How do waitlists work?

[August24]

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Do only people interviewed get on the waitlist? Do they interview the waitlisted people as needed? Or do they deal with interviewing them at all? As I can see from the posts so far, people have only heard 1. Heard nothing (most common) 2. Got invited for an interview (A few) 3. Got rejected Has anyone been waitlisted? Thank you for the info!

 

[BrumleyVet]

Normally it's like this:

• apply
• rejection letter or interview invitation
• rejection letter, letter of acceptance or a waitlist notification
• waitlist people given letter of acceptance based on accepted students giving up their spot (lucky enough to pick which they accept)

Of course there are exceptions. Some schools (I think Colorado) don't give interviews to everyone.

Hope this helps.

 

[August24]

Thank you. So as I understand it if you get an interview you either get accepted or rejected, not waitlisted.
After they sort out who is actually enrolling, they go back through the pile of people they neither rejected nor invited before, and waitlist them, inviting them as needed without an interview?
Or are the interviewed people they didn't accept get thrown back into the pool?

 

[lalzi22]

Thank you. So as I understand it if you get an interview you either get accepted or rejected, not waitlisted.
After they sort out who is actually enrolling, they go back through the pile of people they neither rejected nor invited before, and waitlist them, inviting them as needed without an interview?
Or are the interviewed people they didn't accept get thrown back into the pool?

If you get an interview, you can get waitlisted instead of rejected. Usually thats what happens.

 

[rileyroo]

Of course there are exceptions. Some schools (I think Colorado) don't give interviews to everyone.

Hope this helps.

i didn't think colorado interviewed at all...do they interview in-state applicants?

 

[sofficat]

You are told after your interview if you are rejected, accepted or waitlisted.

I was waitlisted and was told that all other accepted applicants had to let Auburn know by April 15 if they were to attend Auburn or not. Luckily, I was called April 15 and offered a spot.

 

[BrumleyVet]

Way to hang in there Sofficat! You must have gotten really good at the "Waiting Game"!

 

[nyanko]

Oh, there are plenty of people who have been called much later than that.

My favorite vet (who is an amazing clinician) likes to tell the story of her 2-days-before-classes-started acceptance to UF and how she did not know they were supposed to dress nicely the first day and showed up on her bike in jeans.

 

[variegata]

I had a friend who got waitlisted last year. She accepted an offer from a different school (which fortunately didn't take a deposit) and when she found out she got off the wait list at the other school, she dropped the first school and accepted admission off the wait list.

So if you do get waitlisted at the school you want but accepted somewhere else, be prepared to say yes to a different school since you won't hear back about the wait list probably until after you're required to make your decision about any offers you get.

 

[sumstorm]

We had a student come off the waitlist over a week into the semester when another student deferred for health reasons. He literally started without books, supplies, etc. He said he hadn't even had a chance to clear his desk at work.

This, like so many other things, has the 'it depends' answer. Different schools do it different ways. Some schools don't interview, some do, some assign to waitlist post interview, some without interview. Some schools rank those on waitlist, some examine a pool and chose based on composition of current class.

 

[TSUJC]

I had a friend who got waitlisted last year. She accepted an offer from a different school (which fortunately didn't take a deposit) and when she found out she got off the wait list at the other school, she dropped the first school and accepted admission off the wait list.

So if you do get waitlisted at the school you want but accepted somewhere else, be prepared to say yes to a different school since you won't hear back about the wait list probably until after you're required to make your decision about any offers you get.

The exact same thing happened to me last year! Some schools are kind, they tell you what number you are on the waitlist and how quickly they are advancing through it. Unfortunately, some schools don't tell you (like CSU). I was waitlisted in January but didn't think I had a chance so I put down a hefty deposit at another school. Little did I know, I was at the top of the waitlist and got called on the first day!

 

[livvie]

A couple people have suggested that I email or write the school I'm waitlisted at and express my continued interest in the school and in moving to go there. Has anyone ever done this or know if this is welcomed or discouraged by vet schools? (It's an unranked waitlist).


Thanks!

 

[GellaBella]

I hear of people doing this a lot in the pre-med forum but it is not something I have heard of much over here and honestly would have never thought of doing on my own.

However, I think that if you are absolutely certain that if you were accepted you would attend that school then I don't see the harm in letting them know that they are your #1 choice and if accepted you would definitely matriculate.

I don't think it could hurt you and who knows, maybe it would help you. Only one school though! You can't go telling everyone they're your #1 choice!😉

 

[livvie]

Funny that you mentioned the pre-med forums - A med school suggested it, he said he knew other people who had done it. 🙂

 

[twelvetigers]

Those pre-med folks are resourceful, but sometimes they do go a bit overboard IMO.

In this case, I don't think it could hurt. Either it won't make a difference, or maybe it will help.

 

[sumstorm]

Those pre-med folks are resourceful, but sometimes they do go a bit overboard IMO.

No more overboard than the dozens of pre-vets who call before notification date to ask if the decisions are made (folks who KNOW there is another week before the expected notification date) because 'it happened early last year!