The Questions Nobody Will Ask!!!

[praetor]

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1) Will thank you notes improve your chances?

2) If you are a senior, will your grades matter after you start interviewing?

3) What are the things you can do to get yourself off the waitlist?

4) Questions #1 and #2, now assuming that you are on a waitlist

 

[chiz2kul]

Uh..what do you mean by 'questions nobody will ask?'
Try using the search function.

 

[phospho]

1) Will thank you notes improve your chances?

2) If you are a senior, will your grades matter after you start interviewing?

3) What are the things you can do to get yourself off the waitlist?

4) Questions #1 and #2, now assuming that you are on a waitlist

all your questions have been asked before - multiple times - we have a search function on SDN

1) Thank you letters won't really change anything. As for update letters, no one can say for sure, but they say that some schools like NYMC actually pull out your file to add the letter to it, and in the process happen to review it. Other schools won't really care.

2) Depends on the school, but usually yes, since schools want updates. Also, you might want to send them your new grades (assuming they're good) in an update letter if you're on the waitlist or something.

3) see # 2

4) see above - also, the only thing you can do (if you're waitlisted) is update them with any progress you may have

 

[235009]

1) probably not. if it gets there before your interviewer writes your evaluation then it certainly can't hurt. either way though it is common courtesy.

2) some schools can put you on hold until you give them your fall grades and if you end up on the waitlist then good grades can help you.

3) show interest in the school or give them updates on your accomplishments. some schools though ask you not to send anything so for them there is little you can do.

4) a thank you note after you're placed on the waitlist will do absolutely nothing for your chances. as for grades see #2, good grades might help in this case depending on the school.

 

[honker]

The adcoms don't suddenly lose interest in the quality of your academic record just because you become a senior. Obviously, all your grades matter. If you let your grades fall during your senior year, it could make you a less attractive choice, since schools have plenty of qualified applicants. Don't give them a reason to reject you. If for some reason you don't get into med school the first time, having some mediocre senior year grades will not help your cause as a reapplicant.

 

[praetor]

sorry if i wasn't clear but each of my questions was two parts, specifically:

question 2a) do senior year grades matter after you interviewed and before you get a decision?
question 2b) do senior year grades matter after you are waitlisted?

if the answer to 2b is "yes", then when will schools ask for your senior year grades? i have never heard of a school that was in the process of reviewing your application and said "let's see some more grades from this applicant, please have them send them over", because wouldn't it have to go through the whole amcas grade verification process again?

 

[UNMorBUST]

I've seen all these questions 1,2,3, 5 times the last few months.

 

[airplanes]

At least the title of the thread was somewhat intriguing.

 

[FlowLimited]

sorry if i wasn't clear but each of my questions was two parts, specifically:

question 2a) do senior year grades matter after you interviewed and before you get a decision?
question 2b) do senior year grades matter after you are waitlisted?

if the answer to 2b is "yes", then when will schools ask for your senior year grades? i have never heard of a school that was in the process of reviewing your application and said "let's see some more grades from this applicant, please have them send them over", because wouldn't it have to go through the whole amcas grade verification process again?

You will be required to submit your final transcripts to the school you end up attending. So yes, they will see your final grades. Will they matter? Maybe, maybe not. But they will see them, so don't star slacking.

Grades often matter after you're waitlisted because good grades are one thing you can use to help sway the committee. You're only limiting your ability to strengthen your application by having your grades go downhill.

 

[paradisedoc]

Yes, there are schools who will ask for an update of your grades for first semester of senior year. I believe UCSF asks for this from applicants who are waitlisted. And if you are waitlisted, you will want to send medical schools who do not ask for information, updates on a voluntary basis, if only so they know that you are continuing to be interested in their school.

 

[Dr Roboto]

FAIL. This thread needs to be renamed to "Questions Everybody Will Not Stop Asking!!!"

 

[Rabbit36]

FAIL. This thread needs to be renamed to "Questions Everybody Will Not Stop Asking!!!"

 

[rx515]

Maybe the OP meant the Qs nobody will ask during the info session before an interview...

 

[Retsage]

Let's put real questions nobody will ask instead:

1) Why are you making me tour through a hospital that looks exactly the same as every other hospital at every other school that I have already toured through? I've been up since 6, I didn't get almost any sleep last night, my feet hurt, and I just want to sit down.

2) Interview with a surgeon? Are you ****ing crazy?

