2008-2009 UCLA/Drew Secondary Application Thread

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Yea i wasnt sure about the spaces either, so i stayed conservative decided to include spaces in the 600 character limit. Man i am so stoked about 11/15, dream school!!!
 
BlackDr2b said:
Wassup Character. I got you chief, no worries! You haven't heard from them at all? You should give them a call.
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man, i think they got me on caller id! they are ducking my calls!!
 
Wassup everybody! This thread has been kind of quiet. How is everybody doing?
 
They should have received my secondary first thing on Monday morning!!! Looks like I am only missing one letter at the moment, since Interfolio has the other two and mailed them off a couple weeks ago...MY FINGERS ARE CROSSED!!!!
For those of you who have interviews:
- how long did it take for your app to become complete after you submitted
- how long after completion did you get an interview?
- how did you find out you were complete (did they send you an email?)

11/15 folks: Not long to wait!! Best of :luck: !!!
 
KittycooMD said:
They should have received my secondary first thing on Monday morning!!! Looks like I am only missing one letter at the moment, since Interfolio has the other two and mailed them off a couple weeks ago...MY FINGERS ARE CROSSED!!!!
For those of you who have interviews:
- how long did it take for your app to become complete after you submitted
- how long after completion did you get an interview?
- how did you find out you were complete (did they send you an email?)

11/15 folks: Not long to wait!! Best of :luck: !!!
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Hey KittyCoo! I will be keeping my fingers crossed for you. I got my secondary on 8/21, I believe I was complete on 9/20 and I received my interview invite on 10/20. I kept calling to check and see what my status was and one morning she told me I was going to be getting an email about an interview. I never received anything telling me I was complete. On the invite letter it says they have received all of your materials. God bless! Keep us updated.
 
For those of you that have received the secondary, how long after submitting your primary application did you receive the secondary?
 
Live4Life said:
For those of you that have received the secondary, how long after submitting your primary application did you receive the secondary?
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Wassup L4L. I submitted my primary on 6/24 I believe and I got the secondary on 8/21. So about 2 months later. Hope that helps. God bless!
 
KittycooMD said:
They should have received my secondary first thing on Monday morning!!! Looks like I am only missing one letter at the moment, since Interfolio has the other two and mailed them off a couple weeks ago...MY FINGERS ARE CROSSED!!!!
For those of you who have interviews:
- how long did it take for your app to become complete after you submitted
- how long after completion did you get an interview?
- how did you find out you were complete (did they send you an email?)

11/15 folks: Not long to wait!! Best of :luck: !!!
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Hi guys! My primary was verified and received by most schools on 7/29. I got my Drew secondary on 10/02 and my interview invite 10/30. So I can confirm BlackDr2b's 2 month estimate, plus or minus a few days. I don't think I ever got notification that I was complete, just an email with the invite letter attached. Good luck Kittycoo! Good luck everyone!

You must be very excited BlackDr2b, less than two days to go! Good luck on that interview.
 
kai1581 said:
Hi guys! My primary was verified and received by most schools on 7/29. I got my Drew secondary on 10/02 and my interview invite 10/30. So I can confirm BlackDr2b's 2 month estimate, plus or minus a few days. I don't think I ever got notification that I was complete, just an email with the invite letter attached. Good luck Kittycoo! Good luck everyone!

You must be very excited BlackDr2b, less than two days to go! Good luck on that interview.
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I am thru the roof excited. Can't wait. It is going to be a blessed day. I am praying that I get in! Good luck to you with your interview. God bless!
 
Good luck to everyone interviewing this Sat. Drew had some of the nicest people I met when I interviewed last year. One of the admissions directors even drove me to the place I was staying when she noticed I was waiting outside for a cab for a half hour (and then she sent me a card too)! Have fun and good luck!!
 
