2011-2012 University of Southern California (Keck) Application Thread

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Bette said:
Hey future classmates,

I wasn't able to make it to Accepted Students Day, and I can't find an academic calendar online. Can anyone tell me when the first day of orientation is?

Thanks!
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According to the administrators, August 13th. Join the FB group if you haven't already; plenty of insightful discussion there.
 
Does anyone have any insight as to how many are on the waitlist??
 
csot said:
Does anyone have any insight as to how many are on the waitlist??
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I don't know for this year, but in years past it has been a large waitlist (150-200).

Source: Senior faculty at LAC+USC, served on admissions committee in years past and current secondary screener.
 
Oski09 said:
I don't know for this year, but in years past it has been a large waitlist (150-200).

Source: Senior faculty at LAC+USC, served on admissions committee in years past and current secondary screener.
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Thanks for that information. Were you able to find out how many are usually accepted from the waitlist?
 
njpxcrnr said:
Thanks for that information. Were you able to find out how many are usually accepted from the waitlist?
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She was very vague but said somewhere in the 40-80 range.
So short answer, not really, lol.
She did cite the same logic that I think many of us have worked out though in that the waitlist moves according to how many people withdraw from Keck next week and go to UCLA, UCD, UCI, & UCSD. Obviously a few go to Stanford and UCSF also.
 
Oski09 said:
She was very vague but said somewhere in the 40-80 range.
So short answer, not really, lol.
She did cite the same logic that I think many of us have worked out though in that the waitlist moves according to how many people withdraw from Keck next week and go to UCLA, UCD, UCI, & UCSD. Obviously a few go to Stanford and UCSF also.
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Thanks, that's helpful to know.

Even then, that number could mean a lot of things right? Like 40-80 total offers, or 40-80 people matriculated from the waitlist. I want to calculate odds so badly but things like people withdrawing their waitlist spots or turning down offers or whatever aren't really known.
 
Thanks for the info!! Hopefully its 80 matriculated and 150 offered...lol
 
Hi every body,

I want to withdraw my acceptance to Keck (it was a tough decision), but I do not understand their email all the way though.

"You may hold acceptances at multiple schools, but you will need to withdraw from all schools that you do not intend to matriculate by May 15, 2012. Please make sure to contact all schools in writing to withdraw your acceptance if you do not plan on attending in the fall."

Can I just email Keck that I am withdrawing my acceptance or do I have to mail a letter?

(Good luck to all those on the waitlist!)
 
Well it just says "writing", which sounds to me like either email or letter. All of Keck's communication to date has been via email, so it wouldn't make sense if they suddenly required a snail mail letter to withdraw.
 
Why don't you just email telling them you wish to withdraw, and then ask if there's anything else you need to do?
 
Good luck to everyone on the waitlist! I'll be keeping my phone by my side too :xf:
 
pnut said:
Good luck to everyone on the waitlist! I'll be keeping my phone by my side too :xf:
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Good luck to you too! I'm excited for tomorrow, even if it means we won't really be hearing back from USC for a few weeks.
 
Are we really not expecting movement until early June? Gah, this is painful. The relatively few withdrawals on this thread doesn't help, ha.
 
njpxcrnr said:
I know what you mean. I sent in an update a couple weeks ago, and Keck decided today would be a great day to email me back telling me they received them. Took a good few minutes to get my heart rate back down.
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I sent an update letter well over a month ago but they never got back to me. They said sometimes they send email confirmations, sometimes they don't. I hope they don't. Emails are the worst. I'm think pretending that they'll contact me by phone in case of acceptance is a lot less distracting than checking email. 😀
 
FYI, I recently called Keck admissions to infer about the waitlist and was told that it would probably not move "anytime soon." So...I'm guessing that early June sounds about right.
 
pnut said:
FYI, I recently called Keck admissions to infer about the waitlist and was told that it would probably not move "anytime soon." So...I'm guessing that early June sounds about right.
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I guess they're waiting on other schools' movement to work itself out or something. Someone earlier in the thread said they were eager to fill up this class early this cycle. It's possibly they overaccepted more than in years past.
 
