2007 MCV Central

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WE both were complete on 8/2 as well, I hope they are just a little behind :scared:

except someone else got an interview who was complete in the middle of august...😕 waiting sucks. 👎
 
Maybe you and I have the same screener who is in Hawaii for vacation 😉
 
Maybe you and I have the same screener who is in Hawaii for vacation 😉

then i say we go to hawaii and hunt him/her down. i'd love a vacation and i'd love an interview, so it sounds like a good combination to me!
 
Submitted my secondary tonight. As soon as my LORs come in, the real waiting can begin😀
 
I had the vaguer (and less optimistic) of the VCU status updates. I got an interview invite this past week. It looks like they're scheduling in Oct. and beyond right now.

Good luck everyone!:luck:
 
i think i posted this on another thread, but i got an update message that was pretty reassuring last week and then got the interview invite the next day. my message said something about how they were working to interview everyone at my priority score as soon as possible. i don't remember for sure, but it made it sound like i was definitely getting an interview.

good luck everyone! i hope you hear something soon!
 
i think i posted this on another thread, but i got an update message that was pretty reassuring last week and then got the interview invite the next day. my message said something about how they were working to interview everyone at my priority score as soon as possible. i don't remember for sure, but it made it sound like i was definitely getting an interview.

good luck everyone! i hope you hear something soon!

It's good to know with how good your app is that you just received your interview. I've heard nothing from them despite having an interview scheduled at UVA for almost a month.
 
I got my vague status update today.

"The committee's file review indicates that they are interested in your candidacy. However, due to the increase in the applicant pool this year, it is clear we MAY be unable to interview all the candidates at your priority score. If we do find that we are able to grant an interview you will be notified by e-mail" (bold & caps were in the message).

Who else has gotten this one? And do they seriously work on Sundays? Because I checked my status page late Friday afternoon, and this wasn't there.
 
I got my vague status update today.

"The committee's file review indicates that they are interested in your candidacy. However, due to the increase in the applicant pool this year, it is clear we MAY be unable to interview all the candidates at your priority score. If we do find that we are able to grant an interview you will be notified by e-mail" (bold & caps were in the message).

Who else has gotten this one? And do they seriously work on Sundays? Because I checked my status page late Friday afternoon, and this wasn't there.

I got that message and was invited for interview pretty soon afterwards.
 
Anyone got any advice for the interview? Anyone already had an interview this year that could tell us how it went?

I interviewed last week. Couldn't have asked for a better day. The woman who interviewed me was awesome. We ended up talking for an hour and 40 min. It was very relaxed and conversational in nature. She was the Chief Resident of Internal Med. - she went to med school and did her residency at MCV. She seemed genuinely excited to be talking to me. Basically you get there and (if your interview is in the morning...I had mine at 8:30) have your interview, meet with the Dean at around 11:15, and then do lunch and a tour with 2 med students. I had some time to kill in between my interview and meeting with the Dean so bring a book or something. The Dean was very nice...I was impressed that she took the time to sit down with us...she explained exactly how the rest of the admissions process will go and answered any questions we had. Then 2 M2s came and took us for a tour and lunch. They were great too...obviously loved the school and were very helpful. If your interview is in the afternoon..it will be after lunch/tour. Overall, I loved it. Everyone there is extremely supportive and encouraging. Hope that helped - good luck!
 
I got that message and was invited for interview pretty soon afterwards.

application was complete 7/9...got that same weird email on 7/31 and was invited to interview on 8/10....you can pick when you go to interview..i picked 9/14. it's convenient.
 
anyone else interviewed at MCV yet? I'll be there on Monday and am having a mild panic attack...
 
anyone else interviewed at MCV yet? I'll be there on Monday and am having a mild panic attack...

don't panic...they really make the day not stressful for you...the person who interviews you is just trying to get to know you better so they can present you well to the committee....just be yourself and relax....you will do great!
 
I interviewed last year and it was a pretty relaxed day. The interview was more of a conversation than anything. The time with the dean and the M2s was really chill and helpful. Good Luck, gocoastal. Are you IS or OOS? Just curious.
 
So I submitted my VCU seconday at the end of july and they received my LORs early august. Im a Va resident with pretty decent E.C.s, my Mcat and GPA are competitive for the school, I have logged lots of hours volunteering at MCV hospital, and yet I have heard nothing. I have received interview invites at other schools but nothing, not even a vague update, from vcu. I know they say don't call them... but they are one of my top choices and I am begining to become a little concerned. Anyone else in a similiar boat or with advice?
And I know I should probably just hold my breath and wait 🙂 , but I guess I'm just wondering if anyone else is in the same position.......
 
I interviewed last year and it was a pretty relaxed day. The interview was more of a conversation than anything. The time with the dean and the M2s was really chill and helpful. Good Luck, gocoastal. Are you IS or OOS? Just curious.

