LECOM Post-Bacc 2013-2014

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, I just got accepted to the Post Bac program.. Looking for roomates.I am moving from Texas. Doesn't matter if it is apartment or house..


Looking forward to meeting everyone!!!

I got accepted today.. Best day every!!
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Just wondering if anyone knew how the book rental works. I know that sounds like a self explanatory question but I was wondering if it is located on campus like undergrad, or if it is through a company? Also is there a rental fee? My wife is in graduate school and she rents her books but there is still an annual fee in order to be eligible to rent.

Also,

Is anyone having problems even accessing the link to the textbook rental site? I click on it and it says page cannot be displayed.

Thanks
 
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Jaysi said:
I was wondering if anyone could answer this.

For getting directly into LECOM's med school, I notice that it requires a DO letter of rec. But the post bacc does not. So when you get into the post bacc, and are aiming to directly link in for the following year, do you need that DO letter of rec or would they let it slide? I have an MD letter of rec and where I live, was impossible to find a DO willing to let me shadow them.
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You need a DO letter and you can get it by shadowing a DO for a week or so. During postbac, lecom will help you connect to one of their DOs so it's not a problem
 
As for book rentals I am not sure, I was able to order all of my books on amazon for just about $200.00
 
Pisiform said:
You need a DO letter and you can get it by shadowing a DO for a week or so. During postbac, lecom will help you connect to one of their DOs so it's not a problem
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Also depending on who you shadow for a week has more influence over others. Try to shadow Millcreek docs.
 
anushajog said:
, I just got accepted to the Post Bac program.. Looking for roomates.I am moving from Texas. Doesn't matter if it is apartment or house..


Looking forward to meeting everyone!!!

I got accepted today.. Best day every!!
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There was someone else looking for a roomie here. Check previous posts. Also if you need to find a place post here and I will look for you. I am moving there from Ohio in two weeks.
 
Woah, holy site change.


Did everyone get that email? It must mean this year's post bacc class is pretty large!

That is really exciting that we will now be in the medical school!!

Counting down the days!
 
^ I didn't get an email. What did it say?

Also, I just got my acceptance letter! Look forward to seeing you all :)
 
dkuoTW said:
^ I didn't get an email. What did it say?

Also, I just got my acceptance letter! Look forward to seeing you all :)
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Congrats! The email said that the post bac students will be attending classes at the main campus now instead of the bayfront one. So make sure you plan accordingly with the housing :)

Oh yeah, and there's a postbac facebook group for our class that you should join
 
I am really excited that we are at the main campus! The room is sooo much better with plugs for everyone! The other building was really an office building that the school bought converted into a classroom. This is sooo much better!!

Did anyone see on the survey where they asked for our local newspaper? What is that about? I have been searching and have not seen anything about commencement listed in any local newspaper.
Any thoughts?
 
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hey anyone, i submitted my application and sent my transcript and LOR yesterday and next morning they already made a decision when i checked online, i am scared...is it a bad sign????? should i call and ask instead of waiting a letter come...
 
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joseph252 said:
hey anyone, i submitted my application and sent my transcript and LOR yesterday and next morning they already made a decision when i checked online, i am scared...is it a bad sign????? should i call and ask instead of waiting a letter come...
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You will have to wait for the mail. They will not release anything via phone or e-mail. It is the same for everyone. They do the same thing. Say they made a decision and you'll get notification via mail. I hated waiting!!
 
I called and he said i have to wait the for the mail. But they made the decision in only few hours after received my transcript and LOR..getting nervous now...
 
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Looking for a roommate for an apartment at Laurel Springs. Message me if interested!
 
Hey everyone, I was just accepted into the program!! If anyone is still looking for a roommate please let me know.
 
Looks like we have a very large class this year..... 112 or something like that!! See you all soon!
 
So I am applying to the Post-Bacc program next January to start September 14. I am retaking the MCAT in January as well. Should I go ahead an apply in January with a 3.8 gpa and a 23 MCAT or wait until my results come back in Feb?

Do they require all of your classes to be completed by the time you apply? I will have to finish some labs for org 2 and bio 2. The lectures will be completed though.
 
postbacpremed87 said:
So I am applying to the Post-Bacc program next January to start September 14. I am retaking the MCAT in January as well. Should I go ahead an apply in January with a 3.8 gpa and a 23 MCAT or wait until my results come back in Feb?

Do they require all of your classes to be completed by the time you apply? I will have to finish some labs for org 2 and bio 2. The lectures will be completed though.
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If you have a 3.8 gpa this program is a waste of time and money for you.
 
