Waitlist Support Group

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SixStringPsych said:
Even if it's an update + LOI combined?

How often does research posters/publications really sway your decision (since those seem to be the "best" updates you could send)?
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We only invite amazing students to interview. It is quite unlikely that further good deeds or achievements will have an effect since only the students who have already wowed us are interviewed. Maybe it's different at other schools...
 
Shazam243 said:
Would additional letter of recommendation help, particularly a faculty of the school?
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'Tis the season for exactly this type of communication. We've gotten 3 today alone from our own faculty. The only time it it might have a tiny effect is if there were several identically adorable waitlisters, but this is not often the case.
 
bofocion said:
@gyngyn @LizzyM could you maybe share a story or option about a past applicant who has been very interested/a little too pushy? what was your impression of them at that time and what was the outcome?
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Heaven knows I could, but I feel bad for them.
 
exercisemed said:
It seems to me that not reading updates would hurt traditional applicants because so much can be accomplished senior year. Plus, from an adcoms perspective, an additional year of experiences (or lack thereof) would certainly help them get a clearer perspective of the applicant.
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I think the non-trads who get interviews do have a big advantage: life experience, maturity and just about every interview skill imaginable. These are hard things to pick up in senior year, though! And even harder to detect in an "update."
 
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gyngyn said:
Not really, most of the admissions officers I know disregard them!
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And today I got an email from a school asking me to respond if I no longer wish to remain on the waitlist or alternatively to respond if I like them a lot. You guys are really sending mixed messages here 😛
 
chenzt said:
And today I got an email from a school asking me to respond if I no longer wish to remain on the waitlist or alternatively to respond if I like them a lot. You guys are really sending mixed messages here 😛
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I'm just one guy! I learned from you guys that this was actually encouraged by some schools.
I have gone so far as to ask every admissions officer I know if they encouraged these communications and to a person they denied it. Of course it could just be the company I keep!
 
Fabio Lanzoni said:
!!! My schools just refuse to budge. I am sad
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+1
KillerPanda said:
Gonna join the waitlist party. 3.9+/36+, 6 interviews, 0 acceptances, 4 waitlists, 1 pending decision.

Sigh...

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yeup... I've got a snowball's chance in hell of getting off mine if you're not getting in with those stats. I hope one of them pans out for you!!
 
:whistle:So scared of breaking it
That you won't let it bend
And I wrote two hundred letters
I will never send
Sometimes these cuts are so much deeper than they seem
You'd rather cover up
I'd rather let them bleed
So let me be
And I'll set you free (Oh yeah)

I am in misery
There ain't nobody who can comfort me (Oh yeah)
Why won't you answer me?
The silence is slowly killing me (Oh yeah):whistle:

I think Adam Levine was secretly a med school waitlist-reject turned singer. 😉
 
chenzt said:
And today I got an email from a school asking me to respond if I no longer wish to remain on the waitlist or alternatively to respond if I like them a lot. You guys are really sending mixed messages here 😛
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So email them and say yay or nay, maybe they have too many people on the waitlist so they don't want to waste time on people? I don't know but I would tell them one way or another. That is a little different from a LOI I think.
 
familyaerospace said:
So email them and say yay or nay, maybe they have too many people on the waitlist so they don't want to waste time on people? I don't know but I would tell them one way or another. That is a little different from a LOI I think.
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I think you are right. They're probably just trying to clean up the waitlist a bit.
 
@gyngyn Thank you for all the great input on this thread! I was just wondering, if updates and letters of interest have only minimal (if any) effect, how do Adcoms place the waitlistees into "tiers" on an unranked waitlist and how do you decide which will be the first ones to come off of the waitlist? Does the interview play a large role in this? Thank you!
 
Suzybae said:
@gyngyn Thank you for all the great input on this thread! I was just wondering, if updates and letters of interest have only minimal (if any) effect, how do Adcoms place the waitlistees into "tiers" on an unranked waitlist and how do you decide which will be the first ones to come off of the waitlist? Does the interview play a large role in this? Thank you!
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This probably depends on school. I know some schools I interviewed at mentioned they had a tiered waitlist, some had a "priority waitlist", etc. Others may have a more general waitlist from which they can screen applicants for a specific quality if they think their class needs that quality for more diversity.
 
