How does a waitlist work?

[prettymonkey]

This might be a dumb question. Especially considering that this is my second time applying to medical school and i was waitlisted.
Does waitlist strategy vary a lot from school to school? Are they usually ranked low mid high or something like that? does interview date mean anything or is everyone ranked after all interviews have been conducted? will we not hear anything until may 15th when people have to chose a school out of multiple accepts? or do people get pulled off the waitlist at any time? does writing a letter of interest now help more than waiting until april/may?

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[MDRus]

yes yes yes!!!

i want to know all that too!! mostly, are waitlists rolling or do we wait until May?

 

[CCLCMer]

Probably every school has a different procedure. At CCLCM a lot of people go on hold until all the interviews are completed in March. Then some of the hold people will be accepted, some will be rejected, and some get put on the waitlist. Our decision date is April 15, and last year people started getting in off the waitlist in early May. When you interviewed does not affect when you get off the waitlist since the waitlist doesn't even get made until after all the interviews are over. Actually I have no idea how Dean Franco decides who to call next off the waitlist whenever a spot opens up, but she said the waitlist was not ranked. Some other schools do rank or tier their waitlists though. Sorry that this probably didn't really answer your question specifically, but at least that's how it works at one school, anyway. Good luck, hope you get off the waitlist.

 

[LaMusicienne]

Waitlists work differently depending on the school. This is as far as I know based on the schools I've been to (and I don't know everything!):

For some lesser-known state schools, there are a lot of people withdrawing acceptances, presumably for more prestigious schools, so the waitlist is rapidly rolling throughout the year. For more prestigious schools, the waitlist is more stagnant. Two of the schools I went to don't review the waitlist until all acceptances have been filled (ie end of interviews), so you won't likely hear from them until April or later. The percentage of people coming off waitlist varies a lot from school to school, so I can't give any trends on that. But one thing I've *heard* is that letters of intent work well, so be sure you REALLY want to go there before you sign your soul away to the office of admissions

 

[Lshapley]

But one thing I've *heard* is that letters of intent work well, so be sure you REALLY want to go there before you sign your soul away to the office of admissions

And even this point, which just seems like it is common sense to do, can be tricky. Some schools, like UVM where I am waitlisted, are into students that are persistent and display an ongoing desire, through their waitlist period, to go to UVM (i.e. multiple letters and calls). Other schools would consider you a stalker if you did this and prefer that you send the letter but don't harass them. If you are waitlisted, it is a really good idea to find someone (in person or on SDN) who is a med student at that school...preferably one that was waitlisted themselves!...and find out what they think.

 

[medguy83]

I agree that for most schools the waitlisting procedures and policies vary a bit. For some here in FL you're essentially put in the maybe pile and forgotten until April where they cherry-pick applicants to fill a few seats. At others your file may be continually reviewed and compared against current interviewees and you may receive an acceptance well before March or April. I've also heard of many schools accepting a pretty high percentage of applicants from the waitlist; this probably more common with in-state schools. From what I've heard if you keep the schools updated with letters and be persistent chances are it'll pay off so don't be timid.

 

[pluripotent]

On the subject, will a school where one gets waitlisted at learn of the number of schools an applicant applies to and weigh it in their final decision? I would like to know this out of curiosity now that I am waitlisted at two schools.

 

[LaMusicienne]

On the subject, will a school where one gets waitlisted at learn of the number of schools an applicant applies to and weigh it in their final decision? I would like to know this out of curiosity now that I am waitlisted at two schools.

I think all your schools have access to where you're accepted but NOT which schools you've applied to/interviewed. As to whether your acceptances affect waitlist outcomes, that would involved tapping into the enigmatic brains of each admissions committee, and I don't think anyone has successfully done that yet

I'm on a waitlist myself, and I did a little searching on SDN. For a good majority of the schools, yea/nay decisions don't come until AFTER May 15th, which means that if you've already gotten an acceptance, you pretty much have to go to that school. Not that you should complain, of course, because one is better than none However, I'm just clarifying probability of lack of options. Here's the thread from two years ago, if you're interested:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=185433

Good luck

 

[MDee]

Here's an interesting hypothetical scenario:

Say you were accepted to a school that started early (June/July), but were on a waitlist for a school which you would MUCH RATHER go to. What if you get an acceptance from the school that you were on the waitlist for, but after you had already started classes at the school you were accepted to. Can you still withdraw and attend the school you were waitlisted at?

I figure that some schools accept students off the waitlist up until classes begin so this could be a problem (I had two friends last year get accepted off of a waitlist in mid to late july!!).

 

[LaMusicienne]

Here's an interesting hypothetical scenario:

Say you were accepted to a school that started early (June/July), but were on a waitlist for a school which you would MUCH RATHER go to. What if you get an acceptance from the school that you were on the waitlist for, but after you had already started classes at the school you were accepted to. Can you still withdraw and attend the school you were waitlisted at?

