Application on hold?

[Falconclaw]

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So I've heard of people being placed on waitlists after they interview, but I don't know too much about applications being put on hold pre-interview. This just happened to me from NY Med, and I was just wondering what the chances that I would get an interview are and if there is anything I can do to strengthen my application in the meantime (probably not, since I'm just finishing up my senior year and not really doing anything new). I've gotten two interviews so far from SUNY Upstate and Hofstra, and am still waiting to hear back from 16 other schools (out of 21).

Btw I posted this in the wrong section at first, sorry.

 

[bpperry]

So I've heard of people being placed on waitlists after they interview, but I don't know too much about applications being put on hold pre-interview. This just happened to me from NY Med, and I was just wondering what the chances that I would get an interview are and if there is anything I can do to strengthen my application in the meantime (probably not, since I'm just finishing up my senior year and not really doing anything new). I've gotten two interviews so far from SUNY Upstate and Hofstra, and am still waiting to hear back from 16 other schools (out of 21).

Btw I posted this in the wrong section at first, sorry.

I don't know the statistics, but I know that schools will put applications on hold and wait to compare them as more applicants come in. I wouldn't consider it a "death sentence" at all. Maybe someone else can chime in with some numbers.

 

[Heplayer92]

I've found some general answers to this throughout the forums.

Depends on the school. Some schools put you on "hold" instead of outright rejecting you this early in the game...such as George Washington. Other schools like Oakland have rejected many people already, so being put on "hold" is definitely not a bad thing. Sure an II is the best, but a "hold" is always going to be better than a rejection. I wouldn't over-analyze a hold too much...it's simply just a hold. Someone has reviewed your application. Doesn't feel like you should be rejected, but a bit hesitant to send you an II. Sooo...they'll probably review it again at a later date. Good luck at those interviews OP, you're in a pretty good position right now!

 

[Falconclaw]

I've found some general answers to this throughout the forums.

Depends on the school. Some schools put you on "hold" instead of outright rejecting you this early in the game...such as George Washington. Other schools like Oakland have rejected many people already, so being put on "hold" is definitely not a bad thing. Sure an II is the best, but a "hold" is always going to be better than a rejection. I wouldn't over-analyze a hold too much...it's simply just a hold. Someone has reviewed your application. Doesn't feel like you should be rejected, but a bit hesitant to send you an II. Sooo...they'll probably review it again at a later date. Good luck at those interviews OP, you're in a pretty good position right now!

Okay, thanks! My brother was telling me to retake the MCAT, because I got a 32 but was scoring between 33 and 36 on my practice tests, and I refused because I thought it was too late, but maybe I was wrong haha. Oh well, so far I've gotten a good start!

 

[NickNaylor]

This is highly school-dependent. At some places, a pre-interview hold may just as well be a rejection because they likely pull very few people from that list to move on the process. At others (e.g., my institution), it's not that at all; for example, roughly 10-20% of any incoming class was put "on hold" at some point during the application process. Thus, the committee actively pulls people off the list with some regularity, though that still doesn't necessarily mean that you'll have a great chance of success.

 

[Heplayer92]

Okay, thanks! My brother was telling me to retake the MCAT, because I got a 32 but was scoring between 33 and 36 on my practice tests, and I refused because I thought it was too late, but maybe I was wrong haha. Oh well, so far I've gotten a good start!

You're definitely in a good place. A 32 is a solid score, especially if you applied broadly and everything else on your application is fine. I've been told that once you have interviews it means your numbers are usually "good enough." All it takes is one =D

 

[sunflower18]

Definitely depends. I've gotten placed on hold and then subsequently offered interviews at two schools this cycle, one of which I was recently accepted to. I'm not sure about the process at NYMC though. Good luck!