med school decision deadline

[Kyler Mwwrray]

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I cant seem to find a straightforward answer about when the deadline to make a decision is. I’ve seen articles and information that says that we have to narrow our decisions to there’s schools by mid April. Is this true though because I can’t seem to find where AAMC says this?

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I cant seem to find a straightforward answer about when the deadline to make a decision is. I’ve seen articles and information that says that we have to narrow our decisions to there’s schools by mid April. Is this true though because I can’t seem to find where AAMC says this?

The schools that extended offers to you likely have a policy on a response timeline and response to the Choose Your Medical School portal. If your can't find it, email the office.

 

[Kyler Mwwrray]

The schools that extended offers to you likely have a policy on a response timeline and response to the Choose Your Medical School portal. If your can't find it, email the office.

I’m looking at the choose your med school article by AAMC and they say applicants should narrow their decision to three schools by April 15th. Is this a requirement or recommendation?

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I’m looking at the choose your med school article by AAMC and they say applicants should narrow their decision to three schools by April 15th. Is this a requirement or recommendation?

Recommendation "should". Requirement "must".

 

[gyngyn]

Recommendation "should". Requirement "must".

Although AMCAS cannot make decision timelines a requirement, schools can. They can act upon these requirements.

 

[KnightDoc]

Although AMCAS cannot make decision timelines a requirement, schools can. They can act upon these requirements.

THIS^^^^^.

There is no enforcement until 5/2, because until that date schools cannot run reports that identify individual students and the selections they have or have not made using the CYMS tool. On and after that date, all bets are off and you need to do whatever your schools require, by the deadlines set by the schools, or you have risk having acceptances unilaterally rescinded without warning.

It seems to happen to people every year, after which they go online and complain about not knowing, not understanding, not being given sufficient notice or warning, yada yada yada. The schools that unilaterally rescind without warning tend not to have a lot of patience for people who seem to be playing games, since they have people anxiously sitting on WLs and they only care about filling the class with people who really want to be there, as opposed to dealing with people playing every angle and wanting to keep multiple options open indefinitely.

Bottom line -- a lot of schools will work with you, and will extend deadlines if you have a good reason and ask in advance. But many won't, and will pull the plug on you immediately and without warning, often overnight automatically when they run reports. It's REALLY important that you check what is required directly with each school, not 4th hand on the internet, and that you make sure you comply. AAMC does not police, enforce, or get involved with whatever each school individually decides to do, so there is no complaining to them if anyone is unhappy with any result. They just provide the platform for applicants and schools to use as they see fit.

 

[majorcurls]

What’s the equivalent date for DO schools? Does anyone know?

 

[KnightDoc]

What’s the equivalent date for DO schools? Does anyone know?

No, and I'm not even sure that there is one. I was not a DO candidate this cycle. DO schools have a slightly different model, because they collect significant, non-refundable tuition deposits ($1,000-$2,500) soon after acceptance, and they are more than happy to have you forfeit those deposits and call people off WLs, right up until the start of school. OTOH, MD schools do not ask for a deposit of more than $100, which is fully refundable until 4/30. Many schools ask for no money at all upfront.

DO schools understand that they are going to lose people to MD schools as long as the MD schools are still calling people off WLs. Their business model relies on it, since they generate a lot of revenue from these forfeited 4-figure deposits. This is a reason DO schools interview and accept a lot of people early in the cycle who are clearly strong MD candidates, and then start interviewing for the WL, also relatively early in the cycle. They do it intentionally in order to grab those non-refundable deposits from people eager to buy a little insurance early in the cycle, knowing they are going to be going to the WL in April and May.

I just don't know how common it is to hold multiple DO As, due to the significant deposit money involved, or whether and how schools induce people to drop multiple DO As between the time those deposits are paid and the first tuition payment is due.

 

[majorcurls]

No, and I'm not even sure that there is one. I was not a DO candidate this cycle. DO schools have a slightly different model, because they collect significant, non-refundable tuition deposits ($1,000-$2,500) soon after acceptance, and they are more than happy to have you forfeit those deposits and call people off WLs, right up until the start of school. OTOH, MD schools do not ask for a deposit of more than $100, which is fully refundable until 4/30. Many schools ask for no money at all upfront.

DO schools understand that they are going to lose people to MD schools as long as the MD schools are still calling people off WLs. Their business model relies on it, since they generate a lot of revenue from these forfeited 4-figure deposits. This is a reason DO schools interview and accept a lot of people early in the cycle who are clearly strong MD candidates, and then start interviewing for the WL, also relatively early in the cycle. They do it intentionally in order to grab those non-refundable deposits from people eager to buy a little insurance early in the cycle, knowing they are going to be going to the WL in April and May.

I just don't know how common it is to hold multiple DO As, due to the significant deposit money involved, or whether and how schools induce people to drop multiple DO As between the time those deposits are paid and the first tuition payment is due.

Thanks for the response! I knew that DO schools had alarmingly hefty deposit amounts, more than MDs.

 

[KnightDoc]

Thanks for the response! I knew that DO schools had alarmingly hefty deposit amounts, more than MDs.

Yup. It's not just that they are high. It's that they are high and non-refundable!

This clearly advantages people who can afford to play that game, to the exclusion of others. It's an insidious, punitive system that generates significant revenue for the schools, but largely serves the function otherwise served by the AMCAS PTE/CTE system, since it makes it really expensive to just hold multiple seats until the end, for no reason other than indecisiveness.

 

[stressed_premed_2022]

I got an email about applying for financial aid for a school I got into but I am waiting on a waitlist status at another school I plan to go to if I get in. Should I still apply for financial aid at the school I have an acceptance at?

 

[KnightDoc]

I got an email about applying for financial aid for a school I got into but I am waiting on a waitlist status at another school I plan to go to if I get in. Should I still apply for financial aid at the school I have an acceptance at?

Why not? Unless you know there is no way you will be going there! How would you like to not get off the WL and then not receive fin aid because you applied late?