2012-2013 Case Western Reserve University Application Thread

[vc7777]

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Hope everyone is doing ok! Going on nights starting tomorrow - catching New Year's Eve / Company holiday party babies for the next week.

Anything new?

Top! I'm thinking we need to stick with the red theme... 😉

 

[collegestud2013]

I submitted the student hosting form the day it came out (on 8/30) but still haven't gotten any response from a student host. Anyone else in a similar situation? And btw my interview is scheduled for 10/26.

 

[thekay]

.

 

[Fopo]

Good luck to anybody interviewing tomorrow!!

 

[Soapybubbles]

Good luck to anybody interviewing tomorrow!!

thanks, hopefully will see some other SDNers

 

[cdnmedhopeful]

Rejected from CP just now. Still haven't heard back from UP

 

[LOSAR]

Sorry to hear that cdnmedhopeful. Was it thorugh e-mail or status? Also when were you complete?

 

[cdnmedhopeful]

Got the email and then my status was updated with the letter online about an hour later. Complete 7/23, although that has no bearing on the order they go in

 

[kettlecorn91]

how long does it usually take for Case to get back about status of UP after a CP rejection?

 

[mcarrick]

My interview is on Sept. 17 and it's been just over a week since I submitted the student hosting form. When should I email or call them to get a status update? If I can't get student hosting, I should at least book a hotel room by Thursday or Friday.

 

[hurlygrly07]

.

 

[An MD Hopeful]

CP II yesterday! Does anyone know the stats on how many people are interviewed/accepted? It's such a tiny program im really curious!

Congrats! Would you mind sharing when you were complete and stats?

 

[ZJX90]

So I just submitted my secondary today, applied to both CP and UP. However, my research essay was over the character limit. I figured since the prompt said ABOUT 3500 characters, it wasn't a strict limit, but looking through the thread just now it seems I was mistaken!!! All my other essays are under the limit, but now I'm super duper neurotic and scared that I just blew it with Case because of my stupid mistake... Will Case simply auto-reject me or do I still have a chance??? Do you think emailing them with an alternative essay is a good idea???

 

[An MD Hopeful]

So I just submitted my secondary today, applied to both CP and UP. However, my research essay was over the character limit. I figured since the prompt said ABOUT 3500 characters, it wasn't a strict limit, but looking through the thread just now it seems I was mistaken!!! All my other essays are under the limit, but now I'm super duper neurotic and scared that I just blew it with Case because of my stupid mistake... Will Case simply auto-reject me or do I still have a chance??? Do you think emailing them with an alternative essay is a good idea???

I think you'll be fine. I saw at least one person on this forum who said that their essay was over the character limit, and that person got interviews at both CP and UP. Don't worry about this!

 

[giants25]

Has anyone had an interview yet and care to share some feedback?

 

[eggs13]

has anyone had an interview yet and care to share some feedback?

+1

 

[vc7777]

SDN has a wonderful feedback system that I suggest you all check out. 😉

 

[jlescher]

So I just submitted my secondary today, applied to both CP and UP. However, my research essay was over the character limit. I figured since the prompt said ABOUT 3500 characters, it wasn't a strict limit, but looking through the thread just now it seems I was mistaken!!! All my other essays are under the limit, but now I'm super duper neurotic and scared that I just blew it with Case because of my stupid mistake... Will Case simply auto-reject me or do I still have a chance??? Do you think emailing them with an alternative essay is a good idea???

The current students at case on here advise not going over the limit. However, I highly doubt they will auto reject you for going over. If this was the case the instructions would say, "do not go over the limit." They don't, so you're fine.

 

[vc7777]

Look, when we give you guys an inch - you take a foot. Yes, technically you can be over the limit. But I am telling you, don't go over the limit. Plain speak: It is a very rare student who writes an essay that is actually a pleasure to read, according to one of the long-time adcoms I know. Odds are, it isn't you. There is more than enough room to write your essay within the limits. Anyone over probably could use a good editor. Cut the fat. Also, being able to follow directions is a highly desired skill in a medical student.

