Attending all interviews to bargain?

[Albanian24]

Good evening,

My question regards interviews. As of now, I have been blessed enough to have received 10 interview offers. I applied to a lot of schools, apparently underestimating my competitiveness. Of course, different schools will offer different financial aid packages, and I have heard of students holding multiple acceptances bringing down their cost of attendance at a preferred institution by using the financial aid package of another institution as leverage.

My question is this: Say you have an acceptance at a school you like - is it worth going to every interview (even at a less-preferred school), hoping to get a solid aid package at one of those schools, and using that to leverage more aid at a more preferred institution? In other words, could spending money on interviews be an investment of sorts?

I'd appreciate any feedback. Thanks!

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[Avada Cadaver]

Sure, if you have loads of monies to burn. You might also be pleasantly surprised, a school that you once considered less desirable might become one of your top choices upon visiting the school/area and attending the interview.

 

[Isoval]

53 applications...my god...how are you still breathing?

I could barely do 10 or however many secondaries I had

 

[RogueUnicorn]

bold move, cotton

 

[allantois]

You can afford to apply to 53 schools and interview at 10, yet need financial aid?

 

[ODea]

I'm sure if you try that on certain schools they'll immediately throw out your app if you ask for any more than they offer. It's a risk I personally wouldn't take or spend the money on but if you want to do it go for it.

 

[•Syzygy•]

the only reason you should continue interviewing is if you do not have an acceptance locked down.

as of now you have 10 interviews and no acceptances. you may end up on a lot of waitlists and not have any acceptances so be careful making decisions based on financial aid rather than on getting in somewhere first..

 

[BombsAway]

I'm sure if you try that on certain schools they'll immediately throw out your app if you ask for any more than they offer. It's a risk I personally wouldn't take or spend the money on but if you want to do it go for it.

don't be.

 

[ciestar]

One big downfall, schools aren't even required to give you your financial aid package before traffic day (where you can only hold one acceptance).

 

[Siromas]

One big downfall, schools aren't even required to give you your financial aid package before traffic day (where you can only hold one acceptance).

So it's not required, but is it common practice for a school to withhold this information?

 

[tiramisucheese]

I'm sure if you try that on certain schools they'll immediately throw out your app if you ask for any more than they offer. It's a risk I personally wouldn't take or spend the money on but if you want to do it go for it.

What? Do you have anything to back that up? One of the adcoms at our interview day said that this is specifically the right thing to do. Are you even applying to medical school any time soon? In one of your recent posts, you just asked what an MMI was, and you're working on bring your GPA up to >2.5.

You probably shouldn't be doling out this kind of advice...

 

[Mad Jack]

Attend all the interviews you can afford. Make the decision that is best for you. Remember, however, that schools don't take kindly to being hardballed for financial aid so that could work against you if approached poorly.

 

[On_The_Way_Up]

What? Do you have anything to back that up? One of the adcoms at our interview day said that this is specifically the right thing to do. Are you even applying to medical school any time soon? In one of your recent posts, you just asked what an MMI was, and you're working on bring your GPA up to >2.5.

You probably shouldn't be doling out this kind of advice...

Yeah he doesn't know what he is talking about. I've seen this discussed on here before and adcoms say it happens often. Now if you get financial aid is another story. But nothing wrong with asking. And the more competitive applicant you are sometimes schools will try to keep you from others with some type of offer.

 

[21Rush12]

Attend the interviews, pick the school that accepts you. If there's more than one, pick the one you like better for whatever your personal reasons are.

It won't get your acceptance rescinded to ask about FA, but you're dreaming if you expect to be the center of a bidding war. It just doesn't work that way.


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[CloverBale]

For every dollar you're trying to negotiate, there are 1000 other premeds who they can accept that would be willing to pay double. You don't have any leverage since you're so easily replaceable with people willing to pay full price.

 

[PreMedMissteps]

My question is this: Say you have an acceptance at a school you like - is it worth going to every interview (even at a less-preferred school), hoping to get a solid aid package at one of those schools, and using that to leverage more aid at a more preferred institution? In other words, could spending money on interviews be an investment of sorts?

Well, it works like this... If you are holding multiple acceptances then those schools will learn that around February. To protect their yield, some may decide to offer you a merit scholarship in hopes that you'll pick them. I would not suggest contacting the schools to negotiate. However, if your favorite med were to contact you with an offer, but it's not as strong as another school's, then you could politely tell your favorite about the other offer and say something (polite) that if favorite school can offer similar, then you will (FOR SURE) enroll and decline the others' acceptances. Only do this if you will absolutely enroll. No one wants to get you an improved offer only to have you go elsewhere. Bad form. Rude. Of course, if the larger offer is from a much lower ranked school, the higher ranked favorite may not even try to offer more...and then you can decide which way to go.

