Mayo "hold status"

I got the same letter. I think what it means is that each time the committee meets, your application will be up for review again. If you are better than the newest interviewees, then you can be accepted. However, after all committee meetings etc, if you have not been accepted, then they will put you on an alternate list/waitlist. You will then only get into the class if enough people holding an acceptance refuse their acceptance opening up places for waitlisted people.

 

I wouldn't give up hope. Several of the students I met there expressed to me that a great portion of their classmates were pulled from the waiting list. I think they estimated nearly half of them. I personally know someone that was pulled from the waiting list in July.

 

When did you interview?

 

I got the "hold" letter too, but really I don't think it said anymore than what was told to me when I interviewed. When I interviewed (Nov. 2), I was told that after you do an on-site interview, they choose to automatically reject you (if something major comes up, which hardly ever does) or they place you in the general interviewed-applicant pool. Once in that pool, they tabulate a score for you, based on all their criteria. Each time they meet, they take the top few scores. So what (I think) the letter was trying to say is that you (and I) were not automatically rejected, but was not selected at the first committee meeting. Therefore, each time the committee meets, we are up for review again. So really, its nothing new (I got a similar e-mail from them in November), at least from what I was told when interviewed.

Hope this helps, and good luck!