More than one acceptances...?

[funshoayo1]

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To those who have had more than one acceptances......I have a question.........Do you "hold" your acceptances for all the school or do you turn down the acceptances and help free spaces for those students on hold, especially if you know for sure you don't want to go to that particular school?..it seem there are people with more than one active acceptances........does this hold up space unfairly for those on the waitlist?

 

[badasshairday]

I think they wait for financial aid packets and loan stuff to see which one is cheaper. besides programs, learning styles, location, etc, COST is another big factor when people decide which school to attend.

 

[Picklesali]

To those who have had more than one acceptances......I have a question.........Do you "hold" your acceptances for all the school or do you turn down the acceptances and help free spaces for those students on hold, especially if you know for sure you don't want to go to that particular school?..it seem there are people with more than one active acceptances........does this hold up space unfairly for those on the waitlist?

Applicants can hold on to as many acceptances as they want until May 15 (There are some other rules for TX applicants...) It depends on the person whether or not they will give up the others before this date. Some really have no idea where they want to go, and need to go revisits/think about it/WAIT FOR FINANCIAL AID packages, before making the decision. Others are just greedy. I think the golden rule is to withdraw from places you KNOW you would not go to, but it is not enforced until much later next year.

 

[funshoayo1]

So I am guessing there will be many situations where schools will have to add new students becos students are turning down acceptances up until MAY,JUNE, JULY or maybe AUGUST?.....Do students get acceptance letters up until that late?

 

[Picklesali]

So I am guessing there will be many situations where schools will have to add new students becos students are turning down acceptances up until MAY,JUNE, JULY or maybe AUGUST?.....Do students get acceptance letters up until that late?

People have gotten acceptances the day before classes start...

 

[aaj117]

Money is definitely an issue for me for those middle-of-the-pack schools for me. There were definitely a few schools that i visited that i will not hold acceptances at if i am accepted, because i did not like them and could not learn well there. One school in particular, even if i got a full ride i would not attend over any of the schools i have been accepted to. So I wouldn't hold an acceptance there, because you're right, that is selfish and other applicants could secure that spot who need it. However, any school that i would honestly consider going to after having visited, i will hold that spot until i get my financial aid package. Money definitely talks. There are two schools that i would go to even if they didn't give me a dime and i needed to take out $250,000 more in loans, but it's going to be a tough choice. I think a lot of people whose families aren't very supportive are going to have to make similar $-based decisions, so it's important to consider that when judging people holding multiple acceptances, and not just think it's them being selfish.

 

[badasshairday]

So I am guessing there will be many situations where schools will have to add new students becos students are turning down acceptances up until MAY,JUNE, JULY or maybe AUGUST?.....Do students get acceptance letters up until that late?

A family friend of ours, who is now doing his EM residency, was accepted into medical school 3 days before classes started.

 

[DrBubbles]

I agree with the above posters:

1) Withdraw from schools you know you won't attend
2) Hold a seat at the schools you're still considering

You are so wonderfully lucky to hold even one acceptance, let alone multiple acceptances, at this point, I'm sure for you luck probably had little to do with it. Aside from the fact that there are LOTS of people who don't get accepted till the summer, let alone at all, the stress of waiting and not knowing is a huge emotional and self-confidence drain. Freeing up a spot for someone to receive their first acceptance is such a wonderful gift that you have the power to offer. I hope you'll be able to do this for someone.

Regardless, congratulations on all your acceptances!

 

[se2131]

Financial aid is going to be an enormous factor for me, so I'm holding whichever acceptances I get and drop them one-by-one when I find out what kind of package they'll offer me (unless there's a school where I wouldn't go even w/ a full ride, but I doubt I'm going to come across any of those). Not trying to be selfish, but I would like to try and reduce my debt by thousands of dollars if I can.

Of course, this is all academic since I have exactly one acceptance right now.

 

[hp540]

You've earned the acceptance - you can do whatever you want with it, whether it's hold it for a few days, until you get your fin.aid offers (irrelevant for me), or until the May 15th deadline.

 

[NoUse4aName1286]

A family friend of ours, who is now doing his EM residency, was accepted into medical school 3 days before classes started.