Don't give up hope guys!

23 applications
4 interviews
4 waitlists

Just got an acceptance today!! I was at work and started crying when I read the email. Movement is slow, but it is happening!!

Good luck to you all!!
 
Suzybae said:
@gyngyn Thank you for all the great input on this thread! I was just wondering, if updates and letters of interest have only minimal (if any) effect, how do Adcoms place the waitlistees into "tiers" on an unranked waitlist and how do you decide which will be the first ones to come off of the waitlist? Does the interview play a large role in this? Thank you!
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The committee weighs their enthusiasm for the candidate. If it is insufficient to result in an acceptance that person goes to the waitlist. If there was no enthusiasm at all he gets rejected. After the number of acceptances needed to fill the class are sent out, we all wait for traffic day to see how many we need (or need to donate!). A record of the committee's relative enthusiasm remains to guide the waitlist choices. These choices may also be influenced, all things being equal by a need to have a class that meets desired norms (if there are way more females, one might balance this out).

Schools may also reconvene committees for waitlist selection, though this can be pretty cumbersome if the pace get fast.
 
SixStringPsych said:
Even if it's an update + LOI combined?

How often does research posters/publications really sway your decision (since those seem to be the "best" updates you could send)?
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I had 4 oral conference presentations, 2 posters and a book chapter over this cycle and it didn't seem to sway schools.
 
Hjbo said:
Don't give up hope guys!

23 applications
4 interviews
4 waitlists

Just got an acceptance today!! I was at work and started crying when I read the email. Movement is slow, but it is happening!!

Good luck to you all!!
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Congratulations! 🙂
 
gyngyn said:
We only invite amazing students to interview. It is quite unlikely that further good deeds or achievements will have an effect since only the students who have already wowed us are interviewed. Maybe it's different at other schools...
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I heard something similar from one of my waitlists and it made lots of sense, even if it did frustrate my desire to compulsively update.
 
juliuspepperwood said:
I heard something similar from one of my waitlists and it made lots of sense, even if it did frustrate my desire to compulsively update.
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Hang in there. It's not over yet.
 
KillerPanda said:
Gonna join the waitlist party. 3.9+/36+, 6 interviews, 0 acceptances, 4 waitlists, 1 pending decision.

Sigh...
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Same here. 4.0/37. less interviews though - 4 and all are WL. App definitely could have been better with somewhat earlier submission & essays or something.

chenzt said:
And today I got an email from a school asking me to respond if I no longer wish to remain on the waitlist or alternatively to respond if I like them a lot. You guys are really sending mixed messages here 😛
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OOOOOh. I got one of those too. Is it possible we are on the same wait list. In that case, I challenge you to a duel.
 
masaraksh said:
OOOOOh. I got one of those too. Is it possible we are on the same wait list. In that case, I challenge you to a duel.
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8zim5.jpg


PS, was the email from cce3?
 
Got into my top choice today off of the waitlist. First acceptance and had already re-written my personal statement, added LORs and had two job interviews lined up next week in anticipation of rejection. My dad cried in front of me for the first time. Hold on to hope all, you're all going to be doctors one day. I believe in all of you and I can't tell you how much sdn has helped in getting me through this process.
 
SixStringPsych said:
Wow. Guess I might as well give up 🙁
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My apologies, that wasn't meant to be discouraging. It's just that my experiences this cycle led me to believe that these sort of accomplishments are more useful for getting you interviews, rather than influencing decisions post-interview
 
juliuspepperwood said:
My apologies, that wasn't meant to be discouraging. It's just that my experiences this cycle led me to believe that these sort of accomplishments are more useful for getting you interviews, rather than influencing decisions post-interview
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Haha noo no worries. I kind of had a feeling that was the case as well to be honest. At this point in the cycle we could all use a little hope but at the same time we have to be realistic 🙂
 
Is SDN the only way to tell if a wait list at a particular school is moving?
 
HopesandDreams said:
Ugh watching the waitlist acceptances roll out at one of the schools I'm waitlisted, (but not to me obviously). Feeling some type of way. Just need to vent because this is brutal.
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Let it out man. This process ****ing sucks, and I especially hate it as a waitlister. Our entire lives are put on hold, and it's brutal.

