2008-2009 UMass Secondary Application Thread

[rowdy411]

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look at it this way... at least none of us have robbed and killed prostitutes yet like that d-bag at BU Medical School! They sure know how to pick 'em over there, huh?

 

[Silentbull]

Mmm, I wonder what sort of psych evaluations will be included into their future applications, and just how far this will propagate through the medical school community as a whole...

 

[rowdy411]

Mmm, I wonder what sort of psych evaluations will be included into their future applications, and just how far this will propagate through the medical school community as a whole...

Not sure how you could screen for Jack the Ripper qualities but I agree that something needs to be done.

 

[jka]

Not sure how you could screen for Jack the Ripper qualities but I agree that something needs to be done.

I think this would be difficult beyond a background check. But I have been wondering about this all morning too. The problem seems to be that sometimes the sickest people appear to be the most upstanding (besides the really obviously sick people, of course, but true to the kind of sick people that would make it successfully through a premed path.) So young too.

 

[Silentbull]

Well the FBI has all sorts of testing that they do during profiling of suspects to reveal how the mind works, and some of the new work with the various brain scans are finding that certain regions of the brain are activated during "normal" thought and deviant behavior.

And there are also those riddle tests...

For instance:
Two sisters are at their mother's funeral and one meets an incredibly handsome fellow that consoles her. They spend the day together and he helps her deal with the grief and sorrow of the loss, but at day's end, all she has is his first name. How can she meet him again?

Most people say phone book, facebook, ask around...
Crazy people say she should knock off her sister so he will come to the next funeral...

So if you see that on a reapp next year...

 

[rowdy411]

Well the FBI has all sorts of testing that they do during profiling of suspects to reveal how the mind works, and some of the new work with the various brain scans are finding that certain regions of the brain are activated during "normal" thought and deviant behavior.

And there are also those riddle tests...

For instance:
Two sisters are at their mother's funeral and one meets an incredibly handsome fellow that consoles her. They spend the day together and he helps her deal with the grief and sorrow of the loss, but at day's end, all she has is his first name. How can she meet him again?

Most people say phone book, facebook, ask around...
Crazy people say she should knock off her sister so he will come to the next funeral...

So if you see that on a reapp next year...

Oh, well that answer just makes sense, right? I mean if you kill the other sister... oh wait, sorry... got to go!

 

[rowdy411]

oh, good call on the dunkies iced coffee by the way!

 

[iheartsnow]

Just got the waitlist email from UMass. So much for Fridays, guess I should have been stressing out every day of the week.

Does anyone know if there is a ranking or anything about the chances of getting off the waitlist? I really want to go, but 7 months is long enough to be in limbo. I want to start making housing plans, etc...

 

[raraxavis]

Just got the waitlist email from UMass. So much for Fridays, guess I should have been stressing out every day of the week.

Does anyone know if there is a ranking or anything about the chances of getting off the waitlist? I really want to go, but 7 months is long enough to be in limbo. I want to start making housing plans, etc...

Wow! I don't know any of the answers you need, but congrats on getting on the waitlist! Could I ask what the first letter of your last name is? Just to see if they're sending out more, if I've already been passed up.

 

[virusgirl]

That's weird, I thought they sent out the wait-lists in one big lump...

Um... sorry? Congratulations? I'm not sure if being wait-listed is better or worse than hearing nothing, but I'm sorry you will have to wait even longer.

I have no idea how good your chances are. About half the class comes off the wait-list, but we don't really know for sure how big the list is going to be.

 

[MichaelBoston80]

Hi, just signed up for SDN (had been watching this thread for a while). I got my waitlist e-mail about an hour ago, and replied with confirmation. Last year they took a lot of people off the waitlist, hopefully this year will be the same!

 

[erawka]

Hi, just signed up for SDN (had been watching this thread for a while). I got my waitlist e-mail about an hour ago, and replied with confirmation. Last year they took a lot of people off the waitlist, hopefully this year will be the same!

Holy. Crap.

As if I needed more of a reason to compulsively check my email.

 

[raraxavis]

Holy. Crap.

As if I needed more of a reason to compulsively check my email.

I know, and I'd JUST finally reached my Umass zen place, where I'm ok with whatever happens. Now I'm a wreck again.

Edit: I understand it's ridiculous to be a wreck either way, considering nobody knows what's good or bad. But hey, I just can't help it.

