max # of acceptances?

[Incendiary]

Not that I have to worry about this, but what have you all heard about the maximum number of acceptances to hold at one time? I've heard that it's around three or so, and then the other med schools, who magically know your every acceptance and rejection, start getting antsy...

Anyone else heard anything?

<a href="http://www.studentdoctor.net/cgi-bin/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=1&t=006848" target="_blank">http://www.studentdoctor.net/cgi-bin/ubbcgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=1&t=006848</a> (related thread)

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[altaskier]

Never heard that one, but could be true!

 

[Coalboy]

From the MSAR, page 52

Applicants Offered Multiple Acceptances

In 2000, 6,712 applicants were accepted by two or more medical schools. To provide an orderly and fair admission process, applicants are obligated to hold no more than one acceptance at a time. An applicant receiving acceptances from two or more schools simultaneously is expected to accept the offer of the most preferred school and notify the others that their offers are not accepted. If subsequent offers are received from other schools, the applicant may withdraw from the school originally accepted and accept the offer of the more preferred school. The schools are expected not to offer acceptances to students who have already arrived at another medical school for orientation and matriculation.

 

[altaskier]

Yeh, but I think what you read is later on down the road, after the May 15th deadline.

 

[Incendiary]

Yeah, I agree with altaskier. I mean prior to May 15...

Anyone else hear anything?

 

[lilycat]

I'm fairly certain there are no specific rules limiting the number of acceptances you may hold onto at one time. The AAMC has guidelines that they would like you to follow, but that is about it. The schools you applied to, where your application is still active (ie, you haven't been rejected yet) are aware of where you have been accepted, and after May 15th, it is not uncommon for applicants holding multiple acceptances to receive letters from those schools asking them to please choose quickly or risk losing their acceptance.

While some people legitimately hold onto 2 or 3 acceptances at one time to compare financial aid or scholarship offers, some applicants do hold onto them almost as trophies. In my opinion, out of respect for the other applicants and for the schools, I think it's only fair and polite to hold on to as few acceptances as necessary.

 

[Coalboy]

Yeh, but I think what you read is later on down the road, after the May 15th deadline••

That was my impression at first, but I quoted it in full, and it seems to be talking about any time, not just after the May 15th deadline. In any case, if you are holding more than one acceptance after May 15, you're being pretty rude, if not breaking a real rule.

 

[sandflea]

i agree with lilycat--there are guidelines but no rules in this. it's only after may 15 that you are expected to narrow it down to one acceptance, but like lilycat pointed out, some people hold on to several until they can compare financial aid offers. i think it's pretty common for people to hold most, if not all, acceptances *before* may 15, however, to weigh their options and also for financial aid reasons--i know financial aid will factor in heavily in where i decide to go, and i'm not turning anything down until i have an idea of how much i will need to shell out.

 

[Coalboy]

More info, straight from AAMC. It seems to conflict a bit with their info in the MSAR.

<a href="http://www.aamc.org/students/applying/policies/recommendations.htm" target="_blank">http://www.aamc.org/students/applying/policies/recommendations.htm</a>

 

[ccryder]

I asked my pre-med advisor this question and he confirmed that until May 15th an applicant can hold as many acceptances as s/he chooses. However, AAMC highly discourages this because the schools cannot give spots to other applicants who would eventually choose to attend. By May 15th the applicant has to have put down a deposit at ONE school and inform the others of the withdrawl of his application. If s/he does not do this by May 15th the schools can (and probably will) drop his/her application. That could be a rough end to a rough application process.

 

[j99]

In my EVMS acceptance letter, they quoted the "no more than one acceptance" passage, and made no reference to May 15. They clearly implied that I was not to hold multiple acceptances, and that that was the AMCAS rule.

But I also have seen the AMCAS "guidelines" for acceptance procedures, which clearly are in conflict. In fact, almost all of the EVMS procedures conflict with the AMCAS guidelines (deposit well over suggested limit, answer required in less than the suggested 2 weeks, etc.) That kind of ticked me off about evms.

 

[USeF]

Originally posted by Incendiary:
•Not that I have to worry about this, but what have you all heard about the maximum number of acceptances to hold at one time•••

What's up man? Have I created an SDN addict out of you yet?

