WashU decision dates, adcom meetings

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chowsi said:
I'm just curious...what's the point of a two-tiered system?
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I've wondered the same thing for quite some time.
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KardiacKiehl said:
I've wondered the same thing for quite some time.
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Yeah just like what's the point of interviewing 1300 applicants if you're going to reject the majority of them anyways, regardless of how they interviewed.
 
Hednej said:
Yeah just like what's the point of interviewing 1300 applicants if you're going to reject the majority of them anyways, regardless of how they interviewed.
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Preaching to the choir.
 
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Hednej said:
Yeah just like what's the point of interviewing 1300 applicants if you're going to reject the majority of them anyways, regardless of how they interviewed.
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To give out (false) hope and generate revenues for StL. You know the city needs us. jk...

I personally wouldn't go anywhere else if I had a choice, but I suppose others may choose to go to other top schools with better geographic location/recognition. False hope or not, I saw the interview as an opportunity to showcase myself that I wouldn't have otherwise based on numbers alone. At the end of the day, you only lose when you choose not to interview.

And the wait continues...I interviewed in Nov. too. Hopefully I'll get waitlisted...
 
chowsi said:
To give out (false) hope and generate revenues for StL. You know the city needs us. jk...
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I wonder, each person spends like $500/interview when all is said and done.

$500*1000people=$500,000 influx into the economy for EACH medical school just on interviews, wtf. No wonder they can buy us pizza.

I want to be a med school businessman, not a doctor anymore.
 
soco said:
I wonder, each person spends like $500/interview when all is said and done.

$500*1000people=$500,000 influx into the economy for EACH medical school just on interviews, wtf. No wonder they can buy us pizza.

I want to be a med school businessman, not a doctor anymore.
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A large % of that $500 average goes to transportation via airfare, which the school never sees. So it's not quite as lucrative as you think.
 
KardiacKiehl said:
A large % of that $500 average goes to transportation via airfare, which the school never sees. So it's not quite as lucrative as you think.
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It still goes into the economy though, once it's there it can do anything. Like RyanAir in Europe which provides airline flights at the price of Subway sandwiches, it's all about redistributing the wealth. The places that people fly to pay for a huge chunk of the airfare.

I'm sure WUSTL could talk with the mayor of St. Louis and be like "we'll interview all 5000 applicants if you could fund this new cash as toilet paper program we're proposing, which will bring the city $2.5 million, btw."

We may not be writing a check to WUSTL when paying for airfare but it could get back to them one way or another.
 
soco said:
It still goes into the economy though, once it's there it can do anything. Like RyanAir in Europe which provides airline flights at the price of Subway sandwiches, it's all about redistributing the wealth. The places that people fly to pay for a huge chunk of the airfare.

I'm sure WUSTL could talk with the mayor of St. Louis and be like "we'll interview all 5000 applicants if you could fund this new cash as toilet paper program we're proposing, which will bring the city $2.5 million, btw."

We may not be writing a check to WUSTL when paying for airfare but it could get back to them one way or another.
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I think youre overstating the economic impact of interviewees in the region of the school. The airline only pays a small fee to the airport per person, so really the only impact for the region is hotel, cab or ground transportation, and maybe a little food, which is probably around 100 dollars combined. In the grand scheme of things, thats really nothing to create leverage for the school, even if you interview 1500 people like Wash U.
 
The mail at my university really really sucks. Although I haven't received a letter of acceptance, I was invited to the second look weekend at WashU. How bizarre! I'm excited about this, though I'm going to check if there has been any sort of mix up.
 
Gabujabu said:
The mail at my university really really sucks. Although I haven't received a letter of acceptance, I was invited to the second look weekend at WashU. How bizarre! I'm excited about this, though I'm going to check if there has been any sort of mix up.
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Yea, just call them.
 
wow - that's a cool way to find out you got accepted! congratulations.:)
 
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personally, I think they're finished...
 
xylem29 said:
wow - that's a cool way to find out you got accepted! congratulations.:)
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Thanks! I still haven't received the letter, even though it seems they were sent express. I'm beginning to wonder if it was lost in the mail or if the mail system at my uni is really that bad.
 
kevinp2 said:
personally, I think they're finished...
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yah, me too. I don't really have the high numbers that WashU loves, and contrary to others who thought that all interviews were positive and non-confrontational, I can confidently say that I crashed and burned.