OOS. but they apparently take a lot of us, so I'm crossing my fingers.
thanks for the well wishes.
 
OOS. but they apparently take a lot of us, so I'm crossing my fingers.
thanks for the well wishes.


80 if I remember correctly. The total class size is 184, so your chances are probably really good-especially since you're applying early.
 
Uh...I've been complete since 8/14 and I still haven't recieved my vague status update 🙁
 
80 if I remember correctly. The total class size is 184, so your chances are probably really good-especially since you're applying early.

Chances are decent...80 out of 184 sounds like a lot in terms of OOS, but they get so many more OOS applications than they do for instaters. Screw it - I'm an M1 there and I just bombed two exams today. Maybe they shouldn't have let me in after all.
 
Hi All,

I'm re-applying this year. I applied kinda late last year, got an interview and was wait-listed (in-state). Just sent my AMCAS in on Monday, so we'll see how long it take before I start getting vague emails 😀

By the way, I'm using Interfolio for the first time this year. For those who have used it, what do you think.

Thanks!

How late did you apply, if you don't mind me asking. My letters won't be there 'til late October.
 
How late did you apply, if you don't mind me asking. My letters won't be there 'til late October.

I got the secondary early November, I think, and finished it mid-December. I had a problem with my recommendations, so I wasn't complete until mid-January. My interview was early Feb-the day after the Superbowl, and I ended up wait-listed. I'm in-state and my scores are pretty much dead-on for their average, so that may have helped. From what I could tell, getting your info in by late October will still be okay.
 
I called today to inquire about my residency status because mine is a wierd situation. The admissions woman told me that a residency decision wasn't made until after an acceptance was offered. So, I can't imagine they put a lot of weight on that fact. I think they only took 56% of their class from VA last year.
 
Uh...I've been complete since 8/14 and I still haven't recieved my vague status update 🙁

um, i win... no update and i was complete on 7/17... hang in there, buddy
 
Does anyone know how long it usualy takes to hear back after you've interviewed. I interviewed on 9-11 and I still haven't heard, 2 weeks later, if I'm on hold or rejected.
 
First decisions go out on October 15th. They tell you that in the meeting with Dr. Whitehurst-Cook. I think Dec. 15 and Jan. 15 are the next rounds of decisions.

Does anyone know how long it usualy takes to hear back after you've interviewed. I interviewed on 9-11 and I still haven't heard, 2 weeks later, if I'm on hold or rejected.
 
Ya I know they send out acceptances Oct 15, Dec15th etc. But I thought our status page gets updated after our interview which tells you if you're on hold and will be considered on Oct 15th, etc, or if you're rejected. I'm just wondering how long it takes for that status page to change, if it does at all before Oct 15th. Thanks for your help.
 
For anyone who's curious, I had my vague status update on 9/17 and I got an interview invite yesterday 🙂
 
For anyone who's curious, I had my vague status update on 9/17 and I got an interview invite yesterday 🙂

sweet. when will you interview?
 
sweet. when will you interview?
Dunno, I still need to schedule it. I probably won't make it till November, because I've got 5 interviews coming up in the next 4 weeks 😱
 
The only status change that occurred was that I got the page prompting me to do the after interview survey. Once I did the survey, the page still hasn't changed and that has been over a week. You won't hear a hold/accept/reject decision until the 15th.

Ya I know they send out acceptances Oct 15, Dec15th etc. But I thought our status page gets updated after our interview which tells you if you're on hold and will be considered on Oct 15th, etc, or if you're rejected. I'm just wondering how long it takes for that status page to change, if it does at all before Oct 15th. Thanks for your help.
 
Thanks alot Birdman, I appreciate it.
 
Ya I know they send out acceptances Oct 15, Dec15th etc. But I thought our status page gets updated after our interview which tells you if you're on hold and will be considered on Oct 15th, etc, or if you're rejected. I'm just wondering how long it takes for that status page to change, if it does at all before Oct 15th. Thanks for your help.

Unless it has changed since last year, you will not hear anything after your interview until the scheduled date for offers. Then you will hear that you are either in, waitlisted or rejected. The dates are subject to change but generally Oct 15, Dec 15, Jan 15 Feb 15 and March 15.

If you end up being waitlisted, you can get in during any of the future dates the offers go out. So lets say they give you a score of 2.5 and in Oct 15th that is not good enough to get in. You get waitlisted. If in January they take people with a score of 2.5 you will get in then.


Here is how the admissions process works at MCV:


Initially you send in a primary application and a 'file reviewer' reads it and gives you a 'priority score'. Based on that score you are granted a secondary or not.

When you send in the secondary the file reviewer reads it and gives you another score. This score will rank you for getting an interview. When they get to the group that has your score, you will be allowed to sign up for an interview.

Then you go in for your interview. You do the normal things, meet with the dean, do the interview, take the tour. You interviewer then scores the interview.

