My advice: Don't be complacent! I got this status message, and forwarded a letter of interest to the admissions office. I subsequently got an interview invite...and I'm here now (and should probably be studying). I know I'm only one person, but definitely give it a try if you want to come here.
2011-2012 Drexel Application Thread
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My advice: Don't be complacent! I got this status message, and forwarded a letter of interest to the admissions office. I subsequently got an interview invite...and I'm here now (and should probably be studying). I know I'm only one person, but definitely give it a try if you want to come here.
In terms of what? Hard to see how your credentials allow you to "rank" a medical school, given that you're not even in medical school.
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I'm going to ignore the patronizing tone in your post and give you a legitimate answer. First of all, everyone should research all the schools they apply to, not just limited to what the schools have to say about themselves, but what outside groups (some that rank even) have to say as well.
My opinion (which I never claimed to be anything else) is based on all the above and on what I know about the schools from living in the area. I have friends that go those schools and, being a pre-med (which I never claimed not to be), I thought asking them what they thought about their respective institutions was a prudent move. Additionally, I've toured/attended presentations at all the schools, and the agency I am with does a lot of work with all the Philadelphia med schools. There is also about 20 hours of shadowing I have in the UPenn neurology department.
I also said Drexel is a good school, and I mean that. It's affiliated with some great hospitals and the school's facility is very nice. The curriculum offers you a choice between two different paths to take depending on how you learn and everyone I met there was very friendly. They are by no means a back-up school either.
I rank it last of the Philadelphia schools in my opinion because, while in the city limits, it lies on the outskirts, in a suburban area and getting there from the city isn't the easiest (during rush hours especially). Temple has a much newer facility and has been building a strong reputation under the new Dean in research and in the community. Jefferson is in a great location, right in the middle of center city, an area I know very well. It's affiliated hospitals are spread throughout my region and I have enjoyed the experiences I have had with them. UPenn has a great reputation in the research community and I like the way their curriculum is organized. They also have been historically supportive of the LGBT community, something that is very important to me.
Finally I will say that everybody ranks the med schools they apply to for their own reasons. Mine are not yours, but you would never catch me disagreeing with what you thought.
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Well phrased
It is an opinion based on solid foundation, so guys, lets not be too critical and offensive towards other SDN members. Remember, we're all friends with similar goals here
Sorry, I didn't mean to sound patronizing. I didn't realize you were doing your homework
. Indeed, re-reading your post I see you mentioned it was your opinion.I was alluding to the more common trend of folks tossing around US News rankings (as if they meant something) while they sanctimoniously blast certain schools for not interviewing, accepting them, etc. Essentially, I wanted to make the same point: schools should be judged against an individual applicant's own preferences and metrics (ie, location, LGBTQ support, etc).
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Agreed, rabsa. In terms of community involvement - virtually all of the Philadelphia schools do the exact same things. Free clinics, reading to kids, nutrition counseling, you name it. They are all in VERY different neighborhoods with different needs. (Incidentally, Drexel may appear to be in the burbs, but it's just minutes away from some of the roughest areas of the city.) Facilities and curricula are what set the schools apart, largely, but in terms of education, we have dedicated teachers at Drexel - my friends at Penn Med have had issues with research being more important with education in certain circumstances. Also, those shiny new facilities cost money, which may increase tuition/fees. For research, it's largely up to the student to pursue it at all the schools other than Penn and any of the hospitals take on students from any of the schools. When I worked at Jeff, we had a med student doing summer research from Drexel.Sorry, I didn't mean to sound patronizing. I didn't realize you were doing your homework
I was alluding to the more common trend of folks tossing around US News rankings (as if they meant something) while they sanctimoniously blast certain schools for not interviewing, accepting them, etc. Essentially, I wanted to make the same point: schools should be judged against an individual applicant's own preferences and metrics (ie, location, LGBTQ support, etc).