Sent from my phone

 

[ZJX90]

Look, when we give you guys an inch - you take a foot. Yes, technically you can be over the limit. But I am telling you, don't go over the limit. Plain speak: It is a very rare student who writes an essay that is actually a pleasure to read, according to one of the long-time adcoms I know. Odds are, it isn't you. There is more than enough room to write your essay within the limits. Anyone over probably could use a good editor. Cut the fat. Also, being able to follow directions is a highly desired skill in a medical student.

Sent from my phone

All other considerations aside, would you then say that my chances at Case have been significantly decreased? I know at this point there is really nothing I can do, but it would be good to know...

 

[vc7777]

Per se, no significant decrease in your chances at this point. However, it depends on how far over you went and how irritating this may be to the reader. But I suspect your essay may be overly verbose if you are over the limit- which may negatively impact clarity and the assessment

Sent from my phone

 

[ZJX90]

Per se, no significant decrease in your chances at this point. However, it depends on how far over you went and how irritating this may be to the reader. But I suspect your essay may be overly verbose if you are over the limit- which may negatively impact clarity and the assessment

Sent from my phone

Got it, thanks! Just hoping for the best now

 

[An MD Hopeful]

II from UP and CP! This is my first II! I feel so blessed, grateful, and excited! Complete on August 1. I just can't believe this! Thank you, God!

Approximate stats:
cGPA: 3.75, sGPA: 3.68, 34T MCAT

Edit: I just want to say to those still waiting, hang in there. Trust me, I'm one of the most neurotic people I know, and I know how hard it is to wait. But at this point, the only thing to do is hope and pray for the best.

Good luck to everyone!

 

[justhanging]

II from UP and CP! This is my first II! I feel so blessed, grateful, and excited! Complete on August 1. I just can't believe this! Thank you, God!

Approximate stats:
cGPA: 3.75, sGPA: 3.68, 34T MCAT

Congrats.

 

[stoutt]

II for UP and CP! 3.7, 36, complete 8/1. Does anybody know how many applicants are interviewed for the CP?

 

[WWPWillis52D]

II for UP and CP! 3.7, 36, complete 8/1. Does anybody know how many applicants are interviewed for the CP?

According to a powerpoint they have on their admissions website, the numbers are as follow:

UP:
4,861 Applicants, 879 Interviews, 152 Matriculants

CP:
1,709 Applicants, 250 Interviews, 32 Matriculants

MSTP:
343 Applicants, 71 Interviews, 14 Matriculants

Not sure if anything is going to change much but these are good ballpark figures to keep in mind. Complete 8/10. Show me some love CWRU!

 

[wolf135]

II for both UP and CP! For those who are interested, 3.9, 34, Complete on 8/2.

 

[greenbeam]

I am debating whether I am going to complete the secondary or not, was hoping to get some advice from you guys.

I received the secondary invite about 2 weeks ago and finished the secondaries for all the other schools that I am applying to except Case.

Applying to UP, Ohio resident. My stats 30 mcat, 3.85 cGPA, 3.8 sGPA, great EC's. Only 6 months of lab assistant experience between two different labs. I honestly don't have much to write about my lab experience because I was a lab assistant and didn't really have major projects of my own, when I worked alone it was to run something like bacterial growth curves or PCR.

I was wondering if it is worth my time and money to submit to Case this late in the game given my stats and little research experience? If I do, should I leave the research essay blank?

 

[anguisette]

Ahh interview invite for CP and UP!! I thought they moved on from me already because I was put on hold for CCLCM about two weeks ago with no word from UP. Complete 8/7.

Side note, I didn't get any notification that I was off hold for CP. When I logged on to iApply I noticed there was also a new letter under CP. Would have missed it if I didn't scroll down! So there's a shot still if you were initially put on hold for CP.

 

[ilikevegetables]

II today (UP)! My first of the cycle, and at such an awesome school! Beyond excited. 😍

 

[Fuska2012]

Congrats guys! I was complete 8/10 and you guys are helping me stay hopefull 🙂 best of luck with the interviews!

 

[TheShaker]

Hi guys, I know it's way past the time of secondaries on this thread but I'm still working on them and I have a question about Case's personal challenge question.

Will speaking about how I had a ****ty high school background (a fault of my own) and how I did not have the basic foundations of mathematics to handle my freshman precalculus class be sufficient? I will also go into how I learned all of the foundations over the course of the semester and eventually turned an F into a B in precal and then went on to take top score in calculus. Then I'll say something about needing a passion to be motivated enough to work hard and that passion is medicine. Something like that.

