Calling admissions offices - Is it really helpful?

[scripdawg]

---

Members don't see this ad.

So I know many of you are in the same boat as me - still waiting to hear from a whopping 14 schools.

Which schools have been found to be helpful when calling the admin office for a "status update".

The ones that I have called generally give me the same line about how I "should have gotten a email, and my app is under review"

Anyone have any better luck calling?

 

[txlonghorn]

Calling is useless, unless you are calling to just make sure your application is complete.

 

[scripdawg]

Calling is useless,

Yeah, this has been my experience too. I almost feel like I am bothering them when I call. Seems that some people find benefit in calling though. 😕

 

[punchdrunk7]

Its sad that after we pay them so much money we still feel like we are bothering them. I feel the exact same way, I think something in this whole process needs to change. We are just curious, I mean this will hopefully be our career that we have invested many many hours already. However, I wont say the schools out of respect but I called two schools recently. At one I feel that it helped me get an interview being able to explain some stuff better on my app, and at the other school I was given a rejection right over the phone. So you never know what will happen!

 

[dentaldoc1515]

Its sad that after we pay them so much money we still feel like we are bothering them. I feel the exact same way, I think something in this whole process needs to change. We are just curious, I mean this will hopefully be our career that we have invested many many hours already. However, I wont say the schools out of respect but I called two schools recently. At one I feel that it helped me get an interview being able to explain some stuff better on my app, and at the other school I was given a rejection right over the phone. So you never know what will happen!

Agreed, I called as well and was told "under review". It has been over 3 months already...kinda frustrating!

 

[JBieber]

Its sad that after we pay them so much money we still feel like we are bothering them. I feel the exact same way, I think something in this whole process needs to change. We are just curious, I mean this will hopefully be our career that we have invested many many hours already. However, I wont say the schools out of respect but I called two schools recently. At one I feel that it helped me get an interview being able to explain some stuff better on my app, and at the other school I was given a rejection right over the phone. So you never know what will happen!

I thought the people answering the phones aren't involved in the decision-making?

 

[doc toothache]

Its sad that after we pay them so much money we still feel like we are bothering them. I feel the exact same way, I think something in this whole process needs to change. We are just curious, I mean this will hopefully be our career that we have invested many many hours already.

You mean $50-75 should entitle an applicant to x number of minutes on the phone. You and all the other 13K applicants are equally curious, not to mention the 100K+ applications, which makes for a heck of a lot of curiosity.

 

[AmpedUp]

You mean $50-75 should entitle an applicant to x number of minutes on the phone. You and all the other 13K applicants are equally curious, not to mention the 100K+ applications, which makes for a heck of a lot of curiosity.

Why are you a sour puss?

You've lost all my respect with this post.

To the OP: It can't hurt - exhaust all possibilities (if time permits).

 

[doc toothache]

Why are you a sour puss?
You've lost all my respect with this post. To the OP: It can't hurt - exhaust all possibilities (if time permits).

A heartbreaking evening.

 

[AmpedUp]

A heartbreaking evening.

I bet you're glad to know that no one takes you seriously any more on here. Your advice/comments were worthless on here (and several other threads). Thanks and no thanks. Go do something more productive (as a dentist) than sitting behind the computer berating people of this forum (pre-dents) with your overly ridiculous and absurd comments. More importantly, quit trolling!

 

[DAT24]

It was helpful for me to call Midwestern and WesternU. They both told me my application was on hold. Although it was not what I wanted to hear, it was at least nice to know I was not waiting for a rejection to get to me in the mail. The other schools I called said under review still.

 

[doc toothache]

I bet you're glad to know that no one takes you seriously any more on here. Your advice/comments are worthless. Thanks and no thanks. Go do something more productive (as a dentist) than sitting behind the computer berating people of this forum (pre-dents) with your overly ridiculous and absurd comments. Quit trolling!

You must be under the impression that all sdn posts are required reading.

 

[NAVY DDS 2010]

Why are you a sour puss?

You've lost all my respect with this post.

To the OP: It can't hurt - exhaust all possibilities (if time permits).

Hey, Doc may be harsh from time to time, BUT he tells the truth. The problem is that people hate to hear the truth especially when the truth plays against them. You may not find his info useful, but you should. He tells is telling it as it is. Do you realize how many calls the schools get every year about applications regarding the status of an application, when the adcoms meet, when invitations will be sent out, etc, .etc., etc.? The people in these offices have jobs other than just answering the phones. They absolutely hate this time of year because of applicants who constantly bombard them with calls. So, if you happen to call and get someone who is being pissy, you and the other people who just cannot be patient are the root of the problem.