Dont know if I told you in Chicago, but at my interview at USF, the director informed us that (one of the few good things) with the new AMCAS is that on May 15th you are notified of your multiple acceptances (as if you didn't know!) and told to narrow it down. ~Two weeks later the schools can log on to AMCAS and see all the schools you are still holding acceptances to. They have the right to contact you and if you STILL don't narrow down, they can help you narrow down your choices themselves, by revoking their acceptance!

I'm sure this would only occur in a situation where someone is abusing the system by holding onto like 6 acceptances and not budging in any, but we'll see.

 

[Incendiary]

USeF! What's up dude? Yes, you definitely have. Good thing SDN isn't an illicit drug, or I be in jail with no set bail. What happened to "the Bull," by the way?

Still directed to USeF:
Have you seen this? <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,41181,00.html" target="_blank">http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,41181,00.html</a> Do you know the guy? Also, I have some questions about good Florida beaches, so log onto AIM when you get a chance...

Okay, back to the topic at hand, thanks to those of you who've replied. I definitely agree that it's best to withdraw from schools where you know you wouldn't go. I've heard about the AAMC guidelines too, but I guess what I was wondering was whether medical schools would NOT offer acceptances to those holding over a certain number of acceptances BEFORE May 15. I would imagine they would be a little wary of doing so out of fear that the person would go somewhere else, much like how lower tier schools wouldn't want to give too many acceptances to really really strong candidates, because they'll go elsewhere anyway.

 

[ccryder]

but I guess what I was wondering was whether medical schools would NOT offer acceptances to those holding over a certain number of acceptances BEFORE May 15. I would imagine they would be a little wary of doing so out of fear that the person would go somewhere else, much like how lower tier schools wouldn't want to give too many acceptances to really really strong candidates, because they'll go elsewhere anyway. ••

As far as I know, schools do not know what acceptances you are holding until May 15th. I think the only time they definitely have that information is if after May 15th you hold one acceptance for which you have paid the deposit and are on a waitlist at another school. Say the waitlist school decides in July to accept you because they have an opening, they are required to inform the school at which you hold the acceptance before accepting you.

However, schools could pass this info along in secret for all I know except, how would they know what other schools I applied to?

 

[Incendiary]

Hmm, ccryder, I think that the schools definitely know. When people were sending in copies of their AMCAS to medical schools to "expedite the process" (yeah, right) a lot of people accidentally sent in the sheet listing the other schools to which they applied. The pre-med adviser at my school said that it wasn't a big deal, since the schools would know anyway. Also, Yale said that they talk to the other schools, and for a long time now they've gotten together with I think 7 other schools to talk about their common applicants... Anyway, like I said, not going to have to worry about this dilemma, but I was curious nevertheless...

 

[Hopkins2010]

I think there might be incidents where schools may discuss an applicant in particular, but seriously I find it hard to believe that med schools participate in organized sessions where they go thru every single applicant on their lists and discuss which applicants they have in common.

I dont think schools know what other schools you applied to until later on. I specifically remember AMCAS stating that normally med schools DO NOT HAVE ACCESS to an applicant's list of schools, at least initially. Its true that med schools COULD call each other and find out, and I'm sure that in certain circumstances this does occur. But I SERIOUSLY doubt that med schools call each other with all 5,000 people on their applicant list and compare EXACTLY which applicants they have in common. If they are doing so, its a tremendous waste of time, ESPECIALLY given the fact that many of these schools are far behind schedule and need to do a better job of notifying applicants about interviews/acceptances/rejections.

 

[Incendiary]

Yeah, I doubt that they compare every student, but I'm sure they talk about the students that intrigue them the most...

 

[ccryder]

Hmm, ccryder, I think that the schools definitely know. When people were sending in copies of their AMCAS to medical schools to "expedite the process" (yeah, right) a lot of people accidentally sent in the sheet listing the other schools to which they applied. The pre-med adviser at my school said that it wasn't a big deal, since the schools would know anyway. Also, Yale said that they talk to the other schools, and for a long time now they've gotten together with I think 7 other schools to talk about their common applicants... ••

I suppose if you sent a list of the schools to which you applied to each school then they would know where you had applied. That doesn't mean that they know where you've been accepted. I agree with Baylor21 that as a general rule, schools do not know what other schools their applicants applied to. Perhaps, Yale does discuss with 7 other schools but I would think that would be too time consuming. Even so, you're only out of luck if you're holding acceptances from more than one of those 7 schools.