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Which DO schools force your hand?

Started by Chuckwalla
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Chuckwalla

Chuckwalla

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I am talking about the ones that force you to pay a hefty non-refundable deposit very soon after acceptance. I would appreciate it if someone could sum these up for me. I know LECOM does it, 1500 deposit within 30 days of acceptance. I want to know so I could apply to these schools later. Thanks.
 
cool thread.
ill edit this post later on to tell you exactly which schools require such and such deposit...or you could simply look at them in the CIB yourself, as its posted online for free.

as for me though, I am going to apply early, everywhere. I will probably pay most acceptance deposits just cause I don't want to pass up any offers.
In the end, sure i may lose a good chunk of change--but it'll be worth every penny in my mind.
 
It depends on when you have your interview. If you applied late or have a very late interview, many schools will force you to turn in a deposit within weeks of their response. Either way...you'll have to use your credit card. :/
 
Bacchus said:
Its a big load of BS to me, to be honest. I asked a particular school if there was a way to work on this because of my financial situation and I was pretty much told, "No."
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Considering that Med school costs range in the six figures. 1-3 thousand dollars pale in comparison. Are you having a hard time because of a low credit score?
 
I don't have a credit card but am building credit other ways. My upbringing and financial situation will not allow me to spend several thousand dollars just to have it be flushed. One, it doesn't make financial sense to me and two, it isn't possible. I understand its a fraction of the cost of schooling, but the investment into the schooling pays off in the end. Tossing 1, 3, or 5 thousand dollars on multiple acceptances is ludicrous yet many people have to do this because of the school's mandating non-refundable, extremely large deposits.
 
Chuckwalla said:
I am talking about the ones that force you to pay a hefty non-refundable deposit very soon after acceptance. I would appreciate it if someone could sum these up for me. I know LECOM does it, 1500 deposit within 30 days of acceptance. I want to know so I could apply to these schools later. Thanks.
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Actually, that is incorrect. LECOM requires $1500 by a set date in December (last year was Dec. 15). That deposit is non-refundable. TUCOM-NV requires $2000 within 2 weeks, but the deposit is 90% refundable.
 
You only pay the fee if you want to go to that school and have them hold your seat. There is no point in paying the fees for all the schools you are accepted. ONLY pay for the one that accepts you AND you want to attend. Plus credit cards allow for monthly payments. During your application process you'll find that the cost of traveling to these schools will be equal or greater than the acceptance fee.
 
Bacchus said:
I don't have a credit card but am building credit other ways. My upbringing and financial situation will not allow me to spend several thousand dollars just to have it be flushed. One, it doesn't make financial sense to me and two, it isn't possible. I understand its a fraction of the cost of schooling, but the investment into the schooling pays off in the end. Tossing 1, 3, or 5 thousand dollars on multiple acceptances is ludicrous yet many people have to do this because of the school's mandating non-refundable, extremely large deposits.
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That is the incentive to get your applications in early. The earlier you get them in, the sooner you can know about your acceptances/rejections/waitlists. From there you will be able to make the call about which deposits to send in, but you also have the option of declining acceptances. I simply just did not send in my deposits to NSUCOM or TUCOM-NV.
 
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BCLumas said:
Actually, that is incorrect. LECOM requires $1500 by a set date in December (last year was Dec. 15). That deposit is non-refundable. TUCOM-NV requires $2000 within 2 weeks, but the deposit is 90% refundable.
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Well it seems like they are spicing things up. This is straight from their website.

LECOM said:
Matriculation Fee: $1,500
Nonrefundable fee due 30 days after receipt of acceptance. The matriculation fee is applied toward the tuition fee upon matriculation.

http://www.lecom.edu/pros_financialaid.php
Click to expand...
 
BCLumas said:
That is the incentive to get your applications in early. The earlier you get them in, the sooner you can know about your acceptances/rejections/waitlists. From there you will be able to make the call about which deposits to send in, but you also have the option of declining acceptances. I simply just did not send in my deposits to NSUCOM or TUCOM-NV.
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I understand this, but with the volatility of the process certain people will hand over lots of money because they don't know how successful they will be.
 
psy said:
You only pay the fee if you want to go to that school and have them hold your seat. There is no point in paying the fees for all the schools you are accepted. ONLY pay for the one that accepts you AND you want to attend. Plus credit cards allow for monthly payments. During your application process you'll find that the cost of traveling to these schools will be equal or greater than the acceptance fee.
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This is why I applied to schools I could drive to.
 
