2009-2010 Yale University Application Thread

[Zaynecarrick]

---

Members don't see this ad.

On the status page, are all of your letters of recommendation marked "received" on the same day? All but one of my letters were received on Aug 25, and I'm not sure why that might be the case since I was under the impression that letters are uploaded electronically from AMCAS? Thanks for your help.

Well, I had all of my letters sent in on a school packet so they were all received at once. My impression was that they take a while to get them just from AMCAS. If AMCAS has all your letters on file and you listed all of them on the Yale supplement, it could just be a minor delay.

 

[wolfiemd]

Hey guys,

So I was browsing through possible interview questions on the interview feedback section and I came across one that I have no clue how to answer:

"What qualities about you make you bad for the Yale system?"

How can you spin this in a positive way? I'm sure you can't just say "nothing." Any ideas? Shemarty?

 

[shemarty]

Hey guys,

So I was browsing through possible interview questions on the interview feedback section and I came across one that I have no clue how to answer:

"What qualities about you make you bad for the Yale system?"

How can you spin this in a positive way? I'm sure you can't just say "nothing." Any ideas? Shemarty?

Hmm... that's a tough one...

The Yale System is very self-guided. Perhaps if you liked structure and being told what to do, that would make you bad for the Yale System. However, you could say that you'll make your own schedules and stick to them? Not really sure... 😕

 

[TheFreak]

does anyone know what the max on letters is at yale?

 

[Luboy]

First Interview Invite! Complete 8/28! Super excited and a little nervous!

 

[trueBelief]

First Interview Invite! Complete 8/28! Super excited and a little nervous!

Congrats!! =)

Yale was the first one I heard back from and I feel the same - super excited and nervous at the same time. Good Luck!!

 

[AmericanGypsy]

anyone know if there is a way to see my committee letter? Would schools that have rejected let me see a copy...or at least let me know why i got the boot (grades, mcat, antigypsy policy, rec letters...)?

 

[dw2158]

anyone know if there is a way to see my committee letter? Would schools that have rejected let me see a copy...or at least let me know why i got the boot (grades, mcat, antigypsy policy, rec letters...)?

depends. did you waive your rights to read the letter(s)?

 

[dw2158]

anyone know if there is a way to see my committee letter? Would schools that have rejected let me see a copy...or at least let me know why i got the boot (grades, mcat, antigypsy policy, rec letters...)?

also, why do you think you got the boot? yale won't reject anyone until march. it's a tad bit early to be worrying.

 

[TypeSH07]

Wow, people are getting really quick turnarounds. How long do we need to wait after completion to assume rejection? I know schools like Baylor have you ranked and among the applicant pile throughout the cycle. Do Yale and other schools work like this too?

 

[LAman10]

Wow, people are getting really quick turnarounds. How long do we need to wait after completion to assume rejection? I know schools like Baylor have you ranked and among the applicant pile throughout the cycle. Do Yale and other schools work like this too?

you should assume rejection when you get a rejection letter.

 

[dw2158]

you should assume rejection when you get a rejection letter.

haha THANK you!

seriously, everyone needs to take a deep breath! i haven't gotten an interview invite yet either. but i'm not worried-- because today is SEPTEMBER FIRST. they will send out more than just one round of invites, some of which will be months from now. not getting one right away doesn't mean they automatically hate you.

 

[jbar]

anyone know if there is a way to see my committee letter? Would schools that have rejected let me see a copy...or at least let me know why i got the boot (grades, mcat, antigypsy policy, rec letters...)?

If you've waved your right you can't ask to see the letter, nor should you. People who wrote letters for you knowing you waived may have written things that they wouldn't be comfortable with you seeing. The system works because admission directors know they can trust what is written much more as a true reflection than if the applicant has seen them.

 

[AmericanGypsy]

depends. did you waive your rights to read the letter(s)?

Yes. But what i am concerned about is what the committee said about the institutional action taken against me, not my references. You see, in early 2004 (I graduated in 2005), i was kicked out of housing for boozing a bunch of times. If i find out my school portrayed my offense in a negative light, i can send the individual rec letters in place of the committee letter.

