2010-2011 University of Vermont Application Thread

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Although they state that they enroll a large number of Cali kids...its a bit unnerving how many of us comment on this thread from California...and that some are already accepted...
:luck:happy st p

for that that have interviewed already, do you guys have any advice for us? did they ask any tough questions? who did you guys get interviewed by (names) and what were they like?

thanks!!
 
Hi,

I was wondering if anyone knew anything about the waitlist for in-state applicants.
I interviewed in September, and have been waitlisted in October. Do they review candidates from both in and oos waitlists? UVM is my top choice and I would love to come here.
Starting to get a little worried, but there's still hope.
 
Although they state that they enroll a large number of Cali kids...its a bit unnerving how many of us comment on this thread from California...and that some are already accepted...
:luck:happy st p


Haha at least they are known for accepting a lot of Cali people. I'm from Illinois and they had 0 people from my state in the class of 2014(Understandably so, as my state has more medical schools per population pre-meds compared to Cali). Still, hoping that they decide to shed some love to mid-west!
 
Anyone get their financial aid packages yet? I'm pretty set on this school, but as an OOSer, it's definitely pricey. I heard about people getting some help to pad the out of state tuition after asking a bit.

Allen
 
Anyone get their financial aid packages yet? I'm pretty set on this school, but as an OOSer, it's definitely pricey. I heard about people getting some help to pad the out of state tuition after asking a bit.

Allen

Im still waiting for that too. Im in the same boat.
 
for that that have interviewed already, do you guys have any advice for us? did they ask any tough questions? who did you guys get interviewed by (names) and what were they like?

thanks!!

The interview is extremely casual. From the students in the hall to the admissions staff everyone was extremely friendly. You will get your interviewer name at the beginning of the day so you can look them up. I really didnt have any tough questions, they really just try to get to know you (no crazy ethical questions...they didnt even ask much about my research..more about me as a person). These vague answers probably dont help much haha but hopefully will calm your nerves...
good luck!
 
The interview is extremely casual. From the students in the hall to the admissions staff everyone was extremely friendly. You will get your interviewer name at the beginning of the day so you can look them up. I really didnt have any tough questions, they really just try to get to know you (no crazy ethical questions...they didnt even ask much about my research..more about me as a person). These vague answers probably dont help much haha but hopefully will calm your nerves...
good luck!

Thanks for that! The qualitative is definitely helpful going in. As you said, it's nice to calm the nerves and just have an idea of what it will "feel like" at VT!
 
there are no "waitlist-only" slots because every interview is a "waitlist-only" slot, if you know what i mean 😉 seriously, everyone has a shot. you all would really do yourselves a favor if you thought of UVM as a non-rolling school who tries extra hard to "assemble a class." the downside is that it means a lot of waiting for the people who really want to come here.

finaid packages will come out in April.

lastly: there's a reason they call it "UC-Burlington" :laugh:
 
lastly: there's a reason they call it "UC-Burlington" :laugh:

This is very true - California is usually the #2-5 most represented state (definitely behind Vermont, and sometimes behind NY/MA/ME but not always - I think it might be #2 for my class). And this phrase just came up during Match week again because we sent quite a lot of people to CA for residency. So if you're from CA, you have pretty decent odds based on the precedent!
 
Congratulations on the recent acceptances. I am also a Californian (UCSD), and have been on the wait-list since December. My wife and I are keeping our fingers crossed that we are offered an acceptance.

Every morning I envision going into my email and seeing that acceptance sitting there. Hasn't happened yet, but we are sending out good thoughts to the universe. ***GOOD THOUGHTS**** ***GOOD THOUGHTS****
 
Congratulations on the recent acceptances. I am also a Californian (UCSD), and have been on the wait-list since December. My wife and I are keeping our fingers crossed that we are offered an acceptance.

Every morning I envision going into my email and seeing that acceptance sitting there. Hasn't happened yet, but we are sending out good thoughts to the universe. ***GOOD THOUGHTS**** ***GOOD THOUGHTS****

San Diego as well, Carlsbad actually, stem cell research with Life Technologies...

haha my droid is pretty much glued to my hand checking my email non-stop...good luck San Diegans! :luck:
 
there are no "waitlist-only" slots because every interview is a "waitlist-only" slot, if you know what i mean 😉 seriously, everyone has a shot. you all would really do yourselves a favor if you thought of UVM as a non-rolling school who tries extra hard to "assemble a class." the downside is that it means a lot of waiting for the people who really want to come here.

finaid packages will come out in April.

lastly: there's a reason they call it "UC-Burlington" :laugh:

Hahaha UC Burlington. I'm gonna have to tell my friends that I go there from now on. It's good to hear that Cali kids match to Cali.