None the less, here I am, biting my nails and sitting here reading SDN posts. I guess you can't teach an old pre-med new tricks.
 
Why does everyone think they're finished giving out acceptances?
 
Don't worry yet. On my interview day they kept reiterating that decisions would be going out until April 15 and that they would be officially done April 15. It almost seemed like they knew they were a bit backed up and would take the extra time.

So keep the hope alive, there is still an entire month if they were being honest.
 
I interviewed really early, so if they wanted to accept me, they could have done it before. Of course there's a chance, but APRIL 15? Seriously, that late? Seriously? There must be another day before then when they send out mass decision letters for the people wo interviewed before Jan...
 
SoFla62 said:
Why does everyone think they're finished giving out acceptances?
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They finished around this time last year. And second look is around april 15th so its unlikely they'll have acceptances right before. If they're following a similar schedule we should have our waitlist letters in a couple weeks...
 
i boycotted sdn about a month ago and here i am back again, and now its so hard to catch up! i've noticed a bit of discussion about things like this on here, but it's hard to follow the conversations so I thought I'd ask:

I interviewed early November and I have heard NOTHING. Anyone have any insight about what this means? A rejection? A lost letter? A waitlist?
 
kevinp2 said:
They finished around this time last year. And second look is around april 15th so its unlikely they'll have acceptances right before. If they're following a similar schedule we should have our waitlist letters in a couple weeks...
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It seems weird to me that no one on SDN has gottin in since ~mid-January, unless I'm missing something..
 
dimebag darrell said:
It seems weird to me that no one on SDN has gottin in since ~mid-January, unless I'm missing something..
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there was one person in this thread who got accepted in feb, one person who got rejected on valentines day, one person got accepted in early march and one got rejected early march....this process of waiting is really killing me...for real guys, i can't believe people who've interviewed back in october and november haven't heard back yet - that's crazy.
 
runner999 said:
i boycotted sdn about a month ago and here i am back again, and now its so hard to catch up! i've noticed a bit of discussion about things like this on here, but it's hard to follow the conversations so I thought I'd ask:

I interviewed early November and I have heard NOTHING. Anyone have any insight about what this means? A rejection? A lost letter? A waitlist?
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We in the same boat cuz we both interviewed early Nov. Apparently not hearing back is OK, or at least that's what my advisor who is on the adcom says. That probably doesn't mean anything in terms on decisions, and at this point i'm just hoping for a waitlist and go from there.
 
well - seeing as how i'm in canada and the second look is april 13-14, do you think that i can assume i'm getting waitlisted, because the next "suspected meeting date" is mar.15 and if i get in on that date i would receive the letter by the 22nd at best - leaving me less than a month to make travel arrangements...this process is being officially labelled by me as "blows".
 
xylem29 said:
well - seeing as how i'm in canada and the second look is april 13-14, do you think that i can assume i'm getting waitlisted, because the next "suspected meeting date" is mar.15 and if i get in on that date i would receive the letter by the 22nd at best - leaving me less than a month to make travel arrangements...this process is being officially labelled by me as "blows".
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Hi Xylem, I think it's too soon to assume you're being waitlisted. You may get a surprise in the mail soon! I think a lot of schools still accept people on dates after their second looks. When did you interview? I think most people hear back in 4-6 weeks but for others it's longer. I'm not sure how it works either, but you can always call the admissions office. They're really nice.

For 2nd look, you have to RSVP by March 23. I've copied and pasted the email I got. I hope this helps! I'm crossing my fingers for you guys!

