2008-2009 U Penn (University of Pennsylvania) Secondary Application Thread

[mushok103]

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presumptuous much? i'd wait for that interview invite before worrying about transportation.

and yes, i'm coming out of lurk-dom in large part to remind some people that not everyone has interviews at all but one of the top schools in america and thus don't really possess the patience to pity those who go out of their way to write "woe is me" posts about the difficulties of creating the perfect interview schedule. life WILL go on if you don't get an interview invite at every freakin med school you apply to, so forgive me if the recent posts in this thread strike me as utterly obnoxious...

A-MEN, Philly. Amen.

 

[Textuality]

presumptuous much? i'd wait for that interview invite before worrying about transportation.

and yes, i'm coming out of lurk-dom in large part to remind some people that not everyone has interviews at all but one of the top schools in america and thus don't really possess the patience to pity those who go out of their way to write "woe is me" posts about the difficulties of creating the perfect interview schedule. life WILL go on if you don't get an interview invite at every freakin med school you apply to, so forgive me if the recent posts in this thread strike me as utterly obnoxious...

Yeah...I definitely saw this coming. It's lonely at the top...and it gets even lonelier if you remind people you're at the top..lol

Hmm..they're mailing out brochures this year? I definitely didn't get one last year, that's pretty sweet though!

 

[iA-MD2013]

Yeah...I definitely saw this coming. It's lonely at the top...and it gets even lonelier if you remind people you're at the top..lol

Hmm..they're mailing out brochures this year? I definitely didn't get one last year, that's pretty sweet though!

Hey Textuality, tell your school that berken is great and deserves an interview 🙂

 

[funkydrmonkey]

I will sell my soul, arm, leg, AND firstborn for Penn... Now how can I say this to Penn without sounding crazy?

 

[Nikhil72]

I will sell my soul, arm, leg, AND firstborn for Penn... Now how can I say this to Penn without sounding crazy?

tried that. didn't work. thought I might as well save you the trouble.

seriously, I can't stand the silent treatment.

 

[shemarty]

tried that. didn't work. thought I might as well save you the trouble.

seriously, I can't stand the silent treatment.

I'm sorry about my comment earlier today. I didn't mean to offend anybody, I was just stressing out about scheduling and had nowhere else to vent besides talking to my mom, haha.

Yea, the waiting is painful.

 

[Nikhil72]

I'm sorry about my comment earlier today. I didn't mean to offend anybody, I was just stressing out about scheduling and had nowhere else to vent besides talking to my mom, haha.

Yea, the waiting is painful.

haha, didn't intend for my comments to be taken seriously. it was a lame attempt at a joke that I don't really find humorous in hindsight.

I think your worrying makes perfect sense...yes, people are not always fortunate enough to get interviews at such great places, but travel time, convenience, and scheduling are important things to consider, especially from a financial standpoint. So I think people that are criticizing you need to just relax.

 

[rowerlauren]

I will sell my soul, arm, leg, AND firstborn for Penn... Now how can I say this to Penn without sounding crazy?

Me too... well I would be so so so so happy to be accepted.

 

[LifeofGas]

I got something from the mail today. A BIG envelop...it turned out to be Upenn's curriculum....

haha...got excited for no reason. -_-

 

[ar2388]

i just got it too!!!

 

[Carlin]

i just got it too!!!

*sigh* Me too. Did it really annoy anyone else? They haven't even offered me an interview, why would they get my hopes up by sending me a big envelope??

 

[funkydrmonkey]

*sigh* Me too. Did it really annoy anyone else? They haven't even offered me an interview, why would they get my hopes up by sending me a big envelope??

It is actually bad news for me. All schools that send me stuff preinterview forget about me🙁

 

[Brewsky]

Ooh, thanks! I didn't know there was a train from Penn Station to Columbia! That was really helpful 🙂 What is it called? Or is this the Subway? Again, I have zero clue about NY transportation.

Someone else just told me about the bus with free internet, too, so that's looking like a pretty attractive option 🙂

If I don't get a Penn invite, then I'll fly from Duke to Columbia, then take the Bolt Bus from Columbia to Harvard.
If I do get a Penn invite, then I'll fly from Duke to Penn, then take the Bolt Bus from Penn to Columbia and again from Columbia to Harvard.

I'm so glad you guys told me about these buses! Thank so much 😀

Glad it was helpful. When I said the train from Penn Station to Columbia I meant the subway (we use train and subway interchangeably, I guess). You can get the subway from either inside the station or right outside (the A stop is at 8th ave and 34th street and you want to take the train heading uptown). If you're not going directly to the interview, you can get anywhere pretty easily from Penn Station since a lot of subway lines stop there. Good luck!

