Offer for a seat next year

[BroseidonPremed]

Hey y'all,

I'm a non trad who applied in 2019-2020 and didn't get in, applied again 2020-2021 and got waitlisted at 8 schools. Thought it was over, so I decided I'd apply one last time for the 2021-2022 cycle. After I submitted my application (to TMDSAS) I got a call from a school offering me a seat for the class of 2026 (a deferred offer I guess you might call it?). I'm totally ecstatic about it and I absolutely said yes.

My conundrum is this:
On the phone the admissions representative said that I shouldn't apply for the next cycle if I am to accept the offer. I let them know that I had already submitted to TMDSAS, and they told me I could just withdraw my application. After reading through the contingent offer of acceptance, I didn't see anything stipulating that I can't just apply again. The closest statement was to "not hold a reservation at any other medical school."

I want to apply again because I could get into my dream school. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to go to where I was given the offer, but I already paid the money for the application so I figure why not? Am I being greedy and playing with fire? Can one school find out that I submitted secondaries for another school in the same TMDSAS network? I'm not sure what to do here. My wife also wants me to apply again because she'd have better job opportunities at other locations.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Goro]

@wysdoc

 

[clairish]

If I were you, I would withdrew my apps. Its only $200 and its before submitting secondaries either. And there is no guarantee you would get in this year( since you were waitlisted last year and 3rd time reapplicant). You said you will quit applying if you dont get in this year, and it is still possible. Rather risking more money (secondary fee) and guaranteed acceptance, I would just keep thag deferred acceptance.

 

[wysdoc]

@BroseidonPremed I sent you a PM.

@Goro I believe the answer will be that if you accept a deferred admission, you are also agreeing to the condition that you are not allowed to reapply to other schools during that intervening year. This is an unusual situation because @BroseidonPremed didn't ask for a deferral, the school offered a deferred spot.
I have seen this type of offer a few times with TMDSAS schools, at TCOM and Texas Tech El Paso in recent years. It is uncommon, though.

 

[Wildtype]

I can't imagine any school allowing you to apply again while holding a spot for you. It would be like them saying, "Hey, we'll be your back up plan for next cycle. Good luck!"

 

[deleted1077312]

Take the acceptance and move on; spend your time not writing 35 essays and spending money for schools to not read them.
Gives you time to get thing straight before moving.

 

[wysdoc]

I'm going to add a little to the information on this thread and give y'all a couple more days before I close it to further replies.

OP was able to speak with TMDSAS directly (I recommended he do that, in my message to him) and they told him to go by the policy of the school offering him a deferred admission. If the school requires you to attest that you will not reapply to other schools during your deferral year, then those are indeed the conditions placed on the admission offer.

I believe AMCAS has this matter more strictly codified across all AMCAS schools.

Thanks for contributing to discussion on this question.
Wysdoc

 

[lab2488]

@wysdoc do you happen to know why a school would offer a deferred acceptance? I’m currently on TCOM’s WL so curious the plausibility of this.

 

[wysdoc]

@wysdoc do you happen to know why a school would offer a deferred acceptance? I’m currently on TCOM’s WL so curious the plausibility of this.

Sometimes they have some students they really like and want to have them at their school, so they offer them the chance to come next year.
Sometimes a school overenrolls and asks some students to defer a year, and sometimes a student has a valid reason to ask for a delayed start.

 

[lab2488]

Sometimes they have some students they really like and want to have them at their school, so they offer them the chance to come next year.
Sometimes a school overenrolls and asks some students to defer a year, and sometimes a student has a valid reason to ask for a delayed start.

Thanks for the quick response. I will be curious to see if schools offer them this year with the spike in applications.

 

[BroseidonPremed]

In case anyone was wondering, I took the advice from TMDSAS and everyone else here and officially withdrew my application. I'm very honored to have a spot at medical school next year, and I don't want to jeopardize that.

 

[wysdoc]

Now that we have a happy ending to this story, I'll close it off but of course it will be here for others to read later on.