good enough reason for deferral

[rjsmit2]

So, I've searched the boards, and everyone says that you need a "really good reason" to defer admission for a year. Would winning a national scholarship, say the Fulbright English Teaching Assistanship or the Rotary, be a 'good enough' reason? I'm looking ahead, and I'd like to take a year off to teach abroad, but it seems to make more sense to apply during the regular admissions cycle and defer (especially since, if I'm abroad, interviews the following year would be extremely difficult to coordinate). Also, I wouldn't find out about such scholarships until part-way through the general admissions cycle (aka, in the middle of senior year). Any thoughts?

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[Siverhideo1985]

At some of the schools I interviewed at, I think I remember them saying that teaching abroad is a good-enough reason. You could also call the admissions offices of schools and ask.

Best of Luck

 

[atomi]

So, I've searched the boards, and everyone says that you need a "really good reason" to defer admission for a year. Would winning a national scholarship, say the Fulbright English Teaching Assistanship or the Rotary, be a 'good enough' reason? I'm looking ahead, and I'd like to take a year off to teach abroad, but it seems to make more sense to apply during the regular admissions cycle and defer (especially since, if I'm abroad, interviews the following year would be extremely difficult to coordinate). Also, I wouldn't find out about such scholarships until part-way through the general admissions cycle (aka, in the middle of senior year). Any thoughts?

If the school doesn't let you defer and you decide to decline and re-apply next year, are you at a disadvantage?

How do schools typically look at re-applicants who were previously admitted?

 

[gardengnome]

.

 

[Spiker]

Yes you will be especially from that school.

 

[mmmcdowe]

I think a good enough reason is something along the lines of "My hand got cut off and I need a year to grow it back."

In other words, go to f$cking medical school.

 

[vickpick]

do u wanna be a teacher or a doctor... its ur choice.. once u decline, y would a med school ever accept u again? Do they have a shortage of good applicants? No!

 

[pietachok]

I know for a fact that at some schools, a Fulbright would be enough to grant a deferral. At others, it probably won't even come close. Many schools have a specific agreement to allow you to defer in order to do Teach For America, but you would have to ask each specifically how they would consider teaching abroad. I would assume those that already agree to TFA deferrals are most likely to "ok" you. The schools that have agreed to 2 yr TFA deferrals are:

Albert Einstein of Yeshiva University - College of Medicine
Baylor University - College of Medicine
Boston University - School of Medicine
Case Western Reserve University - School of Medicine
Cornell University - Weill Medical College
Dartmouth College - Medical School
Duke University - Medical School
George Washington University - School of Medicine and Health Sciences
Indiana University - School of Medicine
Louisiana State University - School of Medicine
New York University - School of Medicine
Northwestern University - School of Medicine
Ohio State University - College of Medicine
Stanford University - School of Medicine
Temple University - School of Medicine
Tufts University - School of Medicine
Tulane University - School of Medicine (also waives application fee for corps members and alumni, may offer three academic credits in consideration of corps members' experience, and considers alumni for other scholarships)
University of Alabama - Medical School
University of California, San Diego - School of Medicine
University of Cincinnati - College of Medicine
University of Florida, Gainesville - College of Medicine
University of Illinois, Chicago - College of Medicine
University of Miami - Miller School of Medicine
University of Michigan - Medical School
University of Missouri - Columbia's School of Medicine
University of Pennsylvania - School of Medicine
University of Pittsburgh - School of Medicine
University of Rochester - School of Medicine
University of Southern California - Keck School of Medicine
University of Virginia - School of Medicine
University of Washington - School of Medicine
Vanderbilt University - School of Medicine
Wake Forest University - School of Medicine
Washington University, St. Louis - School of Medicine
Yale University - School of Medicine

 

[Brown8472]

I am in a similar situation and I want to defer for financial reasons. I am OOS and just cannot come up with all the money that I need. I need some extra private loans and all the banks I applied to have said no. Before you ask, I check my credit and there is nothing negative on it, it seems the banks are toughening up their credit for one reason or another.

Should I have a more specific reason to ask for a deferment to work because my hands are tied anyway? I have been dreaming about this opportunity for so long and now I just cannot come up with the money.

 

[pietachok]

Have you talked to the financial aid office at your school? It is certainly possible to get private loans to finance whatever your Stafford & Grad Plus can't. Physicians have a ridiculously low rate of default on their student loans...maybe you're asking the wrong resources for your loan?