Clarification on Turning Down Acceptance

[L3sterine]

Hi all,
I've never posted before, although I have been reading threads since I started thinking about med school application last year. I'll attempt to be concise:
From what I can tell, it seems the single greatest mistake a premed can make is to turn down an acceptance. I get that. It seems that an acceptable reason for doing so is fleeting, and people who do do so get shut down by commenters on here rather quickly.
My question is ... why? Why is it so bad (from the perspective of a med school COA) for someone to decline an acceptance in hopes of going to another school? For example, someone may have applied to some schools they had an interest in, but ultimately decide that they'd rather not attend in the end. In complete candidness, I don't see the big issue with that.
I'll be the first to admit my naïveté, although perhaps SDN is an echo chamber. Any input is appreciated! I don't intend for this post to be an exercise in trolling, etc. Thanks.

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[deleted480308]

Hi all,
I've never posted before, although I have been reading threads since I started thinking about med school application last year. I'll attempt to be concise:
From what I can tell, it seems the single greatest mistake a premed can make is to turn down an acceptance. I get that. It seems that an acceptable reason for doing so is fleeting, and people who do do so get shut down by commenters on here rather quickly.
My question is ... why? Why is it so bad (from the perspective of a med school COA) for someone to decline an acceptance in hopes of going to another school? For example, someone may have applied to some schools they had an interest in, but ultimately decide that they'd rather not attend in the end. In complete candidness, I don't see the big issue with that.
I'll be the first to admit my naïveté, although perhaps SDN is an echo chamber. Any input is appreciated! I don't intend for this post to be an exercise in trolling, etc. Thanks.

because it's a waste of time and resources for the schools, piss or get off the pot

 

[puahate]

Unless you have multiple acceptances, it's unwise to turn them down.

 

[965978]

If you really want to be a doctor, then your reaction should be “oh my god I am so lucky to get accepted just somewhere so that I can fulfill my dream”.

But instead of being grateful, your reaction is “oh my god I can’t believe this is the only school accepting me, so I should just throw away this chance of becoming a doctor that thousands of people don’t get”

 

[Goro]

If you really want to be a doctor, then your reaction should be “oh my god I am so lucky to get accepted just somewhere so that I can fulfill my dream”.

But instead of being grateful, your reaction is “oh my god I can’t believe this is the only school accepting me, so I should just throw away this chance of becoming a doctor that thousands of people don’t get”

This.

It's one thing to turn a school down if you absolutely hate it, but to do so for the reason of "I know [or deserve] better" telegraphs that you really don't want to be a doctor all that much, or you are too much of a perfectionist

 

[L3sterine]

This.

It's one thing to turn a school down if you absolutely hate it, but to do so for the reason of "I know [or deserve] better" telegraphs that you really don't want to be a doctor all that much, or you are too much of a perfectionist

Thank you @sb247 @ClamShell and @Goro .
I certainly can understand and appreciate what you're saying. I must confess that this isn't a hypothetical scenario--it's me, although I certainly wouldn't consider myself "ungrateful" or a "perfectionist". Rather, I turned a school down for a multitude of reasons (I listed 7 when I made my pro/con list, several of which were only discoverable after I had interviewed/been offered an acceptance the week following).
My follow-up question is, What is the best way to frame this predicament in this next year's application to cycle? Let me be clear--I am confident in my decision to become a physician and my last wish is that I come off arrogant or ungrateful. Thanks for your patience.

 

[PentuPenguin]

If you have access to a premed advisor, I would start by speaking with them about this since your position is not the best one. At my school, they constantly tell us that we should only apply to schools that we would def. attend if its our only offer. However, there are certainly some compelling, often very personal and intimate, reasons that may persuade one to decline the single offer. I recall someone from my school who was sexually assaulted by someone who was a student at the MD school that she had gotten into - the applicant preferred to decline the offer and did not bring this issue to the attention of this school (the applicant found out way after she had her offer about this person )- instead, they reapplied the following cycle. I know that the applicant worked closely with our premed advisor and they were able to successfully earn admission to a different MD school. I guess this just shows that everything can be very case dependent, and that your premed advisor would probably be your best resource

 

[puahate]

I guess I'm chopped liver. lol jk

 

[deleted480308]

Thank you @sb247 @ClamShell and @Goro .
I certainly can understand and appreciate what you're saying. I must confess that this isn't a hypothetical scenario--it's me, although I certainly wouldn't consider myself "ungrateful" or a "perfectionist". Rather, I turned a school down for a multitude of reasons (I listed 7 when I made my pro/con list, several of which were only discoverable after I had interviewed/been offered an acceptance the week following).
My follow-up question is, What is the best way to frame this predicament in this next year's application to cycle? Let me be clear--I am confident in my decision to become a physician and my last wish is that I come off arrogant or ungrateful. Thanks for your patience.

