2008 VCU/MCV Central

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I think they mean that a good balance between your GPA and MCAT is key. An applicant with balanced numbers is going to be ranked higher than someone with low GPA and a killer MCAT or vice versa. Of course, if your numbers are balanced but low, you probably aren't going to get the best rank either.

So basically, good balanced stats > good uneven stats.

so if i have a good balanced MCAT, and a below average GPA, my priority is lower? is that correct?
thanks.
 
I spoke with Dr. WC last week and she confirmed there there are two waitlists: one IS and one OOS, and they replace like with like. She also says that it's ranked by priority score, with only your name, GPA, and MCAT on the list. They prioritize by priority score then the most balanced MCAT + GPA (high MCAT + low GPA or low MCAT + high GPA doesn't get priority).

She told me that there are "several hundred" on the waitlist. She actually was willing to tell me whether I was in the top, middle, or bottom parts of the list, as well. Asking how many people typically come off the list was not as enlightening (she said "a lot"). So...there ya go.

also, between the above two, which ranks higher, GPA or MCAT?
 
so if i have a good balanced MCAT, and a below average GPA, my priority is lower? is that correct?
thanks.

Well we can't be sure, of course. But from what Dr. WC told the above poster, your score would be lower than someone with a good balanced MCAT and a solid GPA. In the same sense, I would assume that your score would be similar to someone with a solid GPA and a below average MCAT.

Of course, this is all speculation and I would take it with a grain of salt.
 
so if i have a good balanced MCAT, and a below average GPA, my priority is lower? is that correct?
thanks.

From what I was told, this was the way it works: they get to priority score 2.3 (or whatever, I'm making up the numbers here) and we have three students-(for argument's sake, assume they're all OOS females)
Sally Sitwell, 29Q, 3.5 GPA
Kitty Sanchez, 36T, 3.1 GPA
Ann Veal, 26M, 3.9 GPA

So Sally would get picked first, because she's the most balanced. After that, I'm not entirely sure who they pick first. If Kitty got all A's that semester and sent in her transcript, it might go to her, or if Ann had a new MCAT score that was higher it could go to her. Basically, I got the idea that if you want in, send in (valid) updates so that they can make a note of it. I guess this is especially important if your GPA or MCAT are unusually high or low.
 
it would make more sense to do actual summing
so
person 1- 29 mcat + 3.6 gpa = 65
person 2- 35 mcat + 3.0 gpa = 65
person 3- 40 mcat + 2.5 gpa = 65

balance would more relative to the average gpa or mcat. so if the schools average gpa was ~3.6 and average mcat was ~30, then that's the order they would be selected if all 3 had the same vote rank.
 
I'm not saying it absolutely does, but...race may play a role. If a caucasian instate female student drops an acceptance, they might pull the next CAUCASIAN instate female on the waitlist. Just a guess.

This is correct - Sadly, race/urm status does play into the wait list game...
 
so if i have a good balanced MCAT, and a below average GPA, my priority is lower? is that correct?
thanks.

Your priority score does not change. Usually they take the priority score to 2 decimal places.

In past years the first tie breaker was GPA and the second was MCAT. Perhaps it has changed but the system of "balanced stats" seem to convolute things a bit much.
 
Instate female offered in acceptance May 2, and accepted. I was invited to the Second Look program. In addition, I was told on the date of my acceptance I was the "-teenth" (13-19) waiting list applicant taken off and given an acceptance.
good luck.
 
Instate female offered in acceptance May 2, and accepted. I was invited to the Second Look program. In addition, I was told on the date of my acceptance I was the "-teenth" (13-19) waiting list applicant taken off and given an acceptance.
good luck.

Thanks for the info! That's encouraging!
 
Ok So I had emailed Dr. WC about my chances. Here is what she said. It is very difficult to predict how the waitlist will move but you should reapply just to be safe. So it means no hope for me?
 
Ok So I had emailed Dr. WC about my chances. Here is what she said. It is very difficult to predict how the waitlist will move but you should reapply just to be safe. So it means no hope for me?

