2008-2009 UCLA Secondary Application Thread

BU Medical Sciences
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I felt pretty mediocre after my interview, I didn't send any notes/updates/letters, and I was accepted awhile ago.

Don't read too much into the actual interview!

*Crossing my fingers for everybody*
 
It is way too distracting how they write everything down while you are still talking. Why don't they just give us a worksheet to fill out?
 
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gl0baltrader said:
Interesting, that seems like a lot of work.
I've also heard a rumor about how they review the files based on the gender/race of the open seat and try to replace them with candidate with similar background as a way to preserve their student body diversity. Is there any validity to this rumor ??
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Well....since they don't meet everyday and they send acceptances out in batches, maybe they consolidate all the open spots and review all the files over again...but with the idea that so many spots are open? It does sound rather ridiculous to go through the entire waitlist every single time...especially more than once in the same day.
 
has ucla sent our pre-interview rejections yet? i havent heard from them since turning in my secondary and am not sure if I still have a chance at an interview.
 
MedKiddo said:
has ucla sent our pre-interview rejections yet? i havent heard from them since turning in my secondary and am not sure if I still have a chance at an interview.
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Yes they have, you can give them a call and see what they can tell you if you provide your amcas number.
 
Adding myself to the list of misery. My dream is crushed and I doubt that I will get in anywhere this season.
It's really bizarre, but my letter was sent on the 18th according to the website, is dated with feb 18th, but the postal stamp thing was stamped on the 27th


Waitlist (18): n3opologist, enjoydrywax, Regley, mzchristee, BluntSurgeon, funkydrmonkey, chessknt87, surfinghaole, blowmeupjon, Ibirish, gl0baltrader, JuliaGulia2789, Dreampills, koalabear9, not2smarto, Dulcina, blah126, Penguick, Sangria

Hold (8) ladeda, kwyjibo, hrunting, august3, ShoutMeOut, Medicine22, WaterBird, cSnowfoxd
 
for people who got decisions back already, did you expect snail mail from online status or was it a surprise? i interviewed a month ago and my status still says my interview is 'scheduled' 😕
 
dudamel said:
for people who got decisions back already, did you expect snail mail from online status or was it a surprise? i interviewed a month ago and my status still says my interview is 'scheduled' 😕
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I'm pretty sure it will continue to say that. I interviewed 2/3 and it says scheduled.

When people have received stuff via snail mail, it will say a date next to Final decision letter.
 
Sangria said:
Adding myself to the list of misery. My dream is crushed and I doubt that I will get in anywhere this season.
It's really bizarre, but my letter was sent on the 18th according to the website, is dated with feb 18th, but the postal stamp thing was stamped on the 27th


Waitlist (18): n3opologist, enjoydrywax, Regley, mzchristee, BluntSurgeon, funkydrmonkey, chessknt87, surfinghaole, blowmeupjon, Ibirish, gl0baltrader, JuliaGulia2789, Dreampills, koalabear9, not2smarto, Dulcina, blah126, Penguick, Sangria

Hold (8) ladeda, kwyjibo, hrunting, august3, ShoutMeOut, Medicine22, WaterBird, cSnowfoxd
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What's the difference between the hold and waitlist? Is one preferable over the other?
 
nina7123 said:
What's the difference between the hold and waitlist? Is one preferable over the other?
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They will first draw from the people on the waitlist, and once the waitlist has been extinguished, then the people will be taken from the hold category in order to fill up the class...
 
"HOLD" = polite rejection. How thoughtful of you UCLA.
 
dudamel said:
for people who got decisions back already, did you expect snail mail from online status or was it a surprise? i interviewed a month ago and my status still says my interview is 'scheduled' 😕
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Yea, the status changed from "scheduled" to "final letter sent". The status change came about a day before I got the letter, so the letter wasn't a surprise.
 
So I know we're supposed to notify UCLA in writing if we want to accept our spot on the waitlist. Has anyone delivered it in person? I'm thinking about doing that


Oh, and are they not even going to look at the wait list until after May 15th or is there a chance that some people will get in off the waitlist earlier?