First, if you haven't decline yet. Don't. Go to med school and don't screw this up.

Second, if you already declined it. What are the 7 reasons?

 

[Dr. Let 'er Buck]

My follow-up question is, What is the best way to frame this predicament in this next year's application to cycle? Let me be clear--I am confident in my decision to become a physician and my last wish is that I come off arrogant or ungrateful. Thanks for your patience.

I don't know if there is a way to frame that does not come off as arrogant or petulant. Maybe if you had an extremely extenuating circumstance (Think horror things like whole family dying tragically, or something like that), but that is th eonly way I can see it being sincere.

The fact that you have "7 reasons" and are somehow trying to trick/fool/hoodwink ADCOMS into giving you a pass, will probably shine through brightly. It comes off as smarmy just reading it here. Most of these people see thousands of apps every cycle and have a good eye for what passes the smell test.

I also think it bears keeping in mind, unless you are an OMG candidate whose parents are going to give a multi-million dollar honorarium to whatever school you get accepted, that these schools are not hurting for applicants. I cannot say WHY they view someone turning down an admission as bad but there is more than enough evidence to claim that they do freeze out these candidates in later cycles. This "blemish" may be enough that they simply pass over your initial application. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder....... and in this case the beholder views turned down admissions as something ugly.

Tread lightly with this decision. It can have huge ramifications.

 

[907914]

Thank you @sb247 @ClamShell and @Goro .
I certainly can understand and appreciate what you're saying. I must confess that this isn't a hypothetical scenario--it's me, although I certainly wouldn't consider myself "ungrateful" or a "perfectionist". Rather, I turned a school down for a multitude of reasons (I listed 7 when I made my pro/con list, several of which were only discoverable after I had interviewed/been offered an acceptance the week following).
My follow-up question is, What is the best way to frame this predicament in this next year's application to cycle? Let me be clear--I am confident in my decision to become a physician and my last wish is that I come off arrogant or ungrateful. Thanks for your patience.

To the green:

To the blue:

To the yellow:

To the red:

To the bolded:

 

[ndafife]

Thank you @sb247 @ClamShell and @Goro .
I certainly can understand and appreciate what you're saying. I must confess that this isn't a hypothetical scenario--it's me, although I certainly wouldn't consider myself "ungrateful" or a "perfectionist". Rather, I turned a school down for a multitude of reasons (I listed 7 when I made my pro/con list, several of which were only discoverable after I had interviewed/been offered an acceptance the week following).
My follow-up question is, What is the best way to frame this predicament in this next year's application to cycle? Let me be clear--I am confident in my decision to become a physician and my last wish is that I come off arrogant or ungrateful. Thanks for your patience.

Turning down an acceptance is a decision bread out of arrogance. Nobody else wanted you in their class, but you're too good for the one place that gave you a shot.
It also brings up a question of your commitment. You just turned down being a doctor. What's going to stop you from doing it again.

That's why its often a kiss of death when schools see that you have turned down an acceptance. Nobody wants an arrogant person who isn't committed to being a doctor. Even if that isn't you, that is the impression a turned down acceptance gives.

 

[dodolol21]

@L3sterine this is a pretty toxic thread. I think it's very plausible for someone to decline acceptance and want to reapply. Not everyone can move their entire life over to a different side of the country for example and need to get in somewhere close. Everyone's situation is different and I don't think declining an acceptance immediately means you aren't committed to being a doctor. While you can argue that OP shouldn't have applied in the first place, the application cycle is EXTREMELY long, and quite a lot can happen over the course of a year. I've also heard some stories of where people realized they just weren't ready at the time, declined, applied a few years later, and had a successful outcome.

Declining an acceptance to a school you don't want to go to is also not as bad as matriculating and then withdrawing mid-way. Because by declining the acceptance you are not even taking anyone else's seat because you never sat it in. It's definitely a reasonable thing to do.

I want to be clear though I am NOT saying that anyone should decline an acceptance because the reality is that it's going to look pretty bad on a reapplication.

