Waitlist Purgatory

[Guest opiedog]

Can anyone offer any insight to waitlists? I have desperately been trying to find out how long the lists usually are, and how many (average, obviously) may be finding an actual offer out of it all. I did a search of all the topics on the ezboard to no avail. Web sites all seemed directed towards U.S. schools, and suggested one start royally kissing backsides of school Deans in order to be remembered if a spot comes up. Seems wrong to have to do that, but it is what was suggested:eek

 

Am also curious to know if one should be applying for funding if on the waitlist, as if they were actually heading off to school.

 

Signed, Traumatized in Thunder Bay. (Yes, I am on a dreaded waitlist!!)

[Guest UWOMED2005]

Waitlists suck.

 

But they do move.

 

A very substantial proportion of my classmates made it in off the waitlist - 189 offers were made back in 2001 to fill 118 seats in the class of 2005. I don't think that includes people waitlisted at UWO and elsewhere but made it off the waitlist at other schools. . .

 

So people do make it off the waitlist. Lots of people.

 

Problem is, many people don't make it off the waitlist so you are stuck in a not-knowing position. It's very possible you will get in. But it's also very possible that you won't. I can't deny that.

 

'Purgatory' probably is an apt comparison.

 

At this point in time, I wouldn't worry about funding options. I don't think RBC, Bank of Montreal, or National Bank will offer you an LOC based on waitlist alone. And that sort of thing can be sorted out in a surprisingly quick matter of time. . . once you have an acceptance letter.

 

Good Luck. I've tried to be as open and honest as possible here, and I wish you the best.

 

PS - Ploughboy is correct about "sequential ordering" and the fact you don't need to worry about being remembered.

 

Our class filled up MUCH later than Jul 17th. It's true your chances of getting in off the waitlist are higher earlier in the game, but it's not unheard of for people to get in later in the game. . . even the first week or two of September!

 

Yep PB - we were posting near the same time!

[Guest ploughboy]

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Hey TiTB,

 

I don't think it's a question of being "remembered" if a spot comes up. As I understand it, everybody on the list is given a sequential rank, and when a spot in the class opens up a call/letter goes out to the person on the top of the list. People are also dropped off other school's waitlists if they make a firm commitment to one specific school.

 

Since I only applied to Western this year I have really only collected hard data for that school, but it's probably pretty typical. UWO gave out 237 offers to fill 133 spots in the class of 2008 (I read this a long time ago and I forget who posted it, but it was a credible source - maybe aneliz or tmax), and the class was full on July 17th, 2004 (per Alex Wong). A few years ago it took 189 offers to fill 118 spots in the UWO class of '05 (per UWOMED2005 very recently in the UWO forum. edit: and right up there too! We must have been posting at the same time.)

 

Apparently Queens has completely exhausted their waitlist in the past. You're waiting on NOMS, right? I guess there's no real way to predict what will happen there, since it's the charter class. Fingers crossed for you!

 

Long story short: waitlists *do* move. Waiting sucks, doesn't it? I'm right there with you. If I'd gotten a good email yesterday, I would have been down in London today, enjoying the sunshine and looking at houses. (dangit!)

 

Cheers,

 

pb

 

 

 

 

 

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[Guest opiedog]

Thanks for the quick response. I had thought this morning, in knowing the emails were going out, that I would know by noon what direction my life would take. Somehow, the thought of being waitlisted escaped me!

 

Patience has never been one of my strong points....you should see me at Christmas!!

[Guest avarrin2001]

Hey,

 

I had posted this on the Toronto and Ottawa boards, its some info i have come across about their waiting lists.... maybe posting it here will help get more ppl confirming it (or maybe someone knows how many ppl get rejected at UofT...)

 

OTTAWA

I have done some looking around, and also found some notes i took during the info session at the interview day. I cant guarentee this is all right, but until someone who knows comes along, this is what i figure...

 

During the info session it was said that about 500 people are interviewed. 250 will get "bad" waitlisted. Initially 123 acceptances are sent out (well, 107 in the anglo stream), and the remaining people 127 get "good" waitlisted.

 

On a file I found (and can no longer remember the link,but i have the .pdf saved on my computer ... its called Admission Requirements of Canadian Faculties of medicine and produced by ACMC for anyone who wants to try to find it on the net), it said that in 2004, about 191 offers were made before the class was full (i.e., 78 of the 127 people from the good waitlist got acceptance letters before the summer was out). So, i guess, roughly, being on the good waitlist gives us about a 60% chance?

 

 

UofT

From the UofT FAQ, it mentions that of the 450 people interviewed, about 270 will receive an acceptance (i.e., by the time the 198 seats are filled, they have gone into the waitlist by about 72 people). Does anyone know how many people are on the waitlist, or how many rejections are given out? Anyone have any stats from last year?