2010-2011 University of Pittsburgh Application Thread

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EpicBearMan said:
There is a number to call to be put on waitlist apparently. Their office is closed so I'll be trying tomorrow.
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Good to know. I want as many housing options as possible. Is it the # on the OCL website?
 
Hey everyone. Congrats to those accepted off the waitlist! I'm still waiting 🙁 Just a quick question for those who might have insight (current Pitt Med students), I know they tell us the waitlist isn't ranked, but there must be some sort of hierarchy for how they are deciding to revisit waitlisted applicants,right? The main things I've been told time and time again about Pitt is to show continued interest in the form of updates and LOI, but it seems as though many of those accepted didn't do this or may have sent only one LOI. I understand that interest can't be the only factor in deciding whether or not to accept an applicant, but I just feel like the updates/LOIs I have sent to Pitt have been in vain. That being said, do you think it would be appropriate to send another letter saying I'm still interested, they're my top choice, but I have been accepted at other schools and need to start looking for housing/making plans to move out/etc. or will that just hurt me? I just hate being in limbo, it's a really frustrating feeling. Oh and one more thing...are waitlisted applicants invited to Second look?
 
do any current pitt students know how much parking passes cost for the darragh street apartments?
 
Rose Thorn said:
Hey everyone. Congrats to those accepted off the waitlist! I'm still waiting 🙁 Just a quick question for those who might have insight (current Pitt Med students), I know they tell us the waitlist isn't ranked, but there must be some sort of hierarchy for how they are deciding to revisit waitlisted applicants,right? The main things I've been told time and time again about Pitt is to show continued interest in the form of updates and LOI, but it seems as though many of those accepted didn't do this or may have sent only one LOI. I understand that interest can't be the only factor in deciding whether or not to accept an applicant, but I just feel like the updates/LOIs I have sent to Pitt have been in vain. That being said, do you think it would be appropriate to send another letter saying I'm still interested, they're my top choice, but I have been accepted at other schools and need to start looking for housing/making plans to move out/etc. or will that just hurt me? I just hate being in limbo, it's a really frustrating feeling. Oh and one more thing...are waitlisted applicants invited to Second look?
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I'm in the same boat as you (so I don't know if you want my answers here) but waitlisted applicants are not invited to second look. I feel like the letters of interest only go so far to be honest. They likely have some sort of order of review.. Personally, I think sending another letter won't hurt you, but putting pressure on them about how you need their decision so you can make plans sounds like it might rub some people the wrong way (though I COMPLETELY sympathize with you on it)... Its a personal choice, but its a very frustrating situation.. Good luck getting off the WL I hope we both do eventually!
 
Rose Thorn said:
Hey everyone. Congrats to those accepted off the waitlist! I'm still waiting 🙁 Just a quick question for those who might have insight (current Pitt Med students), I know they tell us the waitlist isn't ranked, but there must be some sort of hierarchy for how they are deciding to revisit waitlisted applicants,right? The main things I've been told time and time again about Pitt is to show continued interest in the form of updates and LOI, but it seems as though many of those accepted didn't do this or may have sent only one LOI. I understand that interest can't be the only factor in deciding whether or not to accept an applicant, but I just feel like the updates/LOIs I have sent to Pitt have been in vain. That being said, do you think it would be appropriate to send another letter saying I'm still interested, they're my top choice, but I have been accepted at other schools and need to start looking for housing/making plans to move out/etc. or will that just hurt me? I just hate being in limbo, it's a really frustrating feeling. Oh and one more thing...are waitlisted applicants invited to Second look?
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IMO one LOI is as good as five. If you peruse through last years thread, you'll see many applicants sending love letter after love letter but never getting plucked from the WL. Perhaps they have an impact much later in the season, but right now I'm doubtful.

Also, I find it extremely hard to believe that the WL here isn't ranked, as people are getting pulled that have never showed interest post-interview. The dean of admissions said that all decisions are made by the entire adcom, which is ~25 members. It would be a logistical nightmare to have all of these folks re-review each applicant throughout the spring. My guess is that our entire applications were "scored" after the interview day, and that is when our position on the waitlist was determined.
 
I cannot go into details, but I know for a fact that we do get scored after our interview. Heard straight from someone in that office's mouth. So this may be how we were ranked on the wait list. GL
 
astrife said:
do any current pitt students know how much parking passes cost for the darragh street apartments?
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They're pretty pricey (at least for those of us not used to NYC or Boston prices) at around $90/month.

