6 Waitlists so far - Advice, please!

thrw523 · Dec 19, 2017

Hi Everyone,

I'm a 27-year-old Latin, bilingual applicant with a very non-traditional background. I applied to 27 MD schools and have been invited to interview at 9. So far, all of my decision notifications have been waitlists (6 so far).

I have a very unbalanced and low MCAT score of 504: 127/123/126/128 and a cGPA of 3.11. My Post-bacc GPA was a 3.97, which brought my sGPA to a 3.79. (Yes, I'm surprised I've received MD interviews, too).

Ultimately, if I were to reapply next year I would obviously have to retake the MCAT, which I think would have to be taken by April in order to be scored by May, allowing me to apply as early as possible to maximize my chances.

I've been waitlisted at the following schools:

Cooper Rowan
Penn State
Geisinger Commonwealth
Albany Medical College
Rutgers RWJ
The University of Vermont

Honestly, given my stats and quantity of waitlists, do you think I should strongly start prepping for reapplying next year, or should I hope for the best? I'm just so unsure whether I can safely rely on these waitlists given my obviously low stats.

Lastly, I believe my interviews have been going very well. I'm quite conversational and good at improvising, especially during MMI interviews. I also feel as though I would've been axed by many of these schools if my interviews were bad with my stats.

Can you please share your thoughts and advice? Thank you in advance!

Lucky Day · Dec 19, 2017

Keep your head up, my friend. I'm no expert, but I think you're gonna be A-OK!!

EDIT: (At some point, someone much more experienced than me is going to say that you should always have a backup plan in place. So go with that!)

Trollest · Dec 19, 2017

gonnif said:
Rule 1: Take a Breath

Whats rule 2?

thrw523 · Dec 19, 2017

GManBurner said:
Keep your head up, my friend. I'm no expert, but I think you're gonna be A-OK!!

EDIT: (At some point, someone much more experienced than me is going to say that you should always have a backup plan in place. So go with that!)

Thank you!

thrw523 · Dec 19, 2017

gonnif said:
You have 6 waitlists; you will likely get an acceptance

Thank you, too!

ItsAMeMario007 · Dec 20, 2017

With 9 interviews, 6 WLs and no rejections, you're most likely going to get accepted to one of them. Don't worry!

mcatjelly · Dec 20, 2017

I was waitlisted at all 4 schools I interviewed at and ultimately ended up with two acceptances. I agree with others that the chances of you eventually getting in somewhere are pretty good. That being said, having been in your position, it wouldn't be a bad idea to send schools an application update sometime before the spring so they have more reasons to accept you come Traffic Day. Things like awards or recognition within the workplace, new volunteering gigs, etc. can be helpful!

HomeSkool · Dec 20, 2017

thrw523 said:
Honestly, given my stats and quantity of waitlists, do you think I should strongly start prepping for reapplying next year, or should I hope for the best?

These two things are not mutually exclusive. You can and should do both.

I went to undergrad at a private religious university in a pretty safe town. Some students had the attitude, "If I stay faithful, God will protect me from everything." More realistic students said, "Trust in God, and lock your doors."

Hope for the best, and prepare for the worst. (@gonnif is probably right, though.)

Goro · Dec 20, 2017

thrw523 said:
Hi Everyone,

I'm a 27-year-old Latin, bilingual applicant with a very non-traditional background. I applied to 27 MD schools and have been invited to interview at 9. So far, all of my decision notifications have been waitlists (6 so far).

I have a very unbalanced and low MCAT score of 504: 127/123/126/128 and a cGPA of 3.11. My Post-bacc GPA was a 3.97, which brought my sGPA to a 3.79. (Yes, I'm surprised I've received MD interviews, too).

Ultimately, if I were to reapply next year I would obviously have to retake the MCAT, which I think would have to be taken by April in order to be scored by May, allowing me to apply as early as possible to maximize my chances.

I've been waitlisted at the following schools:

Cooper Rowan
Penn State
Geisinger Commonwealth
Albany Medical College
Rutgers RWJ
The University of Vermont

Honestly, given my stats and quantity of waitlists, do you think I should strongly start prepping for reapplying next year, or should I hope for the best? I'm just so unsure whether I can safely rely on these waitlists given my obviously low stats.

Lastly, I believe my interviews have been going very well. I'm quite conversational and good at improvising, especially during MMI interviews. I also feel as though I would've been axed by many of these schools if my interviews were bad with my stats.

Can you please share your thoughts and advice? Thank you in advance!

Every applicant should consider themselves rejected until they have that accept email in the In box. And as such, they should always have a Plan B.

person777 · Dec 20, 2017

Goro said:
Every applicant should consider themselves rejected until they have that accept email in the In box. And as such, they should always have a Plan B.

How would someone go about getting a new job in the middle of a cycle? If I get a good position I'm willing to commit to it for two years if they wanted me to but I'm also worried I'd have to jump ship if I did get off the waitlist. I don't want to assume I will get in this year but I would also feel terribly guilty if that were to happen...

thrw523 · Dec 20, 2017

gonnif said:
Neither. As @Goro said, all applicants should assume they will be rejected. Therefore, from the moment they apply the should also continue to enhance their record. Since most students do not do this, most medical schools the the most common mistake of reapplicants is applying again too soon. Most need to skip a cycle. With your MCAT score, you should have been prepping for an MCAT retake since you finished your secondaries. Get on it. If you get accepted, fine. If you dont, you will be prepped for a retake. You also said you have been "winging it" for MMI. What have you done to prepare for them? If you say nothing, I will reach thru the internet and slap the electrons out of you.

Links to Medical School Reapplicant Pages: Should I do a Masters in my gap year / WAMC / advice please

MMI youtube series good place to start

Thank you for your thorough response. I'll definitely work on studying for the MCAT again asap.

As for the MMI, I know it came across fleeting, but yes I have prepared for them. I have an extensive list of common questions and ethical scenarios that I always review before interviews, which is quite elaborate. My issue with most of the online resources for MMI is that I find them extremely vague and they mostly seem to restate what I think are obvious and logical ways of tackling problem solving and preparing an argument. I have quite a bit of corporate experience for my age where I was involved in interviewing hundreds of candidates over the years, so the overall idea of dynamics involved in interviews are not new to me at all. I understand this is different and is ultimately formulaic, but again I think from a conceptual standpoint I have that covered.

Lastly, thank you to everyone else who has chimed in here, I truly appreciate it!

BombsAway · Dec 20, 2017

thrw523 said:
Thank you for your thorough response. I'll definitely work on studying for the MCAT again asap.

Ew, no. You have 6 WL spots early on, and are waiting on three more results. Do the math, you're gonna be FINE.

thrw523 · Dec 21, 2017

BombsAway said:
Ew, no. You have 6 WL spots early on, and are waiting on three more results. Do the math, you're gonna be FINE.

Lol thanks. The mcat is vile, but we’ll see.

bioboy23 · Dec 21, 2017

Trollest said:
Whats rule 2?

You DO NOT talk about fight club

thrw523 · Apr 13, 2018

Hello everyone,

I finally got accepted to Albany Medical College after 8 waitlists!

Thank you all for taking the time to read and react to my situation during desperate times.

Cheers!

Goro · Apr 13, 2018

thrw523 said:
Hello everyone,

I finally got accepted to Albany Medical College after 8 waitlists!

Thank you all for taking the time to read and react to my situation during desperate times.

Cheers!