UMDNJ-SOM frustration

[wildsimmer]

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So here's a story...
my aacomas app was completed and processed in september. My seconday to umdnj was completed in november. My file was reviewed once every month from november until now. I called the admissions office about once a week to check on my app and they said everything was "complete" and that they were waiting for the committee to reach a decision. Come mid-march, there is still NO word from umdnj and I am ready to drop-kick somebody. So I call up admissions and ask them to tell me exactly what they have on file for me. Turns out they didn't recieve my DO letter that was sent in January!! But because its not an application "requirement", they kept telling me my app was complete. So the letter is re-sent and 2 weeks later I FINALLY get called in for an interview. BUT now apparently the class is full and I am ready to unleash the worst PMS driven fit ever recorded in history....

umdnj is my absolute first choice which is why I applied early!

Here's my question: since everyone who interviewed in april is getting waitlisted, what are the chances of actually getting accepted?

oh and what the heck is a letter of intent? and since I am the butt end of the interview cycle, when should I send in one of these LOIs?

 

[peace84]

i'd say your chances of acceptance are slim to none. i was waitlisted after interviewing at the end of march. i assume they're now interviewing only for the waitlist. i understand your frustration....i had a similar problem at another school. good luck.

 

[nvshelat]

So here's a story...
my aacomas app was completed and processed in september. My seconday to umdnj was completed in november. My file was reviewed once every month from november until now. I called the admissions office about once a week to check on my app and they said everything was "complete" and that they were waiting for the committee to reach a decision. Come mid-march, there is still NO word from umdnj and I am ready to drop-kick somebody. So I call up admissions and ask them to tell me exactly what they have on file for me. Turns out they didn't recieve my DO letter that was sent in January!! But because its not an application "requirement", they kept telling me my app was complete. So the letter is re-sent and 2 weeks later I FINALLY get called in for an interview. BUT now apparently the class is full and I am ready to unleash the worst PMS driven fit ever recorded in history....

umdnj is my absolute first choice which is why I applied early!

Here's my question: since everyone who interviewed in april is getting waitlisted, what are the chances of actually getting accepted?

oh and what the heck is a letter of intent? and since I am the butt end of the interview cycle, when should I send in one of these LOIs?

Firstly, they only interview those that they are really interested in. If you get on the waitlist, you're "accepted" pending dropped seats. People will drop in May for allo schools or other osteo schools later into the summer. Alternatively, they could expand their class size.
Secondly, I think you have a better shot than those on the waitlist who dont have a DO letter. I think a DO letter is a big plus, b/c SOM takes pride in being an osteopathic medical school.
Finally, Send in your LOI as soon as possible after your interview, along with updates and your spring semester grades if you have any. Do it in person if you can! Go to the open house (check their website for the date). I'm not an ADCOM, obviously, but I'm just passing on info that I've heard from others. Good luck!

 

[sayoc]

Same here! You are interviewing for the waitlist position. LOI indicates your frist choice and why. It won't hurt you to send one in but have a back up school in plan. While in back, I read in SDN, it says, LOI Could be a binding agreement - if you do get accepted you have to go to that school. I am not sure if this is truth but it is something you have to look into.

Less than 10% get off from the waitlist. (small)

Don't put too much effort into LOI. Do well on your interview - dont unleash the your worst PMS that day.

Good luck to you.

 

[MedChef]

So here's a story...
my aacomas app was completed and processed in september. My seconday to umdnj was completed in november. My file was reviewed once every month from november until now. I called the admissions office about once a week to check on my app and they said everything was "complete" and that they were waiting for the committee to reach a decision. Come mid-march, there is still NO word from umdnj and I am ready to drop-kick somebody. So I call up admissions and ask them to tell me exactly what they have on file for me. Turns out they didn't recieve my DO letter that was sent in January!! But because its not an application "requirement", they kept telling me my app was complete. So the letter is re-sent and 2 weeks later I FINALLY get called in for an interview. BUT now apparently the class is full and I am ready to unleash the worst PMS driven fit ever recorded in history....

umdnj is my absolute first choice which is why I applied early!

