2008 - 2009 University of Colorado Secondary Application Thread

[EveeSTi]

Anyone know when they are being sent out? I'll update this as soon as we get the official prompt/invite/etc.

I hope to see some of you here next year!

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[rockydoc]

holy crap this startled me!! I thought they were sent out already when I saw this....oh well.....

 

[EveeSTi]

haha sorry to freak you out, I'm just very excited to get the secondary. dream school!

 

[Deepa100]

I am still waiting for the secondary...

 

[copperfrog09]

You cant freak us out like that. Does Colorado screen?

 

[lainey234]

You cant freak us out like that. Does Colorado screen?

No, they do not screen. But their secondary comes out a little late if I remember correctly - like 1st or 2nd week of Aug.

 

[EWAustin]

Hey, just to let you all know I contacted the admissions office about this, and was informed by Sean that the app would be released on August 15. Hope this eases some stress.

 

[Dulcina]

almost time for it!! and just as I finish my last secondary

 

[EveeSTi]

where is it..............

i'm going CRAZYYYYY

 

[Szent]

Greeting:

We see that you have applied to Colorado via AMCAS, however we are updating our secondary application and will send you an email link to our secondary application by the end of August 2008. Sorry about the delay and thank you for your patience.

Information on Letters of recommendation:

Letters of Recommendation are an important element of the admission’s process. Colorado requires three to five letters or a committee letter sufficing in meeting those needs. If you do not have or do not choose a committee letter, please submit two letters from science professors, and another from a non-science professor. These are individuals who should know you well and be able to comment on more than your grade. Letters from people who do not know you well are nice keepsakes, but not helpful in our admissions process. Individuals who have been out of school for more than a year should request letters from employers, supervisors or other professionals. If your school is a VirtualEvals (www.Virtualevals.org) member, you premedical advisor will assist you in processing your letters through their service. If you school is not a VitrualEvals member or you wish to submit additional letters of recommendation, you will need to submit them through Interfolio at www.Interfolio.com which enables your letter writers to submit your letters directly to Interfolio for processing. Prior to your letter writers submitting, you will need to establish an account with Interfolio (See Letters of Recommendation information on the left bar). Do not send paper letters of recommendation to our office as we operate on a fully electronic system.

For applicants who are only using Interfolio so that they can send letters to the University of Colorado School of Medicine (MD and MSTP applications) only, Interfolio has offered a special offer code that will give you a $10 90-day Interfolio account and one free electronic delivery. You can register for an account at their website, http://www.interfolio.com. To take advantage of this offer, when registering for an account with Interfolio select the option of sign up for account under the account type select special offer code, and enter the code “CUMedical” in the special offer code box. Then continue with the normal registration. Remember after the letters uploaded on the Interfolio site to have them sent to us at Colorado ELECTRONICALLY, you will find Colorado on the drop down list of schools accepting electronic submission – simply search by typing in “Colorado”.

Regards,

Sean E. Spellman
[email protected]
Administrator
University of Colorado School of Medicine
Medical School Admissions

Received today at 12pm EST

 

[EveeSTi]

well that stinks... looks like more of the waiting game. i'm getting really good at that.

 

[nontrdgsbuiucmd]

somewhat curious about this.. colorado is quite numbers oriented, for reapplicants who attend a "feedback session", the school hands out a form showing among the categories of competitive applicants which "slot" one falls into among the entire applicant pool, considering gpa and mcat scores. At least this is how it's done for instate applicants.

So my hypothesis/thought is that any applicants who have turned in the primary indicating Colorado as a school of choice have already electronically sent CO their MCAT/GPAs, which are the components used by the school to decide who to interview. And therefore, CO may be assembling a list, or at least gathering the preliminary data, so that all those who "make the cut" can be interviewed, regardless of if the secondary app is well written or not. Thoughts?

 

[Dulcina]

hmmm updating their secondary, huh? I have my essays all ready to go on the assumptoin that they wouldnt change. I hope the 2 I chose are still options!

 

[homedum]

hmmm updating their secondary, huh? I have my essays all ready to go on the assumptoin that they wouldnt change. I hope the 2 I chose are still options!

what were the old secondary prompts?

 

[nontrdgsbuiucmd]

still waiting on the secondary..ready when you are, Sean..

 

[lainey234]

somewhat curious about this.. colorado is quite numbers oriented, for reapplicants who attend a "feedback session", the school hands out a form showing among the categories of competitive applicants which "slot" one falls into among the entire applicant pool, considering gpa and mcat scores. At least this is how it's done for instate applicants.

