2011-2012 University of Colorado Application Thread

Started by Sammich117
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Black Knight said:
Thanks...I have only 100 hours of clinical experience but was invited to interview. I'm going to assume now that they are going to ask me about this.
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Yup. I only have ~200, and I was asked about it by one of my interviewers at CU. He asked if I had any clinical experience besides what I listed on my app. I listed some shadowing experiences, and he wrote it down and said "every little bit helps." Clearly they care about it... which is bad news for me...
 
kexy said:
Yup. I only have ~200, and I was asked about it by one of my interviewers at CU. He asked if I had any clinical experience besides what I listed on my app. I listed some shadowing experiences, and he wrote it down and said "every little bit helps." Clearly they care about it... which is bad news for me...
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Oh man I have virtually nothing in this regard from the last 3 or 4 years.
 
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PITTjdm said:
Oh man I have virtually nothing in this regard from the last 3 or 4 years. I was hoping they would not be putting an emphasis on this. Are interviewers reasonable enough to understand that those of us without financial support from our families have to take jobs that pay the bills? I would have loved to have worked in a lab or a hospital during the application process but the bottom line is there are few of these positions available where I live and all I inquired about expect a volunteer capacity or minimum wage. How is this reasonable? It is a sad state of affairs that the medical schools are not responsible for but I would hope they understand.
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I'm sure that's a totally different situation. I'm still in undergrad, so I really have no excuse not to have more clinical experience 😳. I'm sure old clinical experience still counts, and I know CU loves non-trads, so you probably shouldn't worry about it.
 
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LingoLaine said:
I'm pretty sure they consider WICHE students as in-state.
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WICHE funding is unfortunately a privilege, not a right, at schools that accept it. They only take a certain number of students for the funding each year, so just because you're considered a resident of one of those states, it doesn't mean you'll automatically get it.
 
blkshrtdynasty said:
500 hours stated explicitly somewhere in the app? I worked as a care manager at a major hospital for 3.5 years, hopefully they let that count.
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Nope, it's a requirement they've mentioned in the past to pre-meds at their pre-med days (which are primarily for in-state applicants). It's also something the advisors are generally aware of (i.e., the advisors at the UC schools know to get their students into good clinical experiences for large numbers of hours).

As for working as a care manager, that should be fine. I assume that is basically a case manager? Those positions offer a ton of patient contact. You're golden on that!



PITTjdm said:
Oh man I have virtually nothing in this regard from the last 3 or 4 years. I was hoping they would not be putting an emphasis on this. Are interviewers reasonable enough to understand that those of us without financial support from our families have to take jobs that pay the bills? I would have loved to have worked in a lab or a hospital during the application process but the bottom line is there are few of these positions available where I live and all I inquired about expect a volunteer capacity or minimum wage. How is this reasonable? It is a sad state of affairs that the medical schools are not responsible for but I would hope they understand.
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Non-trads are still expected to get plenty of hours, but they're not going to mind if the hours are older -- esp. if you have actual work experience in a clinical area. That said, I'd do your best to start getting said experience now. A guy I know is an IS applicant and got torn apart by his interviewer for his lack of clinical experience. (He had gotten his CNA but not used it -- the interviewer apparently disliked this and ripped into him. He went away pretty bitter, I think.)
 
So I asked for a new date for my interview yesterday (from original 12/19) and got assigned 2/3 today. I'll be attending then.
 
Interview invite this morning for 12/19!

non-trad (read "ancient"), IS, 31Q / 3.59 cum / 3.79 sci / 3.99 post-bacc

So very excited and hopeful! :xf:
 
When were all of you folks complete?
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Secondary app submitted sometime in August but my last MCAT scores weren't released until 9/7.

Looking forward to meeting you guys on 12/19!
 
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Why is their acceptance schedule so cryptic? I wish more med schools were like NYU, "first acceptances go out Dec 15th. PERIOD. Congrats though!
 
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E-mail. I'm a reapplicant (only applied to CU last year) who waited 5 months to find out I'd been placed on the waitlist, so I know how frustrating it feels to have to wait. For those of you who haven't interviewed yet, I can tell you the main difference between last year and this year is that this time around, I was more myself in the interview. No polished answers, no saying what I thought was the appropriate thing to say in a med school interview, just off the cuff frankness. I wish I had known that last year!
 
Hm, am I the only 12/3 interview here?

And I am curious Bluegrass, since you seemed to get a super-fast turnaround, what are your stats and did your interview go extra well or anything?
 
Anyone know what info the interviewers have? It seems like only our essays. I'm not sure if it includes our activity descriptions on AMCAS or not.