If you live anywhere off campus you can get a street parking permit for $25/year. Parking is usually not that hard to find, you just might have walk a few blocks
 
Do most M1s live in the Darraugh Apts or do they live off campus? Also, if anyone wants to share a double in Darraugh, I got off the wait list, but won't be making any final decisions until I see it during 2nd look. So PM me if interested. Rents much cheaper than a single in Darraugh. Like $600.
 
DocTraveler said:
Do most M1s live in the Darraugh Apts or do they live off campus? Also, if anyone wants to share a double in Darraugh, I got off the wait list, but won't be making any final decisions until I see it during 2nd look. So PM me if interested. Rents much cheaper than a single in Darraugh. Like $600.
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I don't have any explicit numbers on this, but my estimate would be that ~30% (maybe a bit more) of the current first year class lives in Darragh.
 
Since we're on the topic of waitlists, what benefit does a school gain from being so cryptic about their waitlist? In the case of a monster waitlist like pitt's, wouldn't it be in everyone's best interests to be transparent? It seems like they risk losing good students by keeping then in the dark for so long. A lot of schools are super transparent about their WLs, so I don't understand the admission strategy.

Just thinking out loud here, not trying to bash pitt by any means.
 
Latetotheparty said:
I don't have any explicit numbers on this, but my estimate would be that ~30% (maybe a bit more) of the current first year class lives in Darragh.
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Where do most first years/older med students live? Is there a general area or is it more spread around?

I'd like to keep my rent at or under 700/month with the nicest place possible. Any suggestions? Thanks!
 
KinasePro said:
Since we're on the topic of waitlists, what benefit does a school gain from being so cryptic about their waitlist? In the case of a monster waitlist like pitt's, wouldn't it be in everyone's best interests to be transparent? It seems like they risk losing good students by keeping then in the dark for so long. A lot of schools are super transparent about their WLs, so I don't understand the admission strategy.

Just thinking out loud here, not trying to bash pitt by any means.
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I agree. No bashing at all!! But I'm just thinking in the perspective of wanting to get the very best students to your medical school....it would be in best interest to be transparent about the WL (especially since they WL so many) and also keep applicants informed so that their hearts do not get sold to another school. After all, these are all top applicants that are applying to other great schools, and hopefully getting accepted somewhere else (Wish all of you the best of luck..I hope to see all of us become doctors! and good ones with compassion at that!)

I just think it would be in the best interest of everyone for them to be more transparent. No more annoying (cause thats what we are) applicants calling or emailing all day, no more stressed out students pulling out their hair, more excitement about the school and hearing progress (especially those on the top of the list) etc etc. Now given, Pitt is a great(!) school and it may not need to advertise itself or win people's hearts over..but still I think some of my thoughts stand. But again, I love Pitt🙂 and I'm not bashing on them.
 
monstarz said:
I agree. No bashing at all!! But I'm just thinking in the perspective of wanting to get the very best students to your medical school....it would be in best interest to be transparent about the WL (especially since they WL so many) and also keep applicants informed so that their hearts do not get sold to another school. After all, these are all top applicants that are applying to other great schools, and hopefully getting accepted somewhere else (Wish all of you the best of luck..I hope to see all of us become doctors! and good ones with compassion at that!)

I just think it would be in the best interest of everyone for them to be more transparent. No more annoying (cause thats what we are) applicants calling or emailing all day, no more stressed out students pulling out their hair, more excitement about the school and hearing progress (especially those on the top of the list) etc etc. Now given, Pitt is a great(!) school and it may not need to advertise itself or win people's hearts over..but still I think some of my thoughts stand. But again, I love Pitt🙂 and I'm not bashing on them.
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I actually agree with you guys, and generally don't like Pitt's waitlist policy. Some people have commitments (significant others that need to find jobs, etc.) that make it very difficult to decide to go to a school in June, which is when I found out.

The adcom here does appreciate update letters and sincere letters of intent, but of course they are far from the only things that are considered. Some will get off the waitlist with them, some will get off without them. How much they help is really hard to say, but they definitely are noticed and can't hurt (unless they seem insincere).

With regards to the whole "ranked vs. unranked waitlist thing" I think the truth lies somewhere in the middle. I'm pretty sure that they don't have explicit ranks on the wait-list, and they do discuss/re-go over new people as spots open up. That being said, I'm sure all spots on the waitlist are not equal, and the school knows it likes some people more then others, so perhaps they could create some sort of tiered system like other schools.

