things you can do to get off waitlist?

[4success]

Hey guys! for those of you who are waitlisted, anyone know what we can do to try to get off teh waitlist??
LOI is standard... but what else can we doo????? Anyone write more than one LOI for a school? should we call/ visit them??
any suggestions will be appreciated!!

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[edfig99]

Hey guys! for those of you who are waitlisted, anyone know what we can do to try to get off teh waitlist??
LOI is standard... but what else can we doo????? Anyone write more than one LOI for a school? should we call/ visit them??
any suggestions will be appreciated!!

pretty much the only thing you can do is wait.

lists don't start moving until after may 15th.
LOIs are pro forma and generally meaningless, but just something that everyone feels obligated to do.
calls and visits run the risk of annoying staff...and annoying the staff will do little to help your application.

so really the only thing you can do is wait.

 

[The Nephilim]

Can someone explain to me why waitlists move the most AFTER May 15th and in the summer? If everyone has to have one school by that date, wouldn't most spots become readily available before and on May 15th? Is there just some lag before schools get everything figured out?

I understand after May 15th people will be hopping around after they get taken off waitlists, but that sounds like it won't be as big of a movement.

 

[edfig99]

Can someone explain to me why waitlists move the most AFTER May 15th and in the summer? If everyone has to have one school by that date, wouldn't most spots become readily available before and on May 15th? Is there just some lag before schools get everything figured out?

I understand after May 15th people will be hopping around after they get taken off waitlists, but that sounds like it won't be as big of a movement.

a lot of students hold multiple acceptances. they don't have to relinquish the overflow acceptances until may 15th. the lists start to move after 15 because that is when all these extra spots are released. further, some of those students that hold onto one acceptance after may 15th have chosen to remain at waitlists at other schools... so when they get in off the waitlist at another school, it now creates a new opening at the school where they were previously holding the acceptance.

it's almost like playing Bejeweled.

it can be big time movement at some schools depending on the length of their waitlist and how many multiple-accepted students they have.

 

[pride4jc727]

a lot of students hold multiple acceptances. they don't have to relinquish the overflow acceptances until may 15th. the lists start to move after 15 because that is when all these extra spots are released. further, some of those students that hold onto one acceptance after may 15th have chosen to remain at waitlists at other schools... so when they get in off the waitlist at another school, it now creates a new opening at the school where they were previously holding the acceptance.

it's almost like playing Bejeweled.

it can be big time movement at some schools depending on the length of their waitlist and how many multiple-accepted students they have.

I was wondering if there is an unwritten rule about people being waitlisted or rejected because someone who is from the same undergrad is more qualified than them and are holding an acceptance. In other words, is there some kind of quota from a particular undegrad, especially if that undergrad is not considered a top tier school? For example, I know someone who has been accepted to my state's med school from my undergrad and I am the only other person who applied there. Right now, I am on a very competitive category in which the adcom will decide if I get an acceptance or waitlist later on. Is that based on my merit, or on my fellow undergrad's current acceptance, or is there some political wrangling that takes place behind the scenes? Of course, these are just speculating questions

 

[MarathonsRcool]

you know, just reading from the forums main page, all it says is "things you can do to get off"...lol,

 

[SBBunny]

I was wondering if there is an unwritten rule about people being waitlisted or rejected because someone who is from the same undergrad is more qualified than them and are holding an acceptance. In other words, is there some kind of quota from a particular undegrad, especially if that undergrad is not considered a top tier school? For example, I know someone who has been accepted to my state's med school from my undergrad and I am the only other person who applied there. Right now, I am on a very competitive category in which the adcom will decide if I get an acceptance or waitlist later on. Is that based on my merit, or on my fellow undergrad's current acceptance, or is there some political wrangling that takes place behind the scenes? Of course, these are just speculating questions

I have the same suspicions. I've heard that medical schools try to limit the number of students that they accept from their undergrad (i.e. Harvard College --> Harvard Med). I know someone who went to my undergrad and was accepted at every school that I was waitlisted at (all of those that we both interviewed at).

 

[1956Goldtop]

I like the bejewelled analogy.

Anyone know if LOI (intent) are truly meaningless?