So my hypothesis/thought is that any applicants who have turned in the primary indicating Colorado as a school of choice have already electronically sent CO their MCAT/GPAs, which are the components used by the school to decide who to interview. And therefore, CO may be assembling a list, or at least gathering the preliminary data, so that all those who "make the cut" can be interviewed, regardless of if the secondary app is well written or not. Thoughts?

It's an interesting thought but I would be PO'd if it were true. If that's what they were doing, then they pretty much confirm my suspicion - the entire secondary process is a sham to line their pockets. Not just for CO, but pretty much all schools.

CO is HUGELY number oriented and they think very highly of themselves. Not saying I wouldn't happily go there, but I do wish they would get over themselves. I wonder if they will get less secondaries because of the late date. I think some competitive applicants won't waste their time on another secondary in September.

I doubt they are compiling a list though. How could you without knowing who will send in secondaries and who won't?

 

[nontrdgsbuiucmd]

Makes sense that Colorado may not be assembling a student-specific list, I'd bet they have firmed up (or almost firmed up) the cutoffs for interviews.

Not sure about GPAs, for instate the MCAT cutoff is roughly 9 per section, which matches the MSAR "10th percentile". I'd been told by a current student that, in years past, 27 was a score that would not keep an applicant out, necessarily, although per one applicant last year, it will if an MCAT section score is much below 9 despite the overall MCAT score.

Per a last-cycle poster, even with a mid-30's mcat score as an instate applicant, GPA under 3.2 likely won't work for CO. They discuss at the sessions that their average MCAT is around 34, avg GPA around upper 3.7's and I don't know how much more selective they could be for OOS. Or maybe they sometimes accept instate with low 30's and OOS with mid/upper 30's.

 

[veaselhaufen]

Does anyone know how much OOS tuition is. Their webpage isn't very clear about this. What is this "sponsored student", "nonsponsored student" business? Do they ever offer scholarships or is it just one flat, expensive rate?

 

[rockydoc]

I heard from a doctor that recently graduated from CU med school that they prefer a more "mature" student body than most med schools, meaning they prefer people in there mid-20's who've been out of college for a bit......I really hope this doesnt mean that they look down on applicants who are graduating in may 09.

I also heard that the student body is not very "close knit" or teamwork oriented...a little more competitive than some schools may be.....I dont know if all this is true or not..but based on other's views that
CU is numbers oriented, this kinda matches up

 

[DJ303]

OOS tuition by itself without living/books cost is $47,082. Aamc's website shows that 80% of the matriculating students are CO residents. My friend just started school there and she said the out of state students she has met so far were from Washington University St louis, Harvard, Northwestern, and someone from UNLV. So its not impossible but your fighitng an uphill battle just by not being a CO resident. It is a state school.

 

[lainey234]

Received this today:

Dear University of Colorado Denver, School of Medicine Applicant:



Due to unforeseen computer issues we have not been able to send the link for our online secondary application. We expect that we will be able to send you the link during the week of September 1st. In an effort to make the process easier for you once the link is sent, we have decided to send all applicants for whom we have received a verified AMCAS file the essay topics that are on the secondary application, so if you wish you can begin writing your essays.



There are two REQUIRED essay sections and two OPTIONAL essay sections.



The first essay section (REQUIRED) has one essay topic. Write an essay not longer than 2500 characters in length (including spaces).

The essay topic is:



People take different (and sometimes difficult) paths on their journey to becoming a doctor. Tell us (a) about hardships you have overcome or challenges that you have faced in arriving at this point in your life, or (b) to the extent that these circumstances don’t apply to you, please describe experiences you have had which help you appreciate the challenges faced by individuals in these situations. Your discussion might include such things as family or personal health challenges, being from an economically disadvantaged background, having lived in a very rural or underserved community, being the first in your family to attend college, or speaking English as a second language.



The second essay section (REQUIRED) has four topics. Answer only ONE. Write an essay not longer than 2500 characters in length (including spaces).

The essay topics are:



1. Creativity is central to good problem solving. Describe a challenging situation in which creativity was important to a successful outcome.



2. Describe the means by which you learned about commitment to medicine, providing the reader insight into knowledge and understanding you gleaned from health related experiences.



3. Provide an example in which communication proved difficult, and present your analysis of how the situation might have been handled differently.



4. Describe challenges to your values and beliefs while engaged in experiences outside your comfort zone. What were the experiences and what did you learn?



The next two essay sections are optional and should only be answered if you are applying to one of the optional tracks. If you do wish to apply to an optional track you may apply to only ONE. Information on each track can be found on the web. Links listed for each track are below.