I actually thought I had good faculty and student interviews, but I guess not
 
Sangria said:
So I know we're supposed to notify UCLA in writing if we want to accept our spot on the waitlist. Has anyone delivered it in person? I'm thinking about doing that


Oh, and are they not even going to look at the wait list until after May 15th or is there a chance that some people will get in off the waitlist earlier?

I actually thought I had good faculty and student interviews, but I guess not
Click to expand...

Some people have delivered it in person and also posts have said they won't look at waitlist until May 15th.
 
Sangria said:
So I know we're supposed to notify UCLA in writing if we want to accept our spot on the waitlist. Has anyone delivered it in person? I'm thinking about doing that


Oh, and are they not even going to look at the wait list until after May 15th or is there a chance that some people will get in off the waitlist earlier?

I actually thought I had good faculty and student interviews, but I guess not
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Yah, I delivered it in person, but you probably already knew that😛

When I went, I asked, and they said that after May 15th, they start rereviewing all the waitlist applications....
 
Where do we send our picture before we interview? Email? Snail mail?
 
Does anyone know if it is a good or bad strategy to list other top schools where you have already been accepted in a Letter of Intent to your top choice. For example, if I communicated to UCLA that I am willing to drop schools such as UCSF, Michigan, and NYU were they to take me off the waitlist, would this:

A) Make them realize that I am a valued commodity, and worth an acceptance.

B) Make them less sympathetic to my application, since they know that if they don't accept me I will still end up at a great institution (as opposed to someone on the waitlist without any acceptances.)

C) Have little to no effect compared to any standard Letter of Intent.
 
Cellar Door said:
Does anyone know if it is a good or bad strategy to list other top schools where you have already been accepted in a Letter of Intent to your top choice. For example, if I communicated to UCLA that I am willing to drop schools such as UCSF, Michigan, and NYU were they to take me off the waitlist, would this:

A) Make them realize that I am a valued commodity, and worth an acceptance.

B) Make them less sympathetic to my application, since they know that if they don't accept me I will still end up at a great institution (as opposed to someone on the waitlist without any acceptances.)

C) Have little to no effect compared to any standard Letter of Intent.
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D) Impair your chances since it comes off as bragging.
 
Cellar Door said:
Does anyone know if it is a good or bad strategy to list other top schools where you have already been accepted in a Letter of Intent to your top choice. For example, if I communicated to UCLA that I am willing to drop schools such as UCSF, Michigan, and NYU were they to take me off the waitlist, would this:

A) Make them realize that I am a valued commodity, and worth an acceptance.

B) Make them less sympathetic to my application, since they know that if they don't accept me I will still end up at a great institution (as opposed to someone on the waitlist without any acceptances.)

C) Have little to no effect compared to any standard Letter of Intent.
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I was about to give you some advice where you could hint that you would be dropping such schools but I can't think of any way w/o bragging. I think that if you are qualified to get into all of those schools, they would know so it would be implied that you would be dropping something to go to their school.
 
I will add my opinion despite having no insight or information to add.

I think listing other schools in a letter of intent is a bit gauche and slighty reduces ones chances of acceptence. While it is good to imply one has options and so is sincere in the pursuit of a school not just as a way to get in somewhere, listing the schools explicitly does not jibe well with me and if I were an adcom I would look on it unfavorably. But maybe it is just my sense of propriety, I never tell schools i interview at where else I have interviewed either, though I might give the city.
 
So, I listed schools in a way of trying to show them that I like their school more for these reasons (list reasons). I was waitlisted. Take that as you will as I also thought my interview went awfully (worst one I had). But, before doing it, I had asked a bunch of people about it, including my PI, who told me I should. She does admissions for graduate programs and seemed to think it was a good idea...
 
Cellar Door said:
Does anyone know if it is a good or bad strategy to list other top schools where you have already been accepted in a Letter of Intent to your top choice. For example, if I communicated to UCLA that I am willing to drop schools such as UCSF, Michigan, and NYU were they to take me off the waitlist, would this:

A) Make them realize that I am a valued commodity, and worth an acceptance.

