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Two Programs / Switching Programs


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I was hoping people could help me out.

 

I am accepted and paid the deposit for program A and plan on going and starting it in january.

 

However, I was just asked for interview to my #1 choice school. That program starts later than Program A -- and unfortunately won't know if I am accepted till into January when I have already started program A.

 

Does anyone have any advice on how I should be handling this? Do I let my prefered school know I am currently in another school but would switch if accepted? How can I try to answer from preferred school quicker? How does one go about switching once havign started a program?

 

Any tips, pointers, opinions, thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks

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If you start at program A in January and then leave several weeks into it for program B (if accepted), two things:

 

1. You'll be effectively denying a seat at program A to another applicant. Some programs will admit replacements last minute, but after orientation and usually the first exam period, they often cannot, as the new student will be too far behind.

 

2. You may not get your first semester's tuition back.

 

The honest thing to do would be to inform program B that you are accepted at another program, although I don't know if that will expedite your admissions process in any way. They may simply choose to select another candidate.

 

I don't see a problem in holding more than one spot if you pay your deposit; however there is quite a problem with STARTING a program with the intention of leaving after a month. At this point you have a sure thing, that is an admission in hand. You can certainly roll the dice on the other program, but you might not end up at either school.

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Unless you're pretty darn certain you'll get into your choice school, or are willing to miss out on going anywhere this cycle, I would just decline the interview and go to the school that starts in January. You're goal is to become a PA so as long as that happens you're good. "A bird in hand" and all that jazz. Starting at school A and then dropping would be costly and might not look good to your choice school anyway. 

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I agree completely with the above and would like to add that if you choose to interview at your top school (if it happens to be before program A starts) and you TELL them that you are willing to drop out of program A to attend program B - it could work against you big time.  

 

If you are wiling to not even attend program A and give your seat to someone else - then sure, you could tell program B 'I want to go here so much that I turned down another acceptance'.  I highly doubt program B will expedite any decision for you after the interview.  That's part of the game with PA admission/interview/acceptance that applicants have to play; the schools have a lot of the power.

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I guess my question would be; what if your found out that you were next on the waiting list for your dream school, and someone took that seat and left several days after starting and you did not get in there or elsewhere.  PA school applications are extremely competitive and schools receive 100's to 1000s of applications.  By your actions, and the domino effect, you could eliminate several people from being accepted.  If school B is really your dream school, contact school A and tell them that you are giving up your seat in hopes of acceptance elsewhere.  That, or going to school A and sticking it our are the only fair options. 

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There is much more involved than just leaving program A for progam B.  ALL of your data is entered into NCCPA upon matriculation.  This counts towards dropout rates, affects school reaccreditation status, looks VERY poorly on you, and affects others who have been affected downstream by this.  In a purely Machiavellian sense, yes, its doable, but one would question the moral and ethical integrity of someone who does this as they are only thinking for themselves, the one person who cannot be the center of attention and need in medicine.

 

G

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Can you interview at program B before program A starts? I agree with most of the comments so far that it would be very poor form to start one program and then leave it to start another, for all of the reasons already stated. But I actually think it's worth considering an upfront approach with program B - you could tell them they are your dream school and your first choice, but that you've been accepted to another program which starts on such-and-such a date, so you would absolutely have to hear back in advance of that date in order to consider any admissions offer. They might be willing to work with you, they might laugh in your face - but given your timeline, what do you have to lose?

 

I interviewed at one program that specifically told us we should reach out to them later on if we haven't heard back yet and have a pressing deadline at another school - they made no promises, but said they would do what they could to give us an answer before we had to put down a deposit somewhere else. (And this was a top PA program). Earlier in the application process, a different school's admissions office was very rude to me when I wanted to apply a few weeks before their official deadline (apparently they don't even read the last few months of applications and she thought I should have known that). So attitydea can vary, and this approach could work for or against you - as you know, applications are very competitive. But PA programs also know they aren't the only one you are applying to. If you will otherwise pass on your dream school, why not see if they will work with you? Worst they can say is no.

 

Good luck with whatever you decide! And congrats on the acceptance you've already gotten!

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  • 4 years later...
On 12/23/2015 at 2:57 PM, ytpa said:

I was hoping people could help me out.

 

I am accepted and paid the deposit for program A and plan on going and starting it in january.

 

However, I was just asked for interview to my #1 choice school. That program starts later than Program A -- and unfortunately won't know if I am accepted till into January when I have already started program A.

 

Does anyone have any advice on how I should be handling this? Do I let my prefered school know I am currently in another school but would switch if accepted? How can I try to answer from preferred school quicker? How does one go about switching once havign started a program?

 

Any tips, pointers, opinions, thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks

I am in the EXACT same boat as this 😅 I have been waitlisted for my #1 school but it starts in June and I have other schools that I already interviewed with and would much rather go to, but am still waiting to hear back. I am very much prepared to start in January and leave the program if those better schools accept me. 
 

So I am kinda curious if you ended up going to school A(the January one) or school B (your top choice)?

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Just remember that you all signed this statement in CASPA:

"Within five (5) calendar days of enrollment at a PA program to which I have been admitted, I must notify all other designated programs for which my application is still under consideration that I no longer wish to be considered for admission to their program."

If you do not, you can be removed from both programs and not be able to ever apply through CASPA again.

 

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