I am sure this widely varies, but I was wondering if you could comment on when programs you are familiar with finalize their ROL. It makes sense if at a certain point, they kind of put the list in the "vault" where no e-mails, letters, or phone calls with intended influence can make an impact. Thanks in advance for any insight.
It does vary widely. There are programs like ours where we make our match list at the end of our interview day and that's it - we submit it and it never changes. There are many programs that have already finalized their lists (in my communication with other program directors) and there are some still in the finalization process.
My advice to students whom I counsel is that if they want someone to make 1 call on their behalf it should be done as early as possible in the process (of course not before you've interviewed everywhere!). If the calls make any difference (which frankly they may not) they obviously have no chance of making a difference if the list has already been completed.
Thanks for the prompt response. It seems that between the last week of January and the first week of February might yield the best impact. Assuming all interviews are complete of course.