Here's what I would do in your shoes. Strengthen your application, make it as bulletproof as you can (good grades, high MCAT, research, volunteering, leadership, clinical exp, etc) and reapply. Then come back to SDN and tell your (hopefully) successful story, so we can learn more about the actual effects of checking that "previously accepted" box. Best of luck

 

[907914]

@L3sterine this is a pretty toxic thread. I think it's very plausible for someone to decline acceptance and want to reapply. Not everyone can move their entire life over to a different side of the country for example and need to get in somewhere close. Everyone's situation is different and I don't think declining an acceptance immediately means you aren't committed to being a doctor. While you can argue that OP shouldn't have applied in the first place, the application cycle is EXTREMELY long, and quite a lot can happen over the course of a year. I've also heard some stories of where people realized they just weren't ready at the time, declined, applied a few years later, and had a successful outcome.

Declining an acceptance to a school you don't want to go to is also not as bad as matriculating and then withdrawing mid-way. Because by declining the acceptance you are not even taking anyone else's seat because you never sat it in. It's definitely a reasonable thing to do.

I want to be clear though I am NOT saying that anyone should decline an acceptance because the reality is that it's going to look pretty bad on a reapplication.

Here's what I would do in your shoes. Strengthen your application, make it as bulletproof as you can (good grades, high MCAT, research, volunteering, leadership, clinical exp, etc) and reapply. Then come back to SDN and tell your (hopefully) successful story, so we can learn more about the actual effects of checking that "previously accepted" box. Best of luck

To start, yes students should not apply anywhere before they are ready and if they do not actually like a school.

Second, if something major happens, applicants should withdraw their application pre acceptance. If you don’t like a school after interview, withdraw post interview.

Third, if a student genuinely does not feel ready anymore, that is what deferrals are for. Deferrals also apply to changing life situations.

Fourth, I would argue that it is actually better to discover half way through. If you decline post-acceptance, it reflects either cold feet or arrogance. If you withdraw post-matriculation then you at least firmly know medicine isn’t for you.

I am sorry you perceived our honesty as ‘toxic’. The truth can hurt, but it isn’t toxic. To OP, you don’t have a shot for next cycle, or even the next few after that. You messed up and the best you can do is be stellar for the next 5 years and give it another shot.

 

[L3sterine]

Thank you all for your honesty and frankness regarding my self-induced circumstances. There's been a lot of feedback to take into consideration, and for that I'm grateful.
I'd like to backpedal a bit, however, and elucidate the circumstances regarding my declining an acceptance.
I was accepted into the aforementioned school relatively early in the application cycle--one with a $2000 non-refundable deposit due in a month (I was accepted four calendar days after my interview.) At that point, I had interviewed at several schools and was waiting to hear back from them, as well as still waiting to hear back from a number of others post-secondary. As finances are/were tight (in addition to the other factors I referred to earlier), I made the decision to withdraw from consideration at that school in hopes that one of the other schools would accept me. (For the record, I am still on the waitlist at one of those schools, with the rest being rejections at this point.) This declination was not out of arrogance or cold feet about entering medicine--it was a calculated gamble which hasn't panned out as hoped.
I initiated this thread in preparation for the strong likelihood that I enter into another application cycle. There are no intentions of spinning my circumstance to adcoms any other way than by telling the truth. Some of you may throw up your hands at this point and declare my case "hopeless", which is understandable. I am simply seeking the best way forward out of an admittedly poor situation. What I've gleaned from comments so far:

1) Get advice from an adviser. I have been doing this, as well as getting feedback regarding this specific scenario with the med schools that offer feedback (one even offered for me to send my "why I declined acceptance" essay to them for review before I submit it).

2) It's exceedingly easy to come across as arrogant, even if that's far from the intention. Something to keep in mind as I write and rewrite my essay to adcom's regarding this.

3)

4) This goes without saying, but I need to work on improving other parts of my application to make up for other deficits (i.e., turning down an acceptance).

Thanks again to everyone who's contributed.

 

[getdown]

I understand finances can be difficult but you literally threw away your future over 2000 dollars. You had an acceptance at hand. Sure if you had gotten in somewhere else you'd be down 2000 but you should have considered the worst case scenario which was you don't get in anywhere else. That possibility alone should have been enough for you to bite the bullet and put down the down payment. Now you're going to have to go through the application process again, go on more interviews and pay more application fees which is probably going to be over 2000 dollars. Not to mention loss of potential future attending salary of AT LEAST 200K because you had to wait another year to start (assuming you get in next year). So your 2000 dollars has actually cost you over 200K easily.

