Waitlist at 3 schools: MCG-Augusta vs. Ohio State vs. University of Maryland

[majorlazer4196]

I'm currently in the waitlist of 3 schools (but I'm heavily leaning between MCG and OSU; I used to be all-in for MCG, but with OSU offering me an interview this cycle, it's made me stuck on the fence between MCG and OSU now). I don't know how I can maximize my chances of an acceptance with one of the schools and I'm seriously considering writing a letter of intent to MCG-Augusta, my in-state school. What're y'alls advice on what next steps to take? Which school should I make as my #1 choice and make a letter of intent to to maximize my chances of acceptance to at least 1 school? Is it possible to make letters of intent to 2 schools, to both OSU and MCG? Would it hurt?

MCG
Pros

• Cheap tuition
• I feel like I can be a "big fish in a pond", where I can perform well in med school without feeling like my head is barely above the water
• Close to family and friends
• CoL is on the low-end in Augusta
• Best chance at an MD acceptance
• Can be a good school if I pursue specialities that are on the low-end of competitiveness that I'm interested in, like Anesthesia, Pathology, Neurology, etc.
• No need to pay money for flights back home for holidays

Cons

• Worried about low ranking affecting my match success later on for residency
• Worried I'll limit chances at landing a competitive specialty like ENT, Derm, etc. if I go to MCG
• I heard there is a lot of traveling that needs to be done for clinical rotations in years 3 and 4, though i'm not sure if that applies to any med school

Ohio State
Pros

• High ranking
• People have been telling me OSU is great for getting into competitive specialties
• The campus has a great rec center for wellness
• OSU is very similar to where I went to for undergrad in terms of campus life
• Med students say that they had a great experience with the mental health counselors and resources OSU provides (though i'm sure MCG is also similar with how well it cares for student's mental health)
• After 1st year OOS tuition, OSU's IS tuition is similar to MCG (If I can qualify for IS tuition after the 1st year)
• I heard they are generous about financial aid (idk yet, but I feel MCG's low cost is still gonna outweigh OSU's cost of attendance)

Cons

• OSU seems ranking-oriented, which gives a slightly competitive vibe
• I feel like i'll be a "guppy in an ocean", being in class with a lot of academically strong med students
• the process to qualify for IS tuition seems convoluted if you don't make it past the the first application screening for that. When your IS tuition application goes through the appeals process, it seems like it can be annoying, that's what other OOS med students have said about the process.
• Away from home, making me distant from family and friends for social/emotional support
• Flights from Columbus back to my hometown in Atlanta for family visits are pricey

University of Maryland
Pros

• Highest ranked program of my 3 choices
• Great affiliate hospital network for rotations
• Flights from BWI in Baltimore are cheap for flights to my hometown and to vacation destinations in the domestic US

Cons

• Tiered P/F grading (HP, P, F)
• I feel like a guppy in an ocean
• It's my least preferred of the 3 schools
• OOS tuition is crazy expensive ($68k-72k/year)
• I lived in Baltimore for the past year and I don't think i'd be happy living here for a potential next 4 years of my life.

Summary: These are the pros and cons I see with the 3 schools I got waitlisted in and I'm struggling with making a decision on which school to focus on making sure I get into. I worry if I try to keep my options open between my 3 waitlisted school by taking no action, I'll have no choices at all by the time the waitlist closes and I don't get into any school, so I'm seriously considering taking action by deciding on a #1 school and writing a letter of intent to only that one school. MCG doesn't take update letters at this point in the cycle, only intent letters, I think OSU still takes update letters, and UMaryland also still takes update letters as well.

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[chilly_md]

Is it possible to make letters of intent to 2 schools, to both OSU and MCG? Would it hurt?

That would be bad form and is a major reason why these letters are becoming less effective.

I would guess that MCG (especially if they outright noted intent letters) would be more swayed by them, especially from an IS resident.

 

[majorlazer4196]

So make an intent letter to MCG and make update letters to Ohio State and UMaryland?

 

[theoceanman]

So make an intent letter to MCG and make update letters to Ohio State and UMaryland?

Yes. Update letters expressing active interest and meaningful updates and anything showcases more than what your secondaries and interviews showed!

 

[charactercomic2]

So make an intent letter to MCG and make update letters to Ohio State and UMaryland?

Good advice. I sent a letter of intent to my #1, and a strong letter of interest to my #2 where I was waitlisted at both. Got off waitlist at #2!

 

[theoceanman]

Good advice. I sent a letter of intent to my #1, and a strong letter of interest to my #2 where I was waitlisted at both. Got off waitlist at #2!

YAY congrats!!!!!!!

 

[majorlazer4196]

Good advice. I sent a letter of intent to my #1, and a strong letter of interest to my #2 where I was waitlisted at both. Got off waitlist at #2!

There's a good chance that the school you wrote the letter of intent to rejects you? Cuz I'm hanging by a thread with these 3 waitlisted schools.

