Waitlist Support Group

Discover Your Odds of Getting into Medical School
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so the waitlist is kind of like this?
Beecher%20picking%20numbers.JPG
 
gyngyn said:
Not at all.
With a truly ranked list, one just marches through without executive function.
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If you're trying somewhat to maintain diversity, I imagine you would venture down in the list to pull out someone that matches the one who just dropped.
 
BolloX said:
If you're trying somewhat to maintain diversity, I imagine you would venture down in the list to pull out someone that matches the one who just dropped.
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That is very interesting. So pretty much the office of admissions categorize people....
 
So seeing people withdraw from my WL school(s) has been pretty cool.

But there is something about turning down an acceptance (I had never done that before today... woah. makes your head spin).... it makes wait-list movement seem that much more real. I just wonder if it will be me this time around.
 
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Entadus said:
So seeing people withdraw from my WL school(s) has been pretty cool.

But there is something about turning down an acceptance (never done that before... woah. makes your head spin).... it makes wait-list movement seem that much more real. I just wonder if it will be me this time around.
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I've also seen some waitlist movement at one of mine already, which is very exciting. But then every time someone ELSE gets in off the waitlist my reaction is both, "That's so awesome!" And "WHY NOT ME?!"
 
Hjbo said:
I've also seen some waitlist movement at one of mine already, which is very exciting. But then every time someone ELSE gets in off the waitlist my reaction is both, "That's so awesome!" And "WHY NOT ME?!"
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I haven't seen any WL movement off either of mine which is depressing. :/
 
Joining y'all with 3 wait lists and 0 acceptances. Anyone else in a similar position trying to decide when to give up the gun and prepare for MCAT retake/reapplication this summer?
 
kel148 said:
Joining y'all with 3 wait lists and 0 acceptances. Anyone else in a similar position trying to decide when to give up the gun and prepare for MCAT retake/reapplication this summer?
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Since I'm only on waitlists I'm making up a new school list. Or I should say adding and removing a few from my list last year.
 
familyaerospace said:
I haven't seen any WL movement off either of mine which is depressing. :/
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Me neither. 🙁
kel148 said:
Joining y'all with 3 wait lists and 0 acceptances. Anyone else in a similar position trying to decide when to give up the gun and prepare for MCAT retake/reapplication this summer?
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Same... but last year was a bad job year for me so reapplying this year would be pointless (no improvements).
juliuspepperwood said:
Since I'm only on waitlists I'm making up a new school list. Or I should say adding and removing a few from my list last year.
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Good luck!
 
On 4 waitlists and one post-interview hold (Still!). Two of them were not so great interviews so I'm really only thinking of it as three wait lists.

There's been quite a bit of movement off one of my school's wait lists already. I can't decide if it's a good thing or bad thing though - I'm worried I missed the big wave of wait list acceptances and that it's just gonna trickle from here on out.
 
@gyngyn , when applicants pick 1 school prior to May 15, will their choice of institution impact their chances to get off wait lists at other schools?

I.e. is a part of a school's strategy for pulling from the WL to "steal" applicants from specific rival schools?
 
Entadus said:
@gyngyn , when applicants pick 1 school prior to May 15, will their choice of institution impact their chances to get off wait lists at other schools?

I.e. is a part of a school's strategy for pulling from the WL to "steal" applicants from specific rival schools?
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Where you are holding an acceptance only influences the perceived likelihood of an uneventful poach.
Someone holding at a poachable school might be a quicker (and happier) choice than someone holding at a loftier (or cheaper) school. That said, if a student holding at a loftier school asks to come off the waitlist (and we have reached their tier of candidates), there is no reason not to take them.

There is little reason to engender animosity and these transactions are largely unrelated to school rivalries.
 
gyngyn said:
Where you are holding an acceptance only influences the perceived likelihood of an uneventful poach.
Someone holding at a poachable school might be a quicker (and happier) choice than someone holding at a loftier (or cheaper) school. That said, if a student holding at a loftier school asks to come off the waitlist (and we have reached their tier of candidates), there is no reason not to take them.