Anyone know if Homebrewing is big in burlington? Gotta get a new hobby.
 
It's good to hear that Cali kids match to Cali.

Anyone know if Homebrewing is big in burlington? Gotta get a new hobby.

Interesting, of the 13 classmates who matched in CA this year, about 2/3 of them are not originally from CA. So if you're from another state but it's your dream to do your residency in CA, it looks like you still have a decent shot even if you go to school in Vermont.

Homebrewing is pretty big around here - a couple of classmates have really gotten into it. So that'd be a fun hobby to try!
 
Hahaha UC Burlington. I'm gonna have to tell my friends that I go there from now on. It's good to hear that Cali kids match to Cali.

Anyone know if Homebrewing is big in burlington? Gotta get a new hobby.


I'm totally in for homebrewing. Also on the ballot for new hobbies: crosscountry/downhill skiing, beard-growing and flannel-wearing.
 
Hahaha UC Burlington. I'm gonna have to tell my friends that I go there from now on. It's good to hear that Cali kids match to Cali.

Anyone know if Homebrewing is big in burlington? Gotta get a new hobby.


I live in Burlington now, and I'm on the wait-list for UVM. I homebrew, and there's a great store in Winooski (a town bordering Burlington) that sells homebrew stuff, and is really helpful.

So yes, Homebrew is something that's really easy to do in Burlington. Not to mention VT (as of my last reading) has the most breweries per ca pita...haha

If I end up making it off the wait list I can definitely show you where the stuff is 🙂
 
I live in Burlington now, and I'm on the wait-list for UVM. I homebrew, and there's a great store in Winooski (a town bordering Burlington) that sells homebrew stuff, and is really helpful.

So yes, Homebrew is something that's really easy to do in Burlington. Not to mention VT (as of my last reading) has the most breweries per ca pita...haha

If I end up making it off the wait list I can definitely show you where the stuff is 🙂

Aw dude, this is a huge indicator that I will get along with tons of people at Burlington 😀

Let's celebrate if you get in by brewing a batch for the class! Best of luck

Allen
 
Has minimilist running gotten cool over in VT yet?
 
Has minimilist running gotten cool over in VT yet?


Barefoot running?

I know a lot of people who run in vibrims (spelling?) - the fingertoe shoes. It's kind of hard to run barefoot here cause of the cold/ice/salt/grit from the roads. A lot of the grit/loose gravel lasts on the sidewalks well into the summer in most places.

I have seen a couple people, but not that many.
 
Does anyone know if the university is on spring break? I tried calling the admissions office today and no one was picking up. Should I just try calling back tomorrow?
 
Does anyone know if the university is on spring break? I tried calling the admissions office today and no one was picking up. Should I just try calling back tomorrow?

Today is an interview day. They're probably busy with that. Try calling later?
 
Does anyone know if the university is on spring break? I tried calling the admissions office today and no one was picking up. Should I just try calling back tomorrow?

Spring break isn't until the week of 4/11, so you should definitely be able to get through later this week if today doesn't work out.
 
Was hoping yesterday's interview day was the reason why nobody answered but I tried again today and still no luck. How strange.
 
Was hoping yesterday's interview day was the reason why nobody answered but I tried again today and still no luck. How strange.

I bet they've got caller ID...I'll let that sink in...


I'm just messing around, it's much more likely that they're busy looking at their class make up and who to start moving off the wait list.
 
anyway know how frequently.. or should i say.. how much time should you wait in b/t b4 sending in additional letter of interests/phone calls?

to be not perceived as annoying/desperate but genuinely interested
 
anyway know how frequently.. or should i say.. how much time should you wait in b/t b4 sending in additional letter of interests/phone calls?

to be not perceived as annoying/desperate but genuinely interested

3-4 weeks
 
Just out of curiosity where did the 3-4 week thing come up. When I talked to students up there they were saying 1 a week.
 