I find it hard to blame Pitt too much, as students that are talented enough to get into Pitt (especially right off the bat) generally have a lot of great schools to choose from, and may not let go of acceptances until May 15th, which means that theres lots of late waitlist movement. Its just the nature of the beast.
 
DoctwoB said:
I actually agree with you guys, and generally don't like Pitt's waitlist policy. Some people have commitments (significant others that need to find jobs, etc.) that make it very difficult to decide to go to a school in June, which is when I found out.

The adcom here does appreciate update letters and sincere letters of intent, but of course they are far from the only things that are considered. Some will get off the waitlist with them, some will get off without them. How much they help is really hard to say, but they definitely are noticed and can't hurt (unless they seem insincere).

With regards to the whole "ranked vs. unranked waitlist thing" I think the truth lies somewhere in the middle. I'm pretty sure that they don't have explicit ranks on the wait-list, and they do discuss/re-go over new people as spots open up. That being said, I'm sure all spots on the waitlist are not equal, and the school knows it likes some people more then others, so perhaps they could create some sort of tiered system like other schools.

I find it hard to blame Pitt too much, as students that are talented enough to get into Pitt (especially right off the bat) generally have a lot of great schools to choose from, and may not let go of acceptances until May 15th, which means that theres lots of late waitlist movement. Its just the nature of the beast.
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Ah you give me hope with your late waitlist acceptance... I just checked last years thread (I'm fully obsessed obviously..) and the latest waitlist acceptance posted was about June 15th. Obviously SDN doesn't mean everything but I guess if you are really set on this place keep hope till then.
 
I got a call from the OCL office today, and it looks like they'll be offering me a lease for a 2BR in the Darragh St apartments. I filled out the application about two weeks ago (had to call to request the link; it's not available on the OCL website). If I end up taking it, I'll be looking for a roommate, so if you're interested and preferably female (I'm a female), please PM me. 🙂
 
redpanda said:
I got a call from the OCL office today, and it looks like they'll be offering me a lease for a 2BR in the Darragh St apartments. I filled out the application about two weeks ago (had to call to request the link; it's not available on the OCL website). If I end up taking it, I'll be looking for a roommate, so if you're interested and preferably female (I'm a female), please PM me. 🙂
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How soon do you have to sign a lease?

I'm getting a little nervous with all the housing business going on, since I won't have a firm decision for a while still =\
 
Accepted off wait list yesterday! I'm super excited and will likely be attending next year. I'm currently on vacation until the weekend but I will be back home in a few days and begin looking into housing. I'm leaning towards finding a place off campus so if anyone is looking for a male roommate, PM me.
 
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Grats to those accepted.
 
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No PSTP for me. Congrats to those that got in and those that have been waitlist victorious! Hopefully, Pitt is still in the cards for me.
 
Hey,
Im also pretty much decided to go to Pittsburgh and looking for a roommate.
I'm a graduating senior from Univ of Southern California, 21yo. Neat, like the outdoors, etc. If you're interested, shoot me an email. Or we can talk on facebook.

Peter Xu
 
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IMHO darragh sux. U will want to get away from campus after spending ur day in Scaife. Also if u don't have a car (most people don't) it's hard to get groceries.

Id say 50% of first years are in darragh. I know a few moving out for the coming year.
 
Sorry if this has already been answered somewhere, but has any more information been released in regards to switching to P/F?
 
EpicBearMan said:
Sorry if this has already been answered somewhere, but has any more information been released in regards to switching to P/F?
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Unfortunately, I haven't heard about this. But I am also interested in knowing...

And I have been having trouble logging into the online application systems page even though I have the correct login and password. Anyone else having this complication?
 
EpicBearMan said:
Sorry if this has already been answered somewhere, but has any more information been released in regards to switching to P/F?
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Also haven't heard anything, but that's a non-issue from my perspective.


umbah said:
And I have been having trouble logging into the online application systems page even though I have the correct login and password. Anyone else having this complication?
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Nope, log in worked just fine for me.
 
Peterodemic said:
Im pretty sure Pittmed is honors/pass/fail
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It is. There's been talk of changing to pass fail (and a couple of the more minor classes have already switched), but if we haven't heard anything about that yet I highly doubt it will be in place for next year. I wouldn't let that sway you one way or another though, as not getting honors won't hurt you, and you're going to have to learn all the material for step1 anyway (in which a bad score will hurt you). A lot of the fourth years that I spoke to that matched to ridiculous places in very competitive specialties had few to no honor their first two years, but if you do excel, its a nice little feather in your cap instead of just a "p."
 
