Mention other acceptance in wait-list update letter?

[Ioannes Paulus]

To keep it short, I have been accepted to one school and waitlisted at another school that I really want to attend. Is it appropriate/beneficial/professional to mention the other acceptance in the update letter to the waitlisted school? Specifically I want to say, "Despite my acceptance to other schools, I am eager to attend XYZ School of Medicine in the fall and move to [insert city here]." (Or something similar to that)

Any suggestions/advice?

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[osckey]

To keep it short, I have been accepted to one school and waitlisted at another school that I really want to attend. Is it appropriate/beneficial/professional to mention the other acceptance in the update letter to the waitlisted school? Specifically I want to say, "Despite my acceptance to other schools, I am eager to attend XYZ School of Medicine in the fall and move to [insert city here]." (Or something similar to that)

Any suggestions/advice?

Idk what is right or wrong here but I can imagine that this boils down to phrasing. Mentioning in an update letter that you have an opportunity at X school but would much rather prefer to attend Y school doesn't sound like an inappropriate message.

 

[Ioannes Paulus]

Idk what is right or wrong here but I can imagine that this boils down to phrasing. Mentioning in an update letter that you have an opportunity at X school but would much rather prefer to attend Y school doesn't sound like an inappropriate message.

I don't know. If I was an adcom I would read ^that^ and say to myself, "She should just go there and stop bothering me. She already has a chance to be a doctor and should take it. I'd rather take a stduent who has no acceptance and give them a chance to be a physician."

 

[625233]

Seconded. Sometimes you have to show some testicular fortitude.


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[MaxPlancker]

It only helps to mention the acceptance if it is at a school that is significantly higher ranked/pretigious. Otherwise, I'd imagine the school you sent the letter would think "Oh that's nice, enjoy your time at that school."

 

[LizzyM]

I don't know. If I was an adcom I would read ^that^ and say to myself, "She should just go there and stop bothering me. She already has a chance to be a doctor and should take it. I'd rather take a stduent who has no acceptance and give them a chance to be a physician."

If the student is on your waitlist, you think that they are a pretty good fit with your school. If you have a seat to fill, the question shouldn't be "does this person have an offer?" but "will this person come here if invited?" And the person who has an offer may be a better fit than the person who has no offers at all.

Without the letter, knowing that a waitlisted applicant is holding an offer at [insert name of desirable school here] may make an admissions officer wonder if an offer from their school would be welcomed or if the harried applicant just forgot to withdraw from the waitlist. A letter that says, "I have an offer from Hot Shot School of Medicine but I'd much prefer to attend Hometown State Medical School and would be honored to receive an offer of admission if a place becomes available." answers the admissions officers most burning questions.

 

[235009]

To be clear the school already knows (or will find out soon) that you already have an acceptance. It becomes common knowledge to all schools after a certain date. So you should definitely mention that you would immediately drop that acceptance if admitted.


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[CHoge25]

If the student is on your waitlist, you think that they are a pretty good fit with your school. If you have a seat to fill, the question shouldn't be "does this person have an offer?" but "will this person come here if invited?" And the person who has an offer may be a better fit than the person who has no offers at all.

Without the letter, knowing that a waitlisted applicant is holding an offer at [insert name of desirable school here] may make an admissions officer wonder if an offer from their school would be welcomed or if the harried applicant just forgot to withdraw from the waitlist. A letter that says, "I have an offer from Hot Shot School of Medicine but I'd much prefer to attend Hometown State Medical School and would be honored to receive an offer of admission if a place becomes available." answers the admissions officers most burning questions.

Does this apply if you are accepted to an Osteopathic school and mention it in an update letter to the allopathic school?

 

[Oranges2]

If the student is on your waitlist, you think that they are a pretty good fit with your school. If you have a seat to fill, the question shouldn't be "does this person have an offer?" but "will this person come here if invited?" And the person who has an offer may be a better fit than the person who has no offers at all.

Without the letter, knowing that a waitlisted applicant is holding an offer at [insert name of desirable school here] may make an admissions officer wonder if an offer from their school would be welcomed or if the harried applicant just forgot to withdraw from the waitlist. A letter that says, "I have an offer from Hot Shot School of Medicine but I'd much prefer to attend Hometown State Medical School and would be honored to receive an offer of admission if a place becomes available." answers the admissions officers most burning questions.

What if student holds acceptance at cheaper state school but rather go to the private, highly ranked waitlisted school, would calling out the name of the state school still be a good idea?

 

[235009]

Does this apply if you are accepted to an Osteopathic school and mention it in an update letter to the allopathic school?

I would not recommend doing this. All US MD schools assume you will choose them over any DO school. They'll be able to tell that you were not accepted to a US MD school once all the acceptances are revealed.

What if student holds acceptance at cheaper state school but rather go to the private, highly ranked waitlisted school, would calling out the name of the state school still be a good idea?

Not sure how this scenario is in any way different. Probably more beneficial to mention that you'd prefer the wait list school over your current acceptance.


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[Goro]

No, and an MD school could care less about a wait-listee student holding an offer at any DO school.

All of you wait-listees should answer this question:
How would YOU interpret a non-binding contract from a desperate applicant?????

What if student holds acceptance at cheaper state school but rather go to the private, highly ranked waitlisted school, would calling out the name of the state school still be a good idea?

 

[bearintraining]

If the student is on your waitlist, you think that they are a pretty good fit with your school. If you have a seat to fill, the question shouldn't be "does this person have an offer?" but "will this person come here if invited?" And the person who has an offer may be a better fit than the person who has no offers at all.

