Help! Waitlisted at GWU!

[wannagraduate]

I interviewed the second week of December. I called the admissions office last week asking if they'd received my fall term grades. They told me they couldn't give me an answer because my file was in the hands of the admissions committee. I called yesterday and they gave me the same response but told me I shouldn't worry about the issue because it wouldn't impact the decision. Since my file is still in the hands of the admissions committe, does this means it could be awhile before I hear a response?

Hey! I interviewed on 12/16 and called today. I asked if she had any idea when I should be hearing some news, and she said stuff was mailed out last week. She said I should allow 2 weeks (for what, I don't know exactly), and if I didn't hear by next week, I should give them a call back. Hopefully your letter is in the same batch! I guess it's back to frantically checking the mailbox... 🙄

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[Nakhrewali]

Anyone else get a waitlist letter yesterday? I interviewed 2/15 and I feel like they let me know fairly fast... when should we be seeing movement? Has anyone gotten in yet after being placed on the waitlist?

I really wanna go there!!!

 

[Waiting112]

I was also waitlisted at GW and it is my first choice. It seems that a lot of people are placed on the waitlist.
Anyone else wailisted at GW and considers the school their first choice?
Anyone knows about GW waitlist movement?

 

[waitman192]

Anyone else wailisted at GW and considers the school their first choice?

OO OO OO ME ME ME!!! ::waves hand widely in air::

🙂

I just wish May 15 would hurry and get here

Not sure about the waitlist movement though - I heard last year it didn't move that much. But maybe this year will be different??

-wait

 

[Nakhrewali]

OO OO OO ME ME ME!!! ::waves hand widely in air::

🙂

I just wish May 15 would hurry and get here

Not sure about the waitlist movement though - I heard last year it didn't move that much. But maybe this year will be different??

-wait

Let's keep our fingers crossed for a lotta movement! 👍

 

[Vizsla]

OO OO OO ME ME ME!!! ::waves hand widely in air::

🙂

I just wish May 15 would hurry and get here

Not sure about the waitlist movement though - I heard last year it didn't move that much. But maybe this year will be different??

-wait

this yr it will definitely move a lot more seeing as how theyre handing out fewer acceptances so they dont make same mistake of overbooking the class like last yr. i wish i interviewed earlier, waiting is killing me....

 

[tacrum43]

So did anyone else get a gianormous envelope from GW today? I almost had a heart attack because I thought it might have been an acceptance. Luckily, my buddy Waitman apprised me of this situation earlier, so I didn't in fact have a heart attack. Thanks for caring about my health Waitman. You're not even in med school yet, but you're saving lives already!

It was a letter saying, essentially, "You're still in the alternate pool. If you are still interested in GW, please let us know. And yes, you're still not accepted, but we had you going for a minute there with the big envelope, didn't we? ".

Yes, I still love you GW. And so does everyone else here. Let us in! Additionally, I would like to compliment you on your choice of stationery, it's the best I've seen among med schools. 👍

 

[Vizsla]

It was a letter saying, essentially, "You're still in the alternate pool. If you are still interested in GW, please let us know. And yes, you're still not accepted, but we had you going for a minute there with the big envelope, didn't we? ".

anyone know if gwu's waitlist is ranked?

 

[tacrum43]

anyone know if gwu's waitlist is ranked?

According to the recent letter: "The alternate list is very fluid and organic. You are in a pool of alternates. Please note, it is impossible to specify your standing in this alternate pool."

So I'm guessing, that's a "no". But you haven't heard back yet, right Vizsla? You might just get accepted right away, and not have to worry about being in the organic pool. 🙂

 

[coco]

whoa so tacrum, this is after you got the initial alternate list letter??

 

[tacrum43]

whoa so tacrum, this is after you got the initial alternate list letter??

Correct. I guess I'm one of the first to get it, since I live in DC and it didn't have far to go. It was in this big envelope too. I think they just like to yank our chains. And haven't you gotten accepted to some amazing UC yet, coco? What are you doing lurking around the GWU waitlist thread? 😉

 

[Vizsla]

According to the recent letter: "The alternate list is very fluid and organic. You are in a pool of alternates. Please note, it is impossible to specify your standing in this alternate pool."

So I'm guessing, that's a "no". But you haven't heard back yet, right Vizsla? You might just get accepted right away, and not have to worry about being in the organic pool. 🙂

fluid and organic eh?....this pool doesnt sound so bad...not like RFU's pool or Vermonts pool... and since everyone and their mothers are being waitlisted at gw, im hoping for at least that much. I like how theyre trying to get people to drop off their waitlist by send the new update that you got tho...

