Waitlist anxiety!

[Mary2009]

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Hey everyone, I have found myself on 7, yes SEVEN, waitlists this year with no acceptances to date. Any advice on how to deal with all the anxiety of waiting??? I feel like I have been patient all year and I just can't take it anymore!

Any info on the waitlist status at AECOM, NYU, U of R, Stony Brook, Upstate, GW, and Wash U?

 

[PBMaxx]

Yeah, stick it out until May 16th and you'll be fine.

 

[PBMaxx]

Hey everyone, I have found myself on 7, yes SEVEN, waitlists this year with no acceptances to date. Any advice on how to deal with all the anxiety of waiting??? I feel like I have been patient all year and I just can't take it anymore!

Any info on the waitlist status at AECOM, NYU, U of R, Stony Brook, Upstate, GW, and Wash U?

If you are too antsy, then get proactive. Start heavily campaigning for yourself at your top choice(s). Get letters of interest and a letter of intent sent in pronto, and you'll see if my prediction about May 16th doesn't come true.

 

[abbiequeen]

If you are too antsy, then get proactive. Start heavily campaigning for yourself at your top choice(s). Get letters of interest and a letter of intent sent in pronto, and you'll see if my prediction about May 16th doesn't come true.

Yes, yes--Lots of letters of Interest and one Letter of Intent at your favorite school. Sending in a new transcript (if you are a senior in school right now) can show that you are academically strong. Doing something about your position makes you feel like you have control over the situation, and that often helps to relieve stress. The above person is also right about waiting until May 16 because I personally dropped two acceptances and two waitlists right at the deadline last year.

Good Luck!

~Abbiequeen 🙂

 

[Mary2009]

Can you shed some light on this "Letter of Intent" idea? I have sent letters of interest to all of my waitlist schools, but no letter of intent to my favorite. I'm guessing it basically states that it is your top choice? How will they know however, that you are not sending this to all schools...

 

[klp14]

Do a search for "letter of intent" - there are a bunch of threads where people ask the same questions you have.

 

[Calizona]

Yes, yes--Lots of letters of Interest and one Letter of Intent at your favorite school. Sending in a new transcript (if you are a senior in school right now) can show that you are academically strong. Doing something about your position makes you feel like you have control over the situation, and that often helps to relieve stress. The above person is also right about waiting until May 16 because I personally dropped two acceptances and two waitlists right at the deadline last year.

Good Luck!

~Abbiequeen 🙂

I wonder if there is actually that much movement of waitlists specifically on May 16th. Does anyone know when the biggest movement is? Is it one week after May 15th? Two weeks after? Is it the first couple weeks in June? I only ask b/c I'm going to be travelling out of country for almost the entire month of June and am on 2 (possibly 3) waitlists. If they call my house can someone else tell that school that I want to go there and then cancel my acceptance at another school? Do I have to sign a statement empowering someone like my parents to be able to take the liberty to resolve those issues with given instructions like Calizona prefers School A > School B > School C etc? Anyone have any recommendations? Anyone in a similar situation? I would appreciate any feedback

 

[Attentive]

I wonder if there is actually that much movement of waitlists specifically on May 16th. Does anyone know when the biggest movement is? Is it one week after May 15th? Two weeks after? Is it the first couple weeks in June? I only ask b/c I'm going to be travelling out of country for almost the entire month of June and am on 2 (possibly 3) waitlists. If they call my house can someone else tell that school that I want to go there and then cancel my acceptance at another school? Do I have to sign a statement empowering someone like my parents to be able to take the liberty to resolve those issues with given instructions like Calizona prefers School A > School B > School C etc? Anyone have any recommendations? Anyone in a similar situation? I would appreciate any feedback

I think that regardless of what you say to them over the telephone, only statements in writing are binding, that's why they always ask you to respond with a written or signed thing.

So I would write the intent to enroll or acceptance of their offer for each of the 3 schools you have waitlists on. Sign them, don't date them.