My premed advisor told me of a girl 2 years ago - got her acceptances phone call one week AFTER classes started. So yeah, it happens (if you wonder how this is possible, as in, how ca a school not find out someone is not attending until after classes start - its b/c they don't all start at the same time. Some start early Aug, some start at the same time as regular undergrad. So if applicant X began at school 1 aug 23rd, but school 2, which started aug 3 and also had applicant X down, would have an empty seat when classes started)

 

[AlexMorph]

Money is definitely an issue for me for those middle-of-the-pack schools for me. There were definitely a few schools that i visited that i will not hold acceptances at if i am accepted, because i did not like them and could not learn well there. One school in particular, even if i got a full ride i would not attend over any of the schools i have been accepted to. So I wouldn't hold an acceptance there, because you're right, that is selfish and other applicants could secure that spot who need it. However, any school that i would honestly consider going to after having visited, i will hold that spot until i get my financial aid package. Money definitely talks. There are two schools that i would go to even if they didn't give me a dime and i needed to take out $250,000 more in loans, but it's going to be a tough choice. I think a lot of people whose families aren't very supportive are going to have to make similar $-based decisions, so it's important to consider that when judging people holding multiple acceptances, and not just think it's them being selfish.

Sadly for people who want those spots freed up, you make a good point. Obviously, it's not your fault. You earned whatever you got.

 

[st0w]

My premed advisor told me of a girl 2 years ago - got her acceptances phone call one week AFTER classes started. So yeah, it happens (if you wonder how this is possible, as in, how ca a school not find out someone is not attending until after classes start - its b/c they don't all start at the same time. Some start early Aug, some start at the same time as regular undergrad. So if applicant X began at school 1 aug 23rd, but school 2, which started aug 3 and also had applicant X down, would have an empty seat when classes started)

Once you register/attend orientation at any school, you must withdraw your application from all other schools. So you can't start going to one school and then go to another that starts later.

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

 

[Phoenix.]

Once you register/attend orientation at any school, you must withdraw your application from all other schools. So you can't start going to one school and then go to another that starts later.

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

Just to be devil's advocate, I have heard (on SDN) of people withdrawing their app and then being contacted by a school re-offering them an acceptance with a scholarship (although I'm sure this is incredibly rare). And wasn't there a situation where some school didn't keep enough applicants on their waitlist and had to give acceptances out to students they'd already rejected? My point is that it's entirely possible that someone could have withdrawn from a school, and the school then follow-up post-May 15th to give them an offer when the school is in dire straits right before class starts with an empty seat.

 

[st0w]

Just to be devil's advocate, I have heard (on SDN) of people withdrawing their app and then being contacted by a school re-offering them an acceptance with a scholarship (although I'm sure this is incredibly rare). And wasn't there a situation where some school didn't keep enough applicants on their waitlist and had to give acceptances out to students they'd already rejected? My point is that it's entirely possible that someone could have withdrawn from a school, and the school then follow-up post-May 15th to give them an offer when the school is in dire straits right before class starts with an empty seat.

Absolutely. I have no direct evidence of myself, but I don't see any reason why not. I believe alwaysaangel was rejected and then ultimately accepted by her top choice last year - nice story, and it just goes to show that if you fight hard enough, a rejection doesn't always have to mean the end. That may be one isolated case, but there have to be others out there too..

 

[UofM527]

everyone is making some very valid points...esp about cost when it comes to similar schools...however, like the OP wrote, if there is a school you just know you don't want to attend...then by all means, withdraw and give that spot to someone who really wants it...I gave up my first acceptance the other day for just such a reason...it was a NY school, and after being there, I knew I was just far more comfortable staying in the midwest area (I actually canceled other east coast interviews too)...regardless of the cost, I knew I'd be happier with my other acceptances....soooooo if you have some similar sentiment about a school, drop it....otherwise, you have definitely earned the right to hold the multiple spots and take the time you need!!! Good luck!

 

[Bond8204]

This is from the AAMC:

10, "In fairness to other applicants, when an applicant has made a
decision, prior to May 15, not to attend a medical school that has made
an offer of acceptance, the applicant *promptly* withdraw his or her
application from that (those) other school(s) by written correspondence
delivered by regular or electronic methods."

So saying "You've earned the acceptance and you have the right to keep it until May 15th!" is a little inaccurate. I think you need to keep good etiquette and be honest with yourself about schools you know you won't be going to.

For example, two of my friends drove me nuts last year. They had acceptances to the state school our ugrad institution was in (which meant that while we didn't get state preference, we got some preference). They were into much better schools and knew they weren't going to this one, but were too lethargic/hesitant to withdraw their applications (I almost punched one when she said "*Sigh* "Do we REALLY have to put it in WRITING!?") Meanwhile I was on the waitlist for this school, and I'm sure this school limits the number of people that end up in their class from my ugrad institution.

My point is, try to keep it polite--holding onto an accpetance you know you won't take is actively preventing somebody else from earning an acceptance or interview.

 

[87138]

"Franco is pretty smart, but Franco's a child, and when it comes to the day of the contest, I am his father. He comes to me for advices. So it's not that hard for me to give him the wrong advices."