Thanks for the well wishes everyone! I of course hope I get in, but at this point I am hoping for an interview!!! DREAM SCHOOL!!!!!!!!!!
I will keep everyone updated and of course I am excited to hear about your interviews this weekend! I know God has a place for us all regardless of where we end up. :nod:
 
Simply marvelous!!! Cdu is so awesome!!! I loved it. I am going to be praying soooooooo hard that i get accepted here.
 
Hey guys! How were your interviews? Congratulations on being done! Hopefully I'll join the list of interviewees this cycle...
 
I interviewed on the 15th. Here is a long rant about my experience 🙂

LOGISTICS:
I got a secondary: early October
I was complete: late October
I received my invite: late October

There must have been around 20-24 people total separated evenly in gender. Just about everyone was in-state as well. The admissions lady said that they will interview about 200 out of the 2,000 applicants so like most schools only 10% will get interviews. Also, they will do an interview every Saturday for about 10 total weeks (except holidays) so this info is useful for you guys to manage your expectations given that only 24 seats are available.

As far as the interview, it was really laid back. The other interviewees were really cool people and you could tell they fulfilled the mission statement of the program based on their character. Get there early (some people were late believe it or not!) and chat up the interviewees because there will be little time otherwise.

SCHEDULE:
The itinerary for the day is as follows:
8:30-9:00 Register, Breakfast, Welcome by Assistant Dean
9:00-9:40 Group Interview A |OR| Individual Interview A
9:45-10:25 Individual Interview B |OR| Group Interview B
10:30-11:00 Current MS Question/Answer Session

GROUP INTERVIEW:
I had the group interview first. It is a misnomer really because there was no interview involved. It was more like a "people skills observation time". I don't want to give out too much details since they emphasized that it should be confidential and we couldn't take any documents we were given during the interview with us. Just know that it is more of a PBL session where you had to work on a particular problem with fellow interviewees. Several people were in our room taking notes and filling out a profile based on our behavior (from what I saw in the profile it had topics of: leadership, communication, logic, etc.).

INDIVIDUAL INTERVIEW:
The individual interview (for me at least) was laid back. Just the bog standard barrage of questions I got in my other interviews basically asking: Why do you want to go into medicine and why do you want to go to the program? I did not receive any questions about the citric acid cycle or my pathetic MCAT score even though my interviewer had my AMCAS and secondary application. Also note the questions center around the Drew mission statement so read that in the website if you are unfamiliar.

STUDENT PANEL:
The student panel was okay. There were about 12 students ranging from MS1 to MS4. You could tell some students were more talkative than others so I think we didn't get a full picture since there were basically only 4 students doing all the talking. Even though this was the case, there was a vibe of strong camaraderie among the students. They unanimously said their favorite part of being part of program is the feeling that it is a "FAMILY". I must say they seemed genuinely happy unlike my other interviews where I could see behind a facade of smiles really competitive and worked students. I'm not saying the Drew students were lazy, its just they gave a vibe of diligent students who kept it real.

NOTIFICATION TIMELINE:
Essentially after all was said and done, we were told it would take 4 weeks to know our acceptance status. A panel from UCLA and Drew would examine each applicant's primaries, secondaries, and interview feedback. The entire process takes 4 weeks since some people are out of the country/on holiday. The second week of December was the projected date of notification so I will update in this thread whether I got in.

SUBJECTIVE (SPURIOUS?) GENERALITIES:
The breakfast was a 6 out of 10 at best. There were catered bagels, French toast, and scrambled eggs. They lost points since nothing was hot! Plus we had to wait in a large meeting room with formal office equipment. It was weird eating there since you did not want to get anything dirty. I also did not like the fact they did not have lunch. I would have preferred no breakfast and a lunch with the med students instead like my other interviews since I already ate that morning.

The whole process was somewhat disorganized. We tried to stay on schedule but there was a confusion about where to hold the different types of interviews and last minute changes had to be made. There was downtime in between as a result. I did not mind though since the area was pretty small so no extensive travel involved. Also of course there was no tour of the adjacent hospital because of its notorious legal problems.

