2008-2009 Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Secondary Application Thread

[chad5871]

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Chad,
Thanks for the information. What is the closest hotel, or even motel, to MCV? How much walking distance do you think it is to the school?
Also, i am going to be there one day earlier, and i am planning on renting a car and going around. I am paying for the ticket so i might as well act like i am tourist. What do you think? Any nice places to see in the city? Any nice beaches closeby and things to that extent?😕

Here is a search on Hotels.com I did. The closest that I'd recommend are the Marriott and the Omni. Both are very nice places and not too insanely expensive. I would call the hotel directly and ask for the student or medical school applicant rate - some will give you a discount. VCU has a list on their applicant portal (once you've been offered an interview) of hotels with cheaper rates for students.

As far as good places to go, there aren't any beaches or anything (closest beach is Virginia Beach which is ~2 hours away. However, Richmond is a pretty historical town if you're into that stuff. I'd definitely drive/walk down Monument Avenue and visit the state capital (which is pretty much 2 blocks from the admissions office). There are also a lot of cool museums - the Science Museum is awesome and there are also things like a Confederacy Museum, the Edgar Allen Poe Museum, the Museum of the Holocaust, etc.

If you're going to be in town on a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday you can drive the 25 miles up to Doswell and come to Kings Dominion to see me in my show there.

 

[lainey234]

I'm pretty sure that's the worst message to get. I think now is a good time to send a LOI for me. I don't want to be rejected knowing I didn't get to tell them everything I wanted to.

There's still hope (or at least that's what I keep telling myself). The "sub-committee" message is worse than the one you (we) got.

 

[chessodoc]

Are all these messages people getting by E-mail or do you guys periodically check online for a status change?

 

[ronicajay]

Are all these messages people getting by E-mail or do you guys periodically check online for a status change?

you will get an email informing you that there has been a change in your status and to check the status page.

 

[UVAbme2009]

Well I just sent a LOI to Dr. WC. Hopefully that helps my case. Couldn't let them judge me when I felt like they didn't know all there was to know.

 

[icarus8]

Well I just sent a LOI to Dr. WC. Hopefully that helps my case. Couldn't let them judge me when I felt like they didn't know all there was to know.

From last year's thread on what the status messages mean, people who got your message received interviews for the most part. I wouldn't be as worried as you seem to be, unless you get the subcommittee message.

Good luck.

 

[UVAbme2009]

From last year's thread on what the status messages mean, people who got your message received interviews for the most part. I wouldn't be as worried as you seem to be, unless you get the subcommittee message.

Good luck.

The subcommittee is the reservations status update. Unless there are various reservations updates.

Anywhoo, I already got a response from Dr. WC. She said my reviewer sent my file to the subcommittee to evaluate the quality and quantity of my medical experiences. Totally understandable since I have only a year of volunteering and some various shadowing. She also added that she hoped I am continuing to shadow, which I am. So I feel much better about my position now.

I guess with the status updates, even the reservations/subcommittee message might not be a death sentence. In my case, it looks like I just have one negative; one that I am actively working on. So for all of you out there with the same message as me, it's okay! Not great, but maybe not terrible. I feel a lot better knowing why I got the status update I did.

And VCU gets three thumbs up for their promptness, helpfulness, and clarity. Thanks!

UPDATE: So 24 hours after receiving the worst possible message, I get this update:

The committee's file review indicates that they would like to consider your file further. We are now in the process of scheduling interviews and will continue to do so through February. Unfortunately, the committee indicates interest in far more candidates than we are able to interview.

Not the best, but WAY better than what I had. I think my letter definitely helped.

 

[Gators239]

I've tried searching this a little, but can anyone tell me what the interview day is like at VCU (specifically, times)? I'm trying to schedule a flight and would like to leave after my interview.

Also, anyone know if we can board with medical students for the night? I really want to save some cash on this trip by not paying for a hotel. Plus, I wanna know what the school is REALLY like.

 

[chad5871]

Directly from the Applicant Portal. This info will appear directly after logging in once you have confirmed your interview date/time.

The interview day is organized as follows:

- Individual interviews are scheduled at various hours. If your interview is scheduled in the morning, then you should arrive at the appropriate time as above. If scheduled in the afternoon, you may arrive just in time for the session with the Dean at 11:00 a.m.

