So you’ve been offered a position on a medical school waiting list. Congratulations! While being wait-listed can be stressful, it is actually encouraging news. Typically, only the top 10 to 15 percent of applicants are offered an interview, let alone a place on the waitlist.
There are generally two reasons why you may be placed on a waiting list. First, the admissions committee believes you have the capacity for success in medical school, but there were candidates with stronger qualifications for a limited number of seats. And two, you applied late in the process and only waitlist positions are available.
[Learn more abouthow to get off a medical school waitlist.]
Being placed on a waitlist can make you feel like the outcome is out of your control. The waiting is the hardest part, but is it all that you can do? Here is some insight on do’s and don’ts to consider while you wait.
Do:
— Express your interest in the respective institution by sending additional pertinent information, such as a letter of intent, updated transcripts, additional community service records or research publications. However, do so sparingly — once a week is too much.
— Craft a well-written letter of intent expressing your interest and appreciation for being considered a candidate. Admissions committees will likely appreciate that you are passionate about the school.
— Take advantage of open houses and visits days. Your presence at institution-sponsored events will demonstrate your level of commitment beyond what letters and calls can do. But make sure your efforts count — be sure to introduce yourself to admissions department staff.
— Share any new grades or test scores you get after you have applied, with your application service: American Medical College Application Service or AACOMAS, the application service of the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine.
— Check your email account regularly, as many schools will send an email if they are offering you a position in the class. This is an email you will not want to miss, as many offers include deadlines for a response.
— Be patient. You could be admitted from the waitlist at any time after you have been placed on it up until right before the entering class matriculates. The greatest movement on the waitlist usually occurs from late April to mid-June.
— If you are not offered a place in the class, identify any weaknesses in your application, address them and prepare for reapplication. Some candidates choose to reapply to medical school the following year if they are not admitted the first time they apply, and those candidates often begin the process in early summer. Others consider employment opportunities or other academic programs.
You must decide how much risk you are willing to tolerate to remain available for a medical school offer, or at what point you feel it is in your best interest to withdraw from the waitlist and make other commitments for the fall.
[Weighwhat to do after being accepted to a safety medical school.]
Don’t:
— Be discouraged. Waitlist position offers are competitive and enviable. They are a school’s acknowledgement of your high potential and confidence that if offered a spot, you will demonstrate the skill set necessary to succeed as a physician.
— Interpret a lack of movement on the waitlist as the school’s lack of interest in you. The greatest factor affecting your chances is something that neither you nor the school can control: the number of accepted candidates who withdraw before class matriculates.
Any number of individuals currently holding positions in the entering class may also be holding multiple waitlist positions; it’s impossible to say how many will receive an offer from another school and withdraw to accept it. Schools cannot predict how many withdrawals they will receive throughout the cycle, which is why they can’t predict your likelihood of receiving an offer.
[Understand thefactors behind medical school admissions.]
— Count on a place on the waitlist as a guarantee that you’ll get an admissions offer. The process is unpredictable and is not a guarantee of acceptance.
— Call or email the admissions office asking for the reasons why you were placed on the waitlist. Phone calls to admissions offices slow the process. Your enthusiasm is valued, but over-communicating may negatively impact the impression you are providing to the school.
— Send flowers and sweets — they don’t work.
You might be impatient or uncertain on how you can enhance your chances of being offered admission from the waitlist. Be cautious and mindful with all of your interactions with medical school admissions offices, as these are frequently included in your file and will likely contribute to the ultimate admissions decisions.
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Do’s, Don’ts for Wait-Listed Medical School Hopefuls originally appeared on usnews.com
