2010-2011 University of Michigan Application Thread

Yay! 1st post!

Go Blue!

Yo, what is up U of M applicants (me too)! great school

the med students even get white coats with big yellow Ms on them :0

Ahh.. my absolute #1 top favorite school... too bad i have no shot.... damn MCAT

Just got an email from U-M's career center:

This year, there will be a new question in the UM Medical School secondary application: Tell us something you are passionate about and why? (1500 Characters/250 words).

loua0731 said:

Just got an email from U-M's career center:

This year, there will be a new question in the UM Medical School secondary application: Tell us something you are passionate about and why? (1500 Characters/250 words).

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Good thing I didn't pre-complete it...

Just got an interview invite!!! So pumped!

js416256 said:

Just got an interview invite!!! So pumped!

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Me too! So excited!!!

what?? you're joking right

How did you get interview invites without the secondaries in yet?

yeh I got it too....weird. Is it an error?? maybe they accidentally sent them out....but if not this is AWESOME
check it out below:

file:///private/var/folders/AX/AXEWH+BwEOO3E4VHW2UsJk+++TI/TemporaryItems/fcctemp/Attach0%203.html

Check the 2009-2010 Umich Med forum, they said that sometimes Umich offers auto-invites to applicants before receiving their secondary app.

For those of you who got interview invites, are you residents?

Yep! But I currently don't go to school in MI.

What are your guys' MCAT/GPA if you don't mind my asking? I'm wondering what the cutoffs are for automatic invite this year.

What's up guys

I posted this in the thread in the main forum, but thought I'd add it here, too. I was a successful applicant here from last cycle and thought I'd shed some light on the auto interview thing: the "auto" interviews come to the high stat applicants (I think one of Michigan's old twitter posts said it was 3.8 and 38 last year), and generally to the high stat applicants from "top" schools (though I think this is speculation and not info direct from the Michigan adcom).

And if you didn't get an "auto" interview here, it's not like you're really at a significant advantage. There were plenty of non-auto interview applicants last year who turned in their secondaries early, got interview invites to the first interview day, and got in on October 15th.

Anyway, congrats and good luck everyone! Michigan was legitimately one of my favorite schools last cycle

I'm 3.8/33 and DIDNT receive an auto-invite, so I'm assuming it's higher than that

I did receive the secondary today though.

CougarMD said:

For those of you who got interview invites, are you residents?

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I'm not a resident nor do I go to school in Michigan

thebillsfan said:

I'm not a resident nor do I go to school in Michigan

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And I'm guessing it must be 3.8 AND 38? Not either/or, that would be way too many auto invites?

Did you guys only have a a choice of two dates?

I too received an auto-invite. Out of state.

3.77, 38, Ivy undergrad. So maybe the 3.8 cutoff isn't terribly strict.

js416256 said:

Yep! But I currently don't go to school in MI.

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According to an admissions chat transcript...cut-offs for auto interviews:

For non‐residents 38/3.75 and residents 3.75/3.6 AND Directors
review/discretion. Having those numbers alone will get you a fast review but does NOT guarantee an auto interview. Only about 10% of our interviews are auto interviews.

For what it's worth I'm a TX resident, 4.0/41 and I didn't receive an auto-invite. I don't go to an Ivy or even a top 50 school.

jesus christ... how do you guys get above 38??? Crazy sht. I'm working my ass off for a 30.

I'm in the same boat as ColeOnTheRoll. Same basic stats and from the same state even and didn't get one. I guess they just don't like Texans

I am a WA resident and I go to a Top 50 school in SoCal. I got the auto-interview and secondary with a 4.0/40S...

This is really happening! Good luck, everyone!!!

Yo!

don't forget to check your spam. i was sad when i saw this thread and had nothing in my inbox, but then i checked my spam...and it was there.

out of state (CA) 3.8/38 auto-interview (assuming its no mistake)

Hello, 3.8/39 CA Resident at top UC, invited

ColeOnTheRoll said:

For what it's worth I'm a TX resident, 4.0/41 and I didn't receive an auto-invite. I don't go to an Ivy or even a top 50 school.

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Wow. What a great incentive to do well in undergrad...

