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I am a NY resident with a 3.9 and a 36 from a top 15 college and i was rejected outright too with no invite. so you are definitely not alone
2010-2011 University of Rochester Application Thread
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I am a NY resident with a 3.9 and a 36 from a top 15 college and i was rejected outright too with no invite. so you are definitely not alone
I don't think anyone is ever "too qualified" for Rochester. Rochester is a tough school to get an invite at. I was rejected pre-interview from them but received quite a few invites from a number of schools ranked well below and above them. For all we know there is a certain "type" that they look for, and without being that type one cannot get in.
Also I suspect that past certain numbers (like say 34 on the MCAT), Rochester no longer cares about any additional points, unlike most schools.
Don't let this get to you personally.
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Yea that really bothers me when somebody thinks that they are "overqualified" for a school, especially one like Rochester. I guarantee they have accepted plenty of people with 40+ MCAT scores. They're not looking at people and saying..."oh well, hmmm...he's CLEARLY too smart for us." Rochester is a top 30 school (or close to it) that is REALLY hard to get into!
And it's not just numbers people! Up to a certain point they matter, but my guess is after that it's what else you'll bring to the table.
GL everyone!
And it's not just numbers people! Up to a certain point they matter, but my guess is after that it's what else you'll bring to the table.
GL everyone!
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So I've been admitted to UR, and I really don't know if I want to go yet. I was wondering if students would be able to give me the bests and the worsts of UR? Also, I heard a rumor that they're experiencing some sort of financial trouble... does that have any truth to it?
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Where did you hear this from? Also, does anybody know the exact number of beds that Strong Memorial has? Just curious.
LOVE ROCHESTER.
D
deleted86048
Strong has 750 beds. Highland Hospital, where students and residents also train, has an additional 260 beds. And there is no truth to the statement about financial trouble. The University of Rochester and the Strong Health System are the number one employer in the city.
The only financial thing that happened recently is that the new children's hospital construction was postponed because a lot of the money was coming from the State, and when the economy collapsed, the State withdrew it's share of the funding. Other construction projects, like the new Clinical and Translational Research Center are underway.
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According to http://www.medicalschoolsinusa.com/University_of_Rochester_School_of_Medicine_and_Dentistry.html , for the Class of 2012 (so kind of old, I think that currently they interview more people for each acceptance, also they have a good portion of people applying with automatic acceptance through either linkage programs with SMPs at Hopkins and Byrn Mawr or their own BS/MD program)
4125 applied, 680 interviewed, 265 were accepted, 104 enrolled
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I was curious too, so I e-mailed them after I got rejected last week.
Here's what I got:
Dear Husbuss:
We've received your inquiry regarding your application to the University of Rochester and the final action taken by our Admissions Committee.
Please understand that we receive hundreds of inquires regarding admissions decisions and do not have the time or personnel to answer each inquiry individually. That said, let me summarize for you the primary reasons for a recommendation by the Admissions Committee not to interview an applicant.
Currently, Rochester receives about 4500 applications for our 100 places in the class and we are able to only interview about 15% of those applicants. Consequently, many highly motivated and well-qualified applicants do not receive an interview. As interview spots fill quickly, beginning with invitations to interview in late July, it is of paramount importance that your application be received as early as possible. This is true not only for Rochester but also for most medical schools.
The average GPA of our matriculants is about 3.6 or better and our MCAT total scores average about 33. We expect that nearly all of our applicants will have evidence of scholarship (research, independent study, honors thesis), outreach to their local communities, especially to those who are most disadvantaged in the community, and clinical volunteer or work experiences (physician shadowing, hospice, hospital volunteer, nursing home aid, EMT training, and/or similar clinical experiences in a medical setting). Your letters of recommendation by faculty who have taught or trained you are very important, as is your essay, the perceived rigor of your major, and the quality of your undergraduate institution.
