Do people get most of their acceptances from wait lists/holds?

[apoptosis123]

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Maybe its just the schools I've interviewed at, but it seems like most don't give out that many acceptances right after interviews and put the majority on hold. I've got 7 interviews so far and have been wait listed/put on hold at all 3 I've heard back from. Is this normal? At what point should I start preparing for another application cycle?

 

[MedicalName]

I'm reading my own story in the OP. Interviewed at 7 schools so far, have heard back from 4 - all waitlists. And I know I'm not terrible at interviewing, all 3 of my mock interviewers said I did very well and I am a very sociable person

 

[wololololololo]

InterviewsHarvard, UCLA, Mayo

Applied, RejectedUCSF

I don't get this process.

 

[kpcrew]

You should probably start worrying about another application cycle if you don't get in anywhere by May or something like that. It's only November and your stats are ridiculous. You're getting interview invites from some pretty sweet schools, I wouldn't worry about it just yet. I think medical schools just want to get a sense of who's out there in terms of applicants and don't want to commit to most of their interviewees before getting to meet them all but I'm not an adcom member or anything obviously.

I don't get this process.

to be fair, ucsf is an amazing school (top 10 in both research and primary care) and their medical center is one of the best in the nation.

 

[flatearth22]

I'm really surprised at your UCI waitlist considering your stats and the fact that you went to UG there. Did you have a poor interview there?

 

[apoptosis123]

I'm really surprised at your UCI waitlist considering your stats and the fact that you went to UG there. Did you have a poor interview there?

Definitely not poor, at least I don't think so. I never know what to think about my interviews since they are usually just relaxed discussions about my activities.

 

[NeuralNetwork]

I'm in the same exact position. I hereby motion that we get this thread renamed to "The Official Waitlist Club 2011-2012"

 

[myrtle turtle]

In the same boat. 7 invites so far, attended 4 - waitlisted at 2 (including my state school/top choice), waiting to hear from the other 2. Not really sure what to do at this point - I will not beg/grovel for a spot the way some of these schools want you to with updates and "I love you" letters. If a school doesn't recognize what I will contribute to their class, in addition to my excellent stats, then why would I want to go there? This process makes absolutely no sense.

 

[elblackwell]

In the same boat. 7 invites so far, attended 4 - waitlisted at 2 (including my state school/top choice), waiting to hear from the other 2. Not really sure what to do at this point - I will not beg/grovel for a spot the way some of these schools want you to with updates and "I love you" letters. If a school doesn't recognize what I will contribute to their class, in addition to my excellent stats, then why would I want to go there? This process makes absolutely no sense.

Seriously? I don't understand why it's that big of a deal to write a school a letter letting them know you are very interested in attending. People on SDN like to call it a love letter but it should just be a letter where you remind the school about why you think you would be a good fit for their program and how it benefits both you and the school to have a student like you. After studying your a** off for years, doing all these ECs, completing many secondary applications, and spending a lot of money on applications and interviews, it seems that it's a very minor thing to write a school a letter of interest, if indeed you want to attend. Remember, they are the ones that have thousands of applicants to choose from.

 

[hockeyhy]

Definitely not poor, at least I don't think so. I never know what to think about my interviews since they are usually just relaxed discussions about my activities.

Top 20's tend to be very difficult to get in to, even with your stats. My friend with your stats applied last year, went to 8 interviews at top 20's, and only got into one of them. He got into 2 other schools but they were both "safeties" (unranked state schools). It's good that you have a safety in your list (RFU) as that should work out positively for you.

 

[2BDR]

I wanted to ask this as well. I guess it is normal if the schools are top 20. But in my case, I was waitlisted even at unranked state school. I interviewed at 5 so far, and 2 more coming up in december. 3 waitlist/hold so far. Now I am getting worried. And I heard from someone that schools reject only few people after interview so there is not much hope to get in from waitlist/hold status for some schools. I wonder if this is true.

 

[jinobi]

Simple - you are not entitled to an acceptance at any medical school.

Also because people tend to rate themselves more highly than otherwise perceived, even when you judge yourself as a pessimist. That's one reason why standardized patient encounters are recorded for you to look over after the fact.

In the same boat. 7 invites so far, attended 4 - waitlisted at 2 (including my state school/top choice), waiting to hear from the other 2. Not really sure what to do at this point - I will not beg/grovel for a spot the way some of these schools want you to with updates and "I love you" letters. If a school doesn't recognize what I will contribute to their class, in addition to my excellent stats, then why would I want to go there? This process makes absolutely no sense.

 

[saveourpens]

In the same boat. 7 invites so far, attended 4 - waitlisted at 2 (including my state school/top choice), waiting to hear from the other 2. Not really sure what to do at this point - I will not beg/grovel for a spot the way some of these schools want you to with updates and "I love you" letters. If a school doesn't recognize what I will contribute to their class, in addition to my excellent stats, then why would I want to go there? This process makes absolutely no sense.

My stats are almost identical to yours (same MCAT total and similar GPA). While we share good numbers, there are always going to be people with more "excellent" stats. This application process has been really humbling for me

......edit...never mind I confused you for the OP, your 32 is not "excellent" at all.

 

[gettheleadout]

In the same boat. 7 invites so far, attended 4 - waitlisted at 2 (including my state school/top choice), waiting to hear from the other 2. Not really sure what to do at this point - I will not beg/grovel for a spot the way some of these schools want you to with updates and "I love you" letters. If a school doesn't recognize what I will contribute to their class, in addition to my excellent stats, then why would I want to go there? This process makes absolutely no sense.

32 isn't exactly "excellent," and I wouldn't blame the schools for their inability to "recognize what [you] will contribute to their class."

 

[vayntraubinator]