2011-2012 Penn State Application Thread

Discover Your Odds of Getting into Medical School
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Out of curiosity, for those that have been accepted what does your status on the status check site say?
 
Velour Fog said:
Out of curiosity, for those that have been accepted what does your status on the status check site say?
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mine still says "Our records indicate that your application is complete, and is currently being reviewed by the Admissions Committee. You will be contacted by mail and/or phone during the next several weeks with its decision."

it never changed when i got an interview or after so basically that status is meaningless
 
Just cancelled my December interview. I hope someone else takes my place!
 
I did and am and was accepted! Just a couple days ago! I got an e-mail just yesterday from one of my interviewers congratulating me!
 
I've been accepted elsewhere but Penn State is one of my top picks. Have you decided on Penn State?
 
No, I haven't decided. Honestly, I'll most likely end up somewhere else, but it's still too early to know for sure!

P.S. I just noticed the date of your interview, and I was there a bit before you, so maybe you'll hear soon! Good luck!
 
Hopeful Hannah said:
Anyone from PA accepted that interviewed the end of September?

:luck:
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I'm sure you'll get a reply soon, I interviewed early/mid september and it took a while so just hang in there. It's a great school and I'm almost sure I'll be going there so best of luck to you too!
 
Thanks. I know they said 6 to 8 weeks from interview. It will be 7 weeks tomorrow. Just getting really impatient because I loved the school and hospital and the area!
 
Hopeful Hannah said:
Thanks. I know they said 6 to 8 weeks from interview. It will be 7 weeks tomorrow. Just getting really impatient because I loved the school and hospital and the area!
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I'm pretty much in the exact same boat. Anybody hear any news recently?
 
Here's what I notice from the posts:

If you received a "complete email," interview invite should come within 3-4 weeks of complete email. Beyond that time frame, it is most likely a "continue to review" snail mail.

The question is: what are the chances of getting an II after getting "continue to review" mail? It seems that nobody has gotten an II from this hold status yet 🙁
 
Got a "continue to review" letter today.... lesigh.

Would also like to know if people have gotten interview invites after one of these letter.
 
I received a complete application email from Penn State today. Is this a good sign?
 
Hey everyone,

I'm a first-year at PSU COM, and I just wanted to be available if anyone has any questions about the school, or Hershey. I love it here! Good luck with the application process, and happy thanksgiving.
 
nittany said:
Hey everyone,

I'm a first-year at PSU COM, and I just wanted to be available if anyone has any questions about the school, or Hershey. I love it here! Good luck with the application process, and happy thanksgiving.
Click to expand...

Hi Nittany,

I was just recently accepted and super pumped. I do have a few questions about life as a student in Hershey. I'm sure many others would like to know the answers to these questions also that's why I'm asking in public.

1. What do students do for fun in Hershey? Its a rural area and I'm a city boy! After exams do students go to bars, house parties, Harrisburg?

2. Are there regular school sponsored events/ traditions? e.g. Formals, Ski-trips, local volunteer events?

3. What is the vibe of the student body? Is every close-nit/clicky/competetive?

4. Where do most students work out and is the campus gym nice? (We couldn't see it on the tour.)

5. What is the average pass rate and score on the STEP 1?

6. What's the food like in the cafeteria...I'm dead serious.

7. Is a car necessary? Is shopping and groceries nearby?

8. Since you are now a student, how do you like the facilities? Classrooms, study areas, anatomy labs, library ect..

9. Whats awesome about Penn State that most people don't realize and what isn't so great?
Thanks a bunch! Happy T-day!
 
fizzjazz said:
Hi Nittany,

I was just recently accepted and super pumped. I do have a few questions about life as a student in Hershey. I'm sure many others would like to know the answers to these questions also that's why I'm asking in public.

1. What do students do for fun in Hershey? Its a rural area and I'm a city boy! After exams do students go to bars, house parties, Harrisburg?

2. Are there regular school sponsored events/ traditions? e.g. Formals, Ski-trips, local volunteer events?

3. What is the vibe of the student body? Is every close-nit/clicky/competetive?

4. Where do most students work out and is the campus gym nice? (We couldn't see it on the tour.)

5. What is the average pass rate and score on the STEP 1?

6. What's the food like in the cafeteria...I'm dead serious.

7. Is a car necessary? Is shopping and groceries nearby?

8. Since you are now a student, how do you like the facilities? Classrooms, study areas, anatomy labs, library ect..

9. Whats awesome about Penn State that most people don't realize and what isn't so great?
Thanks a bunch! Happy T-day!
Click to expand...

