question on waitlists

[umean2tellme]

So when you're waitlisted how long can you stay on it before you are just rejected? Can a waitlist be seen sort of like a development league in the NBA, where they can just call you up if they have room, even during the year to some point?🙂

 

[TexasTriathlete]

They typically will keep the waitlist open until the beginning of school. That way, if someone pulls out at the last minute, they've got someone to move into that spot.

 

[scpod]

....can just call you up if they have room, even during the year to some point?🙂

Most schools will review waitlists very month or so, but it normally doesn't do any good unless a part of your application has significantly changed. For instance, if you had a 25 MCAT and everything else was great, but in January you got a 35, then you might get taken right then.

Most listers won't really be looked at until after interviews end. Many schools interview all the way through April, so your chances might be slim until then. However, if the class is full or nearly so, you could ride that wait list all the way until classes start. I know some people got into our school over the weekend before classes started this past year because some people dropped out.

Throughout the rest of the process, if you are on a waitlist, they will typically call, write, or email you to see if you are still interested. If so, you'll stay on the waitlist. Some schools may take 50 or so students from their waitlists, others may take 1 or 2. Some schools will offcially rank their waitlists, others may either not rank them or wait until the end approches before doing so.

 

[ShyRem]

And let us not forget that waitlist movement can be VERY fickle. the year I applied there was almost NO waitlist movement at many schools that typically filled 1/3 of their class from the waitlist.

however, at almost every school you can generally find one student who got in the week before classes started, or even a few days into classes.