Sorry, but I would follow her advice and plan to reapply early if you have no other acceptances. I was 3rd to the last ( July 18th) pulled off the waitlist last year and when I asked her in May she told me she thought I would get accepted in June. If anything, the list tends to move slower each year, so I would think it's not very likely they will get to you. I'm sorry, I hope I'm wrong.
 
Yup. I'm going to need a frickin miracle to get off the waitlist. I emailed Dr. WC and she said "Given your committee rank at VCU this year, I am not sure that we will reach your place on the list. If you would be reapplying for the 2009 year start you should....."
 
Yup. I'm going to need a frickin miracle to get off the waitlist. I emailed Dr. WC and she said "Given your committee rank at VCU this year, I am not sure that we will reach your place on the list. If you would be reapplying for the 2009 year start you should....."

Sorry to hear it. I half wish she would have given me a semi-straight answer like that when I emailed. All I got was the "hard to predict, but not in a bad place" phrase that she likes to toss around.

Good luck.
 
Instate female offered in acceptance May 2, and accepted. I was invited to the Second Look program. In addition, I was told on the date of my acceptance I was the "-teenth" (13-19) waiting list applicant taken off and given an acceptance.
good luck.

Hey sorry to be a bother, but do you mean as a person in your category (IS vs OOS) or on the waitlist as a whole?
 
Yup. I'm going to need a frickin miracle to get off the waitlist. I emailed Dr. WC and she said "Given your committee rank at VCU this year, I am not sure that we will reach your place on the list. If you would be reapplying for the 2009 year start you should....."

Yeah I'm right there with you...this is the problem with a WL that has 400 people on it. It gives false hope. 🙁
 
hey guys, now that it seems Dr. WC is giving estimates of ranks on the WL, could someone tell me her email address (maybe PM'ing is more appropriate?). I think I'll try my luck contacting her.
 
I cant believe I forgot to ask about this before: I was in email contact with Dr. WC a while back and she told me that my priority score puts me in the top half of the WL.

Is there anything you guys can guess at by that statement? I'm OOS-Male, did the list move enough last year to reach the middle for OOS-M? Do you think Dr. WC mentioned this to me to give me hope or to make me realize that I should just focus on reapplying?
 
Being OOS confers more advantage than being IS on the waitlist, so comparatively your chances are better.
 
Oh I forgot to mention that I had emailed Dr. WC in April when i got the "difficult to predict but reapply to be safe" reply. But I am applying for the post bacc program and focusing my efforts on retaking the MCAT. Since I am instate I don't feel that my chances are great but I might just email her after May 15 just to get some closure. May be another year would not be so bad. This is what I want to do for the rest of my life so a year here or there does not matter in the long run.
 
i withdrew my OOS male app from the crapshoot.
hope that makes a difference for someone. good luck fellas.
 
MCV graduation is at the end of May. Time the beginning of the apartment lease wisely and you can avoid the penalty for breaking up the lease early upon graduation.

There is a spacious one bed room one bath apartment available for sub lease beginning this June at about $900 a month. It's a mile from MCV and there is a VCU shuttle bus stop right at the front door. By taking over the lease in a timely manner, you get the completely furnished furniture for free. They cost over $2,000 four years ago (bought brand new from Sears, Wal-Mart, Target and economic furniture store in Richmond.)

BTW, in spite of way below average step 1 score, this brand new doctor doesn't have any problem matching his first choice in his home state of California at all. He even ranked UCSF second.

Good luck everyone.
 