Chuckwalla said:
Well it seems like they are spicing things up. This is straight from their website.
Click to expand...

Ouch, it seems so. I was accepted in mid-October and my deposit wasn't received until early December.

What I found out, also, is that schools are willing to work with you if you contact them ASAP. Don't wait until 28 days have passed. Roger Corbman at TUCOM-NV said that he understands that $2000 in 2 weeks is rough. If you need more time, you should contact him ASAP and explain your situation. They cannot grant you months and months, but they can extend the deadline a bit longer. I am sure that other schools can be as accomodating as long as you give them advanced notice.
 
I really hate how DO schools require such big deposits, so early (compared to a refundable $100 deposit by May 15 for MD schools). Anyway, AZCOM made me put down $1000 within about 6 weeks of acceptance (they returned $100 though, so I lost $900 after I withdrew). DMU wanted $500 about a month after acceptance, and another $500 3 months later (which I didn't submit, when I withdrew). Western wanted a $1000 about 2 weeks after acceptance, and another $1000 a month after that.

So all in all, I lost $1400 on deposits alone (and another $2000 out of my pocket applied towards tuition at COMP).

Get those credit cards/checks ready applicants!!!
 
UNE's policy, per their website:
Deposits

First-Year Admission Deposit
A $500 non-refundable Admission Deposit is due according to the following schedule and is credited against tuition:

* Those accepted prior to November 15 will have until December 14 to submit their deposit.
* Those accepted between November 15 and January 14 will have 30 days.
* Those accepted between January 15 and June 14 will have 14 days.
* Those accepted on or after June 15 will be asked for an immediate deposit.

First-Year Tuition Installment
A $1,000 First-year Tuition Installment deposit is due according to the following schedule and is credited against tuition. It is refundable subject to withdrawal policies.

* Those accepted between November 15 and January 14 will have 60 days from receipt of their initial $500 Admission Deposit.
* Those accepted beyond January 15 will have 30 days from receipt of their initial $500 Admission Deposit.
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OSU-COM only requires a $100 admissions fee. I wasn't even aware that some schools make you pay thousands of dollars to hold your seat! That's crazy...
 
I believe all DO schools require a mandatory non-refundable deposit of $500-$2000 to hold a seat with few exceptions (at least the 12 I applied to did). It deters students from holding seats in DO schools while waiting for MD acceptances or from holding multiple acceptances. Your best bet to avoid having to pay multiple deposits is to send in all your applications at approximately the same time so that you can schedule your interviews as close together as possible. There are worse things in the world than having to deal with the "burden" of having multiple medical school acceptances in hand.
 
The PCOMs ask for $250 by December 14th (if accepted in the fall), and then they don't ask for the big one until later. Like March, I think.
 
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That sucks for your situation, Bacchus, but the system does have its benefits. In my first round of apps, when I was applying only to MD schools, I had some friends who were very, very successful. They were holding 2-3 acceptances in their pockets at places they literally said they knew they weren't going to go to. Meanwhile, I'm on post-interview hold at these schools--it was incredibly rude of them!

Fast forward to applying DO--I got my first acceptance at DMU--was thrilled, put down the $500 deposit. Hear from CCOM a few weeks later and after significant debate, put down the $1000 deposit there. From there, I felt the flip side of the situation. I knew that I was going to end up at CCOM but hesitated considerably in dropping my seat to DMU (both because having the seat there felt good and because of an irrational fear that something would go wrong with CCOM).

Anyway, the large deposit forced my hand. What I like about it is it forces people to really consider "Am I interested in this school?" both when they're accepted and when they're invited to interview. Otherwise people tend to throw a bigger tantrum about it (i.e. the Allo X vs. Allo Y!?!!?!?! posts that start popping up in April on pre-allo. These people have had since October to decide...a large deposit would force that decision).

Putting down a deposit for a safety school sucks, but that's just the way it is...
 