You guys should chat up the security and people around the complex. They are cool. Very open to conversation. Much of the littles things I learned about the program was told to me during my interactions.
 
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Hey guys - do you know how long after you get the secondary you have to return it? I didn't see a date on the email besides when to have the rec letters in. Please let me know! I am assuming it is either 2 weeks like PRIME or 1 month like the other UCs.

Also did everyone get that email that PRIME sent out yesterday (Friday) or did they sent it only to some people? I am assmuming everyone got it.

Thanks 🙂
 
HeyThereJude said:
Hey guys - do you know how long after you get the secondary you have to return it? I didn't see a date on the email besides when to have the rec letters in. Please let me know! I am assuming it is either 2 weeks like PRIME or 1 month like the other UCs.

Also did everyone get that email that PRIME sent out yesterday (Friday) or did they sent it only to some people? I am assmuming everyone got it.

Thanks 🙂
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I don't know how long you have to do it, but I wouldn't sit on it for very long. They are only doing a couple more interviews from what I heard. So hurry up and get that thing in. Remember it is only 24 spots in the program.

Yeah, I got it.

God bless!
 
HeyThereJude said:
Hey guys - do you know how long after you get the secondary you have to return it? I didn't see a date on the email besides when to have the rec letters in. Please let me know! I am assuming it is either 2 weeks like PRIME or 1 month like the other UCs.

Also did everyone get that email that PRIME sent out yesterday (Friday) or did they sent it only to some people? I am assmuming everyone got it.

Thanks 🙂
Click to expand...

What email did PRIME send out? I didn't get it.
 
Live4Life said:
What email did PRIME send out? I didn't get it.
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They sent out an email letting us know that they have started looking at applications and secondaries and they will invite people to interview late January and there will be 3 interview dates, 2 in February and 1 in March. Hope that helps. God bless!
 
I really love this school! I pray that I hear some good news in a couple of weeks!

How did people's interviews go this past weekend?
 
I'm happy with how both interviews went. The other interviewees in my group interview were really great. We were able to work well together with great dialogue. Everyone was able to put in their ideas, and we had some really great ideas. My individual interview went well also. It was laid back and conversational, and the interviewer said I interviewed well. She said she really like my answers. I feel this interview went the best out of all my interviews so far, and this makes me ecstatic because Drew is my #1 choice. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Good luck everyone!!!
 
i was praying for an interview and i got one!!! haha see everyone next month 🙂
 
akajackbauer said:
i was praying for an interview and i got one!!! haha see everyone next month 🙂
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hey congrats!

does anyone know when their interview season ends?

edit. also, i think i read UCLA/Drew interviews about 200 applicants. anybody know how many they accept & how many matriculate?
 
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akajackbauer said:
i was praying for an interview and i got one!!! haha see everyone next month 🙂
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Congrats on receiving an interview. That is a blessing. The day is really relaxed and fun. I think CDU is great. Enjoy and God bless!
 
potato head said:
hey congrats!

does anyone know when their interview season ends?

edit. also, i think i read UCLA/Drew interviews about 200 applicants. anybody know how many they accept & how many matriculate?
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They actually only interview about 120 or less. I don't know how many they accept but only 24 matriculate. I believe they are interviewing thru March or April. Have you submitted your secondary yet?
 
Bump! Any good news out there?
 
Ahhh I got an interview 😀 Any advice? I'm excited/nervous... Hope everyone had a happy thanksgiving!
 
sirius said:
Ahhh I got an interview 😀 Any advice? I'm excited/nervous... Hope everyone had a happy thanksgiving!
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Congrats on the interview! The only advice I could say is to be yourself, know why you want to serve the underserved, why Drew and have fun. It is a real relaxed time. If you are not from the area, maybe look up some facts about Compton/Watts/South Central. Just be yourself and let your light shine bright. When is your interview?
 
anyone have the contact email address? i havent been able to find it on the web page. thanks in advance
 
Thanks Kittycoo! I submitted my secondary around the last week of October. I called to check if I was complete and was invited to interview last week. Good luck to everyone!!

