May 15 rolls around and what do you do?

[luvbugstarsky]

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So it's May 15th. You've got a couple decent acceptances, but you're waitlisted at some schools that you really like. What are the options? Can you make a deposit and save a seat at one of the schools you're accepted at, then, if one of those waitlists come through withdraw and enroll in that school? or once you enroll on May 15th is that it? Do the waitlists stop considering you?

 

[Pontifex Maximus]

You get 1 school. If you're waitlisted anywhere else, you get a choice to change to that school, and probably lose the first deposit.

But no, you're never not considered (unless they outright reject you).

 

[BaylorGuy]

To the OP, you can only hold 1 acceptance by the time May 15 rolls around. You can be on as many waitlists as you want, but you can only hold a single acceptance. If you get off a waitlist, you choose 1 of the schools and then withdraw from the other.

As cozmosis said, you may be kissing your deposit goodbye.

 

[Messerschmitts]

What if I get off the waitlist for school A? Can I continue waiting to come off school B's waitlist, or can you only get off the waitlist for one school? (Yes, I anticipate being on many waitlists, of varying levels of desirability)

 

[Rafa]

I believe you can be on as many waitlists as you happen to be on, and you aren't under obligation to accept a school simply because they reach your number on the waitlist. You'd just send them a "close, but no cigar" email, and continue to wait, if you were still holding out hope for another school.

However, I don't believe you could accept school A (dropping your May 15th safety in the process), and continue to be a viable candidate for school B's waitlist. It's sort of like sudden death - once you pick one after regulation (May 15th), it's over. But I might be wrong on this point. But I don't think you could keep hopping from waitlist acceptance to waitlist acceptance until late August (when you should probably have a school selected anyway, since it'll be almost time to move in, and start med schooool! 🙂)

 

[QofQuimica]

My understanding was that you could hold as many waitlists as you wanted, even after May 15. I never heard of there being a limit to the number of times you could hop schools post-May 15, as long as you weren't ever holding two acceptances at the same time. That being said, I wouldn't want to stay on a waitlist post-May 15 unless I hadn't been accepted anywhere yet. You've got to get on with your life at some point.

 

[Pontifex Maximus]

My understanding was that you could hold as many waitlists as you wanted, even after May 15. I never heard of there being a limit to the number of times you could hop schools post-May 15, as long as you weren't ever holding two acceptances at the same time. That being said, I wouldn't want to stay on a waitlist post-May 15 unless I hadn't been accepted anywhere yet. You've got to get on with your life at some point.

Well, some people have special situations. If I was waiting for my #1 school, I'd be sitting on that waitlist too (and I may be!)

 

[deleted77919]

I don't think there's any limit to the number of times you can jump schools after May 15, you're probably out your deposits. Basically every offer that comes in off the waitlist you have a binary choice, hold on to what you've got or give it up to take a spot at the other school. If you get in off another waitlist you again can make that comparison and so on until courses start.

 

[Zoom-Zoom]

Everytime you "hop waitlists" you give somebody a fat deposit check. Since they will fill up all their spots anyway, I'm sure there's no limit to how many times you can do this. I mean, that's what deposits are all about...as long as you are willing to shell out money, they are willing to take it.

 

[Rafa]

Ah, in that case, I stand corrected. Neat - so you *can* keep comparing schools (like comparing hands in poker or one of those newfangled card games..."hit" or "stay"). Once you tell a school goodbye though, you don't get to change your mind about it.

 

[deleted77919]

Ah, in that case, I stand corrected. Neat - so you *can* keep comparing schools (like comparing hands in poker or one of those newfangled card games..."hit" or "stay"). Once you tell a school goodbye though, you don't get to change your mind about it.

Nope, once you tell a school no, then it's gone . . .

 

[Messerschmitts]

[...]I wouldn't want to stay on a waitlist post-May 15 unless I hadn't been accepted anywhere yet. You've got to get on with your life at some point.

I can see what you're saying, but UCSD is worth hopping for! And if I can't get UCSD I'll be happy with OSU. But I expect to be waitlisted for both (right now deferred for both)

 

[Zoom-Zoom]

I can see what you're saying, but UCSD is worth hopping for! And if I can't get UCSD I'll be happy with OSU. But I expect to be waitlisted for both (right now deferred for both)

Dude you gotta think positive! Your bumming me out over here...I would be so over-confident with your stats

 

[MoosePilot]

My understanding was that you could hold as many waitlists as you wanted, even after May 15. I never heard of there being a limit to the number of times you could hop schools post-May 15, as long as you weren't ever holding two acceptances at the same time. That being said, I wouldn't want to stay on a waitlist post-May 15 unless I hadn't been accepted anywhere yet. You've got to get on with your life at some point.

