Do schools communicate with other schools about applicants?

[Optimistic 13]

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[rachroo]

I have no idea.

But with my best educated guess: I would think that with everything the ad comm's have to do (and how busy the vet schools are in general) that it wouldn't be worth it to see if applicant #83 has or has not been accepted to schools A, B, C, D, and E, etc, etc.

Another point is that vet school's vary in their selection of applicants, so just because someone is rejected at one school that does not mean that they wouldn't benefit from another's different selection process.

 

[Pistol Pete]

I don't think schools, as a rule, engage in behavior as described. However, schools are schools and there are natural regional rivalries that must have evolved over the years. With only 28 schools, I can't help but believe there are a few schools that love to steal students out of states with well know and respected vet schools, especially if the student did their undergrad work at that school. Why else would they all have agreed to April 15th as a "day of decision". Someone posted on another thread of calling a school to cancel an interview and the school immediately presumed it to be as a result of that individual receiving an offer from a specific vet school in the adjoining state.......sooooo there is history.

Other scenarios that make one wonder are like those being discussed under the "Ohio" thread. Some students were accepted immediately after the interview, yet others are waiting weeks. On the outside looking in, this would appear to be a scenario where the school had tabbed those students as "special applicants" assuming they did not botch the interview. Some schools may have evidence that an OOS student with multiple offers may lean more toward the first school to offer them a seat much like a prized high school athlete leans more toward the first school that contacts them and "shows the luv"......I don't know really, just easy to get paranoid about the whole thing.

PP

 

[sambone]

Some schools may have evidence that an OOS student with multiple offers may lean more toward the first school to offer them a seat
PP

I don't really believe that schools communicate with each other, but I wonder if there might be some truth to Pistol Pete's quote. I've had ~3 weeks to think a lot about my first and so far only acceptance, and the school gets more and more appealing to me.

 

[Pistol Pete]

The "Ohio" thread describes an acceptance process that is unusual in the vet school acceptance world. For an applicant to come out of interview experience and have that school, before they leave the premises, look them in the eye, shake their hand and offer them a seat.....I would say that would qualify as a "competitive advantage" and to some degree, a subliminal contract.

I'm not saying there is anything wrong with the process, congrats to OSU for having recognized applicants they want along with an internal process that allows them to act quickly.

PP

 

[Angelo84]

I just wanted to comment on this thread. I don't think the schools communicate. I am basing this on the fact that several schools asked me in my interview if I had heard from other schools in regards to interviews and or acceptances. They do however have the list of schools that you applied to which suprised me--I thought that was "private" info but apparently not.

I was one of the lucky few to be offered an acceptance at my interview but it actually freaked me out! I was waiting for my taxi to the airport and this guy came up behind me and asked me to follow him to his office. I was convinced something had gone horribly wrong and was then informed that they were offering me an acceptance. Then I had to go catch my taxi!

So while being told at the interview does make a very strong impression in my case it didn't change how I made my final decision. But I was really happy for the next few days and it took the pressure off the rest of my interviews.

 

[EqSci]

I do remember Dr. Sanders at OSU saying that they were trying very hard this year to accept students as early as possible because they believed it gave them an advantage.

 

[Pistol Pete]

So while being told at the interview does make a very strong impression in my case it didn't change how I made my final decision. But I was really happy for the next few days and it took the pressure off the rest of my interviews.

Angelo84,

I don't know the schools in that part of the country well enough to know if there are significant rivalries but in looking at last years acceptance thread this is not a new thing at OSU. It appears every year there are a handful of folks that get accepted immediately after their interview and based on the 2012 acceptance thread OSU is the only school that did it. Just curious, was there anything about your GPA, GRE, experience, etc that you believe contributed to the immediate offer...sounds like you were a little surprised. What other schools did you apply to? It would be interesting to see if those accepted immediately this year had profile similarities, as well as, some of the same "other" schools on their VMCAS.

If you think about it from OSU's perspective it makes perfect sense, early interviews gives them the first shot at the most highly qualified applicants and a "leg up" on the other schools.....combine that with early and, in some cases, immediate offers puts them "out front" on most candidates. If those candidates commit early(verbally or with a deposit) it allows them to move through the rest of their process ahead of schedule. Since all students have until April 15th, to officially decide, there is always the chance of defections but, all in all, it does give them an advantage. Conversely, curious minds wonder if the Univ of Tennesse has some logic for their process being one of the last.

Wonder how many of those with early acceptance at OSU have cancelled interviews at some of their remaining schools? After all, it cost money to travel about and with an acceptance in hand, one would be more inclined to start adding up the additional cost.

It may just be a giant conspiracy to drag all of us through 6 months of mental anquish to get us ready for what vet school is really like.....not that it is getting to me😱

Interesting topic!

PP

 

[Pistol Pete]

So while being told at the interview does make a very strong impression in my case it didn't change how I made my final decision. But I was really happy for the next few days and it took the pressure off the rest of my interviews.

Angelo84,

I don't know the schools in that part of the country well enough to know if there are significant rivalries but in looking at last years acceptance thread this is not a new thing at OSU. It appears every year there are a handful of folks that get accepted immediately after their interview and based on the 2012 acceptance thread OSU is the only school that did it. Just curious, was there anything about your GPA, GRE, experience, etc that you believe contributed to the immediate offer...sounds like you were a little surprised. What other schools did you apply to? It would be interesting to see if those accepted immediately this year had profile similarities, as well as, some of the same "other" schools on their VMCAS.