GlowInTheDark said:
If you have a 3.8 gpa this program is a waste of time and money for you.
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But my MCAT is a 23. I plan on retaking it in January, but I want to apply to the post-bac program as a backup in case I do not improve. The issue is the MCAT here. Would you apply to the post-bac in Jan or wait until end of Feb with new MCAT score.

I guess if my MCAT improves from 23 to 28, I could quickly update for regular admissions? I definitely think I can improve by 3 points. I am taking a prep course this time and adding an extra month/more practice tests than I did last time.
 
postbacpremed87 said:
But my MCAT is a 23. I plan on retaking it in January, but I want to apply to the post-bac program as a backup in case I do not improve. The issue is the MCAT here. Would you apply to the post-bac in Jan or wait until end of Feb with new MCAT score.

I guess if my MCAT improves from 23 to 28, I could quickly update for regular admissions? I definitely think I can improve by 3 points. I am taking a prep course this time and adding an extra month/more practice tests than I did last time.
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I am like you in that my GPA is damned good....but I haven't yet taken the MCAT (plan to take it in January after getting it all under my belt this fall). I plan to apply to the post-bach even though my grades are good. I've been out of school for 7 years and would like to start out with the post-bach to make sure I can still do this. Hope to see you in a year! (Unless, of course, you get directly into the med school....then, more power to you!)
 
Bisbee said:
I am like you in that my GPA is damned good....but I haven't yet taken the MCAT (plan to take it in January after getting it all under my belt this fall). I plan to apply to the post-bach even though my grades are good. I've been out of school for 7 years and would like to start out with the post-bach to make sure I can still do this. Hope to see you in a year! (Unless, of course, you get directly into the med school....then, more power to you!)
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Perhaps we will be classmates, BUT I would prefer to get in regular admission!
 
postbacpremed87 said:
But my MCAT is a 23. I plan on retaking it in January, but I want to apply to the post-bac program as a backup in case I do not improve. The issue is the MCAT here. Would you apply to the post-bac in Jan or wait until end of Feb with new MCAT score.

I guess if my MCAT improves from 23 to 28, I could quickly update for regular admissions? I definitely think I can improve by 3 points. I am taking a prep course this time and adding an extra month/more practice tests than I did last time.
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Unless your grades are artificially inflated you have no need for a post bac, especially this one. Take a Kaplan course or something to get the MCAT up if you have been getting rejections.
 
GlowInTheDark said:
Unless your grades are artificially inflated you have no need for a post bac, especially this one. Take a Kaplan course or something to get the MCAT up if you have been getting rejections.
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I do have an interview, perhaps 2 in the works so we will see what happen. I am a man of contingencies so it works something like this

1) Letting dice roll with this cycle
2) Retake in January
2a If it is a small increase, quickly update schools from this cycle
2b Huge increase apply broadly MD/DO next cycle
3) Apply LECOM post-bac in case it all fails
 
Hey, so I just checked the website, and I don't see anywhere on the site of the linkage policy. Last time I searched I remember a 3.3gpa in the program and a 23 mcat allows for an interview which would most likely lead to matriculation. Am I the only one who can't find it? Or my search skills just obsolete?
 
drkobebryant said:
Hey, so I just checked the website, and I don't see anywhere on the site of the linkage policy. Last time I searched I remember a 3.3gpa in the program and a 23 mcat allows for an interview which would most likely lead to matriculation. Am I the only one who can't find it? Or my search skills just obsolete?
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Very few programs give you an actual guarantee that they would be legally bound by. There is at several programs an "unstated" one that if you manage to behave like a normal respectable human being and display a specified level of competence you're as good as accepted.
 
Hi, would any of you happen to know if this program is helpful for pre-dental students? I see a lot of threads about how great it is for pre-meds, but nothing about pre-dents. Thanks in advance!
 
Hi everyone,

Can anyone give any tips/advice/input based on this year's class? I hope the first semester went well for all in the program.
 
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hi all - please excuse the typing but i had surgery on my arm last week and can only use my left hand. i am planning to apply to this program for this fall and would greatly appreciate the input of current students. was the class size really 112 students? have many of you already applied and been accepted into the lecom med school? have any been rejected? wait-listed? how do you like the post-bach program overall? did you get opportunities to shadow a d.o? i'm studying for the mcat and will take it soon and am getting excited about it all. would love to hear anything! thanks in advance.
 