Then write, sign your cancellation letter for your pick for the May 15 school.

That way instead of having to empower someone else. A "trusted" (emphasis on this, make sure it's someone you can rely on) someone else can take the responsibility of sending out the appropriate letters as they come.

If you're on like 10 or so waitlists, it gets more complicated, but with 3 i think it should be doable.

Best of Luck!

 

[Mary2009]

I do know that the biggest time for movement is different for each school. Some schools move the most people in May, some in June and some in July. Do you have an advisor that has access to this particular information? (My undergrad advisor was able to consult some "unknown source" that told him the time frame for when each school took the majority of people off their waitlist)

 

[Calizona]

BTW, thank you for the idea to write 3 confirmation of acceptance letter just for someone to send out if I get accepted to the school. In terms of having access to someone who knows about waitlists, I do not have access to any premed advisors. I have been out of school for a year now and did not use my premed advisors too much even when I was in undergrad. I think i'm just gonna call each school and ask when they normally have the greatest waitlist movement. Thank you for the responses.

 

[Medikit]

The waitlist has ruined my sleep 🙁

 

[PMinty44]

I just want to know "yes" or "no". That's all. 🙁

If it's "no", it's ok, I can move on to choosing between the schools that have accepted me (which is a hard enough situation). I realize it's a fortunate situation to be in, but it also sucks!

 

[caique]

The waitlist has ruined my sleep 🙁

Seriously! I toss and turn at least an hour before I can actually fall asleep.... just worrying worrying worrying.

 

[Calizona]

While I am happy to be accepted to a school, I personally think that waitlists make me less appreciative to have an acceptance in hand. This whole process just consists of everyone jockeying for position and trying to determine what they are worth (which they relate to where they get in). First everyone only wants to get into a medical school. Then they want to get into a better medical school. Then they want a sweet financial aid package. Then they want a California school. It just seems like nobody ends up being extremely happy with the fact that they will be a doctor. Most of the posts on this website are people who have gotten in to a school but are freaking out about getting off another school's waitlist, or about moving to the cold, etc. I find myself falling into the same trap by hoping I'll get into such and such medical school off the waitlist. However, I think that by doing this we are preventing ourselves from just being happy with current acceptances. For those of you waiting on your first acceptance, I wish you the best of luck and hope every single one of you gets in soon so you can stop stressing. But for those who have an acceptance in hand, shouldn't we no longer be worried about waitlists? I mean can one school be THAT much of a better school than another one?

 

[Mary2009]

Thanks Calizona! Not having one acceptance yet after what I thought was a good looking resume, has been the toughest thing to deal with. I dream each night about being at a different school...when it comes down to it, I don't care anymore where I go! I just want to get some sleep (well, for now anyways, hehe) and become a great doc!

 

[PMinty44]

I'm so glad you said it, Calizona. You are completely right. I do try to relax and be grateful, but it is hard to stop worrying. Thanks for your words of wisdom. =)

 

[cpatel301]

This is my second year being on a ton of waitlists- and I am sick of it to be quite honest. I hope we all get in somewhere- but if not- my goal is to be a doctor and I will go overseas where I can be one. To me its the satisfaction of helping someone- no matter where they are from or where I am practicing- that is why I want to be a doctor. Good luck everyone.

 

[Mary2009]

Is it wrong to give the admissions office a call? I don't want to annoy them, but I would like to pry a little, hehe. 🙄

 

[PTPoeny]

I call one school I am waitlisted at about every other week. But think up a valid question as well, and then just tack on a question about whether or not there's been any waitlist movement on at the end. I always talk to the same secretary and he expects it at this point.

On the stress point, I go to my campus rec center and find a combative arts room or raquetball court and yell and scream about how stupid med school ad coms are and I feel better. 🙂

Okay, I have to rant just a little because I interviewed with my first choice school on Nov.16th, and drumroll....on monday!! I got a letter placing me on the waitlist. For some reason, with five months I thought they would actually be able to make a decision.