 

[coco]

Correct. I guess I'm one of the first to get it, since I live in DC and it didn't have far to go. It was in this big envelope too. I think they just like to yank our chains. And haven't you gotten accepted to some amazing UC yet, coco? What are you doing lurking around the GWU waitlist thread? 😉

hahaha, yeah right 😀....I WISH! But no, UC's haven't show me any love, YET. I'm on the UCI alternate list and the UCSF high priority list, so there's still hope...but I'm on 4 waitlists, so I keep checking all these threads...Basically, I don't know where I'm going until mid-May, so I'll be lurking around here for a lil longer 😉
Thank you for the info though! I'll tell my parents not to think anything of that big envelope headed my way. lol

 

[Waiting112]

So did anyone else get a gianormous envelope from GW today? I almost had a heart attack because I thought it might have been an acceptance. Luckily, my buddy Waitman apprised me of this situation earlier, so I didn't in fact have a heart attack. Thanks for caring about my health Waitman. You're not even in med school yet, but you're saving lives already!

Tacrum43,
Did you ever send GW a LOI?

 

[iceman0017]

ohhh, I so wish I could get in off the waitlist! This waiting til May is killing me. I would SOOO rejoyce and buy all those around me a beer! haha

 

[tacrum43]

Tacrum43,
Did you ever send GW a LOI?

I claim the 5th. Maybe I did, and maybe I didn't.

 

[tacrum43]

fluid and organic eh?....this pool doesnt sound so bad...not like RFU's pool or Vermonts pool... and since everyone and their mothers are being waitlisted at gw, im hoping for at least that much. I like how theyre trying to get people to drop off their waitlist by send the new update that you got tho...

I don't know how good it sounds to me. There's only one kind of pool full of organic stuff that I can think of...

But hey, I have own a nice big pair of boots, and if wading through some fecal matter is what it takes to get into GW, I can tough it out for another 46 days.

 

[Chubbs]

Hey everyone,

Just wondering if the Gdub waitlist letter many of you received indicated where you were on the alternate list (top, middle, bottom)? Thanks and good luck to everyone waiting! 🙂

 

[Waiting112]

So did anyone else get a gianormous envelope from GW today? I almost had a heart attack because I thought it might have been an acceptance. Luckily, my buddy Waitman apprised me of this situation earlier, so I didn't in fact have a heart attack. Thanks for caring about my health Waitman. You're not even in med school yet, but you're saving lives already!

It was a letter saying, essentially, "You're still in the alternate pool. If you are still interested in GW, please let us know. And yes, you're still not accepted, but we had you going for a minute there with the big envelope, didn't we? ".

I got the same letter today. Chubbs, it does not tell you where you are on the alternate list.

 

[waitman192]

I got the same letter today. Chubbs, it does not tell you where you are on the alternate list.

I got the letter today as well and my letter said something about me being in a group at the top of the alternate list. So apparently if you are there, they let you know about that, otherwise it sounds like they don't let you know.

It also sounds like the list can move a lot and they want to know if you are really interested in the school, so if you are, I would let them know.

-waitman

 

[Vizsla]

I got the letter today as well and my letter said something about me being in a group at the top of the alternate list. So apparently if you are there, they let you know about that, otherwise it sounds like they don't let you know.

It also sounds like the list can move a lot and they want to know if you are really interested in the school, so if you are, I would let them know.

-waitman

so then they do have a ranked waitlist...

 

[medstylee]

ooh, i just found the big envelope underneath a bunch of my dad's mail. i'm also in the group at the top of the alternate list. this is awesome! 👍

 

[Spider-Man]

Does anyone know the procedure for acceptance off the waitlist, ie does the committee re-evaluate you? 😕

 

[Vizsla]

ooh, i just found the big envelope underneath a bunch of my dad's mail. i'm also in the group at the top of the alternate list. this is awesome! 👍

Congrats medstylee and waitman!

 

[waitman192]

Congrats medstylee and waitman!

Thanks Vizsla!

I called the admissions office today (if you want the full rundown, check my blog in my signature) to tell them that I am still interested (as the letter says, you have to respond by April 15th) and I spoke to the director of admissions. She told me that the group that medstylee and I are in is actually very small, and other than that group, the list is definitely not ranked. She made that abundantly clear.

She also said that they will be taking people off of the waitlist this year (the words "When, not if" were used in relation to taking people off of the waitlist.)

So keep strong everyone, it sounds like there is going to be movement in the second half of May!!!



-waitman

 

[mphthenmd]

Hey everyone, I just got my "big waitlist envelope" today. I was just about to make my decision on Temple final and then GW throws me a potential bone and tempts me with "top of waitlist" type information. Was anyone else freaked out by the $3,000 preregistration fee they mentioned in the financial aid section?

 

[Nakhrewali]

Hey everyone, I just got my "big waitlist envelope" today. I was just about to make my decision on Temple final and then GW throws me a potential bone and tempts me with "top of waitlist" type information. Was anyone else freaked out by the $3,000 preregistration fee they mentioned in the financial aid section?

