Now that adcoms can see where we're accepted, is MDApps anonymous?

[GoodmanBrown]

Just thought of this, but supposedly, on March 15 and on, adcoms can look up specific applicants to their school and see where else they've been accepted. For people who are fortunate enough to have several acceptances, doesn't this essentially make MD Apps non-anonymous? I mean, how many people can really have been accepted to the same X schools if X > 2?

It's obviously not keeping me up at night, since my MD Apps profile is still linked, but I was kinda curious what people thought. I would hope adcoms don't spend their days looking up random MD Apps profiles, finding people they've accepted (or waitlisted) and then figuring out who's who. Maybe they do though.

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[LuciusVorenus]

Who cares if they see your mdapps :/ I mean everything you have on there is already on your application anyway, maybe besides the list of schools...
Then again they know you're not just applying to their school anyway. Maybe just delete the parts that say "THIS IS MY FIRST CHOICE"

Now if you also have a link to your sdn account...that's a different story :O

But I doubt they actually go looking for it, seeing as how many people don't even have an mdapps and so the chances of them finding someone they've accepted/considering is too low for them to even bother.

 

[NNukibw77]

do they look though? i just think it might put me at a disadvantage for scholarships... why would a school try and lure me if they know that they are the best or only school i got into?

 

[MiniMoo]

do they look though? i just think it might put me at a disadvantage for scholarships... why would a school try and lure me if they know that they are the best or only school i got into?

Yes schools can see where else you've been accepted. And yes, they do check.

 

[alibai3ah]

do they look though? i just think it might put me at a disadvantage for scholarships... why would a school try and lure me if they know that they are the best or only school i got into?

Many scholarships aren't based on what other schools you have gotten into, but the overall merit of your application. I'm sure you can haggle and say I got in here, but if you give me this, then Ill come to your school. But I don't think that's how medical schools actively do their financial aid.

The schools are smart and can determine from the pool of accepted people who deserves the merit based scholarships.

 

[Untraditional]

Can anyone tell me where they disclose that schools get to see your acceptance list on Mar 15? Is this just a badly kept adcom secret?

 

[RogueUnicorn]

official AAMC traffic rules. you can find them somewhere..

 

[drbenmd]

From the AMCAS 2010 Instruction Booklet, p.19:
"AAMC Policies Regarding Data Collection, Processing,and Dissemination"

The AAMC shares acceptance information across schools in order to assist medical
schools adhere to AAMC recommendations. These data are shared as follows:

a) Beginning in February of each year, a medical school that has accepted an
applicant can view the other school or schools that have accepted the applicant, if
applicable.

b) Beginning in April of each year, a medical school can view the school or schools
that have accepted an applicant, even if that applicant has not yet been accepted by
the medical school.

 

[obgyny]

From the AMCAS 2010 Instruction Booklet, p.19:
"AAMC Policies Regarding Data Collection, Processing,and Dissemination"

The AAMC shares acceptance information across schools in order to assist medical
schools adhere to AAMC recommendations. These data are shared as follows:

a) Beginning in February of each year, a medical school that has accepted an
applicant can view the other school or schools that have accepted the applicant, if
applicable.

b) Beginning in April of each year, a medical school can view the school or schools
that have accepted an applicant, even if that applicant has not yet been accepted by
the medical school.

I don't know if this is a dumb question, but why do they want to check where else you got accepted? Does it affect scholarships being offered or something? And they can only see your acceptances after they've accepted you, right? So I don't see the point...

 

[Appless]

I don't know if this is a dumb question, but why do they want to check where else you got accepted? Does it affect scholarships being offered or something? And they can only see your acceptances after they've accepted you, right? So I don't see the point...

theycan see where youve been accepted before they accept you as was stated above. Lastly, it can sometimes affect aid for schools that feel the need to lure top applicants away from other schools i.e michigan etc..

 

[alibai3ah]

theycan see where youve been accepted before they accept you as was stated above. Lastly, it can sometimes affect aid for schools that feel the need to lure top applicants away from other schools i.e michigan etc..

Ohhh....they can see where we have been accepted as early as February???? So then maybe they do take into account this information. I had no idea

 

[Untraditional]

From the AMCAS 2010 Instruction Booklet, p.19:

Thanks!

 

[Infinitydrop]

is no one suprised by part b? that tehy can see where you have been accepted BEFORE they make the decision to accept you. That seems pretty unfair

 

[TakeMe]

Do you think that this will affect their decision to accept you or to keep you on hold/ waitlist?

If you are accepted at really good schools, do you think they are less likely to accept you? Or, alternatively, if you are not accepted at good schools or any schools, do you think they may pass you up for another applicant with higher stats that may decline the seat to boost their stats, thinking that they can always accept you later and you will go to their school?

I wonder....

 

[jla314]

is no one suprised by part b? that tehy can see where you have been accepted BEFORE they make the decision to accept you. That seems pretty unfair

I'm not sure I agree that it's unfair. I believe all schools need to have filled their class with at least as many applicants as there are available spots by March 30th, so in April I'd imagine most schools have already made many, if not all, of their initial acceptance offers.

If you've been waitlisted at a school, I can see how information about your other acceptances could be used to inform a decision for your ranking on a given school's waitlist.

Schools that have yet to make a decision on your file could be playing the game a little bit but they would be taking a gamble based on their knowledge of previous years' yields that overaccepting for their class size will pay off for them, since they are required to have already accepted at least the number of students to fill their class by the end of March. Overall, the small number of applicants that they would be accepting in April really doesn't strike me as unfair. (In fact, I think it's fair for those applicants who interview in Feb/March so that they are not interviewing for just waitlist spots).

 

[call me x]

do md schools see both md and do acceptances, and vice versa?
since these are aamc rules does the march 15th date not apply to do schools?

 

[Untraditional]

I'm not sure I agree that it's unfair. I believe all schools need to have filled their class with at least as many applicants as there are available spots by March 30th, so in April I'd imagine most schools have already made many, if not all, of their initial acceptance offers.

This is why I don't see a problem with schools seeing acceptance lists. Some applicants will sit on 5 or 6 acceptances until the last possible moment, keeping students on waiting lists who might otherwise attend. By forcing acceptees to make a choice schools can get on with the administrative work involved with a new class and students that are waiting can get some closure and begin making their fall plans.

It probably does affect aid offers and late interview offers, but from the schools' perspective this method is the most equitable solution. I doubt anyone in the 4+ acceptance crowd is really equally torn between all 4 schools. Top applicants hoping for nice aid packages probably benefit because a school that wants to recruit them can do their internal math and decide who needs a better offer. For those top students it eliminates the need to "negotiate".

Disclosure day is another good reason to apply early.

Edit: and now that I think about it, this is why letters of intent can be helpful.

 

[freeculture]

So for part b, why do schools that haven't accepted you yet want to see where else you have been accepted? Do they want to accept the students who have a few acceptances (and thus are more likely to attend)? Someone please clarify.