Shady Admissions Practices

[AngryPod]

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I have a question for anyone who can help me.

I applied to "blank" school and was accepted on a conditional basis. I know people don't like the DAT for podiatry school but the fact is that I took it not knowing anything about podiatry and was headed in the direction of dentistry. When I discovered podiatry and the options that one has with podiatry I quickly lost interest in dentistry and shadowed pods and did what I needed to get into podiatry school.

This school told me that my DAT score was fair but that "we will run it by the admissions committee and if an additional test was needed (MCAT or Subject GRE) we will contact you". This was basically why I was accepted on a conditional basis. I emailed the school at least three times during the months of February and March asking if I needed to take the MCAT, I was more than willing. I was told that "your post-graduate education exceeds your undergraduate perfomance and that no further testing is being asked for at this time".

I never heard back from this school after this even though I was in contact with them regarding financial aid, health forms, all that paperwork garbage and I was never told once that I needed to take another test.

I was ready to move this weekend and I contacted the school to see if everything was in order and I was told that I did not take the MCAT so my seat has been officially rescinded.

I have tried to contact the President, Vice-President and any other person I can at the school and no one will take or respond to my calls.

Where does a person go if you can't get any help from the school? I mean they just dropped me cold turkey for no reason. I even have the emails to prove everything.

Anyone who has any suggestions please let me know.

 

[Sundarban1]

Try your congressman

 

[DPMstudent]

this story is sad, but true... sorry i doubt anyone has much helpful advice. you really shot yourself in the foot by not taking the MCAT on your own

this thread should be stickied just for future reference as a compelling reason to not take the DAT.

 

[narkotiks]

I have a question for anyone who can help me.

I applied to "blank" school and was accepted on a conditional basis. I know people don't like the DAT for podiatry school but the fact is that I took it not knowing anything about podiatry and was headed in the direction of dentistry. When I discovered podiatry and the options that one has with podiatry I quickly lost interest in dentistry and shadowed pods and did what I needed to get into podiatry school.

This school told me that my DAT score was fair but that "we will run it by the admissions committee and if an additional test was needed (MCAT or Subject GRE) we will contact you". This was basically why I was accepted on a conditional basis. I emailed the school at least three times during the months of February and March asking if I needed to take the MCAT, I was more than willing. I was told that "your post-graduate education exceeds your undergraduate perfomance and that no further testing is being asked for at this time".

I never heard back from this school after this even though I was in contact with them regarding financial aid, health forms, all that paperwork garbage and I was never told once that I needed to take another test.

I was ready to move this weekend and I contacted the school to see if everything was in order and I was told that I did not take the MCAT so my seat has been officially rescinded.

I have tried to contact the President, Vice-President and any other person I can at the school and no one will take or respond to my calls.

Where does a person go if you can't get any help from the school? I mean they just dropped me cold turkey for no reason. I even have the emails to prove everything.

Anyone who has any suggestions please let me know.

the problem is that you didn't get anything in writing from the appropriate authority. the situation sucks, but you have to cover your as*, and we all learn this lesson in some form. i don't know that i would start calling people shady...did you ever demand anything in writing saying you were accepted unconditionally?

 

[WannaBeDPM]

sounds like OCPM!

 

[DPMstudent]

sounds like OCPM!

if so
1 - i'm glad they are standing by their MCAT only policy
2 - you should have known this beforehand as they have been saying all year long that only the MCAT is acceptable

 

[DPMstudent]

did you ever demand anything in writing saying you were accepted unconditionally?

even if you are granted a conditional acceptance you are given a letter stating you are conditionally accpeted, etc
what you need is an OFFICAL acceptance letter. without that, you have no case.

 

[HenryH]

It sounds like he did everything he needed to do, and he verified on multiple occasions that the DAT would be an acceptable standardized test for which to submit scores. Just because "the MCAT needs to be required!," it doesn't justify lying to applicants...

 

[J ROD]

Really not much you can do. Maybe sue but it will go nowhere but into the lawyer's pocket.

Take the MCAT, do well enough, reapply next cycle, and then stick it to them and become a DPM at another school.

Just take it as a lesson and grow from it. It sucks but so does life sometimes...

