2008-2009 USC-Keck Secondary Application Thread

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Copy that!!

To the two people who informed us of withdrawing;
Thank you for letting us know, and for dropping the acceptance this early keeping in mind that I wish you THE best of luck in your future careers as physicians, and congrats on your acceptance(s) else where...

To the rest of us waitlisted folks who are still waiting on some love from Keck, here is a massive dose of Good luck cuz we all need it 🙂..
 
Disclaimer: This is just MY observation.

From the students I met at 2nd look, it seemed like a good chunk of them were still deciding between USC and 1 or more schools (a lot were deciding between USC and a UC school because of the price difference). Many kids were set on USC, but I can count at least 10 off the top of my head that were still deciding whether to go to Keck or another school.

Good luck to you! I hope we get a class of kids that REALLY want to be there! 😀
 
Kuuaku said:
Disclaimer: This is just MY observation.

From the students I met at 2nd look, it seemed like a good chunk of them were still deciding between USC and 1 or more schools (a lot were deciding between USC and a UC school because of the price difference). Many kids were set on USC, but I can count at least 10 off the top of my head that were still deciding whether to go to Keck or another school.

Good luck to you! I hope we get a class of kids that REALLY want to be there! 😀
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thanks for the info!! c'mmmmon keck! sometimes i dont know if this thread feeds into my false hope! haha may 15th awaits!
 
Kuuaku said:
Disclaimer: This is just MY observation.

From the students I met at 2nd look, it seemed like a good chunk of them were still deciding between USC and 1 or more schools (a lot were deciding between USC and a UC school because of the price difference). Many kids were set on USC, but I can count at least 10 off the top of my head that were still deciding whether to go to Keck or another school.

Good luck to you! I hope we get a class of kids that REALLY want to be there! 😀
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I second this. I'd say half were undecided, mainly due to cost and waitlists. I met so many cool people that I hope really come though! Yard House was a good time too.

Good luck waitlisters
 
From my observations at Second Look, I think that this will be a good year for Keck's waitlisters. 50% of people I met ended up deciding to go elsewhere...73K/yr with absolutely no grants (just the promise of 'scholarships' down the road) is just too hard to swallow for those who are lucky to have a less expensive option. I think its hard for USC to compete in CA since the state schools are so stellar.

That being said, I think its almost a win-win situation. The students who are really gung-ho about Keck and are willing to fork over the $$ will end up enrolling, and those who are not as enthuesed will go elsewhere. In the end, I think the student body ends up being really committed to the school.
 
That's great news!! Thank you very much for sharing your 2 cents with us guys..

jehrdoc said:
From my observations at Second Look, I think that this will be a good year for Keck's waitlisters. 50% of people I met ended up deciding to go elsewhere...73K/yr with absolutely no grants (just the promise of 'scholarships' down the road) is just too hard to swallow for those who are lucky to have a less expensive option. I think its hard for USC to compete in CA since the state schools are so stellar.

That being said, I think its almost a win-win situation. The students who are really gung-ho about Keck and are willing to fork over the $$ will end up enrolling, and those who are not as enthuesed will go elsewhere. In the end, I think the student body ends up being really committed to the school.
Click to expand...
 
jehrdoc said:
From my observations at Second Look, I think that this will be a good year for Keck's waitlisters. 50% of people I met ended up deciding to go elsewhere...73K/yr with absolutely no grants (just the promise of 'scholarships' down the road) is just too hard to swallow for those who are lucky to have a less expensive option. I think its hard for USC to compete in CA since the state schools are so stellar.
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Price-wise, yes, USC cannot compete...but from the perspective of the students I met that are set on the school, most of them did not think UCs even came close to matching USC in clinical experience, close faculty contacts, etc etc. Many people are giving up full/partial scholarships to UCs to attend Keck which says a lot about the school.
 
I know a lot of people have been posting about withdrawing because of no financial aid. I visited the FA office on Friday during 2nd Look and was told that need-based financial aid had not gone out yet and would probably be finished at the end of this week. Just something to consider before withdrawing. Check to see if your package is totally complete.
 
Did anyone else (especially fellow waitlisters) get a pamphlet in the mail of the top 10 reasons to go to USC for grad/professional school?
I'm just wondering why they might have sent it to me this far along in the process.
 
Kuuaku said:
Disclaimer: This is just MY observation.

