2009-2010 The Commonwealth Medical College Application Thread

[Tepes]

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Did anyone have trouble submitting their secondary? I finished mine last week, hit submit and never received a pin number and haven't been given the option to pay the secondary app fee.🙁

 

[TCMC]

Is it true that government loans aren't available for students of this school?

We had our accreditation site visit from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education this week. It went really well. If they grant us "candidacy" status in November we expect to be able to qualify for Title IV and have federal loans available for students next fall.

 

[DRIN]

We had our accreditation site visit from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education this week. It went really well. If they grant us "candidacy" status in November we expect to be able to qualify for Title IV and have federal loans available for students next fall.

TCMC, I was wondering if maybe you could tell me why you don't wait for pending MCAT scores before making a decision on an application.

 

[bowlin123]

We had our accreditation site visit from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education this week. It went really well. If they grant us "candidacy" status in November we expect to be able to qualify for Title IV and have federal loans available for students next fall.

It would be extremely helpful to be eligible for federal loans and grants. TCMC, do you know how many students TCMC is going to accept this year? I have heard conflicting numbers: some say around 60 and the other say 100. Please clarify, if you may, thank you.

 

[TCMC]

It would be extremely helpful to be eligible for federal loans and grants. TCMC, do you know how many students TCMC is going to accept this year? I have heard conflicting numbers: some say around 60 and the other say 100. Please clarify, if you may, thank you.

We are committed to filling a good class-- the number will be in the 60 range. 60 -65 or so depending on how many candidates we find who are a good fit. We cannot go up much from that until the new space is ready a year from this spring.

 

[sassilysweet]

INTERVIEW!
I am so excited! 😀
They reviewed/completed my app at the speed of light.
Anyone else on Oct. 30?

 

[amakhosidlo]

INTERVIEW!
I am so excited! 😀
They reviewed/completed my app at the speed of light.
Anyone else on Oct. 30?

Me! First interview date they had available...

Where were people thinking of staying? I have no conception of how easy Scranton is to get around or how close things are...

 

[TCMC]

Me! First interview date they had available...

Where were people thinking of staying? I have no conception of how easy Scranton is to get around or how close things are...

Scranton is very walkable, very safe. I think we have a TCMC rate at the Radisson which is walking distance to the interview site. There should be information on our website that will help you plan.

 

[TCMC]

TCMC, I was wondering if maybe you could tell me why you don't wait for pending MCAT scores before making a decision on an application.

Thanks for bringing this to our attention. We have informed our screeners to look for this and to hold to wait for the new scores.

 

[girlspowerss]

It has been over a month since my AMCAS has been verified and I have not yet received a secondary from this school... should I be worried?
Thanks

 

[POWP]

i got the secondary...but it doesnt work?

I click on the link provided in the email, click "new applicants" , type in my amcas and email....but nothing happens.

 

[Dantheman1828]

Awesome got an interview here today!

 

[TCMC]

i got the secondary...but it doesnt work?

I click on the link provided in the email, click "new applicants" , type in my amcas and email....but nothing happens.

If you are having issues with either getting your secondary to work or not getting a secondary please call the admissions office- 570.504.9068

 

[BrokenDisco]

It seems that alot of people are being invited for interviews right now for only 60 seats. Does anyone know when TCMC has their last round of invites and when they start making decisions?

Also, how many applicants were there last year? how many intervieweD?

 

[TCMC]

It seems that alot of people are being invited for interviews right now for only 60 seats. Does anyone know when TCMC has their last round of invites and when they start making decisions?

Also, how many applicants were there last year? how many intervieweD?

last year about 1300 applicants, 400 interviews

 

[girlspowerss]

What is the character/word limit for the secondary questions?
Thanks

 

[bowlin123]

girlspowerss, I don't think there's a limit on how much you can write per question on the secondary (TCMC or anyone correct me if I am wrong).

Does anyone know how to get the special TCMC Radisson rate for the interview? Do I need to book a room before the interview?

 

[sassilysweet]

Does anyone know how to get the special TCMC Radisson rate for the interview? Do I need to book a room before the interview?

I just called there today & got my room. The first girl said there was no special rate, then transferred me to someone else for some reason. The lady who then answered asked if I was with a group, I told her I was interviewing at TCMC, and she checked for a rate--$89/night.

So I guess the moral of the story is, make sure you call and get the second lady 😉

 

[jcm14]

Boo... rejected. 3.4, 31, OOS.

 

[mooshooblue]

Anyone else interviewing tomorrow? I'm so psyched!!

Although, I am not looking forward to the 5-hr drive up there... 🙁

 

[bowlin123]

Anyone else interviewing tomorrow? I'm so psyched!!