Just out of curiosity where did the 3-4 week thing come up. When I talked to students up there they were saying 1 a week.

someone up thread said they called admissions and the woman said not more than every 3 weeks, otherwise it's annoying for them.

You can always call admissions to check if this number sounds right but I can imagine 1/week would become annoying pretty quickly.
 
Just out of curiosity where did the 3-4 week thing come up. When I talked to students up there they were saying 1 a week.

I probably wouldn't do 1 a week until at least after May 15th when waitlist activity picks up, or until later in the summer as a last-ditch effort to get a spot before school starts. It may not seem like it, but right now there's still plenty of time left to get admitted (the school hasn't even finished interviewing), so you don't need to come off as desperate yet.
 
What exactly do you write in a letter of interest every 3 weeks without getting repetitive? I don't know what else to write other than "I love you. Please let me in!"
 
focus or expand on different things you like about UVM/burlington? =0
 
i guess there hasnt been any movement with the waitlist since the last batch of people huh
 
for those of you had letters of interest succeed, did you guys focus on the school/program? or did you also write about the place/city/environment?

i feel like UVM is pretty proud of its environment, but most people say you should focus on their curriculum/school more.

any current UVM students wanna give some advice about this too? =)

thanks!
 
for those of you had letters of interest succeed, did you guys focus on the school/program? or did you also write about the place/city/environment?

i feel like UVM is pretty proud of its environment, but most people say you should focus on their curriculum/school more.

any current UVM students wanna give some advice about this too? =)

thanks!

I focused on the aspects that thought were most important to me, and what I am looking for in a med school. I made that clear in the letter. I talked about student happiness, the innovative cirriculum, tech savy COMET system/ hospital, the surroundings of burlington, and the community involvement. I got in a few weeks after sending the letter. Hope this helps.
 
Haha at least they are known for accepting a lot of Cali people. I'm from Illinois and they had 0 people from my state in the class of 2014(Understandably so, as my state has more medical schools per population pre-meds compared to Cali). Still, hoping that they decide to shed some love to mid-west!

we actually have 1 person in our class from chicago area and 1 from indiana...and that's about it for the midwest! 29 Vermonters, 27 Californians and others..mostly from NE, Florida & Washington.
 
for those of you had letters of interest succeed, did you guys focus on the school/program? or did you also write about the place/city/environment?

i feel like UVM is pretty proud of its environment, but most people say you should focus on their curriculum/school more.

any current UVM students wanna give some advice about this too? =)

thanks!

Sorry if this sounds repetitive as I haven't been following your posts. Update them about anything you have accompolished that they don't know about + express interest in their curriculum (VIC is unique..I talk to friends at other schools and it really does integrate so many different disciplines to paint a complete picture for you) + if interested in research, find a faculty member and mention him/her in your letter (and hopefully you will stick with them for a summer project or other blocks) + if you are outdoorsy kind of person..mention that too as they are very proud of their surroundings and realize that being in such a serene and adventurous setting serves its therapeutic effects...trust me the pace here is super fast since it's a little condensed + collegial environment (I saw this everywhere I interviewed...just threw in there to be complete) + what kinds of student interest groups you expect to participate (yes its early...but it does show the seriousness in the program) + how you would add diversity to their class (experiential..etc)

In short, I suggest that you mention the whole enchilada describing how you would fit and how the school would benefit from having you there...sounds generic, but true. From what I have heard from the admissions office on regular basis is that they only accept people who really want to be here!

feel free to pm me if need any specific advice. I was in your shoes last year and got accepted on May 17th! so keep up your hopes high!
 
Sorry if this sounds repetitive as I haven't been following your posts. Update them about anything you have accompolished that they don't know about + express interest in their curriculum (VIC is unique..I talk to friends at other schools and it really does integrate so many different disciplines to paint a complete picture for you) + if interested in research, find a faculty member and mention him/her in your letter (and hopefully you will stick with them for a summer project or other blocks) + if you are outdoorsy kind of person..mention that too as they are very proud of their surroundings and realize that being in such a serene and adventurous setting serves its therapeutic effects...trust me the pace here is super fast since it's a little condensed + collegial environment (I saw this everywhere I interviewed...just threw in there to be complete) + what kinds of student interest groups you expect to participate (yes its early...but it does show the seriousness in the program) + how you would add diversity to their class (experiential..etc)

In short, I suggest that you mention the whole enchilada describing how you would fit and how the school would benefit from having you there...sounds generic, but true. From what I have heard from the admissions office on regular basis is that they only accept people who really want to be here!

feel free to pm me if need any specific advice. I was in your shoes last year and got accepted on May 17th! so keep up your hopes high!