 

[edfig99]

I was wondering if there is an unwritten rule about people being waitlisted or rejected because someone who is from the same undergrad is more qualified than them and are holding an acceptance. In other words, is there some kind of quota from a particular undegrad, especially if that undergrad is not considered a top tier school? For example, I know someone who has been accepted to my state's med school from my undergrad and I am the only other person who applied there. Right now, I am on a very competitive category in which the adcom will decide if I get an acceptance or waitlist later on. Is that based on my merit, or on my fellow undergrad's current acceptance, or is there some political wrangling that takes place behind the scenes? Of course, these are just speculating questions

i can't speak for other med schools but i know there are no quotas at my school and each applicant is viewed on their merits. there is wrangling behind the scenes but not political... more like ensuring that the class is diverse in terms of every definition of the word...trad/non-trad, ethnic, ses, science/nonscience, ivy/non-ivy, east/west, north/south etc.

 

[1956Goldtop]

bring up this thread..

 

[Textuality]

I'm just waiting... Bleh.
Hopefulty I'll know one way or another by July.

 

[SBBunny]

I'm just waiting... Bleh.
Hopefulty I'll know one way or another by July.

I hear ya. I am getting a little worn down from people asking, in excited and chipper tones, "So, any good news yet? Have you decided where you're going?"

 

[TheRealMD]

Can someone explain to me why waitlists move the most AFTER May 15th and in the summer? If everyone has to have one school by that date, wouldn't most spots become readily available before and on May 15th? Is there just some lag before schools get everything figured out?

I understand after May 15th people will be hopping around after they get taken off waitlists, but that sounds like it won't be as big of a movement.

2 reasons:

1) Financial aid usually doesn't come out until April 15th or later. Students with several acceptances to top schools will compare packages and see where they can get more money. They play these games for about a month until the AAMC makes students pick just one school.
2) People like to wait until the last minute to do commit to something as big as choosing a med school, even if it's blatantly clear to them which school they are going to.

Most people fall into camp 2, a few into camp 1.

 

[McLovinMD]

I don't want to hijack the thread but have a related question if anyone could answer it real quick:

Suppose you are accepted at School A, and waitlisted School B. May 15th comes, and you get off of the waitlist at School B. You are undecided between the two schools, but it is after May 15th so you can only hold an acceptance to one of them. Considering that you just recently got accepted to one of the schools, would you be given a little bit of time to compare the two schools and make a confident decision? Or do you have to anticipate this scenario and know which school you would choose prior to May 15th?

 

[SBBunny]

I don't want to hijack the thread but have a related question if anyone could answer it real quick:

Suppose you are accepted at School A, and waitlisted School B. May 15th comes, and you get off of the waitlist at School B. You are undecided between the two schools, but it is after May 15th so you can only hold an acceptance to one of them. Considering that you just recently got accepted to one of the schools, would you be given a little bit of time to compare the two schools and make a confident decision? Or do you have to anticipate this scenario and know which school you would choose prior to May 15th?

I think that you'd have two weeks or thereabouts. You would be given enough time to get financial packaging from School B before being asked to make a final decision. You can try to save yourself some anxiety by comparing the two schools right now (I mean, why not?), but you'll get a little time later.

 

[McLovinMD]

I think that you'd have two weeks or thereabouts. You would be given enough time to get financial packaging from School B before being asked to make a final decision. You can try to save yourself some anxiety by comparing the two schools right now (I mean, why not?), but you'll get a little time later.

Thanks. I've compared the two schools pretty thoroughly and am confident I would be happy at either, but the problem is I really don't think I could make a final decision without revisiting both schools. I will revisit School A at second look, but I don't feel it would be time/money well spent to travel across the country to see School B again while I'm only on the waitlist.

I think I will just wait to see if I get off the waitlist at School B. If I was given two weeks or so, I'm pretty sure that would be enough time to mull it over...assuming I'd be able to revisit School B during that time period.

 

[TheRealMD]

I don't want to hijack the thread but have a related question if anyone could answer it real quick:

Suppose you are accepted at School A, and waitlisted School B. May 15th comes, and you get off of the waitlist at School B. You are undecided between the two schools, but it is after May 15th so you can only hold an acceptance to one of them. Considering that you just recently got accepted to one of the schools, would you be given a little bit of time to compare the two schools and make a confident decision? Or do you have to anticipate this scenario and know which school you would choose prior to May 15th?

The "May 15th" rule isn't hard and fast, but basically it means that if a school contacts you to "make a decision", you need to do so in a reasonable amount of time. Generally, they give you about a week of leeway before asking for a decision, but the amount of time is usually stipulated with your acceptance.

 

[ZagDoc]

Just a pick me up for y'all. I was waitlisted out the wazoo last year, and ended up getting 3 acceptances. First one May 18th, second one June 2nd, third one June 13th. So there is hope, not just to squeak in somewhere but to actually have choices!

