GWU

I just found out I was placed on GWU’s alternate list sad.gif
I really liked the school and hope to get off the list.
Does anyone know whether there is usually much movement off of GWU’s waitlist? (Mary Renard – do you know anyone in your class who was accepted off the waitlist?)

Does anyone know if it’s ranked, how many typically get off, how to improve your chances of getting off the list, etc.?
– J

I know someone who was on the waitlist and got in and can ask someone I know who is on the cmte there.

Hi Calvin:
If you could do that, I'd really appreciate it.
Thanks.
–J

QUOTE (jeng @ Apr 4 2003, 08:44 AM)
Does anyone know whether there is usually much movement off of GWU's waitlist? (Mary Renard -- do you know anyone in your class who was accepted off the waitlist?)

he he he - do you mean, besides Mary "queen-of-getting-in-off-the-waitlist" herself?

Hi LisaS:
Are you serious?!!@! I had no idea she came off of the waitlist.
That is very encouraging.
Thanks for letting me know.
– J

In late April or early May, GWU sends out letters to everyone on their waitlist asking that if they are still interested in GWU, then they must submit a letter to the committee explaining their interest in GWU. A negative response to this letter indictates to the committee that you no longer desire a place on their waitlist.
God luck,
Tara

QUOTE
he he he - do you mean, besides Mary "queen-of-getting-in-off-the-waitlist" herself?

laugh.gif yup that was me. The folks who were on the old OPM listserv three years ago heard an amazing amount of whining and kvetching from me. I was interviewed at GWU in September , got my 'alternate list' letter in October, couldn't get a straight answer out of the GWU office about movement off the waitlist during the interview season, got conflicting answers to that question when I posted it on Princeton Review and alt.medical (SDN hadn't gotten going yet at that point, or of course I would've posted and whined there too). I suspect that the folks on OPM felt that I was pushing for "longest time on waitlist" recognition of some kind.
You will NOT hear anything about getting accepted until after May 15. Probably for your peace of mind, it would be good to think of a later date and try to convince yourself that you won't hear until after that random date. I know I tried to do that, applying the rationale that since people holding acceptances had until May 15 to decline them, the schools would surely take at least a week or two to sort through their lists and figure out the number of spaces available and who'd get the next call. Of course as soon as the calendar hit the magic May 15 number I jumped every time my phone rang. (for the record, I actually got a very early call, May 18. But I had classmates who were contacted in August.)
Tara is right, that they will be sending out a query that asks you to indicate that you are still interested. DO NOT FREAK OUT WHEN YOU GET MAIL FROM THEM SOMETIME IN THE NEXT MONTH. It's a "thick" envelope, because it contains an "explanation" of how the waitlist procedure works that, to my best recollection, included a lot of words and damn little information. So don't get excited when it shows up in your mailbox.
You will want to be sure and respond, as Tara explained. Be sure to give the phone numbers where you can be reached. From the few stories I know from among my classmates, we were all called during business hours with our acceptances.
How many get off the list? My impression is, quite a few but I don't have any data to support that impression. Unlike this message board and SDN, where people compulsively share all these important details, I found that once we were all in the room together, stuff like your MCAT score, GPA, undergrad, and when you got your acceptance were meaningless. So I honestly don't know how many of us were waitlist refugees.
answers to unasked but anticipated questions:
1. Not everyone gets off the list. I have gotten the impression that GWU kinda hates to turn people down and so they don't outright reject that many applicants post-interview.
2. Yes, there is some sort of internal order to the waitlist but my impression is that it's rather fluid. It's not like there's a list posted by Darrell's phone with applicants' names, followed by a number or a quartile. So don't bother to ask where you stand on the list - I don't think they'd be able to give you a very accurate answer, anyway. GWU works hard to put together an interesting and diverse class, so someone on the alternate list could end up higher or lower in consideration depending on whatever "interesting" attributes they have.
Good luck! I feel your pain. tongue.gif

Hi Mary,
Sorry for not responding right away. I got a bit busy this weekend and wasn’t checking my computer.
Thanks for your input. You’re right – GWU sent me a letter notifying me I was on the alternate list together with a generic letter to all alternates that if you want to remain on the list that you should send a letter to GWU saying so.
Of course I sent a response immediately by fax and regular mail, so they know I want to remain on the list.
The thick envelope was a total tease. I thought it was an acceptance letter. Oh well. sad.gif But I do feel encouraged by the fact that at least it wasn’t a rejection and even if I can’t get accepted at GWU, maybe another school will. I interviewed recently at Drexel and it went very well. Either school would make me a very happy lady.
Of course I am concerned that GWU has a long waitlist and that I ended up on that waitlist late in the game. I am hoping that the list is indeed fluid so that I can send them updates and letters of intent/interest that could pull me over the top.
In the meantime, the wait continues. I don’t expect any movement until at least May 15th when students with multiple acceptances have to declare themselves – hopefully, one of them will get the hell out of my seat!!@#!@!@!
Any other helpful thoughts or advice would be appreciated.
Thanks again, Mary.
– J