2013-2014 University of California - Los Angeles (Geffen) Application Thread

[gettheleadout]

Space reserved for prompt.

Please PM the essays or lack thereof to me when the secondary is available and I will update this.

Good luck to everyone applying!

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[dbeast]

This is so exciting! Hope to see some of you here next year.

 

[SilentSoldier]

posting for #1 choice. I love Geffen in all of its forms. I assume that we'll have to make threads for PRIME and Drew programs, right?

 

[joonage]

Love the school and area! Unfortunately, they don't accept AP for math pre-reqs ...

 

[alpharez]

Love the school and area! Unfortunately, they don't accept AP for math pre-reqs ...

Take them?... Community college, summer?

If something like that was holding me back from applying to schools I wanted to go to then I would take them... just sayin

 

[dbeast]

I was missing stats so I waited until I got accepted and then took it in summer school at CSUN right before med school started. They were cool with it.

 

[joonage]

Take them?... Community college, summer?

If something like that was holding me back from applying to schools I wanted to go to then I would take them... just sayin

I've thought about it. I shall see! Still deciding on my schools lists. Replaced UCLA with UCSD as of now, and didn't want to apply to both, being a OOS resident. Wouldn't mind either locations.

 

[dbeast]

So... anybody get accepted yet?

 

[Juan Solo]

Hey hopeful class of 2018ers!

First off good luck in this application cycle. Second, I will be beginning my medical education at the David Geffen SOM this upcoming August and if any of you have any questions about the process then I will try and be around to help out as much as possible.

Again, good luck!

 

[Entadus]

Didn't get an interview when I first applied 2 years ago.... Here's to hoping I manage to grab one this time around as a re-applicant!

Is UCLA still doing the MMI?

 

[Juan Solo]

Didn't get an interview when I first applied 2 years ago.... Here's to hoping I manage to grab one this time around as a re-applicant!

Is UCLA still doing the MMI?

Good luck this time around! Also, I am pretty sure that they are still keeping the MMI.

 

[medschoolmyname]

First time applying, waiting on amcas to receive my dam transcripts so I can submit already, funny thing is I submitted these things like two weeks ago. hoping its not a rejection. And no i dont think anyone can be accepted yet schools don't get the applications until end of june.

 

[Juan Solo]

First time applying, waiting on amcas to receive my dam transcripts so I can submit already, funny thing is I submitted these things like two weeks ago. hoping its not a rejection. And no i dont think anyone can be accepted yet schools don't get the applications until end of june.

Good luck! And yes, you are right medical schools are not accepting yet for the 2013-2014 cycle.

 

[sugarmouse]

If you are a non-California resident & have high MCAT but below average GPA, do I stand any chance?
Also, this might sound little silly, but does UCLA give any advantages if I have family members who attended here?

 

[Juan Solo]

There are people who get accepted from out of state to UCLA who have a high mcat or below average GPA or the other way around. UCLA takes many things into account other than stats when deciding whom to accept. My advice is go for it.

 

[medschoolmyname]

California schools (at least UCs) don't have a preference for in state residents which is why many CA applicants have a very hard time. do go for it though.

 

[cheechootrain]

California schools (at least UCs) don't have a preference for in state residents which is why many CA applicants have a very hard time. do go for it though.

According to the MSAR, over 90 percent of accepted students at UC Davis, Irvine, UCLA, UCSF, and Loma Linda are CA residents.

The only discrepancies are UCSD and Stanford where there is more out of state students.

I think the whole "no preference" is a myth that came about due to the number of applicants. There is a large amount of California applicants so a majority do get rejected, hence the idea that CA schools don't give preference to instate.


Just apply. GL

 

[medschoolmyname]

Only reason for that is because CA churns out so many student's with high GPA and mcat no other reason.

According to the MSAR, over 90 percent of accepted students at UC Davis, Irvine, UCLA, UCSF, and Loma Linda are CA residents.

The only discrepancies are UCSD and Stanford where there is more out of state students.

I think the whole "no preference" is a myth that came about due to the number of applicants. There is a large amount of California applicants so a majority do get rejected, hence the idea that CA schools don't give preference to instate.


Just apply. GL

 

[sugarmouse]

So you guys are saying that as long as you are not an international student, being a non-CA resident is not a significant disadvantage when it comes to applying for CA schools? I thought I remember reading that UC schools explicitly favors in-state residents.

Given that I have a lackluster GPA, multiple MCAT writes, EC's, non-US citizen (have a green card though) and whatnot, I think UC schools may be bit of a stretch for me, but it would definitely be super duper mega awesome to get an interview here!

 

[medschoolmyname]

Trust me UC's don't prefer IS, its just that so many CA applicants have such high stats that alot of them get accepted to those schools. You can/should definetly apply just don't put all your hope into these schools because they are so competitive.

So you guys are saying that as long as you are not an international student, being a non-CA resident is not a significant disadvantage when it comes to applying for CA schools? I thought I remember reading that UC schools explicitly favors in-state residents.