To the people that have already completed LECOM post bac...what kind of oral presentations did you have to give during the two semesters? Were they individual presentations or group presentations? Also...were you graded for them based on how well you presented? Or is the grading completely from exams. Thanks for the help.
 
watermelons said:
Hi, would any of you happen to know if this program is helpful for pre-dental students? I see a lot of threads about how great it is for pre-meds, but nothing about pre-dents. Thanks in advance!
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I can't say whether it's a good program for pre-dents as I'm unaware of what dental schools look for, though the faculty here has often attempted to communicate points of interest to students based on their ultimate goals and many have asked the class as a whole if we have any prospective dental students. The administration has given the impression the program is open to and helpful for pre-dents. That said, I believe we have one (or zero) pre-dental students in the post-bac. Roughly 95 pre-med and a small contingent of pre-pharm.
 
redemption2014 said:
To the people that have already completed LECOM post bac...what kind of oral presentations did you have to give during the two semesters? Were they individual presentations or group presentations? Also...were you graded for them based on how well you presented? Or is the grading completely from exams. Thanks for the help.
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No presentations of any kind were required the first semester, though we have one scheduled in the last weeks of class. We haven't been given any details about it yet, so feel free to PM me in a few weeks to see how it went. I imagine we'll be split into groups since we'd have no hope of getting through 120 individual presentations in a few days. As for grading, most classes are 90% exam-dependent. Very few assignments, though one instructor gave an open-resource quiz for each of the classes he taught. This accounted for about 8% of the total grade.
 
dal01 said:
Hi everyone,

Can anyone give any tips/advice/input based on this year's class? It seems like you guys had a very large class.. I hope the first semester went well for all in the program.
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Is there anything specific you'd like to know? Broadly speaking, the material is straightforward and the expectations are not set unattainably high. Most of the instructors have been friendly and well-informed, though the lecture format can be tedious. However, we spent very little time in class.

Without further questions, my only advice is to use ANKI for flashcards. The administration claimed from the start that flashcards were inappropriate for the methods by which we would be evaluated - not so. I have never been one for studying, but I heeded their advice and made an honest attempt to grasp the material at a conceptual level throughout most of the first semester, yet my grades reflected a lack of understanding. Once I started using ANKI to simply memorize the lecture material, my grades shot up dramatically.

The admissions office has repeatedly assured us they intend to keep their "promise" regarding acceptance into the program of our choice, provided we have a 3.0 GPA while in the post-bac and a 23 MCAT. It remains to be seen whether everyone who meets those criteria will actually gain acceptance. We've all finished our interviews and letters of acceptance were only sent to those above an undisclosed GPA threshold in the neighborhood of 3.4-3.6. There are roughly 95 D.O. hopefuls, so it should be interesting to see how it all pans out next month.

One oddity of this campus: the entire student body has to use a single, small staircase to reach the lecture halls. Watching 300+ students squeeze through a funnel like that is definitely something to behold.
 
Bisbee said:
hi all - please excuse the typing but i had surgery on my arm last week and can only use my left hand. i am planning to apply to this program for this fall and would greatly appreciate the input of current students. was the class size really 112 students? have many of you already applied and been accepted into the lecom med school? have any been rejected? wait-listed? how do you like the post-bach program overall? did you get opportunities to shadow a d.o? i'm studying for the mcat and will take it soon and am getting excited about it all. would love to hear anything! thanks in advance.
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The class is definitely large. I believe we started with about 120 students, most of which were pre-med and some pre-pharm. There have been a few drops and the spring semester brought a few new faces but the class size is surely over 100. The admissions office urged everyone to apply at the start of the program and nearly everyone has interviewed for the class starting fall 2014. The program is designed so that if you attain a 3.0 and 23 MCAT, you're guaranteed an interview (not an acceptance). I'll paraphrase an admissions representative here, "You'd have to show up drunk, wearing a sweatshirt, to not be accepted at that point." The administration has stated explicitly that students who meet the academic requirements and don't get into any trouble will have fulfilled their end of the bargain and the school will ensure they have a spot available for them in the D.O. (or pharm) program. The only way you get an outright rejection is by failing a class or getting arrested, essentially.

Despite this, if you scroll up you'll see my response to another student wherein I discuss the problem currently being presented. Many students have received their conditional acceptance letters, but they are overwhelmingly students with a high first-semester GPA. Students whose grades from last semester were below 3.0 won't get a letter until their cumulative GPA is raised, and those in between are left hanging. It's unclear whether there are indeed spots available for everyone in this (very large) post-bac class. Representatives from the admissions office have stated there are not technically enough openings for everyone at this moment, but that the number of openings changes frequently due to a variety of factors. It bears repeating that the administration has assured us on multiple occasions that we will have a place in next year's class if we meet the requirements.

