2012-2013 University of Central Florida Application Thread

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Hi REL,
Thanks for all of the updates. Do you anticipate many more interview invites?

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Hi REL,
Thanks for all of the updates. Do you anticipate many more interview invites?

We are pretty much done before the Christmas holidays, maybe 1-2 seats available in December. I will begin filling several of the early January dates over the next week or so.
 
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My "file complete" email states the Fall 2013 class will be 100 students, whereas the website states Fall 2013 will be the first full class of 120 students. I'm guessing the 100 is a typo but I wanted to confirm it in case there was a hitch in the accreditation process or something. Can anyone confirm?
 
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We are pretty much done before the Christmas holidays, maybe 1-2 seats available in December. I will begin filling several of the early January dates over the next week or so.

Last time I asked on this thread for an EFI, I ended up getting one. Figured it would be worth it to ask for an II as well... Let's see what happens :D

I'd be "in the area" anytime UCF wants to fill an interview spot!
 
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Anyone get any strange/difficult questions during the interview? I know SDN has the interview feedback but I was wondering if other people had any additional experiences to add
 
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Just to clarify - the entering class of 2013 will be the first at the cap size of 120 students, correct (I assume entering class of 2012 was 100 students)?
 
Anyone get any strange/difficult questions during the interview? I know SDN has the interview feedback but I was wondering if other people had any additional experiences to add

I didn't get this gem, but I thought this ethics question was awesome: A nurse messes up the administration of *some drug* to a child. The child dies. What would you do if you were:
A) The Nurse
B) The Hospital
C) The Parents

Also, the question that flustered me to no end: "Have you ever had an experience which made you humble?" Uhh, I'm sure this is easy to many people (and totally unsure how I didn't think something like this would get asked), but I've never thought "I am the best." I was always brought up to be humble. Also, I've learned to view every failure/experience as an opportunity to learn/thrive. So yea, when asked this question, I drew a total blank and was thinking "welp. this is bad. this is VERY bad." I had no answer for it, 'cept the cope out answer of "well I was raised to be humble" *shudders*. This week, while talking to people and having some fun with self-deprecating humor (I like to laugh at myself), I realized the exact experience I was poking fun at was humbling. In the future, I know what I'll say, so that's good.

More about humbling, and a general synopsis of thoughts about applications: I could have tried to use last cycle as an example, but it really wasn't humbling. Rejections happen, there are many qualified applicants to medical school, and at the end of the day it is important to realize, 53 or so percent of applicants, don't make it. The trick is to learn from past mistakes, improve as a person, and adapt such that one leaves the legacy he or she prefers. But I didn't find this humbling in any way, trying to make it sound that way would have felt fake... so I was left totally blank.

Also: Bottom Third. Good Luck y'all, UCF is an awesome school and super thanks to REL and the admissions process for being so transparent about the process. Love it.
 
anyone on here that knows how long it took for people in the upper half of the middle third to get an offer in past years?
 
anyone on here that knows how long it took for people in the upper half of the middle third to get an offer in past years?
Im in that same position, and the e-mail I got from Rel (my November update) said that his best guess would be between March and May, although he obviously cannot guarantee an acceptance.
 
Just wanted to chime in on behalf of those of you on the waitlist hoping to receive some good news. I was accepted off of the upper 1/3 back in late October. The interview at UCF was a great experience and I am looking forward to getting started down in Orlando next year. Best of luck to each of you!
 
I didn't get this gem, but I thought this ethics question was awesome: A nurse messes up the administration of *some drug* to a child. The child dies. What would you do if you were:
A) The Nurse
B) The Hospital
C) The Parents

Also, the question that flustered me to no end: "Have you ever had an experience which made you humble?" Uhh, I'm sure this is easy to many people (and totally unsure how I didn't think something like this would get asked), but I've never thought "I am the best." I was always brought up to be humble. Also, I've learned to view every failure/experience as an opportunity to learn/thrive. So yea, when asked this question, I drew a total blank and was thinking "welp. this is bad. this is VERY bad." I had no answer for it, 'cept the cope out answer of "well I was raised to be humble" *shudders*. This week, while talking to people and having some fun with self-deprecating humor (I like to laugh at myself), I realized the exact experience I was poking fun at was humbling. In the future, I know what I'll say, so that's good.

More about humbling, and a general synopsis of thoughts about applications: I could have tried to use last cycle as an example, but it really wasn't humbling. Rejections happen, there are many qualified applicants to medical school, and at the end of the day it is important to realize, 53 or so percent of applicants, don't make it. The trick is to learn from past mistakes, improve as a person, and adapt such that one leaves the legacy he or she prefers. But I didn't find this humbling in any way, trying to make it sound that way would have felt fake... so I was left totally blank.

Also: Bottom Third. Good Luck y'all, UCF is an awesome school and super thanks to REL and the admissions process for being so transparent about the process. Love it.