Given that I have a lackluster GPA, multiple MCAT writes, EC's, non-US citizen (have a green card though) and whatnot, I think UC schools may be bit of a stretch for me, but it would definitely be super duper mega awesome to get an interview here!

 

[Juan Solo]

UC medical schools (except for maybe UCR) have very little in state preference, if any at all. What they prefer are competitive applicants that happen to fit each of the UC medical schools unique mission statement. The number of applicants from the state of California is larger by far than compared to any other state, this is why proportionally there are more CA residents in the accepted class than any other state.

If you feel like applying then you should! Good luck!!

 

[medschoolmyname]

Just a question regarding UCLA and med schools in general. Considering that all medical students will most certainly be stressed out a majority of the time, do med schools offer some kind of service or even have a page where people at the same school vent? My school has a confessions page and I was wondering if med schools had something of the sort?

 

[Propylene]

Just a question regarding UCLA and med schools in general. Considering that all medical students will most certainly be stressed out a majority of the time, do med schools offer some kind of service or even have a page where people at the same school vent? My school has a confessions page and I was wondering if med schools had something of the sort?

Most medical schools will have some sort of anonymous counseling service that you can go to to talk to someone when you're feeling overly stressed/depressed etc. As far as an online page for venting, I think SDN or other social media is your best bet there. For what it's worth, when you're looking at making a choice of where to go to med school, it's nice to be in an environment where you feel like you "fit" with the students and administration; a lot of support will come from them!

 

[medschoolmyname]

Cool thx for the advice, im assuming uve matriculated into UCLA? If so and i get in hope to meet u all. best of luck.

Most medical schools will have some sort of anonymous counseling service that you can go to to talk to someone when you're feeling overly stressed/depressed etc. As far as an online page for venting, I think SDN or other social media is your best bet there. For what it's worth, when you're looking at making a choice of where to go to med school, it's nice to be in an environment where you feel like you "fit" with the students and administration; a lot of support will come from them!

 

[Propylene]

Cool thx for the advice, im assuming uve matriculated into UCLA? If so and i get in hope to meet u all. best of luck.

Oops, I never did introduce myself in the thread. Will be an MS1 at Geffen this coming year Please feel free to message me or post questions here and I'll do my best to answer them! Good luck!

 

[medschoolmyname]

Congratulations on getting in! Wish me luck. I did have a question. I shadowed a surgeon overseas for like 3 months and I got from him a letter of evaluation. Does UCLA like letters of rec from outside of the academic world? I know some schools recommend it but haven't seen a school that I am applying to actually require one outside of professor recs.

Oops, I never did introduce myself in the thread. Will be an MS1 at Geffen this coming year Please feel free to message me or post questions here and I'll do my best to answer them! Good luck!

 

[Propylene]

Congratulations on getting in! Wish me luck. I did have a question. I shadowed a surgeon overseas for like 3 months and I got from him a letter of evaluation. Does UCLA like letters of rec from outside of the academic world? I know some schools recommend it but haven't seen a school that I am applying to actually require one outside of professor recs.

It's hard for students to say what the admissions committee will like or dislike. You want to have your standard 2 science and 1 non-science recommendations from your professors as your base, and everything else after that can further support the application. If you feel like it's a strong letter, definitely include it.

 

[TexasSurgeon]

What would you incoming MS1's say would be the lowest GPA you can have to still be competitive for UCLA, assuming you have good ECs, high research, and a good MCAT score?

 

[Juan Solo]

What would you incoming MS1's say would be the lowest GPA you can have to still be competitive for UCLA, assuming you have good ECs, high research, and a good MCAT score?

You can look in the MSAR book and online at UCLA to get information about GPA stats for previous years of accepted applicants. Unfortunately, it's difficult to answer this question because I would assume that there is no technical cut off GPA for the admissions committee, rather it all depends on the applicant as a whole.

 

[Pons Asinorum]

You can look in the MSAR book and online at UCLA to get information about GPA stats for previous years of accepted applicants. Unfortunately, it's difficult to answer this question because I would assume that there is no technical cut off GPA for the admissions committee, rather it all depends on the applicant as a whole.

This. There's no "lowest", but look at the MSAR and realize that most of those on the 10% end of the GPA range are the ones closer to the 90% end of the MCAT range. You have to prove your aptitude for learning somehow.

 

[TexasSurgeon]

This. There's no "lowest", but look at the MSAR and realize that most of those on the 10% end of the GPA range are the ones closer to the 90% end of the MCAT range. You have to prove your aptitude for learning somehow.

Yeah. I see what you guys are saying

 

[Juan Solo]

Yeah. I see what you guys are saying

Good luck! You should definitely apply if you think you might be a competitive applicant, stats aren't everything.

 

[TexasSurgeon]

Good luck! You should definitely apply if you think you might be a competitive applicant, stats aren't everything.

Thanks I really would love to go to a Cali school. But I'm a Texas resident. Would that make them less likely to accept me? Also I know stats aren't all, but they do make up a large part of at least getting to an interview yeah?