And thanks for the tips BD2B! I'm not from the area, but definitely want to learn more. Is it hard to find where we check-in for the interview? My interview is in 2 weeks (Dec 13) 🙂
 
Hey guys,
It wasn't the best day today. Not only was I home sick from work and school, but I got an email from Drew saying "the Committee has placed you on an interview waitlist."
I am not even sure what that means! This school was one of my top choices, and so I am going to continue to pray I get off whatever waitlist they have me on. I really hope God has Drew in His plans for me, but I trust in Him, that everything will turn out as it should. Anyone else receive this email?
If they only knew how much I want to go there!! I wish I could call Drew and plead and beg and cry and plead and beg and...*sigh*
I'll keep you guys updated... :xf:
 
KittycooMD said:
Hey guys,
It wasn't the best day today. Not only was I home sick from work and school, but I got an email from Drew saying "the Committee has placed you on an interview waitlist."
I am not even sure what that means! This school was one of my top choices, and so I am going to continue to pray I get off whatever waitlist they have me on. I really hope God has Drew in His plans for me, but I trust in Him, that everything will turn out as it should. Anyone else receive this email?
If they only knew how much I want to go there!! I wish I could call Drew and plead and beg and cry and plead and beg and...*sigh*
I'll keep you guys updated... :xf:
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It's ok KittyCoo. Just keep emailing and calling if that is truly where you want to be. Some of the med students there have told me how much they like persistence. Just continue to pray and believe. God has a perfect plan for you. Trust in Him with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, acknowledge Him in all your ways and He shall direct your path! God bless!
 
Hi everyone! Just wondering if anyone has any know about the pre-matriculation week in July! Also, does Drew have their own white coat ceremony before the UCLA one? Just trying to plan out my July, just in case that is..... Hope everyone is doing well during this waiting game...hang in there.
 
kperez27 said:
Hi everyone! Just wondering if anyone has any know about the pre-matriculation week in July! Also, does Drew have their own white coat ceremony before the UCLA one? Just trying to plan out my July, just in case that is..... Hope everyone is doing well during this waiting game...hang in there.
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Hey kperez. I don't know anything about the pre-matric week. I know that once accepted to CDU, we will have a white coat ceremony at CDU and at UCLA. Have you interviewed at CDU? Did you hear back already?
 
the first week of december is here, hopefully we hear good news soon. I am nervously checking my phone everytime i get a call from a number i dont know.
 
asakkings said:
the first week of december is here, hopefully we hear good news soon. I am nervously checking my phone everytime i get a call from a number i dont know.
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Wassup big guy! If you see a 323 area code, it could possibly be a great phone call! We shall see. Praying for the best! God bless!
 
I interviewed on 11/22. Loved it! At first I was concerned about that "group interview," but actually it was probably the most enjoyable part of the day. The people in my group were awesome. All the interviewees were pretty awesome actually, all seemed very friendly and open. Haven't heard anything yet....would love to know before Christmas though...would be the perfect present for us all, eh?
 
kperez27 said:
I interviewed on 11/22. Loved it! At first I was concerned about that "group interview," but actually it was probably the most enjoyable part of the day. The people in my group were awesome. All the interviewees were pretty awesome actually, all seemed very friendly and open. Haven't heard anything yet....would love to know before Christmas though...would be the perfect present for us all, eh?
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That would be an awesome CHRISTmas present. I interviewed on 11/15 and they said we should hear this week or next. Can't wait.
 
comeo on 323!!! if i get a call from that number my app cycle is done, thats how much I loved CDU.
 
BlackDr2Be i cant believe we were in the same group, funny coincidence. Good luck to everyone.
 