If your academic record is weaker than the averages listed above, then your other experiences and letters of recommendation must reflect some compelling reason to invite you for an interview. In light of the fact that we have thousands of applicants who have stellar credentials, the Committee looks for those experiences and perspectives that would suggest a deep commitment to serve others or that demonstrate promise in academic medicine. Such compelling reasons might include Peace Corps, AmeriCorps or Teach America volunteerism (and other similar experiences that represent significant commitments), significant scholarship that has led to numerous publications, and/or unique perspectives and life experiences not normally seen in the regular applicant pool (we refer to this as "distance traveled").
In the absence of these compelling reasons, we simply have many more highly qualified applicants than we can invite for interviews, making the selection process of our Committee even more difficult. Moreover, we try to select applicants who we feel will benefit most from our educational programs and who meet the criteria set out in the previous two paragraphs.
Of course, because Rochester didn't invite you for an interview doesn't mean that you are not qualified for medical school. It simply means that we have to be very selective with our highly qualified group of applicants and endeavor to identify and interview those who we think will be the best match for our school and our mission. Your campus Health Professions Advisor is in the best position to guide your selection of medical schools and probably is the best person to assist you if you should decide to reapply at some future date. Naturally, we wish you the very best in your future career goals and hope you will be successful in gaining admission to medical school.
Sincerely,
John T. Hansen, PhD
Associate Dean for Admissions
Chair, Medical School Admissions Committee
Stats from 2005 are: interviewed 657, accepted 281, enrolled 101.
just interviewed here. it was actually pretty great. both interviews were really relaxed. The student interview especially was really good. Also, all the students were really helpful. Some of them came and sat with us during our downtime and volunteered tons of info and funny stories. got to see pbl and large group session. both were really inviting and students offered info during these too.
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I just got an interview invitation - I will withdraw as soon as I can figure out where the button is...good luck to those still in the running, but being in the arctic for 4 years for UG is enough for me for now...
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Ditto. Lamelist FTL.
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Wow, I interviewed on the 13th, so I guess I may not have no wait as long as I thought. This changes the time frame of when I want to send my update letter--literally the day after the interview I found out that I was getting published as co-author for a pretty significant paper, AND that I'm getting some undergrad award. I suppose that's what happens when you interview on the 13th.
Does anyone know when the committee meets? I've heard 2nd Tuesday of the month through the grapevine...
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Wow, I interviewed on the 13th, so I guess I may not have no wait as long as I thought. This changes the time frame of when I want to send my update letter--literally the day after the interview I found out that I was getting published as co-author for a pretty significant paper, AND that I'm getting some undergrad award. I suppose that's what happens when you interview on the 13th.
Does anyone know when the committee meets? I've heard 2nd Tuesday of the month through the grapevine...
I don't think that can be the only day they meet... the second Tuesday of the month was the 11th and a few of us got an email yesterday (20th).
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Hey, does anyone know I there is a Facebook page or something similar for those accepted to Rochester?
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I don't know, but I'd love to see one soon.
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Oh, but yes you will. A facebook page for University of Rochester SOM Class of 2015 is officially up (although it might need some work)...spread the word!
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Thanks! I am assuming this is it:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/University-of-Rochester-SOM-Class-of-2015/157186790998963
Yes?
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Yes, that's it!
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If you are flying from a city that has Southwest you may want to look into flying into BUF, its a little over an hour away but sometimes it is significant cheaper because of the "Southwest effect"
Interviewed on 3/Jan, got a good call on 19/Jan.
Like any other interview, I believe the interviewers just look for a "fit" between student and school. The process seems so random, but in the end things things fall into place.
12B/10P/10V
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I don't consider myself a spectacular candidate by any means. Had research experience, but no publications, average MCAT, extracurriculars, etc. Just be yourself, and if you're really excited about the school, let it show during the interviews!
Good luck.
Like any other interview, I believe the interviewers just look for a "fit" between student and school. The process seems so random, but in the end things things fall into place.
12B/10P/10V
3.8 cumulative
3.79 sci
I don't consider myself a spectacular candidate by any means. Had research experience, but no publications, average MCAT, extracurriculars, etc. Just be yourself, and if you're really excited about the school, let it show during the interviews!
Good luck.
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Hey guys...for those of you that have lived in Rochester before, answer me this...is it REALLY boring?? Or just kind of boring. I'm from Boston and have gotten into a school in Boston, but I really really liked URSM&D but I'm having a hard time figuring out whether or not I'll be happy in Rochester...