B) Make them less sympathetic to my application, since they know that if they don't accept me I will still end up at a great institution (as opposed to someone on the waitlist without any acceptances.)

C) Have little to no effect compared to any standard Letter of Intent.
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I'm not exactly sure that listing your other schools would come across as "bragging," per se. After all, UCLA is a top-tier medical school...just like NYU, UCSF, etc. I highly doubt that the adcom can be negatively impressed by other schools within the same class as DGSOM. At the very least, I imagine, a letter of intent would have no bearing on your application, rather than affect it negatively.

I do think, however, that if you mention these schools, you should give a valid reason why you would choose UCLA over the others, perhaps relating to specific research opportunities, diversity of patient population, preferences in the curriculum, and so on. In this way, if the adcom felt that you were merely trying to pull some strings with empty threats, you could at least defend your decision.

I, too, was told by my advisor to list the schools that I had been accepted to in my LOI, but to be sure that I supported my desire to turn them all down to head to UCLA. Of course, I ended up sending this letter out after I had already been placed on hold...and after my interviewer already knew of my prior acceptances. But I was encouraged to do this per the suggestion of someone I know at UCLA, so whether it has any effect whatsoever, who knows...
 
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Sangria said:
Adding myself to the list of misery. My dream is crushed and I doubt that I will get in anywhere this season.
It's really bizarre, but my letter was sent on the 18th according to the website, is dated with feb 18th, but the postal stamp thing was stamped on the 27th


Waitlist (20): n3opologist, enjoydrywax, Regley, mzchristee, BluntSurgeon, funkydrmonkey, chessknt87, surfinghaole, blowmeupjon, Ibirish, gl0baltrader, JuliaGulia2789, Dreampills, koalabear9, not2smarto, Dulcina, blah126, Penguick, Sangria, cuzimabrownie

Hold (8) ladeda, kwyjibo, hrunting, august3, ShoutMeOut, Medicine22, WaterBird, cSnowfoxd
Click to expand...


Sorry i had to take a break from this thread for a while, but I got waitlisted too. And as my silent protest, i emailed my intention to be put on the waitlist. Oh yea, too lazy to snail mail it. I am so badass.
 
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cuzimabrownie said:
Sorry i had to take a break from this thread for a while, but I got waitlisted too. And as my silent protest, i emailed my intention to be put on the waitlist. Oh yea, too lazy to snail mail it. I am so badass.
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The waitlist letter specifically said a "hard-copy" of your intent to be placed on the waitlist sooooooo this basically means you are not on the waitlist. No problem for me though, increases my chances of getting in.
 
Hi guys,
I was wondering what phone number you are calling Ed at. I've tried calling to ask about my application status - still haven't been offered an interview - and I always get a girl on the line who is mildly hostile and says she doesn't know any more than I do. Thanks!
 
Did any of you guys have interviewers that asked you to list out every school that you have interviewed at and specifically state the ones you have been accepted to? I am really curious as to what this information will be used for...
 
NorCalGal said:
Hi guys,
I was wondering what phone number you are calling Ed at. I've tried calling to ask about my application status - still haven't been offered an interview - and I always get a girl on the line who is mildly hostile and says she doesn't know any more than I do. Thanks!
Click to expand...

Who is Ed?
 
NorCalGal said:
Hi guys,
I was wondering what phone number you are calling Ed at. I've tried calling to ask about my application status - still haven't been offered an interview - and I always get a girl on the line who is mildly hostile and says she doesn't know any more than I do. Thanks!
Click to expand...

Did you mean to post this on the UCD thread?
 
I read that Fleenor book on the medical school interviewing, and it implies they ask "What other schools" because they want to assess the likelihood that you will matriculate at their school if accepted. It looks somewhat bad for them if they offer a spot and the person does not take the spot. If you have been accepted at Harvard, you are less likely to accept their offer (though you still might obviously).

