and quit doggin those that have been accepted. congratulations to them for being an outstanding candidate and showing the admissions committee what they wanted to see. i want to hear from those accepted bc they will have valuable information for the rest of us. information i, and the rest of those waitlisted, would like to know. so please don't scare them off bc they don't want to get hassled by you guys.
Does every one of the 165 or so acceptances have the ability still to decline? Or are the 75 waitlisted students vying for those spots of however many people of the 43 accepted today decide not to enroll?
I only ask because I thought if someone was accepted in the first 120 back near the beginning they had to decide much sooner than today if they were going to accept the acceptance. But if that were the case then it seems to me that more than 43 people could have been automatically accepted today...maybe someone could explain this to me a little more clearly, and if you're not really sure what I am asking don't worry about it because I'm not really sure what I'm asking either...
Waitlisted today. Out of state (Cali). Way below average GPA, above average MCAT. Kind of waiting on financial aid info from another school I am likely attending, and will probably take myself off of the OU waitlist soon. 50K in tuition is quite brutal. I'll post if/when I take myself out of the running. Would be kind of nice to get a waitlist rank, but whatev. I didn't think OU was that much of a number queen until I read the first paragraph of the waitlist letter![]()
you guys have seriously undervalued the power of the interview. the evaluation for your interview has 5 parts that are explicitly aimed at your personality and what type of physician you would be. yes - your score matters. yes - it is a large determining factor. but if you blow your interview, (and not in the "i was nervous and flustered" way) but you are arrogant, pompous, lie, make excuses...basically if you give them a reason that shows you would be a poor physician they will reject you regardless of your ivy league scores.
so here is the deal: stop with the negativity. quit doggin the system, you need to learn to play the game. it's the way life goes. yeah, it's probably a little skew. but i have faith in it, and faith in the adcom to chose canidates that are qualified, and not just statistically.
and quit doggin those that have been accepted. congratulations to them for being an outstanding candidate and showing the admissions committee what they wanted to see. i want to hear from those accepted bc they will have valuable information for the rest of us. information i, and the rest of those waitlisted, would like to know. so please don't scare them off bc they don't want to get hassled by you guys.
and as for this:
i'm really curious too, and i'm going to ask admissions. i'll let you know what i find out. unless someone beats me to it.
"everybody gets knocked down. how quick are you going to get back up?"
keep it positive guys. everyone has a path, sometimes it just takes a while...
I totally agree with Phage on this one. It does sound like OU is strictly numbers based. I feel as though the interview is just a formality. Personality has little to no basis. I even believe that the more arrogant and pompous you are, the more desirable you are to them. It shows that you are confident in your ability to be a physician. As for the rest of your post, you sound like a cheerleader or some sorority in rush trying to get me to join.
i meet with a board member. she showed me the evaluation form, and explained the process to me. like i said: yes your numbers matter, but so does your interview. and it matters even more so than it used to in the past. you bomb your interview - and get even one D - your high scores will never be able outrank someone who had all 3 A's even if their numbers are lower.... wilso3 is right on.
I dont know what insider information you "seem" to have but I am going to have to respectfully disagree. I think numbers > interview. Interviews are subjective and done by many people. Numbers are concrete.
Can anyone shed some light on the reapplicant workshop? Should you dress as if its an interview? Do they actually go through you're file or will they simply state you have to retake the MCAT or improve the GPA?
And also how does the interview committee compensate when a person is only interviewed by two people?
This is what they sent me when I asked.
"Dr. Baker will take you through the stats of the accepted class and how the decisions were made. Then, a successful re-applicant now a medical student will share their experience with you. Following this will be a question and answer session with a panel representing the admission board. You might want to think of some general questions you have for them What they are looking for. What within the application would cause red flags? As a reapplicant how do they want you to interview next year: You get the drift. This is not the time for questions pertaining to you, individually.
After the Q&A you will break into small groups with an Admission Board member. This is the time they will counsel you one-on-one regarding the strengths and weaknesses of your application and specifics on what needs to be done for successful reapplication."
I hope it is not against the rules to post the text of emails, sorry in advance if it is.
This is what they sent me when I asked.
"Dr. Baker will take you through the stats of the accepted class and how the decisions were made. Then, a successful re-applicant now a medical student will share their experience with you. Following this will be a question and answer session with a panel representing the admission board. You might want to think of some general questions you have for them What they are looking for. What within the application would cause red flags? As a reapplicant how do they want you to interview next year: You get the drift. This is not the time for questions pertaining to you, individually.