Usually every Monday the Adcom meets to discuss the candidates. MCV is genearlly backed-up so they discuss people who came in few weeks before. There are, if I remember correctly, 30 people on the Adcom but not everybody can make it each week. Your application is projected on a screen and everyone in the adcom looks over it and begins to find weaknesses in the application. Your file reviewer and your interviewer are your 'advocates.' They are the people on your side and are trying to promote you. When someone brings up a concern about your application it is their job to say, "Oh well in the essays he/she addressed this in such and such manner." OR "we talked about that in the interview and she/he had this to say about that." Unless you pissed them off or really are a weak applicant, they are going to be a major help to you.

Anyway, after all the discussion is through, each person present gives you a score on a 1 to 5 scale. 1 being the ideal applicant, Mr or Mrs Perfectmedicalstudent and 5 being the worst score. You can get half points too. So 1.5 is the second best score you can get. So the 'priority scores' from your file review and your interview score really don't go into the final score that ranks you but those numbers will give the rest of the Adcom an idea of how strong the interviewer and file reviewer thought you were.

Once everyone has put in a score for you, they take the highest and lowest score and throw them out to prevent skewing and then average the rest. The average is your 'Score' and it is averaged to 2 decimal places. This score does not change and this is the way that you are ranked if you are put on the waitlist. There of course will need to be 'tie-breakers' between people with the same score. The first tie breaker is undergraduate GPA. The second is MCAT score.

A score of 3.5 or above is an automatic rejection. Below that you are either in or waitlisted. Three years ago the highest (worst) score that was granted admission was a 2.7. A two years ago I believe was a 2.3. Last year it was even lower. The trend has been for better, more qualified students to apply making it harder to get in.


I called today to inquire about my residency status because mine is a wierd situation. The admissions woman told me that a residency decision wasn't made until after an acceptance was offered. So, I can't imagine they put a lot of weight on that fact. I think they only took 56% of their class from VA last year.

There is very, very little change in the number of IS and OOS applicants that are let in. Every year there are 184 M I's at the beginning of the year. Based on the money given by the Va assembly 104 are instate and 80 are out of state. That really does not change. When the waiting list is created they make 2 waiting lists. One is instate and the other is out-of-state. If an instate kid does not take his offer, that spot is filled by another instate kid not an out-of stater. Same goes for out-of-staters, if one gives up a spot, that spot is filled by an OOS.

Generally the out of state waitlist moves much much faster than the instate list because fewer people from Va give up an acceptance.

I interviewed last week. Couldn't have asked for a better day. The woman who interviewed me was awesome. We ended up talking for an hour and 40 min. It was very relaxed and conversational in nature.

For those who have interviews coming up, don't be nervous. The MCV interviews are very relaxed. It is just a conversation. They don't try to add extra stress or ask you really difficult questions. If you are honest, and relaxed and don't interupt the interviewer your interview will go great. Really it is probably the least stressful interview in the country.

To look insightful, maybe ask about the new addition to the curriculum called TBL. TBL stands for 'team based learning' and it attempts (poorly) to put clinical correlations to the basic science curriculum. It meets about once a week in the afternoons and your 'team' discusses a problem set to get a more hands-on approach to learning. Basically it's crap but I think MCV really likes it so maybe ask about it to seem knowledgable.


MCV is a great school. You guys, if you get in, will love it here. The faculty's so nice, the expectations are straight forward and we have the most reknowned person in the country for our board review. The best part is that there is no cut-throat atmosphere that you find at other schools. Good luck.

If you guys have questions about the admissions process or MCV in general feel free to PM me.

Hope this post helps clear some things up.
 
Thanks a lot Instatewaiter! Great info! 👍 👍 👍 👍
 
Thanks for all the info!!!! 😍
 
Fantastic info, instatewaiter! Thanks for answering so many questions. Hope your year is going well, silly TBL classes notwithstanding😀
 
Anyone complete at VCU on or Before 8/2 NOT receive a vague message yet? I'm getting worried. Thanks guys.
 
I was complete 8/15 and haven't got a vague status message yet, for whatever that's worth. (partial credit perhaps?)

🙂 Thanks Kidthor, definitely partial credit. I am just trying to figure out how the process works there.
 
I submitted on 9-19. How long will I have to wait to hear about an interview?😍
 
I submitted on 9-19. How long will I have to wait to hear about an interview?😍

I have been complete since 8/2 but no word, but others who submitted after me heard. So it might depend on your reviewer...
 
VCU/MCV doens't seem to be inviting anyone to interview right now. They must still be on the old, first batch?
 
Just got a status update stating I'm on hold. My interview was 9/11 and was reviewed by committe on 9/25.
 
Just got a status update stating I'm on hold. My interview was 9/11 and was reviewed by committe on 9/25.

Do you think everyone who interviewed early got the hold message, which will later change to acceptance/waitlist on Oct. 15th, or do you think that only those who are waitlisted got the hold message?
 
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