Too Many Acceptances??

[LPpostbacc]

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I noticed on a couple of the school-specific threads that a couple applicants were told by adcoms that schools currently had more acceptees than spots available. I know it's also the time of year where some students with multiple acceptances sort their situations out, but what if the schools end up over-subscribed?

I have heard they may offer scholarships for those that choose to defer a year as well. There was a previous thread on this topic from 2009, but it didn't really seem to answer this question, how does that affect the size of next year's class? Is it smaller by the amount of students that may have had to defer? Plus, how common is this occurrence?

Plus, several "knowledgeable" posters adamantly stated in the '09 thread that it was "impossible" for this to happen. It looks like it did then, and is now...

Thanks...

 

[DAPI]

I noticed on a couple of the school-specific threads that a couple applicants were told by adcoms that schools currently had more acceptees than spots available. I know it's also the time of year where some students with multiple acceptances sort their situations out, but what if the schools end up over-subscribed?

I have heard they may offer scholarships for those that choose to defer a year as well. There was a previous thread on this topic from 2009, but it didn't really seem to answer this question, how does that affect the size of next year's class? Is it smaller by the amount of students that may have had to defer? Plus, how common is this occurrence?

Plus, several "knowledgeable" posters adamantly stated in the '09 thread that it was "impossible" for this to happen. It looks like it did then, and is now...

Thanks...

See this: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=922799

 

[1289]

yeah i think a lot of schools initially over accept with the assumption that a large amount will end up going elsewhere. in the rare event that this doesn't happen (Loyola?) I'm not sure what they can do. I think they'll try to make deferral look as desirable as possible to the current accepted applicants, and if no one defers I suppose they HAVE to accommodate them? I mean they can't go back on an acceptance... I hope..

 

[MT Headed]

Lol, the opposite happens too, where a school calls up a rejected applicant and says "my bad, we accept you, do you want to be a doctor in 4 years?" Both happen every year or two.

 

[DAPI]

Lol, the opposite happens too, where a school calls up a rejected applicant and says "my bad, we accept you, do you want to be a doctor in 4 years?" Both happen every year or two.

I would probably poo myself if I had been rejected everywhere and then out of the blue got a phone call saying I was accepted... Hopefully I just get accepted the first time around

 

[Fivo]

Lol, the opposite happens too, where a school calls up a rejected applicant and says "my bad, we accept you, do you want to be a doctor in 4 years?" Both happen every year or two.

lol wow, I'd love to see that. Were there posts about this happening recently?

 

[LPpostbacc]

yeah i think a lot of schools initially over accept with the assumption that a large amount will end up going elsewhere. in the rare event that this doesn't happen (Loyola?) I'm not sure what they can do. I think they'll try to make deferral look as desirable as possible to the current accepted applicants, and if no one defers I suppose they HAVE to accommodate them? I mean they can't go back on an acceptance... I hope..

Ha, your post got me thinking, 1289. I saw the other one on PSU. It seemed like applicants (for 2013) to schools in this type of situation will get the short end of the stick, by means of fewer available spots from the get-go.

 

[1289]

Ha, you're post got me thinking, 1289. I saw the other one on PSU. It seemed like applicants (for 2013) to schools in this type of situation will get the short end of the stick, by means of few available spots from the get-go.

yeah I was thinking that too 🙁 sucks.

 

[MynameisMike]

Keep in mind that Loyola has yet to inform students of any over enrollment issue and more specifically what their solution will be. They could very well just say we will take everyone and deal with it for that year.

 

[Jaqen Hghar]

Ha, you're post got me thinking, 1289. I saw the other one on PSU. It seemed like applicants (for 2013) to schools in this type of situation will get the short end of the stick, by means of few available spots from the get-go.

It would really only make a huge difference with schools that have small class size, i.e. not PSU.

It would actually make a lot of sense, with schools that accidentally run into this problem, to let students, during their gap year, earn a 1yr MPH or MS tuition free. This is assuming the school has a public health school and they offer 1yr degrees. It might make for a good extra incentive to voluntarily defer.

 

[kpcrew]

lol wow, I'd love to see that. Were there posts about this happening recently?

yes
sometimes a school sends the wrong decision letter to an applicant and i believe there was a school that recently couldn't fill up their class and had to reach out to rejected applicants.

 

[FattySlug]

man how I would love to defer for one year to horse around in Asia and come back to a scholarship next year 🙁

 

[linebacker57]

In 2011, or some other recent year, I believe Ohio state had like 20+ over-enrollees, and what they did was offer one free year of in-state tuition to those willing to defer for a year. Creative problem solving. Also I have never heard of a school calling up a straight up rejected applicant, anyone ever heard of any?

 

[Sephiroth]

yes
sometimes a school sends the wrong decision letter to an applicant and i believe there was a school that recently couldn't fill up their class and had to reach out to rejected applicants.

I remember hearing about it happening to MCW a couple years ago. Some of the people they rejected post interview ended up getting un-rejected.

 

[MedPR]

Uh, I would gladly defer a year if the scholarship was large enough; like enough to be greater than the median income of a family doc.

 

[LPpostbacc]

I remember hearing about it happening to MCW a couple years ago. Some of the people they rejected post interview ended up getting un-rejected.

Looks like it will take its toll on applicants for next year then... X-amount less spots available at those schools going into this application season. 🙁

 

[1289]

I remember hearing about it happening to MCW a couple years ago. Some of the people they rejected post interview ended up getting un-rejected.

yeah i heard that too, i wish that was happening this year with MCW 🙁 i'm on the WL and it's moving at a snail's pace. anyway yeah i'm sure it would be someone who was rejected post-interview not rejected straight up who would get that call.

 

[Bumbl3b33]

UVa handed a few of these out 2 years ago, $40,000 to defer for a year

 

[typicalindian]

UVa handed a few of these out 2 years ago, $40,000 to defer for a year

Sorry if it's a dumb question but...40k to defer? or 40k per year?

 

[darkjedi]

When I withdrew from the wait lists at BU and Chicago, they were both somewhat significantly overenrolled. I have no idea if that's still the case, but I wouldn't be surprised.

 

[Bumbl3b33]

Sorry if it's a dumb question but...40k to defer? or 40k per year?

40k total package worth. not sure if that's 10k per year or 40k off of ms1 fees

 

[syoung]

I would hate for that to happen this year... especially to the schools where I'm applying. And for the seats to start off smaller than last year?! Ugh. More competition, just what we need.

 

[MedPR]

Sorry if it's a dumb question but...40k to defer? or 40k per year?

nice new-ish avatar!

40k total package worth. not sure if that's 10k per year or 40k off of ms1 fees

Not worth it imo.

 

[NightGod]

yes
sometimes a school sends the wrong decision letter to an applicant and i believe there was a school that recently couldn't fill up their class and had to reach out to rejected applicants.

I've seen a few blog posts where this happened. What it usually is, someone gets a last-minute call from their dream school and drops from the one they were planning to go with and then it starts a chain-reaction down the list, with all the people who accept suddenly having 24-48 hours to move and report for classes.

 

[LPpostbacc]

40k total package worth. not sure if that's 10k per year or 40k off of ms1 fees

If you're going to be getting loans, which most probably do, than the breakdown doesn't matter too much. You won't be forking over the money upfront either way.

I think it would absolutely be worth it for a younger, more traditional student. Non-trads obviously have an internal clock ticking a little louder.

Two things traditional students might not grasp as easily: there's no substitute for time while you're young, and how debt affects your life, later.

As a 22-24 year old, I'd do it in an instant. Probably still at 25, and more "iffy" at 26/27.