Does anyone know the protocol for when you have to make a decision? I just received my first acceptance, and they wanted me to decide within the month... they state that I need to talk to them if it's going to take longer. I won't have even heard back from everywhere until past this date. How should I address this without pissing off the admissions office. Are there NIH rules (as opposed to optional guidelines) for MSTPs specifically regarding this?
rules on replying to md/phd acceptances?
- Thread starter laxgirl04
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Don't let them pressure you. Wait as long as possible to hear back from the other programs you are interested in. If they demand you let them know or they will dissolve the acceptance, just accept the position, but continue to hear back from schools. If you accept a spot this early, other programs will probably not know and and will treat you the same as if they didn't know. You can hold multiple acceptances. Eventually you will have to pick one, but for now its really not a big deal.
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You can hold as many acceptances as you like until the AAMC deadline (April 30). So just let them know you're accepting but have not made a final decision which school to attend. If you gain more acceptances (de novo or from a waitlist), you get two weeks by the rules to decide.
Don't let them bully you to do other than the guidelines, i.e. commit to them if you do not have enough time. Protect yourself as ethically as possible, but do so knowing that you are in a compromised position, and that they if pressuring you to not follow AAMC guidelines, are not acting ethically nor allowing you to pursue your best interests.
Guidelines: https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/recommendations/62820/policies_applicants.html https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/recommendations/62826/policies_admissionofficers.html
Don't let them bully you to do other than the guidelines, i.e. commit to them if you do not have enough time. Protect yourself as ethically as possible, but do so knowing that you are in a compromised position, and that they if pressuring you to not follow AAMC guidelines, are not acting ethically nor allowing you to pursue your best interests.
Guidelines: https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/recommendations/62820/policies_applicants.html https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/recommendations/62826/policies_admissionofficers.html
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First, congrats! Second, this year our deadline is May 2 since the 30th falls on a Saturday.
sorry, I guess I'm confused on this... you can accept multiple offers? and then hold multiple offers until may 2, by which point you need to un-accept all but one? maybe it's a wording thing, but that seems like a weird use of the word "accept." what is the distinction to the school when you accept, if it doesn't mean you are actually 100% going to come?
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You send a deposit/acceptance to all schools that you may matriculate. You can hold multiple acceptances until May 2, although this deadline is in mid-April for schools that begin med school earlier in the fall.
The schools want to pressure you to either commit or not commit to them, because every year at most schools a large proportion of their accepted class chooses not to attend. It is protocol to hold multiple acceptances before May 2, and it is courtesy to let a school know that you will not attend as early as you know you are going somewhere else so that they have more time to fill their class.
You are 'accepting' their offer of matriculation. You are not committing to matriculate, although you are showing interest by accepting their offer. Some students decline acceptances immediately, and other students hold on to acceptances toward the deadline when they know where they will go. The school can only have a certain number of people who accept their offer of matriculation at one time, or else their class may be too large.
The schools want to pressure you to either commit or not commit to them, because every year at most schools a large proportion of their accepted class chooses not to attend. It is protocol to hold multiple acceptances before May 2, and it is courtesy to let a school know that you will not attend as early as you know you are going somewhere else so that they have more time to fill their class.
You are 'accepting' their offer of matriculation. You are not committing to matriculate, although you are showing interest by accepting their offer. Some students decline acceptances immediately, and other students hold on to acceptances toward the deadline when they know where they will go. The school can only have a certain number of people who accept their offer of matriculation at one time, or else their class may be too large.
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