 

[thompa]

And I had been having such a productive day...

 

[virusgirl]

I know, and I'd JUST finally reached my Umass zen place, where I'm ok with whatever happens. Now I'm a wreck again.

Edit: I understand it's ridiculous to be a wreck either way, considering nobody knows what's good or bad. But hey, I just can't help it.

Agreed. I was almost looking forward to my official rejection letter, if only to finally have a definitive answer one way or another. I'm supposed to be getting ready for my Thursday lab meeting presentation and instead I'll be checking my email over and over again...

 

[ashah05]

Hey guys, just got a waitlist email as well (My last name starts with 'S', in case you are wondering).

I interviewed 2/10/09, and heard around 1:30 today.

Anyone know about whether we can find out our position on the list?
​

 

[erawka]

look at it this way... at least none of us have robbed and killed prostitutes yet like that d-bag at BU Medical School! They sure know how to pick 'em over there, huh?

Because I'm too distracted to do actualy work right now...

Yeah. BU is in a media frenzie. It's all a little out of control. But go ahead BU, waitlist me. It's fine.

 

[BassPlease]

So, functionally, Massachusetts is the 4th worst state to be a resident of in terms of medical school admissions. Take heart, fellow pre-acceptees! We are statistically handicapped by our state demographics.

I for one am grateful that I even have a state school! I have so many friends who are applying from RI/NH and I know that they would give anything to have a state school, let alone one that takes nearly 100% in state applicants.

And congrats to those of you who received wait lists today!

-BP

 

[virusgirl]

Because I'm too distracted to do actualy work right now...

Yeah. BU is in a media frenzie. It's all a little out of control. But go ahead BU, waitlist me. It's fine.

Think of it as a compliment. They want prostitute-murdering psychopaths. You are (so far as anyone can tell) not of that ilk, so you have been wait-listed (as have I). 🙄

 

[virusgirl]

I for one am grateful that I even have a state school! I have so many friends who are applying from RI/NH and I know that they would give anything to have a state school, let alone one that takes nearly 100% in state applicants.

And congrats to those of you who received wait lists today!

-BP

That is an excellent point! Duly noted.

 

[raraxavis]

I for one am grateful that I even have a state school! I have so many friends who are applying from RI/NH and I know that they would give anything to have a state school, let alone one that takes nearly 100% in state applicants.

And congrats to those of you who received wait lists today!

-BP

Yeah, at least Maine gets help from Vermont... NH is totally left out.🙁

 

[rowdy411]

what the F%CK is going on here!!!!????

 

[ashah05]

Also they said that the class is full now...so if half the class comes from the waitlist, do you guys really think ~60 ppl actually say no to Umass??

 

[virusgirl]

I wouldn't be at all surprised, ashah. Bear in mind that many, probably most, of the people who have been accepted so far have also been accepted to other schools because they are the very strongest applicants. Linguini and zpiff have landed acceptances at some amazing schools besides UMass, for example. Since we can't know what factors other people consider to be important, it's entirely possible that other schools may be more appealing tham UMass to some people. Especially since we are years away from actually dealing with med school debt in a tangible way, I'm sure there are plenty of people who would rather go to Harvard and pay a lot more than go to UMass for substantially less.

That's just speculation on my part, but I'm sure people will have geographic reasons for wanting to go somewhere else, or they'll get a scholarship, or they'll be drawn by the perceived prestige of a different school.

 

[erawka]

Also they said that the class is full now...so if half the class comes from the waitlist

Ugggg...

My soul hurts.

 

[ashah05]

Hey Virusgirl, I was kinda thinking the same thing too.


I just called the admissions office, and they said there is no ranking of the waitlist. Once spots are available then the committee decides who they want to pull off the list.

 

[scrubslover]

Also they said that the class is full now...so if half the class comes from the waitlist, do you guys really think ~60 ppl actually say no to Umass??

I just wanted to weigh in on this really quickly...
First of all, I completely agree with Virusgirl. A lot of people are chossing between some pretty phenomenal schools, and money isn't the number one priority for all applicants.

Second - most schools have to accept 2-3 applicants for every seat. Since UMass can never have more acceptances than spots, this has to be taken into account for the high waitlist movement.

Moral of the story... chances on the waitlist are really good!! Don't despair!!

