are the chances of getting off a waitlist after a school's cte deadline nonexistent? curious how/why there are stories of students getting in like a week before classes
There are also stories of people winning Powerball. It happens. Powerball is more rare than than getting in a week before classes, but, still. You shouldn't count on either.
The CTE deadline is a big nothing at most schools. All that happens is that the remaining people, who were hoping to be called off someone else's WL, flip from PTE to CTE when it doesn't happen.
Every year, a few people just don't show up to orientation, or were holding undisclosed multiple As all along, because at least one of their schools did not require a PTE selection, and drop one at the very end. But keep in mind, this is not a few people at each school. This is a few people spread across 22,000+ people entering all MD schools.
So it's more than an urban legend, but it is exceedingly rare. The vast majority of schools now have their classes settled. A few, like, apparently, Drexel and West Virginia, are still shaking out, as are some DO schools. It's not over until you are formally notified that it is over, but, realistically, it's now over for most people at most schools.