- All candidates gather together with the Dean for Admissions or her designee for an information session at 11:00 a.m.

- A tour with two second year medical students and lunch are scheduled from 12 noon to 1:45.

During these two sessions you will receive information on how the admissions process works, financial aid, curriculum, student life and a wealth of other details. If your interview is scheduled in the morning, you are free to leave after the tour. If your interview is in the afternoon, please join us no later than 11:00 a.m., and you will have completed your day immediately after your interview.

They also have a link to student hosts, but there are none listed yet. I would email the admissions office and see if they can help you find someone to host.

 

[Spoonbig21]

Got a question... from mdapps it looks like everyone who submitted their secondary was complete the same day. I sent mine in on the 21st and posted my LOR's on virtual evals the same day... but it stills says incomplete on the status page. This normal? Did I miss something?

 

[chad5871]

Got a question... from mdapps it looks like everyone who submitted their secondary was complete the same day. I sent mine in on the 21st and posted my LOR's on virtual evals the same day... but it stills says incomplete on the status page. This normal? Did I miss something?

Just call/email the admissions office and ask what's up. They might be missing an LOR or grades or something.

 

[justapremed]

Got a question... from mdapps it looks like everyone who submitted their secondary was complete the same day. I sent mine in on the 21st and posted my LOR's on virtual evals the same day... but it stills says incomplete on the status page. This normal? Did I miss something?

Hm I am a permanent resident and they didnt mark me as complete becausae they didn't have a copy of my green card. Maybe that's it?

 

[Gators239]

Directly from the Applicant Portal. This info will appear directly after logging in once you have confirmed your interview date/time.

They also have a link to student hosts, but there are none listed yet. I would email the admissions office and see if they can help you find someone to host.

Thanks chad5871. I feel pretty dumb, because that obviously is on the applicant portal....it just wasn't there when I initially chose my date and refreshed the page. 😳 I'm definitely going to call for a student host as well.

 

[icarus8]

The subcommittee is the reservations status update. Unless there are various reservations updates.

Anywhoo, I already got a response from Dr. WC. She said my reviewer sent my file to the subcommittee to evaluate the quality and quantity of my medical experiences. Totally understandable since I have only a year of volunteering and some various shadowing. She also added that she hoped I am continuing to shadow, which I am. So I feel much better about my position now.

I guess with the status updates, even the reservations/subcommittee message might not be a death sentence. In my case, it looks like I just have one negative; one that I am actively working on. So for all of you out there with the same message as me, it's okay! Not great, but maybe not terrible. I feel a lot better knowing why I got the status update I did.

And VCU gets three thumbs up for their promptness, helpfulness, and clarity. Thanks!

UPDATE: So 24 hours after receiving the worst possible message, I get this update:



Not the best, but WAY better than what I had. I think my letter definitely helped.

Oh, wow. Congrats. I apologize - for some reason, I thought that was the one you had (I thought I read in one of your posts that you had the "consider your file further" one - you meant the subcommittee one). My bad. Impressive finangling to get the better message though!

 

[icarus8]

accidental double post, oops

 

[utahjazz]

The subcommittee is the reservations status update. Unless there are various reservations updates.

Anywhoo, I already got a response from Dr. WC. She said my reviewer sent my file to the subcommittee to evaluate the quality and quantity of my medical experiences. Totally understandable since I have only a year of volunteering and some various shadowing. She also added that she hoped I am continuing to shadow, which I am. So I feel much better about my position now.

I guess with the status updates, even the reservations/subcommittee message might not be a death sentence. In my case, it looks like I just have one negative; one that I am actively working on. So for all of you out there with the same message as me, it's okay! Not great, but maybe not terrible. I feel a lot better knowing why I got the status update I did.

And VCU gets three thumbs up for their promptness, helpfulness, and clarity. Thanks!

UPDATE: So 24 hours after receiving the worst possible message, I get this update:



Not the best, but WAY better than what I had. I think my letter definitely helped.

Wow, that's pretty awesome... congrats! I also got the reservations status and sent an LOI almost 3 weeks ago but my status hasn't changed. Nicely done.