That raises the next question...I have applied to a slew of schools through AMCAS, but still have some that haven't received the secondary. At what point in the process does the med school download the rec letters? Is there any way for me to see if the med schools have downloaded it yet?

 

[FuSoYa]

haha THANK you!

seriously, everyone needs to take a deep breath! i haven't gotten an interview invite yet either. but i'm not worried-- because today is SEPTEMBER FIRST. they will send out more than just one round of invites, some of which will be months from now. not getting one right away doesn't mean they automatically hate you.

oooohh i duuunn knoooowww, DW. I'm pretty sure I read somewhere on truthaboutmedschoolapplicationsdon'ttrustsdn.com that if you don't get an invite by August, then you should probably start looking for a job to pay for the following year's application cycle, and start re-studying for the MCAT in January. And a recent study reported on by FOKS NEWS said that only about 1.17% of applicants get interview invites after the August 31st deadline, and even then it's only applicants with LizzyM scores of 80+. (yes, the study used the famous LizzyM system)

I'm gonna go withdraw all my applications right now, I want everyone to know that I rejected Harvard, and not the other way around. See ya'll next cycle!!

 

[premad]

oooohh i duuunn knoooowww, DW. I'm pretty sure I read somewhere on truthaboutmedschoolapplicationsdon'ttrustsdn.com that if you don't get an invite by August, then you should probably start looking for a job to pay for the following year's application cycle, and start re-studying for the MCAT in January. And a recent study reported on by FOKS NEWS said that only about 1.17% of applicants get interview invites after the August 31st deadline, and even then it's only applicants with LizzyM scores of 80+. (yes, the study used the famous LizzyM system)

I'm gonna go withdraw all my applications right now, I want everyone to know that I rejected Harvard, and not the other way around. See ya'll next cycle!!

👍

 

[kayakingaddict]

oooohh i duuunn knoooowww, DW. I'm pretty sure I read somewhere on truthaboutmedschoolapplicationsdon'ttrustsdn.com that if you don't get an invite by August, then you should probably start looking for a job to pay for the following year's application cycle, and start re-studying for the MCAT in January. And a recent study reported on by FOKS NEWS said that only about 1.17% of applicants get interview invites after the August 31st deadline, and even then it's only applicants with LizzyM scores of 80+. (yes, the study used the famous LizzyM system)

I'm gonna go withdraw all my applications right now, I want everyone to know that I rejected Harvard, and not the other way around. See ya'll next cycle!!

harsh but

 

[MBHockey]

How long has it taken them to receive your letters from AMCAS? I designated Yale to get my letters from AMCAS and even though my application was verified by AMCAS last week and I finished the supplemental a few days later, it still doesn't say "received" next to my letter packet.

 

[Mary Jane]

How long has it taken them to receive your letters from AMCAS? I designated Yale to get my letters from AMCAS and even though my application was verified by AMCAS last week and I finished the supplemental a few days later, it still doesn't say "received" next to my letter packet.

I believe that the online status information is not updated to show real-time information. It took them about six days to mark my application complete (Aug22 - Aug 28), which is the date they put for receiving my letter packet (even though I am sure it was available to them in mid-July).

 

[MBHockey]

Thanks for the info. I'll keep checking.

 

[KMFDM]

Has anyone had success in finding a student host to spend a night with?

 

[premad]

Has anyone had success in finding a student host to spend a night with?

Yes, but only after emailing one of the two M2 hosting coordinators. She is putting me up herself (so, so, so nice) because they haven't set up hosting with M1s yet.

 

[jla314]

Has anyone had success in finding a student host to spend a night with?

I stayed with a student host a few days ago - it's tricky to set up right now because their first years literally just started and they haven't gotten a hosting program together yet. i was directed towards the old list for last year and stayed with a second year.

 

[CUSEguy88]

Has anyone had success in finding a student host to spend a night with?

Yeah.. I've emailed a couple people on the list and all have been unable. Maybe our interviews are during an exam week or something like that.

 

[premad]

Has anyone had success in finding a student host to spend a night with?

Yeah.. I've emailed a couple people on the list and all have been unable. Maybe our interviews are during an exam week or something like that.

With the Yale system, there's basically only exam week once per year, but I think 2nd years are just tired of hosting/1st years are not all
settled. The hosting site should list two students who coordinated hosting last year. Email either of them, and they should be able to help find someone for you. PM me if you don't see their emails.