 

[SBBunny]

Just a pick me up for y'all. I was waitlisted out the wazoo last year, and ended up getting 3 acceptances. First one May 18th, second one June 2nd, third one June 13th. So there is hope, not just to squeak in somewhere but to actually have choices!

Thanks for giving us all hope, ZagDoc! Congratulations on WINNING THE WAITLIST GAME. Any special recommendations for the current waitlistees?

 

[ZagDoc]

Patience. I echo the sentiments of the thread, not really anything you can do. They've already offered their acceptances, which they can't rescind because they "found someone (you) they like more", so really, anything you try is more about making yourself more appetizing after the May 15th deadline. A letter might be worth it, I didn't send any. Calling won't help. Nothing is changing, so it only makes you appear annoying. You just gotta wait for people to start turning the school down and hope you're ranked up high enough on the waitlist to make the cut. For schools without a transparent rank list, this can be especially nerveracking. Personally, I was backpacking around Europe when I got all my acceptances. It's a highly recommend way to take your mind off the endlessly tormenting waiting game.

 

[lilya]

Patience. I echo the sentiments of the thread, not really anything you can do. They've already offered their acceptances, which they can't rescind because they "found someone (you) they like more", so really, anything you try is more about making yourself more appetizing after the May 15th deadline. A letter might be worth it, I didn't send any. Calling won't help. Nothing is changing, so it only makes you appear annoying. You just gotta wait for people to start turning the school down and hope you're ranked up high enough on the waitlist to make the cut. For schools without a transparent rank list, this can be especially nerveracking. Personally, I was backpacking around Europe when I got all my acceptances. It's a highly recommend way to take your mind off the endlessly tormenting waiting game.

Just wondering, how did they get a hold of you while you were in Europe?? Did you have someone in the states that they could contact? Im asking because I'm also planning a 3 week backpacking trip around Europe in mid-May...I'm on 4 waitlists and I'm getting nervous about them not being able to reach me.

 

[ZagDoc]

Utilized the mother. Made sure my contact address was changed post-graduation to my mother's home. She proceeded to give me phone calls at ridiculous hours in a ridiculously high pitched voice letting me know I was in at [x].

 

[kcorona]

I like the bejewelled analogy.

Anyone know if LOI (intent) are truly meaningless?

I think it depends on the school. Deans of admissions from several schools have told me that updates which let the school know you're still interested in going there, especially letters of intent, are very meaningful. I think many schools do not have a ranked list set in stone, and applicants who continually express their interest in attending the school may receive more consideration when schools begin to accept applicants off of the waitlist.

 

[alwaysaangel]

Anyone know if LOI (intent) are truly meaningless?

They are NOT meaningless.

Granted it depends on the school, but to make a blanket that they are meaningless is a huge misrepresentation.

The dean of admissions at the school I'm at TOLD ME my LOIs got me in. I know plenty of other people who wrote LOIs that helped them.

Some schools are more or less open to it. But remember that an LOI is a chance for you to say stuff you couldn't say elsewhere in your application - why wouldn't you say more if you could. If you write a crappy form letter that shows nothing about you as a person then yes thats meaningless. But if you truly discuss why you want to be there it is usually valuable.

To the OP - write an LOI, don't call too much or visit - thats not in writing and isn't likely to come up in an admissions meeting and you're more likely to just annoy the staff.

 

[dcarinci]

If the school you are waitlisted at sends you the health clearance stuff, get it all done immediately and overnight it to them. That's what I did when I was put on an alternate list. This works to your advantage when it is very late in the game, like in the summer prior to matriculation. I think at that point when a spot opens up all the school is looking for in the pool of alternates is the person who has all their stuff in, because it's just easier on the school and student if the student doesn't have to scramble to get everything in on time before starting.

 

[alwaysaangel]

If the school you are waitlisted at sends you the health clearance stuff, get it all done immediately and overnight it to them. That's what I did when I was put on an alternate list. This works to your advantage when it is very late in the game, like in the summer prior to matriculation. I think at that point when a spot opens up all the school is looking for in the pool of alternates is the person who has all their stuff in, because it's just easier on the school and student if the student doesn't have to scramble to get everything in on time before starting.

This may or may not be true depending on the school. I'm sure its true at some schools but my first day of orientation we spent about 3/4 of the day rotating around being told yes you've turned in such and such form or not you hadn't. It was super annoying if you were responsible and turned everything in (I got to wait in 8 lines for 5 hrs to be told - yes we have that form) and seriously like half our class had stuff (or all the stuff) not turned in. So clearly some schools couldn't care less...