Although, I am not looking forward to the 5-hr drive up there... 🙁

me! I will be driving up tonight and it will be fun. Then off to nyc for another interview on monday.

 

[mooshooblue]

me! Hey do you know about the special rate with Radisson? I will be driving up tonight and I can't afford to pay 125 dollars per night

hmm, I have no idea about the Radisson rate, but it looks like other people have gotten it for $89 if you call and tell them you are interviewing at TCMC.

My interview is scheduled for 1pm, so my dad and I are just driving up tomorrow morning... It's gonna be a long car ride tho lol... 5 hrs with my dad! 😱 haha, no i love him, but i'm definitely looking forward to tomorrow being over

 

[BrokenDisco]

Boo... rejected. 3.4, 31, OOS.

uh oh i have similar stats

 

[bowlin123]

I just called there today & got my room. The first girl said there was no special rate, then transferred me to someone else for some reason. The lady who then answered asked if I was with a group, I told her I was interviewing at TCMC, and she checked for a rate--$89/night.

So I guess the moral of the story is, make sure you call and get the second lady 😉

Thank you! I got the second lady to talk to me. Book a room tonight for $89 and got my confirmation number. Great deal!

 

[MDew]

Hey all,

I was preparing for my interview which is on October and was hoping to get some advice or feed back. If there are any current TCMC students out there who could give some advice on how to prep for the interview, that would make life a little less stressful! Also I am a little confused with the numbers, I was under the impression that, If 400 interviews are granted there will be about 175 acceptances and then 60-65 will matriculate. Is that correct?

Good Luck to all!

 

[amakhosidlo]

Hey all,

I was preparing for my interview which is on October and was hoping to get some advice or feed back. If there are any current TCMC students out there who could give some advice on how to prep for the interview, that would make life a little less stressful! Also I am a little confused with the numbers, I was under the impression that, If 400 interviews are granted there will be about 175 acceptances and then 60-65 will matriculate. Is that correct?

Good Luck to all!

Yeah, how do we get an "interview feedback" page started for TCMC?

 

[ElwayFan]

Hey all,

I was preparing for my interview which is on October and was hoping to get some advice or feed back. If there are any current TCMC students out there who could give some advice on how to prep for the interview, that would make life a little less stressful! Also I am a little confused with the numbers, I was under the impression that, If 400 interviews are granted there will be about 175 acceptances and then 60-65 will matriculate. Is that correct?

Good Luck to all!

I think last year they only accepted about 120 intending for 60 to matriculate, but 65 did. Of course last year, it had the charter class scholarship and the like that made more than the usual amount of accepted people actually want to matriculate at TCMC rather elsewhere assuming multiple acceptances.

I've heard the average med school accepts ~3x as many as matriculate, but as TCMC is a newer school, I'm not sure you can assume the three times 60 = ~175 number. You could be right though, I'm just not sure. It could be more or less desirable than an established school to any particular candidate depending on personality, interview day, etc.

 

[MDew]

I think last year they only accepted about 120 intending for 60 to matriculate, but 65 did. Of course last year, it had the charter class scholarship and the like that made more than the usual amount of accepted people actually want to matriculate at TCMC rather elsewhere assuming multiple acceptances.

I've heard the average med school accepts ~3x as many as matriculate, but as TCMC is a newer school, I'm not sure you can assume the three times 60 = ~175 number. You could be right though, I'm just not sure. It could be more or less desirable than an established school to any particular candidate depending on personality, interview day, etc.

Thanks for the feedback, any interview tips? I have an interview the first week of October!

 

[mooshooblue]

Thanks for the feedback, any interview tips? I have an interview the first week of October!

i just interviewed there...

1. Be yourself - they say up front that everyone who gets an interview is qualified to go there, but now the most important thing they are looking for is to figure out if you are a good fit for their school. Numbers aren't as important - now it's more about personality, etc.

2. My interview - they asked me very detailed questions about my research, so be prepared to discuss your research if you have done it. They asked some ethical questions, and some current healthcare issues questions. But it was very conversational, and we discussed a lot of my ECs and personal interests too. I thought it went pretty well.

3. Overall - the school is located in an old highschool building, which is now a community college. They have the ground floor and the 3rd floor. It doesn't look like much, but they have done some really cool things with the space that they have. They are building a new building which would be ready by our 2nd year.

4. Faculty and staff were super nice and welcoming - they seemed really excited about the programs and I just got a really positive vibe from the whole experience.

Would love to go here - now waiting anxiously to hear!!

 

[MDew]

i just interviewed there...