 

[wolfiemd]

Has anyone interviewed yet? What'd you think? I have my interview this Wednesday! Scary...first med school interview.

 

[jla314]

Has anyone interviewed yet? What'd you think? I have my interview this Wednesday! Scary...first med school interview.

I went last Wednesday and had a blast. Both my interviewers were incredibly nice and encouraging! Very conversational. Even though Dr. Silverman (who you'll meet first to sort out the logistics of the day) and one of the ladies in the admissions office had both told me that my faculty interviewer had the reputation for giving 'challenging' interviews, that faculty member turned out to be my absolute favorite interviewer so far. faculty like that are one reason why i would love to go to yale.

it was interesting that at yale, the interviews themselves were the best part of the day for me. i met a grand total of 2 actual medical students (my student host and her roommate, who turned out to also be my tour guide) and feel like i didn't really get to see that much of the campus (for example, the tour doesn't take you into the hospital). but the people i DID meet (faculty and student interviewers, admissions staff, even a police officer who drove me to the admissions office when i got lost in the morning) were fabulous!

best of luck!

 

[trueBelief]

I went last Wednesday and had a blast. Both my interviewers were incredibly nice and encouraging! Very conversational. Even though Dr. Silverman (who you'll meet first to sort out the logistics of the day) and one of the ladies in the admissions office had both told me that my faculty interviewer had the reputation for giving 'challenging' interviews, that faculty member turned out to be my absolute favorite interviewer so far. faculty like that are one reason why i would love to go to yale.

it was interesting that at yale, the interviews themselves were the best part of the day for me. i met a grand total of 2 actual medical students (my student host and her roommate, who turned out to also be my tour guide) and feel like i didn't really get to see that much of the campus (for example, the tour doesn't take you into the hospital). but the people i DID meet (faculty and student interviewers, admissions staff, even a police officer who drove me to the admissions office when i got lost in the morning) were fabulous!

best of luck!

Thanks for sharing your experience! I am now really looking forward to going to Yale this Oct!

 

[imdanumb1]

i interviewed. I like Yale, but I found the day to be pretty average. I think it is sad that the class of 2013 has no black males 🙁.

 

[CUSEguy88]

i interviewed. I like Yale, but I found the day to be pretty average. I think it is sad that the class of 2013 has no black males 🙁.

I bet you they still accepted a bunch but they just did not choose to come. Plus I think its a lot more important to look at the diversity of people's experiences and attributes as opposed to just the color of their skin.

 

[anxiousw]

my status page says everything has been received but under "complete and in review" it still says NO... 🙁 how long of a lag is this supposed to take? i know it says the page isn't updated in real time but..

did someone answer this and i didn't see it?

does "NO" mean the application is not complete, or does it mean they haven't started reviewing it yet? When it changes from "NO," will it become a "YES" or the date when they start reviewing?

 

[jla314]

did someone answer this and i didn't see it?

does "NO" mean the application is not complete, or does it mean they haven't started reviewing it yet? When it changes from "NO," will it become a "YES" or the date when they start reviewing?

"NO" means your application is not complete. When your application is complete, your status page will have something like this towards the bottom:


Application completed and in review on: 30-JUL-09

When your letters arrive, they put the date they got your letters next to 'letter received.' same with your mcat scores. when your payment has been processed, they put a "YES" next to 'fee received.'

 

[redsquareblack]

"NO" means your application is not complete. When your application is complete, your status page will have something like this towards the bottom:


Application completed and in review on: 30-JUL-09

When your letters arrive, they put the date they got your letters next to 'letter received.' same with your mcat scores. when your payment has been processed, they put a "YES" next to 'fee received.'

Not necessarily. "NO" means that either your application is complete, or that they haven't updated your status. For instance, you could have dates next to all of the required material, and still have a "NO" in the "Application completed..." area, as I do.

As they go to great pains to mention, the page is not updated in real time.

 

[cardinalsrock]

did someone answer this and i didn't see it?

does "NO" mean the application is not complete, or does it mean they haven't started reviewing it yet? When it changes from "NO," will it become a "YES" or the date when they start reviewing?