I hope any future premed in the same predicament will read this and think about the financial costs of reapplying.

 

[907914]

Thank you all for your honesty and frankness regarding my self-induced circumstances. There's been a lot of feedback to take into consideration, and for that I'm grateful.
I'd like to backpedal a bit, however, and elucidate the circumstances regarding my declining an acceptance.
I was accepted into the aforementioned school relatively early in the application cycle--one with a $2000 non-refundable deposit due in a month (I was accepted four calendar days after my interview.) At that point, I had interviewed at several schools and was waiting to hear back from them, as well as still waiting to hear back from a number of others post-secondary. As finances are/were tight (in addition to the other factors I referred to earlier), I made the decision to withdraw from consideration at that school in hopes that one of the other schools would accept me. (For the record, I am still on the waitlist at one of those schools, with the rest being rejections at this point.) This declination was not out of arrogance or cold feet about entering medicine--it was a calculated gamble which hasn't panned out as hoped.
I initiated this thread in preparation for the strong likelihood that I enter into another application cycle. There are no intentions of spinning my circumstance to adcoms any other way than by telling the truth. Some of you may throw up your hands at this point and declare my case "hopeless", which is understandable. I am simply seeking the best way forward out of an admittedly poor situation. What I've gleaned from comments so far:

1) Get advice from an adviser. I have been doing this, as well as getting feedback regarding this specific scenario with the med schools that offer feedback (one even offered for me to send my "why I declined acceptance" essay to them for review before I submit it).

2) It's exceedingly easy to come across as arrogant, even if that's far from the intention. Something to keep in mind as I write and rewrite my essay to adcom's regarding this.

3) View attachment 259071

4) This goes without saying, but I need to work on improving other parts of my application to make up for other deficits (i.e., turning down an acceptance).

Thanks again to everyone who's contributed.

You are letting your cognitive dissonance keep you from seeing the big picture. It is not something you can explain away at an interview. You likely will not get an interview.

 

[965978]

You are letting your cognitive dissonance keep you from seeing the big picture. It is not something you can explain away at an interview.

Looks like someone got a 132 on the psych section

 

[965978]

I understand finances can be difficult but you literally threw away your future over 2000 dollars. You had an acceptance at hand. Sure if you had gotten in somewhere else you'd be down 2000 but you should have considered the worst case scenario which was you don't get in anywhere else. That possibility alone should have been enough for you to bite the bullet and put down the down payment. Now you're going to have to go through the application process again, go on more interviews and pay more application fees which is probably going to be over 2000 dollars. Not to mention loss of potential future attending salary of AT LEAST 200K because you had to wait another year to start (assuming you get in next year). So your 2000 dollars has actually cost you over 200K easily.

I hope any future premed in the same predicament will read this and think about the financial costs of reapplying.

Forget attending salary. Application fees and travel expenses of the next cycle alone will be way over 2,000, especially since OP better apply to at least 30 schools so that at least one has mercy.

 

[907914]

Looks like someone got a 132 on the psych section

I’ll find out in a week. Probably not a 132, likely around 127-128.

I just like to use concepts I learned just for the MCAT to justify the space in my brain it holds. I hate learning things that I will never use. So, basically 2/3 of education after 3rd grade has been painful for me.

 

[getdown]

Forget attending salary. Application fees and travel expenses of the next cycle alone will be way over 2,000, especially since OP better apply to at least 30 schools so that at least one has mercy.

Yep, I mentioned in my post that his reapplication fee next year will likely be over 2000. However, since finances were front and center for OP, I wanted to clearly illustrate how financially terrible his decision was when you REALLY consider all aspects of the finances (attending salary being the biggest loss).

 

[965978]

I’ll find out in a week. Probably not a 132, likely around 127-128.

I just like to use concepts I learned just for the MCAT to justify the space in my brain it holds. I hate learning things that I will never use. So, basically 2/3 of education after 3rd grade has been painful for me.

Using those concepts regularly will allow for long-term potentiation and will make it difficult to forget those terms in the future.

See, two can play at that game

 

[965978]

Yep, I mentioned in my post that his reapplication fee next year will likely be over 2000. However, since finances were front and center for OP, I wanted to clearly illustrate how financially terrible his decision was when you REALLY consider all aspects of the finances (attending salary being the biggest loss).

