Should I keep hope alive?

[uclaguy32]

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I was complete at schools around early September, and I have a few acceptances... should I hold out any hope for these schools, or prepare to go to one of the schools that has accepted me? Thanks

The schools I am waiting to hear from are:
Northwestern
UCLA
UCSD
Emory
Harvard

 

[Ashanti Rock]

What's up with emory? I've been complete there for a minute and I would really like to interview there. Anyone know when they stopped interviewing last year and if any late interviewers were accepted?

 

[LizzyM]

Hope may be dwindling but there is still a chance that you might be the last applicant to be reviewed and therefore still eligible for an interview.

 

[Elastase]

I have heard that Harvard stops interviewing the third week of January.

 

[Shredder]

the last applicant to be reviewed and therefore still eligible for an interview.

wow...thats like 1/5000 hope

 

[noonday]

I have heard that Harvard stops interviewing the third week of January.

not exactly...harvard and yale stop inviting for interviews the third week of january. they interview through march, but if you haven't heard by the end of this month, you're not it.

 

[NontradICUdoc]

I was complete at schools around early September, and I have a few acceptances... should I hold out any hope for these schools, or prepare to go to one of the schools that has accepted me? Thanks

The schools I am waiting to hear from are:
Northwestern
UCLA
UCSD
Emory
Harvard

Sorry for sounding a little miffed, since I have not heard from anyone regarding anything since I have been completed in October, but if you have several acceptances, does it really matter if you hear from any of these schools?

 

[Shredder]

of course it does, theyre probably better schools. wheres the ambition in getting 1 acceptance from anywhere and then dropping everything else

 

[hardy]

I have heard that Harvard stops interviewing the third week of January.

Considering that I have an interview with them in February, I can confirm that this is not true.

 

[Paperboy!]

what's up with northwestern? they've been rejecting people....so why haven't we heard anything yet? false hope?

 

[SmoothNC]

what's up with northwestern? they've been rejecting people....so why haven't we heard anything yet? false hope?

Northwestern's last interview date in Jan. 27th....they make all decisions by late Feb.....I think they sent out the last interview invites around x-mas....so if you haven't heard anything by now.....well, you know the rest.

 

[LizzyM]

Northwestern's last interview date in Jan. 27th....they make all decisions by late Feb.....I think they sent out the last interview invites around x-mas....so if you haven't heard anything by now.....well, you know the rest.

The last interview date is correct and the decisions will be out in Feb. but a few interview invitations have/will go out in January. As Shredder says, that's 1/5000 hope, (a slender thread to grasp), but hope nonetheless.

 

[45408]

what's up with northwestern? they've been rejecting people....so why haven't we heard anything yet? false hope?

well, this is my first/last application cycle, and I've only gotten one rejection so far, but I've heard that some schools don't even bother to send you a rejection letter. I'm quite sure that I'm rejected at a few of the schools on my list, but I haven't gotten any letters saying so.

 

[chaeymaey]

Sorry for sounding a little miffed, since I have not heard from anyone regarding anything since I have been completed in October, but if you have several acceptances, does it really matter if you hear from any of these schools?

I was thinking the exact same thing. The people searching for hope are the ones who haven't been accepted anywhere. Sorry if I sound rude...I've been bitter lately.

 

[etown]

Regarding Emory, I applied to 11 schools, was complete at Emory on Nov 15 (weeks before I was complete at several other schools), and I have heard back from every school except for Emory. In fact, by mid-December I had heard from the 10 other schools. Still no Emory...seems really odd. Don't want to be a pest but I'm kindof curious and want to call them.

 

[CuddlyKumquat]

well, this is my first/last application cycle, and I've only gotten one rejection so far, but I've heard that some schools don't even bother to send you a rejection letter. I'm quite sure that I'm rejected at a few of the schools on my list, but I haven't gotten any letters saying so.

THAT IS SO WRONG! AT LEAST HAVE THE DECENCY TO WASTE A 8x11 PAGE OF PRINTER PAPER, SOME INK, AND AN ENVELOPE WITH A $0.39 STAMP ON IT FOR MY TIME AND EFFORT AND 100+ DOLLARS I SPENT ON YOU PEOPLE! 😡

 

[LizzyM]

Regarding Emory, I applied to 11 schools, was complete at Emory on Nov 15 (weeks before I was complete at several other schools), and I have heard back from every school except for Emory. In fact, by mid-December I had heard from the 10 other schools. Still no Emory...seems really odd. Don't want to be a pest but I'm kindof curious and want to call them.