Has anyone been offered any types of scholarships yet, or are these all awarded with the financial aid packages?
 
Hi everyone,

I was wondering if one of the current students could answer this: How feasible is it to come to Pitt w/out a car if you're living off campus- specifically in South Oakland? Is it a huge transition if you're generally used to owning a car? Also, for those who use Zipcar, does there tend to be vehicles available around campus.

Also, coud you comment on the general need for a vehicle in 1st and 2nd vs 3rd and 4th years?


Thanks!
 
QueenTut said:
Hi everyone,

I was wondering if one of the current students could answer this: How feasible is it to come to Pitt w/out a car if you're living off campus- specifically in South Oakland? Is it a huge transition if you're generally used to owning a car? Also, for those who use Zipcar, does there tend to be vehicles available around campus.

Also, coud you comment on the general need for a vehicle in 1st and 2nd vs 3rd and 4th years?
Thanks!
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South Oakland is very accessible by bus, as almost every bus line runs right through Forbes or Fifth. It is very easy (and free) to get to anywhere in shadyside, downtown, southside, etc. They are relatively punctual (though less so late at night, and all bets are off in a snowstorm). Buses to wherever I'm going seem to run every 10 min or so in the daytime, and every half hour or so late at night (till about 2). It's been an adjustment for me to not have a car, but I've found that I manage just fine, and there's some upsides too (no gas, no insurance, not having to worry about DDing, etc.)

The downside is that there is no major grocery store in South Oakland. There's an IGA which will do you fine if you need dinner for a night or to pick up some milk or eggs, but for any serious grocery shopping you'll want to catch a bus (or hitch a ride with a classmate). Carrying your groceries on the bus is a pain, and is the biggest thing pushing me towards getting a car.

For clinical experiences first and second year, you definitely don't need a car. I've always been either right on campus or at UPMC shadyside (about a 15 minute bus ride) If you have a car that may give you more flexibility in your sites. In fact, having a car seems to hurt a bit, as people with cars generally get sent further away (if they check the box that they have a car)

I can't comment for 3rd and 4th year yet, but I've heard mixed stories. If you live in Oakland, Its entirely possible to get by without a car for most rotations. The one exception may be FP, where clinical sites are generally further away, so which you may need to take a long bus ride. Thats not a huge problem for FP, but for surgery it would be, as you'll probably bet getting to the hospital at 4 am when no buses run. The school will work with you though, and there are definitely some 3rd/4th years without a car. It just may mean that you won't get to experience as many of the hospitals that UPMC has to offer.
 
QueenTut said:
Hi everyone,

I was wondering if one of the current students could answer this: How feasible is it to come to Pitt w/out a car if you're living off campus- specifically in South Oakland? Is it a huge transition if you're generally used to owning a car? Also, for those who use Zipcar, does there tend to be vehicles available around campus.

Also, coud you comment on the general need for a vehicle in 1st and 2nd vs 3rd and 4th years?


Thanks!
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I would say that if you live in South Oakland, you're not really off campus and a car should not be an issue at all. I would actually recommend not having a car if you live in South Oakland, as parking is a real pain and walking/bus will get you anywhere you need to go (except for the grocery store as noted above).

For those planning on having a car and looking to avoid the congestion of Oakland and the higher rents of Shadyside, I would recommend Edgewood/Regent Square. This is a great area, very cool places to hang out in Regent Square, and you are very close to Squirrel Hill and Shadyside which are also cool. You won't need to drive to class, the buses serve this area well, including the Busway, a free parking park-and-ride which will get you to Oakland in 10 minutes. The car comes in handy for running to the store or getting to Oakland in a pinch. Living here would be doable without a car, but you'd have to get real friendly with PAT.
 
EpicBearMan said:
Sorry if this has already been answered somewhere, but has any more information been released in regards to switching to P/F?
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As some others have said, this has been in discussion forever. I have a friend who's on the curriculum committee here, and he says it's being discussed.

I frankly wouldn't be surprised if it happened by next year, but wouldn't be surprised if it didn't.

As others have said, most students are very chill about grades. The whole "P=MD" was thrown around at the beginning of the year by most of my classmates. I've never, ever encountered anyhow who was a true gunner trying to bring others down to get honors for themselves.
 
radarskier said:
Where do most first years/older med students live? Is there a general area or is it more spread around?

