Waitlisted at Pitt. What to do now?

[lovehate]

So I am really grateful I got multiple acceptances this year. However, after interviewing at pitt, I fell in love with the school. I know I want to be there for the next four years.

They put my on waitlist yesterday. I am guess I either didn't interview well, or they didn't believe I would move from the south to Pittsburgh.

What should I do now?
-wait !!
-send update letter
-send interest letter
-send letter of intent

Please help

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[HomeSkool]

The answer is right in the word: waitlist.

It's a rough game, but that's how it's played.

 

[lovehate]

The answer is right in the word: waitlist.

It's a rough game, but that's how it's played.

Thank you for your help!
Do you think letters of interest or intent are not necessary at this stage?

 

[HomeSkool]

Thank you for your help!
Do you think letters of interest or intent are not necessary at this stage?

There's rarely a reason to send them.

Your application is effectively a letter of interest: if you haven't withdrawn it, they'll assume you're still interested.

Letters of intent are basically love letters where you're promising to leave one lover for another. If you don't already have another lover (i.e., an acceptance somewhere), you've got nothing with which to bargain. If you do have another lover, contestant #2 will assume you'll dump them just as quickly as you did the first. To see this principle beautifully illustrated, go here: LOI and Interviews?

 

[Lawpy]

What should I do now?
-wait !!
-send update letter
-send interest letter
-send letter of intent

Update letters have the most impact but it depends on what you're planning on updating exactly. Definitely update them with anything involving accepted publications and research meeting abstracts.

 

[Goro]

So I am really grateful I got multiple acceptances this year. However, after interviewing at pitt, I fell in love with the school. I know I want to be there for the next four years.

They put my on waitlist yesterday. I am guess I either didn't interview well, or they didn't believe I would move from the south to Pittsburgh.

What should I do now?
-wait !!
-send update letter
-send interest letter
-send letter of intent

Please help

Exactly how would you interpret a nonbinding contract from a desperate candidate?

In the meant time, work on Plan B until you have the accept email in your Inbox.

 

[lovehate]

Thank you everyone!
It makes sense that LOI are worthless, I just wanted to double check.
I will send a short update about a research scholarship I got, volunteer of the year at a local hospice, and my 4.0 grades from last semester.
Then it is a waiting game.

 

[Lawpy]

In the meant time, work on Plan B until you have the accept email in your Inbox.

Luckily, OP doesn't have to worry about a Plan B.

So I am really grateful I got multiple acceptances this year.

 

[lovehate]

Luckily, OP doesn't have to worry about a Plan B.

A plan B would be convincing myself I completely love everything about the schools I am currently holding acceptances at.

 

[Pagan FutureDoc]

Realize that if you get off the waitlist it might be as late as the first day of class. So you’ve gotta decide on how long you can hold onto the dream of Pitt.
When it come time to start making plans for housing and such you’ll need to keep that in mind and look for housing of the week by week or month by month variety.

 

[lovehate]

Realize that if you get off the waitlist it might be as late as the first day of class. So you’ve gotta decide on how long you can hold onto the dream of Pitt.
When it come time to start making plans for housing and such you’ll need to keep that in mind and look for housing of the week by week or month by month variety.

Thank you for the advice. I really hope it doesn't take that long!

 

[Saifa]

Thank you for the advice. I really hope it doesn't take that long!

FWIW every student I met at Pitt was accepted off the waitlist. My tour guide said "I'm gonna be honest Pitt waitlists everyone." Obviously an exaggeration but I don't think it's an especially bad position to be in.

 

[gyngyn]

Realize that if you get off the waitlist it might be as late as the first day of class. So you’ve gotta decide on how long you can hold onto the dream of Pitt.
When it come time to start making plans for housing and such you’ll need to keep that in mind and look for housing of the week by week or month by month variety.

One may be accepted off the waitlist only until the day the applicant starts orientation (or a pre-matriculation program) at another MD school.
After that an offer may not be extended.

 

[Pagan FutureDoc]

One may be accepted off the waitlist only until the day the applicant starts orientation (or a pre-matriculation program) at another MD school.
After that an offer may not be extended.

Thank you for clarifying that

 

[PiggyPug6]

I attend Pitt currently and was waitlisted at first. Pitt has a lot of waitlist movement, so I wouldn't be that worried about it. I know you should always be prepared for both situations (acceptance or rejection), but if you had to be waitlisted anywhere, be glad it's at Pitt. They do love to waitlist a lot of people and make a lot of offers. Keep your head held high and wait it out. There's a decent chance you could be matriculating here in the fall.

 

[lovehate]

I attend Pitt currently and was waitlisted at first. Pitt has a lot of waitlist movement, so I wouldn't be that worried about it. I know you should always be prepared for both situations (acceptance or rejection), but if you had to be waitlisted anywhere, be glad it's at Pitt. They do love to waitlist a lot of people and make a lot of offers. Keep your head held high and wait it out. There's a decent chance you could be matriculating here in the fall.

Thank you!

 

[Longshot6]

Update letters have the most impact but it depends on what you're planning on updating exactly. Definitely update them with anything involving accepted publications and research meeting abstracts.

Are research meeting abstracts that meaningful for an update?

 

[Lawpy]

Are research meeting abstracts that meaningful for an update?

