Is pre interview "hold" a "good thing"??

[shevie]

Is this better than a flat-out rejection?? Should I be happy (being that I received two rejections in less than 7 days)....Or does it just mean theyre too busy to look at your file right now due to high volume of apps received?

They also mention in the email "Please feel free to update your application with any additional materials you would like to provide"
- I just submitted an article (last week) to AJP. Can I send them an update telling them that I did that? Will that help boost my chances, or just dont bother.

Any advice is appreciated!!!

thanks

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[aaj117]

Is this better than a flat-out rejection?? Should I be happy (being that I received two rejections in less than 7 days)....Or does it just mean theyre too busy to look at your file right now due to high volume of apps received?

They also mention in the email "Please feel free to update your application with any additional materials you would like to provide"
- I just submitted an article (last week) to AJP. Can I send them an update telling them that I did that? Will that help boost my chances, or just dont bother.

Any advice is appreciated!!!

thanks

Yes, a pre-interview hold is better than a flat out rejection. It doesn't mean they're too busy to look at your file, it means that they've looked at it once and they aren't giving you an interview based on their initial screen, but they want the opportunity to reconsider after they see more applicants and can compare you a little more or think about your qualifications some more. Updates are definitely a good way to get them to look at your file and reconsider. Submitting an article, though, doesn't make much of a difference. Once it has been accepted for publication, it will be a much bigger deal. how long do you think until you hear if it has been accepted? I know most of the journals we submitt to here at work have been answering within 3 weeks, so that would be worth the wait. Also, fall semester grades are a good way to update, along with a letter letting them know to look out for your grades and how interested you are in the school.

 

[taponthecloud]

Sadly, pre-interview holds in most cases are simply delayed rejections. If you check out the threads from last year, very few people came off the hold list.

 

[shevie]

how long do you think until you hear if it has been accepted? I know most of the journals we submitt to here at work have been answering within 3 weeks, so that would be worth the wait.

ok, ill wait it out a few wks or so. I dont know how long AJP takes, i know in my lab they submit stuff quite often to that journal so i will just hope for a fast turnaround rate.

Also, fall semester grades are a good way to update, along with a letter letting them know to look out for your grades and how interested you are in the school.

Unfortunately, im not in school, im working at the NIH right now, so I dont have grades to send them. Is there anything else, besides my article, I can try to include in a future letter of update/interest, to help plead my case?

Sadly, pre-interview holds in most cases are simply delayed rejections. If you check out the threads from last year, very few people came off the hold list.

but for those few who did, did they do something to "push"? did they make a connection/have a parent/PI, etc w/ a connection? did they send tons of letters of interest? Will such actions help or just dont bother b/c its basically a nice way of saying youre rejected????

 

[87138]

Also, different schools seem to utilize a pre-interview hold differently. Vermont and VCU, for instance, seem to take a decent amount of people that are put on initial "pre-interview hold" and give them an interview not long after.

 

[aaj117]

Unfortunately, im not in school, im working at the NIH right now, so I dont have grades to send them. Is there anything else, besides my article, I can try to include in a future letter of update/interest, to help plead my case?

Have you done any new volunteering, part time jobs, mentoring, or anything like that? Anything new you've done can go in a letter. Additionally if there's a specific school that you're dying to hear from, you can write a letter of interest explaining why you believe you're a good fit there, why it would be the best place for you to learn, and why you would be an assett in that specific environment.

but for those few who did, did they do something to "push"? did they make a connection/have a parent/PI, etc w/ a connection? did they send tons of letters of interest? Will such actions help or just dont bother b/c its basically a nice way of saying youre rejected????

This is very school-specific. Some schools like UPenn put you on hold and essentially always reject you later. Others really get around to reconsidering. I think it was Boogsie, but it might have been QTLC13, one of the two of them got off of the GW hold without ever updating or doing anything to get off of it. But most of the time, showing them that you're interested and still working towards the goal is going to help most when they're choosing who to pull off of the hold list.

 

[QTCL13]

Have you done any new volunteering, part time jobs, mentoring, or anything like that? Anything new you've done can go in a letter. Additionally if there's a specific school that you're dying to hear from, you can write a letter of interest explaining why you believe you're a good fit there, why it would be the best place for you to learn, and why you would be an assett in that specific environment.



This is very school-specific. Some schools like UPenn put you on hold and essentially always reject you later. Others really get around to reconsidering. I think it was Boogsie, but it might have been QTLC13, one of the two of them got off of the GW hold without ever updating or doing anything to get off of it. But most of the time, showing them that you're interested and still working towards the goal is going to help most when they're choosing who to pull off of the hold list.

I think if you are really interested in the school, just do a straight leter of interest, even if you don't have any updates. Aaj17 was right--I got off hold at GW w/o doing anything but I have talked to people who did write letters explaining why they would be a good fit (in GW's case, international programs, interest in med. policy, etc) and also got off hold. It can't hurt! Good luck

 

[Phoenix.]

Unfortunately, im not in school, im working at the NIH right now, so I dont have grades to send them. Is there anything else, besides my article, I can try to include in a future letter of update/interest, to help plead my case?

I'm in the same position as you (not in school), and got a pre-interview hold from Pritzker. I asked them about it, and they said that I could send them an additional LOR, or let them know about a new EC, research, or just send a letter of interest.

 

[LeLu]

Send a LOI/ update, because they asked for it. I was on hold at GW and came off for an interview but they specifically asked you not to send any new materials. It sounds like your school wants more, so write another essay, you have plenty of practice by now, I'm sure!

 

[sicko]

pre-interview hold = rejection

 

[academician2008]

I was put on post-secondary pre-interview hold in Penn State a long time ago.
I'm an OOS applicant with 28O MCAT (12, 6, 10), 3.873 GPA, and lots of EC experiences.
I think with pre-interview waitlists it does not make much sense to send letters of interest or some stuff like that.
With post-interview hold that is more appropriate.
So still waiting...