 

[NTF]

*sigh* Me too. Did it really annoy anyone else? They haven't even offered me an interview, why would they get my hopes up by sending me a big envelope??

I know. UPENN is such a tease 🙂. (I got the big envelope brochure too.)

 

[chad5871]

It is actually bad news for me. All schools that send me stuff preinterview forget about me🙁

Yeah, me too. Although I think the only schools I've really gotten stuff from pre-interview has been Rochester and now Penn.

It seems as if Penn is a bit behind this year - my credit card payment didn't go through until about a month after I submitted my secondary, interview invites have been few and far between, and now everyone is JUST getting the brochure. They're non-rolling, right, maybe they just wanted to get all of the applications in before they really got moving.

 

[ar2388]

yeah.. they make no decisions until ~march 30

 

[DrYoda]

It is actually bad news for me. All schools that send me stuff preinterview forget about me🙁

Yeah, me too. Although I think the only schools I've really gotten stuff from pre-interview has been Rochester and now Penn.

Strange, the three schools that sent me preinterview packets (and why oh why are these packets allways huge?) have shown me no love either.🙁

But I haven't got anything from Penn yet. Now, I must pray for no mail this weekend.

 

[pianola]

Got the big envelope, too. Looked like it had been opened.

C'mon Penn. I want to visit!

 

[iA-MD2013]

Got the big envelope, too. Looked like it had been opened.

C'mon Penn. I want to visit!

I got the big envelope too.

 

[scarletgirl777]

haha, didn't intend for my comments to be taken seriously. it was a lame attempt at a joke that I don't really find humorous in hindsight.

I think your worrying makes perfect sense...yes, people are not always fortunate enough to get interviews at such great places, but travel time, convenience, and scheduling are important things to consider, especially from a financial standpoint. So I think people that are criticizing you need to just relax.

So true. These flights are expensive, and it's frustrating to have to make multiple trips to the same area because one school got back to you a month later than another. For some people, this could be the difference between going and not going on an interview.

 

[ar2388]

shemarty, maybe consider sending them another email? but still start planning for the other three schools.. i know tey arent rolling but it is november already and i would be getting worried lol

 

[Ariana85]

I've been complete since september & received a big envelope in the mail and got all excited . . . it was a diagram of their curriculum, LOL! 😕 Maybe they are trying to torture us on purpose

 

[shemarty]

shemarty, maybe consider sending them another email? but still start planning for the other three schools.. i know tey arent rolling but it is november already and i would be getting worried lol

I'm just going to wait ~1 more week and then book my tickets for the other 3. They'll either be M/W/Th/S or T/Th/S, +/- Penn.

 

[chemolupusMD]

is like psychological warfare, they want to see who breaks down, all part of their master plan to see who they interview. yes i am mad about the big envelop too 😡. such a tease

 

[Bradstein]

is like psychological warfare, they want to see who breaks down, all part of their master plan to see who they interview. yes i am mad about the big envelop too 😡. such a tease

Pretty useful stuff. From what I understand, Penn was the first to do the 1.5 year pre-clinical curriculum,?

 

[TRN1983]

:sad: I recieved a big package from UPenn in the mail and got a bit excited b/c I've been waiting to hear from them! Unfortunately it was just one of those informational brochures. I wish schools would stop sending those. They always get my hopes up 🙁

 

[Neuronix]

From what I understand, Penn was the first to do the 1.5 year pre-clinical curriculum,?

Baylor was actually.

 

[shemarty]

Did everybody else (who's been complete for awhile) get the viewbook already? My mailbox is still empty... 🙁

 

[rowerlauren]

Did everybody else (who's been complete for awhile) get the viewbook already? My mailbox is still empty... 🙁

I'm closer to Penn than you and I only got it on Saturday. Don't take it as a view of their hate or love of you either as I interviewed over a month ago.

 

[DrYoda]

:sad: I recieved a big package from UPenn in the mail and got a bit excited b/c I've been waiting to hear from them! Unfortunately it was just one of those informational brochures. I wish schools would stop sending those. They always get my hopes up 🙁

I just got it too. But at least SDN had prepared me for the lack of goodness within it.

 

[majestic red]

Did everybody else (who's been complete for awhile) get the viewbook already? My mailbox is still empty... 🙁

I've been complete since 8/5 and haven't heard anything (or received a viewbook). My mail has been a little screwy, though...

