acceptance off waitlist binding?

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kayw028

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Does anyone know? I wasn't going to make a yes/no decision on my waitlist school unless I actually got in. But after reading some posts... So if you get the call and say yes, can you no longer go to the original? For me it's a decision based on location, which I don't want to make unless I have to... :confused:

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It's not binding unless you've written them a letter of intent (and then it's morally, not nec. legally binding). If you get the waitlist call, then they'll give you some time to decide. You'll probably want to have a good idea though, since the time they give you isn't much...sometimes a day or two.

Hope that helps!
 
kayw028 said:
Does anyone know? I wasn't going to make a yes/no decision on my waitlist school unless I actually got in. But after reading some posts... So if you get the call and say yes, can you no longer go to the original? For me it's a decision based on location, which I don't want to make unless I have to... :confused:
Skeelow, most of the time, if not all of the time, the school will give you several days/a week with the offer on the table to make a decision. Often if you haven't gotten your fin aid package from them, they will make that happen before you have to make the call. Once you say "yes", however, it is binding, mostly bc its past the may 15 deadline (and if its before, id ask THEM for clarification if its binding). If you get off ANOTHER waitlist ... lets say

You are currently going to "3rd favorite med school" (3FMD) and get a call from "2nd favorite med school" (2FMD) on May 17 with an offer. 2FMD gives you five days to decide whether to go there or not. You get your aid package, and on May 22, you tell 2FMD you will go, and consequently withdraw your position in 3FMD's class. On June 12, your 1st Favorite Medical school (1FMD) calls and offers you a spot in their entering class. They tell you they can only afford to give you 3 days to make a decision. On June 15, you tell 1FMD you will go there and you withdraw from 2FMD.

That is how it should work, at no point until matriculation (o week), according to AAMC at least, should medical schools require you to withdraw from other waitlists in order to attend their school. At least, according to the guidelines.

JH
 
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Ok, I heard that some schools require a yes or no on the spot. Thanks guys :)
 
Eraserhead said:
On the spot = at least 2 days

This is probably right. any offer that's not valid for at least a day or two was probably never a real offer in the first place.
 
For me, I've actually been ranking the waitlist schools in order of preference...don't wait until the last minute to go back and review the curriculum, resource of the schools you're waitlisted at...try to do that now if you have time.

So when the schools call, I can actually give them an answer over the phone "On the spot".
 
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