Here's my question: since everyone who interviewed in april is getting waitlisted, what are the chances of actually getting accepted?

oh and what the heck is a letter of intent? and since I am the butt end of the interview cycle, when should I send in one of these LOIs?

I just gave up my acceptance and others probably will too. I am not saying that your chances are great, but there is still hope. Best of luck.

 

[wildsimmer]

Thanks for the support guys!
I really appreciate it!

My backup right now is NYCOM. Its a great school and I was really excited that I got in somewhere except that financially I don't know if I will be able to afford it.

Anyways, Im just hoping for the best! 🙂

 

[sayoc]

Thanks for the support guys!
I really appreciate it!

My backup right now is NYCOM. Its a great school and I was really excited that I got in somewhere except that financially I don't know if I will be able to afford it.

Anyways, Im just hoping for the best! 🙂

Hmmm.. NYCOM and UMDNJ Tough choice... you can alway apply for FAFSA and privite loans.

 

[ytg]

I just gave up my acceptance and others probably will too. I am not saying that your chances are great, but there is still hope. Best of luck.

Thank you we need more like you!

 

[OMMFan]

I don't know for sure, but I believe that your chances of getting in after being waitlisted are dependent upon where you rank on the waitlist. If you interview and are waitlisted, the adcom ranks you on the waitlist -- you are not automatically booted to the end of the waitlist simply b/c you interviewed late. By the time you interview, there may even be spots open. So have a fantastic interview that will lead you to be either accepted or high-waitlisted!

Good luck to you!

OMMFan

 

[Doctor Bagel]

Thank you we need more like you!

Add me, too. I just mailed my withdrawal letter on Tuesday.

 

[wildsimmer]

*yayyyy exlawgrrl!!! 🙂

Thanks OMMfan!

where ya guys going in the fall?

 

[BigBoy]

NOOOOOO! Hold those seats for 2 more weeks!!! For God's sake!

 

[sayoc]

NOOOOOO! Hold those seats for 2 more weeks!!! For God's sake!

WhY?

 

[Medicineman20]

Does anyone know when the 2007 AACOMAS application is available? I keep going there and it tells me that it will be available by may 1st?? 😕

 

[bkpa2med]

May 15th.

 

[sayoc]

May 15th.

May 15th is where waitlist movement begins for most schools. We know. But UMDNJ-SOM class was full since March and the interview ends in May. For people who had interview in March and April will be waitlisted or gets a rejection. Suppose an accpeted students withdraw from UMDNJ-SOM in May, do people interviewed in May gets a chance to take this spot? If so it seem unfair to those people who interviewed in early March or April.

 

[BigBoy]

May 15th is where waitlist movement begins for most schools. We know. But UMDNJ-SOM class was full since March and the interview ends in May. For people who had interview in March and April will be waitlisted or gets a rejection. Suppose an accpeted students withdraw from UMDNJ-SOM in May, do people interviewed in May gets a chance to take this spot? If so it seem unfair to those people who interviewed in early March or April.

Yes. If an accepted student drops today and someone interviews tomorrow, they are interviewing for that spot. Those of us who were waitlisted months ago won't be up for review until after interviews are complete. THAT is why I said please hold those seats. So that those of us who applied there earlier and have wanted to go there will still have our shot.

 

[sayoc]

Yes. If an accepted student drops today and someone interviews tomorrow, they are interviewing for that spot. Those of us who were waitlisted months ago won't be up for review until after interviews are complete. THAT is why I said please hold those seats. So that those of us who applied there earlier and have wanted to go there will still have our shot.

Are You sure? absolutely sure? Oh man! If such policy is true, then it will be very very bad for people who interview before which there is no spot open. I will call tomorrow to comfirm this.

 

[BigBoy]

You're kidding, right? How did you think it worked? Someone drops, that seat is open. Someone interviews, they interview for that seat. Until they stop interviewing, we are out of the running.