Somebody please help me!
Thanks in advance...👍
Somebody please help me!
Thanks in advance...👍
Hey, I lived in ROC the last four years.
I liked it. Plenty of colleges around, so lots of younger people. The city has nightlife, museums, and typical things. You get used to the cold; it is colder than Boston. Depends on what you're into... Canada and Niagara Falls are only like 45 mins and there are casinos and clubs there too.
I mean it was good enough for me to want to go back for another four years of med school. Not boring, always find something to do. It isn't as big as Boston, and Boston probably has more charm.
I liked it. Plenty of colleges around, so lots of younger people. The city has nightlife, museums, and typical things. You get used to the cold; it is colder than Boston. Depends on what you're into... Canada and Niagara Falls are only like 45 mins and there are casinos and clubs there too.
I mean it was good enough for me to want to go back for another four years of med school. Not boring, always find something to do. It isn't as big as Boston, and Boston probably has more charm.
Feel the same way. I loved the school...any more opinions on Rochester from people who lived there/near there? (the one above was helpful)
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I have lived in Rochester for 4 years and here is my breakdown for everyone curious:
Area: The area right around the Rochester campus is not very great or very bad.. And that is because the school is there and security is very good. Its not somewhere where you would stumble around at 3 AM, but at the same time its quite safe and during the day you can go running and walking just about anywhere. The campus is quite nice and safe. The plus side of this is that you get cheap housing and the bad side is that when your friends come and visit, Rochester as a city is not going to blow them away.
Weather: This is a legitimate concern... some years, the first snow will be in October and the last snow will be in May. Summers are incredibly nice in Rochester but the winter is long and grueling. Its definitely better than Buffalo and Syracuse in my opinion, but the cold is there for awhile. You get used to it, however. The worst part is really that it rains and is overcast for most of the winter, and that can get really old really fast. I can't tell you how to feel about the weather, but you will definitely get into some winter sports! There are ski resorts within about an hour (Bristol) and like previous posters have said, you can go to Buffalo for a day trip pretty easily
Nightlife: The school itself (and the med school) seem to have a lot of opportunities to do things, and Rochester itself does have some activities. However, if you are into sports, there are not really any professional teams (Red Wings are semi pro baseball Amerks are semi pro hockey and the Rhinos are semi pro soccer).. Bars are cheap, but you'll find yourself frequenting the same ones again and again (isn't this true of anywhere?).. If you are into the fine arts or theater, its no NYC, but you can find ways to occupy yourself and there are plays and concerts through Eastman which is the school of music. If you have a question about a specific type of activity I can try to answer that directly.
Community Service: If you are into global health or free clinic duty, Rochester has a huge refugee population and poor community.. I won't dwell on this, but some people looking for global health opportunities think you have to go into the city and that is just not true.
Overall: IMO, Rochester is a smaller city and it isnt going to blow you away.. It is what you make of it... generally people follow the trend of hating it for a few months, then loving it, and finally growing a little tired of the same scene after a few years. Strong is an awesome hospital (as you have all seen) and for the free time you will have, you can find plenty to do at Rochester. If you have any questions let me know, but hope this helps.
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Thanks for the comments...they are duly noted.
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Second Look is 4/29 and 4/30, though you can arrive the night of the 28th if that works for you (and they will find you student housing)
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It's been three weeks since my interview here. Does anybody have an idea of when I will hear anything?
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It's really close to the airport.. I'd say a 5-10 minute drive at most.. A taxi would be fine (not sure about shuttles)
Some airports have free shuttles from and to the airport. If you're staying in one, try calling to see if they have one that will pick you up. They might also be able to pick you up from the school on the day of your interview as well.
Hope that helps.
Did anyone hear back from Rochester with a post interview decision this week? The last reported group of decisions on SDN was on 1/20, so it seems like there should have been at least one more round of decisions since then.
Did anyone hear back from Rochester with a post interview decision this week? The last reported group of decisions on SDN was on 1/20, so it seems like there should have been at least one more round of decisions since then.
What is the method of notification?
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