Whether you will like the post-bac program depends on what you're hoping to gain, and what your circumstances are. If you are certain you want to do a pre-med post-bac year and you really want to go to LECOM, it's exactly what you're looking for. The commitment is very low - we're in class 2-3 hours most days, and classes are held in the afternoon. Exams are not cumulative and are taken every 2-4 weeks (the exception is the cumulative final concluding each semester). Classes are standard lectures with accompanying PowerPoint slideshows, and exam questions are drawn from corresponding learning objectives. We get absolutely zero chance to shadow a D.O. through the school but I suppose you could reach out to physicians in the community. If you are concerned about a LOR, many members of the faculty are happy to provide them.

The school reports that former post-bac students who enter the next year's D.O. class have higher GPAs - not surprising, since many of the presentations are reportedly identical. Having the MCAT completed prior to applying doesn't seem to be a requirement - many students in the program arrived without a sufficient MCAT score. I can attest that this program has made me more prepared for medical school and helped me raise my MCAT score a few crucial points, so the program was a good choice for me. I don't care for Erie and it would be difficult to imagine willfully spending 5 years here.

Happy healing.
 
omg-wtf-bbq said:
The class is definitely large. I believe we started with about 120 students, most of which were pre-med and some pre-pharm. There have been a few drops and the spring semester brought a few new faces but the class size is surely over 100. The admissions office urged everyone to apply at the start of the program and nearly everyone has interviewed for the class starting fall 2014. The program is designed so that if you attain a 3.0 and 23 MCAT, you're guaranteed an interview (not an acceptance). I'll paraphrase an admissions representative here, "You'd have to show up drunk, wearing a sweatshirt, to not be accepted at that point." The administration has stated explicitly that students who meet the academic requirements and don't get into any trouble will have fulfilled their end of the bargain and the school will ensure they have a spot available for them in the D.O. (or pharm) program. The only way you get an outright rejection is by failing a class or getting arrested, essentially.

Despite this, if you scroll up you'll see my response to another student wherein I discuss the problem currently being presented. Many students have received their conditional acceptance letters, but they are overwhelmingly students with a high first-semester GPA. Students whose grades from last semester were below 3.0 won't get a letter until their cumulative GPA is raised, and those in between are left hanging. It's unclear whether there are indeed spots available for everyone in this (very large) post-bac class. Representatives from the admissions office have stated there are not technically enough openings for everyone at this moment, but that the number of openings changes frequently due to a variety of factors. It bears repeating that the administration has assured us on multiple occasions that we will have a place in next year's class if we meet the requirements.

Whether you will like the post-bac program depends on what you're hoping to gain, and what your circumstances are. If you are certain you want to do a pre-med post-bac year and you really want to go to LECOM, it's exactly what you're looking for. The commitment is very low - we're in class 2-3 hours most days, and classes are held in the afternoon. Exams are not cumulative and are taken every 2-4 weeks (the exception is the cumulative final concluding each semester). Classes are standard lectures with accompanying PowerPoint slideshows, and exam questions are drawn from corresponding learning objectives. We get absolutely zero chance to shadow a D.O. through the school but I suppose you could reach out to physicians in the community. If you are concerned about a LOR, many members of the faculty are happy to provide them.

The school reports that former post-bac students who enter the next year's D.O. class have higher GPAs - not surprising, since many of the presentations are reportedly identical. Having the MCAT completed prior to applying doesn't seem to be a requirement - many students in the program arrived without a sufficient MCAT score. I can attest that this program has made me more prepared for medical school and helped me raise my MCAT score a few crucial points, so the program was a good choice for me. I don't care for Erie and it would be difficult to imagine willfully spending 5 years here.

Happy healing.
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Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions! I really appreciate it. It sounds like you're doing well and are well on your way to starting med school. It's certainly encouraging to think that I could be in the same position this time next year. I guess I should try to get my D.O. shadowing done before I attend the post-bach and also maybe get started on the med school application by then, too. Again, many thanks for your input and advice.
 
Hello!

I have been lurking around SDN for awhile and have finally decided to make an account. I was wondering if anyone has been accepted for Fall 2014 yet? It seems that quite a few people were already accepted around this point last year, but I haven't seen many posts about it for this cycle. Thank you!
 
Hi there!

Iwas just recently accepted!! I cannot wait to move to erie and get started! If you have any questions feel free to ask.:)
 
Couple questions for those of you that have applied or were accepted. How long did it take for your transcripts and LoR's take to show up in the "View Folder Items"? I sent mine in a few weeks ago with no change on the website yet.

Also, how did you send in your LoR and MCAT scores? The email after I paid my app fee mentioned they would accept electronic LoR from Interfolio, but I've read from others that they do not accept them electronically.

