2008-2009 University of Pittsburgh Secondary Application Thread

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Has anyone heard anything from Pitt lately? I'm going crazy with the wait... I saw on someone's profile that she interviewed on Dec 8 and got in on Dec 26. Do they accept the folks they want right away and then reject or waitlist others after the 8 weeks?
 
CarrieBad said:
Has anyone heard anything from Pitt lately? I'm going crazy with the wait... I saw on someone's profile that she interviewed on Dec 8 and got in on Dec 26. Do they accept the folks they want right away and then reject or waitlist others after the 8 weeks?
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No, that's not how it works. I believe it took then 9-10 weeks to accept me.
 
does anyone know if decisions will be posted tomorrow?
 
foodfood said:
does anyone know if decisions will be posted tomorrow?
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I would assume so. It seems like decisions have been disclosed on Thursdays and Fridays this cycle.

Hopefully, someone gets a decision tomorrow and confirms this for the rest of our peace of minds😀
 
It's Thursday! Any news? I've checked 3 times already this morning... I interviewed Oct 28th-- is it even my week?
 
merlinwall said:
It's Thursday! Any news? I've checked 3 times already this morning... I interviewed Oct 28th-- is it even my week?
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nah man, i interviewed before you and still nothing. this school sux.
 
Hmmm, then I guess I can just give up any hopes of hearing today (8 week mark). Are they having nap time over there or what?
 
Waitlisted. Interviewed on 10/17, so this would be the 12th week mark for me. Kind of sucks since it's a great school, but I don't think I can wait into June to finalize my plans for next year.

Good luck everyone. Start rushing to check your app status!
 
Anatidae said:
Waitlisted. Interviewed on 10/17, so this would be the 12th week mark for me. Kind of sucks since it's a great school, but I don't think I can wait into June to finalize my plans for next year.

Good luck everyone. Start rushing to check your app status!
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wow 12 weeks. that is ridiculous. what are they doing over there?
 
So basically it seems that if they want you they will accept you immediately, otherwise you are just waiting for either a rejection or waitlist. Man that's a bummer. Pitt is my favorite school... 6 weeks post interview and not a peep. 🙁
 
CarrieBad said:
So basically it seems that if they want you they will accept you immediately, otherwise you are just waiting for either a rejection or waitlist. Man that's a bummer. Pitt is my favorite school... 6 weeks post interview and not a peep. 🙁
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I don't think that's true. I was accepted earlier after 8-9 weeks. Also, you guys have to factor in the holidays, which could add two plus weeks to the wait time.
 
CourageKid said:
I don't think that's true. I was accepted earlier after 8-9 weeks. Also, you guys have to factor in the holidays, which could add two plus weeks to the wait time.
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That makes me feel a little better. But I'm trying not to get my hopes up too much...
 
interviewed 10/27 and im way too nervous to check, they have been waitlisting some amazing applicants!!!
 
CarrieBad said:
So basically it seems that if they want you they will accept you immediately, otherwise you are just waiting for either a rejection or waitlist. Man that's a bummer. Pitt is my favorite school... 6 weeks post interview and not a peep. 🙁
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Isn't that how all schools work?

They are going to take a big chunk out of their Wait List this year. Chin up, cheery-0, and all that....
 
funkydrmonkey said:
Hey, I actually had a nice attitude about Pitt... and they still waitlisted me...🙁
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maybe you're just such a stellar applicant that the admissions committee decided there was no way they could possibly provide an education worthy of your amazingness? sounds good to me!
 