I don't know how much weight is given to them as it varies by school, but research meeting abstracts show nice productivity, since your work got peer reviewed and approved by a conference committee. Pretty sure accepted publications carry more weight than research meeting abstracts as a lot more work is dedicated to publications. But it's still nice to update schools with research abstracts as it shows you were productive in application year.

I'm talking strictly in the sense of national and international scientific meetings. Regional scientific meeting abstracts are probably okay to send since it's peer reviewed. But stuff like research day abstracts is probably not worth updating.

 

[Oso]

Thank you!

Hey Idk anything about this school but just wanted to say you have a really cool name/avatar

Hope you get off the waitlist!

 

[lovehate]

Hey Idk anything about this school but just wanted to say you have a really cool name/avatar

Hope you get off the waitlist!

Thank you!

 

[lovehate]

No, plan B is going to another school where you could be just as happy and successful. You don't have to completely love everything about your med school to be happy and get a good education, and you probably won't completely love everything about Pitt once you get there either. I loved everything about my med school after interview day and second look. I'm happy to be here and would make the same choice again if I had the chance, but there are still things I don't like about it now that I'm 3 years in. No med school is perfect.

I hope you end up getting into Pitt and you've gotten some great advice on what to do while you're waiting to hear back. Just make sure you (1) temper your expectations that Pitt will be perfect in every way and (2) recognize that the other schools you got into might also be a great place for you, and go into it with a positive attitude if you end up somewhere else. There's really no bad outcome for you here!

Thank you for the advice and I totally understand your point. What I meant by loving something about a school was major things such as primary care focus vs research (I'm sorry my original comment was poorly phrased). I have a list of cons for pitt, but the pros outweigh them heavily.

 

[DBC03]

I understand your perspective! I’m very happy with two acceptances I’m holding, so I feel very lucky. But I was waitlisted at one school that would be a better option in many ways. I almost feel guilty for wanting to get in to a different school while I’m satisfied with the acceptances I have. But I also really want to get off the waitlist. Here’s to waiting and hopes of getting in! I hope you get chosen from the waitlist!


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

 

[lovehate]

I understand your perspective! I’m very happy with two acceptances I’m holding, so I feel very lucky. But I was waitlisted at one school that would be a better option in many ways. I almost feel guilty for wanting to get in to a different school while I’m satisfied with the acceptances I have. But I also really want to get off the waitlist. Here’s to waiting and hopes of getting in! I hope you get chosen from the waitlist!


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

I honestly have the same feeling of guilt. I know a couple of people who are waiting on the waitlist at one of the schools I am accepted at. I want to be satisfied and appreciate what I have, but I can't help it to think about the waitlist.
Good luck to you as well!

 

[Longshot6]

I don't know how much weight is given to them as it varies by school, but research meeting abstracts show nice productivity, since your work got peer reviewed and approved by a conference committee. Pretty sure accepted publications carry more weight than research meeting abstracts as a lot more work is dedicated to publications. But it's still nice to update schools with research abstracts as it shows you were productive in application year.

I'm talking strictly in the sense of national and international scientific meetings. Regional scientific meeting abstracts are probably okay to send since it's peer reviewed. But stuff like research day abstracts is probably not worth updating.

Thanks for the information!

 

[namaste7]

I attend Pitt currently and was waitlisted at first. Pitt has a lot of waitlist movement, so I wouldn't be that worried about it. I know you should always be prepared for both situations (acceptance or rejection), but if you had to be waitlisted anywhere, be glad it's at Pitt. They do love to waitlist a lot of people and make a lot of offers. Keep your head held high and wait it out. There's a decent chance you could be matriculating here in the fall.

Also waitlisted at Pitt - "PiggyPug6" when were you taken off the waitlist ? THIS IS A G O N I Z I N G....... :/

 

[You're My Boy Blue]

I believe that LOIs can be very helpful especially once schools can see you have multiple acceptances. Like you said, why would they take you when they think you're more likely to go somewhere closer to home?I would hang on and send an update like you planned on. If you still don't hear anything past the deadline when all schools can see your acceptances I would send a LOI. Let them know you didn't just forget to withdraw and are still really interested in their school.

 

[PiggyPug6]

Also waitlisted at Pitt - "PiggyPug6" when were you taken off the waitlist ? THIS IS A G O N I Z I N G....... :/

I was taken off sometime in February. I didn't have to wait that long honestly. I wish you luck.

 

[altblue]

I'm in a similar situation too looking for advice. Fell in love with everything about Pitt, I'm from Pittsburgh, and love the city. However, I'm on the waitlist too. I got 2 other acceptances (already turned one down), but I really want to hang onto the possibility of getting into Pitt. Am I insane for holding out and risking the need to re-apply next cycle?

GPA: 3.94 DAT AA: 21
I felt like my interviews went well too, but it's hard to subjectively/honestly measure that.

It'd probably help more if you posted this in pre-dental

 

[AnotherGuyWithQuestions]

It'd probably help more if you posted this in pre-dental

Oh wow. I was going through a bunch of dental threads and must've accidentally clicked on this one without noticing. I feel dumb. Thanks though.

 

[ProspectivePostPreDent]

Oh wow. I was going through a bunch of dental threads and must've accidentally clicked on this one without noticing. I feel dumb. Thanks though.

For the record, though, I do think you'd be insane. Lot of lost income and unnecessary risk.