In Emory's defense, you have been complete for less than 8 weeks. Three of those weeks included major holidays. Your application has to be processed (printed or set up electronically) and assigned to a reader, then a second reader, then the readers' comments are sent to someone who makes a decision. Each reader is typically given 2 weeks to do a review. This is the point where you should have heard, but maybe not. A phone call couldn't hurt -- what is Emory's last date for interviews?

 

[LucidSplash]

Regarding Emory, I applied to 11 schools, was complete at Emory on Nov 15 (weeks before I was complete at several other schools), and I have heard back from every school except for Emory. In fact, by mid-December I had heard from the 10 other schools. Still no Emory...seems really odd. Don't want to be a pest but I'm kindof curious and want to call them.

Ditto on Emory and I was complete around the same time.

 

[RayhanS1282]

THAT IS SO WRONG! AT LEAST HAVE THE DECENCY TO WASTE A 8x11 PAGE OF PRINTER PAPER, SOME INK, AND AN ENVELOPE WITH A $0.39 STAMP ON IT FOR MY TIME AND EFFORT AND 100+ DOLLARS I SPENT ON YOU PEOPLE! 😡

You are preaching to the choir.
I have half a mind but no balls to send a nasty letter and e-mail to NYU. $100 for secondary but I still couldn't buy a rejection letter....I really want to complete my collection of medical school letterheads!!!

 

[Ashanti Rock]

In Emory's defense, you have been complete for less than 8 weeks. Three of those weeks included major holidays. Your application has to be processed (printed or set up electronically) and assigned to a reader, then a second reader, then the readers' comments are sent to someone who makes a decision. Each reader is typically given 2 weeks to do a review. This is the point where you should have heard, but maybe not. A phone call couldn't hurt -- what is Emory's last date for interviews?

I tried calling Emory but the admissions staff is very tight lipped. All they will tell you is that your file is complete and under review. Anyone else had any luck getting more info about where they are in the selection process?

 

[etown]

I tried calling Emory but the admissions staff is very tight lipped. All they will tell you is that your file is complete and under review. Anyone else had any luck getting more info about where they are in the selection process?

Ditto.

 

[LizzyM]

I tried calling Emory but the admissions staff is very tight lipped. All they will tell you is that your file is complete and under review. Anyone else had any luck getting more info about where they are in the selection process?

Under review is just that. A decision hasn't been made yet. No news is still good news because you are still alive at Emory.

 

[p00psicleSTICK]

I just called Emory yesterday. I should've been complete there by mid-November too but they lost one of my recommendation letters and I was just complete YESTERDAY. 😱

The lady told me the exact same thing that she told you guys. She also said all she does is send completed apps to people for review, then they send it back to her with a decision (interview, rejection, etc). So she really has no idea about your application status. They do interviews up until end of February and also don't reject people until then so she just told me to stay put and wait. If you've been complete long time ago but don't hear back for an interview by end of February, it's pretty much safe to assume rejection though. O, and she said there's still 1000 applications to be reviewed so late applicants are at a big disadvantage. I don't think my application will even be looked at... ;( Quite depressing indeed.

A similar thing happened with me at Case involving a lost recommendation letter but the funny thing is, it seemed like my entire application had been reviewed and they were just waiting for that final letter to arrive. As soon as they received the letter I was marked complete and invited for an interview... but w/ Emory, I guess they don't look at your application at all until EVERYTHING is complete, and don't give any preference to people who have strong applications. 🙁

 

[Shredder]

guys if these were businesses, the poor customer service would have driven them out of business long ago as superior competitors swooped in to fill the void of politeness, helpfulness, and speed. why dont med schools conform to this law? what separates them? is it that the service they provide is just so valuable that they can get away with this type of behavior? like a rude diamond merchant or something, or OPEC?

 

[bigdogg]

Shredder,

Given the picture that sits below your name, and you often business oriented attitude towards the medical school admissions process, i'm surprised you asked this question. Medical Schools receive anywhere from 3 to 9 thousand applications for a class which is usually between 100 and 150 people. Guess what.... they dont give an F who decides to apply to their school. They will always have a class and probably a good one (since anyone who can study hard enough to get a reasonable mcat score has the grit to get through the trials of medical education). In fact, the top tier medical schools have said, at some of the interviews I have been on, that the process is actually random, because they could fill their class 4 times over with stellartastic kids. But they dont have to, so they dont need a large staff to make sure every application gets great consideration or that letters dont get lost.