 

[bluesmd]

Did everybody else (who's been complete for awhile) get the viewbook already? My mailbox is still empty... 🙁

I've been complete since 8/5 and haven't heard anything (or received a viewbook). My mail has been a little screwy, though...

maybe they are just sending it to people who they aren't going to consider for interviews anymore and just like to make us feel like they care about us by sending us their curriculum

 

[shemarty]

maybe they are just sending it to people who they aren't going to consider for interviews anymore and just like to make us feel like they care about us by sending us their curriculum

 

[pianola]

maybe they are just sending it to people who they aren't going to consider for interviews anymore and just like to make us feel like they care about us by sending us their curriculum

Seriously 🙁 When you've been complete since July, I think it's a pretty clear sign...🙁

 

[aebvd97]

Seriously 🙁 When you've been complete since July, I think it's a pretty clear sign...🙁

Nah...I already interviewed there and I also received it.

 

[pianola]

Nah...I already interviewed there and I also received it.

Yes, obviously I was referring to people who haven't interviewed.

 

[dr drummer]

So I couldn't hold back anymore and called the office this morning to see if I could get any information since I've been complete for almost 3 months now with no news...

The lady sounded pretty irritated and a little brash... made me regret that I called. Anyways, it was a pointless call because she told me that decisions can take anywhere from 1 to 3 months, and I reminded her that mine had been 3 months. She told me just to check the status page because its in real-time... so I'm assuming this is going to be one of those "silent rejections"

 

[shemarty]

So I couldn't hold back anymore and called the office this morning to see if I could get any information since I've been complete for almost 3 months now with no news...

The lady sounded pretty irritated and a little brash... made me regret that I called. Anyways, it was a pointless call because she told me that decisions can take anywhere from 1 to 3 months, and I reminded her that mine had been 3 months. She told me just to check the status page because its in real-time... so I'm assuming this is going to be one of those "silent rejections"

Yea, I'm in the same situation, I made the same call and got the same answer. I'm going to assume it's a pre-interview hold/rejection, because the status page isn't changing...

 

[funkydrmonkey]

Yea, I'm in the same situation, I made the same call and got the same answer. I'm going to assume it's a pre-interview hold/rejection, because the status page isn't changing...

It will change to smaller pool/ pre interview hold on the 15th... at least that is what happened last year...🙁

I wanna go to the University of Pencils...

 

[pianola]

It will change to smaller pool/ pre interview hold on the 15th... at least that is what happened last year...🙁

I wanna go to the University of Pencils...

Hahaha. So everyone who has applied will find out that they are part of the 'smaller pool' after Nov. 15th????

Does this place either reject or accept people?

 

[funkydrmonkey]

Hahaha. So everyone who has applied will find out that they are part of the 'smaller pool' after Nov. 15th????

Does this place either reject or accept people?

Like every school in the state of Pennsylvania, their hold means silent rejection... or you will be put in the smaller pool, which they then (begrudingly) pull people out of to interview.

 

[chad5871]

Like every school in the state of Pennsylvania, their hold means silent rejection... or you will be put in the smaller pool, which they then (begrudingly) pull people out of to interview.

Yeah, what is up with that? I've been invited to interview at 4 schools in NY but completely ignored by PA (where I was BORN)!

I'm hoping for a small pool notification on 11/15 but I'm not holding my breath.

 

[Loon]

My parents were very excited to see the big envelope from Penn and quite confused that it only contained the viewbook. I'm happy they're past the "You got a secondary from YALE? THAT'S GREAT" level of understanding, though.

I'd like a small-pooling from Penn, but I'd like an interview even more.

 

[funkydrmonkey]

My parents were very excited to see the big envelope from Penn and quite confused that it only contained the viewbook. I'm happy they're past the "You got a secondary from YALE? THAT'S GREAT" level of understanding, though.

I'd like a small-pooling from Penn, but I'd like an interview even more.

My sentiments exactly!👍

 

[Nikhil72]

gah. silly big packet.

 

[pianola]

My sentiments exactly!👍

OK, so let me get this straight: After Nov. 15th:

Hold = bad
Small pool = bad, but not quite AS bad
Interview = not terribly likely in either case but more likely in the small pool.

(btw thanks for sharing funky.)

 

[funkydrmonkey]

OK, so let me get this straight: After Nov. 15th:

Hold = bad
Small pool = bad, but not quite AS bad
Interview = not terribly likely in either case but more likely in the small pool.

(btw thanks for sharing funky.)

Almost... Small pool is where they get the interviewees from, so small pool is good. It is gonna be either hold or small pool on 11/15. I think, unless they changed it from last year...

(You are welcome, pianola!)

 

[schismal]

OK, so let me get this straight: After Nov. 15th:

Hold = bad
Small pool = bad, but not quite AS bad
Interview = not terribly likely in either case but more likely in the small pool.

(btw thanks for sharing funky.)

Well, this is depressing.

 

[scarletgirl777]

Does anyone know how far ahead Penn is scheduling interviews right now? Could anyone who was invited in the last few weeks let us know the earliest date they were offered/was available? Thanks!

 

[pianola]

hmm...the 15th is a Saturday...