After the Q&A you will break into small groups with an Admission Board member. This is the time they will counsel you one-on-one regarding the strengths and weaknesses of your application and specifics on what needs to be done for successful reapplication."
I hope it is not against the rules to post the text of emails, sorry in advance if it is.
Also I was wondering what people's take is on Phange. I mean he did everything they asked and he applied four straight years. I'm just so worried that I won't get in if I reapply. I applied late this year I took the MCAT in August.
Somebody like Phange did everything he could and had like a 30 MCAT Score and was waitlisted last year and rejected outright this year. So do they look at reapplicants in a bad way? Or was 4 times (one too many)?
I mean I can't really retake the MCAT. and my GPA won't improve by the time June comes around.
My personal advice, if it's worth anything at all to you, is to not worry about Phange. His situation is unique to him just as your situation is unique to you. If I were in your situation, I would focus on what I could do next time to get myself in and not worry about past re-applicants who didn't get in. I've heard many accounts of re-applicants who got in on the second try and many accounts of people who got in from the waitlist. People do it every year. Again, just putting it out there in case it's worth anything to you.
Also I was wondering what people's take is on Phange. I mean he did everything they asked and he applied four straight years. I'm just so worried that I won't get in if I reapply. I applied late this year I took the MCAT in August.
Somebody like Phange did everything he could and had like a 30 MCAT Score and was waitlisted last year and rejected outright this year. So do they look at reapplicants in a bad way? Or was 4 times (one too many)?
I mean I can't really retake the MCAT. and my GPA won't improve by the time June comes around.
Sure, but I'm just thinking that he did everything to try and get in and listened to the workshop committee...
...But my mind is wandering to nightmare scenarios like Phange. I mean if he did everything they asked (4 straight times)? what would you say?
First of all I must point out that he only applied to OU the first 3 years and this year applied to OSU as a second school a couple weeks ago. It is a red flag to interviewers when they find out you've only applied to one school. Obviously you dont want to become a physician that badly if you refuse to relocate nor do you understand the competitiveness of the process (word for word from an admissions counselor).
Also, personality is very important to the interviewiers, some people just dont have the right temperament to become a physician, ya know?
I personally think schools have a great respect for reapplicants. It shows perserverence and tenacity. He is an exception not a rule. If you have an MPH (or any other masters), even with a much lower gpa than his and a 30 on the MCAT and you dont get it, it is obviously not a numbers game. Something must have gone wrong at the interview.
It is also important to remember that the interviewers are trying to make sure not only will you be a good doctor, but a good fit for the school.
First of all I must point out that he only applied to OU the first 3 years and this year applied to OSU as a second school a couple weeks ago. It is a red flag to interviewers when they find out you've only applied to one school. Obviously you dont want to become a physician that badly if you refuse to relocate nor do you understand the competitiveness of the process (word for word from an admissions counselor).
Also, personality is very important to the interviewiers, some people just dont have the right temperament to become a physician, ya know?
I personally think schools have a great respect for reapplicants. It shows perserverence and tenacity. He is an exception not a rule. If you have an MPH (or any other masters), even with a much lower gpa than his and a 30 on the MCAT and you dont get it, it is obviously not a numbers game. Something must have gone wrong at the interview.
It is also important to remember that the interviewers are trying to make sure not only will you be a good doctor, but a good fit for the school.
Could something have gone wrong 4 straight times with an interview? I don't mean to be pressing I'm just trying to figure this out. The disappointment hurts so bad and through my comments I've realized how I've come off as overly aggressive to those who were accepted (which I sincerely apologize).
Also like how do you get waitlisted one year but rejected the next as Phange asserts.
You've said nothing for which you need to apologize.
Could something have gone wrong 4 straight times with an interview? I don't mean to be pressing I'm just trying to figure this out.
QUOTE]
FYI, I have not gotten interview feedback from OU since the workshop is thurs, I'm just going from my experience with OSU when I called about my waitlist letter.
You know I think the interview is much more important than phage says. The trouble is that when you get interview feedback, pretty much all of the comments the interviewers made about you are confidential. The school cannot say, "well interviewer X completely disagreed with Y statement or felt that Z statement was not the answer of someone with maturity or alturistic tendencies". The best the school can do is mention increasing your GPA/MCAT/EC's/etc because that is pretty much the only advice they can offer.
I honestly would love it if a school could say, "you rambled too much, your answers were too abrasive, you were too timid in talking about your positives". I think that is the kind of feedback we are truely looking for as applicants.