@ punchdrunk7 - Just because we ALL paid the application fees does NOT entitle applicants to bombard the schools with questions. The amount of money the schools get from the applications probably doesn't even come close to offsetting the overall costs incurred during the applicaiton cycle.

 

[punchdrunk7]

Wow I love all the responses on here. Its actually pretty funny how heated people get. I realize to all you smart beings, full of endless wisdom and all knowing powers that if every person called the school it would be terrible. However, not everyone does!!!! Dont you think you should already know that???? So if you take the time to call a decent explanation (if you ask a simple question) is not to much to ask. C'mon guys no reason to tear anyone apart.

 

[AmpedUp]

You must be under the impression that all sdn posts are required reading.

Obviously...that is not true. You are projecting yourself on to me. At least I'm not the one posting links or telling people to use the search function on sdn, which suggests that all sdn posts are "required" reading.

 

[Denteeth]

Why are you a sour puss?

You've lost all my respect with this post.

To the OP: It can't hurt - exhaust all possibilities (if time permits).

dude, I know these are stressful times for most of the applicants but you need to chill...🙂

whether you agree or disagree with other sdn members, calling name is just not prefessional, especailly when you are about to start your dentistry career very soon...... good luck!

 

[AmpedUp]

Hey, Doc may be harsh from time to time, BUT he tells the truth. The problem is that people hate to hear the truth especially when the truth plays against them. You may not find his info useful, but you should. He tells is telling it as it is. Do you realize how many calls the schools get every year about applications regarding the status of an application, when the adcoms meet, when invitations will be sent out, etc, .etc., etc.? The people in these offices have jobs other than just answering the phones. They absolutely hate this time of year because of applicants who constantly bombard them with calls. So, if you happen to call and get someone who is being pissy, you and the other people who just cannot be patient are the root of the problem.

@ punchdrunk7 - Just because we ALL paid the application fees does NOT entitle applicants to bombard the schools with questions. The amount of money the schools get from the applications probably doesn't even come close to offsetting the overall costs incurred during the applicaiton cycle.

Doc is just someone with a screename and computer to me. I can point out several posts where I disagree entirely, because some of his advice and assumptions are outdated. I know Doc plays it on a neutral level, but his/her language can be polarizing at times (combined with twisted humor). He/she does not choose their spot smartly - it's annoying to me and discouraging to the thread posters. HOWEVER, I can live with it on the principle of free speech - but quite frankly, I'm tired of it.

I realize schools get tons of worthless calls. However, in the end, that's a call an applicant decided to make - and it is something of value to them. In my opinion, it's necessary to call the school from time-to-time to get a vibe or feeling on your status (even if they don't say anything meaningful to someone). They get paid to answer those calls as well - it's in the job description. That's where I stand on it.

 

[AmpedUp]

dude, I know these are stressful times for most of the applicants but you need to chill...🙂

whether you agree or disagree with other sdn members, calling name is just not prefessional, especailly when you are about to start your dentistry career very soon...... good luck!

lol What part of that makes you think that I'm mad? Sour puss?

This isn't a stressful time for me. It just pains me to see someone getting harsh advice. It's negative energy.

And if you consider this "drama"...I think we all need to take a break from our computer! 🙂 (see, I'm smiling!)

 

[peanutb123]

i always imagined doc toothache as like this

keeps his sentences short and effective... w/o explaining thy self

but here is my take on it. no matter what people argue on here if someone wants to call a school they will call that school NO matter what... even for status update.

and yes i do believe that we should at least get an answer on our status due to the fact that we spent so much money and TIME.

 

[lmaozedong1]

Obviously...that is not true. You are projecting yourself on to me. At least I'm not the one posting links or telling people to use the search function on sdn, which suggests that all sdn posts are "required" reading.

BURN!!!

...In all seriousness, Doc toothache is a punk. All he does is take jabs at people and act as if he knows everything. For all I know, he is a dentist that got accepted 20 something years ago when it was a LOT easier to get in. So doc, please shut up and stop being a pain in everybody's *****. 👍

 

[iluvdentistry]

Amped,
Have I told you how much I love you recently? lol

I find more often than not (this thread included) Doc will contribute his snarky 2 cents and sour the entire mood of a thread. He's usually quite the succinct cynic, never really has anything positive or encouraging to add to the conversation, and can sometimes be blatantly rude.

