2009-2010 University of Pittsburgh Application Thread

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for the second prompt, are we supposed to talk about something in our background that makes us diverse (e.g. culture, ethnicity, parents' occupations, etc.)? Or are we supposed to discuss like an EC or special experience that makes us unique?

I talked about one "background" and one unique EC, so I think that either is fine.
 
Hi, I submitted my secondary application and Amcas has my LORs. (On their status page, it even shows that mine is there.)

However, it still says "Letters of Recommendation Not Completed." Does anyone else have that problem?
 
I also got an email invite today, at 330 PM. I sent out my supplemental late last night. It says the committee reviewed my app so I don't think it was an auto email.

My stats are 3.86 Cumulative, 3.75 Science, 36 MCAT. I put a lot of work into my diversity and moral dilemma essays as well. Its an awesome school and I would love to go there, so I'm thrilled at this quick turn around.

Wow. Congratulations.
 
Hi, I submitted my secondary application and Amcas has my LORs. (On their status page, it even shows that mine is there.)

However, it still says "Letters of Recommendation Not Completed." Does anyone else have that problem?

That seems to be fairly common, but I don't think it is a big deal. I don't understand why it would say "not complete," but it does. You aren't alone though.
 
hey guys, it says my letters (actually just one committee letter) were uploaded on 6/10/09

granted I was already verified by then, but just thought you might like to know....
 
Can anyone post a link to the secondary app? I wanted to check something - I'm an hour away from my regular computer!
 
mine says complete.... one of the few schools that actually does
 
I have always been told that there is no magical gpa/mcat combination that will get you an automatic interview. The admissions committee does review every secondary application from what I understand. They might have an idea of who will be getting interviews before secondaries are returned, but there are no "automatic interviews."

This gets discussed every year haha...and I'm sure it'll continue to be discussed throughout this thread. Yes, Pitt is super quick with the interviews. Don't spend too much time trying to figure out the method to their madness though. You'll easily drive yourself crazy during this application season if you think too much about how each school works.

Good luck everyone! Pitt's an awesome school and I couldn't be happier here 🙂
 
does anyone know if they review our app even tho we don't have our LORs in?
 
trying to think of moral/ethical dilemmas. i can think of these two so far and i'm wondering if these would be considered as cheating in an academic setting. i hope not. anyway...

1. in one of my electrical engineering classes (that's my major) i was building a pseudo-random noise generator with a friend of mine. the report was due about a week after we finished it. i had a lot of other stuff to do later that week, so i just knocked it out real quick and turned it in early. even though i turned it in early, i spent a lot of time on it, and typed up a fantastic report. i thought the reports were supposed to be done individually when in reality my friend and i were supposed to work on it together. When i turned it in, my prof was confused when only my name was on it, but he said it wasn't a problem, and my friend just needed to turn in a separate report, but in order to make sure my friend wouldn't simply take info from my report (not that he would have), his report could not have any of the same analysis that my report had. It had to have all new info. Unfortunately, my report was very thorough, and my friend and i (and probably my prof) knew that he would get a terrible grade on his report. So, without my friend knowing, i talked to my prof, and he gave me the option of disregarding my previous report, completing a separate project with my friend, and the two of us completing a separate report together. I had already spent a LOT of time and effort on the first project, and i was confident that i would get an A on the report i turned in. Re-doing this project would mean forgoing an almost certain A, and duplicating my previous effort. However, my friend didn't do anything wrong in this case, so it's unfair to make him suffer the consequences of my actions. So, the ethical issue at stake here is whether i take the A or redo the project with my friend, allowing him a fair chance at a good grade. Being the awesome person that i am, of course i redid the project. Wow, that probably busted the 250 words by far, and it wasn't even well written. i guess i'll have to fix that

2. i was building a radar system with 4 other people. One of the people in the group was not pulling his weight, and it was really frustrating everyone else. Even after constant reminders that he needed to work harder, he just didn't do so, and the project was suffering. It came time for peer evaluations, and i was ready to rip this guy a new one, because if we all put forth the same effort for the same sub-par product, we all get bad grades. but if our profs were aware that this guy wasn't pulling his weight, the rest of our grades would be salvagable. However, he came up to me, and told me about some serious family issues he had been having, and in light of this new information, i was suddenly a lot more understanding of his lack of hard work. So, i was left with several options: 1. destroy this guy on the peer eval and let the profs deal with him. kind of a heartless approach. 2. tell the profs about his situation. bad choice, it was a personal issue and it wasn't my place to divulge that info. 3. convince the dude to tell the profs himself. somewhat conniving and manipulative, but i felt this was the best way to go.

ok, those were really long, sorry. i'll cut them down for sure. but are these usable, or should i keep brainstorming?
 
Does any one show their LOR status as complete? I am about to call them, but I thought I would check. If no one else is complete, then I will assume their system is just delayed or something. Otherwise, I want to know what is holding up my app.
 
Got an envelope from pitt at home my sign. other said.. interesting if they rejected me so quick im not even complete on their status page, but im guess there is only one thing an envelope can mean!... rejection haha
 
Got an envelope from pitt at home my sign. other said.. interesting if they rejected me so quick im not even complete on their status page, but im guess there is only one thing an envelope can mean!... rejection haha

What? Are you saying you think they are rejecting you already? It could just be some information. Did you open the envelope?
 