*Facepalm* I have no idea how I totally missed that part of your post. I apologize.

 

[getdown]

*Facepalm* I have no idea how I totally missed that part of your post. I apologize.

It's ok. Happens to the best of us.

 

[907914]

Using those concepts regularly will allow for long-term potentiation and will make it difficult to forget those terms in the future.

See, two can play at that game

Hopefully there are no recall errors. People may think us unintelligent, and then we’ll suffer from the fundamental attribution error.

 

[965978]

Hopefully there are no recall errors. People may think us unintelligent, and then we’ll suffer from the fundamental attribution error.

And then maybe we might start sweating and and our heart will start racing which, as per the James-Lange theory, will cause us to have emotions of anxiety.

 

[907914]

And then maybe we might start sweating and and our heart will start racing which, as per the James-Lange theory, will cause us to have emotions of anxiety.

I am more of a schachter-singer man myself.

 

[deleted480308]

Thank you all for your honesty and frankness regarding my self-induced circumstances. There's been a lot of feedback to take into consideration, and for that I'm grateful.
I'd like to backpedal a bit, however, and elucidate the circumstances regarding my declining an acceptance.
I was accepted into the aforementioned school relatively early in the application cycle--one with a $2000 non-refundable deposit due in a month (I was accepted four calendar days after my interview.) At that point, I had interviewed at several schools and was waiting to hear back from them, as well as still waiting to hear back from a number of others post-secondary. As finances are/were tight (in addition to the other factors I referred to earlier), I made the decision to withdraw from consideration at that school in hopes that one of the other schools would accept me. (For the record, I am still on the waitlist at one of those schools, with the rest being rejections at this point.) This declination was not out of arrogance or cold feet about entering medicine--it was a calculated gamble which hasn't panned out as hoped.
I initiated this thread in preparation for the strong likelihood that I enter into another application cycle. There are no intentions of spinning my circumstance to adcoms any other way than by telling the truth. Some of you may throw up your hands at this point and declare my case "hopeless", which is understandable. I am simply seeking the best way forward out of an admittedly poor situation. What I've gleaned from comments so far:

1) Get advice from an adviser. I have been doing this, as well as getting feedback regarding this specific scenario with the med schools that offer feedback (one even offered for me to send my "why I declined acceptance" essay to them for review before I submit it).

2) It's exceedingly easy to come across as arrogant, even if that's far from the intention. Something to keep in mind as I write and rewrite my essay to adcom's regarding this.

3) View attachment 259071

4) This goes without saying, but I need to work on improving other parts of my application to make up for other deficits (i.e., turning down an acceptance).

Thanks again to everyone who's contributed.

Did you talk to anyone before declining? Anyone who didn’t fight you hard on it should no longer be consulted

Moving on. If I had to explain what you did in an application next year I would double down on ditching pride in exchange for self awareness. I would not ever describe it as a “calculated risk”. I would go more for forgiveness and pity (not joking) and explain how I made a completely ignorant and stupid decision and am looking at the very real likelihood of never being a doctor because of that decision. Explain how humbling and educational the last year of self inflicted turmoil has been for me and then (again literally) beg for mercy

Sorry op

 

[efle]

If you liked the school you withdrew from, you might try calling and begging on your knees to have your app re-opened / have yourself placed back high on their waitlist. Explain you only failed to retain the acceptance because you're a broke kid struggling to finance the application cycle on your own, and did not have enough to cover the deposit by the deadline while still making rent etc. You've since saved up enough and would love to attend if they would still have you. Apologize profusely

Big chance they say no, but worth a shot. You might get someone who comes from a background of $$ struggles who understands that a couple thousand dollars isn't always available on short notice to a poor student on their own. They'll probably think its weird you let go of the offer instead of asking them about how to finance the deposit when you have no cash on hand, they probably work with people to pay installments or something. But like I said, worth the shot, worst that can happen is they say no and you're in the same position.

 

[965978]

If you liked the school you withdrew from, you might try calling and begging on your knees to have your app re-opened / have yourself placed back high on their waitlist. Explain you only failed to retain the acceptance because you're a broke kid struggling to finance the application cycle on your own, and did not have enough to cover the deposit by the deadline while still making rent etc. You've since saved up enough and would love to attend if they would still have you. Apologize profusely

Big chance they say no, but worth a shot. You might get someone who comes from a background of $$ struggles who understands that a couple thousand dollars isn't always available on short notice to a poor student on their own. They'll probably think its weird you let go of the offer instead of asking them about how to finance the deposit when you have no cash on hand, they probably work with people to pay installments or something. But like I said, worth the shot, worst that can happen is they say no and you're in the same position.