1. Be yourself - they say up front that everyone who gets an interview is qualified to go there, but now the most important thing they are looking for is to figure out if you are a good fit for their school. Numbers aren't as important - now it's more about personality, etc.

2. My interview - they asked me very detailed questions about my research, so be prepared to discuss your research if you have done it. They asked some ethical questions, and some current healthcare issues questions. But it was very conversational, and we discussed a lot of my ECs and personal interests too. I thought it went pretty well.

3. Overall - the school is located in an old highschool building, which is now a community college. They have the ground floor and the 3rd floor. It doesn't look like much, but they have done some really cool things with the space that they have. They are building a new building which would be ready by our 2nd year.

4. Faculty and staff were super nice and welcoming - they seemed really excited about the programs and I just got a really positive vibe from the whole experience.

Would love to go here - now waiting anxiously to hear!!

Thanks for sharing! 👍 it has reduced my stress a lot! Just wondering, how are the interviews conducted? one on one? and how long do they typically last?

 

[DRIN]

Thanks for bringing this to our attention. We have informed our screeners to look for this and to hold to wait for the new scores.

Well how do I get my application "held" instead of "rejected"?? I have emailed the admissions office 3 times about this and haven't gotten a response.

 

[mooshooblue]

Thanks for sharing! 👍 it has reduced my stress a lot! Just wondering, how are the interviews conducted? one on one? and how long do they typically last?

they stick you in a small room with two faculty members - I had one PhD and one MD faculty. Mine lasted a little over an hour.

 

[dudechiefboss]

I talked to an adcom today who said 3.5 and above 30 are the majority of accepted individuals. However, if you have a sub 30 mcat and give a great interview then you have a very good chance - you may be wait listed, but they said wait list at a medical school is a good sign (better than rejection). The interview is very important, but just getting an interview is the key with most medical schools.

A side note: the class size in the next 2 years will be around 120 students, but that doesn't help us with this application cycle.

 

[Medmad]

I talked to an adcom today who said 3.5 and above 30 are the majority of accepted individuals. However, if you have a sub 30 mcat and give a great interview then you have a very good chance - you may be wait listed, but they said wait list at a medical school is a good sign (better than rejection). The interview is very important, but just getting an interview is the key with most medical schools.

A side note: the class size in the next 2 years will be around 120 students, but that doesn't help us with this application cycle.

That simply doesn't make sense to me. If, according to the admissions office, the average MCAT of accepted students last year was a 30, then how can majority of the accepted students have an MCAT>30. An average MCAT of a 30 means that they most likely would have accepted students with an MCAT score of any where from a 26 to a 34. To back up my point, one of the posters of this thread was accepted last year with a 34 on the MCAT, meaning that 26-34 was most likely the MCAT range. 😀

 

[sassilysweet]

That simply doesn't make sense to me. If, according to the admissions office, the average MCAT of accepted students last year was a 30, then how can majority of the accepted students have an MCAT>30. An average MCAT of a 30 means that they most likely would have accepted students with an MCAT score of any where from a 26 to a 34. To back up my point, one of the posters of this thread was accepted last year with a 34 on the MCAT, meaning that 26-34 was most likely the MCAT range. 😀

And this is one reason why I wish schools would list their matriculation data instead of acceptance. Sure the averages for a lot of schools are above a 30 & a 3.5, but how many of those 4.0/40s actually go to those schools? They get multiple acceptances and go to their top choice, but their stats bump up the schools averages.
Sorry I am not picking on TCMC but am just irritated at all schools right now x_X

 

[ElwayFan]

That simply doesn't make sense to me. If, according to the admissions office, the average MCAT of accepted students last year was a 30, then how can majority of the accepted students have an MCAT>30. An average MCAT of a 30 means that they most likely would have accepted students with an MCAT score of any where from a 26 to a 34. To back up my point, one of the posters of this thread was accepted last year with a 34 on the MCAT, meaning that 26-34 was most likely the MCAT range. 😀

Haha, that was me i think.

Theoretically a school could take one 20 and 10 31's and that would be an average of 30 with most acceptances/matriculations/whatever having over 30. Or 2 34's and one 22 would average to 30 too. You can't assume a perfect Gaussian distribution based on just an average, so if your MCAT is outside of Medmad's hypothetical range, I wouldn't worry too much. This applies to any school I'd imagine, not just TCMC. Of course, maybe Medmad is 100% right, anything is possible. I have no inside knowledge of the admissions statistics that you don't, I'm just pointing out some basic statistic stuff.