Yo Peanut, this is what I picture Doc to look like:
http://media.photobucket.com/image/fat nerd wow/benderillo/fat-nerd-fixes-computer.jpg

 

[UltimateHombre]

]I bet you're glad to know that no one takes you seriously any more on here. Your advice/comments were worthless[/B] on here (and several other threads). Thanks and no thanks. Go do something more productive (as a dentist) than sitting behind the computer berating people of this forum (pre-dents) with your overly ridiculous and absurd comments. More importantly, quit trolling!

😱😱😱😱😱

Wow you must really be upset... because if you have ever read any of Doc's statistical threads... you should be thanking him. He has compiled information and statistics on just about everything you would want to know about admissions. Just read the very 1st sticky by somethinpositiv.... he includes 10+ threads/charts by Doc, that have helped thousands of predents.

Have you done even a fraction of that? I know i sure as hell haven't.... imo he/she has earned the right to be cynical.

Sure Doc is often times cynical and condescending..... but the fact is he/she is usually right. We are all just too prideful to admit it. Simply put Punchdrunk had a false sense of entitlement in his posting and Doc simply put Punch in his place.

We think because we read sdn all the time we know all about d-school. But none of us have been to d-school or practiced in the real world, something that Doc has on all of us, regardless of whether it was 20 years ago or not.

I guess it would be nice if everything was positive and happy on sdn, but unfortunately that is not realistic in the least.... because numbers don't lie, the vast majority of applicants don't make it in... welcome to the real world.

I really did not mean to make this into a giant rant... i just left biology and am in a bad mood... my bad!! 😀😀😀

 

[AmpedUp]

^^I can see the real world connection. However, it almost seems as if doc ANTICIPATES threads where he has the opportunity to trash an applicant.

Anyway, I wasn't in the best mood yesterday. I take back everything I wrote in this thread under those pretenses. Sorry doc.

 

[CaliPreDent]

hahahaha this thread is hilariousness....there are some jerks on SDN and most of them have absolutely no people skills whatsoever...

 

[Montserrat]

BURN!!!

...In all seriousness, Doc toothache is a punk. All he does is take jabs at people and act as if he knows everything. For all I know, he is a dentist that got accepted 20 something years ago when it was a LOT easier to get in. So doc, please shut up and stop being a pain in everybody's *****. 👍

Woah... easy there.

I disagree with the geezer a bunch, but he's just expressing his honest opinion. It's all words on an internet forum, and he is not trying to be a support group counselor. Doc includes useful data but his analysis and interpretation of that data is sometimes flat out wrong. Use the numbers and other stuff he says as you see fit though.

I called up schools to know where I was in the process, but I didn't badger anyone. If you want to show interest, get your butt out of your chair and visit the school before the admissions process even begins. Attach a face to your application before you submit. Trying to show interest when they are busy as heck right now isn't the ideal time.

 

[cmonster11]

Woah, cool! I read this thread looking for info about calling schools or not. I wasn't expecting the Doc entertainment that I got. Thanks sdn, that was a good read!

 

[doc toothache]

Yo Peanut, this is what I picture Doc to look like:
http://media.photobucket.com/image/fat nerd wow/benderillo/fat-nerd-fixes-computer.jpg

Is that like the modern version of a self portrait?

^^I can see the real world connection. However, it almost seems as if doc ANTICIPATES threads where he has the opportunity to trash an applicant.

Anyway, I wasn't in the best mood yesterday. I take back everything I wrote in this thread under those pretenses. Sorry doc.

If the post is as real as the blue sky... "No problemo". Spend the weekend recouping.

 

[Habbas]

the thing is doc is right a lot of the time. pre-dents always post the same questions and a lot of them could be answered by just looking at the excel files in his sig if people just searched for it.

 

[RedDevilDDS]

i always imagined doc toothache as like this

keeps his sentences short and effective... w/o explaining thy self

but here is my take on it. no matter what people argue on here if someone wants to call a school they will call that school NO matter what... even for status update.

and yes i do believe that we should at least get an answer on our status due to the fact that we spent so much money and TIME.

Yeah I agree. And what's so wrong about calling the schools if you ask them gently? When I call the admissions office to check my update, it only takes like 30 seconds and they don't seem to be bothered.