 

[drcarter77]

At least the title of the thread was somewhat intriguing.

lol it got me to read it too

 

[drcarter77]

Let's put real questions nobody will ask instead:

1) Why are you making me tour through a hospital that looks exactly the same as every other hospital at every other school that I have already toured through? I've been up since 6, I didn't get almost any sleep last night, my feet hurt, and I just want to sit down.

2) Interview with a surgeon? Are you ****ing crazy?

3) why are you pitching financial aid to me like i'm buying stocks? I'm not going to med school as a financial investment.

 

[bjb305]

1) Will thank you notes improve your chances?

2) If you are a senior, will your grades matter after you start interviewing?

3) What are the things you can do to get yourself off the waitlist?

4) Questions #1 and #2, now assuming that you are on a waitlist

just as a fair warning...
senior grades DEFINITELY count when you don't get in first application cycle.. don't take it for granted and slack off senior year cause you think ur a shoo-in.. it makes cycle number 2 impossible

 

[praetor]

okay so assuming that i am NOT applying a second time (i.e. i've already been accepted someplace, so if that's the only acceptance i get, i'm going there)

the only case where senior year grades will matter is if

1) i am waitlisted
2) the waitlisted school requests my grades

has this ever happened to anyone else before? like specifically this situation?

 

[PagingDrP]

I think grades only matter if you don't get in and have to apply next year again, or if you get waitlisted. So just hope neither of those happens and slack off away!

 

[NTF]

I feel like a used kleenex just for having opened this thread.

 

[lildoc]

I feel like a used kleenex just for having opened this thread.

 

[Terpskins99]

1) Will thank you notes improve your chances?

2) If you are a senior, will your grades matter after you start interviewing?

3) What are the things you can do to get yourself off the waitlist?

4) Questions #1 and #2, now assuming that you are on a waitlist

1. No way to know. Chances are no, though you will be viewed as a potential stalker if you send more than one.

2. Only if you fail a class (or come close to it).

3. Well, if you kill everyone listed ahead of you on the waitlist (including one person that was accepted), that would work. But you gotta make sure you don't get caught, since its kind of illegal and probably wouldn't look good on your application. Outside of that, nothing, really.

On a more serious note, if you have anything positive to update on your application (such as a recent publication or major conference presentation) that can help. Basically, you need to find a way to convince an admissions staff that you deserve to be ranked higher on the waiting list than everyone else.

4. Writing more than one thank you note will almost certainly end up getting you taken off the waiting list... and into the rejection bin. Tanking your classes 2nd semester of senior year is another way to do that too. Those are just about the only certainties that everyone will agree on.

 

[praetor]

nvm.

 

[diosa428]

Let's put real questions nobody will ask instead:

1) Why are you making me tour through a hospital that looks exactly the same as every other hospital at every other school that I have already toured through? I've been up since 6, I didn't get almost any sleep last night, my feet hurt, and I just want to sit down.

And why is it always the peds hospital? WHY?

 

[praetor]

bump

 

[Law2Doc]

1) Will thank you notes improve your chances?

2) If you are a senior, will your grades matter after you start interviewing?

3) What are the things you can do to get yourself off the waitlist?

4) Questions #1 and #2, now assuming that you are on a waitlist

As mentioned, these are actually questions that get asked multiple times every cycle. The fact that you think nobody will ask them suggests you need to peruse SDN a bit more thoroughly before you type.

1. No it doesn't help but that's not really the point of thank you notes. Thank you notes are an issue of professional manners. They are not meant to help you, they are simply etiquette -- the way you behave when you are on a professional road. Sort of like holding the door open for someone -- you don't expect to get anything from them, you do it because that's the kind of person you are. It won't help you, nor should it. The reader will spend two seconds looking at it, say "how nice" and dispose of it. But that doesn't make it any less the etiquette. Being a professional is not about only doing things you are required to do, or will help you. It's about conducting yourself in a certain way.

2. You can send update letters with good grades, which may give adcoms a reason to open your file again, maybe reconsider. It also should be noted that about half of all applicants don't get into med school, so if you end up a reapplicant, all the grades will come into play.

3. LOIs and update letters.

4. Again thank you notes are not about helping yourself. See #1 above. It's sad that folks don't get this, notwithstanding that it is answered year after year. As for grades, see #2.

 

[Rabbit36]

Why would you bump this? Please search for things like "senior transcript" "getting off waitlist" "thank you letter", there are many years' worth of great answers to every question you could ask. I think you've gotten plenty of answers here. Please please let this thread die...