From the students I met at 2nd look, it seemed like a good chunk of them were still deciding between USC and 1 or more schools (a lot were deciding between USC and a UC school because of the price difference). Many kids were set on USC, but I can count at least 10 off the top of my head that were still deciding whether to go to Keck or another school.

Good luck to you! I hope we get a class of kids that REALLY want to be there! 😀
Click to expand...

I guess I met different people. 50% of the people I met were absolutely going (don't know why they even bothered going. 30% of the people were fairly certain they were going (like 90% sure) and 20% of the people were not sure at all (like 50% sure because of waitlists and other options)

I was really worried about the cost but then I figured that I would probably get a residency in Cali (which I want) and the school is very good. In the end an extra $80k in debt will only be like 3 months of work which will be worth it for the opportunity to be around some of the most beautiful girls in the world, in a city I love, at a good school, be at a school with a GREAT alumni base, and have the chance to become an actor. I am Seriously thinking I may try to be an extra or something...although I would say I have a pretty good shot at becoming a movie star (like probably greater than 40%🙄)

So this is kinda how I decided I would go to USC (I am 99% sure). I made a lpro/con list and assigned a monetary value to each (I subtracted the money from the overall COA for the stuff in the PRO list and added $ from my con list and I came up with my own "Personal COA" which came out to be $199k (cheaper than any other "Perosnal COA" I figured out for any other schools)

PRO

  • Similar student personalities ($5,000)
  • County Hospital
  • Great reputation
  • Step scores ($10,000)
  • Good weather ($10,000)
  • New/Fun City
  • Hot Girls ($5,000)
  • Funding for “Study abroad” ($3,000)
  • Match list is GREAT ($25,000)
  • Impressive name ($20,000)
  • True Pass/fail ($3,000)
  • Best feeling I have had of any school
  • West Coast ($15,000)
  • Program is on its way up
  • Chance at becoming an Actor
  • Connections would be amazing
  • Alumni look out for other USC grads ($10,000)

CON
  • Most expensive school
  • Need a car
  • Cannot live near campus ($6,000)
  • Traffic ($4,000)
  • Great students may mean I will have a lower rank in the class ($1,000)
  • Expensive city
  • Crime ($4,000)
 
I like this assessment. It's a recognition that some costs (or gains) come in forms that are not purely monetary.
 
I'd like to give a quick response to the cons that were listed in bullet point above. I'm a Keck student, but my only interest here is in giving you true information. That was my disclaimer so I'm not being secretively biased.

1. Most expensive school.
Yes, Keck is quite expensive, but I truly think that the clinical experience you get it worth the extra money. It was the reason why I was able to match at my #1 choice for residency. That is worth $50,000 or whatever to me.

2. Need a car
True.

3. Cannot live near campus.
Depends on what your definition of near is. A large contingency of medical students live in Monterrey Hills, which is 2.9 miles from campus. I will grant that you don't want to live within a 5 minute walk of the campus, but within a 10 mile radius you have some great areas to live including Los Feliz, Pasadena, Glendale, etc.

4. Traffic
Inevitable, but you learn the patterns and figure out when it's good to drive and when you'll sit in traffic.

5. Great students may mean I will have a lower rank in the class.
Sort of. The school doesn't rank its students so inherently you can't have a lower "rank." The only real way this manifests is in Dean's Recognition, AOA, and when applying for residency you do compete for spots against people in your class.

6. Expensive city
It's a matter of perspective. If you come from Manhattan then LA is an improvement. If you come from Omaha you're going to think it's outrageous. You can, however, definitely find rent in a nice place in a nice area with roommates for under $700 per month.

7. Crime
It's a plus and a minus. It's part of the reason why the trauma experience at County is only rivaled by Dade County. Most students are never victims of crime. The campus itself is very safe. Would I go for a walk around the neighborhood at 2am? No. But thankfully I don't ever feel a need to do that. Crime exists in LA, but typically not in the areas the students tend to live and play.

Oh, and feel free to ask me any other questions you may have. I'll try to check this board every so often.
 
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pincheeric said:
I'd like to give a quick response to the cons that were listed in bullet point above. I'm a Keck student, but my only interest here is in giving you true information. That was my disclaimer so I'm not being secretively biased.

1. Most expensive school.
Yes, Keck is quite expensive, but I truly think that the clinical experience you get it worth the extra money. It was the reason why I was able to match at my #1 choice for residency. That is worth $50,000 or whatever to me.

