Ok, so i am waitlisted EVERYWHERE. Now what?

[PrettyyyyGood]

hey peeps- what is the best way to get off a waitlist? i am currently on 4...are constant letters annoying to admissions committees or the only way to stand out? or does it just depend on the school/adcom....any thoughts?

i have already sent letters of interest to all and a LOIntent to my top. anything else? should i start sending flowers and chocolates? (fyi, my top two waitlists are unranked so i have no idea where i stand).

thanks im sure many are in the same situation, so chime in with any info!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[the donkey]

I'm with ya prettyyygood...sitting on a couple of waitlists too, and it really blows
Might try and take out a huge loan to make a generous donation to the faculty at the top choice...

 

[Insulinshock]

Grab an uzi and head straight to the Deans office of said waitlisted schools.

Just kidding, don't do that.

 

[Legato]

lol...bad post InsulinShock

 

[Depakote]

go ahead and keep it up with the letters of interest. It doesn't hurt to let the schools know you want those spots.

Other than that, there really isn't much you can do but wait.

Sorry to say this but you should probably start getting materials together to reapply. It took me 3 tries to get in and I was on waitlists both of my first 2 attempts.

The best trick I know for this situation:
You can submit a completed AMCAS and designate just 1 school, let it process and then designate the remainder of your schools once the app has processed. This buys you time to let the waitlists pan out before you have to invest in the huge AMCAS primary fee.

 

[Insulinshock]

Depakote, why did it take you three tries to get in? Was it low GPA/ MCAT? ECs?

Just curious.

 

[Depakote]

Depakote, why did it take you three tries to get in? Was it low GPA/ MCAT? ECs?

Just curious.

My numbers were about average, but I had previously left a BA/MD program and I think that made some schools nervous. It took me a while to figure out how to appropriately discuss that in my application, I'd say my poor handling of that was the biggest reason I didn't get in the first 2 cycles. I spent too much time blaming the program and didn't accept enough responsibility myself. Realizing that and coming to terms with it was probably the biggest reason I had success in cycle 3.

(It didn't hurt that I had gotten much better at identifying schools that would give me a shot)

 

[paradocs we are]

I agree that you should start preparing for reapplying...

It took me 3 tries as well...and my acceptance wasn't off a waitlist.

 

[nu2004]

jeez, you people are persistent. kudos.

 

[Ella Shepherd]

I agree that you should start preparing for reapplying...

It took me 3 tries as well...and my acceptance wasn't off a waitlist.

How come it took you 3 tries as well? Curious, too...and it makes me nervous to think that it might happen to me. lol But still. I'm curious to know why.

 

[sepho]

The best trick I know for this situation:
You can submit a completed AMCAS and designate just 1 school, let it process and then designate the remainder of your schools once the app has processed. This buys you time to let the waitlists pan out before you have to invest in the huge AMCAS primary fee.

Quick question Depakote:
Explain this strategy a little bit in more detail. I'm trying to understand the advantage of only applying to one school first.

 

[Depakote]

Quick question Depakote:
Explain this strategy a little bit in more detail. I'm trying to understand the advantage of only applying to one school first.

Ok, say you're sitting on a waitlist that might not resolve until sometime in July.

Now if you want to get your AMCAS in and get it reviewed early you'd want to submit that sometime in June.

AMCAS processing usually takes a few weeks.

It is possible to submit AMCAS with only 1 school designated. This costs you $160 as opposed to the $160+($30x however many schools you're applying to). Once AMCAS is finished processing, you can add additional schools by simply paying the additional fee, this doesn't require any extra processing time.

This means you can spend only $160 to have your AMCAS reviewed, in the mean time you can spend the weeks while it is being reviewed waiting and hoping you get off the waitlist. If you get off the waitlist, you're only out $160 as opposed to the hundreds of dollars it would have been had you not been pulled from the waitlist. If you don't get pulled from the waitlist and your AMCAS finishes processing, you can add the additional schools once your app is finished processing and it won't take any longer.

 

[meah]

With 4 waitlists, and the May 15th deadline still a week away, I wouldn't give up hope yet. But preparing to go through all this again might distract you for a while. Last year, I gave up in June and just devoted my time to reapplying. I couldn't handle the waiting anymore. But people always say there are acceptances late into the summer as people defer or drop for whatever reasons. So, if you can stomach the uncertainty, you can start reapplying like the folks above say, and if you get pulled off a waitlist, you'll be extra happy.

 

[wisconsindoctor]

Do what others have already said. Also, get a job to pay bills, gas, food, next year applications, etc. Just don't take a $7 an hour job like some stupid freak that might have taken a job for this wage AFTER GETTING A COLLEGE DEGREE.

I'll leave others talk about stats and better application processes.

 

[ChubbyChaser]

How come it took you 3 tries as well? Curious, too...and it makes me nervous to think that it might happen to me. lol But still. I'm curious to know why.

shes from canada!!! thats why....

 

[EpiPEN]

Do what others have already said. Also, get a job to pay bills, gas, food, next year applications, etc. Just don't take a $7 an hour job like some stupid freak that might have taken a job for this wage AFTER GETTING A COLLEGE DEGREE.

I'll leave others talk about stats and better application processes.

So don't be taking no research assistant jobs at some profesor's lab, unless he swears on the life of his first born that you will get a killer LOR.

 

[PrettyyyyGood]

thanks guys!! i am actually accepted at one place (sorry if i was misleading and have become that annoying person as a result..). i am just not very keen on the school i was accepted at, and am totally obsessed with a few at which im waitlisted. so, was hoping for some advice as to how to better my chances of coming off a waitlist. i've heard stories about people sending letters everyday. i feel like that must be extremely annoying to adcoms, but hey im willing to try anything! anyway, thanks for the tips- and congrats to all you who kept after it and are now in!

 

[notdeadyet]

i've heard stories about people sending letters everyday. i feel like that must be extremely annoying to adcoms, but hey im willing to try anything!

Send them something any time you have something to say. Daily letters rehashing the same thing can only hurt your app.

 

[nu2004]

Ok, say you're sitting on a waitlist that might not resolve until sometime in July.

Now if you want to get your AMCAS in and get it reviewed early you'd want to submit that sometime in June.

AMCAS processing usually takes a few weeks.

It is possible to submit AMCAS with only 1 school designated. This costs you $160 as opposed to the $160+($30x however many schools you're applying to). Once AMCAS is finished processing, you can add additional schools by simply paying the additional fee, this doesn't require any extra processing time.

This means you can spend only $160 to have your AMCAS reviewed, in the mean time you can spend the weeks while it is being reviewed waiting and hoping you get off the waitlist. If you get off the waitlist, you're only out $160 as opposed to the hundreds of dollars it would have been had you not been pulled from the waitlist. If you don't get pulled from the waitlist and your AMCAS finishes processing, you can add the additional schools once your app is finished processing and it won't take any longer.

this is really smart. i don't even think the pre-med advisors for the post-bacc i did have thought of this.