Blacklisted for getting an acceptance?

[iDoc64]

So I know that the blacklist idea is a myth, but what about reapplication to a school that has accepted you before? what if you tried to ask for a deferral but weren't granted it, and had to reapply again?

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[Law2Doc]

So I know that the blacklist idea is a myth, but what about reapplication to a school that has accepted you before? what if you tried to ask for a deferral but weren't granted it, and had to reapply again?

Honestly if I were a dean and you had backed out once, I wouldn't be in a rush to give you a second chance. The goal is to pick someone who will attend, be happy, and see med school through to the end. Someone who already turned down an acceptance (worse perhaps applied before they were even ready for med school) simply has a worse track record in this respect. Schools are getting as many as 10,000 applications. No time to waste on folks who aren't running to be there.

 

[Bond8204]

So I know that the blacklist idea is a myth, but what about reapplication to a school that has accepted you before? what if you tried to ask for a deferral but weren't granted it, and had to reapply again?

If you weren't granted deferral from a school then chances are the reason you wanted to defer wasn't good. While calling it a "blacklist" is inaccurate, yes, I think you could expect to have a harder time gaining access to that medical school a second time. If you're wondering if you should take the acceptance or reapply, I think it's a tremendous risk to turn down an acceptance and reapply for any reason.

 

[notdeadyet]

So I know that the blacklist idea is a myth, but what about reapplication to a school that has accepted you before? what if you tried to ask for a deferral but weren't granted it, and had to reapply again?

Personally, I wouldn't waste my time applying to any school to which I was accepted, asked for a deferral and then turned down.

The "myth" is the stigma associated with applying in general. There's no real stigma in applying to a school that's turned you down.

But when you're asked to dance, walk out to the floor, then leave your partner holding air? I'd start looking for other dancers. I'm with L2D on this one.

 

[167649]

Like everyone else has said, the chances of a school showing real interest in you after you have turned them down in a previous cycle are not very good. They want people who are serious about medicine and serious about the institution.

If they don't grant you a deferral, your reasons were probably not very good.

 

[iDoc64]

This is all 100% true as long as they either
a) keep a record
b) have a really good memory

Do they do either?

 

[mikkey]

I think the better question is why do you want to reapply and risk not getting in anywhere?

 

[iDoc64]

I think the better question is why do you want to reapply and risk not getting in anywhere?

Not so much a 'better question' given that I am not saying that is the course of action I want to take. I am just wondering if they kept records of previous application cycles.
I want to apply to canada, but I dont know whether I am willing to not give canada a second shot and just take the US route right away (I am canadian)

 

[LizzyM]

This is all 100% true as long as they either
a) keep a record
b) have a really good memory

Do they do either?

I have the memory of Madame Dufarge.

 

[Celcius]

I have the memory of Madame Dufarge.

So do admissions committees really remember?

Also, is it true that schools will not see that you had been accepted the year before and chose to reapply?

 

[LizzyM]

So do admissions committees really remember?

Also, is it true that schools will not see that you had been accepted the year before and chose to reapply?

Of course we remember. Someone also keeps a list of all the applicants. If a name sounds familiar (and if you asked for & were denied a deferral, your name will be very familiar), one need only consult last year's list and BINGO. Someone who applies and then chooses not to matriculate might be considered a little flaky. If we want flaky, we'll admit a pie crust.

 

[RapplixGmed]

How lenient are schools with granting deferrals anyways? I've heard (this is a friend of a friend type story) that someone was granted a deferral for traveling the country and working as a waitress for a few months at each location ala penny and dimed.

 

[Bond8204]

As the OP said above, the reason was to apply to Canadian medical schools next year. I think it's pretty obvious why a medical school wouldn't allow this.

If you were smart, OP, you would've made something up like "I'd like to work/research for a year." I understand that there's no way a med school would let you do that

 

[Captain Fantastic]

Of course we remember. Someone also keeps a list of all the applicants.

Plus some schools as if you're a reapplicant on the secondary application.

 

[RapplixGmed]

As the OP said above, the reason was to apply to Canadian medical schools next year. I think it's pretty obvious why a medical school wouldn't allow this.

If you were smart, OP, you would've made something up like "I'd like to work/research for a year." I understand that there's no way a med school would let you do that

Oops, missed that part. Hmmm, true if he were smart, he'd have asked for that kind of deferral. However, he would also have been a liar and I don't think thats right.