Congrats to those accepted.
 
Congratulations, Dr.Elk! That is very exciting. If you don't mind sharing, what are your stats like and what was the turnaround time for you?
 
magnoliaaz said:
Congratulations, Dr.Elk! That is very exciting. If you don't mind sharing, what are your stats like and what was the turnaround time for you?
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dar0110 said:
Couple questions for those of you that have applied or were accepted. How long did it take for your transcripts and LoR's take to show up in the "View Folder Items"? I sent mine in a few weeks ago with no change on the website yet.

Also, how did you send in your LoR and MCAT scores? The email after I paid my app fee mentioned they would accept electronic LoR from Interfolio, but I've read from others that they do not accept them electronically.

Congrats to those accepted.
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magnoliaaz said:
Hello!

I have been lurking around SDN for awhile and have finally decided to make an account. I was wondering if anyone has been accepted for Fall 2014 yet? It seems that quite a few people were already accepted around this point last year, but I haven't seen many posts about it for this cycle. Thank you!
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I'll preface this by saying much of my advice is clearly anecdotal. Take it as you will.

Hopefully some 2014 applicants will reply to these questions with current information; in the meantime I can provide info on last year's PostBac cycle. After applying to the D.O. program and hearing nothing in response, I applied to the PostBac in late March of 2013. Details follow:

Inquiry: 3/26/13
Application: 3/26/13
Processed: 3/28/13
Welcome email: 5/7/13

Also keep in mind my application was not complete with the required LOR and transcript until sometime after 3/28, and I received an acceptance letter via USPS before receiving the welcome email on 5/7. I don't have exact dates, but clearly my application was fully processed within a month.

If your application has stalled, I believe the cause is one of two reasons: PostBac applications are playing second fiddle to the D.O. program, or they simply haven't gotten around to it. This school gets a great number of applications annually and only has a few people working in Admissions. Plenty of fully qualified applicants fall through the cracks here, somehow failing to get caught in the dragnet that is the LECOM application process. Call the office and check your status.

My stats at the time of application:

MCAT: 24
sGPA: 3.14
cGPA: 3.56

In an email from Jamie Murphy, he stated LECOM does NOT accept electronic LORs for the PostBac program, but that they can carry over any materials submitted for the D.O. program to your application for the PostBac program (note: I also received contradictory information regarding electronic submission, but he stated explicitly they do not accept them for PostBac).

As you can see from my stats, LECOM sets a pretty low bar for the PostBac program. While I gave earnest answers for the application, I know some folks who put borderline silly answers and were promptly accepted. The school has been expanding the program significantly and is not difficult to gain admission. This year's class was reportedly almost double the size of last year's, according to prior students and comments from faculty. The program outgrew its surroundings at the Bayfront campus and was relocated to the main campus for 2013 (~120 students, ~95 of which are D.O. hopefuls).

Lastly, regarding the application cycle, at least a few students were accepted in the summer. I believe the application deadline is August 1st, and they mean it. Your chances do not seem to be affected by when you submit.
 
Thanks for the feedback, omg-wtf-bbq. All of your posts have been very helpful.

Any applicants want to share how they submitted their MCAT scores to the post-bacc? Thanks.
 
Thanks everyone! Here are my stats
MCAT: 24
s/c gpa:3.0, 3.1
I started the application process the second week of January. They were able to take my transcripts and my MCAT from my AACOMAS, but I had my advisor manually mail my LOR to them.
It took until February 5th before they had recieved everything, and a decision was made according to lecom's portal. I recieved my letter in the mail for acceptance February 14th.
My stats are low, but I did have a strong LOR and I currently work in an emergency room which i believe helped my case.
If it has been over 3/4 weeks since you have submitted your LOR/transcripts/MCAT, I would call/email them as they do tend to get backed up as time moves on and more applications come in.
Good luck with everything!!!
 
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Submitted application last friday, processed on monday, recieved a decision has been made and you will be hearing back within 30 days yesturday. Not sure if that is a good thing lol. Applied to the medical school also so most likely the reason for the quick turn around. We shall see
 
I applied here. How long does it take to get a response after all the materials are in?
 
B3lupwns see my post above. It was a quick turnaround. I still haven't received my letter yet though. One question for you tho, if u hit the financial aid tab in your portal what comes up?
 
Fiveohthree said:
B3lupwns see my post above. It was a quick turnaround. I still haven't received my letter yet though. One question for you tho, if u hit the financial aid tab in your portal what comes up?
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I'm on the same boat. Submitted on Monday, and was processed this morning. When I click on the financial aid tab, it has bunch of links and instructions to apply for aid.
 
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