Deferral

[James105]

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Do you guys know if you can defer, and then apply to other schools in the interim year?

 

[aSagacious]

Almost never. Usually in the deferral they state that you can't apply elsewhere in the next application cycle.

 

[TropicalKitty]

1. Deferrals are for very special cases. As far as I'm aware of, you're saying you'll go to that school after your circumstance is over the following year.

2. Why would you tell a school you'd go there, tell them not this year, then apply elsewhere? If you don't want to go to that school, then don't go there.

 

[CodeBlu]

Almost never. Usually in the deferral they state that you can't apply elsewhere in the next application cycle.

I know of three different cases where this has happened.

 

[aSagacious]

I know of three different cases where this has happened.

That's why I said 'almost'

 

[James105]

How can you tell for each school?

 

[ppfizenm]

How can you tell for each school?

You mean can anyone help you deceive a school and possibly cause someone else an acceptance?

 

[NickNaylor]

How can you tell for each school?

Once you're accepted, e-mail the school and request a deferral for the following year. Be sure to give them your reasoning.

 

[James105]

You mean can anyone help you deceive a school and possibly cause someone else an acceptance?

In what way is this deceptive? If I sign a consent promising not to apply to another school, I won't, if I don't sign a consent, I will apply to another school. There is nothing wrong with that.

It is a touchy subject to breach so I am just trying to see how to approach it.

 

[ppfizenm]

In what way is this deceptive? If I sign a consent promising not to apply to another school, I won't, if I don't sign a consent, I will apply to another school. There is nothing wrong with that.

It is a touchy subject to breach so I am just trying to see how to approach it.

It seams you are only breaching the subject so you can apply to other med schools. Why apply to this one and go on the interview if you didn't really want to go?

 

[HumbleMD]

What's with all of these kids wanting do-overs lately?

If you don't want to attend a school, don't apply to it in the first place. This seems like a horrible, dishonest, and selfish strategy.

 

[James105]

Ok, I tried really hard to resist the temptation to respond to the previous comments, but apparently I am too weak.

I am astonished that there would be such a negative response to even asking about deferrals. I applied to the schools that I did because after researching them their website, MSAR, and SDN they seem like a good fit.

But, unfortunately, just because a school looks nice online doesn't mean it will equate into a good fit. Since the interview is the best time to get a feel for the real nature of the school, I will attend the interview.

Since I already know I love a school, I would like to have another shot to apply there. I'm not going to break any rules or lie, I just want to pursue all the options.

Finally, it doesn't do much to facilitate respectful conversation by making sweeping and derogatory assumptions.

 

[sector9]

Ok, I tried really hard to resist the temptation to respond to the previous comments, but apparently I am too weak.

I am astonished that there would be such a negative response to even asking about deferrals. I applied to the schools that I did because after researching them their website, MSAR, and SDN they seem like a good fit.

But, unfortunately, just because a school looks nice online doesn't mean it will equate into a good fit. Since the interview is the best time to get a feel for the real nature of the school, I will attend the interview.

Since I already know I love a school, I would like to have another shot to apply there. I'm not going to break any rules or lie, I just want to pursue all the options.

Finally, it doesn't do much to facilitate respectful conversation by making sweeping and derogatory assumptions.

Then withdraw your application after the interview, or after your acceptance, or whenever else you decide that you don't want to go to that school.

 

[HumbleMD]

1) Study the pre-med requirements in undergrad
2) Take MCAT
3) Apply to medical schools you think you want to attend
4) Interview when invited
5) Await acceptances, withdrawing from schools you no longer wish to attend
6) Choose one school by the May deadline
7) Matriculate and start at said medical school

Why is this so hard for people to grasp? Have things really changed in 5 years?

 

[Starlightembers]

If you attend an interview at a school and discover that you dislike it, for whatever reason, then withdraw post-interview. It's that simple. If you only want to attend one school in the whole country and wouldn't be OK attending any other, only apply to that one school. Do not allow yourself to be accepted to a school you do not want to attend; you're taking that seat from an applicant who actually wants it and would be a lot more thankful to have it.

Our negativity doesn't come from nowhere, by the way. Taking an acceptance at a school and then deferring your admission for this purpose is dishonest, no matter how much you want to justify it in your mind. First, you'd have to lie to the school about your reasons for wanting to defer in the first place. Besides, even if you don't sign an official contract, it is common sense that the school you are accepted to wouldn't be OK with what you're doing. The school you are APPLYING to, for that matter, wouldn't think it would be OK, either. It makes you seem ungrateful and schools don't like to pawn students from other programs.

Of course, there is a possibility that neither school will find out. Heck, you may very well get away with it. Why take that chance, though? Why take the chance to end up with nothing? Furthermore, as was mentioned, by doing what you are proposing, you take a seat away from somebody who could have had it and who actually wanted it. That's not OK. Once again, though, if you can justify this in your head, do as you will. It's your career.

 

[HumbleMD]

Of course, there is a possibility that neither school you will find out. Heck, you may very well get away with it. Why take that chance, though? Why take the chance to end up with nothing? Furthermore, as was mentioned, by doing what you are proposing, you take a seat away from somebody who could have had it and wanted it. That's not OK. Once again, though, if you can justify this in your head, do as you will. It's your career.

Recall the AMCAS question asking if you've ever applied or matriculated anywhere. If you say yes, most schools want a description of what happened the first time around. Saying you are sitting on a deferral would be a red flag to most programs, who are loathe to poach students from other medical schools as a professional courtesy (at least after the May deadline )

 

[Starlightembers]

Recall the AMCAS question asking if you've ever applied or matriculated anywhere. If you say yes, most schools want a description of what happened the first time around. Saying you are sitting on a deferral would be a red flag to most programs, who are loathe to poach students from other medical schools as a professional courtesy (at least after the May deadline )

Would he technically not have matriculated yet, though? If he said that he simply applied, he could conceivably lie (he obviously has no qualms about doing this). Lying in such a way would obviously be an idiotic risk - thus my "do you want to end up with nothing?" note - but I still figured there would be at least a chance he could get away with it (at least for a little initially). Yes/no?

 

[PJ meowerton]

first of all OP, have you been accepted somewhere? Is this your first application cycle? Have you gone on any interviews yet? If No to all those questions then don't get ahead of yourself, the application process is hard and a lot of people don't get in so I wouldn't assume that you are going to get in and have the opportunity to defer and apply for a better choice. You need a really good reason to get a deferral, they don't just hand them out.

Plus why would you want to put off starting school for a year if you don't have to? You're wasting a year of potential salary, do you have an awesome plan for your extra gap year?

And this question has been asked a million and a half times, all you have to do is search "defer" and you'll find it, I think this is like the 5th time I've seen it this cycle even.

And a point in your defense, if you did defer and applied to another school you wouldn't be taking another applicants spot. When you defer they accept people off the waitlist if they have already finished interviewing for that year. And if you deferred and decided that you were going to go to another school then they would just interview another student for your spot or accept off the waitlist for the year you are suppose to start, there wouldn't be an unfilled spot in the class.

But it is shady and I would never do it personally, you never know if it could royally screw you over in the future, what if you wanted to apply for a residency position at the school you deferred from and left? I've heard if you the school you deferred from finds out that you're applying other places they can take back your acceptance (not sure if that is true but I wouldn't be surprised).