 

[DPMstudent]

It sounds like he did everything he needed to do, and he verified on multiple occasions that the DAT would be an acceptable standardized test for which to submit scores. Just because "the MCAT needs to be required!," it doesn't justify lying to applicants...

doesnt sound that way to me. one thing you have to do is make sure you receive an OFFICIAL ACCEPTANCE letter. without this, you shouldn't assume that you are officially accepted to the school and that you are going to be attending classes there. it sounds like this person left some business unattended to and got burned for it.

 

[MaseratiGT]

If the OP had been getting forms for financial aid and filling out health forms, I would say that some departments had him/her as accepted. At my school, at least, you don't get that information until after you have been accepted.

That being said, I'm uber-neurotic about making sure I've crossed every 't.' I think you have to be applying to ANY school. 🙄

 

[Feli]

even if you are granted a conditional acceptance you are given a letter stating you are conditionally accpeted, etc
what you need is an OFFICAL acceptance letter. without that, you have no case.

Yeah, unfortunately this is the bottom line in my understanding also.

Had a seat deposit been asked for, and did you pay it? That's the best way to know if you were officially accepted or not.

Unless you got an official acceptance letter and paid your seat deposit, then you really can't fault the school. They are trying to fill their seats, and if you were still trying to complete your application and had yet to pay a deposit to confirm your intent to attend, of course they are not going to hold a seat for you. However, if you were officially accepted and did put in a seat deposit, then you should certainly be contacting the program.

Informal verbal, telephone, or email agreements are really only as good as the people involved. This is true for schools, clerkships, residencies, job offers, etc. You can make decisions based on the offers if you trust the person(s) offering them, but unless you have something in writing, nothing's binding... for either side.

...Take the MCAT, do well enough, reapply next cycle, and then stick it to them and become a DPM at another school....

This is probably the best advice. If you take the MCAT, do well, and apply early in the next admissions cycle, you should have a good chance at most of the programs (depending on your app strength). I think that's a better strategy than to make decisions on a whim and try scrapping for the one or two pod schools that might have seats left for fall 08 right now; those seats were probably unfilled for a reason.

 

[AngryPod]

Yeah, unfortunately this is the bottom line in my understanding also.

Had a seat deposit been asked for, and did you pay it? That's the best way to know if you were officially accepted or not.

Unless you got an official acceptance letter and paid your seat deposit, then you really can't fault the school. They are trying to fill their seats, and if you were still trying to complete your application and had yet to pay a deposit to confirm your intent to attend, of course they are not going to hold a seat for you. However, if you were officially accepted and did put in a seat deposit, then you should certainly be contacting the program.

Informal verbal, telephone, or email agreements are really only as good as the people involved. This is true for schools, clerkships, residencies, job offers, etc. You can make decisions based on the offers if you trust the person(s) offering them, but unless you have something in writing, nothing's binding... for either side.

This is probably the best advice. If you take the MCAT, do well, and apply early in the next admissions cycle, you should have a good chance at most of the programs (depending on your app strength). I think that's a better strategy than to make decisions on a whim and try scrapping for the one or two pod schools that might have seats left for fall 08 right now; those seats were probably unfilled for a reason.

I did pay my deposit and as another poster stated I asked on numerous occasions if the MCAT was needed and I was ready to take it. I was told by the dean of admissions "no further testing is needed". I was more than willing to take the MCAT. That is why I kept emailing and asking so that I would have time to prepare. It is true that I never received an "official unconditional acceptance". My problem is that I am being screwed. All the school had to tell me was "Please take the MCAT", I would have called and registered to take it that day. But they told me nothing else was needed.

Lucky for me I was accepted to another school and I am "officially accepted there". The first school just worked out better for my family. I was ready to move there next week. It took three months for me to find housing and get everything in order and now I have very little time to do that somewhere else. But whatever the school I will end up at is a better school by far (according to most posts on this forum).

 

[MaseratiGT]

I did pay my deposit and as another poster stated I asked on numerous occasions if the MCAT was needed and I was ready to take it. I was told by the dean of admissions "no further testing is needed". I was more than willing to take the MCAT. That is why I kept emailing and asking so that I would have time to prepare. It is true that I never received an "official unconditional acceptance". My problem is that I am being screwed. All the school had to tell me was "Please take the MCAT", I would have called and registered to take it that day. But they told me nothing else was needed.