Personally, I have known many students to have this experience. Some have been offered as much as free tuition. Some have been offered instate rates to an OOS med.

So having multiple interviews is not the big deal...it's holding multiple acceptances. So if you're so blessed, don't decline any and wait to see who offers what.

 

[Dr. Stalker]

Good evening,

My question regards interviews. As of now, I have been blessed enough to have received 10 interview offers. I applied to a lot of schools, apparently underestimating my competitiveness. Of course, different schools will offer different financial aid packages, and I have heard of students holding multiple acceptances bringing down their cost of attendance at a preferred institution by using the financial aid package of another institution as leverage.

My question is this: Say you have an acceptance at a school you like - is it worth going to every interview (even at a less-preferred school), hoping to get a solid aid package at one of those schools, and using that to leverage more aid at a more preferred institution? In other words, could spending money on interviews be an investment of sorts?

I'd appreciate any feedback. Thanks!

The only case this works in is if you get admitted to your state school and a private MD school and tell the private MD school to admit you because you'll relinquish your cheaper state school to attend.

 

[Med Ed]

Good evening,

My question regards interviews. As of now, I have been blessed enough to have received 10 interview offers. I applied to a lot of schools, apparently underestimating my competitiveness. Of course, different schools will offer different financial aid packages, and I have heard of students holding multiple acceptances bringing down their cost of attendance at a preferred institution by using the financial aid package of another institution as leverage.

My question is this: Say you have an acceptance at a school you like - is it worth going to every interview (even at a less-preferred school), hoping to get a solid aid package at one of those schools, and using that to leverage more aid at a more preferred institution? In other words, could spending money on interviews be an investment of sorts?

I'd appreciate any feedback. Thanks!

If money is not an issue then attend as many interviews as you can stomach and check back if you snag more than one acceptance. If money is an issue you will obviously need to prioritize, but that's a separate concern.

Most schools I'm aware of keep scholarship money in three basic pots: recruitment, merit, and need. There are a few candidates who can command big recruitment packages up front. The vast majority cannot. If you have an acceptance at your preferred school and another one at a cheaper institution, it's true that the former may sweeten the pot for you. Or they may not. Overall it's still a seller's market.

To that end, every year we have a few accepted applicants who try to wheel and deal a bit too hard. Suffice to say that if the admissions office decides you're a pain, it can make the next soul on the wait list look mighty attractive.

 

[PreMedMissteps]

The only case this works in is if you get admitted to your state school and a private MD school and tell the private MD school to admit you because you'll relinquish your cheaper state school to attend.

Absolutely not true. For example, I've seen Northwestern offer free tuition to student who was holding a Harvard med acceptance.

But, I do understand your point. Certain privates (perhaps mid-tiers and unranked) know that students will often choose their cheaper public over their pricey schools, so they might offer an incentive to some holding multiple acceptances.

Really, it doesn't matter if the schools are private or public. What matters is some schools will offer merit to protect yield of desired applicants who are holding multiple acceptances.

And, certainly, those who possess a quality that SOMs really need (often male AA applicants are highly desirable!!!), may get an offer. So it's not unusual to see those students offered an incentive so that the student will pick them.

I suspect that SLU, who is on probation, will be offering handsome merit to entice URMs because I believe that was one shortfall that they were cited for.

 

[Dr. Stalker]

Absolutely not true. For example, I've seen Northwestern offer free tuition to student who was holding a Harvard med acceptance.

But, I do understand your point. Certain privates (perhaps mid-tiers and unranked) know that students will often choose their cheaper public over their pricey schools, so they might offer an incentive to some holding multiple acceptances.

Really, it doesn't matter if the schools are private or public. What matters is some schools will offer merit to protect yield of desired applicants who are holding multiple acceptances.

And, certainly, those who possess a quality that SOMs really need (often male AA applicants are highly desirable!!!), may get an offer. So it's not unusual to see those students offered an incentive for the school to pick them.

I suspect that SLU, who is on probation, will be offering handsome merit to entice URMs because I believe that was one shortfall that they were cited for.