Also, MCG for the most part was my #1 until I got an II from OSU and now I'm on the fence between which campus I prefer more. I don't know if MCG remains my #1, but I should still send a letter of intent to them(MCG is the most practical choice for me. Cheap tuition, close to home, being around UGA students, etc.)?

 

[majorlazer4196]

Yes. Update letters expressing active interest and meaningful updates and anything showcases more than what your secondaries and interviews showed!

Also, I was hoping to push off the update letter until I can show to med schools that I published a paper, but the manuscript is still in limbo because it's been rejected by a journal my lab submitted to pre-peer review.

 

[theoceanman]

Also, I was hoping to push off the update letter until I can show to med schools that I published a paper, but the manuscript is still in limbo because it's been rejected by a journal my lab submitted to pre-peer review.

Just mention manuscript in the works and soon to be published; a friend did that for one of his review papers and got into that school about 3 weeks later. It could be coincidence but who knows

 

[majorlazer4196]

What's the latest I should send my MCG intent letter and my OSU update letter by?

Because I wanna get time to get it reviewed by my friends and mentors and have it polished before sending it to MCG and OSU.

@chilly_md @charactercomic2 @aquafied

 

[chilly_md]

What's the latest I should send my MCG intent letter and my OSU update letter by?

Because I wanna get time to get it reviewed by my friends and mentors and have it polished before sending it to MCG and OSU.

@chilly_md @charactercomic2 @aquafied

The letters should not be long. Best to get it in as soon as possible (end of the week at the latest) as most of the movement will be occurring this month based on what people have shared in past years on SDN for these schools.

 

[majorlazer4196]

The letters should not be long. Best to get it in as soon as possible (end of the week at the latest) as most of the movement will be occurring this month based on what people have shared in past years on SDN for these schools.

A friend of mine who's an MCG graduate that's been advising me about my application told me he sent his letter of intent as soon as after he interviewed, that's how he got out of the waitlist in May when he got waitlisted (I wish he told me that he sent his letter of intent that soon, I thought he didn't send one at all and got accepted out of the waitlist in May). He told me my chances of improving my WL acceptance chances are dead at this point, an intent letter isn't gonna do anything since hundreds of interviewees at MCG have done it much earlier than I have. It's making me hopeless for an MCG acceptance when working on this intent letter (though I equally like OSU now, so if OSU offered me an A and MCG ends up never geting me out of the waitlist, then everything may work out).
@charactercomic2 @aquafied

 

[internally_brilliant]

A friend of mine who's an MCG graduate that's been advising me about my application told me he sent his letter of intent as soon as after he interviewed, that's how he got out of the waitlist in May when he got waitlisted (I wish he told me that he sent his letter of intent that soon, I thought he didn't send one at all and got accepted out of the waitlist in May). He told me my chances of improving my WL acceptance chances are dead at this point, an intent letter isn't gonna do anything since hundreds of interviewees at MCG have done it much earlier than I have. It's making me hopeless for an MCG acceptance when working on this intent letter (though I equally like OSU now, so if OSU offered me an A and MCG ends up never geting me out of the waitlist, then everything may work out).
@charactercomic2 @aquafied

I would continue to draft update letters to OSU and UMaryland and a LOI to MCG. There’s nothing you can do to change the past now so do what you can. I got off the WL at MCG last week and I sent no updates or LOIs so it’s definitely possible.

 

[majorlazer4196]

The letters should not be long. Best to get it in as soon as possible (end of the week at the latest) as most of the movement will be occurring this month based on what people have shared in past years on SDN for these schools.

Given this situation, what are my chances of getting accepted out of the waitlist of at least 1 waitlisted school right now? I sent my letter of intent to MCG and an update letter to Ohio State 9 days ago. I'll send an update letter to UMaryland this coming Monday.

@charactercomic2 @aquafied @internally_brilliant

 

[mdog31415]

Given this situation, what are my chances of getting accepted out of the waitlist of at least 1 waitlisted school right now? I sent my letter of intent to MCG and an update letter to Ohio State 9 days ago. I'll send an update letter to UMaryland this coming Monday.

@charactercomic2 @aquafied @internally_brilliant

Take my word for a grain of salt, but seeing the WL movement from previous years at those schools AND where we are in the cycle, I'd rate that chance at 50%. OSU used to have good WL movement in past years but has been lackluster this year and last. MCG I have no clue. U Maryland- totally depends if you are in upper or lower WL (30% shot if in upper WL, virtually 0 lower WL). Peak movement is either happening right now or has happened. After the Friday before Memorial Day, tends to really go down, and come each program's CTE date, it's really not great. Do you know what half on the WL you are ranked for Maryland?

 

[majorlazer4196]

Take my word for a grain of salt, but seeing the WL movement from previous years at those schools AND where we are in the cycle, I'd rate that chance at 50%. OSU used to have good WL movement in past years but has been lackluster this year and last. MCG I have no clue. U Maryland- totally depends if you are in upper or lower WL (30% shot if in upper WL, virtually 0 lower WL). Peak movement is either happening right now or has happened. After the Friday before Memorial Day, tends to really go down, and come each program's CTE date, it's really not great. Do you know what half on the WL you are ranked for Maryland?