I would say that sending an email would be better for the first contact. And then in your email you can say “at your convenience, it would be a privilege to discuss the matter more in depth over the phone with a member of the admissions committee”.

 

[Walter Raleigh]

This.

It's one thing to turn a school down if you absolutely hate it, but to do so for the reason of "I know [or deserve] better" telegraphs that you really don't want to be a doctor all that much, or you are too much of a perfectionist

@Goro: wouldn't turning a school down post-acceptance, even if it's because you absolutely hate it, be indicative of abominably poor judgment in not withdrawing post-interview? I've heard about people that turned down acceptances and reapplied successfully, but they were all rock stars in one way or another. One had a 3.9/517 and successfully reapplied two years later after publishing a couple of first-author papers. Another served in the military for over a decade, leaving with a stellar record. A third was simply very lucky, a girl with a decent MCAT and high GPA that turned down a late-cycle acceptance to a low-tier MD school, then retook the MCAT, killed it, and was accepted the very next cycle (!) - and to a top-20 school at that.

At best, it is an absolutely massive gamble and almost always foolhardy.

 

[Walter Raleigh]

OP's goose is cooked pretty well. Depending on stats, they might be done for life. Their saving grace might be DO schools, if they don't know about the MD acceptance. If OP's dead-set on reapplying MD, they need to be an absolute rock star and IMO need at least five years' worth of exemplary behavior. Military service, Peace Corps, and Teach for America would all be potentially helpful for this person. Also, the rest of their application needs to be more or less beyond reproach.

 

[DrFortiusNatando]

One other situation where someone MIGHT want to reapply and decline an acceptance is in the case of the two body problem. It partner A only gets acceptances on East Coast and partner B only gets acceptances on West Coast, but has improved their application substantially in their gap year, it would not be the worst decision for partner B to reapply with more East Coast schools. This is especially true if partner B is relatively high stats. This could also happen if one partner was applying to PhD programs, or jobs and by April, it was apparent that they were not going to end up in the same region of the country. Especially if there are kids involved, it might not be possible to live on different coasts.

This situation did happen with a married couple, from CA, whom I advised a few years ago. Partner B turned down two mid tier West coast acceptances and reapplied, and ended up accepted at same T20 east coast school as partner A in second application cycle. There were questions on the interview trail about declining an acceptance, but he certainly got more ADCOMS to believe that he was motivated to become an east-coaster sine his wife was in medical school on east coast. And the fact that he significantly improved his application during a second gap year (few publications, lots of clinical/volunteer hours) helped too.

 

[ndafife]

@Goro: wouldn't turning a school down post-acceptance, even if it's because you absolutely hate it, be indicative of abominably poor judgment in not withdrawing post-interview? I've heard about people that turned down acceptances and reapplied successfully, but they were all rock stars in one way or another. One had a 3.9/517 and successfully reapplied two years later after publishing a couple of first-author papers. Another served in the military for over a decade, leaving with a stellar record. A third was simply very lucky, a girl with a decent MCAT and high GPA that turned down a late-cycle acceptance to a low-tier MD school, then retook the MCAT, killed it, and was accepted the very next cycle (!) - and to a top-20 school at that.

At best, it is an absolutely massive gamble and almost always foolhardy.

Rules don't really apply the same way to rock stars. The really way to deal with (insert red flag here) is to have a 4.0 and a 525 with publications and impressive volunteering.

 

[Walter Raleigh]

Rules don't really apply the same way to rock stars. The really way to deal with (insert red flag here) is to have a 4.0 and a 525 with publications and impressive volunteering.

True. Most things with the exception of felony convictions and misdemeanor convictions for crimes against people can be dealt with like that. And having previously been dismissed from medical school. Even cheating - the kiss of death - might be forgiven for a 4.0/525 rock star with a couple of first-author pubs, a stint in the Peace Corps, 1,000 hours of hospice volunteering, and who's six years out from the plagiarism incident.

