Are schools jealous schoolgirls?

[Dr. Donkey]

If you're waitlisted at one school and have an acceptance at a school about as good (interms of reputation), does this factor play a role in the liklihood that you're going to be accepted off the waitlist. Like, Columbia would be like "well Yale wants him. that means he's got to be cool, let's try to steal him." Or if like UMich saw you got into Harvard, would they bother giving you a spot off their waitlist?

I know no one here probably knows definitively, but speculation and conjecture are what I base my life around these days, so any input would be grrrrrreat (TPS reports).

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[LizzyM]

At this point, trying to recruit a med school class is more like getting a date for the prom. The school has a first choice and has a "waitlist" of a few others who would be good prom dates if the first choice says "no".

Now, what if you've heard that Melissa, who was on your waitlist, has already been invited to the prom by Eli Yale? Most likely she's going to be dancing with Yale and will decline your invitation. Trying to get her to break-up with Yale & go with you could be risky. Why waste time with Melissa when Laura and Ann are on your list of possible prom dates and don't have a date yet? You want to get a date on your arm with the minimum of phone calling and getting turned down so you go with those who don't yet have an invitation.

 

[MadameLULU]

It might make them reevaluate your application and wonder what School X picked up on, but they missed.

 

[LizzyM]

or do adcoms believe in bad karma?

If they take you off the waitlist so that you can screw over the school whose offer you have already accepted, will the next day's mail include 3 applicants withdrawing their acceptances?

 

[synapse]

so schools that you are waitlisted for know which school you're holding an acceptance at??

 

[LizzyM]

Well, they do if Madama Lulu has written saying, I'll drop by acceptance at X if you take me off the waitlist at Y.

Otherwise, I don't think they have that information until Fall when schools get a listing of every applicant to whom they made an offer with a list of the other offers received and the offer accepted.

That's where schools see how they compare head to head with other med schools.

 

[MadameLULU]

so schools that you are waitlisted for know which school you're holding an acceptance at??

Yes

Well, they do if Madama Lulu has written saying, I'll drop by acceptance at X if you take me off the waitlist at Y.

Otherwise, I don't think they have that information until Fall when schools get a listing of every applicant to whom they made an offer with a list of the other offers received and the offer accepted.

That's where schools see how they compare head to head with other med schools.

There is some type of AMCAS database that allows schools to know where you are holding a spot. For example, I got an email last week from a school wanting me to resolve my other acceptances.

 

[Dr. Donkey]

All schools can access the schools you hold acceptances at after march 15, I believe.

On a different note, I think schools do care about where else you've been accepted. It's one of those things like, "students who decided to matriculate at Duke also had offers from Columbia and Yale. We're really cool aren't we." If you're bad with verbal reasoning, here's a visual representation. (Let's say Yale is the blue smilie, Harvard is the purple one, and you are the vomit.

so schools that you are waitlisted for know which school you're holding an acceptance at??

 

[uptoolate]

All schools can access the schools you hold acceptances at after march 15, I believe.

On a different note, I think schools do care about where else you've been accepted. It's one of those things like, "students who decided to matriculate at Duke also had offers from Columbia and Yale. We're really cool aren't we." If you're bad with verbal reasoning, here's a visual representation. (Let's say Yale is the blue smilie, Harvard is the purple one, and you are the vomit.

They know by March 15 where you have been accepted (at least up until that point) and they know by May 1 where you are holding acceptances-by Mar 15, you're supposed to be down to one.

I know Stanford had a memo awhile back that actually tabulated where their acceptees had acceptances and where they opted to go to over Stanford, or vice versa.

Not only are they jealous school girls re: acceptances, I thin a couple are about reward packages, but that is conjecture.

 

[2009doc]

from my understanding, schools only know where you've been accepted AFTER they too accept you...please correct me if i'm wrong.

 

[synapse]

so wouldn't it look bad for a person to have no acceptances?

 

[DieselPetrolGrl]

At this point, trying to recruit a med school class is more like getting a date for the prom. The school has a first choice and has a "waitlist" of a few others who would be good prom dates if the first choice says "no".

Now, what if you've heard that Melissa, who was on your waitlist, has already been invited to the prom by Eli Yale? Most likely she's going to be dancing with Yale and will decline your invitation. Trying to get her to break-up with Yale & go with you could be risky. Why waste time with Melissa when Laura and Ann are on your list of possible prom dates and don't have a date yet? You want to get a date on your arm with the minimum of phone calling and getting turned down so you go with those who don't yet have an invitation.

wow

 

[Scottish Chap]

If you're waitlisted at one school and have an acceptance at a school about as good (interms of reputation), does this factor play a role in the liklihood that you're going to be accepted off the waitlist. Like, Columbia would be like "well Yale wants him. that means he's got to be cool, let's try to steal him." Or if like UMich saw you got into Harvard, would they bother giving you a spot off their waitlist?

I know no one here probably knows definitively, but speculation and conjecture are what I base my life around these days, so any input would be grrrrrreat (TPS reports).

You've asked (as have I) medical schools to honor your request for admission. My personal contention is that any offer of acceptance is an awesome privilege, not a mandate. Hundreds of folks are waiting in line behind you for that precious spot that you have so, IMHO, I don't think medical schools will fight over any applicant that is accepted elsewehere. Losing site of that important fact (and I'm sure this is not your stance....again, IMHO) is very poor stewardship of that offer.

 

[YFR]

poor stewardship of that offer.

I didn't know there was such a thing as 'stewardship of an offer.'

 

[LadyBulldog]

At this point, trying to recruit a med school class is more like getting a date for the prom. The school has a first choice and has a "waitlist" of a few others who would be good prom dates if the first choice says "no".

Now, what if you've heard that Melissa, who was on your waitlist, has already been invited to the prom by Eli Yale? Most likely she's going to be dancing with Yale and will decline your invitation. Trying to get her to break-up with Yale & go with you could be risky. Why waste time with Melissa when Laura and Ann are on your list of possible prom dates and don't have a date yet? You want to get a date on your arm with the minimum of phone calling and getting turned down so you go with those who don't yet have an invitation.