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

[pietachok]

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Keck takes a lot of people from the waitlist, even up to the day before classes start. Unless they've told you they don't take them anymore, I don't think following up with an honest letter of intent is a bad idea.

 

[dblue10]

Thank you for sharing!

 

[MalibuPreMD]

Bench / squat records? Must be pre-ortho 😛

By the sound of it, I won't be needing a separate gym membership.

Might be fun to get a group of M1s together that follow the Crossfit WOD.

 

[Saragam]

Just withdrew. Good luck to people on the waitlist!

 

[citrusguy2010]

so for second look info is it mailed to us or is it emailed? i'm trying to figure out about flights and stuff and the office said i should be getting that info soon so i don't know...

 

[DennisdaMenace]

Might be fun to get a group of M1s together that follow the Crossfit WOD.

Agreed. I have a friend at the dental school who is really into crossfit (and is totally shredded as a result).

so for second look info is it mailed to us or is it emailed? i'm trying to figure out about flights and stuff and the office said i should be getting that info soon so i don't know...

You will get an event reservation invite via e-mail. Make sure you ask the admins to get you set up with the google group. From there, you will be able to access discussions about second look day, housing, etc. If you haven't already, join the FB group: http://www.facebook.com/groups/276375899060303/

 

[Bruiner]

Can any current first year students comment on the daily (or weekly) class schedule? Specifics regarding lecture time, PBL time, etc would be great. Also, anyone have anything to say about the daily commute to class? This is something I'm worried about especially since class starts so early.

Any other comments about life as a Keck student would be much appreciated!

 

[awesomepossums]

For Keck's requirement of 30 units of humanities completed, how lenient are they with respect to what counts as "humanities"? I am trying to figure out how many units I've taken thus far and I might need to take a class or two to fully get above 30...

Does intro to psychology count? 😛 its almost like a social science...

 

[TheMightySmiter]

Psychology is definitely a social science, I would think that counts as humanities.

 

[deadguydoc]

For Keck's requirement of 30 units of humanities completed, how lenient are they with respect to what counts as "humanities"? I am trying to figure out how many units I've taken thus far and I might need to take a class or two to fully get above 30...

I called after I got accepted because based on my count on my transcript I thought that I was a couple units short. They checked my file and told me that I was all good 👍 I say just call into admissions and ask.

 

[Americano12]

Is the waitlist ranked? Does anyone know how deep it goes or how its organized, i.e. pools of most desirable, etc.

 

[awesomepossums]

Thanks for the response deadguydoc & themightysmiter. I'll just go ahead and give em a call.

 

[dblue10]

Is the waitlist ranked? Does anyone know how deep it goes or how its organized, i.e. pools of most desirable, etc.

I remember it being unranked. I'm not sure about any pools or how people come off the list, etc.

 

[pnut]

I hope we hear back today! It's been past the 6 week waiting period for me...c'mon dream school!

 

[dblue10]

I hope we hear back today! It's been past the 6 week waiting period for me...c'mon dream school!

Didn't know people were still waiting...good luck!

May 15th is 4 weeks away!

 

[DaisyBuchanan]

Can any current first year students comment on the daily (or weekly) class schedule? Specifics regarding lecture time, PBL time, etc would be great. Also, anyone have anything to say about the daily commute to class? This is something I'm worried about especially since class starts so early.

Any other comments about life as a Keck student would be much appreciated!

The schedule varies day by day. The only required classes are PPM on Mondays 1-3, and ICM Tuesday mornings and sometimes Thursday afternoons. Anatomy labs aren't technically required but you don't want to skip them, and they're Friday mornings. Friday afternoons are usually free, and Wednesday afternoons are sometimes free too. Pretty much everything else can be webcast. Most of the required classes are stopped right before exam times.

Daily commute depends on your location in LA. If you're coming from Downtown, it's 10 minutes, even in traffic. Pasadena or Los Feliz, usually 20-25 minutes. If you're coming from west of the 405, it'll be different every day.