Interviews are all luck.

My UCF interview went really well and I felt that a lot of the questions they asked, by chance, I had good answers for. I've had interviews at other schools that didn't go nearly as good and the only difference is the subjective nature of the interviewer as well as the questions they ask, which is all chance and out of your control.
 
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Interviews are all luck.

My UCF interview went really well and I felt that a lot of the questions they asked, by chance, I had good answers for. I've had interviews at other schools that didn't go nearly as good and the only difference is the subjective nature of the interviewer as well as the questions they ask, which is all chance and out of your control.

.
 
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Woke up to a call this morning at 9am and my iphone said it was from Orlando. Ended up being a pocket dial from my grandfather who just got a new phone number :(.
 
Do I need to show new grades on my transcript in order to send an update, or can I just write what grade I received in each class for the fall semester in an email? My update is due Wednesday by 5 and grades will not be officially posted in transcripts for another week.

Thanks :)
 
Do I need to show new grades on my transcript in order to send an update, or can I just write what grade I received in each class for the fall semester in an email? My update is due Wednesday by 5 and grades will not be officially posted in transcripts for another week.

Thanks :)

Type in the grades and send via email, send the grade sheet screen shot from your schools site when it is posted in a follow-up email.
 
Do I need to show new grades on my transcript in order to send an update, or can I just write what grade I received in each class for the fall semester in an email? My update is due Wednesday by 5 and grades will not be officially posted in transcripts for another week.

Thanks :)

why do you say your update is 'due' by wednesday? i thought we were supposed to send updates whenever we had them?
 
why do you say your update is 'due' by wednesday? i thought we were supposed to send updates whenever we had them?

This was explained by REL during the interview day, I'll do my best to paraphrase. This is because after your interview the committee will review your file and make a final decision to either accept you or waitlist with appropriate rank. They give you a deadline to make final additions to your file before this review, after the deadline they will use what they have to make a decision. If they left your file permanently open to update, they would constantly have to re-evaluate applications that they have already evaluated on top of new applications, this would make the process extraordinarily cumbersome.

Hope this helps.
 
So I interviewed here last friday and I was blown back. It was the most well organized and thorough interview I have attended to date, and I just have to write a review. This will be deja-vu for those who interviewed but those who are wondering whether to make the trip, I highly recommend you read this before you decide.

The day started really early which I came to realize was because they had many many things in store for us. After arriving from seemingly the middle of nowhere the immense and impressive buildings appeared tall and proud. The inside was equally impressive and after a small breakfast and orientation, a general overview was given, standard fare. REL and his colleagues were extremely welcoming and very funny to listen to. The interviews were afterward, and although they were very nice and relaxed it was comparable to other schools. I did like how they gave some direction to the interviewers using standardized questions (which is also great for assuring a similar interview from student to student), but allowed the interviewers ample time to ask additional questions or let the conversation take its course.

After the interviews we were shuttled to nearby Celebration Hospital where we were given a thorough tour of the facility lead by REL and a concierge from the Hospital. The tour was very impressive but the amazing part was when we were allowed to watch a minimally invasive robotic prostatectomy performed using the da Vinci machine. We were able to watch the entire surgery and afterwards the surgeon came out to meet us. As if this wasn't enough, we were then taken to a room full of da Vinci Trainers as well as laproscopic surgery trainers. We were then able to actually dive in and try our hands at 3 of the modules. This was above and beyond what any school has done, and especially for someone who is considering surgery, made a fantastic impression.

The overall effort and final product of the interview day made it hard to believe this was only their 5th interview season as a medical school. They made every thing go so smoothly, and promptly took care of any problems that arose. On the way, our bus' A/C broke. It is Florida so it was a bit warm, REL apologized and said they'd have a new bus for the way home. Sure enough they did, and the ride was very enjoyable.

The lunch was more than just thrown together sustenance, but was actually good food, well prepared and thought out. There was ample room and time for discussion with medical students during lunch and afterwards we had a tour of the facility. We were actually shown the majority of the campus, and this was the first interview for me where our tour guides had appropriate access to the areas of interest such as the anatomy lab. Believe it or not all of my previous tours the anatomy lab was either not intended for the tour (hrmm) or our guides didn't have badge access (understandable, but bummer). During the tour the facilities were very impressive, state of the art facilities with ample projectors and TV screens in classrooms, histology labs, anatomy labs, etc.

Of interest was the obvious significance the administration provided in making learning as easy or enjoyable as possible. They have treadmills specifically designed for walking and reading/studying strategically positioned overlooking the nature preserve. The library fitted with plenty of couches as well as traditional tables with ample outlets/lighting. Also it is equipped with a white noise makers in the general area, as well as a large quiet area. Near the couches are plenty of lap cushions for your laptop with cup holders. The student lounge is big and well furnished, with pool table, ping pong, video games, kitchen, tables, counter, etc.

