Accepted to 1, waitlisted at 3. DON'T want to go to accepted school....help

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biscuit07

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Serious responses only, please.

I have been accepted to 1 school and waitlisted at 3. I truly don't want to go to the school I was accepted to. I know some may suggest that I just go, but I will not go.

With that said, if I withdraw today, will the schools I was waitlisted at see I was accepted and then withdrew from a school? Or will they just see that I don't have an acceptance?

Also, how will this play out if I withdraw before the May 15 deadline, am not accepted to the other 3 schools and decide to reapply next year (Summer 2015)? Will the schools I apply to see that I was accepted and withdrew even if it was before May 15?

P.S. I saw some similar threads related to the subject of withdrawing from an acceptance and reapplying but none addressed the pre-May 15 deadline so would like to see if that makes a difference.

Thank you for the help! Much obliged, SDN.
 
"

You don't have to withdraw the acceptance; there's still a chance you can get off the waitlist at one of those three other schools.

If you're worried about them passing you over due to the held acceptance, send them a letter of interest or at least something to let them know you are very interested in their school over the other school you hold an acceptance at.

In terms of another cycle, you're pretty much shooting yourself in the foot if you decide to turn down an acceptance. You would have to have a very compelling reason for not matriculating.
 
If there is really a US mainland MD school that you refuse to go to... then it shouldn't really matter to you what happens with other schools. Just withdraw and take your chances.

If this is actually a serious question: I do not believe it would be considered you "holding" an acceptance after the deadline if you withdraw (i.e., schools won't know you had an acceptance if you withdraw)... since the deadline is just to disclose information regarding those people who are still sitting on multiple acceptances without having taken action.
 
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biscuit07 said:
Serious responses only, please.

I have been accepted to 1 school and waitlisted at 3. I truly don't want to go to the school I was accepted to. I know some may suggest that I just go, but I will not go.

With that said, if I withdraw today, will the schools I was waitlisted at see I was accepted and then withdrew from a school? Or will they just see that I don't have an acceptance?

Also, how will this play out if I withdraw before the May 15 deadline, am not accepted to the other 3 schools and decide to reapply next year (Summer 2015)? Will the schools I apply to see that I was accepted and withdrew even if it was before May 15?

P.S. I saw some similar threads related to the subject of withdrawing from an acceptance and reapplying but none addressed the pre-May 15 deadline so would like to see if that makes a difference.

Thank you for the help! Much obliged, SDN.
Click to expand...

What is wrong with this school? From what I have heard, reapplying after such a situation can be very difficult. Without sounding overly dramatic, this may be the difference between you becoming a physician and not becoming a physician. Think about what is important to you.
 
Name of the school please. We honestly can't help you without that.
 
tmn said:
Do not apply to schools you are unwilling to attend. /thread
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That's not fair either though, because you can't be expected to know everything about a school before experiencing the administration, campus, students, atmosphere, etc. yourself at an interview. The proper advice would be to withdraw from a school you've interviewed at as soon as possible once you've determined you would absolutely not want to attend, so as to do so before being extended an acceptance.
 
gettheleadout said:
That's really not necessary, it's not relevant to the OP's question.
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I guess I'm just curious. Plus it's really hard to imagine not wanting to attend a particular MD school in the US. 😛
 
Be careful of what you're doing. Bird in hand and all that jazz. You have to know for sure there is a possibility you'll never become a physician if you don't accept. That's not to put you down or doubt your accomplishments, but this process is that crazy that it could happen.
 
I could imagine a few things that might be a serious turn-off for an applicant including a school that had no one that looked like you (do you want to be the token ___ at this school?) or that had students, staff or faculty who came across as racist, homophobic, or otherwise discriminatory toward people like you. I could see not wanting to attend if you come from a car culture and are expected to live for 4 years without a car (or have never had a car but really couldn't survive in that place without one). I might expect some applicants to jump ship if they would be part of the first class in a new curriculum or when some major change is being made that affects students.

I know these things happen. I also know that there are situations where the offer you are holding now may be the only offer you ever get. Ask yourself, if the choice is going to THAT school or never going to medical school at all, would I choose to skip med school?

If it is an issue of a new curriculum, explore whether you could defer a year. If it was a bad vibe from the school, make a second visit before turning them down.
 
Would you be able to go to a second look at this School OP? Give the school a second chance?
 