Without the letter, knowing that a waitlisted applicant is holding an offer at [insert name of desirable school here] may make an admissions officer wonder if an offer from their school would be welcomed or if the harried applicant just forgot to withdraw from the waitlist. A letter that says, "I have an offer from Hot Shot School of Medicine but I'd much prefer to attend Hometown State Medical School and would be honored to receive an offer of admission if a place becomes available." answers the admissions officers most burning questions.

@LizzyM: Would this hold true even if the waitlist school is a ~top 10, and the acceptance is ~top 20/25 ? I know everyone likes to say a higher ranked school is their top choice, but in my case I really did find it a better fit. Trying to decide how to convey that along with some minor updates, now that I'm waitlisted there.

 

[Ioannes Paulus]

For me, the wait list is a "bottom tier" school but I got accepted to a much more competitive, "known" school but would rather go to the school I was wait listed at because of personal reasons, i.e. cheaper, better fit, better location, etc.

 

[SoCalPipeDreamer]

Follow up question: I've already sent my top choice an LOI stating that they are my first choice and I would love the opportunity to attend, however I did not mention my holding an acceptance to a (technically?) higher ranked school.
When our acceptances are released to the schools would it help to send a brief update to reinforce my LOI? Or would my continued correspondence be considered a nuisance?

Thanks for your time btw!

 

[DrSponge]

Follow up question: I've already sent my top choice an LOI stating that they are my first choice and I would love the opportunity to attend, however I did not mention my holding an acceptance to a (technically?) higher ranked school.
When our acceptances are released to the schools would it help to send a brief update to reinforce my LOI? Or would my continued correspondence be considered a nuisance?

Thanks for your time btw!

In my opinion, it would be a little redundant. They already know that you will pick their schools over your other acceptances. If I were in your shoes, I would just play the wait game.

 

[GypsyHummus]

If the student is on your waitlist, you think that they are a pretty good fit with your school. If you have a seat to fill, the question shouldn't be "does this person have an offer?" but "will this person come here if invited?" And the person who has an offer may be a better fit than the person who has no offers at all.

Without the letter, knowing that a waitlisted applicant is holding an offer at [insert name of desirable school here] may make an admissions officer wonder if an offer from their school would be welcomed or if the harried applicant just forgot to withdraw from the waitlist. A letter that says, "I have an offer from Hot Shot School of Medicine but I'd much prefer to attend Hometown State Medical School and would be honored to receive an offer of admission if a place becomes available." answers the admissions officers most burning questions.

So, if the applicant does not have a seat yet in medical school, it would not be a good idea to send a letter? Too much desperation?

What is an admissions committee's thoughts on a student who is waitlisted at only 1 school, with not a one acceptances?

 

[Cookiess]

If I'm not mistaken, I believe MD medical schools can see which schools their applicants have been accepted to starting April 1st as per AAMC rules. To answer the original question, I think you should let your top choice school know that they are your top choice and you would attend if accepted. In my opinion, I probably wouldn't mention that you have acceptances at other schools because the schools may already have that information and that information may not be relevant in a school's decision to accept you or not.

 

[LizzyM]

So, if the applicant does not have a seat yet in medical school, it would not be a good idea to send a letter? Too much desperation?

What is an admissions committee's thoughts on a student who is waitlisted at only 1 school, with not a one acceptances?

Too much desperation. The school knows you have no offers and it assumes that, if asked, you will accept its offer. What can you tell them that they don't know?

 

[aspen1234]

Too much desperation. The school knows you have no offers and it assumes that, if asked, you will accept its offer. What can you tell them that they don't know?

@LizzyM -

Too much desperation. The school knows you have no offers and it assumes that, if asked, you will accept its offer. What can you tell them that they don't know?

So unless there's something else to add, there's no point in sending a LOI to the school if you have no other offers? What more can we send in to keep them updated?

 

[Mad Jack]

Idk what is right or wrong here but I can imagine that this boils down to phrasing. Mentioning in an update letter that you have an opportunity at X school but would much rather prefer to attend Y school doesn't sound like an inappropriate message.

 

[Member 552728]

Too much desperation. The school knows you have no offers and it assumes that, if asked, you will accept its offer. What can you tell them that they don't know?

Would it be appropriate to send an email to the Dean of Admission at my top choice school, where I'm waitlisted? Basically a short letter restating that XYZ is my top choice and I would 100% attend if given an acceptance. I have already sent in an LOI stating the same thing, that has been attached to my file.

 

[CaliforniaDreamer]

Would it be appropriate to send an email to the Dean of Admission at my top choice school, where I'm waitlisted? Basically a short letter restating that XYZ is my top choice and I would 100% attend if given an acceptance. I have already sent in an LOI stating the same thing, that has been attached to my file.

I did this and was accepted 2 days later (not sure if the letter actually made the difference but when the admissions Dean called he did mention enjoying my "spamming" them)

 

[faith0115]

Is it appropriate to email the Dean of Admission if we were only provided with a general admissions email? Would it make me look like a stalker?

 

[gyngyn]

Is it appropriate to email the Dean of Admission if we were only provided with a general admissions email? Would it make me look like a stalker?

Use admissions email unless the Dean has told you that he welcomes personal email!

 

[NimbleNavigator]

I did this and was accepted 2 days later (not sure if the letter actually made the difference but when the admissions Dean called he did mention enjoying my "spamming" them)

LMAO that's pretty funny.