With UMaryland, unfortunately I'm in the lower half.

 

[chilly_md]

Given this situation, what are my chances of getting accepted out of the waitlist of at least 1 waitlisted school right now? I sent my letter of intent to MCG and an update letter to Ohio State 9 days ago. I'll send an update letter to UMaryland this coming Monday.

@charactercomic2 @aquafied @internally_brilliant

Can't really say. But you will have to submit a new app in about a month if you don't get off of any WL by then.

 

[majorlazer4196]

Can't really say. But you will have to submit a new app in about a month if you don't get off of any WL by then.

I'm already starting to reach out to professors for renewed letters of rec in preparation for reapplying.

 

[theoceanman]

Given this situation, what are my chances of getting accepted out of the waitlist of at least 1 waitlisted school right now? I sent my letter of intent to MCG and an update letter to Ohio State 9 days ago. I'll send an update letter to UMaryland this coming Monday.

Truly is a coin toss unfortunately. As told above, since you’re ranked lower on the WL for UMaryland, you should not count on that being your acceptance. MCG being your in-state program should be your priority but that’s truly a 50-50 chance there. OSU seems lackluster in WL movement as well so you can only wait and see until Memorial Day if anything else occurs

 

[djseabas]

I'm currently in the waitlist of 3 schools (but I'm heavily leaning between MCG and OSU; I used to be all-in for MCG, but with OSU offering me an interview this cycle, it's made me stuck on the fence between MCG and OSU now). I don't know how I can maximize my chances of an acceptance with one of the schools and I'm seriously considering writing a letter of intent to MCG-Augusta, my in-state school. What're y'alls advice on what next steps to take? Which school should I make as my #1 choice and make a letter of intent to to maximize my chances of acceptance to at least 1 school? Is it possible to make letters of intent to 2 schools, to both OSU and MCG? Would it hurt?

MCG
Pros

• Cheap tuition
• I feel like I can be a "big fish in a pond", where I can perform well in med school without feeling like my head is barely above the water
• Close to family and friends
• CoL is on the low-end in Augusta
• Best chance at an MD acceptance
• Can be a good school if I pursue specialities that are on the low-end of competitiveness that I'm interested in, like Anesthesia, Pathology, Neurology, etc.
• No need to pay money for flights back home for holidays

Cons

• Worried about low ranking affecting my match success later on for residency
• Worried I'll limit chances at landing a competitive specialty like ENT, Derm, etc. if I go to MCG
• I heard there is a lot of traveling that needs to be done for clinical rotations in years 3 and 4, though i'm not sure if that applies to any med school

Ohio State
Pros

• High ranking
• People have been telling me OSU is great for getting into competitive specialties
• The campus has a great rec center for wellness
• OSU is very similar to where I went to for undergrad in terms of campus life
• Med students say that they had a great experience with the mental health counselors and resources OSU provides (though i'm sure MCG is also similar with how well it cares for student's mental health)
• After 1st year OOS tuition, OSU's IS tuition is similar to MCG (If I can qualify for IS tuition after the 1st year)
• I heard they are generous about financial aid (idk yet, but I feel MCG's low cost is still gonna outweigh OSU's cost of attendance)

Cons

• OSU seems ranking-oriented, which gives a slightly competitive vibe
• I feel like i'll be a "guppy in an ocean", being in class with a lot of academically strong med students
• the process to qualify for IS tuition seems convoluted if you don't make it past the the first application screening for that. When your IS tuition application goes through the appeals process, it seems like it can be annoying, that's what other OOS med students have said about the process.
• Away from home, making me distant from family and friends for social/emotional support
• Flights from Columbus back to my hometown in Atlanta for family visits are pricey

University of Maryland
Pros

• Highest ranked program of my 3 choices
• Great affiliate hospital network for rotations
• Flights from BWI in Baltimore are cheap for flights to my hometown and to vacation destinations in the domestic US

Cons

• Tiered P/F grading (HP, P, F)
• I feel like a guppy in an ocean
• It's my least preferred of the 3 schools
• OOS tuition is crazy expensive ($68k-72k/year)
• I lived in Baltimore for the past year and I don't think i'd be happy living here for a potential next 4 years of my life.

Summary: These are the pros and cons I see with the 3 schools I got waitlisted in and I'm struggling with making a decision on which school to focus on making sure I get into. I worry if I try to keep my options open between my 3 waitlisted school by taking no action, I'll have no choices at all by the time the waitlist closes and I don't get into any school, so I'm seriously considering taking action by deciding on a #1 school and writing a letter of intent to only that one school. MCG doesn't take update letters at this point in the cycle, only intent letters, I think OSU still takes update letters, and UMaryland also still takes update letters as well.

what happened? Where did you end up and did you get pulled off the waitlist for al the schools. I am waitlisted at 5!! yes 5!!