Feel free to PM me if you want more specifics.

 

[pnut]

Thank you. It's been 7 weeks post-interview now. Does this warrant a phone call? I hope they haven't lost my file 🙂

 

[pnut]

Didn't know people were still waiting...good luck!

May 15th is 4 weeks away!

Thank you. It's been 7 weeks post-interview now. Does this warrant a phone call? I hope they haven't lost my file 🙂

 

[dblue10]

Thank you. It's been 7 weeks post-interview now. Does this warrant a phone call? I hope they haven't lost my file 🙂

You should definitely call. Can't hurt and you've waited more than their time frame.

 

[awesomepossums]

This shouldn't come as a surprise or anything, but just wanted to let you guys know I called the office a couple days ago about being on the waitlist and they said at the earliest I should expect to hear back on May 15th.

 

[Jen222]

Are there any purely merit-based scholarships for first year students? I didn't see any on the pdf this page links to:

http://medweb.usc.edu/scholarships/Scholarships/Home.html

 

[RockMed Doc]

I'm not sure. But I do remember them saying on the interview day that they define "need" as taking out any loans. So the need based criteria seems fairly loose.

 

[dblue10]

Hi all,

Just curious, is anyone thinking about dropping their spot? The class looks full, though second look hasn't happened and I'm not sure if aid/scholarships have gone out. If you feel comfortable enough answering, I appreciate it.

It feels like they over-accepted a lot of people so I'm worried there won't be much waitlist movement :/

Thanks!

 

[MalibuPreMD]

Hi all,

Just curious, is anyone thinking about dropping their spot? The class looks full, though second look hasn't happened and I'm not sure if aid/scholarships have gone out. If you feel comfortable enough answering, I appreciate it.

It feels like they over-accepted a lot of people so I'm worried there won't be much waitlist movement :/

Thanks!

I'll ask around at second look this Friday and report back to you that afternoon how many people were there and roughly what percentage plan to matriculate.

 

[dblue10]

I'll ask around at second look this Friday and report back to you that afternoon how many people were there and roughly what percentage plan to matriculate.

Wow, thanks man. Hope it's fun!

 

[pnut]

Tick tock...still waiting 2 months post-interview 😕 Anyone else in my boat? Keeping my fingers crossed for my #1 school!

 

[dblue10]

Tick tock...still waiting 2 months post-interview 😕 Anyone else in my boat? Keeping my fingers crossed for my #1 school!

You called them then and they told you to wait?

 

[Zizouboi05]

Hi all,

Just curious, is anyone thinking about dropping their spot? The class looks full, though second look hasn't happened and I'm not sure if aid/scholarships have gone out. If you feel comfortable enough answering, I appreciate it.

It feels like they over-accepted a lot of people so I'm worried there won't be much waitlist movement :/

Thanks!

How do you know the class is full? Where are you getting this information from?

Thanks!

 

[dblue10]

How do you know the class is full? Where are you getting this information from?

Thanks!

Well I'm not 100% sure but my special investigatory (read: creeping) skills show 180+ people in the fb group.

 

[Zizouboi05]

Well I'm not 100% sure but my special investigatory skills (read: creeping) skills show 180+ people in the fb group.

nice! i'm hoping a lot withdraw and we're lucky.

 

[pnut]

You called them then and they told you to wait?

Yup. Hopefully, I'll hear back this week!

 

[citrusguy2010]

Well I'm not 100% sure but my special investigatory (read: creeping) skills show 180+ people in the fb group.

There's a good number of 2nd and current 1st years in it too fyi

 

[dblue10]

Hey all, how was second look? What did you get to do?

 

[MalibuPreMD]

Second look: ~120-130 came. Of the people I asked about 75% are committed to Keck, a few were holding out for UCLA and an equal amount had multiple acceptances but were pretty sure they wanted to matriculate at SC. One guy came because he wanted a reason to come to LA to party for a few days.