I am pleased to invite you to revisit Washington University Medical
School for a second look at the School and City of St. Louis. Our medical
students have planned an exciting, fun-filled weekend, and are looking
forward to extending our warmest hospitality to you on the weekend of
April 13th and 14th. Please mark your calendar and RSVP today.

Although we cannot pay for your travel to St. Louis, we can pay for
your lodging, food and social expenses while you are here. Current medical
students are eager to escort you around St. Louis, show you the sights
and answer your questions.

On Friday evening a dinner is scheduled for you with the Admissions
Deans at the Eric P. Newman Education Center on our campus. (A jacket is
recommended for men.) Following dinner, you are invited to join
medical students and attend a performance of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra which will be followed by an opportunity for informal socializing with our current students at a neighborhood club. On Saturday morning a student panel will present student programs and answer questions about student life. The students are planning a range of activities for Saturday
afternoon from which you can choose. Options include a Cardinal baseball
game (that would be the World Champion St. Louis Cardinals), an apartment
tour and other choices. Saturday evening our students will host a barbecue dinner, followed by their performance of the musical “Damn Yankees” and then after the show, if you are stills standing, a student organized party on campus.

If you are able to join in, please reply by Friday, March 23 to [email protected] so that we can arrange for your accommodations.
If you are unable to attend all of the events scheduled, please let us
know what you are able to do. If you are unable to attend any of the
Second Look Weekend at all, you are welcome to drop in for a visit
anytime. However, this Second Look Weekend on April 13th and 14th
there will be a lot going on and I hope that you can join in.

I hope to see you April 13th and when the 2007 First Year Class
assembles
in August!
 
yea - obviously, if i had gotten accepted, i would have received the email before the acceptance letter...the process of rolling admissions in the US sucks. the school with the best rolling admissions system is wayne state - there is no waiting and wondering - only waiting till the designated date and you call-in and find out your status...here i am, not knowing for sure what the hell is going on...maybe they sent out letters on this or that date, maybe the post office is slow, maybe it will arrive today or tommorow, etc. add to that the guessing of when they meet and then getting all excited b/c, you know, "they've met today" and we should expect to hear...then getting all down when you don't hear anything.

Anyway, I think that getting waitlisted will be even more tortuous than this current waiting game...i am offficially bringing my hopes back down and not expecting anything from washU anymore...i'm done. It's such a waste of my brain cells getting antsy waiting for them. it will certainly be a pleasant suprise - but otherwise, i'm getting my plans set up for plan b.
 
So I actually went to the Wash U Med Ball last night, because my girlfriend is an M1 there. Long story short, we were seated at a table with Dr. Dodson. There wasn't much talk of admissions, but he did mention a candidate that he interviewed was already on "the waiting list," so that makes me think that there will be no more outright acceptances, except from the wait list. I hope I'm wrong, though. He is a nice guy, for what it's worth.
 
KardiacKiehl said:
So I actually went to the Wash U Med Ball last night, because my girlfriend is an M1 there. Long story short, we were seated at a table with Dr. Dodson. There wasn't much talk of admissions, but he did mention a candidate that he interviewed was already on "the waiting list," so that makes me think that there will be no more outright acceptances, except from the wait list. I hope I'm wrong, though. He is a nice guy, for what it's worth.
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Isn't is possible that people can be waitlisted with spots still available?
 
eekonomics said:
Isn't is possible that people can be waitlisted with spots still available?
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Sure, it is possible, but I don't think Wash U does it very often. Also, if you would have heard how fondly Dr. Dodson talked about this particular applicant that HE interviewed, you wouldn't think he got wait-listed based on credentials, but more because the class was already full/they'd reached their first acceptance limit. That was just my take. I could be wrong, though.
 