Erina said:
maybe you're just such a stellar applicant that the admissions committee decided there was no way they could possibly provide an education worthy of your amazingness? sounds good to me!
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Unfortunately, it may be more like the exact opposite...🙁 The only people who have gotten in, are the uber crazies with the 46U MCATs and the 4.2 GPAs who discovered cures for AIDS and cancer while saving entire countries from civil strife....:laugh:
 
funkydrmonkey said:
Unfortunately, it may be more like the exact opposite...🙁 The only people who have gotten in, are the uber crazies with the 46U MCATs and the 4.2 GPAs who discovered cures for AIDS and cancer while saving entire countries from civil strife....:laugh:
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damn... I'm going to withdraw 🙂
 
yup you were right, still no word 🙁
or maybe it's 🙂 because i may just be waiting for bad news haha
 
funkydrmonkey said:
Unfortunately, it may be more like the exact opposite...🙁 The only people who have gotten in, are the uber crazies with the 46U MCATs and the 4.2 GPAs who discovered cures for AIDS and cancer while saving entire countries from civil strife....:laugh:
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well if that's the case, i may have to avoid the new first years 😛

like i (and others) have said, though, pitt is planning on taking many people from the waitlist. so keep the faith!
 
Erina said:
like i (and others) have said, though, pitt is planning on taking many people from the waitlist. so keep the faith!
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I understand they don't want to accept too many students, but taking most of the students off of the waitlist is hard on the students. I wish I was 22 and could just move with 2 weeks notice, but it would be very challenging for me to do that, no matter how much I love Pitt. Not that this applies to me as I have no idea if I will even be put on the waitlist, but it does seem risky that Pitt might lose some students that would otherwise accept, simply because of the uncertainty of the waitlist. I am definitely keeping my fingers (and toes) crossed!
 
It seems like Pitt has been wait-listing a lot of qualified applicants these last few weeks. I just wanted to share with anyone that cares that they are still sending out some good news with the so-so news. I interviewed on 10/22 and was accepted today. Hopefully more good news will eventually find its way to those that are eagerly waiting! Good luck everyone.
 
funkydrmonkey said:
Unfortunately, it may be more like the exact opposite...🙁 The only people who have gotten in, are the uber crazies with the 46U MCATs and the 4.2 GPAs who discovered cures for AIDS and cancer while saving entire countries from civil strife....:laugh:
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I was accepted a while ago and have a 3.9GPA, 34 MCAT, and am a Caucasian from out of state. I think my values well align with the schools, and that is why I was accepted. Or I got lucky.

It did take a VERY long time to hear though. I am grateful for my acceptance and am pretty impressed with everyone else's acceptances too! Hopefully things will look up soon for those of you who are waiting. For those who are on a waitlist, persistence and enthusiasm matter in this process, right?
 
Did waitlisted people get an email with financial aid information today?
 
Pitt is an amazing school. However, it has been losing very good applicants to the top ten in the past few years. So if I were the admissions committee, I would waitlist those whom I think have a decent chance of getting into a top ten school. If the applicant is serious, he/she will write a letter to the admissions commitee, after being waitlisted. This is my theory.
 
IssaErie said:
Did waitlisted people get an email with financial aid information today?
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Yes... and I would be even more eager to fill it out, if I were actually accepted but alas... I am waiting on my parents W-2s.
 
were the last people who found out decisions from 10/22? did anyone find out today from a later date?
 
mcc5 said:
Pitt is an amazing school. However, it has been losing very good applicants to the top ten in the past few years. So if I were the admissions committee, I would waitlist those whom I think have a decent chance of getting into a top ten school. If the applicant is serious, he/she will write a letter to the admissions commitee, after being waitlisted. This is my theory.
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that hypothesis is what lets me sleep at night, however where this fails is when "top" schools largely ignore you and you don't have an acceptance.
 
So has anyone looked at the application for the CSTP yet? An annoying percentage of the questions are identical to submitted AMCAS info, even to the point of requiring a rec letter from your PIs (and btw: PIs plural?), which one would have presumably sent in the original packet. Other than the essays, it looks to be just another elaborate, pre-med-sized hoop.
 