I know speaking about academic challenges is kinda cliche and generic so I don't know if I should look for something else or not.

Thanks a lot. 🙂

 

[ilikevegetables]

Hey guys, question. The student hosting program seems like a great opportunity to ask students questions, but I also have a friend I can visit who is really close by, and I wouldn't want to take the spot of someone else who would otherwise be paying for a hotel. Do you think it's worth it/a good idea to sign up for a student host if I have another option?

 

[Myuu]

Hey guys, question. The student hosting program seems like a great opportunity to ask students questions, but I also have a friend I can visit who is really close by, and I wouldn't want to take the spot of someone else who would otherwise be paying for a hotel. Do you think it's worth it/a good idea to sign up for a student host if I have another option?

I would still say to go with the student host option, although I'm sure your friend is awesome! The student host can give you a lot of insight as to what life is like here at Case and why we do things the way we do.

Mine invited me to a birthday party, so it could be just as much fun for you!

 

[An MD Hopeful]

I have a question about what the CCLCM interview is like. I know that for other physician investigator/researcher training programs, like HST, the interviewers ask students very technical research questions...for example, my friend (who is an aspiring surgeon) interviewed at HST 3 years ago and was asked questions about different types of surgeries; they even described a case to her and asked her what type of surgery she would do in that type of case. Are the CCLCM interviews like that, or are they just like normal interviews? Could any current CCLCM students give us greater insight into what the CCLCM interviews are like? I'm so excited to be interviewing here and I want to make sure I am well-prepared since this is one of my top 3 choice schools.

Also, I know that it's often said that students should not say in an interview that they have a speciality in mind but my premed advisor was telling me that some schools (she gave Stanford as an example) usually try to recruit students who do have a specialty in mind. I'm not sure how true this is. Does CCLCM prefer students to come in with a completely clean slate and decide their specialty during medical school, or is it okay if they are already considering one or two specialties? I do have two specialty preferences but still am open-minded since I know I may change my mind during medical school. If asked in an interview about this, is it okay to still talk about the 2 specialties that I am interested in and explain why I like them (based on my actual clinical and research experiences of course)?

 

[ilikevegetables]

I would still say to go with the student host option, although I'm sure your friend is awesome! The student host can give you a lot of insight as to what life is like here at Case and why we do things the way we do.

Mine invited me to a birthday party, so it could be just as much fun for you!

Awesome, that does sound great. Request submitted!

 

[vc7777]

Hi guys, I know it's way past the time of secondaries on this thread but I'm still working on them and I have a question about Case's personal challenge question.

Will speaking about how I had a ****ty high school background (a fault of my own) and how I did not have the basic foundations of mathematics to handle my freshman precalculus class be sufficient? I will also go into how I learned all of the foundations over the course of the semester and eventually turned an F into a B in precal and then went on to take top score in calculus. Then I'll say something about needing a passion to be motivated enough to work hard and that passion is medicine. Something like that.

I know speaking about academic challenges is kinda cliche and generic so I don't know if I should look for something else or not.

Thanks a lot. 🙂

I think the personal challenge essay, in broad brushstrokes, is more about how you responded to the challenge, and less about the actual situation. However, I think there is a tendency to not put hard challenges down. My opinion is that if you reflect hard enough you can think of a challenging situation and write about your response well. In your case, this may or may not be an appropriate challenge. That's for you to decide. Good lucck

I have a question about what the CCLCM interview is like. I know that for other physician investigator/researcher training programs, like HST, the interviewers ask students very technical research questions...for example, my friend (who is an aspiring surgeon) interviewed at HST 3 years ago and was asked questions about different types of surgeries; they even described a case to her and asked her what type of surgery she would do in that type of case. Are the CCLCM interviews like that, or are they just like normal interviews? Could any current CCLCM students give us greater insight into what the CCLCM interviews are like? I'm so excited to be interviewing here and I want to make sure I am well-prepared since this is one of my top 3 choice schools.