 

[raraxavis]

No news is not bad news. I got accepted last year at the end of April without being on the waitlist and I know a couple of other kids in my class that were also accepted towards the end of April without being put on the waitlist.

Hey guys, for the lot of us that are still without news of any kind, try to stay positive. I went back and quoted cooltime on this because I think we all forget it often in our desperation. Waitlisters are definitely in a good place right now, but I think the rest of us should still try and have something warm and fuzzy to think about too.

🙂

Now I slink back to my zen place.

 

[erawka]

Well I just called and same old schpeil (schpeel?): Nothing until mid-May. At least it wasn't the dreaded "It's in the mail.." response.

 

[iheartsnow]

I for one am grateful that I even have a state school! I have so many friends who are applying from RI/NH and I know that they would give anything to have a state school, let alone one that takes nearly 100% in state applicants.

And congrats to those of you who received wait lists today!

-BP

Don't NH residents get special consideration at Dartmouth?

And my last name starts with "O", although I'm not sure if that's going to help much more than reading tea leaves.

 

[raraxavis]

And my last name starts with "O", although I'm not sure if that's going to help much more than reading tea leaves.

This was not meant as a "people with last names starting with the letter O get waitlisted" theory. Last week they seemed to send out the emails alphabetically rather than randomly, so I thought I'd ask and see if I would be wasting my time checking for mine; no leaf reading.

 

[BassPlease]

Don't NH residents get special consideration at Dartmouth?

I think its very, very small special consideration. I have heard rumors that they save like 4 spots for NH people. I have some friends who are NH residents who have been either rejected or wait listed.

 

[holdingmybreath]

k, so we know 1/2 the class comes off the waitlist...but that doesnt mean 1/2 the waitlist gets into the class....do we know how many in total are waitlisted? anyone gutsy enough to call the admissions office and ask how many in total get waitlisted? i feel like ive already bothered them enough as it is..

 

[ashah05]

The number of ppl they put on the waitlist would be cool to find out, but Im sure they won't tell us; they rarely divulge anything about the process...

I called today and all I got was that it can be any time from now til Aug when u hear, the class is full, and they dont rank....but if someone wants to call and find out that would be awesome!

 

[smdh]

i believe there is a chance and then i don't... i feel like this is just more of the process to make me go crazy. I keep accepting my fate as I have mentioned previously... but with all the recent movement and the notes that some random people still get in at the end of april even without the waitlist makes me want to think there is still a chance. I think I am totally going insane!!!!!

AHHHH i'm never going to put down my blackberry.....

i was waitlisted last year and a friend of mine convinced me then that the waitlist is a great thing and that it not only gives you a great chance to still get in, it means that they think you are qualified to get in and therefore want you. because of this i reapplied... but i think i'm going crazier than i even considered possible for this being the ONLY school i applied to this year...

 

[eelxiv]

Hi guys. I have been scanning this thread periodically all year so hi to everyone. I am def going to umass in the fall. I look forward to meeting ppl. good luck to everyone still stuck in limbo. I'm adding my stats to the list you all made.

Interviewed, No News

virusgirl: GPA - 3.66, MCAT - 33T, interviewed 9/17/08, no decision
kpm986: GPA-3.62, MCAT-32, interviewed 10/15/08, no decision
rajon: GPA-3.65, MCAT-33, interviewed 10/21/08, no decision
dj02339: interviewed 10/28/08, no decision
rara: interviewed 11/19/08, no decision
rowdy: interviewed 11/19/08, no decision
bgqks: GPA- 3.54 MCAT-33S interviewed 11/19/08, no decision
J515: interviewed 12/9/08, no decision
thompa: GPA - 3.63, MCAT - 35, interviewed 12/9/08, no decision
envirodoc: GPA-3.4, MCAT-27, Re-Applicant, interviewed 12/16/08, no decision
erawka: interviewed 12/16/08, no decision
Silentbull: interviewed 1/28/09, no decision
NorthShoreMD: GPA-3.53, MCAT-28, interviewed 2/3/09, no decision
smdh: interviewed 2/6/09, no decision
Tiptop: interviewed 2/10/09, no decision
tabrazinski: interviewed 10/21/08, no decision
Suenya: interviewed 11/18/08, no decision


