Many people aspire to attend medical school. In the US, nearly 52,577 applicants took their shot at achieving that dream from 2023 to 2024. Some are accepted, others rejected, and a few are stuck in between—getting waitlisted.
However, being on a med school waitlist is not the end of the world. In fact, many schools and universities have waitlists for situations like when they receive many qualified applicants but lack available spots. Basically, when you’re on the waitlist, you have a possibility of being qualified for your chosen school, but you’re not out of the woods yet.
There are some steps you still need to take to receive that coveted acceptance letter. Let’s explore practical methods on how to get off a waitlist.
Understanding the Waitlist Process
The number of waitlisted applicants varies per school. Some may only waitlist dozens, while others have a few hundred. Timeframes for making decisions also vary. For instance, one school may use a rolling admissions process where they offer spots when they become available. Another school might have a set notification date to inform their waitlisted applicants. It often happens around May and June to give time for those opting to enroll in August to prepare.
Admissions committees typically consider some factors when pulling applicants off the med school waitlist. Sometimes, they’ll focus on your additional achievements or your demonstrated interest in their school. When you understand how the waitlist process of your chosen med school works, you’ll know how to get off a waitlist and prepare for the necessary steps to earn your spot.
Exploring Strategies for Success
1. Reaffirm Your Interest
The first thing you can do is write a letter of intent (LOI). An LOI is your chance to tell the admissions committee why you want to study at their school. However, avoid restating what’s already on your application. Add something new, like your reaffirmation of interest and commitment to your goals. Visit the school’s website to check for any preferred formats so the admissions committee will consider your LOI.
Even if your chosen school doesn’t request an LOI, it pays to reach out. A simple email expressing your intent and continued interest could go a long way.
2. Demonstrate Continued Growth
Volunteered at your local clinic? Won notable awards or a scholarship? Don’t take them for granted. They could bump up your qualifications and help you get off the med school waitlist. For example, research-focused med schools are more likely to accept you if you have additional scholarly achievements, such as publishing a research paper.
Focus on all your achievements that showcase your dedication to medicine and provide updates that emphasize your growth as a potential medical student. Remember to review any possible guidelines the school has so you can update the admissions committee correctly.
3. Stay Engaged
Just because you haven’t been accepted or rejected by the school yet doesn’t mean you should stay out of their radar. These schools might offer virtual events or information sessions for their waitlisted applicants. Attending them can show your continued and genuine interest as well as allow you to gain more information about your intended program.
After the event, follow up with a brief thank-you email mentioning something specific that you found interesting. Continue connecting with the admissions committee every few weeks or so, but avoid being intrusive, which could hurt your chances further.
Keeping Your Options Open
While it helps to stay hopeful, it’s sometimes wiser to keep your mind and your options open. For one, med school waitlist process is unpredictable at times. So, remember the other schools you’ve applied to. Some may have already accepted your application or got you off their waitlist early. Stay in touch with these schools and consider them if you don’t get into your first choice.
If luck isn’t in your cards for any of your applied schools, don’t give up just yet. Use this situation as a learning opportunity to improve your application for the next cycle. Try to figure out what could’ve caused your rejection. For example, it could be a lack of clinical experience or low MCAT scores. Make good use of your waiting time by volunteering or getting an MCAT score of 512 or above, which may boost your chances of acceptance to 80%.
Final Thoughts
When you receive your waitlist letter from your dream med school, don’t be discouraged. It’s a sign that you’re still in the running for acceptance. But you need to take some extra steps to get there.
Stay hopeful and productive while you wait. Write a sincere LOI, gain more relevant experience, and be open to other med schools, locally or abroad. Reaching out to your advisers or medical school admissions counselors for more in-depth and effective strategies also helps. Those who’ve gone through the process and now have thriving careers may offer valuable medical school waitlist advice.
When you have professional tips and resources on how to get off a waitlist, you’ll be more at ease and focused on the work. Soon, you could get that acceptance letter too.
