Final Decision Question

[Xinlitik]

---

Members do not see this ad.

If you submit a final decision, does this affect your chance at schools you are waitlisted at? I have two schools I am very interested in going to, but one has an early decision date, and I don't think I can make the best choice without having an acceptance from both.

The only tidbit I know about this was from talking to the admissions lady at UCLA. She mentioned that she called other schools to see if she could accept one of their students from waitlist. This was regarding students accepted in June or so, so that's a bit more like pulling the rug out of the other school's feet.

Any help would be appreciated.

Also, what is the most respectful way to turn down a scholarship and acceptance at another school?

 

[alwaysaangel]

This is for med school admissions? What do you mean by early decision date?

People are accepted late in the cycle off the waitlist ALL THE TIME. Its expected. No clue what that lady was talking about but they don't need "permission" from the other school.

You have to withdraw from all schools but one by May 15th. Then you submit any deposits as required. However, you are free to accept a waitlist offer from other schools any time up until you actually matriculate at a school.

Once you set foot into a school for orientation you can no longer accept other acceptances.

 

[venacontracta]

If you submit a final decision, does this affect your chance at schools you are waitlisted at? I have two schools I am very interested in going to, but one has an early decision date, and I don't think I can make the best choice without having an acceptance from both.

The only tidbit I know about this was from talking to the admissions lady at UCLA. She mentioned that she called other schools to see if she could accept one of their students from waitlist. This was regarding students accepted in June or so, so that's a bit more like pulling the rug out of the other school's feet.

Any help would be appreciated.

Also, what is the most respectful way to turn down a scholarship and acceptance at another school?

There is no such thing as "submitting a final decision" ... the final decision comes by process of exclusion, i.e. your final decision is the school you haven't withdrawn from by May 15.

With regards to schools calling other schools, the AAMC traffic rules state:

After June 1, May 15 for MD-PhD programs, any school that plans to make an acceptance offer to an applicant already known to have been accepted by another school or program for that entering class ensure that the other school or program is advised of this offer at the time that the offer is made. This notification should be made immediately by telephone and promptly thereafter by written correspondence delivered by regular or electronic methods. Schools and programs should communicate fully with each other with respect to anticipated late roster changes in order to minimize inter-school miscommunication and misunderstanding, as well as the possibility of unintended vacant positions in a school's first-year entering class.

In regard to your final question, just send a one line email saying you want to withdraw from the class. Not a big deal.

 

[Xinlitik]

Thank you for the responses. Basically, my concern was not that if I dropped all but one acceptance I would not be able to switch to another from off a waitlist later; it was that I wasn't sure if the waitlist school would consider me differently given that I had dropped all but one acceptance. That doesn't seem to be the case, so I guess the crisis is averted 😉. (and now I know why UCLA called another school...after June 1st the rule kicks in)

Stated more clearly (in case anyone else has input): when a school considers a waitlisted applicant, does an acceptance the applicant is holding in any way affect their decision?

 

[alwaysaangel]

Thank you for the responses. Basically, my concern was not that if I dropped all but one acceptance I would not be able to switch to another from off a waitlist later; it was that I wasn't sure if the waitlist school would consider me differently given that I had dropped all but one acceptance. That doesn't seem to be the case, so I guess the crisis is averted 😉. (and now I know why UCLA called another school...after June 1st the rule kicks in)

Stated more clearly (in case anyone else has input): when a school considers a waitlisted applicant, does an acceptance the applicant is holding in any way affect their decision?

No. If they want you they will offer. Regardless of other acceptances. And unless they have changed it in recent years they wont even get to see where else you hold acceptances until they accept you.

 

[Xinlitik]

No. If they want you they will offer. Regardless of other acceptances. And unless they have changed it in recent years they wont even get to see where else you hold acceptances until they accept you.

Cool, thank you.

 

[KickedOut]

No. If they want you they will offer. Regardless of other acceptances. And unless they have changed it in recent years they wont even get to see where else you hold acceptances until they accept you.

"a) Beginning in February of each year, a medical school that has accepted an applicant can view the other school or schools that have accepted the applicant, if applicable.
b) Beginning in April of each year, a medical school can view the school or schools that have accepted an applicant, even if that applicant has not yet been accepted by the medical school."

-AMCAS Instruction Manual p. 12

So, a school accepting you off a waitlist can see what other schools have accepted you (though I do not know if they can see if you have withdrawn acceptances or not)

 

[alwaysaangel]

"a) Beginning in February of each year, a medical school that has accepted an applicant can view the other school or schools that have accepted the applicant, if applicable.
b) Beginning in April of each year, a medical school can view the school or schools that have accepted an applicant, even if that applicant has not yet been accepted by the medical school."

-AMCAS Instruction Manual p. 12

So, a school accepting you off a waitlist can see what other schools have accepted you (though I do not know if they can see if you have withdrawn acceptances or not)

Ah ok. They have changed it since I applied.

They still aren't going to use it to decide whether or not to take an applicant off the waitlist.

 

[Spin]

Thank you for the responses. Basically, my concern was not that if I dropped all but one acceptance I would not be able to switch to another from off a waitlist later; it was that I wasn't sure if the waitlist school would consider me differently given that I had dropped all but one acceptance. That doesn't seem to be the case, so I guess the crisis is averted 😉. (and now I know why UCLA called another school...after June 1st the rule kicks in)

Stated more clearly (in case anyone else has input): when a school considers a waitlisted applicant, does an acceptance the applicant is holding in any way affect their decision?

It might matter to the school if they were trying to have a really high percentage of acceptees who choose to matriculate, or if they needed to accept someone the day before classes started. In a case like that, if there were two equally good applicants, one of whom had another acceptance and one of whom did not, they might choose the one without any acceptances.

However, I don't see how it would matter even if it did; it would be a very bad idea to turn down ALL of your acceptances just to seem more likely to go to a school if they took you off of their wait list.