As happy as I am for other people to get acceptances, I'm also pretty bitter that I'm still here... waiting...
 
MDDAD7 said:
Is SDN the only way to tell if a wait list at a particular school is moving?
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It's probably the most reliable way. No one is posting on mdapplicants.

I also have heard through little bits through the grapevine. Like I know a friend of the guy I stayed with both times I interviewed at MCG is holding acceptances at BOTH schools I am waitlisted for. I'm sorry it is a week past traffic day, drop one!

I would say "Are you waiting for a personalized invitation?" but technically that person has one... two technically!
 
familyaerospace said:
It's probably the most reliable way. No one is posting on mdapplicants.

I also have heard through little bits through the grapevine. Like I know a friend of the guy I stayed with both times I interviewed at MCG is holding acceptances at BOTH schools I am waitlisted for. I'm sorry it is a week past traffic day, drop one!

I would say "Are you waiting for a personalized invitation?" but technically that person has one... two technically!
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ACK! drop oneeee1!
 
HopesandDreams said:
Ugh watching the waitlist acceptances roll out at one of the schools I'm waitlisted, (but not to me obviously). Feeling some type of way. Just need to vent because this is brutal.
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I felt the exact same way last Friday when my 2nd choice school sent out lots of waitlist acceptances (~10 people posted on SDN). But then I was accepted by my top choice on Monday, and I forgot all about the frustration and stress of the past 12 months! It's funny how quickly emotions can change during the app cycle. Don't lose hope!!!!
 
I hate these separate pools for OOS and IS. I understand why they do it but it's so annoying. The school I'm WL at has accepted so many IS but only 2 OOS. It's super frustrating to watch someone who has a much lower WL rank than you get in just because they are in a separate pool 🙁
 
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It's really scary especially for my first choice pick because they've accepted at least 3 off of WLs and I don't know how much movement there's going to be before it stops 🙁
 
On the plus side at least you know they have made it to the wait list and are still not waiting for an excess of accepted students to evaporate.
 
Anyone in that predicament where they're actually accepted somewhere and think they'll be happy there, but waitlisted at another place or places where they feel like they can be equally or more happy there? I'm not sure what I would do if I come off any of my waitlists to be honest, but I also don't want to let go of them either. Anyone else feeling the same?
 
SilentSoldier said:
Anyone in that predicament where they're actually accepted somewhere and think they'll be happy there, but waitlisted at another place or places where they feel like they can be equally or more happy there? I'm not sure what I would do if I come off any of my waitlists to be honest, but I also don't want to let go of them either. Anyone else feeling the same?
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Yes, but I think I'm ready to commit to housing for my current acceptance and cut the cord on the others. I think I'm to the point where I'm tired of the uncertainty and just want to commit and announce where I'm going, the end.
 
SN12357 said:
Yes, but I think I'm ready to commit to housing for my current acceptance and cut the cord on the others. I think I'm to the point where I'm tired of the uncertainty and just want to commit and announce where I'm going, the end.
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Yeah, I feel you. At my wait lists, there are no updates or any idea of the ranking. It's just waiting...that's all. I absolutely hate that there's no clarity or an inkling of where I stand in relation to other waitlisters nor my chances.
 
I know this is for MD applicants, but I'm a DO applicant and I got accepted to a school, which is a place I can do by for the next for years, and I got waitlisted at another school, which I feel is way, way more suitable for me. It's actually my top choice and that's where I want to go. I got a deferred acceptance to that school for next year, but I really just wanna get in this year. I have weird dreams occasionally where I get in and then I wake up and face reality with hopefulness and helplessness.
 
SilentSoldier said:
Anyone in that predicament where they're actually accepted somewhere and think they'll be happy there, but waitlisted at another place or places where they feel like they can be equally or more happy there? I'm not sure what I would do if I come off any of my waitlists to be honest, but I also don't want to let go of them either. Anyone else feeling the same?
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haha I think I'm waitlisted both at the school you're accepted to and the one you're on the WL for. I'll take whichever one you don't choose! 😉
 
gyngyn said:
GW is moving.
So are Colorado,SUNY Brooklyn and Duke.
Wash U is really moving.
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Thank you so much for always keeping us updated! (Do you know anything about Einstein or Stanford? 😉 )
 
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