2. Need a car
True.

3. Cannot live near campus.
Depends on what your definition of near is. A large contingency of medical students live in Monterrey Hills, which is 2.9 miles from campus. I will grant that you don't want to live within a 5 minute walk of the campus, but within a 10 mile radius you have some great areas to live including Los Feliz, Pasadena, Glendale, etc.

4. Traffic
Inevitable, but you learn the patterns and figure out when it's good to drive and when you'll sit in traffic.

5. Great students may mean I will have a lower rank in the class.
Sort of. The school doesn't rank its students so inherently you can't have a lower "rank." The only real way this manifests is in Dean's Recognition, AOA, and when applying for residency you do compete for spots against people in your class.

6. Expensive city
It's a matter of perspective. If you come from Manhattan then LA is an improvement. If you come from Omaha you're going to think it's outrageous. You can, however, definitely find rent in a nice place in a nice area with roommates for under $700 per month.

7. Crime
It's a plus and a minus. It's part of the reason why the trauma experience at County is only rivaled by Dade County. Most students are never victims of crime. The campus itself is very safe. Would I go for a walk around the neighborhood at 2am? No. But thankfully I don't ever feel a need to do that. Crime exists in LA, but typically not in the areas the students tend to live and play.

Oh, and feel free to ask me any other questions you may have. I'll try to check this board every so often.
Click to expand...

Thank you for the response. I love hearing from students who actually know what they are talking about (and not just us obsessive pre-meds who can just speculate on everything) good to know that you are happy with your decision (even though it may have been a slightly more expensive one)
 
jehrdoc said:
From my observations at Second Look, I think that this will be a good year for Keck's waitlisters. 50% of people I met ended up deciding to go elsewhere...73K/yr with absolutely no grants (just the promise of 'scholarships' down the road) is just too hard to swallow for those who are lucky to have a less expensive option. I think its hard for USC to compete in CA since the state schools are so stellar.

That being said, I think its almost a win-win situation. The students who are really gung-ho about Keck and are willing to fork over the $$ will end up enrolling, and those who are not as enthuesed will go elsewhere. In the end, I think the student body ends up being really committed to the school.
Click to expand...
So true. The students that showed up to talk to the acceptees at Second Look were quite a different bunch than the others that I've seen at other schools. Keck's student population is very energetic about their school.
 
I decided to go to UMich scince they gave some money and I felt a good gut feeling there. But it was a real difficut decision between UMich and USC.
 
deelau said:
I decided to go to UMich scince they gave some money and I felt a good gut feeling there. But it was a real difficut decision between UMich and USC.
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Good luck at UMich and thanks for putting in your withdrawal early!

May 15th could be a really great day 🙂
 
CreativeScience said:
Good luck at UMich and thanks for putting in your withdrawal early!

May 15th could be a really great day 🙂
Click to expand...

for waitlisters--

i talked to the admissions office and they said they'll start to review waitlisted applications again starting may 15-june 15th. periodically they'll start notifying people, but she said that most likely early june is when they'll begin to call!! 🙂
 
Just withdrew. Case gave me some aid!!! Good luck to whomever gets my spot; I loved USC!
 
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hey all, i just withdrew my application also. i loved usc though. good luck to everyone!
 
Hey all,

wow, seems like a few people are withdrawing. I guess in some way that makes me feel a little better about withdrawing myself 😳 I felt like it was such a great school that offers an excellent education, but I had a better feeling at a different school. But it was very difficult for me to make this decision and to withdraw from Keck!

Good luck to all you waitlisters; hopefully one of you gets my spot! :luck: The school is great!

edit: all I did to withdraw was click the button and check the box on the secondary website. Is that enough? I wasn't sure if that was just for withdrawing pre-acceptance/pre-interview, or if it works now too...
 
please accept me KECK!

Just also found out that my SO is probably going to USC pharm.

anyone else as distraught as i am?
 
If not for the fact that people seem to draw hope from hearing about withdrawals, I would think it's an obnoxious thing to report on a thread. But so far the feedback has been pretty positive, so just wanted to let everyone know that waitlist chances just got slightly better. For what it's worth, I thought Keck was a great school, in particular my senior interviewer. He was remarkably approachable and was basically giving very frank advice about life. Anyways, good luck to everyone on the waitlist!
 
Alright...looks like you all will need to put up with me next year at Keck :laugh:.

I withdrew from all other schools and I am just waiting on a waitlist (and even if I get off they will need to give me lots of $$$ to lure me away from the glitz and glamour of LA and Keck). I plan on becoming a celebrity in my spare time BTW. If anybody wants to join me in being a celebrity or join my entourage just let me know.