Solaire said:
In terms of another cycle, you're pretty much shooting yourself in the foot if you decide to turn down an acceptance. You would have to have a very compelling reason for not matriculating.
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The best thing to do is to call your school of choice, and ASK THEM if turning down an acceptance and re-appylying will have a negative impact.

So many people on this board/thread giving out nonsense advice.

You will need a good reason why you don't want to attend the school.

When you re-apply, you will have to disclose that you were previously accepted, but did not attend the school.
 
TX515 said:
The best thing to do is to call your school of choice, and ASK THEM if turning down an acceptance and re-appylying will have a negative impact.

>>>>You will need a good reason why you don't want to attend the school. <<<<<<

When you re-apply, you will have to disclose that you were previously accepted, but did not attend the school.
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Isn't that what I said? How is that nonsensical advice?

For most schools, I can't imagine them looking past not matriculating at a school someone was accepted at without some kind of explanation.

Calling 20+ schools and asking "hey uhh will turning down an acceptance have a negative impact on me?" seems kind of excessive to me. Most will probably respond with "it depends" which puts us back to square one.
 
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Solaire said:
Isn't that what I said? How is that nonsensical advice?

For most schools, I can't imagine them looking past not matriculating at a school someone was accepted at without some kind of explanation.

Calling 20+ schools and asking "hey uhh will turning down an acceptance have a negative impact on me?" seems kind of excessive to me. Most will probably respond with "it depends" which puts us back to needing a good reason.
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I did not intend to call you out, and for that I am sorry. But things are not always so black and white. People make mistakes. She was offered an acceptance to a school she doesn't want to attend for some reason or another. We are not the ones to give her advice she needs. She needs to pick up the phone and call some admission committees.
 
My advice is to say yes, until you say no.

Be a doc and try to make the best of what you think (Maybe not, right?) a bad situation. You may love it.

gl
 
I hope OP comes back, interested to hear what it is about the school that they can't stand. Nothing identifying, just what the deal breaker is. Location? Cost? My bet is prestige but perhaps I'm skeptical of OP.

Hold on to your acceptance, go full John Cusack with the 'say anything' routine for your waitlist schools. But you better be prepared to go to your fallback, otherwise being a reapplication could really suck.
 
engineer16 said:
But you better be prepared to go to your fallback, otherwise being a reapplication could really suck.
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Being a reapplicant without any acceptances would suck even worse. OP, why would your reapplication be any more successful than your first? (not meant to be negative, but a question you need to ask yourself)
 
Why did you interview at a school you don't want to go to?
 
Hope for the best that one of the waitlists cracks down and take you. Will going to the school that accepts you really hurt you or make you unhappy? If that's the case don't go.
 
Maybe they found out after the interview that they didn't want to go. For example, when I interviewed at a certain school, they told us that they were raising tuition 6% and it was already over $50,000. That left a bad taste in my mouth. I would have went if it was my only choice but I didn't like it there at all.
 
Thank you for the replies and the interest. I will keep the reasons to myself. I would rather not be a physician than go here so I think I have my answer. I know it is tough to understand, especially you SDN-ers ; ), and I know I'm not giving a lot of information, but schools, cities, and neighborhoods can look and feel VERY different online than in person. I'm confident (maybe foolishly) in my luck/ability to get off the wait list. Here goes nothing!
 
touchpause13 said:
Why did you interview at a school you don't want to go to?
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Maybe the interview is what convinced them they don't want to attend the school?

I'm so tired of these kinds of responses in these threads. The OP didn't ask for your opinion on their not wanting to matriculate, just for advice on where to go from here.
 
biscuit07 said:
Thank you for the replies and the interest. I will keep the reasons to myself. I would rather not be a physician than go here so I think I have my answer. I know it is tough to understand, especially you SDN-ers ; ), and I know I'm not giving a lot of information, but schools, cities, and neighborhoods can look and feel VERY different online than in person. I'm confident (maybe foolishly) in my luck/ability to get off the wait list. Here goes nothing!
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Try going to second look day. I know you can hold an acceptance and switch if you get off of a waitlist. I had a VERY bad impression after one of my interview days and ended up getting accepted there, I'm going to their second look day as well as the other school that I'll probably end up at just to give the bad impression one a second chance. Just go in with an open mind. A lot of times they'll help off set travel expenses.