One other thing that makes me wonder if the 26-34 range is excessively artificial is how much they treat us students as people and not numbers at TCMC. With a small class size and faculty who know us each by name at TCMC, we're more than numbers. In fact, our grading is pass/fail with no numbers or honors. When we, the Charter Class, apply to residency, the residency people won't know if we got a 99% or 75% in Anatomy. However, every prof we have writes a narrative to go with our grade. Like for example, maybe they'd write "He passed, but he was late all the time and is crazy" or "He passed, and was the greatest student, always smiling." The theory is that this tells more about a student than a number.

I am extrapolating a bit here because I'm not an ADCOM member, but I assume that prospective students are treated similar to current students, as it is the same faculty who interview people in your position and "grade" people in my position. As such, I wouldn't focus on numbers as much and focus on being professional and learning the best you can, or at least that's what they tell us in class. Whether that applies to you guys too, I don't know, but it's possible.

 

[BrokenDisco]

I talked to an adcom today who said 3.5 and above 30 are the majority of accepted individuals. However, if you have a sub 30 mcat and give a great interview then you have a very good chance - you may be wait listed, but they said wait list at a medical school is a good sign (better than rejection). The interview is very important, but just getting an interview is the key with most medical schools.

A side note: the class size in the next 2 years will be around 120 students, but that doesn't help us with this application cycle.

what about sub 3.5 gpa...and yea you can do great in an interview if they grant lower numbers an interview

 

[ElwayFan]

what about sub 3.5 gpa...and yea you can do great in an interview if they grant lower numbers an interview

The average GPA is 3.5, so some people obviously had sub 3.5 gpa last year. I had ~3.6, so not a 4.0 by any means. I don't go around asking my classmates GPAs/MCATs, and only post mine here because of the relative anonymity of the internet.

In other news we got an admissions newsletter in our email today. If you'd like a copy, send me a private message on the forums with your email address, it has more detailed statistics and stuff. I'm 99% sure I am allowed to distribute it because it looks like something they'd give the people interviewing today (interviews are on fridays) but I am going to double check with the admissions office before I hand it out.

 

[Spoonbig21]

Dose anyone know if TCMC has students that will house interviewees on their interview day? I really need to save money so I'm trying to avoid hotel costs. Thanks!

 

[scubagirl5]

got an interview here today!!! super excited 🙂

gpa: 3.4 mcat: 32

 

[shamber]

Thanks for bringing this to our attention. We have informed our screeners to look for this and to hold to wait for the new scores.

I, too, had a decision made just days before my new (and much better) MCAT score was released...

 

[DRIN]

I, too, had a decision made just days before my new (and much better) MCAT score was released...

Oh well, their loss 😉

 

[NdNThunder]

Hey guys,

I know I'm a little late with the secondaries. I took the Aug 21 MCAT and after receiving my scores recently, have been working on all the secondaries. Currently I'm working on TCMC and will have it sent by Oct 6 for sure.

Do you think that is too late?
How long did everyone make their answers (since there is no word limit!)?

I'm a PA resident. 3.66/31Q

For those who received interviews, CONGRATS! Mind sharing your stats? Just want to get a feel for what TCMC is looking for this cycle...🙂

 

[sassilysweet]

Hey guys,

I know I'm a little late with the secondaries. I took the Aug 21 MCAT and after receiving my scores recently, have been working on all the secondaries. Currently I'm working on TCMC and will have it sent by Oct 6 for sure.

Do you think that is too late?
How long did everyone make their answers (since there is no word limit!)?

I'm a PA resident. 3.66/31Q

For those who received interviews, CONGRATS! Mind sharing your stats? Just want to get a feel for what TCMC is looking for this cycle...🙂

I would go ahead and apply.

Interview, 32R/3.5/OOS

Good luck!

 

[Omzy]

3. If you could speak directly to the Admissions Committee, explain why you should be admitted to The Commonwealth Medical College. Please answer using the space provided.

You guys, I’m srsly now. Let me in!

 

[Omzy]

Awesome. Just wrote 4786 characters, then pasted it in the box and BAM, only 1111 characters allowed. Now what is I gon' do?

 

[vman51]

Awesome. Just wrote 4786 characters, then pasted it in the box and BAM, only 1111 characters allowed. Now what is I gon' do?

 

[Omzy]

Thanks vman, that did the trick. I also feel better prepared for surgical specialties now.

 

[vman51]

Thanks vman, that did the trick. I also feel better prepared for surgical specialties now.

lol, I saw an opening and had to take it..

but back to your question, I just looked at my own responses

for the 3 essays, I had anywhere from ~1600-3200 characters

So I'd try again (try a different browser maybe?), or maybe just put in part of your essay to see if you get any type of error..

 

[Omzy]

Hmm...that is some troubling news. I already submitted my app with answers less than 1111 characters. Suppose i'll be contacting them on this one.