With May 15th almost here I thought I would drop in to wish you guys luck.:luck: Good Luck everyone...but especially good luck to those of you with no acceptances, only waitlists. I was in your position last year-it's not fun, but miracles do happen...Just think, this time next year some of you will be sitting and studying for your M1 Neuro exams...hmm...guess I should be doing that.😳
 
Just wanted to let you know that the M1's at MCV will be thinking of you, we have all been in your shoes to some extent. ( some of us more than others). GOOD LUCK🙂
 
it seems like there's been quite a bit of movement already on the VCU waitlist this year... do you guys think there'll be a lot of spots offered tomorrow as it has been in past years? I feel like there won't be 🙁
 
In state female, withdrew a few days ago. Good luck guys 🙂
 
Withdrew from the waitlist yesterday. I hope this bumps up someone on here. 🙂
 
Just got an e-mail status. IM IN!!!!!

congrats!! are you OOS? were you invited to second look? sorry to bombard you with so many questions, just trying to get a sense of where they're at.

go celebrate!!!!!!! :hardy:
 
I just got accepted! Male instate and I was invited to the second look
 
Just got an e-mail status. IM IN!!!!!

CONGRATS caliboy07! Now go celebrate, you've been waiting a long time.:hardy:

Congrats to everyone else who was accepted this round. To those of you still waiting...don't give up!
 
CONGRATS caliboy07! Now go celebrate, you've been waiting a long time.:hardy:

Congrats to everyone else who was accepted this round. To those of you still waiting...don't give up!

nka1985, were you invited to a second look last year? thanks.

your name sounds like Anka😛 very cool.
 
Hey guys..just accepted off the waitlist but I am withdrawing to stay in- state. Good Luck!
 
Thanks guys for the congrats, it's been a rough year building up to this. I'm hoping more of you guys hear soon!! Hang in there it'll come! I'm OOS and I didn't know there was a second look, but it makes no difference I love this school!
 
Thanks guys for the congrats, it's been a rough year building up to this. I'm hoping more of you guys hear soon!! Hang in there it'll come! I'm OOS and I didn't know there was a second look, but it makes no difference I love this school!
so looks like they got through the OOS + second look people and i may have a shot *crossing fingers and praying*
 
Congrats Caliboy! 🙂 I hope that more of us will be hearing the good news shortly! :luck::luck::luck:
 
Accepted on the 15th! In state male invited to second look. Second time's a charm I guess. Good luck to everyone.
 
Congrats Physio1! Nice to hear the good news!

On a sidenote, can anyone give any info on this second look?
 
🙂Just wanted to say WELCOME! I was pulling for you last year when I got in, so I am glad to see that you did not give up. MCV is a great school. Way to go Caliboy07
 
So I was expecting to hear a lot more wailist movement, but it seems like there hasn't been much. Is that a bad thing?
 
I was thinking the same thing...any one have an idea if this is normal movement for May 15th...InstateWaiter? Also has anyone who got a response from Dr.WC saying, they are in a good position to get off the wait list, heard? I got a similar response from her in April and it sounded really positive and almost like I was going to hear even before May 15th but I still have not heard.

Waiting really takes its toll on you...I hope more of us hear some good news soon!
 
I wrote to Dr. WC last week, and never got a response back. maybe she didn't want to make me feel bad.
i am prob. the last person on the waitlist😳
 
I was thinking the same thing...any one have an idea if this is normal movement for May 15th...InstateWaiter? Also has anyone who got a response from Dr.WC saying, they are in a good position to get off the wait list, heard? I got a similar response from her in April and it sounded really positive and almost like I was going to hear even before May 15th but I still have not heard.

Waiting really takes its toll on you...I hope more of us hear some good news soon!
I was told something similar - "you're pretty high on the IS waitlist, and I think you'll be offered." But, nothing yet. Looking at last year's, it looks like they come in batches - a batch around May 15th, and then 2-3 weeks later another batch came. I don't know if it's all on the same day or spread out over a few days when the offers are sent. If someone from years past can shed light on this, that would be much appreciated!
 
I wrote to Dr. WC last week, and never got a response back. maybe she didn't want to make me feel bad.
i am prob. the last person on the waitlist😳

You might try emailing her again. Both luckycharms08 and I emailed her a few weeks ago and neither of us got a response back. We both emailed again to follow up and got responses back the same day.

She seems to be sending out three general responses:

1. You'll probably be offered
2. You're not in a bad place
3. I would suggest reapplying

Maybe they correspond to which "third" of the waitlist you happen to be in...thoughts?
 
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