Well, on the other hand I would like to thank all of you indecisive people out there who have contributed to our top notch facilities. 😀
 
Well, on the other hand I would like to thank all of you indecisive people out there who have contributed to our top notch facilities. 😀
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Haha...I thought about making that "at least your money is going to a good cause" point but didn't think it would fly too well with Bacchus 🙂
 
Touro-MI requires $2000, 2 weeks after you have been accepted. I plunked down $2K (absolutely non-refundable) after being accepted. A month later I was accepted to Western COMP, lost my 2K to Touro and forked out another 2K for Western. Ouch...
 
MSUCOM has a $1000 deposit required a few weeks after acceptance, $250 is refundable if you don't attend.
 
PistolPete said:
I really hate how DO schools require such big deposits, so early (compared to a refundable $100 deposit by May 15 for MD schools). Anyway, AZCOM made me put down $1000 within about 6 weeks of acceptance (they returned $100 though, so I lost $900 after I withdrew). DMU wanted $500 about a month after acceptance, and another $500 3 months later (which I didn't submit, when I withdrew). Western wanted a $1000 about 2 weeks after acceptance, and another $1000 a month after that.

So all in all, I lost $1400 on deposits alone (and another $2000 out of my pocket applied towards tuition at COMP).

Get those credit cards/checks ready applicants!!!
Click to expand...

Or just apply MD (and get accepted of course).
 
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Dedikated2liftn said:
I try, thanks for noticing. But seriously, with upfront fees like that, I'd make it a priority to go the MD route (although you get screwed in the long run either way).
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For most people here it is not DO or MD, it is DO or VIVA EL CARIBE! The upfront fees are trivial in the long run.
 
JaggerPlate said:
It was only a matter of time ...

I seriously think assclowns like this guy just sit around with a hand full of KY jelly waiting for any chance to get off to DO bashing.
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Wow, there's no need to get pissy (additionally, you're violating the rules of the forum)...I'm just saying that if you have the choice between the MD route vs. the DO route that this is a HUGE reason not to opt for the latter.
 
Gee, and I didn't think it was that bad a comment. I took it as "if you don't want to pay the fees to the DO schools, apply MD".

Folks, calm down... perhaps a nice walk to chill out?
 
ShyRem said:
Gee, and I didn't think it was that bad a comment. I took it as "if you don't want to pay the fees to the DO schools, apply MD".

Folks, calm down... perhaps a nice walk to chill out?
Click to expand...

It was taken as mocking because many people who are applying to DO don't have a chance at MD.
 
Dedikated2liftn said:
Wow, there's no need to get pissy (additionally, you're violating the rules of the forum)...I'm just saying that if you have the choice between the MD route vs. the DO route that this is a HUGE reason not to opt for the latter.
Click to expand...

I politely disagree with you and agree wholeheartedly with JP.

'nuff said.
 
Interesting, Chuckwalla. Most folks in med school that I know applied to both. Many got interviews at both. And more than a few got acceptances to both and chose the school that suited them best or was better geographically situated.

I would be very careful making blanket assumptions about what kind of chances applicants have. You really should give people and schools more credit than that. Yes, there are folks who don't have the numbers for allo schools. And there are folks who have plenty of numbers but still don't get the allo school for whatever reason. And there are folks who actually choose one over the other.

I'm almost offended that just because of the school I *chose* to attend that you would assume I somehow didn't have the numbers for an allo school. Older, yes. "Not a chance at an allo school": definitely not.

I would urge the same caution when discussing caribbean schools with people. I know someone who had fabulous numbers, experience, the whole deal. His wife would only support his med school dream if they went to the caribbean. I'm not kidding. He's now a successful physician and happy with his choice. (I also know folks who went caribbean after unsuccessful application in the States.)

So now let's put all that behind us (or else I'm going to have to close this thread down). Back to the OP's question... So far we have answers regarding:

LECOM
TUCOM-NV
AZCOM
DMU
Western
UNECOM
PCOM
CCOM
Touro-MI

Anyone else have something to contribute to the original question?
 
Sorry if I offended you ShyRem, that was not my intention. That is why I said "many" people apply DO because they cannot do MD, not "most". I am sensitive to the fact that DO schools are made up of much more than people who could not get into MD schools. I too know people who have picked DO schools over MD schools. Some just liked the approach better or location and I've noticed DO schools have more than a few people choosing medicine as a second career.
 
