Do acceptances give leverage?

[DocJuan]

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Would be great to hear from someone on an admissions committee. I apologize in advance for all the conditionals but please indulge me. I anticipate getting waitlisted at a school I really want to attend, and also anticipate getting into a school that I've interviewed and would also love to attend (waiting on decisions at both schools among others).

Does holding an acceptance after May 1 have any affect on your chances of getting off a waitlist? Like do committees see someone is holding 0 acceptances and decide since other schools aren't rolling the dice on the applicant neither will we? Or can holding an acceptance leverage your app? Or does it make no difference one way or the other? Or can holding an acceptance negatively impact you because they think you might not attend if offered the slot? Thanks!

 

[partypantss]

Would be great to hear from someone on an admissions committee. I apologize in advance for all the conditionals but please indulge me. I anticipate getting waitlisted at a school I really want to attend, and also anticipate getting into a school that I've interviewed and would also love to attend (waiting on decisions at both schools among others).

Does holding an acceptance after May 1 have any affect on your chances of getting off a waitlist? Like do committees see someone is holding 0 acceptances and decide since other schools aren't rolling the dice on the applicant neither will we? Or can holding an acceptance leverage your app? Or does it make no difference one way or the other? Or can holding an acceptance negatively impact you because they think you might not attend if offered the slot? Thanks!

Preface this by saying I'm not an ADCOM and this is all speculation, however I have a parent who interviews for an MD school and have talked to ADCOMS:
I think this varies place to place but I imagine for some schools that like to show off their "x% of our matriculates had been accepted to 1 or more other schools" stat, having an acceptance will make you a bit more desirable since you would help up that percentage. On the other hand, it could also hurt you if it's a situation where the school you're accepted at is seen as more desirable than the school you're waiting to hear from. If they think you'll choose your current acceptance over them, they won't be inclined to give you an offer. If you think your acceptance seems more desirable on paper, than you should send the school that WL'd you a letter of intent explaining that while you already have an acceptance, you would prefer to go to their school because of XYZ.

If they don't think you would pick your current acceptance over them and they also don't care at all about their % matriculates that had other offers stat, (this is where many schools will likely fall) than it will probably make little to no difference.

I should also point out that all of this is only true if the wait list is a fluidly ranked one (not very common at least in my experience.) If they are pulling from the WL solely based on demographics/ filling certain niches (which is VERY common) then none of this matters. If your ranking is already locked in, then again, none of it matters.

 

[elliejellybean]

Would be great to hear from someone on an admissions committee. I apologize in advance for all the conditionals but please indulge me. I anticipate getting waitlisted at a school I really want to attend, and also anticipate getting into a school that I've interviewed and would also love to attend (waiting on decisions at both schools among others).

Does holding an acceptance after May 1 have any affect on your chances of getting off a waitlist? Like do committees see someone is holding 0 acceptances and decide since other schools aren't rolling the dice on the applicant neither will we? Or can holding an acceptance leverage your app? Or does it make no difference one way or the other? Or can holding an acceptance negatively impact you because they think you might not attend if offered the slot? Thanks!

I also wanna know this. Do you tell them in a LOI? What if the school doesn't accept updates for WL students?

 

[Medic741]

I think telling them in the LOI is a good thing, because it makes it clear that you are not desperate and in fact really do want to attend the institution. I included the fact that I was excepted at two institutions in my LOI

 

[Goro]

Acceptances only give leverage when you are holding one from a better school. Drexel doesn't care if you have been accepted at NYMC.

Would be great to hear from someone on an admissions committee. I apologize in advance for all the conditionals but please indulge me. I anticipate getting waitlisted at a school I really want to attend, and also anticipate getting into a school that I've interviewed and would also love to attend (waiting on decisions at both schools among others).