I'd like to keep my rent at or under 700/month with the nicest place possible. Any suggestions? Thanks!
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Students actually seem somewhat spread out. A fair number live in Darragh, some in South Oakland (though a fair number of people believe that it's an undergrad slum), some in Shadyside.

I think one of the higher densities (where rent is reasonable) is in Squirrel Hill. Some folks live in Point Breeze. I live in Regent Square. There's good bus service, the ride's not too bad, and I'm overall pretty happy with the decision. I'm married though, so I'm out partying a bit less than some of my younger classmates. There's a huge 600 acre park right next door to walk my dog in and a fun shopping strip with great restaurants nearby, so I think it's a pleasant place to live.
 
radarskier said:
Has anyone been offered any types of scholarships yet, or are these all awarded with the financial aid packages?
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I think Pitt makes its decisions on the 5 year programs (CSTP & PSTP) earlier, but general scholarships are sent out with financial aid packages.
 
pm if you need a jitney to grocery store haha. sounds like this could be lucrative with so many non drivers.
 
Is anyone else bringing a dog to med school? I'm thinking about buying/renting a small house in squirrel hill next to Schenley park and I'm looking for a few roommates. I have an energetic sheltie that would love to have another dog around to play with.
 
ConcretEIT said:
pm if you need a jitney to grocery store haha. sounds like this could be lucrative with so many non drivers.
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For those unaware, Jitney = unlicensed taxi, a Pittsburgh institution.
 
RayRay20 said:
Is anyone else bringing a dog to med school? I'm thinking about buying/renting a small house in squirrel hill next to Schenley park and I'm looking for a few roommates. I have an energetic sheltie that would love to have another dog around to play with.
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I may bring my Rhodesian Ridgeback. I'm gonna have to crate him until he settles in, but I'm sure he'd love the company... even if only at the park.
 
They just sent out an email saying that there won't be any merit scholarships this year. There will only be need-based scholarships.

Since my parents wont send tax forms, it looks like its going to be all loans for my financial aid package. Oh wellz.
 
EpicBearMan said:
They just sent out an email saying that there won't be any merit scholarships this year. There will only be need-based scholarships.

Since my parents wont send tax forms, it looks like its going to be all loans for my financial aid package. Oh wellz.
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I got that email too. Hopefully, there won't be another one outlining a drastic increase in tuition :xf:. The state funding issue was the only thing holding me back from fully committing to Pitt. At this point, I really don't even care anymore. I've finally come to terms with the debt reality😀
 
This just in: Proposed state budget will eliminate all state support for the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Oh well, from what I gather it was basically private anyway.
 
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This email is not helping my hopes of coming to Pitt. I received a scholarship from my state school, and without merit scholarships at Pitt I likely won't be abel to ignore the difference in price. Not happy.
 
I also received a scholarship from my state school, but the opportunities at Pitt and this school are miles apart. Honestly though, in less you are a superstar (i.e. 4.0 GPA, 39 MCAT, publications, etc...) it's unlikely you would get much merit scholarship from Pitt anyway.
 
Anyone know how much funding they lost from PA? I feel like they could still scrounge up some $$ for merit scholarships. I thought I read somewhere that some absurd percentage of students had received some merit money -- I'm talking something like 60% of students.
 
tlaloc87 said:
Anyone know how much funding they lost from PA? I feel like they could still scrounge up some $$ for merit scholarships. I thought I read somewhere that some absurd percentage of students had received some merit money -- I'm talking something like 60% of students.
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Wow, yeah I just found through google a link that states 44% of Pitt students get some type of merit aid. I hope they realize they might lose some really good students because of this.
 
astrife said:
Wow, yeah I just found through google a link that states 44% of Pitt students get some type of merit aid. I hope they realize they might lose some really good students because of this.
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I'm hoping that this does not affect the opportunity to earn merit scholarships for 2nd, 3rd and 4th year.

Actually, to the current Pitt students: are there scholarships available for matriculating students?
 
astrife said:
Wow, yeah I just found through google a link that states 44% of Pitt students get some type of merit aid. I hope they realize they might lose some really good students because of this.
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Well, if they don't have they funds, they don't have the funds. They certainly can't skimp on educational expenditures. Hopefully they're just preparing for the worst and some merit money will get freed up. :xf:
 
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