The library has very few books (which means more seating) because all the books are available 24/7 online. The school provides you with an iPad and a laptop, preloaded with all the books you'll need for your courses. This is more impressive when you notice that the tuition and fees do not see a noticeable bump to cover these amenities, compared with similar schools that do not offer such things. Speaking of which, their combined tuition and fees are currently under 27K, which is astonishing without even considering the saved money on books. One final comment on money, the cost of living here is pretty cheap.

Overall, I was clearly very impressed with the campus and the program.
 
I got to tag along on a premed group tour and the anatomy lab is amazing. They currently have a radioloist that does full scans of all the cadavers so your anatomy group has all the radiology scans of your subject as you work. The place is impressive.
 
Anyone's status disappeared? I was on the EFI pool, but now it shows nothing. They're probably preparing that e-mail rejection letter. I'm almost done with my first semester at the Tufts MBS - hopefully I don't get rejected before I can send out my grades and update LOR.
 
So I interviewed here last friday and I was blown back. It was the most well organized and thorough interview I have attended to date, and I just have to write a review. This will be deja-vu for those who interviewed but those who are wondering whether to make the trip, I highly recommend you read this before you decide...ECT

I want an II so bad now. :(
 
Anyone's status disappeared? I was on the EFI pool, but now it shows nothing. They're probably preparing that e-mail rejection letter. I'm almost done with my first semester at the Tufts MBS - hopefully I don't get rejected before I can send out my grades and update LOR.

Seems to be happening on some of my other schools' applications as well. Got accepted to some, haven't heard from one, waitlisted on some others. I'm not sure that it really means anything, it could be something that happens as the cycle goes by? I'm not speaking as anyone with inside info, so take this with a grain of salt.
 
Anyone's status disappeared? I was on the EFI pool, but now it shows nothing. They're probably preparing that e-mail rejection letter. I'm almost done with my first semester at the Tufts MBS - hopefully I don't get rejected before I can send out my grades and update LOR.


This has happened to me a few times.. It goes away and comes back. At least it has for me.
 
This has happened to me a few times.. It goes away and comes back. At least it has for me.

The status sometimes disappears for a few minutes when the system refreshes. I believe the system refreshes during the day at the start of the even hours for up to 10 minutes.
 
Submitted an update here a few weeks back and still no word. Been AORTA-EFI since early Octoberish. C'mon UCF, show me IS looooooooooove!!!
 
Hey REL, can you give us an update as to how far into January you are on the interview invites? Also can you give some words of encouragement to those of us who applied a bit later in the cycle :D
 
Hey REL, can you give us an update as to how far into January you are on the interview invites? Also can you give some words of encouragement to those of us who applied a bit later in the cycle :D

We are nearly complete in filling the January 4 and 7 dates and have some of the 11, 18, and 25th dates in January filled. I anticiate that we will fill the 11th and 18th by the end of next week.

I do not feel that completing an application later in the process is a great hindrance IF your file is competitive in all of the areas. If there are some areas where the experiences were not as strong as those already in the pool then there probably is a disadvantage. It is always better to be eligible for selection for as much of the interview season (Sep-Mar) as possible.

As of this time we have interviewed/scheduled for interview 260 of the ~450-475 that we intend to interview. That appears to translate to 55% of those that we will interview have been invited. As of now there are about 1,300 that are EFI. If you have been EFI for awhile, EMAIL updates to include significant information regarding activities, research, fall term grade updates (NO transcripts/NO PAPER --- EMAIL ONLY) etc. may help to get it done.

I'm not sure how encouraging this is, but it is as clear as I can make it.
 
Very encouraging, and much appreciated. Thank you REL!
 
We are nearly complete in filling the January 4 and 7 dates and have some of the 11, 18, and 25th dates in January filled. I anticiate that we will fill the 11th and 18th by the end of next week.

I do not feel that completing an application later in the process is a great hindrance IF your file is competitive in all of the areas. If there are some areas where the experiences were not as strong as those already in the pool then there probably is a disadvantage. It is always better to be eligible for selection for as much of the interview season (Sep-Mar) as possible.

As of this time we have interviewed/scheduled for interview 260 of the ~450-475 that we intend to interview. That appears to translate to 55% of those that we will interview have been invited. As of now there are about 1,300 that are EFI. If you have been EFI for awhile, EMAIL updates to include significant information regarding activities, research, fall term grade updates (NO transcripts/NO PAPER --- EMAIL ONLY) etc. may help to get it done.

I'm not sure how encouraging this is, but it is as clear as I can make it.

Hi REL,

I have two publications that have been submitted to journals that i'm second author on, but have not been completely approved yet. I have the submission ID numbers, titles, etc. Would this be seen as useful to include in the email even though they aren't already published? I could include pdf's of them for proof of quality.