Does holding an acceptance after May 1 have any affect on your chances of getting off a waitlist? Like do committees see someone is holding 0 acceptances and decide since other schools aren't rolling the dice on the applicant neither will we? Or can holding an acceptance leverage your app? Or does it make no difference one way or the other? Or can holding an acceptance negatively impact you because they think you might not attend if offered the slot? Thanks!

 

[DocJuan]

Acceptances only give leverage when you are holding one from a better school. Drexel doesn't care if you have been accepted at NYMC.

But what about holding 0 acceptances? Would that place you at a negative disadvantage for getting off a waitlist relative to holding 1 or more?

Or does it just not matter either way unless you're trying to go to a "less prestigious" school than the one at which you've already been accepted.

 

[Goro]

Holding zero accepts and sending an LOI shows that you're desperate. Yes, there are med schools that are needy and like seeing applicants grovel, too.

But what about holding 0 acceptances? Would that place you at a negative disadvantage for getting off a waitlist relative to holding 1 or more?

Or does it just not matter either way unless you're trying to go to a "less prestigious" school than the one at which you've already been accepted.

 

[gyngyn]

I think telling them in the LOI is a good thing, because it makes it clear that you are not desperate and in fact really do want to attend the institution. I included the fact that I was excepted at two institutions in my LOI

It can also look kind of tacky.
Since it is not necessary (we can already see where you are holding acceptances next week), I recommend not mentioning the other school.

 

[DocJuan]

Holding zero accepts and sending an LOI shows that you're desperate. Yes, there are med schools that are needy and like seeing applicants grovel, too.

Sorry I meant all of this independent of any sort of letter of interest or intent.

 

[Goro]

If you're not holding any acceptances, you are in no condition to negotiate or even be competitive.

 

[DocJuan]

If you're not holding any acceptances, you are in no condition to negotiate or even be competitive.

I appreciate the feedback but I think the above posts about letters has distorted the question a bit because I'm not referring to any sort of negotiations.

Say it's May 5th and you are reviewing two waitlisted applicants files independently, Applicant A and Applicant B.

Both applicants have identical stats, ECs, demographics, and interview evaluations.

Applicant A is holding 0 acceptances, and Applicant B is holding an acceptance at a school that is as good or "worse" than your own.

Based off of this info alone, does Applicant B have a better shot at getting off of the waitlist than Applicant A? Are their chances identical?

Again, this is assuming neither applicant has sent any LOI's and isn't trying to negotiate. They've both been patiently waiting since interview day.

 

[gyngyn]

I appreciate the feedback but I think the above posts about letters has distorted the question a bit because I'm not referring to any sort of negotiations.

Say it's May 5th and you are reviewing two waitlisted applicants files independently, Applicant A and Applicant B.

Both applicants have identical stats, ECs, demographics, and interview evaluations.

Applicant A is holding 0 acceptances, and Applicant B is holding an acceptance at a school that is as good or "worse" than your own.

Based off of this info alone, does Applicant B have a better shot at getting off of the waitlist than Applicant A? Are their chances identical?

Again, this is assuming neither applicant has sent any LOI's and isn't trying to negotiate. They've both been patiently waiting since interview day.

No.

 

[DocJuan]

No.

Settled. Thanks!

 

[elliejellybean]

It can also look kind of tacky.
Since it is not necessary (we can already see where you are holding acceptances next week), I recommend not mentioning the other school.

Wait huh??

 

[elliejellybean]

I appreciate the feedback but I think the above posts about letters has distorted the question a bit because I'm not referring to any sort of negotiations.

Say it's May 5th and you are reviewing two waitlisted applicants files independently, Applicant A and Applicant B.

Both applicants have identical stats, ECs, demographics, and interview evaluations.

Applicant A is holding 0 acceptances, and Applicant B is holding an acceptance at a school that is as good or "worse" than your own.

Based off of this info alone, does Applicant B have a better shot at getting off of the waitlist than Applicant A? Are their chances identical?

Again, this is assuming neither applicant has sent any LOI's and isn't trying to negotiate. They've both been patiently waiting since interview day.