If you think about it from OSU's perspective it makes perfect sense, early interviews gives them the first shot at the most highly qualified applicants and a "leg up" on the other schools.....combine that with early and, in some cases, immediate offers puts them "out front" on most candidates. If those candidates commit early(verbally or with a deposit) it allows them to move through the rest of their process ahead of schedule. Since all students have until April 15th, to officially decide, there is always the chance of defections but, all in all, it does give them an advantage. Conversely, curious minds wonder if the Univ of Tennesse has some logic for their process being one of the last.

Wonder how many of those with early acceptance at OSU have cancelled interviews at some of their remaining schools? After all, it cost money to travel about and with an acceptance in hand, one would be more inclined to start adding up the additional cost.

It may just be a giant conspiracy to drag all of us through 6 months of mental anquish to get us ready for what vet school is really like.....not that it is getting to me😱

Interesting topic!

PP

 

[Bcrunner1313]

Angelo84,


Wonder how many of those with early acceptance at OSU have cancelled interviews at some of their remaining schools? After all, it cost money to travel about and with an acceptance in hand, one would be more inclined to start adding up the additional cost.

I am one of those people who was accepted early at OSU, and they have really made my head spin. It's very comforting knowing that I will have a place to go in the Fall. On the flip side, I also feel a bit overwhelmed because I was so impressed with the school and what they had to offer that it seems hard to turn them down.

I am still holding out to see if I get into my IS school, Florida, but they are one of the last to let us know. In response to you PP about cancelling interviews, I haven't been granted one yet at LSU, but I will be calling tomorrow to politely withdraw my application. Maybe it's a good thing OSU does this early acceptance, as it may open up spots at other schools for other applicants.

 

[Pistol Pete]

Maybe it's a good thing OSU does this early acceptance, as it may open up spots at other schools for other applicants.

I guess that is one way of looking at it...althought I doubt it is OSU's perspective.

After all, by your own admission OSU has:
1. Made your head spin
2. Made a great impression
3. Caused you to cancel an interview

I'd say their strategy is working🙂

Congrats on getting accepted to great school....now if they could just figure out how to win a major bowl game🙄

PP

 

[david594]

Wonder how many of those with early acceptance at OSU have cancelled interviews at some of their remaining schools? After all, it cost money to travel about and with an acceptance in hand, one would be more inclined to start adding up the additional cost.

As a result of getting my early acceptance I have effectively withdrawn my application from 2 of the other 4 schools I had applied to(Michigan and Colorado). And will either withdraw my 3rd or decline an interview if I am offered one. Like BCrunner, I am also still waiting to hear from Florida even though I am an OOS applicant.

Honestly I was also very impressed with the school, but it was also the first vet school I have ever stepped foot on, so I have little perspective to judge it from.

I can see it as an advantage for Ohio, because if I had interviewed with another school first and been made an offer, there is the same possibility I might have withdrawn my application form Ohio. Them doing it early allows them to get first shot at making offers to applicants.

 

[wildvet]

I doubt that they would. Isn't there a rule or law about releasing confidentiality? I heard that they can't release information about applicants to even the applicant's family, so I doubt they would release it to other schools.

 

[pupsforseeing]

penn does a very similar thing. i was accepted about two hours after i left my interview by a phone call from one of my interviewers. my other interviewer called me two days later to congratulate me. the seemingly personal nature of the whole interaction was definitely a huge plus on my list. i loved that they made an effort to remember me, commenting on aspects of my application that they were excited about and what had impressed them.

like someone else said about ohio, if i had already been offered admission to my IS school at that point, i probably would have turned down the penn interview. but, by them acting early, quickly, and personally, they moved very high up on my list.

 

[Angelo84]

Angelo84,

Just curious, was there anything about your GPA, GRE, experience, etc that you believe contributed to the immediate offer...sounds like you were a little surprised. What other schools did you apply to? It would be interesting to see if those accepted immediately this year had profile similarities, as well as, some of the same "other" schools on their VMCAS.


Wonder how many of those with early acceptance at OSU have cancelled interviews at some of their remaining schools? After all, it cost money to travel about and with an acceptance in hand, one would be more inclined to start adding up the additional cost.


PP

You can look at the successful applicants 2011 thread if you are interested in my exact stats. I felt I had a strong application (strong GPA and varied experience) and had interviewed at Penn prior. But I also felt like everyone I spoke with had strong applications. Most of the suprise came because I didn't know they offer seats at an interview--so getting pulled aside freaked me out!

I applied to Tufts, Penn, Cornell, Ohio, Purdue, PEI, Iowa, Illinois, and Minnesota. I did decline an interview to PEI after and withdraw from ISU so I guess it opened up slots.

 

[Serendipity4]

Just to comment about schools communicating, and whether they would be more likely to reject you if all the other schools had already rejected you...

Two years ago, I applied to four schools. Before I got a single interview offer, three of the four schools rejected me. Fortunately, the school I REALLY wanted to go to was the last school, and that school not only gave me an interview, but accepted me outright (i.e. not wait-listed).

Now is it possible that I got the three rejections and one acceptance because the acceptance was my in-state school and/or because I made it rather evident that I REALLY wanted to go to my in-state school on my application? It's possible. But it's definitely also possible that 3 of the schools just weren't interested in me as a vet student, while the last school was.

Regardless, for anyone who gets rejected from all but one of their schools: don't give up hope!!! You can certainly still get an outright acceptance from your last one. 🙂