 

[scripdawg]

Wow! Just came back to this thread after starting it many days ago - only to find out that it functions not only to answer questions about calling admin offices, but has true entertainment value as well.

Doc, keep on being a 'lightning rod'! It keeps things interesting and keeps us all in check.

BTW, I intially asked about calling offices because I had spoke with a current student at Loma Linda who said that when he was applying, he called offices EVERY WEEK! He thought it was important to let them know that you are serious about being a dentist and will do what ever it takes. (He also said he would have paraded across campus with a banner if it would have drawn more attention to himself)

 

[doc toothache]

Wow! Just came back to this thread after starting it many days ago - only to find out that it functions not only to answer questions about calling admin offices, but has true entertainment value as well.
Doc, keep on being a 'lightning rod'! It keeps things interesting and keeps us all in check.
BTW, I intially asked about calling offices because I had spoke with a current student at Loma Linda who said that when he was applying, he called offices EVERY WEEK! He thought it was important to let them know that you are serious about being a dentist and will do what ever it takes. (He also said he would have paraded across campus with a banner if it would have drawn more attention to himself)

The advice may be questionable but the entertainment value is not. In the case of the current student the banner idea is a little lame but streaking would definitely have gotten him noticed.

 

[MNdental]

this thread is hilarious, and i mean in a good way.

I got an interview when I called Minnesota to check my application status. They probably had my file sitting out ready to contact me and it's just a coincidence. Either way, it was a nice surprise when i asked for my application status to hear them say, "oh yeah, i was just meaning to call you. We'd like to invite you to interview."

so it coudln't hurt

 

[txlonghorn]

I called today, and was told by the lady at Columbia that it was good that I called. She said it shows that I am still interested.

 

[JBieber]

I called today, and was told by the lady at Columbia that it was good that I called. She said it shows that I am still interested.

do they keep on file how many times you call?

 

[txlonghorn]

do they keep on file how many times you call?

I doubt that. lol. I think people get over paranoid about stuff. If you want to call, then call. If not, then don't. I have called some schools several times during this whole waiting period just to check up on what is up. Columbia is one of them, but I called because they had not cashed my check. Harvard is another, because I wanted to know what is going on with them this cycle with the staff turnover.

 

[UCLAbruinz]

yea. for some schools it is good to call. some, not so much.

don't call just to call.. they'd figure that out and i think that would be detrimental. nyu got mad at me for calling for the first time!

 

[Lethstang]

depends on the school.

some are great. UF and USN treated me like i was their long lost son who just cured cancer. UT acted like I was keeping them from a noon nap.

 

[medent]

This might freak some of you out, because it sure freaked me out.

On my pre-health advising office's advice, I sent an update fax to schools that I was taking some additional science classes that were not reflected on my aadsas application from June. I decided to take the classes to be better prepared for D-school, not to boost my grades.

After a few weeks of not getting interviews (early September), I called to make sure schools got my document and that everything was moving forward. One of my top choices had put my application on hold as a result of the letter, because they interpreted it to mean "hold for grades at academic update", even though my letter did not say that. I clarified my intentions. . . and got an interview invite the next week. Unfortunately, for a very late post-Dec. interview day.

Naturally, I was then concerned that all the schools I applied to interpreted that letter the same way. I called all of them to clarify. One school had not consolidated some mailed materials with the rest of my AADSAS app. Another one of my top choices responded, "didn't you get an email from us?" I told them I had gotten the application complete email. They responded, "uh, hold on just a second, it looks like there was a mistake on our end. . . you should have an email by the end of the day." 5 minutes later there was an interview invite from them in my inbox that I was supposed to have recieved 5 weeks earlier. I had not gotten it because my email address was typed address incorrectly.

The same day my committee emailed and said they forgot to include the last page of my committee recommendation letter. So that was resent, and again, 2 weeks later, I called or emailed all the schools to make sure it was received. I have not gotten a reply/response from 3 of the schools, which makes me nervous. . .

The moral of the story is that all these offices are handling massive amounts of paperwork, checks, etc. People are human, things get lost, put with the wrong files, or misdelivered. So sure, I think its a good idea to call, and maybe just ask to make sure your file is "moving forward" rather than asking what the status is, which sounds like you are asking for their decision. Ask, affirm your interest, don't harrass, be gracious. Yours is the 40th call of the day, asking the same question.