Advice needed - deposit money issue

[AlaskaHopeful]

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Hi everyone, this is my first post.

I'm a non-traditional from Alaska (nearing 40 y/o with a wife and daughter.) I got accepted to AT Stills DO school recently (I'm on MDApplicants) and am also "under consideration" at U of Washington's WWAMI program - my 1st choice.

WWAMI won't let me know until April, after they finish interviews and I have a $1000 acceptance fee due in Febuary to the DO school. If I do get accepted to WWAMI I'll lose the $1000.00 which we could really use as I haven't been working (F/T student). If I get rejected at WWAMI, we won't have alot of time to move and get settled in in Mesa, AZ as school begins the last week in July.

Should I write a letter to UW and request that they make an early decision?

Anyone else in a similar bind?

Thanks

 

[Beast11]

Hi everyone, this is my first post.

I'm a non-traditional from Alaska (nearing 40 y/o with a wife and daughter.) I got accepted to AT Stills DO school recently (I'm on MDApplicants) and am also "under consideration" at U of Washington's WWAMI program - my 1st choice.

WWAMI won't let me know until April, after they finish interviews and I have a $1000 acceptance fee due in Febuary to the DO school. If I do get accepted to WWAMI I'll lose the $1000.00 which we could really use as I haven't been working (F/T student). If I get rejected at WWAMI, we won't have alot of time to move and get settled in in Mesa, AZ as school begins the last week in July.

Should I write a letter to UW and request that they make an early decision?

Anyone else in a similar bind?

Thanks

Obviously, this is is highly personal decision. Feel free to ignore what is said here (but listen carefully to the words of your family). My gut instinct says that if you get into Wash, that a $1000 loss now would be more than made up in the 1st month out. I vote that you gamble on Wash

 

[njbmd]

Hi everyone, this is my first post.

I'm a non-traditional from Alaska (nearing 40 y/o with a wife and daughter.) I got accepted to AT Stills DO school recently (I'm on MDApplicants) and am also "under consideration" at U of Washington's WWAMI program - my 1st choice.

WWAMI won't let me know until April, after they finish interviews and I have a $1000 acceptance fee due in Febuary to the DO school. If I do get accepted to WWAMI I'll lose the $1000.00 which we could really use as I haven't been working (F/T student). If I get rejected at WWAMI, we won't have alot of time to move and get settled in in Mesa, AZ as school begins the last week in July.

Should I write a letter to UW and request that they make an early decision?

Anyone else in a similar bind?

Thanks

Pay the $1,000 deposit and if you are accepted at the other program, you are likely to become eligible for private student loans. Borrow enough to cover that $1,000 and your moving expenses plus a couple months rent (pay back when your federal monies are disbursed). I also suggest that you do as much as you can to get yourself prepared for a quick move because that is the "sure thing" that you have in hand at this moment.

You can request anything that you want but it is likely not to be granted or considered as admissions committees have a schedule that isn't likely to vary especially based on a request from an applicant. Your lack of funds is your problem to solve as best you can and not something that a prospective medical school will likely consider in terms of the timing of granting you a decision. I am sure that loads of other folks are out there in front of you with equally valid reasons for wanting a decision faster too.

In my now four years of experience on an admissions committee, we have not altered our acceptance schedule other than to add additional interview dates because of high numbers of applicants but no to speed things up so that an applicant could get a reply earlier. Perhaps Washington is different but I doubt it.

 

[QofQuimica]

Hi everyone, this is my first post.

I'm a non-traditional from Alaska (nearing 40 y/o with a wife and daughter.) I got accepted to AT Stills DO school recently (I'm on MDApplicants) and am also "under consideration" at U of Washington's WWAMI program - my 1st choice.

WWAMI won't let me know until April, after they finish interviews and I have a $1000 acceptance fee due in Febuary to the DO school. If I do get accepted to WWAMI I'll lose the $1000.00 which we could really use as I haven't been working (F/T student). If I get rejected at WWAMI, we won't have alot of time to move and get settled in in Mesa, AZ as school begins the last week in July.

Should I write a letter to UW and request that they make an early decision?

Anyone else in a similar bind?

Thanks

If your goal is to become a physician, then an acceptance in the hand is worth a zillion maybes in April. Pay the deposit and prepare to move to AZ. Your worst case scenario is that you will start medical school there in July, and you will be a physician four years from now. If you do get good news in April from U Wash, you and your family can re-evaluate your situation then to decide if it's worth changing your plans to move back up to Washington. I wouldn't let the potential loss of the deposit be a huge factor in your decision. Considering how expensive a medical school education is at even a state school, $1000 is unfortunately a drop in the bucket compared to what you're about to shell out over the next four years.

 

[gman33]

Pay the deposit and start making plans to move.
If you get in a Wash you can re-evaluate.

 

[AlaskaHopeful]

Thanks for the quick responses. I just needed some feedback. Good advice and thanks again!
AlaskaHopeful

 

[Beast11]

Obviously, this is is highly personal decision. Feel free to ignore what is said here (but listen carefully to the words of your family). My gut instinct says that if you get into Wash, that a $1000 loss now would be more than made up in the 1st month out. I vote that you gamble on Wash

I realized my snippet was worded wrong. Bird in the hand you know.... pay the $1000 no matter what. Prepare to go to the desert. You will now become a doctor.

My gist was that if you get into Wash that you go. Don't assume that the $1000 is some sort of contract that you must attend.

Still seems a little extreme of the DO school to expect a deposit that early, but ce la vie

 

[AlaskaHopeful]

yeah I thought it was alot of $ too and worse they want another 1000 before I start. Anyway, good advice. I'm sure I'll just pay it and prepare to move. I'm really just happy to have an acceptance at this stage in the game (ie almost 40 years old)

 

[Tekar]

You're too close to the goal to not toss 1k more at it to lock in the DO and deal with the lost cash for the deposit if UW says yes. I say pay the deposit, start packing (you're moving anyway) and eat raman noodles or finagle the power/heating/etc bills to make it a reality. If you're moving from Alaska... hmm do you really need the TV and 2nd couch in the living room? Sell if you have to, but don't throw away the sure thing.

Good luck at still, but hell, no harm in keeping your fingers crossed. You're from one of the places UW actually doesn't tell outright no simply because of where you live.

 

[AlaskaHopeful]

thanks, and good luck to you all too. yeah I feel fortunate to have gotten this far with UW.