When do we have to commit to an acceptance?

[WaitingImpatiently]

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Okay, so I know that after May 15, we can only hold one acceptance offer. But let's just say I'm holding an acceptance for School A but still on the waitlist for School B... what happens then? I might have to wait until June or July to get accepted to B, so can I just hold my spot for School A until then? Or is there a deadline for me to commit?

Thanks

 

[altaskier]

Yeh I want to know this too.

 

[Keith]

you can continue to hold your acceptance to school "a" until you accept an offer from a more preferred school (like school "b" offers you a spot off the waitlist). after accepting school "b's" offer, you must withdraw from school "a". now lets say it's june and school "c" offers you a position. you can accept "c's" offer and then withdraw from "b".

bottom line- after may 15th you can hold only one spot but are free to accept a new offer, however, you must withdraw from the old school.

this can occur all the way up till the point you matriculate at a school. by aamc guidelines, schools aren't supposed to offer you a spot once you've begun at another school.

 

[Doctora Foxy]

Although this won't happen to me, what happens if you have one acceptance and then get another off the waitlist--how long to you have until you have to decide between the 2? Like hold on to both acceptances until you make a decsion? If school B calls you and notifies you, do you have to decide on the spot?

 

[Keith]

prior to 5-15, schools are req. to give you 2 weeks to respond. after 5-15, they can require you to respond in less than 2 weeks. (pg 52 of the MSAR) it doesn't say how much less than 2 weeks though. i imagine it would be tough to get more than a couple of days out of them though. there's a lot of movement then and they are trying to fill the vacancies left by all the may 15th withdraws.

also, a school can never ask you to withdraw from other waitlists as a condition of acceptance.

 

[Doctora Foxy]

Thanks Keith 🙂 --Foxy. (in honor of Trek)

 

[WaitingImpatiently]

Thanks for the replies, but do we ever have to mail in an official letter of intent? From Keith's reply, it seems like we do not. After all, the fact that we can only hold one acceptance means that we intend to go there.

 

[Keith]

and i quote, "after may 15, schools may require applicants to respond to acceptance offers in less than two weeks. an applicant may be required to file a statement of intent, a deposit, or both. the statement of intent should provide freedom to withdraw if the applicant is later accpeted by a school that he or she prefers. under no circumstance should an applicant be asked to withdraw from waiting lists as a condition of accepting a place"

i have received a few acceptance offers. some have just required me to reply in writing that i'm accepting the offer. others required in writing and deposit. one had a statement of intent form which i signed stating i accept their offer. either way works. just submit what the school asks for. none should ask for anything in writing saying you're not going to attend another school if later accepted. when you respond in writing (no pre-printed form) i believe that's a statment of intent. merely an acceptance in writing. not to be confused with the "i won't accept any other school statement of intent letters" that some are writing to gain acceptance at their top ranked school. that might have some legal ramifications if you later try to take another school.
if you replied as requested by the school after the initial acceptance offer, you're good to go.

 

[oldman]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by Doctora Foxy:
•Although this won't happen to me, what happens if you have one acceptance and then get another off the waitlist--how long to you have until you have to decide between the 2? Like hold on to both acceptances until you make a decsion? If school B calls you and notifies you, do you have to decide on the spot?•••••here's to you having the lucky problem of choosing amongst acceptances!