Does any one show their LOR status as complete? I am about to call them, but I thought I would check. If no one else is complete, then I will assume their system is just delayed or something. Otherwise, I want to know what is holding up my app.

They list my LORs but it says "not complete" for LORs. What the hell? Their system must be screwed up or something.
 
They list my LORs but it says "not complete" for LORs. What the hell? Their system must be screwed up or something.

I finally just called them. They said that I am complete on their end, but it might not show up yet on the status page. I am guessing that is true for most of the rest of you waiting on the LOR to update to "complete."
 
Not yet, just got off a nightshift and im not home yet-

but im thinking, they could've communicated any info through email.. a letter probably rejection
 
Not yet, just got off a nightshift and im not home yet-

but im thinking, they could've communicated any info through email.. a letter probably rejection

You have to be more positive than that! If you aren't complete the only reason they would be rejecting you is your numbers, and based on your MDapps that wouldn't happen. WashU sent me a big envelope of information, so Pitt might be doing the same.
 
sent
Got an envelope from pitt at home my sign. other said.. interesting if they rejected me so quick im not even complete on their status page, but im guess there is only one thing an envelope can mean!... rejection haha

They sent out form snail mail letters inviting people to fill out the secondary...I got one too.
 
sent

They sent out form snail mail letters inviting people to fill out the secondary...I got one too.

That is awesome, I already submitted my secondary...I am really glad we don't actually have to rely on snail mail.
 
yea, I got that letter as well. Did anyone notice how convincing that signature is? It looks so real! However, I doubt Cynthia Bonnetti, Executive Director of Admissions and Financial Aid hand signed thousands of these letters.
 
Now the wait for that committee letter. Don't ya hate it when that happens...?
 
yea, I got that letter as well. Did anyone notice how convincing that signature is? It looks so real! However, I doubt Cynthia Bonnetti, Executive Director of Admissions and Financial Aid hand signed thousands of these letters.

Haha, I seriously almost had a heart attack when I saw the small envelope from Pitt in the mail. My only thought was "dang, that was a quick rejection...my LORs aren't even in yet". lol I was very relieved to see it was just that secondary letter. 🙂

And, btw, yes, I did sort of examine the signature...it really does look real!
 
Haha, I seriously almost had a heart attack when I saw the small envelope from Pitt in the mail. My only thought was "dang, that was a quick rejection...my LORs aren't even in yet". lol I was very relieved to see it was just that secondary letter. 🙂

And, btw, yes, I did sort of examine the signature...it really does look real!


:laugh::laugh: i thought the same thing!! i was like crap they don't even care about my LORs they're just done with me
 
And, btw, yes, I did sort of examine the signature...it really does look real!

I'm thinking it was like an office assistant(s) or something. No one that important has the time to sign that many letters at this time of year.
 
Got an envelope from pitt at home my sign. other said.. interesting if they rejected me so quick im not even complete on their status page, but im guess there is only one thing an envelope can mean!... rejection haha

Got the same thing- it's information about school and telling you to fill out secondary.
 
just got an interview invite! well not really just now, but at 12:36 pm.

they had my letters on file before i submitted my secondary which was 7/3!!
LORs received on 6/22/09 via AMCAS.

For those booking flights, head on to Southwest.com $90 one way from september 9 to November 18. excludes sundays/fridays.
 
for the biology courses section, did you guys just fill up all of the slots with your biology courses? as in, you kept entering the courses until you didn't have any more room?
 
did anyone get an interview without having their LORs in?
 
just got an interview invite! well not really just now, but at 12:36 pm.

they had my letters on file before i submitted my secondary which was 7/3!!
LORs received on 6/22/09 via AMCAS.

For those booking flights, head on to Southwest.com $90 one way from september 9 to November 18. excludes sundays/fridays.

Geez, I hope I can be one of the lucky ones with an interview soon. I submitted my application around the same time as you, but they didn't show my letters until a day after I submitted.
 
For those of you with interviews, why aren't you putting your names in the official interview invite threads? Help us organize this information into one place.
 
just got an interview invite! well not really just now, but at 12:36 pm.

they had my letters on file before i submitted my secondary which was 7/3!!
LORs received on 6/22/09 via AMCAS.

For those booking flights, head on to Southwest.com $90 one way from september 9 to November 18. excludes sundays/fridays.

When was your app complete?
 
I didn't have problem with LOR status

I submitted my app today 2:30 am and my status for LOR says complete the first thing in the morning around like 10am
 
When was your app complete?

I am not sure what you're asking for...but my supp app to pittsburgh was received/completed on 7/3 Friday morning because my LOR's were already on file on 6/22.
 
It says my LORs are complete now. I guess that means my app. is complete. Now I hope I get an interview invite.:xf:
 
It says my LORs are complete now. I guess that means my app. is complete. Now I hope I get an interview invite.:xf:

Same for me! I would love to have an interview invite this early.
 
Got an interview invite!!!

Good luck to everyone!
 
Question about LORs. Do they ask for 3 academic letters and then we can send more character letters? Or just 3 letters total? Because I have a very strong character letter and I want to include that. I do also have 3 academic letters but they re not as strong
 
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