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

[melisedalien]

Best secondary yet. no overlapping questions from the primary, and it feels like they want to get to know who we really are - beyond academics and work/volunteer commitments.

"What is the most fun you've ever had?"...love it!

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[sandiego1]

That's reassuring to hear. Just sitting around waiting for invites, especially from your top choice, is agonizing. Anyone else going to Keck on Thursday for the med school info meeting?

Where did you hear about the info session and do you happen to know if there will be others during the application cycle?

 

[AvarysDad]

Is it easier to get into USC as a minority and bilingual?

 

[kduck]

Where did you hear about the info session and do you happen to know if there will be others during the application cycle?

I got an email about it. I didn't get the impression that there will be others - it's the first year they've had it. Keep calm, it was pretty straightforward. Mostly they impressed us with their student support programs.

 

[Giraffe Guy]

Is it easier to get into USC as a minority and bilingual?

It is easier everywhere.

 

[AvarysDad]

It is easier everywhere.

sweet thank you mom and dad!!! bow chica bow wow!!

 

[Ignatius M.D.]

Is it easier to get into USC as a minority and bilingual?

...

 

[nadaba]

Interview invite! I love love interviews where I don't have to fly anywhere

 

[LeoGer]

Interview invite! I love love interviews where I don't have to fly anywhere

Your success is infuriating. I'm not going to congratulate you.

 

[rrmix]

Your success is infuriating. I'm not going to congratulate you.

what about yours?

 

[rrmix]

Interview invite! I love love interviews where I don't have to fly anywhere

Congrats once again, what are the dates?

 

[nadaba]

Congrats once again, what are the dates?

Thanks! Just the 13th and 14th of September right now. I'm out of town, so I'll have to wait until October opens up.

 

[kduck]

...

 

[MalibuPreMD]

Interview invite!! Haven't decided whether to do 1st or 2nd session on 13th or 14th. I doubt that there's a difference, and since I'm driving from West LA it might be nice to schedule a little later.

Stats: OOS (went to college and still live in LA though) 3.65 GPA / 37 MCAT.


USC is my top choice school - with my sGPA I didn't think I stood much of a chance. Goes to show that they look at more than numbers! Would love nothing more than to matriculate at USC next year!!

 

[TheMightySmiter]

Interview invite! I love love interviews where I don't have to fly anywhere

UGH would you please give me this interview since you'll probably end up at UCSF or Hopkins? You have more interviews than I have completed applications!!

 

[DaisyBuchanan]

I got an email about it. I didn't get the impression that there will be others - it's the first year they've had it. Keep calm, it was pretty straightforward. Mostly they impressed us with their student support programs.

I can vouch for the student support programs, they're truly great. Keck's administration really bends over backwards for us and listens to our feedback.

Plus, I am SO so happy to be at a school that doesn't test every week, doesn't have mandatory lecture and has true P/F grading for the first two years. Those things make it so that I can still enjoy the activities I did before med school.

 

[Pennilane]

Interview invite 9/2!

Interviewed here last cycle, the day was pretty laid back and its an awesome program.

Good luck!

 

[centraldogma]

Interview invite 9/2!

Interviewed here last cycle, the day was pretty laid back and its an awesome program.

Good luck!

Congrats

If you don't mind my asking, what are your stats?

 

[Pennilane]

Congrats

If you don't mind my asking, what are your stats?

3.7, 38 MCAT.

secondary complete July 14th

I applied hella late last cycle which didn't really help.

 

[Magic 2688]

Where did you hear about the info session and do you happen to know if there will be others during the application cycle?

Got an email - it was for those who were/are undergrads at USC. Basically gave info about the admissions process and then a tour....would love to go here!

 

[xadmin]

3.7, 38 MCAT.

secondary complete July 14th

I applied hella late last cycle which didn't really help.

What date did you apply last cycle?

 

[AZFutureDoc]

Does anyone know what their first interview day is? I know they've sent out a few, but is the first actual day of interviews going to be the 13th?