The admissions office of a medical school resembles nothing of a business, its more like a casino floor.

 

[Shredder]

Shredder,

Given the picture that sits below your name, and you often business oriented attitude towards the medical school admissions process, i'm surprised you asked this question. Medical Schools receive anywhere from 3 to 9 thousand applications for a class which is usually between 100 and 150 people. Guess what.... they dont give an F who decides to apply to their school. They will always have a class and probably a good one (since anyone who can study hard enough to get a reasonable mcat score has the grit to get through the trials of medical education). In fact, the top tier medical schools have said, at some of the interviews I have been on, that the process is actually random, because they could fill their class 4 times over with stellartastic kids. But they dont have to, so they dont need a large staff to make sure every application gets great consideration or that letters dont get lost.

The admissions office of a medical school resembles nothing of a business, its more like a casino floor.

thats the easy answer, but do you think fortune 500 dont also have tons of ppl throwing resumes at them? do they just randomly pick from interviewee pools? and no professional school applications are as bureaucratic as med schools'--not business or law at least, and i doubt any others. hell, the mcat is not even fully electronic yet. only very recently did amcas go digital, and several schools took forever for even that. additionally, the AAMC has not yet implemented a match system for premeds like residents have. its a very inefficient system right now, juggling acceptances and having decision deadlines and waitlists. i dont know who or where is holding things up, but something is preventing the med school system from shaping up to conform to the 21st century. the system right now isnt far removed from the 19th, save (possibly) emails and online status checks, and a primitive online amcas with exorbitant fees...how impressive

it doesnt matter how many applicants schools receive--google gets hundreds of millions of searches a day. i dont see them whining about it and saying we'll get back to you in six months, if at all. the private sector is in the business of creating solutions and getting things done, not fussing about how busy they are and putting you on hold on the phone indefinitely

no matter how many stellartastic people (or whatever unit) there are, there are always distributions. it is impossible for everybody to be above average in a set, in the context of that set itself. any manager who said he hired randomly would be fired on the spot. casino floor? casinos make hoards of money and treat their clientele like kings, while providing highly enjoyable experiences even if they do take your money--but people hand it over only too willingly. in summary, volume is a lame excuse that no successful business could get away with. really med school admissions compared to others schools is silly, probably a lot of potentially strong doctors are turned away. and no the ones who stick around through all of the mess arent necessarily the best potential docs--they just have more tolerance for dealing with unnecessary hassles, which is not a strength when it comes to streamlining, whether its a business or a medical practice that has to churn through patients. devotion does not equate to proficiency. consider the movie Rudy--do you want Dr. Rudy as your doc?

 

[LizzyM]

Who serves on the adcom? They are not business types, they are not into customer service or human resources. Most of the members are physicians who practice medicine. A few are retired from active practice, a few are basic science, social science or medical humanities professors. They have day jobs. They are filling a class for August-September. When you applied for admission to college, how long did it take for the college to get back to you?

Do you really think that a college or med school should/could go out of business if its admissions office is slow in making decisions? People put up with delays because they really want the product (a med school education) and they think that the provider has a product that is a good fit. Applying for an opening 10-15 months in the future and being miffed when you don't have an answer 8-9 months before the start date.... just chill. You are going to have decisions in hand by April 15, guaranteed. Until then, just sit down and relax. There is nothing you can do now that will change things (other than doing well on the interview).

There are many situations where the normal distribution does not apply. Med school admissions, where every applicant self-selects and in many cases is selected to submit a secondary is one of those situations.

Every applicant gets read. Some schools, if there are too many great applicants, will increase the number of interviewees toward the end of the cycle so as not to discourage great applicants from that university from applying in the future and to give every great applicant a fair shake.

Right now, schools are trying to choose from among thousands of great applications. In a few months, great applicants will be trying to choose from among three or more great schools. That's when you'll see the schools pull out the stops and lay on the charm.

I wish that the applicant pool were far smaller. Some of the decisions are really heart-breaking for the adcom but the fact is, no medical school has 1,000 seats for the incoming class.

 

[BooMed]

guys if these were businesses, the poor customer service would have driven them out of business long ago as superior competitors swooped in to fill the void of politeness, helpfulness, and speed. why dont med schools conform to this law? what separates them? is it that the service they provide is just so valuable that they can get away with this type of behavior? like a rude diamond merchant or something, or OPEC?

That's what I always say about the DMV!!!!!!! 😡

Sorry, that is completely off-topic, but I think Shredder has a good point.