Perhaps I was a bit too blunt in my original post. The main situation I could see leverage working in was independent of school title/name/opportunities and boiled down to money cause that's often a huge driving force behind decisions. If someone had a state acceptance and state tuition is willing to be given up to shell out 3-4x more, I could see the private school thinking "Hm. Maybe this student is serious about our school...and we need to fill our class...100s of kids sent letters of update/intent, but this student is actually serious."

Though, your example with toptiers makes sense. Perhaps Yale would be enticed to take a top-tier candidate that proved their worth already by getting admitted to, oh, idk, wash u?

 

[Dr. Stalker]

Absolutely not true. For example, I've seen Northwestern offer free tuition to student who was holding a Harvard med acceptance.

But, I do understand your point. Certain privates (perhaps mid-tiers and unranked) know that students will often choose their cheaper public over their pricey schools, so they might offer an incentive to some holding multiple acceptances.

Really, it doesn't matter if the schools are private or public. What matters is some schools will offer merit to protect yield of desired applicants who are holding multiple acceptances.

And, certainly, those who possess a quality that SOMs really need (often male AA applicants are highly desirable!!!), may get an offer. So it's not unusual to see those students offered an incentive for the school to pick them.

I suspect that SLU, who is on probation, will be offering handsome merit to entice URMs because I believe that was one shortfall that they were cited for.

Is AA asian americans of African Americans?

 

[PreMedMissteps]

Is AA asian americans of African Americans?

African Americans.
Asian Americans are ORM for med schools.

 

[PreMedMissteps]

Though, your example with toptiers makes sense. Perhaps Yale would be enticed to take a top-tier candidate that proved their worth already by getting admitted to, oh, idk, wash u?

When the February reveal happens.....Schools don't know about your other acceptances unless they've accepted you as well. So, for Yale to know that you've been accepted to WashU, Yale would have had to accept you.

 

[Dr. Stalker]

When the February reveal happens.....Schools don't know about your other acceptances unless they've accepted you as well. So, for Yale to know that you've been accepted to WashU, Yale would have had to accept you.

What if the student in question e-mailed yale saying "Hi I really want to go to Yale I'm currently waitlisted. Since interviewing I've completed x, y, and z. Finally, I'm very fortunate to hold an otherwise top acceptance, but it isn't my top choice, Yale is. Attached is my Wash U acceptance letter."

I thought that's what OP was inquiring about?

 

[PreMedMissteps]

What if the student in question e-mailed yale saying "Hi I really want to go to Yale I'm currently waitlisted. Since interviewing I've completed x, y, and z. Finally, I'm very fortunate to hold an otherwise top acceptance, but it isn't my top choice, Yale is. Attached is my Wash U acceptance letter."

I thought that's what OP was inquiring about?

Ugh

A LOI, if a school allows them, really shouldn't be gauche and mention another school.

 

[ODea]

For every dollar you're trying to negotiate, there are 1000 other premeds who they can accept that would be willing to pay double. You don't have any leverage since you're so easily replaceable with people willing to pay full price.

Exactly thank you, they have many people trying to get in with most likely close to the same stats as you or better willing to take less

 

[Albanian24]

I appreciate all the insight, folks. As for affording the applications: FAP, loans, and very supportive family.

 

[PreMedMissteps]

Exactly thank you, they have many people trying to get in with most likely close to the same stats as you or better willing to take less

It doesn't exactly work that way. Did you read the above posts?

 

[BombsAway]

Exactly thank you, they have many people trying to get in with most likely close to the same stats as you or better willing to take less

Do you not realize we are talking about communication POST-ACCEPTANCE?! Schools don't rescind your acceptance because you inquire about fin-aid.

 

[PreMedMissteps]

Exactly thank you, they have many people trying to get in with most likely close to the same stats as you or better willing to take less

Do you not realize we are talking about communication POST-ACCEPTANCE?! Schools don't rescind your acceptance because you inquire about fin-aid.

I think the OP now knows that any sort of merit or FA is handled post-acceptance, and often after interviewing season is done or nearly done. At that point, the "fact" that there are others who'd want to take the seat isn't all that relevant. If that were the case, no one would be offered merit or aid ever because they're would always be someone willing to take the seat and pay double!!!

And, @BombsAway you're right....simply asking about FA will not result in an acceptance being rescinded.

 

[RogueUnicorn]

For every dollar you're trying to negotiate, there are 1000 other premeds who they can accept that would be willing to pay double. You don't have any leverage since you're so easily replaceable with people willing to pay full price.

That's just false.