Also, ppfizenm, in terms of LGBTQA, I attended Penn and am now at Drexel Med, and Drexel seems much more open and supportive of these issues than any of my experiences at Penn. Granted, it was undergrad/grad vs. med school. At Penn, unless you seek it out, these resources are very hidden, and at Drexel, the LGBTQA are among the friendliest and most open of groups.
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hahaaha, love the scenario, but ur a great deal closer to being "over qualified" than u r to being "not competitive". If apps like urs get consistently overlooked (im assuming u have decent LOR/PS/experiences/etc) then the admissions process has lost its way. Ima white dude with a 35/3.64 (made a few c's freshmen yr) and all that other jazz, if i get an invite over you than we'll kno somethings up!
-God bless, i feel certain that things will work out for u in the end, peace
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Hey I called their admissions office, they said they just started doing the 4th week July apps yesterday. So hopefully we'll be getting our secondaries soon. It's my last one, kinda ridiculous since it has no essays lol. Definitely thought my last secondary would be one with a ton of essays.
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I'm thinking of adding more schools just so I will have something to do
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Does anyone happen to know what Drexel's grading policy is for MS1-MS2? I did a quick search, but no luck, and I couldn't seem to find it on their website.
Also, don't worry everyone - the secondaries will come. It is also very, very early in the application process. You should worry if you have no interviews by February 2012, not August 2011...
Also, don't worry everyone - the secondaries will come. It is also very, very early in the application process. You should worry if you have no interviews by February 2012, not August 2011...
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I concur. I wonder what is taking so long... Tulane and Drexel were the only ones I was waiting on but I got Tulane's this morning.
You must be bored!
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Question to those knowledgeable about this process:
I have been sitting on the Drexel interview invite for a week now because I applied to 2 other schools in Philadelphia and I am waiting for their reply (I requested them to look at my application this week). I want to economize because I am from CA and want to knockout these interviews at the same time.
Should I go ahead and just schedule an interview date or wait out another week and hopefully hear back from the other schools? Will it be worth it to attend an interview and risk the chance of having the other interviews on a later date/spending more money?
I have been sitting on the Drexel interview invite for a week now because I applied to 2 other schools in Philadelphia and I am waiting for their reply (I requested them to look at my application this week). I want to economize because I am from CA and want to knockout these interviews at the same time.
Should I go ahead and just schedule an interview date or wait out another week and hopefully hear back from the other schools? Will it be worth it to attend an interview and risk the chance of having the other interviews on a later date/spending more money?
I'm guessing it depends on your stats. If I had a 3.8+ GPA and 40 MCAT, I definitely have no reservations on sending an "in the area" e-mail. But I don't have godly numbers so I'm a little hesitant on sending that kind of e-mail to medical schools.
Congrats on your II! I interviewed here two years ago and I loved it. Drexel is definitely my first choice!
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I already sent an email about "in the area". Interview 2 years ago? Aren't you in medical school or are you a reapp?
Anyway, referring back to my question. What should I do?
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Never hurts to ask them. But economizing shouldn't be your first priority, right? If possible, it'd be nice to have them together, if you're given the invite to other schools. If the other schools say that they will take some time to review, then go ahead and schedule Drexel. The earlier the better for interviews, me thinks
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It depends on how much you interest you have in all three schools and if you'd be willing to come back if you hear back from Temple or Jeff at a later date. I believe that Jeff does silent rejections (and they only have two people looking at applications), so it may take awhile to hear back from them, if at all. I contacted their admissions office for a different reason and received a very quick reply, but I still don't have any sort of decision on my application. If you like Drexel and want a better shot, I would say schedule the interview tomorrow if you haven't heard back. Otherwise, wait the extra week if you're really on a budget crunch.
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Okay, I will schedule today!
I would like it so that I could budget but I don't want Drexel to wait either! I think I will schedule!
Good luck!!!
BTW, what did you like about Drexel jkm07?
which airport should I take PHL or QPH?
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anyone got an interview yet?
submitted 8/14
submitted 8/14
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scheduled 9/19!