I got my big package yesterday...and it definitely didn't say anything about being on top. Booooo. Cmon GW...

 

[tacrum43]

How dishonest is that? "Please note, it is impossible to specify your standing in this alternate pool" in one letter, while telling other people they are at the top of the pool.

Still, I love GW and would certainly forgive them if they accepted me.

edit: Yep, I forgave them. 😛

 

[Waiting112]

How dishonest is that? "Please note, it is impossible to specify your standing in this alternate pool" in one letter, while telling other people they are at the top of the pool.

Still, I love GW and would certainly forgive them if they accepted me.

Yeah, I was thinking the exact same thing. May 15th just won't come soon enough!
Also, anyone else noticed that the people on the "top" were asked to call/write by April 15th while us regular waitlisters were only asked to write by May 1st instead?

 

[coco]

that is very interesting, i didnt get anything about being at the top of the waitlist either....but whatever lol

 

[medstylee]

How dishonest is that? "Please note, it is impossible to specify your standing in this alternate pool" in one letter, while telling other people they are at the top of the pool.

Still, I love GW and would certainly forgive them if they accepted me.

i wouldn't say it's dishonest. a few people have been placed at the top of the list, but the rest of the list is unranked. thus, if you're not in the top group, you don't occupy a certain place on the list. in any case, i think you're actually better off that way. in the letter i received there are numerous hints about actively showing your interest. so, i'd guess that those who show the most commitment and interest will be the ones to be accepted, ultimately. so, unlike a ranked list which is totally out of your hands, this is still very much up to you. let's hope we all end up getting in, eh? 👍

 

[tacrum43]

i wouldn't say it's dishonest. a few people have been placed at the top of the list, but the rest of the list is unranked. thus, if you're not in the top group, you don't occupy a certain place on the list. in any case, i think you're actually better off that way. in the letter i received there are numerous hints about actively showing your interest. so, i'd guess that those who show the most commitment and interest will be the ones to be accepted, ultimately. so, unlike a ranked list which is totally out of your hands, this is still very much up to you. let's hope we all end up getting in, eh? 👍

Well, it's a little misleading. I mean, not everyone is on equal footing (which I think is to be expected at any school). It's just that the letter, that I would guess the majority of people on the alternate list received, says repeatedly how they couldn't possibly even hazard a guess as to your standing and definitely not to call and ask them because they couldn't tell you your standing even if they wanted to. They could have told anyone that isn't in the select pool (or whatever) that they're on the standard list (and thus are in fact in a lowering ranking). The letter implied that everyone was in the same alternate pool. That's all I meant.

Perhaps it moves around a lot, and so it's not a hard ranking. I think you're right about expressing interest being key, as both letters seem to imply that they prefer students who actually want to be there (which I would too, if I were a medical school). And your solution sounds excellent, GW should just accept all of us. I know it wouldn't hurt my feelings any. 🙂

edit: Does anyone else find it suspicious that Coco, Nakhrewali and myself all didn't get the top of the waitlist letter, and we're all Californians? Haven't we been punished enough for our state of residency? That, or like freaking half the waitlist is from California since we're all basically medical school refugees anyway.

 

[Flyfisher]

yeah, I got the same feeling when I was down there. I'm from Boston... so one of the interviewers was like "well I'm sure you'll decide to go to school in boston anyway, but thanks for coming"

Everyone wants Boston, its really hard to get in up here, I just want to go somewhere. I even applied to creighton for christ's sake.

BTW I'm a regular waitlisted too. damn 28 mcat.

 

[taemd]

yeah, I got the same feeling when I was down there. I'm from Boston... so one of the interviewers was like "well I'm sure you'll decide to go to school in boston anyway, but thanks for coming"

Everyone wants Boston, its really hard to get in up here, I just want to go somewhere. I even applied to creighton for christ's sake.

BTW I'm a regular waitlisted too. damn 28 mcat.

Flyfisher, I guess we are both in the same boat. I am also waitlisted at GWU and I'm waiting to hear from Tufts. My MCATS were similar to yours. I guess you need the almightly 30 to get into med school

 

[NapeSpikes]

Alright, so I got the big packet today too. Perhaps they didn't get my withdrawal email? I'll send a snail letter. Good luck, guys!

 

[coco]

edit: Does anyone else find it suspicious that Coco, Nakhrewali and myself all didn't get the top of the waitlist letter, and we're all Californians? Haven't we been punished enough for our state of residency? That, or like freaking half the waitlist is from California since we're all basically medical school refugees anyway.

I DO! I DO!! I hate that 🙁 Our state schools won't accept us cuz we're not good enough, and the OOS schools just put us on darn waitlists... 🙁 i'm sad. Since we're not at the top, does that mean our chances of getting off the waitlist are very slim? Part of me doesn't even want to bother with GW anymore. I've been accepted to MCW which I think I would prefer going to anyway. I'm so confused!! 😕
tacrum have you been accepted anywhere else yet?

