Yet another waitlist question

[hsouth]

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Ok, I'm sure this has been asked before, but can someone clarify for me...
I am on the waitlist at 3 schools currently. If I get the magic call from one and accept, then sometime later (I'm assuming any and all of this would happen after May 15th) get called by another, can I accept the second? Do they give you time to think about it? Can you hold multiple acceptance for a day or so while you decide? How does this all work?
THanks!

~Hilary

Interviewed: Rochester, Buffalo, Upstate, Stony Brook
Waitlisted: Rochester, Buffalo, Upstate

 

[opus03]

As long as you haven't enrolled (actually began) at the first school then you can accept the second offer. I think most schools would give you a few days to make a decision, I was given 10 days last summer. Unless of course, one of them is starting up asap....

 

[Alexander99]

Before May 15th, you can have as many acceptances and waitlists as you want.

After May 15th, you can only have 1 acceptance at a time and still have as many waitlists as you want.

So after May 15th, let's say you already have an acceptance and one of the schools you'd rather go to turns your waitlist into an acceptance. I think you only get a few days to think about it at which point you have to choose one or the other so you're down to 1 acceptance again.

So technically, you're allowed to hold more than 1 acceptance at a time after May 15th--just not for very long (only long enough for you to make a quick decision.)

 

[Alexander99]

Originally posted by opus03
As long as you haven't enrolled (actually began) at the first school then you can accept the second offer. I think most schools would give you a few days to make a decision, I was given 10 days last summer. Unless of course, one of them is starting up asap....

Some schools have ridiculously early start dates like July or early August. That would suck if you started attending one of these schools only to find out that one of your dream schools that don't start until September took you off the waitlist. I wonder if this has happened to anyone.

 

[traumamonkey]

i don't know any specific examples about med school hopping, but i know of someone who started law school in cali (and really wanted to go to boston college). she got an acceptance to BU two days into the cali school...so she moved to boston. a week into BU she got accepted to her top choice (BC) and switched again. sounds like too much stress to me, but in the end she got her top choice....
i'm sure there must be someone out there who has done something similiar in medicine.

 

[opus03]

http://www.aamc.org/students/applying/policies/recommendations.htm


Here are the "recommended guidelines" from the AAMC....I think #9 would address the question. Although I never realized they were "recommendations", I think they would generally follow them.

 

[Amy B]

That is true, after May 15th you can stay on all your waitlists. Once you get an acceptance you can still stay on the other waitlists. However once you get the acceptance you want to keep, please remember your fellow waitlisters and withdraw from all the lists, so as to make room for someone else. Oh and schools do contiune to get updated acceptance updates from AMCAS, so keep in mind, you still can only have 1 acceptance at a time. Don't try to violate that rule.

As to timing in summer... it can vary. I will tell you at MCV they will start calling on the phone... if you aren't at any of the phone numbers you have given, they will move on to the next name on the list. SO KEEP ALL NUMERS UPDATED. This is straight from the dean's mouth. She said it is brutal in the summer. She said it is hard to do, but they will move to the next name on the list if none of your phone numbers get through to you or someone that can get ahold of you in a very short time. And they don't give you 10 days. You will have to tell them when they call.

Every school is different when it comes to taking people off the waitlist, so just make sure you know your school's policy.

Good luck to all who are still waiting.

 

[prabhara]

I higher-up on BU's adcom gave me the lowdown on waitlists....here it is:

If you've been accepted to school x but school y decides to accept you off of their waitlist, they'll do two things. First, they'll contact school x and tell them they're accepting you. This will allow school x enough time to fill the open spot. Second, they'll obviously contact you and offer you a spot. However, if you've already started classes at school x, school y is not even allowed to accept you off of their waitlist. Hope this helps!! 😱 😱

 

[MNgrrl]

As to timing in summer... it can vary. I will tell you at MCV they will start calling on the phone... if you aren't at any of the phone numbers you have given, they will move on to the next name on the list. SO KEEP ALL NUMERS UPDATED. This is straight from the dean's mouth. She said it is brutal in the summer. She said it is hard to do, but they will move to the next name on the list if none of your phone numbers get through to you or someone that can get ahold of you in a very short time. And they don't give you 10 days. You will have to tell them when they call.
QUOTE]

Do they do this if they get an answering machine or voice mail, or only if they can't leave a message at all?

 

[LP1CW]

Come on, that doesn't sound fair. Will they leave a message on a machine if they don't get you in person. What if you were in the shower? So, you don't get to go to medical school becuase of a shower and you missed a call. Lets hope that they'd leave a message on your answering machine and give you a day to call back.

 

[Amy B]

As to timing in summer... it can vary. I will tell you at MCV they will start calling on the phone... if you aren't at any of the phone numbers you have given, they will move on to the next name on the list. SO KEEP ALL NUMERS UPDATED. This is straight from the dean's mouth. She said it is brutal in the summer. She said it is hard to do, but they will move to the next name on the list if none of your phone numbers get through to you or someone that can get ahold of you in a very short time. And they don't give you 10 days. You will have to tell them when they call.
QUOTE]

Do they do this if they get an answering machine or voice mail, or only if they can't leave a message at all?

I think it was if they got no answer or machine at any of the numbers, but I can't remember for sure tonight.

 

[calcrew14]

1) How much time does one have to respond to VCU e-mail acceptance?
2) Is it alright to hold an acceptance at an osteopathic school along with the one at VCU?
3) I'd like to hear from any VCU class 2008 from Cali, here or pm
4) Looks like VCU graduates don't have any problem matching for spots in Cali, any comment?

Thanks,