Hi guys. I was digging around in the older posts and I saw that the earliest people got acceptances to Drew in the last cycle was around mid January, even though they were told it would only take 4-6 weeks. So people who interviewed 11/14/07 didn't get an acceptance phone call until mid-Jan. Does any one know for certain if it will actually take 4-6 weeks? I guess we'll find out soon enough, though it would be nice to hear from them before Christmas. Good luck everyone!!!
 
I was told it would take 4 weeks so I am hopeful the decision will be known by Christmas. The thing I am unclear about is whether they will notify people if they are waitlisted/rejected post-interview. I was under the impression only people they want in are notified.

A possible explanation to the historical delay is that some people last cycle were notified within 4 weeks but did not post on SDN. Those who did post were probably off the waitlist so they posted their admission later in January.

BTW from what I was told the waitlist is ranked. Essentially they notify their top choices of their admission. Then they have some time (a few weeks?) to agree or withdraw. If there are some people who withdraw then the next individual on the waitlist is notified of their admission... and so on until the 24 spots are all taken up.
 
KippocalypsE said:
I was told it would take 4 weeks so I am hopeful the decision will be known by Christmas. The thing I am unclear about is whether they will notify people if they are waitlisted/rejected post-interview. I was under the impression only people they want in are notified.

A possible explanation to the historical delay is that some people last cycle were notified within 4 weeks but did not post on SDN. Those who did post were probably off the waitlist so they posted their admission later in January.

BTW from what I was told the waitlist is ranked. Essentially they notify their top choices of their admission. Then they have some time (a few weeks?) to agree or withdraw. If there are some people who withdraw then the next individual on the waitlist is notified of their admission... and so on until the 24 spots are all taken up.
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Hi KippocalypsE! I was also under the impression it would be approximately 4 weeks, so lets pray that it's really that time frame and we aren't left hanging until mid-Jan.

I'm not sure if the waitlist is ranked. I believe that applicants who are accepted can hold that acceptance and other acceptances until May 15, at which time they can only hold one seat at a time. Med schools usually over-accept in anticipation that not all will take a seat in the class, though I'm not sure how much Drew over-accepts. I was under the impression there wouldn't be much movement from the waitlist until after May 15, but I definitely could be wrong. Also, I remember Dr. Calmes stating that there will definitely be some spots available for those interviewing at the end of the interview period (end Feb/beg Mar). I think she was trying to dispell that comment in the "Interview Feedbacks" section for Drew/UCLA that said after a certain date (mid Feb) those being interviewed would only have a chance at the waitlist. Can someone correct or confirm the things I've read on SDN?
 
kai1581 said:
Hi KippocalypsE! I was also under the impression it would be approximately 4 weeks, so lets pray that it's really that time frame and we aren't left hanging until mid-Jan.

I'm not sure if the waitlist is ranked. I believe that applicants who are accepted can hold that acceptance and other acceptances until May 15, at which time they can only hold one seat at a time. Med schools usually over-accept in anticipation that not all will take a seat in the class, though I'm not sure how much Drew over-accepts. I was under the impression there wouldn't be much movement from the waitlist until after May 15, but I definitely could be wrong. Also, I remember Dr. Calmes stating that there will definitely be some spots available for those interviewing at the end of the interview period (end Feb/beg Mar). I think she was trying to dispell that comment in the "Interview Feedbacks" section for Drew/UCLA that said after a certain date (mid Feb) those being interviewed would only have a chance at the waitlist. Can someone correct or confirm the things I've read on SDN?
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You know, I asked Sandy whether they over-accept. She told me they don't. She was pretty adamant in saying that they only offer at most 24 spots at the same time to prevent situations where over 24 people are set for enrollment -- I think this nuance is exclusive to the program given it's a small size. I think you are right though. They must have some sort of different arrangement to insure later interviews have spots. Could it be possible interviews are chronologically divided into quarters and only 6 people per quarter gain admission? Your guess is as good as mine.
 
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