2009-2010 University of Pittsburgh Application Thread

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Equality said:
Some numbers you might like to know: About 1000 applicants were selected last year and about 400 people were given acceptances. There is a rumor (from students) that this year the interview numbers will be reduced to about 900.
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wow, i did not know Pitt accepted that many students last year. for the 2007-2008 1st year class, msar lists 1229 interviewed, 146 matriculated. i know schools accept many more than the # matriculated, but i didn't know it was that much! good to know. and somewhat of a relief, too.
 
osumc2014 said:
what was the most interesting question you were asked?
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I was asked "Why Pittsburgh" (the city) on many forms by both interviewers.
No ethical Qs. Both asked me about specialties that interest me and what I do in my free time. Both interviews are, essentially, closed file. Faculty intervewer has PS and activities, but that's it.

My student interviewer and I really clicked. She asked "Is there anything you really want the AdCom to know about you?". Gotta love that. 😀

:xf::luck:please Pitt, love me back! 😍
 
how are you guys getting from the airport to your hotel/pitt? im trying to see if theres a cheap/easy way other than a $40 taxi ride
 
oh the airport flyer bus i think it is right?

anyone stay at the quality inn? it looks like you have to make a transfer..
 
themoomoo said:
oh the airport flyer bus i think it is right?

anyone stay at the quality inn? it looks like you have to make a transfer..
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When I checked google maps, it didn't look like there was a transfer.
 
im staying at the quality inn. but im driving there.

you should call them and ask if they have their own shuttle
 
brooklynblunder said:
im staying at the quality inn. but im driving there.

you should call them and ask if they have their own shuttle
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If you are talking about the Quality Inn University Center, it does not have a shuttle to the airport. The hotel is 21 miles from the airport. You can take the Super Shuttle from the airport but it's $30.
 
can u take the bus to the school or whatever and then get a shuttle from the quality inn?
 
The Quality Inn does have a shuttle that runs in the Oakland area. However, there should be no problem taking the Airport Flyer (28X) from the airport to the hotel based on what I see on Google maps (you have to walk 5 min from where the bus stops to the hotel...which shouldn't be a big deal).
 
MedYEP,

i'm sure you have answered the question but how do you like Pitt as a city and school so far?
 
So far, I love both the school and the city. I'm from Denver and lived there for 12 years, so, coming to Pittsburgh and living in a city with a completely different feel has been fun. It is an older city and has a lot of character, which I really like.

The school is really as awesome as it seems. All of the professors I have met are great and very devoted to your learning. We have our first anatomy exam on Monday, so it has been stressful, but I think things will be better after this exam because we will get a feel for how things are going, how much studying is necessary, etc. By the way, Dr. Schumann, who teaches anatomy, is totally awesome.
 
themoomoo said:
oh the airport flyer bus i think it is right?

anyone stay at the quality inn? it looks like you have to make a transfer..
Click to expand...

I interviewed here last week and stayed at the Quality Inn. You don't have to make a transfer on the bus. If you take the 28X flyer from the airport (it costs $2.60) just get off at 5th and Halkers. Then you can just walk down Halkers a couple minutes, and you are at the Quality Inn. I strongly recommend you take a look a map of the bus route and the Quality Inn's location, because the streets are a bit confusing.

On the morning of your interview, you can take the hotel shuttle (its free!) at 8 a.m., and they will drop you off right outside the building. This will save you walking up cardiac hill and sweating before your interviews. Just make sure you get down to the main desk at about 7:50 a.m., so you don't miss the shuttle.
 
Equality said:
Some numbers you might like to know: About 1000 applicants were selected last year and about 400 people were given acceptances. There is a rumor (from students) that this year the interview numbers will be reduced to about 900.
Click to expand...


Thank you for sharing this information. When I looked at their matriculation data, I was wondering why in the world would they interview 1000 people just to reject 90% of them...
 
brooklynblunder said:
as for the quality inn, you have to ask for the INTERN rate
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Greetings-I wanted to suggest that you also try either the Wyndham Garden Hotel or the Holiday Inn Select University Center. These hotels are even closer than the Quality Inn and have decent rates. Ask for the UPMC residency rate.

Also, if anyone is a user of Priceline, Pittsburgh is one of the best cities for getting great rates. Whenever I come back to Pittsburgh I often stay at the Wyndham in the 40.00 range per night. Check out www.biddingfortravel.com for tips.

