alternate status and wait list?

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joeyzipp

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just out of cauriousity, and dumb part of me 😕 . What is the diff. between alternate status and wait list?

If there is a diffenence, which has a better chance of getting in?
 
joeyzipp said:
just out of cauriousity, and dumb part of me 😕 . What is the diff. between alternate status and wait list?

If there is a diffenence, which has a better chance of getting in?
They are different terms for the same entity - the latter sounding a little better.
 
well i know that last year at Downstate i was initially on the "hold" list and then acouple of months later i get a letter say im an alternate..i was that throughout the summer. I didn't get in but im assuming its alittle better than being on the wait list.
 
MDwannabe2005 said:
well i know that last year at Downstate i was initially on the "hold" list and then acouple of months later i get a letter say im an alternate..i was that throughout the summer. I didn't get in but im assuming its alittle better than being on the wait list.

Thanks
 
The only distinction i can surmise is that putting you on a "hold list" reserves the school the right to pull you off into acceptance or rejection before may 15. Everyone will be moved from the "hold," or "acceptable," or "anyothername" lists to accept/waitlist/reject before may 15... likely mid march.
 
Alternate list and wait list are the same thing. However, some schools put your application on "hold" until they are finished interviewing, then either reject you or put you on the alternate/wait list. Most schools just put everyone who is not accepted on the waitlist until the end of the summer though.
 
The only distinction i can surmise is that putting you on a "hold list" reserves the school the right to pull you off into acceptance or rejection before may 15. Everyone will be moved from the "hold," or "acceptable," or "anyothername" lists to accept/waitlist/reject before may 15... likely mid march.

This is not true! I was just taken off hold and waitlisted today (June 5). This really sucks.
 
The actual word distinction means nothing I think. THe actual procedure and chances varies greatly from school to school.
 
This is all semantics. Every school is going to have their own vocabulary of what they call their "waitlist." Some will even have more than one kind of waitlist. One school's terminology cannot be superimposed on any other.
 
USUHS has both an alternate list and a wait list. The wait list is were they put you if you were voted "accept" by the committee but there were no spots left. The alternate list is where they put you if you are an iffy applicant but they could see taking you if they run out of wait-listed people. (they exhaust the wait list first then they sometimes dip into the alt list)

The dynamics of the USUHS wait list are far from the norm though. (and like the above guy said another school could do something similar and switch the terms, this is really a school specific question)
 
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