Staying on waiting lists--a catch 22?

[Milhouse Van Houten]

i have been accepted to ucla (my first choice) and waitlisted at cornell. when i got into UCLA i withdrew from everywhere except columbia, since a small part of me still fantasizes about living in NYC. the problem is i couldn't get accepted off the waiting list unless i told them it's my first choice. however, i couldn't really be sure if it's my first choice unless i were accepted (i would then take a second look, consider the financial aid package, etc...). is this a catch 22? i'd almost 99% go to UCLA, but i freaking paid 600 bucks of my own money to go on that interview, not including the AMCAS and secondary fees to the school. how do you go about showing an active interest when you *probably* wouldn't go the school anyway? i just can't withdraw from the list because maybe, just maybe i would go there. any advice? thanks.

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[relatively prime]

Dude, just go to UCLA and forget Columbia... UCLA wants you and Columbia doesn't... that's reason enough to just forget about Columbia and enjoy the Cali weather.

I think sometimes people should look at medical schools as prospective spouses. If you have all the things a person would need to get into a given school, you have everything their accepted applicants have, and they still reject you... I'd say you should forget about that school... just like how you'd forget about a girl who rejects you no matter how hard you try to please her.

The best (however you personally define "best") school that wants you is the school you should want.

Just my opinion

 

[vyc]

don't think about the cost of the interview, think about the school. did you like it when you visited? can you imagine yourself HAPPY there for the next 4 years or however long it will take you to finish med school?

if you don't want it more than UCLA, take yourself off the waitlist. if you're not sure, STAY ON IT. decide where you want to go, once you get to that bridge.

in the meantime, it is perfectly honest for you to write a letter and say that you are still REALLY interested in their school and would love to be accepted. there are a million different ways you can be excited about their school, without saying that they're your number 1 choice and committing that you would matriculate there, if accepted.

 

[Blazed]

I agree with VYC. If you really feel like you would like to go to Columbia then write them a letter stating why you would like to attend their institution. NYC is very nice, but man the amount of women in Cali, Damn... Just kidding. Personally I probably will go to UCLA, but that's because I live in NYC and have been here all my life. The city is awesome you can never get bored in NYC, there is too much to do. UCLA has accepted you at this point and it is a good school. So follow through with what they want you to do, but at the same time give Columbia a call or write them a letter stating what you like about the school. If they take you off the then you have a decision to make. A win, win proposition.

 

[Blazed]

I agree with VYC. If you really feel like you would like to go to Columbia then write them a letter stating why you would like to attend their institution. NYC is very nice, but man the amount of women in Cali, Damn... Just kidding. Personally I probably will go to UCLA, but that's because I live in NYC and have been here all my life. The city is awesome you can never get bored in NYC, there is too much to do. UCLA has accepted you at this point and it is a good school. So follow through with what they want you to do, but at the same time give Columbia a call or write them a letter stating what you like about the school. If they take you off the then you have a decision to make. A win, win proposition.