The website says:

What can I expect during the interviews?
The interviews are one-on-one, and the interviewer has been given your name, any college or university that you have attended, and the essays you have provided to AMCAS and to CU on the secondary application. Each interview will last 30 minutes. After each interview the interviewer will review your entire file including your grades and MCAT scores. Based on all components of your file the interviewers will recommend a score to the committee.
 
lalalaaaaaa said:
Anyone know what info the interviewers have? It seems like only our essays. I'm not sure if it includes our activity descriptions on AMCAS or not.

The website says:

What can I expect during the interviews?
The interviews are one-on-one, and the interviewer has been given your name, any college or university that you have attended, and the essays you have provided to AMCAS and to CU on the secondary application. Each interview will last 30 minutes. After each interview the interviewer will review your entire file including your grades and MCAT scores. Based on all components of your file the interviewers will recommend a score to the committee.
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Everything but your MCAT/GPA.
 
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Nice, I interviewed on the same day as you (9/23). Hope to hear good news in the (near, but prbly not) future.
 
Im planning on staying Colorado for the weekend when I go to interview. Any suggestions on what to do? Stay in Denver? Explore boulder? Hostels/Hotels to stay at?

Also did anyone do student hosting? How early before the interview did you hear back on whether they were able to offer one or not?

Interviewing 12-9 and so excited!
 
melisedalien said:
Im planning on staying Colorado for the weekend when I go to interview. Any suggestions on what to do? Stay in Denver? Explore boulder? Hostels/Hotels to stay at?

Also did anyone do student hosting? How early before the interview did you hear back on whether they were able to offer one or not?

Interviewing 12-9 and so excited!
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If you stay in Denver for the weekend, I would suggest trying to stay closer to the downtown area. There's not a whole lot to do around the campus (it's actually in Aurora). Boulder is cool, but you can take the bus directly from downtown (Market Street Station) to the Pearl Street area in Boulder for less than $5. If you have a car, I would consider checking out Breckenridge (ski town), Morrison (Red Rocks), Boulder and the Cherry Creek neighborhood of Denver. I don't know about cheap accommodations, but there are tons of hotels downtown.
 
Colorado79 said:
If you stay in Denver for the weekend, I would suggest trying to stay closer to the downtown area. There's not a whole lot to do around the campus (it's actually in Aurora). Boulder is cool, but you can take the bus directly from downtown (Market Street Station) to the Pearl Street area in Boulder for less than $5. If you have a car, I would consider checking out Breckenridge (ski town), Morrison (Red Rocks), Boulder and the Cherry Creek neighborhood of Denver. I don't know about cheap accommodations, but there are tons of hotels downtown.
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Go to One Up on Blake Street! Coolest bar ever, they have old school arcade games and giant Jenga. Also they sell 40s and Mad Dog at the bar. If you want to go skiing I'd hit up Winter Park, it's my fav. 😀 The mountain towns are hard to get to unless you have a car, but I think the coolest ones are Estes Park and Black Hawk/Central City. Cherry Creek mall is awesome for shopping. As far as hotels go, the ones downtown are most expensive but best location, and cheap compared to most big cities. If you're into beer, skip the Coors Brewery tour and check out Wynkoop Brewery or Breckinridge Brewery or the Yard House (all downtown). PM me if you need more suggestions, I'm actually a Boulder native but I work in Denver so I'm pretty familiar with the whole metro area.
 
Interviewing here tomorrow; I'm very excited and a little bit nervous! I'll try to share anything interesting from the interview day!
 
BuffNerd said:
Interviewing here tomorrow; I'm very excited and a little bit nervous! I'll try to share anything interesting from the interview day!
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Yes, please do share. Any info would be helpful. I am interviewing here in a few weeks and am really excited/nervous so any tips/advice/etc. would be useful and much appreciated.

Good luck at your interview!! 🙂
 
kumabear said:
Yes, please do share. Any info would be helpful. I am interviewing here in a few weeks and am really excited/nervous so any tips/advice/etc. would be useful and much appreciated.

Good luck at your interview!! 🙂
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Seriously just be yourself. I know everyone says that, but they really are just interested in finding out what kind of person you are and whether you'd be a good fit for their class. Enjoy it, it's a low stress day.
 
Yeah, I have heard its a pretty laid-back day and the interviews themselves aren't super intense which I think is good. This will be my first interview so I think thats why I'm having the pre-interview jitters. But, I think it will be fine 🙂
 
kumabear said:
Yes, please do share. Any info would be helpful. I am interviewing here in a few weeks and am really excited/nervous so any tips/advice/etc. would be useful and much appreciated.
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Definitely know "why Colorado" and make sure to include what in your background makes you especially well suited to take advantage of the opportunities at the school.