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ShyRem said:
Gee, and I didn't think it was that bad a comment. I took it as "if you don't want to pay the fees to the DO schools, apply MD".

Folks, calm down... perhaps a nice walk to chill out?
Click to expand...

That's was my intention; however, if I did accidentally offend someone, I apologize.
 
BCLumas said:
I politely disagree with you and agree wholeheartedly with JP.

'nuff said.
Click to expand...

Fair enough (although I'm still kind of wondering how you know my own intentions better than I do); however, I feel like anytime someone brings up anything having to do with MDs on this DO forum, he/she is automatically seen as a troll.

BTW, I'm done...let's return this thread to it's proper purpose.
 
Dedikated2liftn said:
Fair enough (although I'm still kind of wondering how you know my own intentions better than I do); however, I feel like anytime someone brings up anything having to do with MDs on this DO forum, he/she is automatically seen as a troll.

BTW, I'm done...let's return this thread to it's proper purpose.
Click to expand...

OP: My wife and I are both students and thus, poor. You still want to apply early though. I got my LECOM B acceptance very early and was able to drop my other DO interviews because I liked them the best, and they are cheap. Yes, I paid the deposit even though, at the time, I was still hoping for an MD acceptance (which will probably come, I am told). Now, I am glad I paid it and kept my acceptance, because that is where I am going. Bottom line: don't apply to places you don't want to go...and suck it up and be glad you have an acceptance.
 
Chuckwalla said:
I am talking about the ones that force you to pay a hefty non-refundable deposit very soon after acceptance. I would appreciate it if someone could sum these up for me. I know LECOM does it, 1500 deposit within 30 days of acceptance. I want to know so I could apply to these schools later. Thanks.
Click to expand...

I don't know if I would use your method of applying to a school later because of a bigger deposit... Applying to most schools early is going to increase your chances of getting in somewhere as we all know, but if I had to pick and choose the order of things, I would apply to the schools that are my first choice first.

perplexed.gif
Hmmm... I still think this is risky either way.
 
fabu1ous said:
I don't know if I would use your method of applying to a school later because of a bigger deposit... Applying to most schools early is going to increase your chances of getting in somewhere as we all know, but if I had to pick and choose the order of things, I would apply to the schools that are my first choice first.

perplexed.gif
Hmmm... I still think this is risky either way.
Click to expand...

I agree. Apply early, get a DO acceptance and pay the deposit. Think of it as "insurance," if that helps. If you decide to go to a MD school and forfeit your deposit, that's your decision...

Many things can happen on the road to matriculation and if you don't get that MD acceptance you'll be better off having paid that big deposit...
 
Dedikated2liftn said:
Wow, there's no need to get pissy (additionally, you're violating the rules of the forum)...I'm just saying that if you have the choice between the MD route vs. the DO route that this is a HUGE reason not to opt for the latter.
Click to expand...

The point is that this thread isn't an MD vs DO thread. Making it one is just pouring gas onto a fire for kicks (which is also a violation of TOS). I won't bicker with you, everyone just needs to stay on topic, which is DO school fees (not go MD because of high DO fees).
 
JaggerPlate said:
The point is that this thread isn't an MD vs DO thread. Making it one is just pouring gas onto a fire for kicks (which is also a violation of TOS). I won't bicker with you, everyone just needs to stay on topic, which is DO school fees (not go MD because of high DO fees).
Click to expand...

Well Jagger, I'm going to have to wholeheartedly agree with your "assclown" characterization post yesterday...
 
:caution: Let me say this JUST ONE LAST TIME:

Let's get back to the original topic.

The diversion has been debated, discussed, and dismissed. Don't make me start :sendoff: :bang: :annoyed: (my kids hate it when I start looking like that)
 
gasapple said:
Well Jagger, I'm going to have to wholeheartedly agree with your "assclown" characterization post yesterday...
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Shy, clearly this isn't going to get any better...might as well go ahead and put the nail in the coffin :lock:
 
Last edited:
I think the best advice has been given. Apply to the schools that you want to apply to now. The longer you wait, the less time you'll have to put these deposits down. Get your interviews done in October (if possible) so that you have at least until December (with a lot of schools) to make that decision of pay or not.

Just keep working hard and get your applications out early. It will never hurt to have a lot of lines in the pond.
 
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