 

[Nate]

It does not work that way. First of all, all medical schools accept more people than they have seats for. There are always a number of people who have multiple acceptances and choose elsewhere or choose not to attend that year. They account for a "safe" number of those, so for instance if UMDNJ has 95 seats they may accept 160 people for those seats depending on whatever statistics they are using to measure the overflow. If two or three people drop their seats early it is not going to make a dent in the overflow. It isn't until late May when MD schools have closed their doors to multiple acceptances and crunch time approaches that mass movements occur across the board. If more people release their seats than the overflow then people are called from the alternate list. There is absolutely no way to predict how much movement if any there will be, it varies wildly year to year from what I hear. I think for my class there were only 4 seats opened to the waitlist but other years may have had more. I think they put two or three extra people in my class also, just because they really liked them, I also know someone got off the waitlist the week before classes. Don't give up hope and don't think that anyone interviewing after you has better chances than you, rolling admissions means that the further it gets to the end the more applicants you are competing against; at this point you are competing with the entire applicant pool. That is why priority number one is to apply early if you don't make it this year. I wish you all the best

 

[Nate]

To the OP:
An LOI is a letter of intent, and it tells the school that you intend to drop all of your other applications and attend there if they accept you. It tells the school that they are your number one choice and why it is a good fit for you. It is normally less than a page long and is concise and compelling. It is not really a legal contract but is arguably an ethical one so if you send in LOIs to multiple schools and they find out, you may get blacklisted. Medicine is a small community and people do talk so make sure you write a great LOI and send it to your favorite school only.
I am sorry your letter was lost until late but don’t give up hope. It aint over ‘till it’s over.

 

[sayoc]

It does not work that way. First of all, all medical schools accept more people than they have seats for. There are always a number of people who have multiple acceptances and choose elsewhere or choose not to attend that year. They account for a "safe" number of those, so for instance if UMDNJ has 95 seats they may accept 160 people for those seats depending on whatever statistics they are using to measure the overflow. If two or three people drop their seats early it is not going to make a dent in the overflow. It isn't until late May when MD schools have closed their doors to multiple acceptances and crunch time approaches that mass movements occur across the board. If more people release their seats than the overflow then people are called from the alternate list. There is absolutely no way to predict how much movement if any there will be, it varies wildly year to year from what I hear. I think for my class there were only 4 seats opened to the waitlist but other years may have had more. I think they put two or three extra people in my class also, just because they really liked them, I also know someone got off the waitlist the week before classes. Don't give up hope and don't think that anyone interviewing after you has better chances than you, rolling admissions means that the further it gets to the end the more applicants you are competing against; at this point you are competing with the entire applicant pool. That is why priority number one is to apply early if you don't make it this year. I wish you all the best

I understands they accept more people to serve as a buffer zone. Now the questions is about 160 people. Are all 160 people who had immediate acceptance after the interview? I am just wondering if waitlist people are part of this 160...

 

[Nate]

I used 160 as an example, I have no idea what the actual number is. But, the "160" in the example would be people accepted, not including those waitlisted. Anyone after that, that is found acceptable post interview, is put on the waitlist. They know by statistics what a safe number to accept is and want to ensure a full class.
So, when the class is “full”, it is actually more than full.

 

[Amaranthan]

SOM keeps taking people off the waitlist (at least) until the day of the white coat ceremony. I recently met someone who was contacted the day before the ceremony and was told to get ready in case someone didn't show up. Sure enough, someone failed to make an appearance and he go into the class!! It ain't over until it is over and if you are out there waiting...you are not alone! I'm still waiting, too...

 

[wildsimmer]

Nate, thanks so much for the info. I am working on my letter right now and hopefully it will be in by the end of the week. Adcom next meets on the 15th so I want to make sure they have it by then.

I hope I end up being one of those "hey I got off the waitlist just in time" kinda stories!
*fingers crossed!!!

 

[sayoc]

Nate, thanks so much for the info. I am working on my letter right now and hopefully it will be in by the end of the week. Adcom next meets on the 15th so I want to make sure they have it by then.

I hope I end up being one of those "hey I got off the waitlist just in time" kinda stories!
*fingers crossed!!!

Best of luck to you. I know I will need it.

 

[wildsimmer]

Best of luck to you. I know I will need it.

and good luck to u too sayoc!