Know what you wrote in your secondary and your primary! Both of my interviewers asked me about my secondary essay, and one of my interviewers had taken extensive notes on my AMCAS activities and wanted me to talk more about them.

At the end of the interview, both of my interviewers asked me something along the lines of, "Is there anything else you'd like me to tell the Adcom?" I'd highly recommend having an answer prepared for this question. I basically spat out what I wrote for another school's secondary (an essay on what I could bring/ what would make me a unique addition to the incoming class), and both my interviewers said it was a really good answer to a question that usually just gets "Uhh, I don't think so."

:luck::luck:
 
kumabear said:
Yes, please do share. Any info would be helpful. I am interviewing here in a few weeks and am really excited/nervous so any tips/advice/etc. would be useful and much appreciated.

Good luck at your interview!! 🙂
Click to expand...

The interview day was AMAZING!!! I thought that I already viewed this school very highly, but my affection increased exponentially throughout the day.

I was pretty nervous for the interviews, but both of my interviewers were incredibly warm, welcoming, and encouraging. One of my interviews was essentially my interviewer trying to convince me to come to CU (not that I really needed much encouragement!). In the other interview, I was almost exclusively asked questions concerning my personal statement and secondary essay, as well as questions about my extracurricular activities. I didn't get any overly "hard" questions, ethics questions, or healthcare policy questions.
Dr. Winn is one of the funniest and kindest people I have met, and he did a great job of helping everyone relax before we interviewed.
Overall, CU has incredible people and facilities, and I was very impressed!
 
TheMightySmiter said:
Go to One Up on Blake Street! Coolest bar ever, they have old school arcade games and giant Jenga. Also they sell 40s and Mad Dog at the bar. If you want to go skiing I'd hit up Winter Park, it's my fav. 😀 The mountain towns are hard to get to unless you have a car, but I think the coolest ones are Estes Park and Black Hawk/Central City. Cherry Creek mall is awesome for shopping. As far as hotels go, the ones downtown are most expensive but best location, and cheap compared to most big cities. If you're into beer, skip the Coors Brewery tour and check out Wynkoop Brewery or Breckinridge Brewery or the Yard House (all downtown). PM me if you need more suggestions, I'm actually a Boulder native but I work in Denver so I'm pretty familiar with the whole metro area.
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Awesome. Thanks so much. Love beer, so you've given me great suggestions! Ill definitely pm you closer to the date...yikes only two weeks away!
 
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BuffNerd said:
The interview day was AMAZING!!! I thought that I already viewed this school very highly, but my affection increased exponentially throughout the day.

I was pretty nervous for the interviews, but both of my interviewers were incredibly warm, welcoming, and encouraging. One of my interviews was essentially my interviewer trying to convince me to come to CU (not that I really needed much encouragement!). In the other interview, I was almost exclusively asked questions concerning my personal statement and secondary essay, as well as questions about my extracurricular activities. I didn't get any overly "hard" questions, ethics questions, or healthcare policy questions.
Dr. Winn is one of the funniest and kindest people I have met, and he did a great job of helping everyone relax before we interviewed.
Overall, CU has incredible people and facilities, and I was very impressed!
Click to expand...

kexy said:
Definitely know "why Colorado" and make sure to include what in your background makes you especially well suited to take advantage of the opportunities at the school.

Know what you wrote in your secondary and your primary! Both of my interviewers asked me about my secondary essay, and one of my interviewers had taken extensive notes on my AMCAS activities and wanted me to talk more about them.

At the end of the interview, both of my interviewers asked me something along the lines of, "Is there anything else you'd like me to tell the Adcom?" I'd highly recommend having an answer prepared for this question. I basically spat out what I wrote for another school's secondary (an essay on what I could bring/ what would make me a unique addition to the incoming class), and both my interviewers said it was a really good answer to a question that usually just gets "Uhh, I don't think so."

:luck::luck:
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Ok, these are really good things to keep in mind. This is great! Thanks so much for the info!!
 
Yeah, did they say what the acceptance situation is? I know that they mentioned that 15 people were accepted in that first batch. Did they say how many have been accepted up to this point or when the next batch is?
 
bassvp said:
Yeah, did they say what the acceptance situation is? I know that they mentioned that 15 people were accepted in that first batch. Did they say how many have been accepted up to this point or when the next batch is?
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I wanna know too
 
bassvp said:
Yeah, did they say what the acceptance situation is? I know that they mentioned that 15 people were accepted in that first batch. Did they say how many have been accepted up to this point or when the next batch is?
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When I interviewed on November 12th they mentioned something about some acceptances going out the following week and approximately every other week after that. So, I think next week some people should get some good news.

EDIT: Didn't hear anything in terms of how many had been accepted so far or how many acceptances would go out each batch.
 
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