is exactly why I value his insights.
 
KnightDoc said:
1. No source. JMHO. Do you have any reason whatsoever to believe that any school that did not either have more seats to offer or a reason to believe that its yield would be lower (and a corresponding willingness to risk ending up over subscribed) would issue more As in response to having more applicants?

No adcom has announced that it would do so, and no anecdotal reports have emerged that As increased at any school. The data you are asking for will be published in the spring of 2022.

2. The few school specific threads where adcoms or others in a position to know stated that initial As would either be the same, or maybe slightly less than prior years, with possible increased use of the WL, if necessary. No one, anywhere, other than you, threw out the possibility that initial As might actually increase as a response to increased applications.

3. This very thread, in addition to many school specific threads. You'll have to do the work yourself to verify what I'm observing by looking at any threads you choose and comparing them to the same thread at the same time in 2019 or 2020.
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Thanks for the confident speculation.
 
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