OnlyNeedOneYes said:
that hypothesis is what lets me sleep at night, however where this fails is when "top" schools largely ignore you and you don't have an acceptance.
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If you want to sleep better, you should have applied to more schools. for example, down the list on the US&World news report. Just kidding, good luck. Hope you can get off the waitlist
 
schismal said:
So has anyone looked at the application for the CSTP yet? An annoying percentage of the questions are identical to submitted AMCAS info, even to the point of requiring a rec letter from your PIs (and btw: PIs plural?), which one would have presumably sent in the original packet. Other than the essays, it looks to be just another elaborate, pre-med-sized hoop.
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On that topic... I considered applying to the CSTP, because I think I would enjoy it. However, I think I am underqualified. I see that you have 3+ years experience with research, and that's awesome.

I, on the otherhand, performed only one research study at my undergrad institution. It was published, but I wasn't the first author (my faculty mentor was). The study was developed by me and two other students and over the course of seven months we did the IRB app, applied for funding, did the benchwork, and wrote the paper. But, this was my first and only research experience.

I feel like I would enjoy the CSTP (like I said), but I feel like others are much better researchers currently. I feel like I've only gotten my feet wet, and would like to do more during medical school.

Anybody in a similar situation considering applying for the CSTP? Do you think that I should just forego applying and get involved in research another way (there are tons of opportunities I'm sure)?
 
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OnlyNeedOneYes said:
that hypothesis is what lets me sleep at night, however where this fails is when "top" schools largely ignore you and you don't have an acceptance.
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hey i saw your mdapps and i'm sorry you're not have the best luck with this cycle. kick ass at your next interview and i hope you get off of those wiatlists!!! :luck:
 
clinicallabguy said:
On that topic... I considered applying to the CSTP, because I think I would enjoy it. However, I think I am underqualified. I see that you have 3+ years experience with research, and that's awesome.

I, on the otherhand, performed only one research study at my undergrad institution. It was published, but I wasn't the first author (my faculty mentor was). The study was developed by me and two other students and over the course of seven months we did the IRB app, applied for funding, did the benchwork, and wrote the paper. But, this was my first and only research experience.

I feel like I would enjoy the CSTP (like I said), but I feel like others are much better researchers currently. I feel like I've only gotten my feet wet, and would like to do more during medical school.

Anybody in a similary situation considering applying for the CSTP? Do you think that I should just forego applying and get involved in research another way (there are tons of opportunities I'm sure)?
Click to expand...
For one, you're the guy who has actually gotten into Pitt, so that's an automatic point in your column! Congrats on that--hopefully I can join you there. 🙂

As for being involved in research for a while, I'm not sure that will have a direct impact in terms of skillset, and so I'm not sure how much inherent benefit it has for the program. I mean, how much will my experience with basic science methodology at the bench translate to clinical research? I'm guessing not very much. Additionally, if I choose to apply to CSTP, I will likely want to focus on immunotherapy rather than the neuroscience that I've been working in throughout my undergrad years, so any familiarity with past research topics will not be an advantage. I'd be pretty green in that environment, I think.

So I think you should go ahead and apply. I doubt you will be as disadvantaged as you perceive--they obviously liked you as a medical applicant. And should we not get accepted to the program, I have no doubt that we can pursue clinical research as the scholarly component--this is Pitt after all, with no shortage of research opportunity. Hell, we can probably even attend the same special lecture series as the CSTP members if we sneak in the back row. 😉
 
When I was thinking about applying to CSTP a couple of years ago, the impression I got was that the letter from the PI is supposed to convince them that you want a career that includes research. This is different than a typical letter of recommendation for medical school because the focus is your interest and abilities in respect to research. I didn't end up applying because I didn't feel like my PI could make an argument since I had never really expressed an interest in research beyond college.