Nice stats by the way, props for dedication

I was getting a little annoyed reading this thread that all I had in my inbox was a notice about their secondary, but then I checked the Spam folder and it was there! Thanks falcon7!

UC Berkeley, CA resident, 3.98, 40Q

I'm a little confused, so we don't immediately send our rec letters with the secondary submission but wait for an invite? Even though there's no screening between the secondary and submitting letters? Why?

And btw you geniuses are disgusting

Tippyboat said:

I'm a little confused, so we don't immediately send our rec letters with the secondary submission but wait for an invite? Even though there's no screening between the secondary and submitting letters? Why?

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I'm pretty sure that if you don't get an automatic interview, you just send your secondaries and letters the way you would normally.

BTW, for those of you who were asking, I'm a UMich MPH student with a 3.8/36Q and got an automatic interview.

for the new question this year, do you think it would be unwise to discuss a sport as passion.

I know we're probably supposed to say something cliche like "my true passion is helping people"... but I feel like everyone is going to be doing that.

SamuelTesla said:

for the new question this year, do you think it would be unwise to discuss a sport as passion.

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Not at all. The point of the question is to help them see how you're different from other applicants and also to give them something to talk about in the interview, and so I think if sports is your passion, that's a great thing to talk about

If you're playing the sport, sure. I don't think passion as a fan would be a great idea, but who knows. If that's you're only passion then go for it.

Hi friends -- I'm wondering if anyone knows how firm the biochem requirement is, and/or if that's a req I could complete prior to matriculation vs. prior to applying. Aside from not taking biochem, I've got great grades and MCAT, but if I won't be considered... may as well save the app fee, right?

InspectorGidget said:

Hi friends -- I'm wondering if anyone knows how firm the biochem requirement is, and/or if that's a req I could complete prior to matriculation vs. prior to applying. Aside from not taking biochem, I've got great grades and MCAT, but if I won't be considered... may as well save the app fee, right?

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Since it's listed as a requirement it's, well, required.

You can't take it at some point in the next year?

ColeOnTheRoll said:

Since it's listed as a requirement it's, well, required.

You can't take it at some point in the next year?

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I'm wondering if I need to take it before applying versus, if I do get in / choose to go there, if I could take it over the summer before matriculating.

Quick question.
For the first essay about your passion, do we have to tie it in directly with the med school because I talked about how I love technology and all the modern advances in science, but I didnt mention UM or the med school.

InspectorGidget said:

I'm wondering if I need to take it before applying versus, if I do get in / choose to go there, if I could take it over the summer before matriculating.

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It's a matriculation requirement. If you get accepted and haven't taken the course yet, it'll actually indicate in your acceptance letter that the acceptance is conditional on you completing a biochemistry course before you matriculate.

Would those who have received the secondary mind posting all the prompts?

Essay 1
Tell us something you are passionate about and why. Do not exceed 1500 characters (about 250 words).

Essay 2
At the University of Michigan Medical School, we are committed to building a superb educational community with students of diverse talents, experiences, opinions, and backgrounds. What would you as an individual bring to our medical school community? Do not exceed 1500 characters (about 250 words).

Is it a big nono to talk about something in the secondary you already brought up in the primary?

I wished to talk about music, but I'd already listed it in my ECs!

sammyseal said:

Is it a big nono to talk about something in the secondary you already brought up in the primary?

I wished to talk about music, but I'd already listed it in my ECs!

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If you add new information/expand, I think it's fine. If you simply give the same information, though, I wouldn't.

wow the numbers on the admissions home page looks scary already.

875 applications received. Is that completed apps with secondaries or just AMCAS?
And almost 60 interviews offered already. I wonder when they will begin with the non-automatic interviews.

ColeOnTheRoll said:

If you add new information/expand, I think it's fine. If you simply give the same information, though, I wouldn't.

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I think it would be difficult to bring up all new subjects for all the secondaries.
I did try to expand, but the subject matter itself was brought up in my primary. I'm hoping this is ok?

your secondaries don't have to be new activities (i.e. something that isnt on your primary. you can expand on one of your amcas activities (maybe put in a small story). what you want to write is your choice. just don't rehash the same info without adding anything new

what do you guys make of question 6? is this for taking a semester off while in school or for non-trads to explain what they did after school?