Interviewed, Wait-listed

jka: interviewed 10/8/08, waitllisted 4/13/09; undergrad 3.0, post-grad 3.95, 32Q; reapplicant (I: 3/19/08, waitlisted 4/25/08, Rejected 8/08); and size 8 (on a good day); Scorpio
bassplease: interviewed 10/15/09, waitlisted 4/14/09
scrubs' friend: interviewed 11/6/09-ish, waitlisted 4/13/09
shanoon1113: interviewed 11/16/09?, waitlisted 4/13/09
eleven eleven: interviewed 12/10/08, waitlisted 4/13/09
umass_md: interviewed 1/13/09, waitlisted 4/13/09
stayinalive: interviewed late jan, waitlisted 4/13/09
chocolateMD: interviewed 2/1x/09, waitlisted 4/13/09
MadMnkey: interviewed 2/25/09, waitlisted 4/13/09
IceMD: interviewed ?, waitlisted 4/13/09
stayinalive: interviewed ?, waitlisted 4/13/09
hoyastudent09: interviewed 12/19/08, waitlisted 4/13/09
philios: interviewed?, waitlisted 4/13/09


Interviewed, Accepted

linguini: I: 9/16, A: 10/17
Zpiff - I: 9/16; A: 11/21
floffles - I: 9/16 A: 1/23
dtmandell - I: 9/17; A:10/17
AL12S - I: 9/29; A: 11/21
snowflake2 - I: 9/29; A: 11/21
scrubslover: I: 10/21 A: 1/23
ashley51087 - I: 10/22; A: 11/21
SteelCity126 I: 10/28; A: 11/21
dma111 - I:10/?; A: 2/17
bluetango - I:10/?; A: 2/17
Steve16 I:11/18 A:1/23
Lacheln: I:12/? A:3/06
MADocMaybe - GPA: 3.3, MCAT: 32Q, I: 1/14; A: 3/06
majestic red - I: 1/28; A:2/17
skyline42 - I: 3/4 A: 3/13
eelxiv - GPA 3.5, MCAT 32R I: 1/7 A: 2/17

 

[philios]

for the lists sake i interviewed 10/21

 

[myomy]

hello all,

i interviewed on 1/7 and was just waitlisted today (my last name starts with L btw) my science gpa by amcas: 3.5, total: 3.43 mcat: 31Q. So they don't rank the waitlist? I don't think they will be taking half of the class off the waitlist in this economy...I bet a lot more people will be taking their offers to UMass. Any ideas about this?

 

[Silentbull]

Well it would seem as though the Last Name = Response Date theory is bunk, at least it is while ignoring complicating associated information. Date also seems to have little to do with it... As does blood pressure...

 

[eleven eleven]

hello all,

i interviewed on 1/7 and was just waitlisted today (my last name starts with L btw) my science gpa by amcas: 3.5, total: 3.43 mcat: 31Q. So they don't rank the waitlist? I don't think they will be taking half of the class off the waitlist in this economy...I bet a lot more people will be taking their offers to UMass. Any ideas about this?

I was thinking the same ... but as others have mentioned above, financial factors aren't the only factors in making a decision. I actually talked to my advisor about this last week because I was thinking the same thing, and she said that private schools really are able to give out much more financial aid than they actually do; instead of giving it all out each year, they save it so that they will have more to give during hard economic times. It's basically a strategy to make sure the more expensive schools can fill a class with its top applicants, and not just the ones who are most easily able to afford it. My advisor mentioned several students at my school who have been VERY lucky this year bartering with private schools, using their in-state, state school financial package as a leveraging tool. She said from her experience with economic recessions in the past (and it may just be data from my school, I'm not sure), students statistically don't end up choosing a state school over a private school anymore than they would in an economic boom. The only significant difference she has seen is that for the people accepted at State U with no intention of going there will hold onto their acceptances at the state school for much longer, until they have received ALL of their fin aid packages/can fight for money from the other schools. In both cases, I think this is good news for us ... hopefully we will see lots of withdraws!

 

[jka]

i believe there is a chance and then i don't... i feel like this is just more of the process to make me go crazy. I keep accepting my fate as I have mentioned previously... but with all the recent movement and the notes that some random people still get in at the end of april even without the waitlist makes me want to think there is still a chance. I think I am totally going insane!!!!!

AHHHH i'm never going to put down my blackberry.....

i was waitlisted last year and a friend of mine convinced me then that the waitlist is a great thing and that it not only gives you a great chance to still get in, it means that they think you are qualified to get in and therefore want you. because of this i reapplied... but i think i'm going crazier than i even considered possible for this being the ONLY school i applied to this year...