After they marked everything from me as received, it took 3 weeks for the "No" to change to some actual date for when my file was put in review

 

[pressuredrop19]

I just submitted my secondary to Yale. I looked at my status page right after I submitted and it said that they had received everything but my MCAT score. Does anybody know how I go about releasing my score to Yale? I went into the section of the MCAT Thx system where you can release scores to specific schools, but I couldn't Yale in the drop-down menu.

Please let know. I'd appreciate it.

 

[NotSur]

I just submitted my secondary to Yale. I looked at my status page right after I submitted and it said that they had received everything but my MCAT score. Does anybody know how I go about releasing my score to Yale? I went into the section of the MCAT Thx system where you can release scores to specific schools, but I couldn't Yale in the drop-down menu.

Please let know. I'd appreciate it.

AMCAS will do it automatically.

 

[Tikka36]

Interview invite yesterday! Anyone else interviewing on 10/2?

 

[NormaMD]

Interview invite! Pretty much AMAZING especially because I'm from CT!

 

[trueBelief]

Interview invite yesterday! Anyone else interviewing on 10/2?

Interview invite! Pretty much AMAZING especially because I'm from CT!

Congrats Guys! =)

 

[mdwiz]

Congrats!

Could you tell us when you were complete?

Then again, they don't seem to be going in any particular order.

 

[NormaMD]

Congrats!

Could you tell us when you were complete?

Then again, they don't seem to be going in any particular order.

I was complete August 11th, so I'm pretty sure they're not going in order.

 

[clearsight]

Invite this morning. Looking forward to meeting some of you, perhaps, on Oct 7.

 

[KMFDM]

So what's the deal with the Yale system?

I've read all the stuff on the website, including that very helpful viewbook or whatever it's called.

But does anyone have the real dirt on Yale? Is the system really that delightful, or is it just that Yale only accepts great students, who would thrive in any system?

 

[flip26]

So what's the deal with the Yale system?

I've read all the stuff on the website, including that very helpful viewbook or whatever it's called.

But does anyone have the real dirt on Yale? Is the system really that delightful, or is it just that Yale only accepts great students, who would thrive in any system?

Since you have read all the stuff, why don't you tell us about the Yale System. Pro and con, etc.

 

[premad]

So what's the deal with the Yale system?

I've read all the stuff on the website, including that very helpful viewbook or whatever it's called.

But does anyone have the real dirt on Yale? Is the system really that delightful, or is it just that Yale only accepts great students, who would thrive in any system?

When I interviewed a couple of weeks ago, I asked everyone I met a similar question, really asking them to describe how the Yale system feels and works in practice. The consensus seems to be that those who are suited to the system love it and thrive there, and those who aren't either don't go there or decide to take time off to re-assess. The most common advice was that you really have to self-assess to see if it would be a good fit for you.

No mandatory exams, save one yearly exam in each subject, which is taken online. No grades, no rankings, and exams are anonymous. That said, there is a lot of "small group" work that allows professors to get to know students and for students to gauge their progress outside of an exam-based system. Personally, I think that I would love the system, but I love self-structuring my work. And, it would definitely be a bit of an adjustment. Seems like the program treat you more like a PhD candidate, which appeals to some more than others.

 

[jbar]

The big thing is you need to set your own pace and sort out what kind of studying works for you. It's not "read these 20 pages for tomorrow." It's more like "here are all the things you need to learn in the next three months, now go." It gives you a lot of flexibility but you need to be the kind of person that can make yourself go to the library and study even though your test is still a month an a half away.

I personally really like it. It has let me do a lot of the things I enjoyed before med school because I can say "I'm going to work hard this week after class and do nothing this weekend because I'm going skiing."

 

[clearsight]

Wow. Some of your profiles are astounding. Many of you are walking statistical anomalies. Kudos.

 

[Question123]

When were you complete?

 

[BerlinDude]

How long (roughly) does it take from the time your application is submitted until your status page says you have a complete application?

 

[johncalvin]

How long (roughly) does it take from the time your application is submitted until your status page says you have a complete application?

A couple of days for me. But, I had my LORs, etc., on AMCAS even before I "added" Yale (I didn't originally apply).