 

[Walter Raleigh]

One other situation where someone MIGHT want to reapply and decline an acceptance is in the case of the two body problem. It partner A only gets acceptances on East Coast and partner B only gets acceptances on West Coast, but has improved their application substantially in their gap year, it would not be the worst decision for partner B to reapply with more East Coast schools. This is especially true if partner B is relatively high stats. This could also happen if one partner was applying to PhD programs, or jobs and by April, it was apparent that they were not going to end up in the same region of the country. Especially if there are kids involved, it might not be possible to live on different coasts.

This situation did happen with a married couple, from CA, whom I advised a few years ago. Partner B turned down two mid tier West coast acceptances and reapplied, and ended up accepted at same T20 east coast school as partner A in second application cycle. There were questions on the interview trail about declining an acceptance, but he certainly got more ADCOMS to believe that he was motivated to become an east-coaster sine his wife was in medical school on east coast. And the fact that he significantly improved his application during a second gap year (few publications, lots of clinical/volunteer hours) helped too.

Yes. I think that you need a very good reason to decline an acceptance. There's a fairly small number, though these will be accepted more or less without question.

• Cancer or other health problems, since permanently resolved.
• You are serving in the military and involuntarily have your term of service extended.
• You have been wrongfully imprisoned for a crime you did not commit, and have been exonerated.
• You have been held captive, either by kidnappers or as a prisoner of war.

Reasons like:

• Spouse accepted to medical school on other coast
• Family problems, since permanently resolved
• Selected late as an alternate for a scholarship like the Rhodes
• Made the Olympic team in your sport

will be reviewed by schools on a case-by-case basis.

 

[Goro]

@Goro: wouldn't turning a school down post-acceptance, even if it's because you absolutely hate it, be indicative of abominably poor judgment in not withdrawing post-interview? I've heard about people that turned down acceptances and reapplied successfully, but they were all rock stars in one way or another. One had a 3.9/517 and successfully reapplied two years later after publishing a couple of first-author papers. Another served in the military for over a decade, leaving with a stellar record. A third was simply very lucky, a girl with a decent MCAT and high GPA that turned down a late-cycle acceptance to a low-tier MD school, then retook the MCAT, killed it, and was accepted the very next cycle (!) - and to a top-20 school at that.

At best, it is an absolutely massive gamble and almost always foolhardy.

I think it will all boil down to the candidate's explanation. Family or health issues would be OK, but bod choice issues would not be OK. As mentioned above, the greatest danger is telegraphing that the candidate really didn't want this bad enough.

 

[deleted962973]

OP's goose is cooked pretty well. Depending on stats, they might be done for life. Their saving grace might be DO schools, if they don't know about the MD acceptance. If OP's dead-set on reapplying MD, they need to be an absolute rock star and IMO need at least five years' worth of exemplary behavior. Military service, Peace Corps, and Teach for America would all be potentially helpful for this person. Also, the rest of their application needs to be more or less beyond reproach.

The $2000 non refundable deposit indicates that this is most likely a DO school. I believe you’re not allowed to have deposits that high for MD as per AAMC rules.

 

[907914]

The $2000 non refundable deposit indicates that this is most likely a DO school. I believe you’re not allowed to have deposits that high for MD as per AAMC rules.

Does AAMC actually produce legit rules for schools or are they strong recommendations like the whole “3 schools by April 15th” thing?

 

[Osminog]

You took on the risk of losing at least $300K in order to avoid paying a $2K deposit. Unless there was >99.5% certainty that you'd get another acceptance (and obviously that level of certainty is impossible in the crapshoot that is the medical school admissions process), your gamble wasn't mathematically worth it. Even if you did receive another acceptance, it still would've been an objectively awful gamble.

Hopefully you make better decisions during the next cycle. Good luck.

 

[deleted962973]

Does AAMC actually produce legit rules for schools or are they strong recommendations like the whole “3 schools by April 15th” thing?

It’s a legit thing. Deposits can’t exceed $100 and need to be refundable if the student withdraws before April 30.

Application and Acceptance Protocols - Admission Officers

Recommendations to help ensure that all MD and MD-PhD applicants receive timely notification about the outcome of their AMCAS® application. These guidelines are not intended to supersede the policies, timelines, or discretion of individual schools or programs. Applicants are expected to become...

students-residents.aamc.org

 

[kepler16b]

It’s a legit thing. Deposits can’t exceed $100 and need to be refundable if the student withdraws before April 30.

Application and Acceptance Protocols - Admission Officers

Recommendations to help ensure that all MD and MD-PhD applicants receive timely notification about the outcome of their AMCAS® application. These guidelines are not intended to supersede the policies, timelines, or discretion of individual schools or programs. Applicants are expected to become...

students-residents.aamc.org

These are all recommendations for best practice. I don't think there are any real retributions from the AAMC if a school does not follow these guidelines.

