"competitive list" letter for RWJ

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beponychick

beponychick

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Hey guys,

I know that there have been posts about this before... but I just received a "competive list" letter for RWJ medical school. This is my first choice med school, so I am trying to make sense of this letter. I was just wondering, has anyone out there been rejected or placed on the waitlist after receiving this letter?

Thanks :)
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I also received this competitve letter from rwj 2 weeks ago. I didn't know what it meant so I called and they told me that i should find out whether I was accepted or placed on the waiting list in a "couple of weeks". So two thursdays later (this past thursday) I was expecting an answer. No answer so I called the admissions office on friday and they said that I will b e up for review next week.

The good news for both of us is that we will never be rejected; either accepted or waiting list. But I wonder how many people get accepted and how soon?

Anyone got any answers.

This waiting game sucks. RWJ is my #1 choice also.

Hopefulyl we will be classmates next year. :)
 
Did you recieve that letter today, bepony?

I interviewed there on the 20th of January and I haven't heard anything yet. I was wondering if I got reviewed this past Thursday, but since I haven't recieved a rejection or waitlist or competive letter, I'm hoping they haven't reviewed me yet.
 
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Yes, I received the letter today. I interviewed at RWJ on February 3rd.

Good luck to both of you!
 
I interviewed there on Jan. 6 and got reviewed on Feb. 19-that's 5 weeks!!!!!!!!!! I am surprised that bepony was reviewed so quickly. From talking to a lot of people, it takes at least 6 weeks for them to review you.

Tiki you should call the admisisons office and find out when and if you were reviewed. they are really helpful.
 
What I dont understand is: if we have been reviewed already by the admissions committee, why cant they just give us a straightforward answer? Im just so confused about this...
 
I guess they are just waiting to see who accepted their offer so they know how many more spots they have to fill. I htink it is stupid also, but at least we still have hope of being accepted instead of being outright waitlisted.

From what I have read on other posts, most people do get accpeted after receiving this letter. Just I don't know if this is true this late in the game.
 
Originally posted by beponychick
Yes, I received the letter today. I interviewed at RWJ on February 3rd.

Good luck to both of you!
Click to expand...

Hi beponychick, I interviewed on the same day as you did, and I still haven't heard anything. I guess I should call Monday and find out what's going on with my file. Maybe I've entered "review hell", i.e. I'll be reviewed for the next few months before I get a response.
 
I guess what Im trying to still find out (and this is driving me crazy) is if getting the "competitive" letter a good or bad thing??? Anyone have any ideas?
 
Originally posted by beponychick
I guess what Im trying to still find out (and this is driving me crazy) is if getting the "competitive" letter a good or bad thing??? Anyone have any ideas?
Click to expand...

At this point, I would say that anything other than a flat out rejection is great! I think that showing your continued interest in the school will be a high point, and I hope that you won't have to wait long for an acceptance. :)
 
I got the "competitive list" letter today.

I'm not upset about it, because I look at it this way. The worst that will happen, is that I'll get waitlisted. The best thing, an acceptance. At least we know we haven't been rejected.


I agree with lildoc though, this waiting thing is making me crazy. I wonder when they are going to let us all know.
 
I got that letter then got a subsequent waitlist.

What happens is, you get that letter then revaluated 3 weeks later for waitlist or acceptance. I guess it means your on the borderline. Hope it helps.
 
Do you guys know if people get flat out rejected post-interview from RWJ and not receive this competitive letter?
 
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hypersting,

how long after the competitive letter did you receive your waitlist letter?
 
people do get rejected post-interview, at least I am pretty sure. In terms of this competitive list thing: I thought that the admissions committee meets every other thursday, which means they won't meet after 3 weeks. But when I called the admissions office this past friday, they told me that they will review me again this week, which is three weeks from when I got the letter. So it would make sense. Except I am not so sure I trust what the admissions office is telling me over the phone. Since Februrary 5, every time I call they tell me next time, next week, next whatever. So I think I am beyond the point of crazy by now. I just want an answer, and a positive one at that.
 
oh-and on this third week, do they meet on a thursday also? I just need to know what day to wait by the phone AGAIN!!!!!!!!
 
littledoc, how long has it been since your interview?

hang tight...i had to wait 8 weeks before i heard back from them.
 
my interview was january 6th. So I htink it is exactly 8 weeks. I'd better find out this week. Do they meet on Thursdays also on this third week? What time do they call?
 
The reason you are confused is that the their is more than one committee. I guess the overall committee has four options, reject, WL, competitive letter, or accept. If they chose competitive letter, a different committee (or maybe a subset of the first, or even the same as the regular) evaluates only these competitive category applicants at that interim week. This is just what I have picked up from this board and my own experience. I have no inside connection, I got WL.