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You can always save money on hotels by staying with students or people in the area! And What is QPH airport? I've never heard of them lol. I would go to PHL, though give yourself some leeway time because PHL is notorious for running behind with some flights (about 50% of my flights out of PHL have been delayed for one reason or another, but maybe that's just bad luck on my part).
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Definitely not bad luck. I had to transfer from Philadelphia to get to my school from CA, and everytime I got delayed for some reason. Thats why starting junior year, I just went straight to NYC and took a bus up.
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so my roommate just got an interview invite from Drexel. I was curious and, since I hadn't checked my status on the website, I went ahead and logged in. I apparently "have been selected for an interview" but I never received an email!
I suggest that all those who are curious (and haven't checked recently) log in to the website. There may just been a surprise waiting for you there!
Submitted secondary: Aug 7th
cGPA 3.5 sGPA 3.3 MCAT 34P non-trad
I suggest that all those who are curious (and haven't checked recently) log in to the website. There may just been a surprise waiting for you there!
Submitted secondary: Aug 7th
cGPA 3.5 sGPA 3.3 MCAT 34P non-trad
Am I the only one having this problem? When I first log in to their site for applicants, it says my supplementary application has been submitted, fee paid, letters received. But when I go to the bottom and click the "View Status/Decision" link and log in, it says my application status is "Incomplete" and there is no date listed for my supplementary application (there are dates listed for fee payment and letters received, however). When I click for decision, it says no decision is currently available... do you think this some slow/strange processing on their part, or some error I should contact them about? Always so hard to tell...
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Honors/High Satisfactory/Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory
there's technically a "marginal unsatisfactory" as well; it means you are so borderline that if you redo or retake something you can be promoted to satisfactory and cruise on with your life
the cutoffs for individual grade levels vary course to course to reflect the relative difficulties of various subjects
If you are very anxious, you can search back to last year's thread (or the year before, can't remember)...there's a link that allows you to register your pin, so you can log into the secondary before you are in receipt of the invitation e-mail. I would post it here, but I'm not sure if it's a violation of the TOS.
But rest assured you will eventually get the secondary...it just takes some time. Other schools (Loyola Chicago comes to mind) also take awhile. Relax!
After submitting, it's important to check the status page *often*, because if you get an interview invite (congrats!) it's to your advantage to schedule it as early as possible. It is early in the season, but if you do end up getting an interview keep in mind that the time frame for receiving decisions from this school (any many others) can vary (anywhere from 1-20 weeks post interview, with most being in the 6-8 wk range). [ If you are also applying to DO schools, know that they tend to be very quick with decisions--but also that they require (multiple) non-refundable $1000 deposits to hold your class seat. The MD schools are only $100, and I believe they are refundable before May 15th, 2012].
A couple status page wisdom notes for Drexel:
*Re review/on hold: there is STILL a chance you can get an interview invite (happened to me), but anecdotally this has been rare.
*If you are invited to interview, your status at some point show something like "please wait 6-8 weeks for a final decision." This is generally true early in the season, but after the new year the time frame can take longer. There are other fun little updates ("your file is with a committee member"), etc. Just be patient.
*When you do get a post-interview decision, it will either say "a decision has been made" or "a final decision has been made." Historically, the former = waitlist, the latter = acceptance or rejection.
Re grading: depends on the course, I think. So far it has been H/HS/S/F or something. I don't think there are any curves (at least not that I know of). Don't let this be a deciding factor in choosing a school, because the pre-clinical grades don't really matter for residency. Just study hard, do your best, and enjoy your time.
Back to studying. Sorry for the novel!
But rest assured you will eventually get the secondary...it just takes some time. Other schools (Loyola Chicago comes to mind) also take awhile. Relax!