Yes. I agree. I don't know if it's my ego, or what, but I've been tempted to drop a school that interviewed me, but hasn't accepted me or given my any feedback despite requests. My opinion of them has dropped steadily since I interviewed there. I want a school that sees me as a good match, not one that sees me as their last acceptable applicant.

 

[Messerschmitts]

Dude you gotta think positive! Your bumming me out over here...I would be so over-confident with your stats

Hey man, last year I didn't even get in! This is pretty positive compared to last cycle! 😛

 

[QofQuimica]

Yes. I agree. I don't know if it's my ego, or what, but I've been tempted to drop a school that interviewed me, but hasn't accepted me or given my any feedback despite requests. My opinion of them has dropped steadily since I interviewed there. I want a school that sees me as a good match, not one that sees me as their last acceptable applicant.

Yeah, I hear ya. I may end up following suit b/c I still can't get any financial aid info. Sigh....

For those of you who want to stay on waitlists into the summer, I'm not criticizing you for it. But *I* definitely wouldn't want to do it unless I had no other options. I want to know where I'm going ASAP because I'm going to buy a condo, set up my home, etc. And I'd be very happy to go to any of the schools I have already heard from, especially if the ones I'm still waiting for all decide to waitlist me. In fact, I'm just withdrawing immediately from any waitlists, so there is no chance of me not knowing where I'll be going by May 15.

I guess Moose pretty much summed up my feelings. Why should I wait for School B to take me off their waitlist after the students they really wanted decline them, when School A has accepted me outright with open arms and wants me to come? Unrequited love is the pits. I say dance with the one who brung you. 😉

 

[Saluki]

Yeah, I hear ya. I may end up following suit b/c I still can't get any financial aid info. Sigh....

For those of you who want to stay on waitlists into the summer, I'm not criticizing you for it. But *I* definitely wouldn't want to do it unless I had no other options. I want to know where I'm going ASAP because I'm going to buy a condo, set up my home, etc. And I'd be very happy to go to any of the schools I have already heard from, especially if the ones I'm still waiting for all decide to waitlist me. In fact, I'm just withdrawing immediately from any waitlists, so there is no chance of me not knowing where I'll be going by May 15.

I guess Moose pretty much summed up my feelings. Why should I wait for School B to take me off their waitlist after the students they really wanted decline them, when School A has accepted me outright with open arms and wants me to come? Unrequited love is the pits. I say dance with the one who brung you. 😉

I really have no pride left after this process. My feeling is that the one who gets in off the waitlist is the same in the end as the one who got in back in December (except maybe for financial aid). If my top choice school waitlists me (please don't!), I'll stay on the waitlist till it's time to sign my lease at another school...

 

[Art]

The AAMC has guidelines about how the process works, the full details are listed here:

http://www.aamc.org/students/applying/policies/admissionofficers.htm

Basically, your deposit should be no more than $100, it should be refundable before MAy 15th.

The policy also says that you can stay on multiple waitlists. But once your school starts other medical schools cannot offer you a spot.

This link has been posted before, but you can easily find out this kind of information on the AAMC website.

 

[LO281OK]

As far as MUSC goes... the "deposit" is actually a matriculation/graduation fee. This way if you get in off a waitlist before you start classes (matriculate), then you will get both back. NO LOST DEPOSIT. So depending on the school you may not lose your money that holds your seat there if you jump ship for another school off the waitlist.

Hope that adds something to the discussion.

 

[Rafa]

What do schools that accept you off waitlists do with regard to financial aid? I presume they send an aid package along with the acceptance, since you wouldn't really have time to bargain for a better one before the term started...?

 

[Messerschmitts]

Why should I wait for School B to take me off their waitlist after the students they really wanted decline them, when School A has accepted me outright with open arms and wants me to come? Unrequited love is the pits. I say dance with the one who brung you. 😉

What if that other girl is really, really hot? Like you'd give your left kidney to dance with her? Just kidding, perhaps this analogy isn't totally apt. (Btw the smokin' hot girl is UCSD, OSU is pretty cute too though. Right now I'm dancing with a kind of plain girl, which I'm not complaining, but I just don't feel the chemistry)

Btw mashce, one girl's backup is another guy's semi-dream school. I hope you get into yours, so you can clear out that OSU seat for me! 😛

 

[JayQuah]

bringing this thread back, because I have a question about waitlists...

How long is it before you have to accept/deny an acceptance off the waitlist? 24 hours? 30 seconds?

 

[Em1]

I guess Moose pretty much summed up my feelings. Why should I wait for School B to take me off their waitlist after the students they really wanted decline them, when School A has accepted me outright with open arms and wants me to come? Unrequited love is the pits. I say dance with the one who brung you. 😉

I doubt this will make ANY difference once you actually get there.

 

[Chuck Norris]

deleting.

 

[JayQuah]

deleting.

Just wondering about the time limit still.

 

[top]

Just wondering about the time limit still.

It's usually two weeks.