Pittsburgh is in my humble opinion the best city in America-so good luck applicants.
 
anyone know whether pitt accepts a p/f class for their english requirement? i have one english dept class with a grade, and one with a p.

ooor does anybody know what other courses they say can fulfill the english requirement? the courses i have that fit best are either a sociology class titled "american society through literature and film," read 8 books, 1 paper and 2 essay tests or a philosophy class, lots of reading, 2 papers.

thank you if you can help! i wish i'd remembered to ask this when i called on friday and i was really hoping to submit tonight
 
After interviewing here, all I can say is "awesome". The interviewers are totally laid back and are pretty much all about meeting you and seeing what makes you tick. I also like how the interviewers don't have access to any of your numbers...shows they just want to focus on your story and why you want to do medicine. My faculty interviewer was so cool and it felt very positive and conversational. I felt like I really got a good chance to show him who I was.

The facilities and the students are awesome. I was surprised at how great Pittsburgh itself was. The location of the school and the hospitals is in the perfect part of town with lots of stuff to do nearby.

One other funny thing - during our admissions process overview, the lady who was presenting to us made a subtle jab at SDN and pretty much told us "not to believe everything [we] hear" on the forum. I chuckled inside, because it's so true.

And stay with a student host if you can!!! Check the spreadsheet, especially for people who live in the on-campus housing. My student host was great and he gave me the inside scoop on Pitt. The student housing is like a 3 minute walk from Scaife hall. Very convenient considering how early the interview day starts. And be prepared to have a LOT of questions for everybody you meet there. I probably had a thousand people asking me to ask them questions there. It was really helpful, but come prepared.
 
rockaction said:
After interviewing here, all I can say is "awesome". The interviewers are totally laid back and are pretty much all about meeting you and seeing what makes you tick. I also like how the interviewers don't have access to any of your numbers...shows they just want to focus on your story and why you want to do medicine. My faculty interviewer was so cool and it felt very positive and conversational. I felt like I really got a good chance to show him who I was.

The facilities and the students are awesome. I was surprised at how great Pittsburgh itself was. The location of the school and the hospitals is in the perfect part of town with lots of stuff to do nearby.

One other funny thing - during our admissions process overview, the lady who was presenting to us made a subtle jab at SDN and pretty much told us "not to believe everything [we] hear" on the forum. I chuckled inside, because it's so true.

And stay with a student host if you can!!! Check the spreadsheet, especially for people who live in the on-campus housing. My student host was great and he gave me the inside scoop on Pitt. The student housing is like a 3 minute walk from Scaife hall. Very convenient considering how early the interview day starts. And be prepared to have a LOT of questions for everybody you meet there. I probably had a thousand people asking me to ask them questions there. It was really helpful, but come prepared.
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Thanks a bunch rockaction, I'll be heading out to UPitt tomorrow for my interview Tuesday. I'm definitely excited and reading up today on what they're all about. I'm just excited to have the opportunity to interview! I hope I'm early enough to have a legit shot because my MCAT is below average for UPitt. Hopefully I just have such an awesome personality that they can't reject 😉
 
what info on SDN specifically did the presenter suggest we disregard?
 
BBender716 said:
Thanks a bunch rockaction, I'll be heading out to UPitt tomorrow for my interview Tuesday. I'm definitely excited and reading up today on what they're all about. I'm just excited to have the opportunity to interview! I hope I'm early enough to have a legit shot because my MCAT is below average for UPitt. Hopefully I just have such an awesome personality that they can't reject 😉
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One thing they told us was that they believe everyone they interview is capable to do well at Pitt. So I wouldn't worry about your numbers, because apparently once you get to this point it's all about being a good fit for the school. So just be confident and show 'em who's boss 🙂

Contrarian said:
what info on SDN specifically did the presenter suggest we disregard?
Click to expand...

Nothing in particular. Just in general, that it's better to hear info from the school itself instead of speculation here.
 
rockaction said:
After interviewing here, all I can say is "awesome". The interviewers are totally laid back and are pretty much all about meeting you and seeing what makes you tick. I also like how the interviewers don't have access to any of your numbers...shows they just want to focus on your story and why you want to do medicine. My faculty interviewer was so cool and it felt very positive and conversational. I felt like I really got a good chance to show him who I was.