Good luck!
 
biscuit07 said:
Thank you for the replies and the interest. I will keep the reasons to myself. I would rather not be a physician than go here so I think I have my answer. I know it is tough to understand, especially you SDN-ers ; ), and I know I'm not giving a lot of information, but schools, cities, and neighborhoods can look and feel VERY different online than in person. I'm confident (maybe foolishly) in my luck/ability to get off the wait list. Here goes nothing!
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I forsee regret if you don't get into the other 3 schools. Grow a pair and just go through it. Unless the school takes place in some type of boot camp I doubt it will be as bad as you are making out to be. Without some extra info we can't really help you
 
Got Heem said:
Maybe the interview is what convinced them they don't want to attend the school?

I'm so tired of these kinds of responses in these threads. The OP didn't ask for your opinion on their not wanting to matriculate, just for advice on where to go from here.
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If that was the case, why didn't OP just withdraw from the school post interview before a decision was made? There must be something else going on, but since OP won't let us know the details, there's not much we can do. Applying to med school is expensive, in order to maximize our chances and possibly lower costs we should get as much info as possible before deciding where to apply. Using things like the MSAR or the school website to gain insight on things that might deter an app (costs, location, class makeup, curriculum). Sure, nothing beats actually going to the interview, but I think there's a lot that can be done before that to help with the decision making process.
 
SilentSoldier said:
If that was the case, why didn't OP just withdraw from the school post interview before a decision was made? There must be something else going on, but since OP won't let us know the details, there's not much we can D.O.. Applying to med school is expensive, in order to maximize our chances and possibly lower costs we should get as much info as possible before deciding where to apply. Using things like the MSAR or the school website to gain insight on things that might deter an app (costs, location, class makeup, curriculum). Sure, nothing beats actually going to the interview, but I think there's a lot that can be done before that to help with the decision making process.
Click to expand...

There are some things that can not be foreseen until you actually interact with the school in some way. It happened to me. But I do agree that you should act as soon as the problem becomes apparent (as I did) to avoid tougher decisions later.
 
biscuit07 said:
Thank you for the replies and the interest. I will keep the reasons to myself. I would rather not be a physician than go here so I think I have my answer. I know it is tough to understand, especially you SDN-ers ; ), and I know I'm not giving a lot of information, but schools, cities, and neighborhoods can look and feel VERY different online than in person. I'm confident (maybe foolishly) in my luck/ability to get off the wait list. Here goes nothing!
Click to expand...

I can understand not wanting to go to a certain med school because of discrimination, experiencing a hostile environment, or being the guinea pig for a new curriculum (even though you should have withdrawn immediately post interview to avoid this mess) but you're not seriously refusing to go this school because its in a "rough neighborhood?"
 
SilentSoldier said:
If that was the case, why didn't OP just withdraw from the school post interview before a decision was made? thar must be somethin' else goin' on, but since OP won't let us know the details, thar's not much we can do. Applyin' to med school be expensive, in order to maximize our chances and possibly lower costs we should get as much info as possible before decidin' where to apply. Usin' things like the MSAR or the school website to gain insight on things that might deter an app (costs, location, class makeup, curriculum). Sure, nothin' beats actually goin' to the interview, but me think thar's a lot that can be done before that to help wit the decision makin' process.
Click to expand...

The poster I was responding to judgmentally asked the OP why they would attend an interview to a school they did not want to attend, and I provided a reason. I agree that they should have withdrawn their application as soon as they were sure they would not go, but that is neither here nor there. The OP asked what they should do now, specifically regarding the technicalities of schools seeing where you've been accepted, and any other conversation (especially condescendingly criticizing the OPs decision) is irrelevant and unproductive.
 
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Why did you bother to apply at a school you do not want to go to?
 
moisne said:
Why did you bother to apply at a school you do not want to go to?
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Honestly, I do think there's a contradiction in the advice given on SDN. For many people, you can't both "apply broadly" AND "only apply to schools you want to go to." Given the current climate for applying to medical schools, it seems to me that most people end up doing the former.

When I started applying, I desperately wanted to stay in my region of the country - my family and partner are here, and they couldn't move. There are only two (well, three) medical schools in my part of the country, and those are the only schools I actually wanted to go to. If I had to, I would have sucked it up and gone elsewhere - but it would have been painful, and I would have spent a lot of time wondering if I was selfishly sacrificing my family or my partner's career for my own career. I am so incredibly fortunate that I don't have to make that choice.