What would you recommend as an upper limit for length per letter? 1 page? 1.5?
 
What would you recommend as an upper limit for length per letter? 1 page? 1.5?


To add to this discussion--I sent in a one page letter with a basic format (thank you, high school English!)

intro (stating 3 reasons why I <3 UVM)

expand upon reason 1

expand upon reason 2

expand upon reason 3

conclusion ("no, seriously, I love you guys")

I was accepted a few weeks later!


Of course, the same formula can be used for an additional update letter--one or two of your paragraphs just might be "this is why I continue to be awesome and a great fit for your school". You just can't go wrong with the 5 paragraph essay.

I think they also like it when people have clearly done their homework and come up with very specific reasons why they like UVM. So not just "because you have sweet research clinics" but "the X research clinic appeals to me because of my background in Y and my interest in Z."

I'd say a page is probably good (mine was 1 page, 1.5 spaced). Anything more than that might get lengthy to read.

Hope that is helpful!
 
Thank you all for the insight and positivity. I am currently working on my 5th letter of intent and have no thoughts of giving up on Vermont. If we get in, as a thank you, I'll have my wife prepare a gourmet meal for everyone! (She is a chef.)

I have faith that those of us here that really want to be in Vermont, will be.
 
Hi 🙂

Could anyone of the current students at UVM COM answer this question? Or if anyone else knows the answer, it would help me out.

What is the exact class schedule for the first couple of years? Do you have class daily from 8am-5pm? Or is it sporadic? Are they on a block schedule or do you take classes simulataneously?

Thank you!
 
Does anyone know when the last interview date is? I see that someone mentioned WL movement after May 15th... is that an estimate? is that after the first big round of OOS acceptances go out? I know its pointless to be asking for details and exact dates at this point since its not even April...but I know we're all thinking about it...

And heres hoping you're right Rocketman about all of us who really want to go to this school!:xf:
 
Hi 🙂

Could anyone of the current students at UVM COM answer this question? Or if anyone else knows the answer, it would help me out.

What is the exact class schedule for the first couple of years? Do you have class daily from 8am-5pm? Or is it sporadic? Are they on a block schedule or do you take classes simulataneously?

Thank you!
UVM is similar to a block schedule, in that you're taking one main class at a time. You can view the list of classes here: http://www.uvm.edu/medicine/admissions/?Page=curriculum.html. However, there are a couple of longitudinal classes. One is PCR (Professionalism, Communication, & Reflection), which meets once a week on either Tuesday or Thursday from 4-5:30. The other is DIV (Doctoring in Vermont), which starts in the spring of your first year; once a week on either Wednesday or Friday afternoons you get clinical experience with a local preceptor. This isn't every week, you just have a minimum number of sessions you have to do, so you control the schedule for it.

There's not one exact standardized schedule for each class - the days are typically longer during the anatomy and physiology class (Human Structure and Function - HSF) just because all of the lab time, but they're not as long during most of the other classes. In the class the first years are taking now, last week they had lecture from 8-12 each day, on Monday from 1-3 they had a lab, Tuesday from 1-2:30 was a small group discussion (kind of like PBL), and Thursday from 1-2 was an optional review session for this week's exam. There was nothing officially scheduled on Wednesday and Friday afternoon so that those who had set up a DIV day with their preceptor could go if they needed to. And then everyone had their weekly PCR session on either Tuesday or Thursday afternoon. That's pretty typical for the majority of classes - lecture mostly in the mornings, afternoon sessions a couple times a week, then the required weekly longitudinal courses. There is a good deal of variation from week-to-week, but overall on a non-PCR day, it's very rare to be there past 3 or 4 PM, except maybe during HSF.
 
UVM is similar to a block schedule, in that you're taking one main class at a time. You can view the list of classes here: http://www.uvm.edu/medicine/admissions/?Page=curriculum.html. However, there are a couple of longitudinal classes. One is PCR (Professionalism, Communication, & Reflection), which meets once a week on either Tuesday or Thursday from 4-5:30. The other is DIV (Doctoring in Vermont), which starts in the spring of your first year; once a week on either Wednesday or Friday afternoons you get clinical experience with a local preceptor. This isn't every week, you just have a minimum number of sessions you have to do, so you control the schedule for it.