1. After exams, we take bus trips to the bars in Harrisburg, and there are usually apartment parties. Our class organized the Halloween party this year that was held in the conference center and students from all four years attended. I like to run, and there are around 8miles of trails right around the medical center. The Hershey Half-Marathon was a lot of fun this year.

2. As far as school-sponsored events, all of the above. They are really student-organized, though. There is a Holiday Ball at the end of the semester, plans for a ski-trip in the making, and various volunteer and community service events, like “Kiss Hershey Back.”

3. The student body is pretty close-knit. Most of us live either on campus or across the street, so it’s easy to get together and study. A few students in our class are pretty high-strung and competitive, but it’s medical school—I’m sure you’ll find that anywhere. There is generally a good amount of camaraderie here.

4. The University Fitness Center is included in our tuition, and I think it’s fine. I’m used to huge gyms since I went to Penn State for undergrad, and this gym is definitely small, but then again, there aren’t 40,000 students at Penn State COM in Hershey.

5. The average pass rate for step 1 is 97% and the average score is 227 as of 2009—I’m sorry that I don’t have more recent data for you.

6. I have honestly never eaten in the cafeteria! I have heard that the food isn’t the greatest. They are completely revamping it, though, so by the time you’d come here, it should be better. I usually get sandwiches from Au Bon Pain, which is right in the college of medicine, or from a café in the hospital.

7. I know people who don’t have cars, but most of us do. The closest grocery store is about a quarter of a mile away, and stores like Target and Wal-Mart are around 6 miles away.

8. So far, we spend most of our time in one of the large lecture halls, which are all nice. The anatomy lab is well-run. Each group of 4 or 5 students had its own cadaver, and half of the 145 students was in the lab in the morning, and the other half in the afternoon, so it wasn’t crowded. There are around 15 small study rooms with computers and large TV screens. Part of the library is open 24 hours, but the majority closes at midnight. There are plenty of tables and carrels.
9. I’m really impressed with the professors here—especially in gross anatomy. Most of them are very knowledgeable, approachable, and gracious. Also, the variety of student-run clubs is great. There are interest clubs for most specialties, which have free lunch lectures every few weeks, and offer skills labs like EKG, casting, and suturing. There are also clubs like Wilderness Medicine, Global Health, Lion Care (which is a student-run clinic serving the homeless population of Harrisburg), and various spiritually-oriented groups (I am a part of the Christian Medical Society, which is an absolutely amazing community). As far as what is not so great about Penn State, hmm, the weather lately? And the fact that Hershey, PA is not exactly a bustling metropolitan area, so if you’re used to being in the city, you may be bored. It doesn’t bother me, though, because I’m a country girl who is used to fresh air and feeling very safe wandering around at night. Let me know if there is anything else I can tell you!
 
nittany said:
Hey everyone,

I'm a first-year at PSU COM, and I just wanted to be available if anyone has any questions about the school, or Hershey. I love it here! Good luck with the application process, and happy thanksgiving.
Click to expand...

Do you know if people have gotten interviews after receiving a continue to review letter?
 
nearly 8 weeks of being complete..no ii..no continue letter....should i assume no ii because it is taking so long?
 
yellowpwr said:
Do you know if people have gotten interviews after receiving a continue to review letter?
Click to expand...
yes, I received the continue to review letter, got an interview, then got put on the hold list after that, until I got a call from the dean that I was accepted. So, don't lose heart!
 
I was complete since early September just got a continue to review letter on Wednesday.
 
dirkenator said:
I was complete since early September just got a continue to review letter on Wednesday.
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I'm complete early October and was waiting eagerly for some kind of feedback... Thanks for the timeline update. I guess I have a ways to go. 😴
 
For those who got the continue to review letter via snail mail, was it signed by Dean Davis
 
I interviewed the end of september almost 9 weeks ago. I called and they said give it two more weeks. Anyone else still waiting 9 weeks after interview?
 
Hopeful Hannah said:
I interviewed the end of september almost 9 weeks ago. I called and they said give it two more weeks. Anyone else still waiting 9 weeks after interview?
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i interviewed at the end of september and was accepted about three weeks ago. no idea why its taking so long for you lol
 
Hopeful Hannah said:
Are you in state?
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no out of state. honestly, i dont really see myself going here because it costs so much more than my instate schools ive gotten into but ill wait to see once the financial aid stuff coems rolling around because i liked the school when i interviewed.

good luck and hopefully you hear something back from them soon
 
mrdude said:
no out of state. honestly, i dont really see myself going here because it costs so much more than my instate schools ive gotten into but ill wait to see once the financial aid stuff coems rolling around because i liked the school when i interviewed.

good luck and hopefully you hear something back from them soon
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Funny thing is I have been accepted out of state and also prefer those in state rates but Pa is my state of residency!
 