 

[gdubb]

The waitlist has ruined my sleep 🙁

tell me about it. 😡

 

[Mary2009]

Bump 😳

 

[xanadont]

Do most people turn in grades from the spring semester to schools they're waitlisted at? Is it looked down upon or seem suspicious if you don't submit your grades as an update?

 

[Mary2009]

I think that most people that are still in school and waitlisted turn in grades. If your grades were less than stellar this semester, try submitting additional letters of rec or great letters of interest. I am no longer in school so that is what I had to do to make up for the lack of new grades.

 

[Karina]

I am on two waitlists...and have completely given up hope. So, I stuck with my accpentance, got an apartment, sent my deposits, ordered my lab coat and everything looks in place for me to start Aug. 1st.

I have failed to remove my name from the wailists, though....I think I just want my life to get rreeeeeaaaally complicated if for some miracle I end up getting in at the last minute...but I really didn't want to hold on to an unknown.

The waitlist sucks. Period!

Karina

 

[Karina]

Do most people turn in grades from the spring semester to schools they're waitlisted at? Is it looked down upon or seem suspicious if you don't submit your grades as an update?

After being waitlisted I contacted the Deans at the schools.Both of them said it was not necesary for me to submit my grades. It would've helped a lot, since I got a 4.00 my last semester...including anatomy. But they said it wasn't necesary and I didn't want to seem too pushy 🙁

 

[hwong14]

After being waitlisted I contacted the Deans at the schools.Both of them said it was not necesary for me to submit my grades. It would've helped a lot, since I got a 4.00 my last semester...including anatomy. But they said it wasn't necesary and I didn't want to seem too pushy 🙁

They probably said it wasn't necessary because it truly isn't -- and if you had gotten a 3.0 this semester, you wouldn't want to. But a 4.0? I'd definitely submit that! I don't think submitting spring grades seems pushy, not by a long shot.

 

[Medikit]

Anxious is a good description of my emotional state at the moment.

 

[freaker]

I take it there are a number of us out there on waitlists with no acceptances? I'm on 5 myself. I admit, I have my favorites, but really, I'll be extremely happy (read: overjoyed) to get in anywhere.

I'm just soooo over this waiting. I want freedom. I want roadtrips. I want to tell my friends what I'm doing instead of having them ask me over and over again without me being able to update them. I want loud 80s New Wave pop and sunny days. I want this rain to go away. I want to disappear into the Caribbean and go camping, to forget all of this.

And right now, I'm just stuck. Just waiting for the adcoms to come to the obvious 😉 conclusion I'm what they really wanted in the first place.

 

[mrsmac]

I take it there are a number of us out there on waitlists with no acceptances? I'm on 5 myself. I admit, I have my favorites, but really, I'll be extremely happy (read: overjoyed) to get in anywhere.

I'm just soooo over this waiting. I want freedom. I want roadtrips. I want to tell my friends what I'm doing instead of having them ask me over and over again without me being able to update them. I want loud 80s New Wave pop and sunny days. I want this rain to go away. I want to disappear into the Caribbean and go camping, to forget all of this.

And right now, I'm just stuck. Just waiting for the adcoms to come to the obvious 😉 conclusion I'm what they really wanted in the first place.

Well said. Nice. Sweet. To the point. I feel the same way (except for the 80s pop. )

mrsmac

 

[pianodude]

Yup. Ditto here. Crossing my fingers. Either SF Bay Area or NYC. Hopefully not neither...

Waiting is such an awful feeling... It's like you had a decent date (interview) with a hot guy/girl but are waiting for the him/her to call you back...

 

[shaunaiam]

If you are too antsy, then get proactive. Start heavily campaigning for yourself at your top choice(s). Get letters of interest and a letter of intent sent in pronto, and you'll see if my prediction about May 16th doesn't come true.

Do letters of intent, etc. make a difference after you're wait-listed? I was under the impression the order was basically set at that point.