Staggering Your Applications

[jhay]

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How do you guys feel about staggering your applications? As in, applying to your dream schools early in the summer, and your backup schools later on (August instead of June).

I'm afraid about getting accepted to my backup schools long before my dream schools, and many of my backup schools don't allow one to put a deposit down.

my stats: cGPA: 3.62, MCAT: 39Q

 

[Tapepsi]

How do you guys feel about staggering your applications? As in, applying to your dream schools early in the summer, and your backup schools later on (August instead of June).

I'm afraid about getting accepted to my backup schools long before my dream schools, and many of my backup schools don't allow one to put a deposit down.

my stats: cGPA: 3.62, MCAT: 39Q

While your GPA is good and your MCAT is phenomenonal, I would advise for you to not stagger your applications.

And please help me understand this, if you're not allowed to put a deposit down at your backup schools, then how do you confirm your acceptance? 😕 You're making it sound as if you must commit to their school if you accept a position (which I don't think any school can make you do that).

 

[jhay]

...And if you're not allowed to put a deposit down at your backup schools then how do you confirm your acceptance? 😕

To clarify, what I mean by that is some schools allow you to put down a deposit ($100) on a spot as a way to hold the spot until a specified period (around May).

It sort of acts like a hold on your spot. Not every school offers this though.

 

[Tapepsi]

To clarify, what I mean by that is some schools allow you to put down a deposit ($100) on a spot as a way to hold the spot until a specified period (around May).

It sort of acts like a hold on your spot. Not every school offers this though.

I know what a deposit is (I put down several deposits myself this cycle ). What I mean is, what do you do to confirm an acceptance then for these schools and why would this be a concern to you? If anything, I would want to apply to these backup schools since I wouldn't need to pay a fee to hold a spot.

 

[mauberley]

Please provide examples of the backup schools you're worried about so that we can read up on their acceptance policies.

 

[Long Way to Go]

Please provide examples of the backup schools you're worried about so that we can read up on their acceptance policies.

I'm totally confused too, but I could see this being an issue if one were applying to DO schools, which often require 1k+ nonrefundable deposits. To the best of my knowledge, no LCME-accredited medical school accepts regular decision students before October 15.

 

[235009]

To the best of my knowledge, no LCME-accredited medical school accepts regular decision students before October 15.

this is correct and they all must have a refundable deposit which will almost always be $100

OP, if you are talking about MD schools you are most probably confused...if you are talking about DO schools then I think you can probably forego applying DO altogether if you really do have a 39 MCAT and it isn't wishful thinking regarding a future MCAT (i only say it because it comes up a lot around here)

 

[BushidoBrown]

Horrible idea.

 

[senorsquishie]

OP, you may be at a disadvantage if you apply this way.

The schools will accept when they want. Holding a acceptance will not hurt your chances at a better school. But if you wait, a backup may not accept you as a late applicant. In the senerio that you apply early to dream school A, and do not get in, and apply to Backup school B late and do not get in, you become a reapplicant. Don't waste the money.

Hope this makes sense!

 

[jhay]

I know what a deposit is (I put down several deposits myself this cycle ). What I mean is, what do you do to confirm an acceptance then for these schools and why would this be a concern to you? If anything, I would want to apply to these backup schools since I wouldn't need to pay a fee to hold a spot.

OP, you may be at a disadvantage if you apply this way.

The schools will accept when they want. Holding a acceptance will not hurt your chances at a better school. But if you wait, a backup may not accept you as a late applicant. In the senerio that you apply early to dream school A, and do not get in, and apply to Backup school B late and do not get in, you become a reapplicant. Don't waste the money.

Hope this makes sense!

I'm pretty confused, not gonna lie...what you're saying is that the schools that don't have a deposit (ie Loyola Chicago or Vandy) allow you to accept your spot without cost, but you're able to back out if you get an acceptance at a better school?

Please provide examples of the backup schools you're worried about so that we can read up on their acceptance policies.

Backup schools that don't have a deposit: University of Tennessee, Case Western.

this is correct and they all must have a refundable deposit which will almost always be $100

OP, if you are talking about MD schools you are most probably confused...if you are talking about DO schools then I think you can probably forego applying DO altogether if you really do have a 39 MCAT and it isn't wishful thinking regarding a future MCAT (i only say it because it comes up a lot around here)

I wasn't considering DO school. Haha, and yes the 39 is legitimate.


I think I totally misunderstood the deposit. whoops...

 

[Barcu]

I think I totally misunderstood the deposit. whoops...

I think you do. For many schools, you may have to send in a deposit to hold your spot. However, the deposit is small (usually 100 bucks) and refundable if you withdraw by the May 15th deadline.

You do not need to worry about getting accepted to backups first and not being able to attend your dream school.

So apply to all at the same time.

 

[senorsquishie]

You don't have to make decisions until a certain date. By then you will know ALL of your acceptances. The only potental problem is if you are waitlisted at you dream school. In that case you put a deposit on your 2nd choice, and keep the waitlist.

 

[alwaysaangel]

I think I totally misunderstood the deposit. whoops...

Yes you did.

Deposit or not. Every LCME accredited MD school is required to allow you to hold as many acceptances as you wish until May 15th.

So apply to all, do all secondaries and go on your interviews. If you get accepted to 'back-ups' early just do whatever they say to accept the acceptance (eg. respond to email, send in form, send in small deposit) and thats it.

Pick one by May 15th. Contact the others to withdraw.

 

[jhay]

Thanks guys!

 

[ozzi22]

Yes you did.

Deposit or not. Every LCME accredited MD school is required to allow you to hold as many acceptances as you wish until May 15th.

So apply to all, do all secondaries and go on your interviews. If you get accepted to 'back-ups' early just do whatever they say to accept the acceptance (eg. respond to email, send in form, send in small deposit) and thats it.

Pick one by May 15th. Contact the others to withdraw.

+1👍