 

[UVAbme2009]

Wow, that's pretty awesome... congrats! I also got the reservations status and sent an LOI almost 3 weeks ago but my status hasn't changed. Nicely done.

Did you email or snail mail? Also did you get back a response? I think me being in-state helps a lot.

 

[Lucylu123]

Hey UVAbme - I also had the same message post-secondary and I got an interview in the first batch. So I think so long as you made it through that subcommittee you are in good shape!

 

[ronicajay]

Hmm...no more student discounted rooms at the Marriott for my dates. Where else are you guys staying?

 

[chessodoc]

Does VCU have an "under review" or does it go from "complete" to a "decision"?

 

[MedSchoolMan]

Here is a search on Hotels.com I did. The closest that I'd recommend are the Marriott and the Omni. Both are very nice places and not too insanely expensive. I would call the hotel directly and ask for the student or medical school applicant rate - some will give you a discount. VCU has a list on their applicant portal (once you've been offered an interview) of hotels with cheaper rates for students.

As far as good places to go, there aren't any beaches or anything (closest beach is Virginia Beach which is ~2 hours away. However, Richmond is a pretty historical town if you're into that stuff. I'd definitely drive/walk down Monument Avenue and visit the state capital (which is pretty much 2 blocks from the admissions office). There are also a lot of cool museums - the Science Museum is awesome and there are also things like a Confederacy Museum, the Edgar Allen Poe Museum, the Museum of the Holocaust, etc.

If you're going to be in town on a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday you can drive the 25 miles up to Doswell and come to Kings Dominion to see me in my show there.

Thanks for the info Chad. I might come for ur show. We'll see...

 

[chad5871]

Thanks for the info Chad. I might come for ur show. We'll see...

Ha ha that's awesome. I was half joking, but you're more than welcome. If you do end up planning on coming, send me a PM and I can give you more info. 😀

 

[drelizabeth292]

im SO excited! i finally got the secondary application last night. i was stuck in the "subcommittee is reviewing your application stage" for a week. glad that i made it through the first hurdle.
i should finish this tonight and then wait around for one of the email responses.
good luck to everybody that is interviewing already!

 

[Myuu]

I'm stuck on "we don't have your money yet."👍

Stuck no longer! Their admissions office called me and straightened the whole thing out. Very helpful, very courteous! 👍👍👍

 

[Dalki2007]

Hey guys,
How are you preparing for the VCU interview?
Other than reading your PS and sec app...

I've been told that it's very casual and conversational...
But I'm still freaking out!😱


Also, what counts as an "ethical-dilemma" question?
Like medical ethics? or just "is this moral" type of questions?!

Any feedback will be awesome! 🙂

 

[chad5871]

Hey guys,
How are you preparing for the VCU interview?
Other than reading your PS and sec app...

I've been told that it's very casual and conversational...
But I'm still freaking out!😱


Also, what counts as an "ethical-dilemma" question?
Like medical ethics? or just "is this moral" type of questions?!

Any feedback will be awesome! 🙂

I'm guessing they're probably medical ethics questions. Like "if your friend's 16-year-old daughter came to you and told you she was pregnant and wanted you to perform an abortion without telling her parents, what would you do?"

 

[bluesmd]

i was complete on 8/2 but my status hasn't changed since then. should i call or wait it out?

 

[drelizabeth292]

i was complete on 8/2 but my status hasn't changed since then. should i call or wait it out?

did you receive an email from them saying that your account is being reviewed by a subcommitte?

 

[bluesmd]

no it still says:

"Your M.D. file is now complete. The Admissions Committee will now do a comprehensive review of your application. Once the review is complete, your file will be prioritized, and interviews will be granted based on your priority score and the date your file was completed."

 

[juxhoo]

no it still says:

"Your M.D. file is now complete. The Admissions Committee will now do a comprehensive review of your application. Once the review is complete, your file will be prioritized, and interviews will be granted based on your priority score and the date your file was completed."

mine says the exact same thing and i was complete on 8/1. im OOS, so I dont know if thats slowing them down, but if you hear anything, let me know!

 

[bluesmd]

im OOS too, so that is probably the problem

 

[lainey234]

So every day at 6:04pm EST my heart skips a beat. But then at 6:05pm I remember what a long shot I am and go back to day dreaming for the next 23 hours and 59 minutes...

