Process question

[Robz]

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I was pondering a question about the medical school process that I was a little unsure of. Lets say you were lucky enough to get an acceptance or two to a school that wasn't your top school. You might have a few more interviews to other schools including your top choice. Obviously, the schools want you to commit to them as early as possible and I assume that you have to put down a deposit to hold a spot. What I am wondering is how this works if you still have interviews. Do you lose your deposit if you do not go to the school or is it considered taboo to hold a spot until you have completed all your interviews? I would hate to have a situation where I would get an accptance to my fifth choice when my first choice school's interview may not be for another week or they may take longer to let me know the outcome. I guess I want to make sure I visit all the schools and make sure that it is the right one for me. Yet I am no fool to turn down an acceptance at all. This was just a rambling thought I had at 2am on a Saturday night. 😀

 

[tkim]

Deposits vary in amount and deadline to hold a spot. Once you place a deposit, consider it forfeit if you decide to go to another school.

That being said, it is always prudent to place a deposit down on at least one school you've been accepted to that you like the most, at the latest deadline you can comfortably get it in without forfeiting your seat.

On the other hand, if you've recently been accepted to one place, and finished interviewing at your first choice school, it isn't too unreasonable to call up your first choice school and explain that you are about to place a deposit on another school, but would *love* to place one with theirs.

That way, you could potentially speed up the decision process and save yourself a deposit.

There is no custom saying that you should wait until all your interviews are over. If you are holding one acceptance, and have a deposit deadline coming up with no other interviews or decisions coming up, place the deposit.

- Tae

 

[Idiopathic]

Take the highest ranked acceptance you have at any given time and put a deposit down...hold that spot until you get one of your higher choices. No shame in holding multiple acceptances, but holding 3-4 is not cool, I dont think. You need to have a clear cut idea of where you realy want to go, so that when you get in, you can withdraw from any other acceptances.