KardiacKiehl:
So was this a student that Dr. Dodson had interviewed recently? Don't you think that maybe students that are interviewed this late go straight to the waitlist but acceptances are still left for people that interviewed lets say back in late Jan. or early Feb and still haven't been reviewed? I'm dying to hear something...
 
etngu said:
KardiacKiehl:
So was this a student that Dr. Dodson had interviewed recently? Don't you think that maybe students that are interviewed this late go straight to the waitlist but acceptances are still left for people that interviewed lets say back in late Jan. or early Feb and still haven't been reviewed? I'm dying to hear something...
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He didn't mention when they were interviewed. I don't think they review files sequentially, though.
 
xylem29 said:
yea - obviously, if i had gotten accepted, i would have received the email before the acceptance letter...the process of rolling admissions in the US sucks. the school with the best rolling admissions system is wayne state - there is no waiting and wondering - only waiting till the designated date and you call-in and find out your status...here i am, not knowing for sure what the hell is going on...maybe they sent out letters on this or that date, maybe the post office is slow, maybe it will arrive today or tommorow, etc. add to that the guessing of when they meet and then getting all excited b/c, you know, "they've met today" and we should expect to hear...then getting all down when you don't hear anything.

Anyway, I think that getting waitlisted will be even more tortuous than this current waiting game...i am offficially bringing my hopes back down and not expecting anything from washU anymore...i'm done. It's such a waste of my brain cells getting antsy waiting for them. it will certainly be a pleasant suprise - but otherwise, i'm getting my plans set up for plan b.
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I'm in the same boat...I interviewed in early November and four and a half months later (yep, that's 18 weeks) I still haven't gotten anything. I'm tired of being anxious/excited everytime the committee meets. And now, since all the second look emails have been sent (or at least most of them) it's pretty clear that i'm going to be on the wait list or rejected. bah. Who wants to live in Missouri anyways.

(me :( )
 
yomama'sdoctor said:
I'm in the same boat...I interviewed in early November and four and a half months later (yep, that's 18 weeks) I still haven't gotten anything. I'm tired of being anxious/excited everytime the committee meets. And now, since all the second look emails have been sent (or at least most of them) it's pretty clear that i'm going to be on the wait list or rejected. bah. Who wants to live in Missouri anyways.

(me :( )
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Me too :(

Well - least we can do is hope for the "thrive" waitlist.
 
kardiackiel - since you've got a little bit of an insider's knowledge, do you know if calling or sending in additional LORs to WashU will help those who are waitlisted? Does it really make a difference or is the waitlist strictly ranked?
 
xylem29 said:
kardiackiel - since you've got a little bit of an insider's knowledge, do you know if calling or sending in additional LORs to WashU will help those who are waitlisted? Does it really make a difference or is the waitlist strictly ranked?
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The waitlist is unranked, although has two pools unofficially, of which people are really only ever taken from the higher pool. I really don't think sending in additional stuff really helps after being waitlisted, or at least it didn't for me last year. Basically I think Dr. Dodson makes the final decision on all waitlisted candidates (committee doesn't re-meet) and while you should definitely show interest (just so he knows your name, etc.), the people that get in do so because of either a) luck or b) having someone really influential nag Dr. Dodson to death. B) is how my girlfriend got in last year off the waitlist.
 
KardiacKiehl said:
The waitlist is unranked, although has two pools unofficially, of which people are really only ever taken from the higher pool. I really don't think sending in additional stuff really helps after being waitlisted, or at least it didn't for me last year. Basically I think Dr. Dodson makes the final decision on all waitlisted candidates (committee doesn't re-meet) and while you should definitely show interest (just so he knows your name, etc.), the people that get in do so because of either a) luck or b) having someone really influential nag Dr. Dodson to death. B) is how my girlfriend got in last year off the waitlist.
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do you know if they are meeting this week? sigh.. you're like a secret messenger for us :)
 
KardiacKiehl said:
The waitlist is unranked, although has two pools unofficially, of which people are really only ever taken from the higher pool. I really don't think sending in additional stuff really helps after being waitlisted, or at least it didn't for me last year. Basically I think Dr. Dodson makes the final decision on all waitlisted candidates (committee doesn't re-meet) and while you should definitely show interest (just so he knows your name, etc.), the people that get in do so because of either a) luck or b) having someone really influential nag Dr. Dodson to death. B) is how my girlfriend got in last year off the waitlist.
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WTF (with big capital letters!) - that is insane man!!