 

[pride4jc727]

Patience. I echo the sentiments of the thread, not really anything you can do. They've already offered their acceptances, which they can't rescind because they "found someone (you) they like more", so really, anything you try is more about making yourself more appetizing after the May 15th deadline. A letter might be worth it, I didn't send any. Calling won't help. Nothing is changing, so it only makes you appear annoying. You just gotta wait for people to start turning the school down and hope you're ranked up high enough on the waitlist to make the cut. For schools without a transparent rank list, this can be especially nerveracking. Personally, I was backpacking around Europe when I got all my acceptances. It's a highly recommend way to take your mind off the endlessly tormenting waiting game.

I think I may be looking to you as my lucky charm. I have three schools left as my chances of getting in. Two have me waitlisted but the other has me in the very competitive category (VC). With VC, they have not decided what to do other than they will give me an acceptance or waitlist placement decision in mid-May (I'm thinking May 15th). Is there anything I can do about this since I have not yet been placed into either decision status?

 

[noht]

my dad brought a bento to the dean of admiss. i also know that at JABSOM- univ of hawaii has a number system, though. so nothing you do after the admissions committee has ranked your application will help your application.

t

 

[phomp]

my dad brought a bento to the dean of admiss. i also know that at JABSOM- univ of hawaii has a number system, though. so nothing you do after the admissions committee has ranked your application will help your application.

t

bento? what's that? like a bento box of food?

agh, is that true of most places? you are stuck to your place on the waitlist? i was waitlisted at a program a month ago..but my letter was lost in the mail (i found out last week when i called and they were like..you are on the alternate list right? and i was ) i'm hoping that they didn't rank my app before i had the chance to send in a LOI. bah.

 

[majik1213]

my dad brought a bento to the dean of admiss. i also know that at JABSOM- univ of hawaii has a number system, though. so nothing you do after the admissions committee has ranked your application will help your application.

t

wrong. Sending LOIs, frequent communications can at some schools boost your chances, or even flat out secure them. One applicant received a call from Temple once telling him that if he were to send in an LOI of sorts, his chances would be significantly better. He didn't do so.

 

[phomp]

who do you usually address the LOI to? the dean? office of admissions? admissions committee?

thanks!

 

[1956Goldtop]

Doesn't really matter. It will get read and added to your file.

 

[o0rikio0o]

wrong. Sending LOIs, frequent communications can at some schools boost your chances, or even flat out secure them. One applicant received a call from Temple once telling him that if he were to send in an LOI of sorts, his chances would be significantly better. He didn't do so.

he was talking about JABSOM.

 

[SageFrancis]

People need to remember that many schools with an unranked wait list have certain quotas they'd like to fill in their class. If a female URM from a big city, with a very high MCAT withdraws her acceptance, you can write all the LOIs you want, but if you're a white male from rural Kansas with a lower MCAT score, they are not gonna replace her with you..

This is more important at some schools than others, but it explains the seemingly random game of unranked wait lists.

 

[PistolPete]

I agree with SageFrancis. I think that the adcom wants to preserve the makeup of its class as best as it can, especially if the waitlist is unranked, and the best way to do this is to replace an applicant that withdrew with someone similar to him/her. That's out of our control.

But I still think that LOI's can be effective for certain schools, regardless of the "diversity" argument, since schools probably want to take students that want to really be there, rather than taking off someone that is similar to an applicant that withdrew, but showed has shown no interest. So I think LOI's are still worth it.

 

[alwaysaangel]

I agree with SageFrancis. I think that the adcom wants to preserve the makeup of its class as best as it can, especially if the waitlist is unranked, and the best way to do this is to replace an applicant that withdrew with someone similar to him/her. That's out of our control.

But I still think that LOI's can be effective for certain schools, regardless of the "diversity" argument, since schools probably want to take students that want to really be there, rather than taking off someone that is similar to an applicant that withdrew, but showed has shown no interest. So I think LOI's are still worth it.

Or the do diversity but take you who is similar to the person who dropped over another similar person b/c you wrote a loi.

 

[4success]

2 reasons:

1) Financial aid usually doesn't come out until April 15th or later. Students with several acceptances to top schools will compare packages and see where they can get more money. They play these games for about a month until the AAMC makes students pick just one school.
2) People like to wait until the last minute to do commit to something as big as choosing a med school, even if it's blatantly clear to them which school they are going to.

Most people fall into camp 2, a few into camp 1.

So what happens if you get off the waitlist? Do they give you a chance to compare the financial package?? Anyone know if they would give you the package before you tell them you're going there after may 15th???