The other side of this is the concept of social proof, that everyone wants what other people want. You have to be careful to not make yourself look bad in the way you discuss your rejections.
 
VManForever said:
Did any of you guys have interviewers that asked you to list out every school that you have interviewed at and specifically state the ones you have been accepted to? I am really curious as to what this information will be used for...
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Yeah I was asked this. You didn't happen to be interviewed by Dr. Quan did you? Also he told me that the admissions committee decided that I would be considered with the disadvantaged group even though I hadn't applied as disadvantaged... weird.
 
LittleRocker said:
Yeah I was asked this. You didn't happen to be interviewed by Dr. Quan did you? Also he told me that the admissions committee decided that I would be considered with the disadvantaged group even though I hadn't applied as disadvantaged... weird.
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My interviewer wasn't Dr. Quan, but I'm beginning to feel that this question is common at UCLA. I could think of so many different scenarios where this information could both help and hurt you, but I guess we'll see how that works out.

Were you told what being considered with the disadvantaged group entails? It does seem weird that they would do that, but it may be advantageous for you?
 
So, I interviewed in October, and still have no status update. Anyone have any idea on what this could mean?
 
Dunc said:
So, I interviewed in October, and still have no status update. Anyone have any idea on what this could mean?
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I'd rather be in your situation right now than on the WL, where I currently am. It could be that your interviewer has really lagged and hasn't made it to the adcom meeting to discuss your file. But I would definitely call the admissions office if I were you. Stay optimistic, no news is good news.
 
do the interviewers have to be present at the adcom meeting in order for your file to get reviewed?
 
anyone know when the next batch of acceptances/news is coming out? I interviewed 2/19 and am super nervous.
 
crzydncr39 said:
anyone know when the next batch of acceptances/news is coming out? I interviewed 2/19 and am super nervous.
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Well they said every two weeks.. two weeks ago, but looking at last year's thread, probably around 3/15 or so.
 
VManForever said:
Were you told what being considered with the disadvantaged group entails? It does seem weird that they would do that, but it may be advantageous for you?
Click to expand...

Yes, fortunately for me, he implied that I would be at an advantage. I will have less competition because the disadvantaged group isn't as large as the regular one.
 
LittleRocker said:
Yes, fortunately for me, he implied that I would be at an advantage. I will have less competition because the disadvantaged group isn't as large as the regular one.
Click to expand...

Do you know how big is the disadvantage group because i might be one that is being waitlisted ?
 
What are the odds of getting into at least one, UCSF or UCLA, if you interviewed at both? UCSF and UCLA both interview around 500 people to fill classes of about 160-170. You figure there would have to be substantial overlap in interviewed applicants since they both look for many of the same qualities in their students. Once the waitlist starts moving at both schools those accepted will have to make a choice, thus opening up spots for the interviewees who may not have been so impressive first time around. I am just trying to stay optimistic that I will get into at least one. That would be sweet to know the odds. Anyone want to throw out a rough number? I want to say that about 70% of the applicants who interviewed at both will get in to at least one. That's a total guess though.
 
Cellar Door said:
What are the odds of getting into at least one, UCSF or UCLA, if you interviewed at both? UCSF and UCLA both interview around 500 people to fill classes of about 160-170. You figure there would have to be substantial overlap in interviewed applicants since they both look for many of the same qualities in their students. Once the waitlist starts moving at both schools those accepted will have to make a choice, thus opening up spots for the interviewees who may not have been so impressive first time around. I am just trying to stay optimistic that I will get into at least one. That would be sweet to know the odds. Anyone want to throw out a rough number? I want to say that about 70% of the applicants who interviewed at both will get in to at least one. That's a total guess though.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure about the bolded statement, it seems like they have somewhat different views on admissions.

It really depends on how well you interview, but if you got interviews at both, your chances probably aren't bad.
 
I agree with copingmethods on this one. I actually don't think that the two of them look for the same qualities... But, if you've been granted interviews at both places, I would say that you possess certain things that most medical schools are looking for. Good luck!
 
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