Is a waitlist a guaranteed acceptance for the following year?

[barb]

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If you are waitlisted at a school, but don't get in, do you need to totally reapply to that school or are you guaranteed acceptance for the following year? If you have to reapply, are you given any preference due to having been waitlisted?
What about post-bac programs? Are there any post-bac programs that guarantee acceptance into a school if you successfully complete their post-bac program?
Any info would be greatly appreciated.

 

[A. Caveman]

somebody recently posted that einstein waitlisted them last year, and recommended he improved the PS of his mcat. he did that and improved other things and was rejected this year. so the answer is at most a maybe.

 

[Mystique]

barb,

You have to reapply the next year if you get waitlisted and are unsuccessful in being taken off the list. It sucks, I know...but ah well, that's life. I don't know the answers to the rest. Good luck to ya though! 🙂

 

[Dr. Kermit]

I think there are a couple of members that are re-applicants. One girl had been interviewed at NYMC and Columbia and was waitlisted at both and was not accepted. I think she reapplied this year and wasn't offered at interview at Columbia, but was accepted at NYMC. I have a friend that was flat out rejected by Pitt one year and she reapplied the next year and was offered a full scholarship.

The one thing that I can guarantee you is that at most of my interviews, the Deans have said that if you reapply they want to see something different in your application. They hope that you just don't resubmit the same application, scores, and ECs. It sucks, but I think I'd rather know I was rejected as a result of my credentials than my laziness.

 

[ssd]

i was waitlisted at a couple of schools last year, and never got an interview from them this year. all my interviews this year (including one acceptance) are from schools who wouldn't interview me last year. don't try to figure out the game, just play it...

 

[SMW]

Wouldn't it be lovely? But I think the answer is no. There are no guarantees anywhere in this process (except that AMCAS will screw up).

 

[Jalopycat]

I'm on a waitlist and the generic letter I was sent said to retake the mcat 😡 I just hope I get off the waitlist before I start studying for it. I'm a bit stressed about the essay..I don't think I can write one better than the one I submitted this year! Even the committee commented on it during my interview! Also, I have 2 jobs so I can only take 1 class at a time. My GPA won't vary much at from what it was last year.. Argh!!

 

[misskitty]

I think that Wake Forest has one of those postbac programs. But you have to be offered a position in that too. This process is so stressful.

 

[barb]

Thanks for the info everyone! I'm kinda freaking out right now because I'm trying to avoid going to my NYMC interview cause I"m totally broke but I only have a waitlist and I'm waiting for the post-interview decisions from 4 other schools. Anyone think I should go to the interview?

 

[SMW]

I'd go.

 

[THE instiGATOR]

Being interviewed doesn't guarantee an interview the following year (I know this from experience).

Being waitlisted doesn't guarantee an acceptance the following year, it doesn't guarantee a second waitlist position, and it doesn't even guarantee an interview the following year!

There are NO guarantees when applying to med school.

 

[daisygirl]

"There are NO guarantees when applying to med school"

Oh yes there are...that this process is a major pain in the @ss, you probably will lose some of your self-esteem,it is expensive...oh boy I could go on forever <img border="0" alt="[Laughy]" title="" src="graemlins/laughy.gif" />

 

[UCLA2000]

If you get a waitlist and aren't pulled off of it then that means that you have been Rejected.

So your question basically boils down to...If you get rejected (not pulled off waitlist) are you guaranteed an acceptance the following year?

 

[pwrpfgrl]

go to the interview!!! think about how hard you'll be kicking yourself if you don't move off the waitlist and gave up the possibility of an acceptance because you didn't want to spend a few hundred dollars!! <img border="0" title="" alt="[Eek!]" src="eek.gif" /> 🙁 😕

 

[THE instiGATOR]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by daisygirl:
•"There are NO guarantees when applying to med school"

Oh yes there are...that this process is a major pain in the @ss, you probably will lose some of your self-esteem,it is expensive...oh boy I could go on forever <img border="0" alt="[Laughy]" title="" src="graemlins/laughy.gif" /> •••••Those things apply to you and I, but I know of a guy who had his daddy pay a personal typist to prepare his secondary apps for all 40+ schools that he applied to (all of the fees paid by daddy, of course). Life would be grand with a personal assistant and an endless cash supply! 🙂

 

[Doctora Foxy]

I think under ALL circumstances, if one has zero acceptances, there is no good reason not to go to ALL of your interviews. Now I know how you feel, I am waiting for a certain school's response and procrastinating about making plane tickets for 2 interviews in April, but I still plan to go until I get that acceptance. Luckily the prices get CHEAPER for my flights everyday! 😀 I'll book it soon though, cuz BU is takin' their sweet ol time!

If you choose not to go, please tell them to invite me! I grew up in that area and want back in (hehe close to Grandma's home cooking). 🙂

 

[Hero]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by ssd:
•don't try to figure out the game, just play it...•••••Best advice I've heard. It's hard not to trying to figure it out because you want to understand but in the end, it'll just add unnecessary stress. Focus on playing the game...well! 🙂

 

[Dr. Will]

On that note, to quote Kiefer Sutherland from "Young Guns 2"...

"Let's finish the game!"