After submitting, it's important to check the status page *often*, because if you get an interview invite (congrats!) it's to your advantage to schedule it as early as possible. It is early in the season, but if you do end up getting an interview keep in mind that the time frame for receiving decisions from this school (any many others) can vary (anywhere from 1-20 weeks post interview, with most being in the 6-8 wk range). [ If you are also applying to DO schools, know that they tend to be very quick with decisions--but also that they require (multiple) non-refundable $1000 deposits to hold your class seat. The MD schools are only $100, and I believe they are refundable before May 15th, 2012].
A couple status page wisdom notes for Drexel:
*Re review/on hold: there is STILL a chance you can get an interview invite (happened to me), but anecdotally this has been rare.
*If you are invited to interview, your status at some point show something like "please wait 6-8 weeks for a final decision." This is generally true early in the season, but after the new year the time frame can take longer. There are other fun little updates ("your file is with a committee member"), etc. Just be patient.
*When you do get a post-interview decision, it will either say "a decision has been made" or "a final decision has been made." Historically, the former = waitlist, the latter = acceptance or rejection.
Re grading: depends on the course, I think. So far it has been H/HS/S/F or something. I don't think there are any curves (at least not that I know of). Don't let this be a deciding factor in choosing a school, because the pre-clinical grades don't really matter for residency. Just study hard, do your best, and enjoy your time.
Back to studying. Sorry for the novel!
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^^^ in regards to rabsa, how would you register your pin? I thought the secondary invitation email gives you the required information to log into the secondary application?
It does, but you have to wait for the email. So, with the link, you could register your pin and get going on the secondary without having to wait for the email...
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Thank you! I just logged on and got my 'surprise'!
I just fled the beach because of the hurricane, and I have come back to many an invite. How exciting!
Hi all,
Does anyone know if Drexel has an "hold" facet of the review process? The only reason I am asking is b/c I was complete 8/1 and have no decision on the website. Do they review sequentially, or in some other fashion?
Thanks!
Does anyone know if Drexel has an "hold" facet of the review process? The only reason I am asking is b/c I was complete 8/1 and have no decision on the website. Do they review sequentially, or in some other fashion?
Thanks!
It does seem that some people have been put on hold but I have no idea what the order is. I have still heard nothing and was complete early July.
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It does seem that some people have been put on hold but I have no idea what the order is. I have still heard nothing and was complete early July.
+1
I was complete late July, but "no decision is currently available" for me yet. 35S, 3.6/3.55
Does anyone know if they take update/interest letters even if you're not put on hold?
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I haven't gotten any emails from Drexel yet. I haven't gotten their secondary, or even an email acknowledging that they've received my primary. I was verified 3 weeks ago. Should I be concerned or does this seem normal?
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It seems normal. To a month to get my secondary.
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cool thanks! i was worried i'd slipped through their cracks.
I would give them a call, just for funsies!
My addition for MS1:
Most courses use 90+= honors, 88-89.9 =HS, 70-87.9=S, 68-69.9 = MU, <68=U
Biggest variation last year was for behavioral science and principles of medical research. To honor PMR one needed >94. To honor BS, one needed > 85 (I think). For neuroscience, there is no MU and no remedial exams. If you get <70, you have to retake the course over the summer.
Also, some courses have must pass finals (e.g. biochem), while some others do not (e.g. beh sci).
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Interview Invite! First one super excited. I just decided to check my status and I did not receive an email so make sure to check your status.
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Nope. Everyone who applies gets a secondary.
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My application was also verified on 8/1, but I didn't receive the secondary today. Now, I am concerned.
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I was also verified on 8/1, but I didn't receive the secondary today. Now, I am concerned.
I was verified 8/8 and I just got the secondary today. First check your Spam folder, and if it's not there, then contact the school to see what's up.
Drexel DOES NOT screen pre-secondary, so you have not been rejected. If anything, they had a technical hickup and forgot to send you the secondary.
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Thanks. It's not in my spam folder. I will contact the school tomorrow to see what's going on. Are you instate?
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Nope. I'm OOS, but I don't think that matters to Drexel, as they're a private school.
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