The third essay section (OPTIONAL) should only be answered if you are applying to the Rural Track. Write an essay not longer than 2500 characters in length (including spaces).

Information on the Rural Track Program can be found at: http://www.uchsc.edu/som/rural/



The OPTIONAL Rural Track essay topic is:

Describe your past experiences and future goals for rural living, and your concept of medical practice in a rural area as a primary care physician.





The fourth essay section (OPTIONAL) should only be answered if you are applying to the Global Health Track. Write an essay not longer than 2500 characters in length (including spaces).

Information on the Global Health Track Program can be found at: http://thunder1.cudenver.edu/ctrglobalhealth/education.htm



The OPTIONAL Global Health Track essay topic is:

Please write a brief personal statement addressing the following: 1. Reasons for your interest in global health, AND If a prior international experience played a significant role, please describe, 2. The type of global health project that would be of greatest interest to you, 3. How you plan to incorporate global health into your career.

 

[rockydoc]

I didnt get this email....maybe that's another one of their computer problems.....but this is very helpful. Thanks lainey

 

[Dulcina]

man these prompts are a lot harder than last year's =/

 

[Dulcina]

sheesh, I've been sitting in front of my computer for a few hrs trying to get an idea for one of the 4 "choose 1" essays, and cant come up with ANYTHING. The "why medicine" will just be a rehashing of my PS, and the rest are too specific for me to think of anything good.

 

[themule]

sheesh, I've been sitting in front of my computer for a few hrs trying to get an idea for one of the 4 "choose 1" essays, and cant come up with ANYTHING. The "why medicine" will just be a rehashing of my PS, and the rest are too specific for me to think of anything good.

Yeah I would have to agree that all those prompts pretty much suck.

 

[rockydoc]

did anyone else NOT get that last email from CU???

for the 4 prompts section I went with the creativity one, but dont know if its a good example at all....just the ONLY example I could come up with

 

[Szent]

The out of state tuition and acceptance rate, along with this great selection of prompts makes me wonder if I even need to fill out this secondary.

 

[Dulcina]

did anyone else NOT get that last email from CU???

for the 4 prompts section I went with the creativity one, but dont know if its a good example at all....just the ONLY example I could come up with

when i was about 7yrs old, i dropped a ring in a hard to reach spot. I taped an opened paper clip to the end of a yard stick, and fished it out.

That was my one "creative problem solving moment" in all my 24 years. I hate these prompts lol.

 

[lainey234]

when i was about 7yrs old, i dropped a ring in a hard to reach spot. I taped an opened paper clip to the end of a yard stick, and fished it out.

That was my one "creative problem solving moment" in all my 24 years. I hate these prompts lol.

I'm spending my labor day writing these freekin essays. What really stinks is that I had essays ready to go and they totally changed them up.

Dulcina - I wonder why with your stats and interview invites you are bothering with CO still? Do you have family here or are you just a little bit masochistic?

 

[Dulcina]

I'm spending my labor day writing these freekin essays. What really stinks is that I had essays ready to go and they totally changed them up.

Dulcina - I wonder why with your stats and interview invites you are bothering with CO still? Do you have family here or are you just a little bit masochistic?

haha. I had the essays ready to go too!! I was sad when I saw they were changed. I'm still tryin for CO bc I heard some people say the school was really great (this was when I was considering dropping it), and i'm trying desperately to stay near California (I know Co is still pretty far, but its a 12ish hr drive rather than like... 45).

 

[lainey234]

I came from SoCal long ago, it's actually about an 18 hr drive. Not a short jaunt, but certainly do-able. I've been in CO for about 13 yrs now, it has it's positives for sure - but also some serious drawbacks. As far as CU goes, they will eat you up. They are very numbers oriented. They do have a wonderful, brand new campus but they also think very highly of themselves. I would still go there in a heartbeat because it is close to my family. But if I had the choice (like you certainly will) I would look very seriously at other schools too. Good luck to you!

 

[Dulcina]

I came from SoCal long ago, it's actually about an 18 hr drive. Not a short jaunt, but certainly do-able. I've been in CO for about 13 yrs now, it has it's positives for sure - but also some serious drawbacks. As far as CU goes, they will eat you up. They are very numbers oriented. They do have a wonderful, brand new campus but they also think very highly of themselves. I would still go there in a heartbeat because it is close to my family. But if I had the choice (like you certainly will) I would look very seriously at other schools too. Good luck to you!

thanks for the advice! definitely sometihng to think about, and look out for if i get an interview. I applied at the advice of some SDNers (they spoke highly of the school in general, and the students).

