Medical School Admissions (2012-2013 Cycle): May 15 Deadline

For all pre-meds applying this cycle: The May 15 deadline is less than three weeks away. What does this mean?

1. It means that if you are holding multiple acceptances to medical school, you have to make a final decision by May 15. By this magic day, you need to unaccept all but one acceptance. Said another way, you no longer get to brag about having said yes to multiple schools that accepted you. Pick where you will become a doctor and let those on the waitlist have a chance:)

2. For those of you on waitlists, May 15 is a great day. With many of your pre-med brethren having to let go of the ego-boosting multiple acceptances, waitlists will start to move. Yah! In general, most schools will try to make waitlist decisions before the AMCAS opens again in early June. Some fail miserably at this goal, but most make a good effort. If you are waitlisted, be sure you have checkout out my waitlist strategy post: http://mdadmit.blogspot.com/2013/04/medical-school-admissions-2012-2013.html

Good luck and go get in!

--Dr. Miller

Suzanne M. Miller, MD, FACEP
Emergency Physician
CEO of MDadmit: Medical Admissions Consulting and Essay Editing
www.MDadmit.com, 415.939.5251

Author of:
How to be Pre-Med
The Medical School Admissions Guide
How To Get Into Medical School with a Low GPA

Medical School Admissions (2012-2013 Cycle): Waitlist Strategy

April is a tough time in the medical school admissions process. Pre-meds everywhere are floating in the horrible neverland known as the waitlist (or deferment or hold). I am asked almost daily by pre-meds, "If I am waitlisted, what do I do?" Luckily, there are things you can do to move from the waitlist to the accepted list.

1. Send an update letter to your top choice.
This letter should state that the school is your top choice and that you would attend if accepted.
(For more on how to write a letter of intent, including examples, see The Medical School Admissions Guide)
2. Write update letters.
Send basically the same letter as your letter of intent (sans the top choice bit) to other schools you would attend if accepted.
3. Ask your pre-med advisor or a recommender to call your top choice on your behalf.
4. If you can't get anyone to call, consider sending in another recommendation (to be additional to the recs you have already sent via AMCAS or TMDSAS).

Though I highly recommend these tactics, be careful not to go overboard. I cannot tell you how many pre-meds have innundated admissions committees with updates, recommendations, and phone calls only to be rejected based on being "annoying." I suggest sending each school one communication (letter) from you and one communication (call or letter) from a pre-med advisor or additional recommender. And be sure to check with each school before you contact them. Some schools have no contact policies when you are on the waitlist. Contacting a no contact school is a sure fire way to quickly land on the rejected list.

Remember, being waitlisted means you are still in the game. Keep your head up!

--Dr. Miller
 


Suzanne M. Miller, MD, FACEP

Emergency Physician
CEO of MDadmit: Medical Admissions Consulting and Essay Editing
www.MDadmit.com, 415.939.5251

Author of:
How to be Pre-Med
The Medical School Admissions Guide
How To Get Into Medical School with a Low GPA

For pre-meds applying this cycle that have not heard from medical schools yet

I have been receiving many e-mails recently from pre-med clients asking about their chances of getting into medical school if they haven't heard from the schools yet. I wanted to share my response with all pre-meds, as I know this is a commonly asked question and an incredibly stressful time.

All medical schools, by rule, must have offered the number of acceptances as places in their class by April 15. Given that it is April 19, it is most likely that if you haven't heard from a school yet, you will likely be either waitlisted or rejected. Though some schools will offer more acceptances than places in their class, it is rare. But don't despair! If you are waitlisted, you are still in the game. The vast majority of medical schools "move" their waitlist - this means that some pre-meds on the waitlist gets in.

If you are waitlisted, check back next week for my weekly Medical School Admissions blog covering waitlist strategy tips.

Hang in there,

SMM

Suzanne M. Miller, MD, FACEP

Emergency Physician
CEO, MDadmit: Medical Admissions Consulting and Essay Editing
www.MDadmit.com
415.939.5251
Author of:
How to be Pre-Med
The Medical School Admissions Guide
How To Get Into Medical School with a Low GPA

Medical School Choice (2010-2011 Cycle): May 15 Deadline

The day has arrived. By May 15, each applicant who has received an acceptance offer from more than one school must choose where he or she wishes to attend and withdraw applications from all other schools. Check with each school to determine how they want to be informed. Some require written correspondence by regular mail while others will accept an e-mail notification.