 

[heycal]

Can someone please post the secondary essay question for re-applicants? With the character limit.

Thank you!

 

[NeuralNetwork]

Can someone please post the secondary essay question for re-applicants? With the character limit.

Thank you!

It's the very first post on page 1

 

[heycal]

It's the very first post on page 1

Thank you I saw that, but from reading another post, someone wrote that there is an additional essay if you are a re-applicant and I just wanted someone to post that essay questions with the character limit. It is not on the first page.

thanks!

 

[nucleophilic]

Does anyone know how USC feels about "in the area" emails/phone calls if we have an interview scheduled in SoCal already?

 

[MWB]

Does anyone know how USC feels about "in the area" emails/phone calls if we have an interview scheduled in SoCal already?

They're nice on the phone. I'd call just to maintain anonymity and ask as a general question on how they feel about such requests.

 

[centraldogma]

Thank you I saw that, but from reading another post, someone wrote that there is an additional essay if you are a re-applicant and I just wanted someone to post that essay questions with the character limit. It is not on the first page.

thanks!

Something like this:

Reapplying?
If yes, what did you learn about yourself since the last application cycle? *150 characters max

Hope that helps.

 

[cal2012]

Interview invite 9/6!!! now...to fly or to drive...

 

[Homunculus222]

Interview invite 9/6!!! now...to fly or to drive...

Congrats! When were you complete and would you mind posting stats? Thank you

 

[Aviatrix]

Interview invite!!! Got the email around noon, so excited!!!

Complete 7/12, 38O, cGPA 3.6, sGPA 4.0

Right now they have dates through the end of September, with the earliest being 9/13, FYI.

 

[percy]

Interview invite 9/6!!! now...to fly or to drive...

Interview invite today, as well! But I definitely have to fly. I would totally make it next Friday, but flights are wayyy too expensive from the East Coast. Will have to wait for October dates. 'Gratz!

 

[Aviatrix]

Is anyone else having trouble uploading a photo for the interview? I keep getting an error message...

 

[cal2012]

Congrats! When were you complete and would you mind posting stats? Thank you

Thanks! And I was complete 7/19, 3.9/39P. I haven't gotten a chance to look at the interview dates yet, but I'll probably go in October too

 

[Aviatrix]

I called today to ask about the photo upload, and they said it's not working right now. They suggested trying again early next week.

 

[Pennilane]

Is anyone else having trouble uploading a photo for the interview? I keep getting an error message...

i was having issues with the photos also.

 

[kautionwirez]

Isn't there a five day deadline to schedule the interview? None of the October dates seem available right now.

Also, for LA residents: is it possible to live in LA and be a student at USC if you don't drive? I heard from a friend that the public transportation there is nonexistent and the USC campus is spread across the city.. it'll be pretty miserable if you don't drive..

I really like USC, but my lack of driving skills and the cost of the interviews are discouraging.. Bleh. Thanks in advance for anyone's input. Also, is there a way to withdraw an application? I can't seem to find an option on the secondary website. Thanks..

you have a 39mcat and aren't confident in driving?

c'mon!

I heard Maryland has crazier drivers.

 

[jkm07]

Also, for LA residents: is it possible to live in LA and be a student at USC if you don't drive? I heard from a friend that the public transportation there is nonexistent and the USC campus is spread across the city.. it'll be pretty miserable if you don't drive..

I really like USC, but my lack of driving skills and the cost of the interviews are discouraging.. Bleh. Thanks in advance for anyone's input. Also, is there a way to withdraw an application? I can't seem to find an option on the secondary website. Thanks..

The Health Sciences Campus (MD, Pharm, Dent, PT) is located northeast of the undergrad campus (still in a sketchy part of East LA... by the LA County Coroner's Office ).

Some of my friends who go here live in apartments near Pasadena or the greater San Gabriel Valley. Having a car would help, but the freeways near campus are pretty bad traffic-wise (I think the interchange is one of the worst in the nation.)