I'm up in norcal, so maybe its a shorter drive?

 

[lainey234]

Nope, about the same. You just go north in Utah instead of South.

 

[BuffGold]

I am with you all on the essay prompts. . . they are long, too! 2500 characters on a creative problem solving sesh seems like a ton.

Will power through regardless. CU is awesome, and attracts very cool people IMO.

And we can't forget the skiing!

Anybody happen to go to their white coat ceremony this year btw?

 

[BuffGold]

Just got the email that the secondary application is open. I'd post it, but they give you a login name and password.

Now there is pressure to get the essays done (read: now it will happen, finally)

 

[brucecanbeatyou]

I got it too

 

[BuffGold]

Just got the email that the secondary application is open. I'd post it, but they give you a login name and password.

Now there is pressure to get the essays done (read: now it will happen, finally)

Turns out I was wrong. . . So excited to be the first to post the info that I didn't go to http://som.uchsc.edu/admissions/apply.htm first! Turns out the user name and pwrd are for checking the status.

 

[rockydoc]

So I just submitted the online secondary for CU (I did the essays last weekend) but I later tried to enter the application again, and it was like it was empty....as if I could redo the whole thing if I wanted.......makes me wonder if it actually submitted or not.....im gonna call tomorrow hopefully and ask about it

oh, and they said most people dont know anything about their real status until March!!! dang that's late! does anyone know when they interview?

 

[Dulcina]

woohooooo finally!

 

[Dulcina]

So I just submitted the online secondary for CU (I did the essays last weekend) but I later tried to enter the application again, and it was like it was empty....as if I could redo the whole thing if I wanted.......makes me wonder if it actually submitted or not.....im gonna call tomorrow hopefully and ask about it

oh, and they said most people dont know anything about their real status until March!!! dang that's late! does anyone know when they interview?

i think it just doesnt save the essays, but it submits it if you hit the "submit" button.

 

[rockydoc]

i think it just doesnt save the essays, but it submits it if you hit the "submit" button.

yeah, I called today to double-check and they said that it technically would even allow you to resbumit over and over....b/c it gets sent to a temp. holding place before the school gets it or something like that

also, they said that there is a possibility of still getting the first interviews in mid-Sept.....we'll see though

 

[BuffGold]

Just submitted.

No online fee payment? Check or money order?

What a load...

So many other schools have the secondary application process down, why is it so difficult for CU? First the "computer problems" with the application, and now this. How long has the internet been around? How many millions of internet credit card transactions occur each day? The SOM webpage is pretty weak, too. They really need to hire a good web designer.
Oh well, at least it is electronic submission, unlike OHSU.

Rant over.

This is still my top choice.

 

[fahimaz7]

Just submitted.

No online fee payment? Check or money order?

What a load...

So many other schools have the secondary application process down, why is it so difficult for CU? First the "computer problems" with the application, and now this. How long has the internet been around? How many millions of internet credit card transactions occur each day? The SOM webpage is pretty weak, too. They really need to hire a good web designer.
Oh well, at least it is electronic submission, unlike OHSU.

Rant over.

This is still my top choice.

I hear you have a problem..

 

[BuffGold]

I hear you have a problem..

I was just a touch irritable. Marathon writing sessions can do that to you.

Much happier today though!

 

[droyd78]

does anyone have the information about where we send the check for the secondary fee? I didn't write it down when I submitted my secondary, not realizing that information is only on the page that comes up after you submit online.

 

[MedYEP]

A friend of mine just received an interview invite from CU, and she hasn't even turned in her supplemental application and LORs! Has this happened to anyone else?

 

[gal777]

I only know the one for regular mail (its diff for express, fedx and such)

Send your check to:

University of Colorado Denver
School of Medicine-Admissions
Mail Stop C-297, P.O. Box 6508
Aurora, CO 80045

$100, made out to University of Colorado Denver

 

[rockydoc]

A friend of mine just received an interview invite from CU, and she hasn't even turned in her supplemental application and LORs! Has this happened to anyone else?

that stinks if that's true

 

[deleted128562]

A buddy of mine out in Colorado got one as well. I think he'd turned in his secondary though. They called him this morning and his interview is for early next week!! WOW!! He has pretty awesome stats too, so that might be what happened with MedYEP's friend too.

 

[shoEs646]

yea CU is definitely starting to sent out invites. I got a call this morning. I was surprised (pleasantly) to learn that they are beginning interviews next week when their secondaries only came out last week.