 

[deleted962973]

These are all recommendations for best practice. I don't think there are any real retributions from the AAMC if a school does not follow these guidelines.

But are there any MD schools that don’t follow these guidelines? The October 15 date for sending first acceptances is also just a recommendation, but I can’t think of a single non EDP school that sends acceptances before then. It’s more likely that applicants won’t follow the rules than medical schools.

 

[gyngyn]

It’s a legit thing. Deposits can’t exceed $100 and need to be refundable if the student withdraws before April 30.

Application and Acceptance Protocols - Admission Officers

Recommendations to help ensure that all MD and MD-PhD applicants receive timely notification about the outcome of their AMCAS® application. These guidelines are not intended to supersede the policies, timelines, or discretion of individual schools or programs. Applicants are expected to become...

students-residents.aamc.org

After April 30th any size deposit is acceptable (especially non-refundable).

 

[kepler16b]

But are there any MD schools that don’t follow these guidelines?

I don't know, but they asked if these are legit rules or strong recommendations; they are recommendations.

 

[gyngyn]

But are there any MD schools that don’t follow these guidelines?

After the fiaso that is the loss of traffic rules, I'm confident that many schools will consider the new "suggestions" as exactly that.

 

[deleted962973]

I don't know, but they asked if these are legit rules or strong recommendations; they are recommendations.

At this point we’re mincing words. All in all, a $2000 non refundable deposit is probably a DO school and not MD. That was the point of my comment, in response to another commenter who assumed this was an MD.

 

[deleted962973]

After the fiaso that is the loss of traffic rules, I'm confident that many schools will consider the new "suggestions" as exactly that.

Oof so we can expect even more chaos next year? I’d be happy to watch from the sidelines

 

[gyngyn]

Oof so we can expect even more chaos next year? I’d be happy to watch from the sidelines

I'll let you know how it goes...

 

[Adejoe]

Thank you all for your honesty and frankness regarding my self-induced circumstances. There's been a lot of feedback to take into consideration, and for that I'm grateful.
I'd like to backpedal a bit, however, and elucidate the circumstances regarding my declining an acceptance.
I was accepted into the aforementioned school relatively early in the application cycle--one with a $2000 non-refundable deposit due in a month (I was accepted four calendar days after my interview.) At that point, I had interviewed at several schools and was waiting to hear back from them, as well as still waiting to hear back from a number of others post-secondary. As finances are/were tight (in addition to the other factors I referred to earlier), I made the decision to withdraw from consideration at that school in hopes that one of the other schools would accept me. (For the record, I am still on the waitlist at one of those schools, with the rest being rejections at this point.) This declination was not out of arrogance or cold feet about entering medicine--it was a calculated gamble which hasn't panned out as hoped.
I initiated this thread in preparation for the strong likelihood that I enter into another application cycle. There are no intentions of spinning my circumstance to adcoms any other way than by telling the truth. Some of you may throw up your hands at this point and declare my case "hopeless", which is understandable. I am simply seeking the best way forward out of an admittedly poor situation. What I've gleaned from comments so far:

1) Get advice from an adviser. I have been doing this, as well as getting feedback regarding this specific scenario with the med schools that offer feedback (one even offered for me to send my "why I declined acceptance" essay to them for review before I submit it).

2) It's exceedingly easy to come across as arrogant, even if that's far from the intention. Something to keep in mind as I write and rewrite my essay to adcom's regarding this.

3) View attachment 259071

4) This goes without saying, but I need to work on improving other parts of my application to make up for other deficits (i.e., turning down an acceptance).

Thanks again to everyone who's contributed.

As someone who was in a similar situation as you ( relatively quick acceptance and very high deposit) I think you should have paid that deposit if you had the money. In my case, I waited until the deadline to see if I will receive another acceptance to a school I liked better before I paid. Now I have another acceptance and that money is lost but I still believe it was the right thing to do.

Anyway, I’m not an expert but if I were in your shoes my explanation would be that I did not have the money to pay the $2000.00 deposit without going into the details of how you made a calculated decision to use the money you had for other interviews and secondaries. I don’t think anyone should fault a student for not having $2000.00 out of pocket to put down as deposit. I had to pay mine with credit card because I didn’t have the money at that time.