Hey guys how long did it take to get a complete email after submitting your secondary app? Submitted about 4 weeks ago but still no complete email. Out of state applicant here.
 
harlemdoc said:
Hey guys how long did it take to get a complete email after submitting your secondary app? Submitted about 4 weeks ago but still no complete email. Out of state applicant here.
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I submitted 10/14 and was complete 11/18. In state (hometown is ~30 min away!)
 
My status on the secondary website says:

"Our records indicate that your Secondary Application has been received, but it has not been determined whether your application is complete or not at this time. Once that determination has been made, you will be notified via email."

But I received the dreaded 'continue to review' snail mail y'day. So for those of you who have been completed for a while but haven't had a status update, don't worry. They review your file but they just don't like you 🙁

I am an international applicant if that makes any difference
 
Not that rankings matter to me really, I was just wondering why Penn State is unranked in the US News rankings. It seems like a great school...
😕
 
yellowcocopuffs said:
Not that rankings matter to me really, I was just wondering why Penn State is unranked in the US News rankings. It seems like a great school...
😕
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Mayo is not ranked, these schools and others CHOOSE not to be ranked. they're the equivalent of the chic hipsters that are too cool for everyone else.
 
Got a phone call from the 'rents letting me know a big envelope came in the mail from Penn State.

WOOOOOO!!!&!%*#$^*#!*^

Interviewed early October. OOS.
 
KLycos said:
Mayo is not ranked, these schools and others CHOOSE not to be ranked. they're the equivalent of the chic hipsters that are too cool for everyone else.
Click to expand...

I thought that a school is unranked if you are lower than a specific point in the ranking system. It used to be the 50% mark, right?

On another note, I got accepted at SLU and need to make up my mind about the Penn interview because of the deadline. Can anyone speak of the strengths of Penn State and whether I should interview here? I'm just getting tight on my interview funds. Flying across the country multiple times really adds up.
 
KLycos said:
Mayo is not ranked, these schools and others CHOOSE not to be ranked. they're the equivalent of the chic hipsters that are too cool for everyone else.
Click to expand...

Mayo IS ranked. It's currently 26 for Research and 28 for Prim Care.

😕
 
monkeyMD said:
I thought that a school is unranked if you are lower than a specific point in the ranking system. It used to be the 50% mark, right?
Click to expand...

I think you're confusing two categories. There is a rank not published category, but there is also a did not respond to the survey designation, which is unranked. That's what Penn State falls under.
 
Last edited:
ARE83 said:
I think you're confusing two categories. There is a rank not published category, but there is also a did not respond to the survey designation, which is unranked. That's what Penn State falls under.
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So to clarify, Rank not published means they rank low.
Unranked means they did not respond to survey.

If Penn State was ranked, then how do you think it will rank? I see that they do have a lot of research funds...do they send many students into competitive residencies?
 
yellowcocopuffs said:
So to clarify, Rank not published means they rank low.
Unranked means they did not respond to survey.

If Penn State was ranked, then how do you think it will rank? I see that they do have a lot of research funds...do they send many students into competitive residencies?
Click to expand...
no, switched up
 
yellowcocopuffs said:
So to clarify, Rank not published means they rank low.
Unranked means they did not respond to survey.

If Penn State was ranked, then how do you think it will rank? I see that they do have a lot of research funds...do they send many students into competitive residencies?
Click to expand...

tap5103 said:
no, switched up
Click to expand...


No, I think that was right. From http://www.usnews.com/education/bes...cal-school-rankings-methodology-2012?PageNr=2


"Rank Not Published means that U.S. News did calculate a numerical ranking for that school/program, but decided for editorial reasons that since the school/program ranked below the U.S. News cutoff that U.S. News would not publish the ranking for that school/program on usnews.com."

"Unranked means that U.S. News did not calculate a numerical ranking for that school or program. The school or program did not supply U.S. News with enough key statistical data to be numerically ranked by U.S. News."
 
yellowcocopuffs said:
So to clarify, Rank not published means they rank low.
Unranked means they did not respond to survey.

If Penn State was ranked, then how do you think it will rank? I see that they do have a lot of research funds...do they send many students into competitive residencies?
Click to expand...

I read somewhere that if they were ranked, based on the schools that are already ranked, they would be 90 or below. But I don't know where I read it, and it could be completely false. The match seems pretty decent http://www.pennstatehershey.org/c/d...5f-2aa7-4738-86d5-e4566610a971&groupId=103698
9 anesthesiology
1 plastics
5 orthopedic surgery
2 derm
5 radiology
 
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