An unranked waitlist? How on earth does Dr. Dodson make decisions to take people off the waiting list? I think B) is sorta unfair but let it be I suppose.

Yea, I don't understand unranked waitinglists....w-e-i-r-d. You'd figure that having a ranked list would be the most efficient and fair way to do it - you just go through the list w/o any thought of who to choose and since it's ranked, you just go from top to bottom until you fill the class...
 
xylem29 said:
WTF (with big capital letters!) - that is insane man!!

An unranked waitlist? How on earth does Dr. Dodson make decisions to take people off the waiting list? I think B) is sorta unfair but let it be I suppose.

Yea, I don't understand unranked waitinglists....w-e-i-r-d. You'd figure that having a ranked list would be the most efficient and fair way to do it - you just go through the list w/o any thought of who to choose and since it's ranked, you just go from top to bottom until you fill the class...
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I'm with you xylem29: it sounds like a very entropic process.:confused:
 
xylem29 said:
WTF (with big capital letters!) - that is insane man!!

An unranked waitlist? How on earth does Dr. Dodson make decisions to take people off the waiting list? I think B) is sorta unfair but let it be I suppose.

Yea, I don't understand unranked waitinglists....w-e-i-r-d. You'd figure that having a ranked list would be the most efficient and fair way to do it - you just go through the list w/o any thought of who to choose and since it's ranked, you just go from top to bottom until you fill the class...
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I guess unranked waitlists are just a way for med schools to hedge. It allows them to choose from everyone in the same tier (or even, everyone on the entire waitlist) if a person with XYZ characteristics decides not withdraw. To maintain diversity or whatever, it may make more sense for the med school to take a person from the waitlist with XYZ characteristics, rather than automatically take the "number 1". (Besides, what if they like both 20 and 21 equally? How do they choose which one's 20 and which is 21, and is that really fair to 21?) It's also a way for schools to be able to keep reassessing waitlisters based on the make-up of the class, how much interest the applicant is showing, etc. In that sense, I think the unranked waitlist could sometimes work to the student's advantage. It (ostensibly) makes them keep re-considering you as a potential acceptance.

I know it still sucks, and there's definitely something to be said for knowing exactly where you are in the rankings, but unranked isn't all bad.
 
omegaxx said:
I'm with you xylem29: it sounds like a very entropic process.:confused:
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first time i've seen "entropic" used outside of gen chem literature! lol. u're a smart one ain't ya ;)
 
You're preaching to the choir on the unranked waitlist. I thought by definition waitlists were supposed to be clerical, but I already find my self on two unranked waitlists and likely a third (Wash U). I also agree that B) is unfair, but I think that will happen with such a huge unranked pool. It's a terrible system, and we'll just leave it at that. In all honesty, I'd much rather be rejected and have some sense of finality than be in the never-ending purgatory that is a waitlist.
 
Do you think that I should contact Dean Dodson and let him know that I will potentially run into some serious problems if I get accepted off the waiting list in say June or July? It's b/c I'll have to set up an escrow account for $260K US (and my parents' house does not cover that), I need the acceptance letter before I can even negotiate bank loans, and I'll need to fill out the student-visa papers...you think I can contact him and be like (similar to what I did to get the interview) "If you are planning on accepting me, do you think you can accept me in May since I am an international accplicant and will have to do x,y,z etc"??
 
xylem29 said:
Do you think that I should contact Dean Dodson and let him know that I will potentially run into some serious problems if I get accepted off the waiting list in say June or July? It's b/c I'll have to set up an escrow account for $260K US (and my parents' house does not cover that), I need the acceptance letter before I can even negotiate bank loans, and I'll need to fill out the student-visa papers...you think I can contact him and be like (similar to what I did to get the interview) "If you are planning on accepting me, do you think you can accept me in May since I am an international accplicant and will have to do x,y,z etc"??
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I don't see why not.
 
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