 

[SilentSoldier]

I would say that out of all the UCs, UCLA definitely is the school that takes into account the whole application. At least, this is based off my last application cycle in which they were the only one of my state schools to offer me an interview (for the Drew program). I super duper mega hyper ultra omega hope that this app season turns out better.

 

[Propylene]

Thanks I really would love to go to a Cali school. But I'm a Texas resident. Would that make them less likely to accept me? Also I know stats aren't all, but they do make up a large part of at least getting to an interview yeah?

The official policy is that no in-state preference is given – there are just many, many California applicants which skews the numbers towards them. I wouldn't let being out of state stop you from applying!

How much stats play in the admissions process really depends on the school, I think. For the most part you want to have numbers high enough so you can pass the screen for the secondary, and then make your case for an interview there. Having high numbers definitely helps your application stand out, but they aren't necessary for an interview.

 

[Juan Solo]

Thanks I really would love to go to a Cali school. But I'm a Texas resident. Would that make them less likely to accept me? Also I know stats aren't all, but they do make up a large part of at least getting to an interview yeah?

State residence should be the last thing that you worry about when applying to UC medical schools. Your entire application matters for getting an interview.

 

[medschoolmyname]

Hey guys Im having a hard finding UCLA's letter of rec policy. My school doesn't have a packet or committee, but I can't seem to find anywhere on their site mentioning how many letters they want and what kinds they wnat. Anyone can help me out here?

 

[TexasSurgeon]

State residence should be the last thing that you worry about when applying to UC medical schools. Your entire application matters for getting an interview.

Sounds good. Thanks a lot.

Does anyone know if all the prereqs need to be completed upon submission to AMCAS? I still need to do physics labs and want to wait till senior year after submission.

 

[Juan Solo]

Hey guys Im having a hard finding UCLA's letter of rec policy. My school doesn't have a packet or committee, but I can't seem to find anywhere on their site mentioning how many letters they want and what kinds they wnat. Anyone can help me out here?

The committee letter from your school is only required if your school has a committee. The other LORs are pretty much standard, two science LORs and one non-science LOR but you should call and double check. The admissions staff are there to help you.

 

[OPanchor]

Juan, I love your optimistic attitude! Encourages me that things may not be all that bad (even though it is...still T_T). Congratulations on your successes!

 

[dbeast]

Ok class of 2018, we have a slow week so hit me with some questions if you have them!

 

[medschoolmyname]

Honest question do u guys have times off school like during undergraduate or is it less?

 

[Pons Asinorum]

Ok class of 2018, we have a slow week so hit me with some questions if you have them!

I have one. How much do I need to prep for that case report thing?

 

[dbeast]

Honest question do u guys have times off school like during undergraduate or is it less?

Overall it's less... We get winter break and spring break every year. We only get a summer vacation between years 1 and 2. Pretty sure every med school has a similar schedule.

I have one. How much do I need to prep for that case report thing?

Yo if you can figure out those confusing instructions you're already a step ahead of me.

 

[Rob Biomed]

Does UCLA still not accept AP credits and require a semester of calculus? I took two semesters of calculus in high school and received a 5 on the AP test. Would this make me ineligible for UCLA since I never took it again after high school?

Really bummed to find out that this may be preventing me from having a chance at UCLA

 

[OPanchor]

Does UCLA still not accept AP credits and require a semester of calculus? I took two semesters of calculus in high school and received a 5 on the AP test. Would this make me ineligible for UCLA since I never took it again after high school?

Really bummed to find out that this may be preventing me from having a chance at UCLA

Similar situation. .except it's vertebrae zoology. My institution doesn't really have a class with that name

 

[Juan Solo]

Does UCLA still not accept AP credits and require a semester of calculus? I took two semesters of calculus in high school and received a 5 on the AP test. Would this make me ineligible for UCLA since I never took it again after high school?

Really bummed to find out that this may be preventing me from having a chance at UCLA

I think you may find that a lot of medical schools do not accept AP high school courses as substitutes for pre medical university level courses. I don't think UCLA is unique in this regard. You best call and get your specific situation clarified.

 

[theclem]

I'm going to be an incoming MS1 as well, so if any of you applying have any questions regarding the application process, secondaries, or even my stats, feel free to PM me. I won't be checking this thread regularly, but I do get email notifications for PM's.

Good luck!

 

[dkpremed]

Does UCLA still not accept AP credits and require a semester of calculus? I took two semesters of calculus in high school and received a 5 on the AP test. Would this make me ineligible for UCLA since I never took it again after high school?

Really bummed to find out that this may be preventing me from having a chance at UCLA

Look earlier in the thread someone said they got accepted and took calculus at a CC the summer before they attended the school and it was all good!

 

[Pons Asinorum]

Look earlier in the thread someone said they got accepted and took calculus at a CC the summer before they attended the school and it was all good!

AP credit and CC are very different. CC is fine, AP is not.