Even if you've only done a little bit of research, I think it's worth it to apply if you feel you can get a strong letter.
 
mcc5 said:
If you want to sleep better, you should have applied to more schools. for example, down the list on the US&World news report. Just kidding, good luck. Hope you can get off the waitlist
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like my name says, I onlyneedoneyes. I didn't apply anywhere I didn't really want to go, and I think I'll be happy in the end.
 
foodfood said:
hey i saw your mdapps and i'm sorry you're not have the best luck with this cycle. kick ass at your next interview and i hope you get off of those wiatlists!!! :luck:
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thanks 🙂 I've got the chapstick ready, it's gonna be a long day at my next interview lol
 
schismal said:
For one, you're the guy who has actually gotten into Pitt, so that's an automatic point in your column! Congrats on that--hopefully I can join you there. 🙂

As for being involved in research for a while, I'm not sure that will have a direct impact in terms of skillset, and so I'm not sure how much inherent benefit it has for the program. I mean, how much will my experience with basic science methodology at the bench translate to clinical research? I'm guessing not very much. Additionally, if I choose to apply to CSTP, I will likely want to focus on immunotherapy rather than the neuroscience that I've been working in throughout my undergrad years, so any familiarity with past research topics will not be an advantage. I'd be pretty green in that environment, I think.

So I think you should go ahead and apply. I doubt you will be as disadvantaged as you perceive--they obviously liked you as a medical applicant. And should we not get accepted to the program, I have no doubt that we can pursue clinical research as the scholarly component--this is Pitt after all, with no shortage of research opportunity. Hell, we can probably even attend the same special lecture series as the CSTP members if we sneak in the back row. 😉
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Thanks for the encouragement. Hopefully the waitlist is kind to you. Hang in there, and hopefully I'll see you there.
 
Clinical, congrats on your acceptance!! I saw on your MDapps that you were also accepted to UVA. Do you know where you plan on going?
 
Erina said:
When I was thinking about applying to CSTP a couple of years ago, the impression I got was that the letter from the PI is supposed to convince them that you want a career that includes research. This is different than a typical letter of recommendation for medical school because the focus is your interest and abilities in respect to research. I didn't end up applying because I didn't feel like my PI could make an argument since I had never really expressed an interest in research beyond college.

Even if you've only done a little bit of research, I think it's worth it to apply if you feel you can get a strong letter.
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This makes sense, I suppose. It does seem needlessly annoying to my letter writers, especially since I don't even know if Pitt will take me yet. But even so, the app wants "the names of two referees. The referees must be people who have supervised your previous research." Ummm... I've only been in one lab... so only one PI. Surely they don't want grad students here. I'm at a loss for that second evaluator.

clinicallabguy said:
Thanks for the encouragement. Hopefully the waitlist is kind to you. Hang in there, and hopefully I'll see you there.
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I'm not waitlisted quite yet... still sitting in limbo a few more weeks to hear back post-interview. But thanks for the sentiment. 🙂
 
IssaErie said:
Clinical, congrats on your acceptance!! I saw on your MDapps that you were also accepted to UVA. Do you know where you plan on going?
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Thanks! I like both, but Pitt is my favorite. I want to see want kind of financial aid I get from both.

schismal said:
I'm not waitlisted quite yet... still sitting in limbo a few more weeks to hear back post-interview. But thanks for the sentiment. 🙂
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Oh. Right. Well I'm rootin' for ya.
 
I wish Pitt would just update my status. The wait is killing me!

I interviewed on 11/7, so the ad com should make their decision any day now...
 
Erina said:
nice attitude
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lol watever...im stressed and this school not holding up to their word pisses me off...i called the admissions office and they were like "we know we said 8 weeks, but just wait 2 more weeks, youve already waited 8 so what is 2 more going do?" er. bytches.
ha
 
What up doc said:
lol watever...im stressed and this school not holding up to their word pisses me off...i called the admissions office and they were like "we know we said 8 weeks, but just wait 2 more weeks, youve already waited 8 so what is 2 more going do?" er. bytches.
ha
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yeah i feel you, but i'd rather have them spend enough time reviewing our apps than rushing through to keep the 8 week deadline. man i really hope i have some good news from them this week, this past month has sucked 🙁
 
Anyone else with an October interview still waiting to hear from Pitt?
 
I interviewed same week as you-- Oct 28th...
 
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