Personal highlights:
- A smaller version of the trojan marching band blasting away at us at 9 am
- Guy at my luch table who looked like he was about to die from his hangover
- Trying to use my day's name tag to gain access to the old lac hospital (failed miserably)

Definitely met interesting people with interesting life stories. August can't come any sooner.

 

[dblue10]

Second look: ~120-130 came. Of the people I asked about 75% are committed to Keck, a few were holding out for UCLA and an equal amount had multiple acceptances but were pretty sure they wanted to matriculate at SC. One guy came because he wanted a reason to come to LA to party for a few days.

Personal highlights:
- A smaller version of the trojan marching band blasting away at us at 9 am
- Guy at my luch table who looked like he was about to die from his hangover
- Trying to use my day's name tag to gain access to the old lac hospital (failed miserably)

Definitely met interesting people with interesting life stories. August can't come any sooner.

Awesome, thanks. Sad that Old County isn't being used. Besides being filled with asbestos and ghosts, it's one of the coolest looking hospitals I've seen.

 

[FearlessHyena]

Hello,

I filed my FAFSA after the April 20 date. I completely forgot about it. I'm currently waitlisted, but does this mean I can't receive aid? That's what the FA site says. However, some kids got off the waitlist in July last year and hadn't filed a FAFSA yet. I see no reason to contact the FA office as since I haven't been accepted yet, it's irrelevant as of now but was just curious. Thanks.

 

[KeckTrojan2016]

Awesome, thanks. Sad that Old County isn't being used. Besides being filled with asbestos and ghosts, it's one of the coolest looking hospitals I've seen.

New County is amazing tho.

 

[KeckTrojan2016]

There's a good number of 2nd and current 1st years in it too fyi

I'd say there are 20 or so current students in the FB group.

 

[dblue10]

I'd say there are 20 or so current students in the FB group.

Ah, well, hope the class is less filled than it looks. 14 days!

 

[dblue10]

The UCLA thread is imploding. It's really hard to watch...

 

[TheMightySmiter]

I got a call from an LA area code yesterday. For two seconds I had myself believing it could be USC pulling me off the waitlist. That was enough time for me to answer the call, only to hear a recorded message from a credit card company, wanting me to open an account...doh! 😀

 

[TheMightySmiter]

The UCLA thread is imploding. It's really hard to watch...

I went over and read the last couple pages just because...and dang! I think that "the other LA school" has been much friendlier! 😀 I'd be honored to have any of you guys as my classmates next year.

 

[dblue10]

I got a call from an LA area code yesterday. For two seconds I had myself believing it could be USC pulling me off the waitlist. That was enough time for me to answer the call, only to hear a recorded message from a credit card company, wanting me to open an account...doh! 😀

😀 Not yet! Someone posted that we won't hear until May 15th. That feeling (where your heart begins to flutter like crazy) is not fun though.

 

[csot]

Hi everyone on the alternate list!

I just called admissions and was told that realistically they don't expect to be calling anyone about movement until June (just FYI to everyone waiting like me, sorry for the downer info but for me I feel like it is easier to know a real date than wait for 2 weeks expecting to hear something!)

ALSO as everyone has said before the waitlist is not ranked, but every time a spot opens up they will review all waitlist candidates again to make the decision on who gets the spot.

 

[deadguydoc]

Got my financial aid notice today 😱

 

[MalibuPreMD]

Got my financial aid notice today 😱

Me too. Am I right in seeing that the interest on the unsubsidized Stafford loans doubled today to 6.8%?

 

[RockMed Doc]

I think it's always been that for graduate students.

 

[kduck]

Me too. Am I right in seeing that the interest on the unsubsidized Stafford loans doubled today to 6.8%?

It's doubling from 3.4 to 6.8 for undergrads but remains unchanged at 6.8 for med/grad students.

 

[deadguydoc]

I see that I need to cover more that the allowed amount for the unsubsidized. I have all my documents in and applications for the Stafford and Direct Plus. How do I make sure that is added onto my award? I'm confused by the process.

 

[Bette]

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!