 

[Nakhrewali]

I DO! I DO!! I hate that 🙁 Our state schools won't accept us cuz we're not good enough, and the OOS schools just put us on darn waitlists... 🙁 i'm sad. Since we're not at the top, does that mean our chances of getting off the waitlist are very slim? Part of me doesn't even want to bother with GW anymore. I've been accepted to MCW which I think I would prefer going to anyway. I'm so confused!! 😕
tacrum have you been accepted anywhere else yet?

ugh. Tell me about it. At least you guys have gotten in elsewhere. I just got my Sinai waitlist right now too. I have NO idea where I'll be in August. Wahhhhh. I have to give mad props to those people who reapply...I just don't have the energy to go through this waiting process AGAIN.

 

[iceman0017]

hmmm, i am in california too, and i have not received that big packet yet. I hope it comes soon! But it sounds like it's gonna be a non-"top of the alternate list" tho from what you guys are saying. damn it!

 

[thatthing05]

hey guys,

i was waitlisted last year and didnt know what i was supposed to do to get in (i wanted to get in so badly last year!). so i thought id share some things i learned from the process. you need to contact the office regularly! send letters, email, call and keep reiterating your desire to attend gw. seriously, contact them 1-2 times a week. they write all this stuff down on your file, you need to convince them you belong there!

last year, a few people not on the "top of the waitlist" got in because they were very persistent. so dont let that stupiid notification bother you.

i wish i had known these things , but im so happy to share this advice with you guys- good luck to all of you.

 

[tacrum43]

tacrum have you been accepted anywhere else yet?

Oh, the world would know if I had been.

Congrats on the MCW acceptance by the way! I didn't know you had gotten in there. And please, if you have even the slightlest inklling that you would prefer it to GW, feel free to withdraw from the alternate pool. 🙂

 

[kromium]

hey guys,

i was waitlisted last year and didnt know what i was supposed to do to get in (i wanted to get in so badly last year!). so i thought id share some things i learned from the process. you need to contact the office regularly! send letters, email, call and keep reiterating your desire to attend gw. seriously, contact them 1-2 times a week. they write all this stuff down on your file, you need to convince them you belong there!

last year, a few people not on the "top of the waitlist" got in because they were very persistent. so dont let that stupiid notification bother you.

i wish i had known these things , but im so happy to share this advice with you guys- good luck to all of you.

Thanks for the advice. What do you exactly say when you call?

 

[Vizsla]

Does anyone else find it suspicious that Coco, Nakhrewali and myself all didn't get the top of the waitlist letter, and we're all Californians? Haven't we been punished enough for our state of residency? That, or like freaking half the waitlist is from California since we're all basically medical school refugees anyway.

They prob waitlist all the Cali people bc u guys would immediately withdraw anyways if you got into a state school...

 

[tacrum43]

They prob waitlist all the Cali people bc u guys would immediately withdraw anyways if you got into a state school...

Is it so wrong to prefer 1/2 of the debt and better weather?

They sure do seem to interview a lot of us though, as I remember at least 2 other people there on my day were from CA. One had just flown in on the red-eye that same morning. Crazy.

 

[beffers8888]

Another regular waitlister from Cali here. Considering that they called the school UCDC on my interview day you'd think that they like us!

 

[Vizsla]

Is it so wrong to prefer 1/2 of the debt and better weather?

absolutely not...i would do the same.

 

[iceman0017]

oh. i wish the the packet would come....whatever it would be!

 

[Vizsla]

oh. i wish the the packet would come....whatever it would be!

when did u interview

 

[tacrum43]

Another regular waitlister from Cali here. Considering that they called the school UCDC on my interview day you'd think that they like us!

There actually is a UCDC program that is run by the UCs here in DC. I met some students that were in it, but it's certainly not a med school. I'd never heard that about GW though. I have heard NYMC referred to as UC Valhalla.

 

[tacrum43]

absolutely not...i would do the same.

Well the point is kind of moot now anyhow. I guess it was not meant to be with me and the UC's. They're probably just bitter I choose Cal Poly over UCSB for undergrad (right...that's the reason...).

On a separate note, I have decided to make it official and write GW a letter of intent (as Waiting112 asked me about earlier in the thread) because they are indeed my top choice. 😍

to everyone here hoping for an acceptance. 🙂

Dr. Love's expert prognosis on how my own saga will conclude

 

[eralza]

Hey guys,
Keep the hope up. I promise you that there is no discrimination against students from CA. Probably 10% of our class is from there. Aside from the locals (MD, VA, DC), they make up the largest contingency.
One of the earlier posters mentioned to keep updating the admissions office. Good advice! Update them with anything you have done to add to your file or with anything that makes you want GW even more than before (all pretty subjective).
Best of luck!