WRT to public transportation, I can only think of one bus that goes through LAC+USC (Metro Silver Line). Public transportation in LA has a long way to go, but it's getting there.

 

[flodhi1]

you have a 39mcat and aren't confident in driving?

c'mon!

I heard Maryland has crazier drivers.

Maryland and DC have some crazy ass drivers that's for sure not as bad at NYC taxi cab drivers though lol

 

[kautionwirez]

Maryland and DC have some crazy ass drivers that's for sure not as bad at NYC taxi cab drivers though lol

I'll experience those taxi cab drivers in a couple weeks!

 

[Aviatrix]

Isn't there a five day deadline to schedule the interview? None of the October dates seem available right now.

Also, for LA residents: is it possible to live in LA and be a student at USC if you don't drive? I heard from a friend that the public transportation there is nonexistent and the USC campus is spread across the city.. it'll be pretty miserable if you don't drive..

I really like USC, but my lack of driving skills and the cost of the interviews are discouraging.. Bleh. Thanks in advance for anyone's input. Also, is there a way to withdraw an application? I can't seem to find an option on the secondary website. Thanks..

It is *possible* but not advisable to live in LA without a car. I've known people who rely on the bus system, which I think is slow, but I've never taken the bus, so it's just what I've heard.

If you live near one of the metro lines, you can take the metro to Union Station and USC has a bus that will take you to the Health Sciences campus.

FWIW, I didn't drive before I moved to Los Angeles. I went to college in NYC, never had a car, and within a week of moving here I was fine on the freeway. I'm sure you can adapt.

 

[Maje Salvaje]

Isn't there a five day deadline to schedule the interview? None of the October dates seem available right now.

Also, for LA residents: is it possible to live in LA and be a student at USC if you don't drive? I heard from a friend that the public transportation there is nonexistent and the USC campus is spread across the city.. it'll be pretty miserable if you don't drive..

I really like USC, but my lack of driving skills and the cost of the interviews are discouraging.. Bleh. Thanks in advance for anyone's input. Also, is there a way to withdraw an application? I can't seem to find an option on the secondary website. Thanks..

I'm a born and raised Los Angeleno who opts for public transpo.
The great thing about Keck is that they have a free shuttle service to the main campus or to Union Station, which is a transit hub. From this hub, you can catch trains out to Pasadena and Hollyweird. There's more public transpo options than you might imagine.

If you buy a nice road bike, you can jam down Sunset Blvd/Cesar Chavez to Echo Park or Silver Lake, recently gentrified communities, where you'll find plenty of skinny pants/asymmetrical hair cut types. You can probably bike to these communities from Keck within 30 minutes. Or you can just live downtown, which is close.

USC is comprised of a main campus and health science campus but you'll be spending most of your time at the health science campus. Once you start doing clerkships, it may get cumbersome to get around but you'll be able to pull it off. I'd buy a hog. In California, it's legal for motorcycles to take the carpool lane and lane split.

 

[Colloquialism]

I'm a born and raised Los Angeleno who opts for public transpo.
The great thing about Keck is that they have a free shuttle service to the main campus or to Union Station, which is a transit hub. From this hub, you can catch trains out to Pasadena and Hollyweird. There's more public transpo options than you might imagine.

If you buy a nice road bike, you can jam down Sunset Blvd/Cesar Chavez to Echo Park or Silver Lake, recently gentrified communities, where you'll find plenty of skinny pants/asymmetrical hair cut types. You can probably bike to these communities from Keck within 30 minutes. Or you can just live downtown, which is close.

USC is comprised of a main campus and health science campus but you'll be spending most of your time at the health science campus. Once you start doing clerkships, it may get cumbersome to get around but you'll be able to pull it off. I'd buy a hog. In California, it's legal for motorcycles to take the carpool lane and lane split.

Totally agree with this. I've taken the campus shuttle countless times, it's pretty convenient to travel from campus to campus without worrying about traffic or parking. Also, it's definitely possible to get around LA without a car, it might be a little more inconvenient. Traffic gets pretty congested, but you just learn to avoid rush hour.