There is little reason to engender animosity and these transactions are largely unrelated to school rivalries.
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Thank you! 🙂
 
gyngyn said:
Where you are holding an acceptance only influences the perceived likelihood of an uneventful poach.
Someone holding at a poachable school might be a quicker (and happier) choice than someone holding at a loftier (or cheaper) school. That said, if a student holding at a loftier school asks to come off the waitlist (and we have reached their tier of candidates), there is no reason not to take them.
Click to expand...

How much thought/concern do deans give to good yield during the waitlist phase? I.e. do they have to record their offers and subsequent acceptance/rejections and then add them to official figures?
 
You know what piece of information would be really interesting to know and compare year to year?

How many individual students get accepted to medical school each year, before waitlist-acceptances. So one person who gets accepted to 8 schools counts as 1, etc. I wonder if this number would decrease or increase in a competitive season.
 
BolloX said:
How much thought/concern do deans give to good yield during the waitlist phase? I.e. do they have to record their offers and subsequent acceptance/rejections and then add them to official figures?
Click to expand...
The waitlist is an inconsequential source of "yield loss" when the dean has the latitude to employ the methodology I described earlier. They are more concerned with a quick, favorable decision that does not complicate an already dynamic phase of this process.
 
gyngyn said:
The waitlist is an inconsequential source of "yield loss" when the dean has the latitude to employ the methodology I described earlier. They are more concerned with a quick, favorable decision that does not complicate an already dynamic phase of this process.
Click to expand...

By the way, the you are so patient and kind to respond to the incessant questioning of neurotic premeds like ourselves! 🙂
 
Okay guys. Check it out. 4 interviews: Two in-state here in California, and two out-of-state in New York (Nov. 2013, March 2014; December 2013, April 2014 respectively) --> 3 entirely silent + 1 waitlist (Although, at this point, I feel like I'm silently waitlisted everywhere). No acceptances (crying inside).

1) What do you think are my chances of getting in before the new application cycle opens on June 3rd? (LizzyM: 70; Traditional; CA resident; Clinical exp. is somewhat of a weak point)

2) Lets say worse comes to worst, and I don't get an acceptance in the next 2 weeks or so, I figure I should re-apply because that seems like a better idea than essentially waiting TWO more years before I can start medical school. And I am sure as hell not going to hold my breath for schools to accept me on some random occurrence the day before classes start this August. Question though: If I reopen/submit a new application for this upcoming cycle, am I effectively withdrawing my current applications with these schools? In other words, if I submit an application for this upcoming cycle, can I still theoretically be accepted for the current cycle?

If everything is cool, I'll reapply but I am worried that I am gonna look the exact same on my application as I did when I applied last June. Nothing SUPER significant has changed and if anything, my GPA actually dropped a little bit with the last few classes I took. Not really sure what to do.

I can wait until my paper gets published, but I am afraid that applying slightly late at the beginning of this current cycle was what put me at a disadvantage in the first place. Lets assume my paper gets published in like mid-July maybe...What do you guys think?
 
doctorswag said:
Question though: If I reopen/submit a new application for this upcoming cycle, am I effectively withdrawing my current applications with these schools? In other words, if I submit an application for this upcoming cycle, can I still theoretically be accepted for the current cycle?
Click to expand...
Re-application does not remove you from consideration for the current cycle.
 
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doctorswag said:
Okay guys. Check it out. 4 interviews: Two in-state here in California, and two out-of-state in New York (Nov. 2013, March 2014; December 2013, April 2014 respectively) --> 3 entirely silent + 1 waitlist (Although, at this point, I feel like I'm silently waitlisted everywhere). No acceptances (crying inside).