Second, we don't get our official fall grades until about 3 weeks from now. Would it be okay to include classes I have received grades back so far, or should I wait for the rest?

Thanks!!
 
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II for Jan 11th!!!!
Complete 11/6

+1 for the Jan 11 interview date! I was complete much earlier though (back in August) and have been on EFI list since September (aka there's still hope for others waiting to hear!)

OOS btw
 
+1 for the Jan 11 interview date! I was complete much earlier though (back in August) and have been on EFI list since September (aka there's still hope for others waiting to hear!)

OOS btw

This is hopeful, I've been EFI since early September, am OOS, and have yet to hear back. Really hoping for an II here.:luck:
 
Got the acceptance call from Rel last night! Definitely honored to be accepted here, seems like such a great school. Also got an acceptance call from FIU today but have a much better impression of UCF at this point.
 
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^ congrats! when did you interview? were you on the list for a while or were you accepted right after interviewing?
 
We are nearly complete in filling the January 4 and 7 dates and have some of the 11, 18, and 25th dates in January filled. I anticiate that we will fill the 11th and 18th by the end of next week.

I do not feel that completing an application later in the process is a great hindrance IF your file is competitive in all of the areas. If there are some areas where the experiences were not as strong as those already in the pool then there probably is a disadvantage. It is always better to be eligible for selection for as much of the interview season (Sep-Mar) as possible.

As of this time we have interviewed/scheduled for interview 260 of the ~450-475 that we intend to interview. That appears to translate to 55% of those that we will interview have been invited. As of now there are about 1,300 that are EFI. If you have been EFI for awhile, EMAIL updates to include significant information regarding activities, research, fall term grade updates (NO transcripts/NO PAPER --- EMAIL ONLY) etc. may help to get it done.

I'm not sure how encouraging this is, but it is as clear as I can make it.

REL, I've looked through this thread and have not found too many responses regarding stats for the class. I have been EFI for awhile (which I'm still thrilled is not a rejection!!). What is the ADCOM's view of lower MCAT scores (mid 20s)? Does a Master's degree, research, and other activities help this score? When you say email significant information, what would this include as far as activities? Would any small volunteer work or shadowing experience count? Also, a paper that I contributed to was published recently, I uploaded it to my secondary application, should I have emailed the update instead?? Thank you for all of the information you have provided thus far in this thread!! It is greatly appreciated!!!
 
^ congrats! when did you interview? were you on the list for a while or were you accepted right after interviewing?

I interviewed in the second week of October. Got placed on the waitlist on Halloween in the upper half of the upper third. So, not too long of a wait, feel very honored to get in this early.
 
^ Congrats! I was put on the wait list as well, interviewed third week of October, initially right at halfway of the upper third but now I slipped to the bottom half of the upper third...but I can't complain because it was my first interview and I'm honored to be in this position
 
^ Congrats! I was put on the wait list as well, interviewed third week of October, initially right at halfway of the upper third but now I slipped to the bottom half of the upper third...but I can't complain because it was my first interview and I'm honored to be in this position

I think I bumped you down :p Don't worry, I'm sure the acceptance call is coming soon :thumbup:

I loved this school when I visited--great vibe from everyone and the facilities are absolutely gorgeous.

Accepted by phone a few days ago (interviewed mid November). REL's voice is just :love:
 
^ Congrats! I was put on the wait list as well, interviewed third week of October, initially right at halfway of the upper third but now I slipped to the bottom half of the upper third...but I can't complain because it was my first interview and I'm honored to be in this position

Hm...did you slip down within a few days ago or when REL called and gave updates (around Nov 28th)?
 
Yeah I was originally in the middle of the top 1/3 when I got a call from Rel around 11/13, and I had moved down to the bottom 1/3 when I got an email update from Rel 11/28.
 
I am cancelling my interview for Jan 11th if anyone wants to snatch that up!
Good luck to everyone, heard the campus is beautiful! :)
 
Does anyone know if UCF is open to letters of intent post-interview?
 
It seemed like they didn't want the "extra credit" stuff (Thank you letters, Letter of interest, letters of intent, etc.). I think everyone is limited to the three updates but I could be mistaken.

Thank you, you are correct. We are not big fans of Thank You letters and LOI's. We do not put a limit on file updates, but be smart about it. Once you have been interviewed and the committee has made a decision file updates will not impact your position.
 
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Woo hoo! Just got the acceptance call from REL! Good news right before the holidays! :)
 
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Congrats, man! Talk about an awesome school.

Hoping for that call soon myself. Was told i was top of the top 1/3 since oct 15, but still nothing. You guys are bumping me down! :p
 
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JUST SPOKE TO REL WITH THE BEST NEWS EVER!

Hellooooo, Orlando!!!
 
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