Getting of WL's if zero acceptances by 5/15?

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

WashMe

Full Member
15+ Year Member
Joined
Jul 4, 2008
Messages
1,822
Reaction score
72
I was just wondering if schools where I'm on the WL will see that I'm holding zero acceptances when May 15th rolls around.

Also, is that going to be good, bad, or neutral for me with regard to the likelihood of me pulling an acceptance this summer?
 
from what i've read on SDN it seems like yes, every school you applied to will see whether and where you hold an acceptance on may 15 (since you are only supposed to hang on to one by that date). I think for someone with your stats a school like wash U which seems to care disproprtionately about MCAT score might offer you an acceptance when they see that you aren't holding one. Schools with lower stats might also see a good opportunity to boost their stats a bit but then again if they really didn't like u during the interview they might find that it just isn't worth it...especially since MCAT medians and not means are reported so your high MCAT might not have as much of an impact on their stats.
 
from what i've read on SDN it seems like yes, every school you applied to will see whether and where you hold an acceptance on may 15 (since you are only supposed to hang on to one by that date). I think for someone with your stats a school like wash U which seems to care disproprtionately about MCAT score might offer you an acceptance when they see that you aren't holding one. Schools with lower stats might also see a good opportunity to boost their stats a bit but then again if they really didn't like u during the interview they might find that it just isn't worth it...especially since MCAT medians and not means are reported so your high MCAT might not have as much of an impact on their stats.

You should know that WashU does a crazy geographical thing with its (ginormous and unranked) waitlist.

Which is to say that the waitlist game is even more unpredictable. 🙁

I still think you'll get off at least one though!:luck:
 
You should know that WashU does a crazy geographical thing with its (ginormous and unranked) waitlist.

Which is to say that the waitlist game is even more unpredictable. 🙁

I still think you'll get off at least one though!:luck:

I thought schools contacted each other to make sure only one of them offered admission to a student on a WL. Is that incorrect?
 
yes the schools will be able to see the 0 acceptances, and I would think you would have a better chance of getting off the wl at that school over a student that is ranked the same as you but is already holding an acceptance. The way I understand it is after may 15, you can only hold one acceptance....so say you get off the WL at school A on may 16...you have 2 weeks to accept that...

Well when june comes around School B decides to take you off their wl...so they notify school A that they are making you an offer, and you then have two weeks to make a decision.
 
About schools seeing your acceptances...is that any acceptance you've received or just the acceptances that you are still holding on to? So, if you withdrew from all but one, they would only see the one?
 
I thought schools contacted each other to make sure only one of them offered admission to a student on a WL. Is that incorrect?

Hmm. Could some one comment on this. I would like to know as well.
 
I thought schools contacted each other to make sure only one of them offered admission to a student on a WL. Is that incorrect?
Im pretty sure its incorrect. I commented on this earlier.

You get off one waitlist and accept it. Later on School B wants to offer you an acceptance, they notify the school you are accepted to now so that they are aware of the situation and then you have 2 weeks to make your decision.
 
About schools seeing your acceptances...is that any acceptance you've received or just the acceptances that you are still holding on to? So, if you withdrew from all but one, they would only see the one?

by that date you are only allowed to have one acceptance so that is the one they will see....you are required to withdraw from all others before that date
 
I'm still confused about one thing guys. My advisor keeps saying that if I get an offer off a WL, it will only be from one school because they talk to each other and only one will decide to offer. I take it that's wrong... or at least I hope so.

Also, if the schools don't "talk", then should I wait until the last day to accept an offer if I get one? If I wait, that means I'll have an extra ~2 weeks after May 15th where I won't be holding any acceptances, perhaps affecting the likelihood of a second offer.
 
I'm still confused about one thing guys. My advisor keeps saying that if I get an offer off a WL, it will only be from one school because they talk to each other and only one will decide to offer. I take it that's wrong... or at least I hope so.

Also, if the schools don't "talk", then should I wait until the last day to accept an offer if I get one? If I wait, that means I'll have an extra ~2 weeks after May 15th where I won't be holding any acceptances, perhaps affecting the likelihood of a second offer.

Don't get too far ahead of yourself there. At that point, I would just take it and run, even if its school #5 out of 5, whichever school that might be. Maybe waiting a week or something would be fine? Who knows...

So it's really true that schools can see where you've been accepted as of 9 days ago? Or is that just a myth that everyone bandies around?
 
About schools seeing your acceptances...is that any acceptance you've received or just the acceptances that you are still holding on to? So, if you withdrew from all but one, they would only see the one?