The facilities and the students are awesome. I was surprised at how great Pittsburgh itself was. The location of the school and the hospitals is in the perfect part of town with lots of stuff to do nearby.

One other funny thing - during our admissions process overview, the lady who was presenting to us made a subtle jab at SDN and pretty much told us "not to believe everything [we] hear" on the forum. I chuckled inside, because it's so true.

And stay with a student host if you can!!! Check the spreadsheet, especially for people who live in the on-campus housing. My student host was great and he gave me the inside scoop on Pitt. The student housing is like a 3 minute walk from Scaife hall. Very convenient considering how early the interview day starts. And be prepared to have a LOT of questions for everybody you meet there. I probably had a thousand people asking me to ask them questions there. It was really helpful, but come prepared.
Click to expand...

truth. students seemed to enjoy it there. obviously there is a bias but i was definitely impressed by pitt
 
rockaction said:
One thing they told us was that they believe everyone they interview is capable to do well at Pitt. So I wouldn't worry about your numbers, because apparently once you get to this point it's all about being a good fit for the school. So just be confident and show 'em who's boss 🙂



Nothing in particular. Just in general, that it's better to hear info from the school itself instead of speculation here.
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Did we interview the same day? :laugh:
 
Just wanted to give this thread some love because I'm about to board at the airport and going to Pittsburgh for my interview tomorrow! Wish me luck! 🙂
 
BBender716 said:
Just wanted to give this thread some love because I'm about to board at the airport and going to Pittsburgh for my interview tomorrow! Wish me luck! 🙂
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Good Luck. You'll do great. remember its just an interview -- not the end of life & as somebody somewhere said, it all works out for the best!
 
...now, anticlimactically, I found out from my student host that he won't be able to make it home before 5 tonight, so now I'm chilling at the airport. Anyone have any cool suggestions for what to do in Pittsburgh while carrying a garment bag and backpack? lol Or maybe I can just try every pastry at Au Bon Pain.... haha
 
BBender716 said:
Anyone have any cool suggestions for what to do in Pittsburgh while carrying a garment bag and backpack?
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Take a taxi to Primanti Bros. Order a Roethlis-burger. Try to not get a heart attack before your interview.
 
Interviewed today.

Was asked, "So after everything we've talked about, what else would we have to do to get you to come here?"

Answered, "Send a large envelope to my mailbox. Trust me -- that's all you have to do."

Seriously, all day they were selling the school to me -- it was the most unnecessary advertisement ever. I came into the day expecting that I'd have to be pimping myself out and trying to explain why I'd be a great fit for the school; it was exactly the opposite. My interviewer was awesome. We chatted while I got a really in-depth tour of the WISER center and then he invited me to his office where he kicked his feet up on the table and chilled.

😍😍😍
 
more to come, still at the airport going home but...

best. day. ever.

UPITT!
 
Awesome to hear all these good reports! It seems everyone is enjoying Pitt 🙂

Here's hoping we can all share in some acceptance soon...
 
Got a student host, awesome. This interview trip is going to be a blast.

It must be crazy in Pittsburgh right now, with the G20.
 
Does anyone know if Pitt sends complete emails?
 
AL24 said:
Does anyone know if Pitt sends complete emails?
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I second the Q, as I haven't received a complete email. However when I did send a query to Pitt, they said my application is complete.
My status shows:
Invited to complete supplemental application.


Supplemental Application Submitted.
 
no complete emails.

emails only when you are invited to interview

all other come by snail mail
 
anyone know how long upitt generally takes to send decisions out after an interview?
 
They said they'll start mailing them out shortly after October 15th and also updating the status online. They made it also seem that we should NOT expect an email.
 
Yea, they said that the absolutely earliest is October 15th, but the general rule of thumb is 4-6 weeks after your interview. Your status will update online and they'll send a decision out via snail mail. The Assistant Dean told us that it's much more dramatic to get something in the mail rather than refresh a status page and insisted that we try to have patience.

I'm going to give that a shot, but I really doubt that I'll be able to resist checking come early November.
 
what does it mean by status updating online

will it be blatant?

dear brooklyn,

you are ****ing accepted.

love,

pitt
 
I heard blatant. It seemed like he said, "it will be online as well, but it will only be official once you get the letter." I don't know exactly how that changes things, but take it for what it's worth, lol
 
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