1) What do you think are my chances of getting in before the new application cycle opens on June 3rd? (LizzyM: 70; Traditional; CA resident; Clinical exp. is somewhat of a weak point)

2) Lets say worse comes to worst, and I don't get an acceptance in the next 2 weeks or so, I figure I should re-apply because that seems like a better idea than essentially waiting TWO more years before I can start medical school. And I am sure as hell not going to hold my breath for schools to accept me on some random occurrence the day before classes start this August. Question though: If I reopen/submit a new application for this upcoming cycle, am I effectively withdrawing my current applications with these schools? In other words, if I submit an application for this upcoming cycle, can I still theoretically be accepted for the current cycle?

If everything is cool, I'll reapply but I am worried that I am gonna look the exact same on my application as I did when I applied last June. Nothing SUPER significant has changed and if anything, my GPA actually dropped a little bit with the last few classes I took. Not really sure what to do.

I can wait until my paper gets published, but I am afraid that applying slightly late at the beginning of this current cycle was what put me at a disadvantage in the first place. Lets assume my paper gets published in like mid-July maybe...What do you guys think?
Click to expand...

To be a successful reaplicant you need to strengthen your application. What's point of applying if nothing improved?
 
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If an initial update was pretty strong, would it be detrimental to send a second update if it would not be as strong. I'm concerned that the school will not be confident I still want to attend as we haven't spoken in some time (Did request to remain on the waitlist though). At the same time, I don't want to dilute the previous strong update.
 
rfenzo said:
If an initial update was pretty strong, would it be detrimental to send a second update if it would not be as strong. I'm concerned that the school will not be confident I still want to attend as we haven't spoken in some time (Did request to remain on the waitlist though). At the same time, I don't want to dilute the previous strong update.
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Have you received acceptances in the interval since your last update?
 
rfenzo said:
No, but I had a number of acceptances previous to the update (Sent in March I believe).
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Hmmm. The only thing they want to know is that you will (still) come if accepted. There is no need to disguise it as an update. Make it short and sweet.
 
Hey guys, quick question.

Just graduated and was wondering if you have to send anything like an official transcript if you are up for consideration. I think most schools would rather not receive extra mail but I was a bit curious.
 
Officially on 5 wait lists as of today. I found out I'm ranked in the 40s for a school that has accepted into the 50s and 60s in previous years so I'm really hoping this cycle's got some good wait list movement coming!
 
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Question for anyone who knows and/or can speculate: For schools with unranked WL, is a waitlisted candidate holding no acceptances preferred over one who is accepted to at least 1 other school?
 
pDeluxe said:
Question for anyone who knows and/or can speculate: For schools with unranked WL, is a waitlisted candidate holding no acceptances preferred over one who is accepted to at least 1 other school?
Click to expand...

My understanding (and someone please correct me if I'm wrong!) is that if you are waitlisted at a school they cannot see whether you have any acceptances. They can only see that after they've offered you acceptance.
 
Hjbo said:
My understanding (and someone please correct me if I'm wrong!) is that if you are waitlisted at a school they cannot see whether you have any acceptances. They can only see that after they've offered you acceptance.
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gyngyn said:
In March we began to see where accepted students were holding acceptances.
In April we are additionally able to see where our waitlisted candidates are holding acceptances.
We can never see where you applied or where you are waitlisted.
We can see nothing until we make a decision [to waitlist or accept].
Click to expand...
 
From what I've seen, the 16th seems to be a bigger movement day than the 15th (and maybe even more at the beginning of the next work week).
 
Saffro said:
Hey guys, quick question.

Just graduated and was wondering if you have to send anything like an official transcript if you are up for consideration. I think most schools would rather not receive extra mail but I was a bit curious.
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I was required to send official transcripts for one of my schools by May 1 and I am just on a waitlist there (and that included a letter from an international school). The other school where I am waitlisted told me don't. So I am assuming it depends on the school.
 
Hjbo said:
My understanding (and someone please correct me if I'm wrong!) is that if you are waitlisted at a school they cannot see whether you have any acceptances. They can only see that after they've offered you acceptance.
Click to expand...
Actually, in April we can see where our waitlisted students are holding acceptances (as quoted by @chenzt).
 
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