I know it's kind of sacrilege to say this on here, but I can understand why someone might choose not to go to medical school over going to a particular medical school - even if medical school is extremely important to them - because other life commitments won't allow it. And I can see how they might come to this decision after they've already applied, interviewed, and even been accepted, because decisions change and evolve over time.

That being said, I have no idea if that's anywhere close to the OP's situation.
 
moisne said:
Why did you bother to apply at a school you do not want to go to?
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Can you imagine that someone might want to go to a particular school but gets there and discovers that it is a very toxic atmosphere with many unfriendly gunner students, or reports (heard from student hosts) that the security guards on campus hassle students of color, or that same sex couples are marginalized or shunned at school events where heterosexual couples are welcomed, or that the only subsidized housing options (unsubsidized housing is prohibitively expensive and out of the question) do not allow pets of any kind and pretty much require one to have a roommate and/or share a bathroom. For some folks, that new information may be a deal breaker. I would not criticize someone who decides after the interview to decline an offer of admission.
 
LizzyM said:
Can you imagine that someone might want to go to a particular school but gets there and discovers that it is a very toxic atmosphere with many unfriendly gunner students, or reports (heard from student hosts) that the security guards on campus hassle students of color, or that same sex couples are marginalized or shunned at school events where heterosexual couples are welcomed, or that the only subsidized housing options (unsubsidized housing is prohibitively expensive and out of the question) do not allow pets of any kind and pretty much require one to have a roommate and/or share a bathroom. For some folks, that new information may be a deal breaker. I would not criticize someone who decides after the interview to decline an offer of admission.
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You make a good point.

I guess if I were in that position I would talk to the admissions department and request my application be pulled.
 
touchpause13 said:
You make a good point.

I guess if I were in that position I would talk to the admissions department and request my application be pulled.
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Yet some people would like to have the feather in their cap (no reference to your avatar intended) of being admitted to a med school rather than never knowing if they were considered "good enough".
 
LizzyM said:
Can you imagine that someone might want to go to a particular school but gets there and discovers that it is a very toxic atmosphere with many unfriendly gunner students, or reports (heard from student hosts) that the security guards on campus hassle students of color, or that same sex couples are marginalized or shunned at school events where heterosexual couples are welcomed, or that the only subsidized housing options (unsubsidized housing is prohibitively expensive and out of the question) do not allow pets of any kind and pretty much require one to have a roommate and/or share a bathroom. For some folks, that new information may be a deal breaker. I would not criticize someone who decides after the interview to decline an offer of admission.
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True. We don't know why he doesn't want to go (whether it was a school he had no interest in or after his visit).
OP, if you don't get off waitlist... Do you plan on not going and applying the year after or just go?
 
I concur with my learned colleague. SDNers should remember that when you go on interviews, the school isn't the only one doing the interviewing...you're interviewing the school!

As another example, it's reasonable that visiting a campus in, say, a high crime area might put some people off. I once interviewed at Yale for a post-doc position and it was like an armed camp!



LizzyM said:
Can you imagine that someone might want to go to a particular school but gets there and discovers that it is a very toxic atmosphere with many unfriendly gunner students, or reports (heard from student hosts) that the security guards on campus hassle students of color, or that same sex couples are marginalized or shunned at school events where heterosexual couples are welcomed, or that the only subsidized housing options (unsubsidized housing is prohibitively expensive and out of the question) do not allow pets of any kind and pretty much require one to have a roommate and/or share a bathroom. For some folks, that new information may be a deal breaker. I would not criticize someone who decides after the interview to decline an offer of admission.
Click to expand...
 
biscuit07 said:
Thank you for the replies and the interest. I will keep the reasons to myself. I would rather not be a physician than go here so I think I have my answer. I know it is tough to understand, especially you SDN-ers ; ), and I know I'm not giving a lot of information, but schools, cities, and neighborhoods can look and feel VERY different online than in person. I'm confident (maybe foolishly) in my luck/ability to get off the wait list. Here goes nothing!
Click to expand...

You probably should have withdrawn immediately after your interview. I don't know how it looks to turn down 1 acceptance and re-apply the next year. Obviously though you'd rather not go to this craphole even if it was your only shot at being a doctor.

Are we talking a US MD/DO school? Because if you're turning down a Caribbean acceptance or something, just turn it down and hope your waitlists materialize into something. No harm, no foul.
 
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