There's not one exact standardized schedule for each class - the days are typically longer during the anatomy and physiology class (Human Structure and Function - HSF) just because all of the lab time, but they're not as long during most of the other classes. In the class the first years are taking now, last week they had lecture from 8-12 each day, on Monday from 1-3 they had a lab, Tuesday from 1-2:30 was a small group discussion (kind of like PBL), and Thursday from 1-2 was an optional review session for this week's exam. There was nothing officially scheduled on Wednesday and Friday afternoon so that those who had set up a DIV day with their preceptor could go if they needed to. And then everyone had their weekly PCR session on either Tuesday or Thursday afternoon. That's pretty typical for the majority of classes - lecture mostly in the mornings, afternoon sessions a couple times a week, then the required weekly longitudinal courses. There is a good deal of variation from week-to-week, but overall on a non-PCR day, it's very rare to be there past 3 or 4 PM, except maybe during HSF.

Lockjaw, you are the best! Thanks for answering that 🙂 How many hours would you say you spend per day studying? (realistically)? I have a family, a wife and two daughters, and I want to know that I would be able to spend SOME time (even if little) with them. What are your thoughts?
 
Anyone interviewing this Thursday (March 31st)? I would love to meet some SDNers at the interview! 🙂
 
Lockjaw, you are the best! Thanks for answering that 🙂 How many hours would you say you spend per day studying? (realistically)? I have a family, a wife and two daughters, and I want to know that I would be able to spend SOME time (even if little) with them. What are your thoughts?

soooo.... i'm currently a student in the schedule that lockjaw just described. i would say that the amount of time anyone spends studying during first year is highly dependent on the individual. in my experience, if you take school seriously, just as you might a job, you will pass. just about everyone (99%) will pass, while getting honors (top 10%) requires much more effort. but how hard you work varies by person. if you are trying to honor a course or fighting to pass because you just got your ass kicked by the last exam, you'll work comparatively harder. if you are choosing to prioritize other things in your life that week and have the leeway to do so, you might work less. there's really an astounding degree of flexibility built into the preclinical curriculum that way. it does require effective time management, however.

the stated time expected out of 1st years is supposed to average 60 hours/week; that includes the class time lockjaw mentioned above. sometimes it's less, sometimes (exam weeks!) it's more. and i'd say that is pretty close to the average of what people actually do. but again, that's highly variable, both from week to week and from person to person.
 
soooo.... i'm currently a student in the schedule that lockjaw just described. i would say that the amount of time anyone spends studying during first year is highly dependent on the individual. in my experience, if you take school seriously, just as you might a job, you will pass. just about everyone (99%) will pass, while getting honors (top 10%) requires much more effort. but how hard you work varies by person. if you are trying to honor a course or fighting to pass because you just got your ass kicked by the last exam, you'll work comparatively harder. if you are choosing to prioritize other things in your life that week and have the leeway to do so, you might work less. there's really an astounding degree of flexibility built into the preclinical curriculum that way. it does require effective time management, however.

the stated time expected out of 1st years is supposed to average 60 hours/week; that includes the class time lockjaw mentioned above. sometimes it's less, sometimes (exam weeks!) it's more. and i'd say that is pretty close to the average of what people actually do. but again, that's highly variable, both from week to week and from person to person.

Passing is 70% or better right?
And by honors you mean top 10% of the class? or a 90% or better on exams?
 
For anyone who will be interviewing in the short remainder of this season, I just interviewed there this week, and here are my thoughts. I liked the way the interviewer had clearly gotten to know my file, and was genuinely interested in what I had to offer. This wasn't because I'm extraordinary among the candidates. I spoke with others in my interview group, and they had a similar experience. The admissions folks made sure to tell us that we were all in the top 10% of candidates, that they knew that we could do the work, and now they were looking for fit. Given that we all had good interviews, it was impossible to guess where we stood with them afterwards. That's not bad, but it's not as satisfying in terms of assessing the odds of an offer as one might hope. It did make us all have stronger positive feeling about the school.

At any rate, it's not a cake walk interview. It was a very thoughtful conversation, and as such, exhausting. Not something to get nervous about, though. Good luck to all.
 
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