Interview notification

[lisams1]

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I was wondering if some of you out there who have been lucky enough to get an interview could tell me how you were notified by the school for the time and date. My e-mail address is going to change and as of March 1 I won't be recieving anything sent to my old address. All the schools have the address that is soon to be obsolete and I'm not sure if I should take the time (and precious energy) to send each school notification of this. Any thoughts...
Thanks

 

[kimberlicox]

Originally posted by lisams1:
... I'm not sure if I should take the time (and precious energy) to send each school notification of this. Any thoughts...
Thanks

YIPES!! Err...yes. If the only methods by which the schools have to get in touch with you are not longer effective, you will NOT be hearing from them. In simpler terms, they ain't gonna file a Missing Persons report and send the Feds looking for you.

It is your responsibility to notify all schools at which you have applications pending of the change in your contact information. You can print up postcards and mail them to all the programs, call or whatever - to not do so is tantamount to "application suicide". I believe it even states this in the AAMC Applicant Responsibilties.

So, take some of that "precious energy" and get busy letting everyone know where you'll be. In addition, hop on down to the post-office and fill out a forwarding order for your mail as well.

 

[baylor21]

OH MAN I have been dreading this situation... I will be applying this year but I graduate this December.

I'd prefer not to hang around my college town during the spring of 2002 but my college post office has been notoriously incompetent and I dont really trust them to forward my mail. I could see them not doing it correctly and missing some interview invites or even acceptances if they are sent in the spring!

So, that brings me to this question. What percentage of interview invites generally come in the fall vs spring? I will have my app completed right after June 1st so they wont be waiting for more documents from me.

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"There is nothing more powerful on this Earth as a man who has nothing to lose. It does not take ten such men to change the world--one will do." Elijah Mohammed

 

[caffeinegirl]

I recommend that you both notify AMCAS through the Biographical Change form (available online and through the AMCAS software) ASAP about the address change. It usually takes 3 weeks for them to get back to you and notify schools. However, they can screw up (as they did for me) so do it well in advance (especially if you can check the mail at the new address).
You should also send individual letters to each school you are applying to notify them of the change of address, when the change will take effect, and also that you have notified AMCAS.
I did this, and yet one school still sent me an interview invite to my old address. I personally changed my address to my parents' place, so that my mail would be received whether or not I was in town or not.
As for when you get notified of interviews, it totally depends. So, try to get this address thing sorted out ASAP.
Just my two cents.

 

[gower]

After all the blood, sweat and tears, the time and energy, anxiety, the trouble to apply, the money spent, you don't want to waste the time and energy to notify each school by every different method possible of your change of address? Are you sure you really want to go to medical school?

 

[kimberlicox]

Baylor21...

IMHO your best bet would be to use your parents' (or some other stable address) address when you apply to medical school since you will be moving mid-way through the season. It would be extremely difficult to say whether most of your interviews will come before December as schools vary widely in the type of process they use - some use a rolling admissions procedure (accepting/rejecting/waitlisting students as the apps "roll" in), some wait until a large number of apps are in then start interviewing, some place a lot on the waitlist and interview *some* of those, and so on. It really depends on where you are applying (and I understand Tx has a different system).

I think you will find it much easier to use one stable address for the applications and have your parents call/FAX you the contents of eahc envelope. A word of caution from a veteran - not every thin envelope is a rejection and forwarding mail can get lost/take a long time to reach you (especially over the holidays). My parents were forwarding me mail while I was in Houston doing an elective - it took 2 weeks for 2 interview invites to reach me - after the deadline for replying. Fortunately, both schools were cool and let me come anyway, but after my experience I would advise you to call your parents at least once a week for an update on the application scene (of course providing you aren't back living with them).

Hope this helps.

[This message has been edited by kimberlicox (edited 01-20-2001).]

 

[BioAggie]

Baylor21,

If you're going to be applying in Texas (noticed where you're from) you should count on most of the interviews being completed by December (especially if you get your app in by June 1). I had my application in by Aug 1 this year and had most of my interviews in October. With the Texas match, you rank the schools at which you interviewed. This year, you had to do this by December 29. The match rresults were made public January 15. On this date, the classes for most of the schools in Texas are basically set for Fall 2001.

The only school not to participate in the match this year was Baylor. Therefore, your chances of getting in after January 15 are dramatically reduced, if not nearly eliminated. I know Texas is different from other states, but I thought I would just give this example. Oh yeah, Baylor has a rolling admissions that starts admitting in October.

Hope this helps!!

 

[lisams1]

My permanent address is still the same, it is my e-mail address that is changing. I've talked with other people who have not had any e-mail correspondence at all and that is why I'm wondering if I should even bother. It seems that the schools only want the e-mail address as a source of back-up if needed or maybe to distribute infor once they have made their acceptances. Has anyone else had any info sent to them via e-mail?

 

[caffeinegirl]

if it's your email address that's changing, I don't think it will make that big of a difference.
From the schools I applied to, Cornell is the only one that sent an interview notification by email. They also sent one by snail-mail, so you do get notified in both ways

 

[jimi]

Dear all,

I really think it is worth the effort to update the schools about your contact info.

About the soon-to-be-applicant who will be graduating soon, I was in your situation so I just set up a new email account with yahoo and put that on my AMCAS even though my school one was still working. I just didn't want to take a chance of my school account expiring before the application process was over.

It's very simple, really.

 

[jimi]

Oh, I forgot...to support my proposition that YOU SHOULD update your info with schools, these are the schools that sent correspondence to me about interview notification, confirmations, file information, corrections on interview letter, etc. (all very crucial information!!):

Harvard
U. of Pittsburgh
UC Davis
Washington U.
Cornell
UC Irvine
Stanford
Albert Einstein
University of Penn.
Northwestern
Univer. of Southern California

They did not try to call me first, these emails were sent knowing that email is the fastest and most convenient way to communicate.

So, once again, I REALLY think it is important to update your information.

 

[Katie]

I agree, might as well update your info.. MCP-Hahnemann and VCU/MCV also communicate with applicants via e-mail; the former to confirm interview dates and the latter to confirm when your file is complete and has gone to committee for review. Have been told that VCU also send interview invites through e-mail and not through snail mail.