Lucky for me I was accepted to another school and I am "officially accepted there". The first school just worked out better for my family. I was ready to move there next week. It took three months for me to find housing and get everything in order and now I have very little time to do that somewhere else. But whatever the school I will end up at is a better school by far (according to most posts on this forum).

As an aside, you should have thought about your SN before you started posting. Now you'll have to be perpetually angry...

Can you get a portion of your deposits back at least??

 

[spooge]

Write a letter to the CPME. These schools will bend you over only as far as you let them. After writing the letter to the CPME, make a copy of it and send the school a letter (asking for your $$$ back) with the copy of the letter you sent to the cpme and the business card of a lawyer in your city. Most lawyers will make a call for free. Especially a lawyer who is in the field of helping people who have been screwed by doctors. Technically you do have a case if the dean of admissions told you that you have an acceptance. You purchased a seat in their class based on that verbal agreement (Those do hold up in court).

 

[DPMstudent]

Write a letter to the CPME. These schools will bend you over only as far as you let them. After writing the letter to the CPME, make a copy of it and send the school a letter (asking for your $$$ back) with the copy of the letter you sent to the cpme and the business card of a lawyer in your city. Most lawyers will make a call for free. Especially a lawyer who is in the field of helping people who have been screwed by doctors. Technically you do have a case if the dean of admissions told you that you have an acceptance. You purchased a seat in their class based on that verbal agreement (Those do hold up in court).

the problem is you'll have no case. you didn't "purchase a seat". you were given a conditional acceptance and if you read the entire letter you would have noted that there are further stipulations you must complete to actually reserve a seat. putting down a deposit after a conditional accpetance merely reserves you the chance at filling the seat. you must complete further requirements noted in the letter of conditional acceptance (ie - take the appropriate tests, send in OFFICIAL transcripts, etc) to gain a letter of official accpetance. if you have a letter of official accpetance, then thats another story.

 

[MaseratiGT]

the problem is you'll have no case. you didn't "purchase a seat". you were given a conditional acceptance and if you read the entire letter you would have noted that there are further stipulations you must complete to actually reserve a seat. putting down a deposit after a conditional accpetance merely reserves you the chance at filling the seat. you must complete further requirements noted in the letter of conditional acceptance (ie - take the appropriate tests, send in OFFICIAL transcripts, etc) to gain a letter of official accpetance. if you have a letter of official accpetance, then thats another story.

We need more info from angrypod. It seems like s/he was flying by the seat of their pants.

 

[spooge]

Yes, verbal agreements are binding if you can prove that the agreement existed. This is true in every state that a podiatry school is in. In which case angrydpm can prove because he has sufficient evidence to establish a verbal agreement based on written conversations and the process of establishing financial aid and other things that are contingent upon being "officially" accepted. They agreed to accept you based on your complete application and payment. You were told by phone and by email that your application was complete. You paid and they did not follow through.

angrydpm - get your money back and do not let any school f with your money. As you will see, that is what pod schools are about. Don't let other people try to talk you into bending over and taking one for the team. If you bend over for this you will be bent over in your clerkships and your residency and then your business when some jerk-off wants to sell you his "thriving" business for way too much money. You afforded yourself a reasonable amount of time and energy into the process of being accepted and confirming your acceptance. I NEVER received an official acceptance letter. I was given the verbal OK, paid my money and started my time served with a scholarship.

 

[Welcommat950]

So has anyone gotten an official letter of acceptance? Is this something we should expect to get? Couldn't this happen to any of us if we don't get one?

 

[MaseratiGT]

So has anyone gotten an official letter of acceptance? Is this something we should expect to get? Couldn't this happen to any of us if we don't get one?

I would go out on a limb to say that 99% of us had letters. I had full acceptance letters as well as conditional. You should be expecting them. If not, I would assume your application is not yet processed/complete.

 

[longstech]

I had all my required materials in so I called and verified that I was unconditionally accepted and made sure that they sent me a letter before I sent in my deposit.