I figure that some schools accept students off the waitlist up until classes begin so this could be a problem (I had two friends last year get accepted off of a waitlist in mid to late july!!).

Aren't you allowed to hold only one school after May 15th? That would mean you must withdraw from the waitlist. So my guess would be no.

There are many people who get accepted off waitlists in the middle of the summer, and I met one med student who was accepted literally two days before classes started in August. However, I'm under the impression that these people must not have any other MD acceptances, because you've seriously got to be cracked to decline an acceptance for a waitlist...

 

[yellowumbrella]

Aren't you allowed to hold only one school after May 15th? That would mean you must withdraw from the waitlist. So my guess would be no.

There are many people who get accepted off waitlists in the middle of the summer, and I met one med student who was accepted literally two days before classes started in August. However, I'm under the impression that these people must not have any other MD acceptances, because you've seriously got to be cracked to decline an acceptance for a waitlist...

by may 15, you can only hold one acceptance, but you don't have to withdraw from waitlists. if you get off of a waitlist after may 15 but before you begin orientation, you can choose to go to that school. you would just lose the deposit from the first school. if you have begun orientation/classes at a medical school, you are no longer eligible to go to another school, even if you get off of the waitlist.

 

[CCLCMer]

Here's an interesting hypothetical scenario:

Say you were accepted to a school that started early (June/July), but were on a waitlist for a school which you would MUCH RATHER go to. What if you get an acceptance from the school that you were on the waitlist for, but after you had already started classes at the school you were accepted to. Can you still withdraw and attend the school you were waitlisted at?

I figure that some schools accept students off the waitlist up until classes begin so this could be a problem (I had two friends last year get accepted off of a waitlist in mid to late july!!).

No, you can only stay on waitlists at other schools up until your first day of school. Once you show up somewhere for orientation, then you are officially matriculated at a medical school, and you are committed to attending that school. If you're accepted off a waitlist somewhere else during your first day of orientation, too bad, basically, because you're already officially matriculated at the first school. What you could do at that point would be to apply for a transfer, which is usually only done after second year, or you could drop out of med school and sit out a year entirely to reapply, which I think is just idiotic. Assuming they actually want an MD, no sane person would drop out of med school on the very first day and reapply all over again from scratch!

I guess what I would tell you is that if you would rather not go to med school at all versus go to the first school, then withdraw there and hope for a last minute waitlist acceptance at the school you really want. But, if you really want to be a doctor, then take the best of your available options and don't keep second guessing yourself. You can always apply to the school you love for your residency.

Aren't you allowed to hold only one school after May 15th? That would mean you must withdraw from the waitlist. So my guess would be no.

There are many people who get accepted off waitlists in the middle of the summer, and I met one med student who was accepted literally two days before classes started in August. However, I'm under the impression that these people must not have any other MD acceptances, because you've seriously got to be cracked to decline an acceptance for a waitlist...

No, you can stay on as many waitlists as you want, up until the first day of orientation. You have to withdraw from all ACCEPTANCES but one by May 15 (or April 15 at schools that start early like ours).

by may 15, you can only hold one acceptance, but you don't have to withdraw from waitlists. if you get off of a waitlist after may 15 but before you begin orientation, you can choose to go to that school. you would just lose the deposit from the first school. if you have begun orientation/classes at a medical school, you are no longer eligible to go to another school, even if you get off of the waitlist.

Right.

 

[alwaysaangel]

For a good majority of the schools, yea/nay decisions don't come until AFTER May 15th, which means that if you've already gotten an acceptance, you pretty much have to go to that school.

Like others have said this isn't true. Read the AMCAS rules (they call them recommendations but thats a misnomer) which all you guys agreed to when you applied through AMCAS. http://www.aamc.org/students/applying/policies/applicants.htm

By May 15 of the matriculation year (April 15 for schools whose first day of class is on or before July 30), each applicant who has received an offer of acceptance from more than one school choose the specific school at which the applicant prefers to enroll and withdraw his or her application, by written correspondence delivered by regular or electronic methods, from all other schools from which acceptance offers have been received.

It doesn't say wait lists - you may remain on as many wait lists as you want all summer. But then as soon as you get an acceptance from a school you are wait listed at - that school will notify the school you are currently holding an acceptance from. They will give you about a week to make a decision - it depends on the schools, and if you're nice and want an extension for financial aid packages they will usually be ok with that.

It also says the following regarding when you can no longer be on waitlists:

Immediately upon enrollment in, or initiation of an orientation program immediately prior to enrollment at, a U.S. or Canadian school, each applicant withdraw his or her application from consideration at all other schools at which he or she remains under consideration.

So once you start orientation or classes at a school you're done. No more waitlists. But up until then you're set.

I had an acceptance to GWU from October until June and got into UCI mid-June. GW just contacted me and asked if I could please let them know my decision ASAP. No big deal.

 

[LaMusicienne]

Alwaysaangel - Thanks for the clarification! I guess that just means you lose your deposit...