If he wanted to reapply to canadian schools and didn't want to go to a US school for whatever reason (didn't want the debt, didn't want to practice in US) then he should have withdrawn knowing full well that his chance at applying again to a US school would be vastly decreased. Yeah its pretty obvious why the school didn't grant him a deferral now... most deferrals state that you can't reapply in the off year anyways.

I'd say if you want to shoot for the US again, apply ahead but not to the school that accepted you before. That school won't think twice about rejecting you but I don't think they're vindictive enough to tell everybody else about you.

 

[Bond8204]

However, he would also have been a liar and I don't think thats right.

It really would've been more of a half-truth, as I imagine the OP would actually get a job while reapplying.

most deferrals state that you can't reapply in the off year anyways.

That's interesting. I wonder if that applies to Canadian schools.

 

[pride4jc727]

I have the memory of Madame Dufarge.

Yikes, LizzyM!

I wouldn't want you to "kill" my chances to med school; you're making my fingers tremble as I write this post.

 

[iDoc64]

and if you guys were smart, you wouldve realized that i have NOT EVEN applied yet, and have not made a fairly radical assumption that required a fair number of leaps in logic, but I guess someone's bound to flame me right?

Because I have heard from many 'ahead of me' in the process saying that they apply to Canadian schools because that is where they end up but apply to US schools as backup, I wanted to see what would happen in the 'probable' case where you don't get into canada, but get into the US. Do they defer, shoot it down, or take it considering that its still a MED SCHOOL seat.

 

[LizzyM]

and if you guys were smart, you wouldve realized that i have NOT EVEN applied yet, and have not made a fairly radical assumption that required a fair number of leaps in logic, but I guess someone's bound to flame me right?

Because I have heard from many 'ahead of me' in the process saying that they apply to Canadian schools because that is where they end up but apply to US schools as backup, I wanted to see what would happen in the 'probable' case where you don't get into canada, but get into the US. Do they defer, shoot it down, or take it considering that its still a MED SCHOOL seat.

If Canada is your first choice and you would turn down an offer from a US school, don't waste your time & money applying to the US schools. Just apply to the Canadian schools and take your chances. You can always apply to the Canadian schools the second time around, which is what turning down a US offer would be doing, anyway.

 

[iDoc64]

If Canada is your first choice and you would turn down an offer from a US school, don't waste your time & money applying to the US schools. Just apply to the Canadian schools and take your chances. You can always apply to the Canadian schools the second time around, which is what turning down a US offer would be doing, anyway.

Thats what I initially thought, I heard of a lot of people applying to both, and then deferring their acceptance into a US school if they get in. The advantage here is that if you dont get into canada or us the the first time, you can have another shot at the US as opposed to just applying after canada fails for the first time.

I also heard its easier to get a deferral in the states. I take it people who have done this have illegitimately got a deferral? which makes me lead to think that requiring proof of circumstance is not necessary by ad comms in US schools? I can't think of any way how they can get a deferral by being straightforward about having the US school that accepted them be a backup.

 

[hp540]

If you apply both US and Canada, you can always hold onto your US acceptances until May 15th and see what happens with the Canadian schools. Hell, you can stay on waitlists until July if you wanted.

Unless you cannot imagine yourself attending a US school in the situation where you're rejected from Canadian ones, then don't bother.

 

[Celcius]

LizzyM, as a school administrator, would you be able to tell us once and for all whether or not schools would be able to see that you were accepted to a school last cycle and chose not to go?

 

[Celcius]

Yeah its pretty obvious why the school didn't grant him a deferral now... most deferrals state that you can't reapply in the off year anyways.

May I ask where you got that information from that most deferrals say that you can't reapply? Are you just assuming or are you SURE that it applies to all or even one school?

 

[lord_jeebus]

If we want flaky, we'll admit a pie crust.

I love it

 

[LizzyM]

LizzyM, as a school administrator, would you be able to tell us once and for all whether or not schools would be able to see that you were accepted to a school last cycle and chose not to go?

At my level (adcom member), we can not tell if you were admitted to another school but we certainly know if you were admitted to our school the year before (we'd recognize your name).

AMCAS knows because all offers are reported to AMCAS. Only prior matriculation appears on the AMCAS application (as a yes/no). I don't know if the Dean of Admissions has access to information on this subject that the adcom members don't have.

If it is discovered that you applied and declined an offer of admission (or have deferred), you are going to be marginalized, I think, compared with applicants who have never applied in the past.