Making a last-minute decision? In the end, you can make a hundred pro-con lists but the decision should come down to gut. Where do you feel more comfortable? Where do you really want to train to become a doctor and spend the next (at least) four years of your life? I bet deep down you know. Decide now!

After May 15, many schools start making offers to those on the waitlist as applicants are no longer able to hold multiple acceptances. So if you are stuck on the waitlist, you may start hearing from schools soon.

Need help deciding which medical school is best for you? E-mail info@MDadmit.com or call 415.939.5251 to get help from a Harvard/Stanford MD and medical school admissions expert!

Check out www.MDadmit.com for more information.

Medical School Admissions (2010-2011 Cycle) – Recommendation Calls to Admissions Committees

Now that the March 15^th deadline has passed, you should know where you stand with most schools – accepted, waitlisted, or rejected. Some schools have a “hold” designation. Consider a “hold” to equal a waitlist spot at this point in the medical school admissions cycle.

Many clients come to me for help formulating a waitlist strategy. In addition to writing a letter of intent to the top choice school and update letters to other waitlisted schools (see February 14 and 21, 2011 posts for more details on these letters), clients often ask if calls from recommenders or school alumni to the admissions office on their behalf are beneficial. In general, any glowing recommendations will help your case. But calls should only be from recommenders who know you well. A call from your uncle’s cousin’s wife who has met you once but happened to graduate from your waitlisted school will not be of much help and might even hurt you. So be smart. Don’t inundate the admissions staff with calls. A glowing phone call, or even unsolicited written recommendation, can improve your application.

Stuck in medical school waitlist limbo? Call 415.939.5251 or e-mail info@MDadmit.com to get your waitlist strategy going with help from a Harvard/Stanford MD and medical school admissions expert!

Check out www.MDadmit.com for more information.

Medical School Admissions: Still Waitlisted?

The May 15th deadline has passed and you are still on the waitlist. You may still get into school but it is time to come up with a back-up plan. Are you going to apply again this cycle? Are you going to take a year off? How are you going to improve your application to increase your chances of acceptance when re-applying? Even though waitlists do not officially close until the first day of the school year, waiting until then to make a decision on next steps will put you at a disadvantage.

Trying to figure out what to do next and how to improve your application? Call 415.939.5251 or e-mail info@MDadmit.com to schedule a consulting session with a Harvard/Stanford MD and medical school admissions expert!

Medical School Choice: May 15 Deadline

The day has arrived. By May 15, each applicant who has received an acceptance offer from more than one school must choose where he or she wishes to attend and withdraw applications from all other schools. Check with each school to determine how they want to be informed. Some require written correspondence by regular mail while others will accept an e-mail notification.

Making a last-minute decision? In the end, you can make a hundred pro-con lists but the decision should come down to gut. Where do you feel more comfortable? Where do you really want to train to become a doctor and spend the next (at least) four years of your life? I bet deep down you know. Decide now!

After May 15, many schools start making offers to those on the waitlist as applicants are no longer able to hold multiple acceptances. So if you are stuck on the waitlist, you may start hearing from schools soon.

Need help deciding which medical school is best for you? E-mail info@MDadmit.com or call 415.939.5251 to get help from a Harvard/Stanford MD and medical school admissions expert!

Medical School Admissions – Recommendation Calls to Admissions Committees

Now that the March 15th deadline has passed, you should know where you stand with most schools – accepted, waitlisted, or rejected. Some schools have a “hold” designation. Consider a “hold” to equal a waitlist spot at this point in the medical school admissions cycle.

Many clients come to me for help formulating a waitlist strategy. In addition to writing a letter of intent to the top choice school and update letters to other waitlisted schools (see January 25 and February 1 posts for more details on these letters), clients often ask if calls from recommenders or school alumni to the admissions office on their behalf are beneficial. In general, any glowing recommendations will help your case. But calls should only be from recommenders who know you well. A call from your uncle’s cousin’s wife who has met you once but happened to graduate from your waitlisted school will not be of much help and might even hurt you. So be smart. Don’t inundate the admissions staff with calls. One or two glowing phone calls, or even unsolicited written recommendations, can improve your application.

Stuck in medical school waitlist limbo? E-mail info@MDadmit.com to get your waitlist strategy going with help from a Harvard/Stanford MD and medical school admissions expert!