 

[Bacchus]

I feel bad b/c my friend got rejected pre-secondary and I just received the secondary :-(.

 

[patekpremed]

I feel bad b/c my friend got rejected pre-secondary and I just received the secondary :-(.

Your friend will get over it...

 

[drelizabeth292]

no it still says:

"Your M.D. file is now complete. The Admissions Committee will now do a comprehensive review of your application. Once the review is complete, your file will be prioritized, and interviews will be granted based on your priority score and the date your file was completed."

yeah thats the statement on my status page that i just got today. i guess they are still thinking about us...

 

[drelizabeth292]

So every day at 6:04pm EST my heart skips a beat. But then at 6:05pm I remember what a long shot I am and go back to day dreaming for the next 23 hours and 59 minutes...

HA HA ! OH THATS GREAT!!

 

[chessodoc]

I also have the "Complete" message 🙄 Also OOS

 

[Dalki2007]

Hey guys..
Would NOT being a registered voter be considered NOT "In-State"...
I will try to register tomorrow..but just wondering.

1. I earned no income. So no tax to file. No doc to show.
2. Not yet registered to vote. (I know. I'm getting on it). Again no doc to show. 😛
3. Valid driver's license. Yes. I have this one. 😀

Just feeling 'lil left behind...
Sorry VA, I have failed you

 

[chad5871]

Hey guys..
Would NOT being a registered voter be considered NOT "In-State"...
I will try to register tomorrow..but just wondering.

1. I earned no income. So no tax to file. No doc to show.
2. Not yet registered to vote. (I know. I'm getting on it). Again no doc to show. 😛
3. Valid driver's license. Yes. I have this one. 😀

Just feeling 'lil left behind...
Sorry VA, I have failed you

You might want to call the admissions office and ask. Virginia has REALLY strict residency guidelines.

 

[Myuu]

Hey guys..
Would NOT being a registered voter be considered NOT "In-State"...
I will try to register tomorrow..but just wondering.

1. I earned no income. So no tax to file. No doc to show.
2. Not yet registered to vote. (I know. I'm getting on it). Again no doc to show. 😛
3. Valid driver's license. Yes. I have this one. 😀

Just feeling 'lil left behind...
Sorry VA, I have failed you

Not registered to vote?!?! Deadline's in early October (29 days before the election)! Gogogogogogo!

 

[olivesolivia]

I also have the "Complete" message 🙄 Also OOS

Ditto. I've had it since early August as well.

 

[happygirl]

I've had the MAY message for awhile....still hoping....

 

[chad5871]

I've had the MAY message for awhile....still hoping....

That's a good one to have! It's the one I had and I was sent an invite in the first batch. I'm IS, though, and I think that may have helped a bit too.

 

[Myuu]

"The committee's file review indicates that they wish to consider your file over the next several weeks before making a decision about interview. Since they have some reservations about granting an interview, your file will be reviewed again by a small sub-committee before making a final decision. Please continue to check this site to learn when further action has been taken."

😕🙁

 

[halekulani]

it seems like forever since i've submitted (8/4) but it wasn't complete until 8/19 (stupid LORs seem to take forever these days)

 

[JamieMD]

"The committee's file review indicates that they wish to consider your file over the next several weeks before making a decision about interview. Since they have some reservations about granting an interview, your file will be reviewed again by a small sub-committee before making a final decision. Please continue to check this site to learn when further action has been taken."

😕🙁

Wow that was a quick turnaround time. I suspect your MCAT might have expedited the review of your application, but still that's a bummer of a message. Cross your fingers though, I think committees meet on Mondays.

 

[Myuu]

Wow that was a quick turnaround time. I suspect your MCAT might have expedited the review of your application, but still that's a bummer of a message. Cross your fingers though, I think committees meet on Mondays.

Think I should call them and offer to address their reservations? ^^;

 

[JamieMD]

Think I should call them and offer to address their reservations? ^^;

Certainly wouldn't hurt, especially since the admissions office has a great track record when it comes to customer service 😀

 

[Chuck's Right Foot]

Hmm. Good luck Myuuchan. I was complete 8/20.

 

[bluesmd]

complete 8/2, since then nothing, should i call or wait?