I just ran into Dr. Arias while delivering an update letter. She assured me that they haven't even touched the waitlist as of today, and that we (the waitlisters) shouldn't expect to hear from Keck until the first week of June at the earliest. She also said that there haven't been many students withdrawing as of yet... which is not the most exciting news...

In any case, keep calm and carry on everyone!


...
I feel like this post doesn't sound as reassuring as I hoped it would.
 
Oski09 said:
I just ran into Dr. Arias while delivering an update letter. She assured me that they haven't even touched the waitlist as of today, and that we (the waitlisters) shouldn't expect to hear from Keck until the first week of June at the earliest. She also said that there haven't been many students withdrawing as of yet... which is not the most exciting news...

In any case, keep calm and carry on everyone!


...
I feel like this post doesn't sound as reassuring as I hoped it would.
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That's really depressing. They must have offered more acceptances than in previous yrs. The other CA schools haven't moved much either though.
 
Oski09 said:
I just ran into Dr. Arias while delivering an update letter. She assured me that they haven't even touched the waitlist as of today, and that we (the waitlisters) shouldn't expect to hear from Keck until the first week of June at the earliest. She also said that there haven't been many students withdrawing as of yet... which is not the most exciting news...

In any case, keep calm and carry on everyone!


...
I feel like this post doesn't sound as reassuring as I hoped it would.
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Nice, you actually ran into Dr. Arias. When I delivered my letter, I only saw Susan.
 
dblue10 said:
That's really depressing. They must have offered more acceptances than in previous yrs. The other CA schools haven't moved much either though.
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You cannot assume that the adcom accepted significantly more students than in previous years based on a a dearth of offer-withdrawals. Statistically speaking, more acceptances would result in more withdrawals (albeit still with few coming off the WL).

A lack of withdrawals more likely signifies one (or more) of several plausible conditions:
a. The adcom selected competitive students which they felt were genuinely interested in Keck and would most likely attend, even if accepted to other institutions.
b. The adcom selected students who were less competitive than in previous years, meaning Keck would be their only / top choice.
c. The adcom & faculty did a particularly outstanding job convincing interviewees & accepted students of the merits of Keck. Consequently, no one wishes to give up their seat.
d. With the consecutive year-on-year increases in tuition / student fees at UC schools, the financial incentive for attending a public CA school over USC has decreased significantly.
e. With the construction of the new LAC hospital, Center for Regenerative Medicine, Norris Cancer Center, and planned procurement of $1.5 billion in funding, Keck may simply be a more promising / attractive institution than ever before.


It may be a combination of all these factors. In any case, I wish you the best of luck in the painful and de-humanizing process that is medical school admissions.
 
DennisdaMenace said:
You cannot assume that the adcom accepted significantly more students than in previous years based on a a dearth of offer-withdrawals. Statistically speaking, more acceptances would result in more withdrawals (albeit still with few coming off the WL).

A lack of withdrawals more likely signifies one (or more) of several plausible conditions:
a. The adcom selected competitive students which they felt were genuinely interested in Keck and would most likely attend, even if accepted to other institutions.
b. The adcom selected students who were less competitive than in previous years, meaning Keck would be their only / top choice.
c. The adcom & faculty did a particularly outstanding job convincing interviewees & accepted students of the merits of Keck. Consequently, no one wishes to give up their seat.
d. With the consecutive year-on-year increases in tuition / student fees at UC schools, the financial incentive for attending a public CA school over USC has decreased significantly.
e. With the construction of the new LAC hospital, Center for Regenerative Medicine, Norris Cancer Center, and planned procurement of $1.5 billion in funding, Keck may simply be a more promising / attractive institution than ever before.


It may be a combination of all these factors. In any case, I wish you the best of luck in the painful and de-humanizing process that is medical school admissions.
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I like the thoroughness of your analysis.
 
congrats! mind sharing if youre going to take your spot? also are you instate? and did you get a call or email? thanks!
 
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dblue10 said:
Charlottesville seems like a nice place to settle down but Houston and LA are better...at least while I'm young haha.
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I totally agree. UVA is the place to go for residency with elite programs in interventional radiology, ortho, neurosurgery, and cardio-thoracic surgery. I've lived in small college towns like c-ville all my life. I want the city.
 