 

[DaisyBuchanan]

Isn't there a five day deadline to schedule the interview? None of the October dates seem available right now.

Also, for LA residents: is it possible to live in LA and be a student at USC if you don't drive? I heard from a friend that the public transportation there is nonexistent and the USC campus is spread across the city.. it'll be pretty miserable if you don't drive..

I really like USC, but my lack of driving skills and the cost of the interviews are discouraging.. Bleh. Thanks in advance for anyone's input. Also, is there a way to withdraw an application? I can't seem to find an option on the secondary website. Thanks..

Some of my classmates are carless, they just all live in this one apartment complex that's really close to campus. I think they bike or walk to class together. Pretty much the entire building is rented by Keck students so it wouldn't be hard to catch a ride with a classmate that has a car to the market or whatever.

You can go to www.metro.net and use their "trip planner" feature to figure out how to get to USC Health Sciences without a car.

 

[Homunculus222]

Isn't there a five day deadline to schedule the interview? None of the October dates seem available right now.

Also, for LA residents: is it possible to live in LA and be a student at USC if you don't drive? I heard from a friend that the public transportation there is nonexistent and the USC campus is spread across the city.. it'll be pretty miserable if you don't drive..

I really like USC, but my lack of driving skills and the cost of the interviews are discouraging.. Bleh. Thanks in advance for anyone's input. Also, is there a way to withdraw an application? I can't seem to find an option on the secondary website. Thanks..

Are you asking about if you were to attend school here or just for the interview days? I would recommend renting a car or taking a cab for the interview because the airport is about 20 miles from USC's campus and public transportation is not always reliable. For when you would actually attend school here, the area around USC is not always the safest (it's pretty much nested right near South Central) but the bus system is slightly more reliable in that area than other areas in LA. USC is right near downtown, east of Hollywood and near cute/hip towns like Los Feliz, Silverlake and Echo Park. All of these are fairly accessible from USC's area by bus but if you wanted to go to the West side (Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, the beach etc.) on a more frequent basis I would definitely recommend having a car. I am a student in Los Angeles (not originally from CA though!) and it is MUCH more convenient having a car because everything is very spread out and public transportation is not the greatest. But I'm pretty adventurous and like to see different areas of LA as often as I can, which is not the case for everyone. I also live more on the west side near Beverly Hills, but if you plan on sticking mostly to USC's area (while attending school) you could probably get by without a car. Also, I know a lot of students at my school have Zipcar memberships which is extremely convenient if you don't drive all the time but you use a car for groceries, weekend trips, etc.

Hope that helps! If you do decide to interview at USC let me know if you have any questions about where to stay, etc. Not super familiar with the immediate USC campus but I'm pretty familiar with the rest of LA

 

[kduck]

An option everyone flying into LA for an interview should know about is the flyaway shuttle. For $7, it takes you to Union Station, where you can catch the USC shuttle to the health sciences campus, if you're staying there, or the metro, or a cab. It's much cheaper than taking a cab all the way there. You can reference the USC shuttle schedule online, if you are planning to use it.

 

[Aviatrix]

For those with interviews who've been having trouble uploading a photo, I tried again this morning and it worked.

 

[gnomeski]

question about the 2 sessions for interviews... if you sign up for session 2, does that mean you show up to campus at 10:15? or do the tours/info sessions take place earlier, with everyone showing up at the same time in the morning?

basically i just want to clarify whether the session times correspond to the whole day or just the actual interview portion. thanks

 

[NRGStar]

I'm also confused about the interview time. Do we really show up at 10:15 for interview slot 2?

 

[Pennilane]

I'm also confused about the interview time. Do we really show up at 10:15 for interview slot 2?

Hey I just talked to the admission office. So for the 2nd session ppl we dont need to check in till 10:15. After that she said there's a meeting with snacks and stuff.

Sooooo excited for interview this week.

Good luck to everyone!