I have a different perspective since this is my first application cycle and I have been waitlisted at a school that takes like 40% of their class from the waitlist so maybe I am looking through rosecolored glasses and still trying to see the positive. If I had been waitlisted/rejected multiple times and the only feedback I got was to improve my stats, I then improved my stats immensely and was still waitlisted/rejected, my gut reaction would be to blame "the system".
A husband of one of my professors is on the AdCom for OU and interviews a couple times throughout the season. He says that every year you get the 4.0/35 students who get rejected b/c their interview went poorly for whatever reason. Sometimes they have no personality or are overly arrogant or are just in it b/c of the competition and prestige. I am not saying any of us that were rejected have no personality, but it goes to show how important the interview is.
I also must say how much respect I have for Phage for applying and reapplying. I cannot imagine how difficult it must be to interivew a 3rd or 4th time. Even though OU wasn't my first choice and I didnt really think my interview went that well and my stats are low, getting my rejection letter still hurt. Sucks that a piece of paper can wreak such havock over our emotions!
Could something have gone wrong 4 straight times with an interview? I don't mean to be pressing I'm just trying to figure this out.
QUOTE]
FYI, I have not gotten interview feedback from OU since the workshop is thurs, I'm just going from my experience with OSU when I called about my waitlist letter.
You know I think the interview is much more important than phage says. The trouble is that when you get interview feedback, pretty much all of the comments the interviewers made about you are confidential. The school cannot say, "well interviewer X completely disagreed with Y statement or felt that Z statement was not the answer of someone with maturity or alturistic tendencies". The best the school can do is mention increasing your GPA/MCAT/EC's/etc because that is pretty much the only advice they can offer.
I honestly would love it if a school could say, "you rambled too much, your answers were too abrasive, you were too timid in talking about your positives". I think that is the kind of feedback we are truely looking for as applicants.
I have a different perspective since this is my first application cycle and I have been waitlisted at a school that takes like 40% of their class from the waitlist so maybe I am looking through rosecolored glasses and still trying to see the positive. If I had been waitlisted/rejected multiple times and the only feedback I got was to improve my stats, I then improved my stats immensely and was still waitlisted/rejected, my gut reaction would be to blame "the system".
A husband of one of my professors is on the AdCom for OU and interviews a couple times throughout the season. He says that every year you get the 4.0/35 students who get rejected b/c their interview went poorly for whatever reason. Sometimes they have no personality or are overly arrogant or are just in it b/c of the competition and prestige. I am not saying any of us that were rejected have no personality, but it goes to show how important the interview is.
I also must say how much respect I have for Phage for applying and reapplying. I cannot imagine how difficult it must be to interivew a 3rd or 4th time. Even though OU wasn't my first choice and I didnt really think my interview went that well and my stats are low, getting my rejection letter still hurt. Sucks that a piece of paper can wreak such havock over our emotions!
Rejection does hurt. I think I have to get passed this current phase and move on to the improvement phase. Hopefully things will be different.
Do you know where you are ranked on the OSU waitlist?
nah, since they have interivews through late march/early april it'd just keep changing anyway. lindsey just said it was b/c of some C's in upper division sciences which stinks b/c there is absolutely nothing I can do about it now.
im curious, sdotsom did you hear back?
but i also think ou med focuses MORE on the numbers than the character, however, there are exceptions 😎
To quote the immortal words of Jeff "The Dude" Lebowski... Yeah, well you know, that's just like your opinion, man.
My opinion would be the opposite. I tend to think OU (and every other medical school for that matter) does their best to focus more on the character of the applicants than their numbers. It's just that when you get 1700 or so applicants for 165 seats, numbers do come into play. Having a high GPA/MCAT puts an applicant in a position to benefit from rolling admissions. But, that still doesn't guarantee anything.
From my interview experience I believe that OU really tries to gauge the character of the applicants and their fit for the school. My interviewers and I spent approximately 2 minutes (if that long) discussing my below average GPA and there was almost no mention of my MCAT (just average for this year's accepted applicants). The interview was actually more personal about my experiences, travel, family, values, stress management, hobbies, volunteer work, desire to become a physician, etc. This was even during the "open file" portion of my interview.
If they were more focused on numbers than character, I think we would have spent more time talking about my GPA and MCAT.
What is everyone wearing to the reapplicant workshop??? Jeans?
Has anyone heard back about the workshop? I've emailed a couple times to no response,
what are we suppose to wear?
is it in the med school building?
where are we supposed to park?
I'd love to wear jeans. I hate dressing up but I dont want to look sloppy. Black slacks, a cardigan and ballet flats? (basically the same outfit as physician shadowing...)