Yes, it is again on Thursday. Don't wait by the phone, if you don't get a call, you will get a letter by Sat or Mon.

Beponychick-
It took 3 weeks, thats what I said in the above post.

Best of luck to all of you.
 
anyone get a call today, or any other type of correspondence, from robert wood johnson?
 
do you guys know anything about the high priority alternate list? is this the same as the competitive letter you are talking about?
 
No, the competitive letter is different from the "high priority" letter. People who got the post-interview competitive letter had their applications held for further review, and then a decision was made on those students at a later period (most folks here heard within three weeks that they were placed on the wait/alternate list, or otherwise).

"High priority" just means that you rank high on the alternate list, which IMO means that you've got a great chance at acceptance. From friends who have applied in the past, RWJ does indeed have a ranked waitlist. So sit tight, I'd assume that you might be hearing something at the latest by the May 15th deadline, if not earlier.

Best,
H&T
 
Hi guys,

Does anyone know if people on the regular alternate list, as opposed to "high priority" have a good chance of acceptance? I am on the regular alternate list, but when I called the admissions office, they told me I am in the first category of the waitlist (out of three possible categories). What does this mean? Do they then divide this group and determine who is high priority? Im so confused...
 
I'm not quite sure what that means either. I received a high priority letter, and didn't question it, assuming that it was what it was. I think that you should call RWJ once again and get clarification as to what they meant by the "first" category. That seems like it could mean anything. You might also want to ask folks in the allo forum who are at RWJ off the waitlist if they know what's up.
 
hey Heal&Teach,

when did you interview/receive your high priority alternate list letter?
 
Interviewed on 2/3, and received my letter on or about 3/22.
 
I was told when I interviewed that RWJ expects the top waitlist group to get in and then some from the second group and none from the third group. Have any of you been numbered in the 2nd or third groups?
 
Hey there,

so i am assuming there are people who are in the top group but who are not on the priority list... correct???

wow, that is really cool! i didnt know that they actually expected most people from the top group to get in. when i called, they told me there were quite a few people in this group (but would not tell me the exact number), so I was a bit scared.
 
Canrenone,

when did you interview at RWJ? Did Carol Terregino tell you that the first group is likely to get in?

Thanks
 
Anyone hear anything as of late?
 
I am under the impression that RWJ doesn't start accepting students off the waitlist until the end of May. When I called the adcom they told me I was on the "right" list, as they put it, and when I asked where on the list, I had to beg to get out of them that I was somewhere in the top half.
 
Hey littledoc,

what is the "right" list... do you mean the first tier list?
 
Last year I lived with a guy who got this "highly select" i think were the exact words from RWJ. He called the school and the lady told him he had a great position on the waitlist, i think she even gave him numbers like, if 8 people drop out, he was in. Which was kind of shocking, since he had a 24 and a 3.5. Well thats the story I know anyway....

So he goes through the entire summer thinking today is the day he is going to get off the list, keeps calling the school to find out, and the school keeps telling him only X more people and then its you... so he does not study for the August MCAT, thinking he is going to get into RWJ....

Turns out He doesnt get in, didnt find out until the end of august, and they yanked his chain the whole time. He now tells me that he doesnt believe he ever had a serious chance, and that this highly select list is often misleading, and usually results in a waitlist then rejection.

So i think that very few people get rejected flat out if my friend didnt. Most everyone gets this vague list that makes it think like you have a good statistical chance, but its not as it appears.
 
the "right" list was the words that the admissions office used-I assume that it is the first list, the list that they start taking student off of when they get open spots. But to tell you the truth I really don't know. i think all of us are totally confused about t his whole waitlist thing. I wish thye would be straight out honest with us instead of being so ambiguous. I know someone who got accepted to RWJ last year the second day of school, and I surely don't want to be in that position.
 
hi guys,

i got a call from dr. terregino on thursday to say that a spot had opened up for me. clearly, I took it. i am very excited. i just thought you would like to know that i guess they have started moving to the waitlist. good luck everyone!
 
holy crap...i thought they didn't even meet until after May 15. Actually, who knows even if they meet or if they just go down the list if spots open up.
 
littledoc2be said:
holy crap...i thought they didn't even meet until after May 15. Actually, who knows even if they meet or if they just go down the list if spots open up.
Click to expand...

The list is in tiers ... but its unranked in those tiers.
 
precisionplus said:
hi guys,

i got a call from dr. terregino on thursday to say that a spot had opened up for me. clearly, I took it. i am very excited. i just thought you would like to know that i guess they have started moving to the waitlist. good luck everyone!
Click to expand...