I am so sorry you feel so terrible!!🙁 I have some idea how you feel since I also applied last year, was waitlisted last year, and both years only applied to umass. Hang in there! Make sure during all this wait time that you continue to improve your app. in case you need to reapply. There are a lot of stories on sdn, and some of them include people who applied to umass 3x and finally got in on the third shot. Also, I know I've said this before, and sorry if it is getting annoying - but it is still true - I am an older app. and so from my perspective, I believe many of you are blessed with time. If you keep on trying, you will get in. Good luck.

 

[jka]

Well it would seem as though the Last Name = Response Date theory is bunk, at least it is while ignoring complicating associated information. Date also seems to have little to do with it... As does blood pressure...

Hi, Bull -

Just to clarify, the theory isn't Last Name = Response Date, it is on any given day that decisions go out, Last Name = Time of Day you get the e-mail.

My last name starts with Ab. So, while I have been waiting around forever, when a notification for me finally came out, I was the first one that day to hear.

 

[virusgirl]

I am so sorry you feel so terrible!!🙁 I have some idea how you feel since I also applied last year, was waitlisted last year, and both years only applied to umass. Hang in there! Make sure during all this wait time that you continue to improve your app. in case you need to reapply. There are a lot of stories on sdn, and some of them include people who applied to umass 3x and finally got in on the third shot. Also, I know I've said this before, and sorry if it is getting annoying - but it is still true - I am an older app. and so from my perspective, I believe many of you are blessed with time. If you keep on trying, you will get in. Good luck.

jka, I hadn't realized that you had only applied to UMass! I know you're married with kids, so I assume you did that to be near your family. Have you thought about applying to UNECOM in the event that UMass doesn't come through? I don't know how you feel applying to osteopathic schools, but Biddeford is only about 1.5 hours away and I'd imagine you'd be a shoo-in there.

 

[Silentbull]

UNE is a lovely school, but make sure the application service they use submits your materials... they never sent mine in to them...

JKA - oops! Gotya, that theory might hold more water, my mistake.

 

[jka]

jka, I hadn't realized that you had only applied to UMass! I know you're married with kids, so I assume you did that to be near your family. Have you thought about applying to UNECOM in the event that UMass doesn't come through? I don't know how you feel applying to osteopathic schools, but Biddeford is only about 1.5 hours away and I'd imagine you'd be a shoo-in there.

Thank you! Yes, I have been thinking more about this and will definitely apply there next year if I don't get in....

 

[Orthodoc40]

.

 

[umass_md]

here are the (brand new) stats from 2008:

Total admissions data:
814 applied, 460 interviewed, 194 were accepted, 114 enrolled

In-state admissions data:
725 applied, 437 interviewed, 184 were accepted, 111 enrolled

Out-of-state admissions data:
89 applied, 23 interviewed, 10 were accepted, 3 enrolled

that means, 80 people total turned down an acceptance. assuming a waitlist of 125 people (of course, that's a big assumption), 64% came off the waitlist last year.

 

[Suenya]

Thanks UMassMD!

In a slightly different direction, do people ever get rejected after the interview (within a few weeks or, you know, prior to now) like some are accepted within a few weeks?

 

[virusgirl]

Thanks UMassMD!

In a slightly different direction, do people ever get rejected after the interview (within a few weeks or, you know, prior to now) like some are accepted within a few weeks?

No. UMass takes their sweet time in rejecting people, which is why so many of us are so frustrated right now -- no one gets rejected until late April/early May. If I'm not accepted, and not even good enough to be wait-listed, then I really don't see the need for this process to drag on for as long as it has.

 

[scrubslover]

here are the (brand new) stats from 2008:

Total admissions data:
814 applied, 460 interviewed, 194 were accepted, 114 enrolled

In-state admissions data:
725 applied, 437 interviewed, 184 were accepted, 111 enrolled

Out-of-state admissions data:
89 applied, 23 interviewed, 10 were accepted, 3 enrolled

that means, 80 people total turned down an acceptance. assuming a waitlist of 125 people (of course, that's a big assumption), 64% came off the waitlist last year.

Also, UMass came in 7th in the primary care rankings this year! That's pretty sweet.