Crossing my fingers for more movement this week. Good luck!
 
dblue10 said:
Crossing my fingers for more movement this week. Good luck!
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Hey Dblue10. I just withdrew from the waitlist. I got my FA package from UVA and it was amazing, so I'll be headed to Charlottesville but will be rooting for you to get the call.
 
Just got a phone call this afternoon!

Well, two actually. One to confirm I was still interested in staying on the waitlist, and a second to offer me an acceptance!

I'm really excited to have a California acceptance (and USC nonetheless!), but was really getting pumped to go out to DC for Georgetown. I'm torn 🙁

first-world-problems-ii.jpg
 
Tep said:
Just got a phone call this afternoon!

Well, two actually. One to confirm I was still interested in staying on the waitlist, and a second to offer me an acceptance!

I'm really excited to have a California acceptance (and USC nonetheless!), but was really getting pumped to go out to DC for Georgetown. I'm torn 🙁

first-world-problems-ii.jpg
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lol. just go to DC if you're pumped. but not b/c i want your spot.. :laugh: (congrats)
 
Tep said:
Just got a phone call this afternoon!

Well, two actually. One to confirm I was still interested in staying on the waitlist, and a second to offer me an acceptance!

I'm really excited to have a California acceptance (and USC nonetheless!), but was really getting pumped to go out to DC for Georgetown. I'm torn 🙁
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3 years into my time at Keck, I have never walked outside after a late night of studying, an all-nighter, or an exam and thought "Gee, I wish it were freezing & gloomy. There's not enough pollution-coated slush to walk through on the way to my car" in the winter or "Thank goodness it's miserably humid during this relaxing week after exams. It's really too bad that it's a beautiful day to recover at the beach" in the summer.

If all else is equal, when you are swamped & overwhelmed by med school, don't underestimate how nice it is to be in California. I say this as a 10-yr resident of RI, NY, DC who loves the east coast.

Is there a particular reason you're torn?
 
pietachok said:
3 years into my time at Keck, I have never walked outside after a late night of studying, an all-nighter, or an exam and thought "Gee, I wish it were freezing & gloomy. There's not enough pollution-coated slush to walk through on the way to my car" in the winter or "Thank goodness it's miserably humid during this relaxing week after exams. It's really too bad that it's a beautiful day to recover at the beach" in the summer.

If all else is equal, when you are swamped & overwhelmed by med school, don't underestimate how nice it is to be in California. I say this as a 10-yr resident of RI, NY, DC who loves the east coast.

Is there a particular reason you're torn?
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DC has better public transportation and a college town feel (at least in the area around georgetown). Weather in LA trumps DC without a doubt, but having to own a car/drive to class every day is a downside for me.
 
Tep said:
DC has better public transportation and a college town feel (at least in the area around georgetown). Weather in LA trumps DC without a doubt, but having to own a car/drive to class every day is a downside for me.
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Here's a G-town vs USC vs MCW thread that goes over the merits of each institution in some detail, with good insight from students at each school.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=887288

In my totally un-biased opinion, USC wins hands-down. 😉
 
Can anyone comment on whether the white coats run large/small?
 
kduck said:
Can anyone comment on whether the white coats run large/small?
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I don't feel like they run large/small, but if picking between 2 sizes, I'd choose the larger (1) if you're a woman with curvy hips or a large bust, b/c the unisex coats don't have those contours OR (2) because it's easier to stuff your pockets full of gear when the coat isn't closely fit to you.

Buying a new coat (of better cut & material) is only $20-30 at any uniform shop, so it's not a huge deal if you change your mind later.
 
pietachok said:
I don't feel like they run large/small, but if picking between 2 sizes, I'd choose the larger (1) if you're a woman with curvy hips or a large bust, b/c the unisex coats don't have those contours OR (2) because it's easier to stuff your pockets full of gear when the coat isn't closely fit to you.

Buying a new coat (of better cut & material) is only $20-30 at any uniform shop, so it's not a huge deal if you change your mind later.
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Ok, I'm just a little iffy because I very clearly fit in one category of "size" but I feel like the waist measurements are a bit smaller than expected. Good to know about purchasing another coat, though. thanks!! 🙂
 
Are they already asking for sizes? I didn't receive anything... Is it in that stack of paperwork we have to fill out before August?
 
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