Sorry I hijacked ur thread lol

 

[gyngyn]

Wait huh??

On March 15th, we can see where waitlisted candidates are holding acceptances.

 

[elliejellybean]

On March 15th, we can see where waitlisted candidates are holding acceptances.

As indicated in my signature I'm in limbo [no decision] at three different institutions. They won't know that I've been accepted elsewhere until I'm moved over to the WL or if I'm not on the WL by 3.15 will they never know 😵

 

[gyngyn]

As indicated in my signature I'm in limbo [no decision] at three different institutions. They won't know that I've been accepted elsewhere until I'm moved over to the WL or if I'm not on the WL by 3.15 will they never know 😵

We never see where you have applied, interviewed or been waitlisted.

 

[DocJuan]

We never see where you have applied, interviewed or been waitlisted.

Do you guys get real time updates on acceptances? Or just one bulk notification on 3/15 then nothing afterwards.

 

[gyngyn]

Do you guys get real time updates on acceptances? Or just one bull notificatoon on 3/15 then nothing afterwards.

It is updated each business day.

 

[elliejellybean]

We never see where you have applied, interviewed or been waitlisted.

I'm sorry if I'm being annoying but I think I need to rephrase my question, and again I'm so sorry for hijacking the thread. What I was trying to ask is if I am moved over to the WL from a school that hasn't made a decision on me yet..say March 20, will that school be able to see I have an acceptance after I'm moved to the WL?
I'm asking because the school that I've been accepted to though wonderful is ranked 3rd in the places I've interviewed. For most the program where I've been accepted (let's call it X SOM) would be considered 'more prestigious'*** than some of the schools I'm waiting to hear back from. But I don't want any adcom to think I'd choose X SOM over their school because of the associated "prestige". So what to do in that situation. Is this where the LOI comes into play?

*** I say this lightly it's not Harvard or anything, just one of the bigger state schools vs 2 what some call low-tier schools

 

[gyngyn]

I'm sorry if I'm being annoying but I think I need to rephrase my question, and again I'm so sorry for hijacking the thread. What I was trying to ask is if I am moved over to the WL from a school that hasn't made a decision on me yet..say March 20, will that school be able to see I have an acceptance after I'm moved to the WL?
I'm asking because the school that I've been accepted to though wonderful is ranked 3rd in the places I've interviewed. For most the program where I've been accepted (let's call it X SOM) would be considered 'more prestigious'*** than some of the schools I'm waiting to hear back from. But I don't want any adcom to think I'd choose X SOM over their school because of the associated "prestige". So what to do in that situation. Is this where the LOI comes into play?

*** I say this lightly it's not Harvard or anything, just one of the bigger state schools vs 2 what some call low-tier schools

If no decision has been made, we will see nothing.
If you are waitlisted, we will see nothing.

 

[Med Ed]

Would be great to hear from someone on an admissions committee. I apologize in advance for all the conditionals but please indulge me. I anticipate getting waitlisted at a school I really want to attend, and also anticipate getting into a school that I've interviewed and would also love to attend (waiting on decisions at both schools among others).

Does holding an acceptance after May 1 have any affect on your chances of getting off a waitlist? Like do committees see someone is holding 0 acceptances and decide since other schools aren't rolling the dice on the applicant neither will we? Or can holding an acceptance leverage your app? Or does it make no difference one way or the other? Or can holding an acceptance negatively impact you because they think you might not attend if offered the slot? Thanks!

My institution has a ranked wait list. Until about a month from orientation we pay no mind to other acceptances. We go down the list, make offers, give people 5-7 days to decide, and move on as needed. It doesn't really behoove us to try and game things when proceeding systematically is reasonably efficient. A month prior to orientation things change, and we might skip over someone with another acceptance, particularly if it is at a geographically distant school.

Also, it's really just a lot of fun to call people without acceptances in late summer and tell them that they're going to medical school.