I am pretty sure at this point that schools you've already been accepted to can see all your current acceptances (ie, the ones that you haven't turned down).
 
I am pretty sure at this point that schools you've already been accepted to can see all your current acceptances (ie, the ones that you haven't turned down).

I think the real issue is whether schools where you have received no decision or are on the WL can see if/where you've been accepted at this point. I sure hope they can, but I doubt it works that way.
 
i see we have a consensus that after may 15th, schools can see where youve been accepted, however, can they see where uv been waitlisted and if ur holding a spot on those waitlists??
 
I think the real issue is whether schools where you have received no decision or are on the WL can see if/where you've been accepted at this point. I sure hope they can, but I doubt it works that way.

Sorry, I thought Penguick asked about current acceptances...I'm basically in the same boat as you though, ONOY, with much less thrilling stats - I'd speculate though that since you applied there that they can see you haven't gotten any acceptances past May 15th. As for seeing waitlists? Doubtful.

I hate this whole behind-the-curtain mystery of the process.
 
I'm still confused about one thing guys. My advisor keeps saying that if I get an offer off a WL, it will only be from one school because they talk to each other and only one will decide to offer. I take it that's wrong... or at least I hope so.

Also, if the schools don't "talk", then should I wait until the last day to accept an offer if I get one? If I wait, that means I'll have an extra ~2 weeks after May 15th where I won't be holding any acceptances, perhaps affecting the likelihood of a second offer.

is it just me or does this guy seem bipolar? in one thread he's certain that he'll have to reapply and in another he's asking advice about juggling multiple waitlist acceptances

to answer your question see this post: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=7735644&postcount=17

it seems that schools that have accepted you can see your other acceptances by early february (i can attest to that being true since i got emails from both my interviewers at one school i was accepted to talking up their school in early february) and every school can see your acceptances be mid march (makes sense given some of the mid march interview invites we heard about on here). After May 15 you can still get multiple acceptances but you'll only be able to retain one at a time...so if you get an acceptance from one school you have to drop another in order to accept that offer.
 
is it just me or does this guy seem bipolar? in one thread he's certain that he'll have to reapply and in another he's asking advice about juggling multiple waitlist acceptances

I wouldn't say that's bipolar, but rather covering his bases in the event of colossal surprise success.
 
I wouldn't say that's bipolar, but rather covering his bases in the event of colossal surprise success.

👍

it's part of the "broad" approach that I started too late in the cycle. I don't want to be caught off guard by anything else regarding med school admissions. Better to ask, even if it turns out to be irrelevant, rather than to be ignorant if such a situation arises.
 
I have had a long conversation about this with a Dean from a medical school and SCHOOLS YOU APPLIED TO CANNOT SEE WHERE YOU ARE ACCEPTED UNLESS THEY ACCEPT YOU. On March 15 schools that accepted you can see where else you are accepted and must report a full class. On May 15 students must pick one school to hold an acceptance at. It is a myth that schools you applied to and did not accept you can see your outstanding apps- even if you're waitlisted.
 
I have had a long conversation about this with a Dean from a medical school and SCHOOLS YOU APPLIED TO CANNOT SEE WHERE YOU ARE ACCEPTED UNLESS THEY ACCEPT YOU. On March 15 schools that accepted you can see where else you are accepted and must report a full class. On May 15 students must pick one school to hold an acceptance at. It is a myth that schools you applied to and did not accept you can see your outstanding apps- even if you're waitlisted.

i would prefer to believe this:

As of Feb 2: Any school that accepted you can see any other acceptances

As of (early March): Any school that you applied to can see your acceptances

and as i said earlier it seems to me that the schools that have accepted you can see where else you have gotten in in early february
 
Yep, that's the post I was looking for. REL is an adcom, right? Something like that...

As for being caught off guard in the admissions process, get used to it. It sucks.
 
I have had a long conversation about this with a Dean from a medical school and SCHOOLS YOU APPLIED TO CANNOT SEE WHERE YOU ARE ACCEPTED UNLESS THEY ACCEPT YOU. On March 15 schools that accepted you can see where else you are accepted and must report a full class. On May 15 students must pick one school to hold an acceptance at. It is a myth that schools you applied to and did not accept you can see your outstanding apps- even if you're waitlisted.

Might want to check out this page, although it doesn't say anything about schools being able - or not being able to see other acceptances:
http://www.aamc.org/students/applying/policies/admissionofficers.htm

"4. By March 30 of the matriculation year, each school have issued a number of offers of acceptance at least equal to the expected number of students in its first-year entering class and have reported those acceptance actions to the AAMC Section for Medical School Application Services."
 
Top