Hi there,

congratulations on your acceptance!!! I am very happy for you. I was wondering, when you received your waitlist letter, were you placed in the "high priority" alternate list, or was there no such wording in your letter? I am just curious if they are first taking people off of this high priority list before they hit the regular list..

thank you :)
 
JayMiranti said:
Turns out He doesnt get in, didnt find out until the end of august, and they yanked his chain the whole time. He now tells me that he doesnt believe he ever had a serious chance, and that this highly select list is often misleading, and usually results in a waitlist then rejection.

So i think that very few people get rejected flat out if my friend didnt. Most everyone gets this vague list that makes it think like you have a good statistical chance, but its not as it appears.
Click to expand...

When my friend applied in 2002 for the 2003-04 cycle, she was placed in the upper portion of the waitlist as well (also told that only a few people were ahead of her, and this went on for several months), and didn't get in. Either everyone getting into RWJ is accepting their slots or someone's chain is indeed getting yanked. I'm releasing my "high priority" waitlist spot this week, which may not have any bearing based on these examples.
 
yes, my letter did say "high priority alternate list."
 
your letter actually used the words "high priority" alternate list, and not just alternate list. Can you go back and check your letter. becuase I just loooked at my letter and it only said alternate list, not high priority alternate list, and when I called they said I was on the "right list", so I just dont get it.

ALso, what I don't get is that all of the posts ont his thread say how RWJ just yanks your chain and in the end doesnt acceot students off the waitlists, but other posts about waitlist movements say RWJ hs pretty decentn waitlist movement.

So which is it?
 
..."The Admissions Committee receives many applications from outstanding students like you. At this point in time the Committee has voted to place your application on our high priority alternate list. Currently the class is overbooked but it has been the experience of the Admissions Office that as accepted applicants accept other positions and withdraw from our class, we are indeed able to offer acceptances to applicants on our high priority alternate list. Such actions usually occur in the spring or early summer months, or sooner."...

as for whether you are on the "right list" or not, I dunno.
 
precisionplus-when did you receive your waitlist letter?
 
I'll have to check when I get home but I think it was April 1st or so. I interviewed on 2/27
 
littledoc2be said:
ALso, what I don't get is that all of the posts ont his thread say how RWJ just yanks your chain and in the end doesnt acceot students off the waitlists, but other posts about waitlist movements say RWJ hs pretty decentn waitlist movement. So which is it?
Click to expand...

I'll tell you what: initially, I thought that "high priority" might be a guarantee that you'd be able to get in earlier. Considering the fact that we haven't yet reached the May 15th deadline, I would wait this out a little to see what happens. I'd think that the most waitlist movement would occur then as people release their spots. If there isn't substantial movement from the top, then it could be that people are choosing to stick with RWJ or the ranking on the waitlist may not matter at all (which I find hard to believe, but as in the aforementioned cases, this could be true). Let's just see what happens over the next few weeks and how this will play out.
 
I called the admissions office today. They said there is one list and it is ranked. and there is no such hting as a high priority wait list, they just changed their lingo. so a wait list is a wait list. thought i would bring the good news to some of you downers.
 
littledoc2be, (I was going to PM you, but your box is not activated)

I certainly wasn't trying to down you at all, and I don't think that anyone else was. You just confirmed what has been stated several times on this thread, that certain designations on the waitlist don't mean anything. They may not just be hype, or maybe the designations change as the time goes on, but either way, both Jay and my examples showed that two people were told that they had "high priority", but didn't even get in. I didn't feel like waiting around in uncertainty since I had been holding on to my waitlist letter since mid-March, so I withdrew from RWJ's applicant pool today.

I wasn't trying to disrespect anyone, just stating the reality, and I'm sorry if you were offended by any of my posts.

H&T
 
I wasn't offended, it's just this whole process is totally frustrating me. And the admissions office keep so much of it a secret, so the applicants have to guess about a lot of things. So I am just trying to separate the fiction from the non-fiction.

RWJ is my #1 choice for so many reasons, and going there would make my life a hell of a lot easier. and I get so upset when I see people holding on to multiple spots when usually they know they arent even attending that school. or even when people post threads like x vs. y school. there are some people who would die for that spot that somebody is taking their sweet time to contemplate on.

H&T-I htink it is very respectable of you to give up your spot and thank you for that.

I wish all of you good luck and I hope that we become classmates one day.

In the meanwhile, if anyone hears anything fromt he school please post to keep the rest of us abreast as to what is going.

thanks and have a good night.

p.s.-how do you activate your pm box?
 
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