Withdrawing Interviews, can I suggest my friend get them

[Santana90]

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Hello SDN,

I've been fortunate to have been granted a good amount of interviews. I have been accepted to my top choice.

My friend, however, who has much better stats (3.89+, 32 MCAT, pubs, great EC, great PS, great LORs, is ORM, no red flags) has received less than a handful.

We applied at the same time, submitted secondaries 1-2 days apart at the most, seems to have been passed over at some schools since I received II before him. He is getting discouraged.

I am going to withdraw about 7 interviews. My question is:

When I send my withdrawal email, can I drop in his name and casually mention he is a great applicant? In other words, I want the schools to give him a second look and possibly give him my interview


Is this a bad idea? Will it backfire on him?

I would appreciate any input especially and admissions members here on SDN

Thanks

 

[SN12357]

I really can't imagine a situation in which this would be a good idea.

 

[IncognitoGuy]

At best, it'll probably do nothing. At worst, it'll backfire on your friend.

Don't do it. You're not more informed than an Adcom of a school about what they're looking for.

 

[ynot89125]

Don't do this because it won't work and can look bad for you and your friend. I'm sure your friend would want to get into medical school with his own merits anyways.

 

[NickNaylor]

Terrible idea - you are not in a position to evaluate applicants for medical school and it's unprofessional to boot.

 

[Microglia]

Hello SDN,

I've been fortunate to have been granted a good amount of interviews. I have been accepted to my top choice.

My friend, however, who has much better stats (3.89+, 32 MCAT, pubs, great EC, great PS, great LORs, is ORM, no red flags) has received less than a handful.

We applied at the same time, submitted secondaries 1-2 days apart at the most, seems to have been passed over at some schools since I received II before him. He is getting discouraged.

I am going to withdraw about 7 interviews. My question is:

When I send my withdrawal email, can I drop in his name and casually mention he is a great applicant? In other words, I want the schools to give him a second look and possibly give him my interview


Is this a bad idea? Will it backfire on him?

I would appreciate any input especially and admissions members here on SDN

Thanks

Bad idea? Yes.

Backfire on him? Yes, and you.

Haha it's a great sentiment to want to help your friend, but to adcoms that would be perceived as very odd at the least and offensive at the most. Glad to hear your cycle is going well!

 

[Santana90]

Ah I see. Thanks for the input guys. I will not proceed with my idea. I wouldn't want to hurt my friend

 

[alpinism]

It won't make a difference either way.

The admissions representatives reading your letter don't have any input on interview decisions.

 

[Zelda840]

Agree with what others have said. It's unprofessional and presumptuous.

 

[DoctorLacrosse]

I doubt anyone has actually tried this before on this forum, so I personally say go for it!

you never know, maybe we'll all learn of a new way to get people we know interview invites? what's the worst that can happen, they rescind your acceptance to another school or your friend continues to not get an interview there? give it a whirl 😉




...not srs. totally kidding. unprofessional, don't do it.

 

[Law2Doc]

When you cancel interviews, the schools won't be loving you -- it creates another administrative task for them to deal with. So any guy associated with you, the person who essentially dismissed their program, isn't going to be as well regarded. In fact, they may think you consider their school beneath you and be insulted by who you are trying to send.

It's like when you ask out someone if the opposite sex who is a "10", and s/he says no thanks and offers up a friend that's a 4 instead, someone you didn't already ask out for a reason. You can't help but feel insulted and that 4 won't be well received.

Point is you lost all your good will with the program and can only hurt your friend here. That being said, you could try and coordinate your cancellation with a phone call from your Friend seeking an interview and hope that he end up in a "right place at the right time " situation.

 

[Moification]

I actually know someone who did this for undergrad. Friend 1 got a full tuition scholarship at MIT and, when withdrawing from a similarly prestigious institution, he suggested they accept Friend 2. It did not backfire on either of them, in fact Friend 2 got accepted at the school in question. Of course, we're talking about undergraduate admissions, so it might be different, but it's still something to consider.

 

[Law2Doc]

I actually know someone who did this for undergrad. Friend 1 got a full tuition scholarship at MIT and, when withdrawing from a similarly prestigious institution, he suggested they accept Friend 2. It did not backfire on either of them, in fact Friend 2 got accepted at the school in question. Of course, we're talking about undergraduate admissions, so it might be different, but it's still something to consider.

Undergrad is different. They don't put the same weight on interviews, and students are more fungible at that level. There is less investment in the person and more in the transcript at that level.

 

[235009]

Probably the safest way to play this would be to have your friend send a letter of interest to the school before you withdraw and hope for the best

 

[Narmerguy]

I actually know someone who did this for undergrad. Friend 1 got a full tuition scholarship at MIT and, when withdrawing from a similarly prestigious institution, he suggested they accept Friend 2. It did not backfire on either of them, in fact Friend 2 got accepted at the school in question. Of course, we're talking about undergraduate admissions, so it might be different, but it's still something to consider.

Let's not forget that this is no indication that Friend 1's actions actually helped Friend 2. For all we know, Friend 2 was accepted in spite of Friend 1's actions.