I really dont have any acting or musical skills so I am thinking of becoming a celeb similar to a Hilton or a Lohan...except for I am a guy...so maybe a Kutcher or Valderrama.
 
Withdrew from Keck tonight.

Good luck to everyone who is set on USC and those on the WL (hope you guys get in).
 
I just withdrew.

Sorry for holding out until 5/15, but I was really struggling with my decision. I liked Keck a lot, but ultimately I want to do MD/PhD, and I'm already in at the OSU program.

The $72,000 COA didn't help, but at OSU I'll be in school an extra 4 years (and probably do a post-doc, too). So you guys at Keck are likely to come out ahead of me when all is said and done.

Good luck to all!
 
hot penguin sex said:
I just withdrew.

Sorry for holding out until 5/15, but I was really struggling with my decision. I liked Keck a lot, but ultimately I want to do MD/PhD, and I'm already in at the OSU program.

The $72,000 COA didn't help, but at OSU I'll be in school an extra 4 years (and probably do a post-doc, too). So you guys at Keck are likely to come out ahead of me when all is said and done.

Good luck to all!
Click to expand...

Withdrew today too. Good luck to all you waitlisters!!
 
Thanks to everyone posting their withdrawals, I am more anxious than ever about the waitlist! Goodluck to everyone else waiting, USC is awesome and I would love to get a phone call in the next few weeks! 😍:luck::xf::luck:😍
 
I just got an email from USC financial aid, but as far as I know, I'm still on the waitlist. Has everyone gotten this?
 
bruisika said:
I just got an email from USC financial aid, but as far as I know, I'm still on the waitlist. Has everyone gotten this?
Click to expand...

Nope, i am waitlisted, and I didn't get that email. Thats probably a sign!!!! a good positive sign. I called the office and they said they will inform students who get off the WL via snail male. So stay on the look out for your acceptance letter 🙂.. Oh they also said that the 1st batch will be sent out by the 1st week of June..

Please Keck,, Please accept me too.. And everybody here on SDN..
Peace
 
bruisika said:
I just got an email from USC financial aid, but as far as I know, I'm still on the waitlist. Has everyone gotten this?
Click to expand...

theoc47 said:
Nope, i am waitlisted, and I didn't get that email. Thats probably a sign!!!! a good positive sign. I called the office and they said they will inform students who get off the WL via snail male. So stay on the look out for your acceptance letter 🙂.. Oh they also said that the 1st batch will be sent out by the 1st week of June..

Please Keck,, Please accept me too.. And everybody here on SDN..
Peace
Click to expand...

What did the fin aid e-mail say?

Hmm.. they will only send stuff by the first week of June.. 2-3 weeks of more waiting until even the first batch.
 
I wonder why they decided to notify by snail mail this year...previous years was via phone call.

Here's to 2-3 more weeks on the edge of my seat! :xf:
 
I'm eagerly waiting also, really hoping to hear something good from USC in the next few weeks. Are any of your still emailing/sending updated letters/LOIs to the office? I am debating whether or not to send an update letter in the next few days, as I do not know if they have already started to review those of us on the waitlist. I guess it could not hurt.
 
Actually... apparently my mom didn't send in copies of her W2s and they were just requesting those... so other people probably didn't get the email just because everything they sent in was complete.

Hopefully we will start hearing news soon!
 
Dr. Quinn just called and I got in off the waitlist!!!!!!!!!!!! YAY!!!!!!!!! Good luck everyone!!!
 
a big congratulations. i really hope i get a call also.
 
CONGRATS!!! i hope i get some good news too!


glad to hear that movement has begun!
 
bruisika said:
Dr. Quinn just called and I got in off the waitlist!!!!!!!!!!!! YAY!!!!!!!!! Good luck everyone!!!
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Sweet! Congrats! Did your waitlist letter have any hand written note from Dr. Quinn?
 
Thank you!!!!!
Yes, my waitlist letter did have a handwritten note from Dr. Quinn.
 
My handwritten note said "We promise to be in touch as soon as space becomes available. Be patient. -Dr. Quinn"
 
from my knowledge, only those that interviewed recently received letters with handwritten notes?

anyone get a call that interviewed way back as well?
 
It has now been 8 months since I got my interview invite, I hope that phone starts ringing soon! Congrats to everyone who has gotten off the waitlist! Here is to more waiting.....:luck::xf::luck:
 
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