Also, I know that it's often said that students should not say in an interview that they have a speciality in mind but my premed advisor was telling me that some schools (she gave Stanford as an example) usually try to recruit students who do have a specialty in mind. I'm not sure how true this is. Does CCLCM prefer students to come in with a completely clean slate and decide their specialty during medical school, or is it okay if they are already considering one or two specialties? I do have two specialty preferences but still am open-minded since I know I may change my mind during medical school. If asked in an interview about this, is it okay to still talk about the 2 specialties that I am interested in and explain why I like them (based on my actual clinical and research experiences of course)?

Check out SDN's interview feedback system for details. usually there are 3 interviews - one student, one faculty focusing on your research, and one faculty focusing on academics, etc. There is nothing secretive about the interviewers. If the research faculty is an expert in your area of work, you can expect a more engaging and in-depth interview - but as long as you haven't oversold your role in the research, you shouldn't expect some sort of grilling. Of course, be prepared to talk about the research, your role, the context of the research and it's contributions to the field and future directions. Hope this helps.

Honesty is the best policy. If you have things in mind and it comes up, I don't see why you wouldn't say it. There is no "penalty" for having some direction before medical school. My personal opinion to everyone has always been to keep an open mind. I heard somewhere that up to 18% of residents change specialties as some point in their career - so keeping an open mind is never bad advice. Good luck.

 

[An MD Hopeful]

Check out SDN's interview feedback system for details. usually there are 3 interviews - one student, one faculty focusing on your research, and one faculty focusing on academics, etc. There is nothing secretive about the interviewers. If the research faculty is an expert in your area of work, you can expect a more engaging and in-depth interview - but as long as you haven't oversold your role in the research, you shouldn't expect some sort of grilling. Of course, be prepared to talk about the research, your role, the context of the research and it's contributions to the field and future directions. Hope this helps.

Honesty is the best policy. If you have things in mind and it comes up, I don't see why you wouldn't say it. There is no "penalty" for having some direction before medical school. My personal opinion to everyone has always been to keep an open mind. I heard somewhere that up to 18% of residents change specialties as some point in their career - so keeping an open mind is never bad advice. Good luck.

Thanks, vc7777! You're awesome for answering the questions on here!

I have one other question. If I am asked "Describe your research," since I have been heavily involved in multiple projects, would it be okay if I describe 2 projects (one clinical and one basic science), or would it be preferrable that I pick just one to describe? There's one study that I've been involved in for a long time, so I know it very well, but I think the other study is more impressive, so I'd really like to describe both. Would that be okay?

Thanks again, and sorry for all the long questions!

 

[vc7777]

Thanks, vc7777! You're awesome for answering the questions on here!

No problem - I welcome legitimate questions. I am not the end-all-be-all authority. I've said it before - when I am wrong, I will try and let you guys know. That's why I participate - to give you guys some insight from within the school.

I have one other question. If I am asked "Describe your research," since I have been heavily involved in multiple projects, would it be okay if I describe 2 projects (one clinical and one basic science), or would it be preferrable that I pick just one to describe? There's one study that I've been involved in for a long time, so I know it very well, but I think the other study is more impressive, so I'd really like to describe both. Would that be okay?

Thanks again, and sorry for all the long questions!

If you go back a few pages, I think you will see this is a perennial question. I personally would choose just one research project. And I would choose the one you were more involved with. "Impressive" is subjective. "Involved for a long time" = you have more to say about it. Again, this is just my humble opinion.

 

[vc7777]

I would still say to go with the student host option, although I'm sure your friend is awesome! The student host can give you a lot of insight as to what life is like here at Case and why we do things the way we do.

Mine invited me to a birthday party, so it could be just as much fun for you!

I have heard of applicants bribing...err... baking for their hosts. [/rumor mill] 😏

 

[vc7777]

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/13/the-widows-doctor-visit/?hpw


Dr. Sekeres and his wife are both basic science professors at CCLCM.

 

[stolen_biscuit]

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/13/the-widows-doctor-visit/?hpw


Dr. Sekeres and his wife are both basic science professors at CCLCM.

Love this.

 

[dogday]

I got a UP interview invite on Friday! I also applied to CP and didn't get any notice regarding that program. Does that mean I got rejected or are they are still deciding? I would love to find out before I book a flight to Ohio...

 

[Fuska2012]

I got a UP interview invite on Friday! I also applied to CP and didn't get any notice regarding that program. Does that mean I got rejected or are they are still deciding? I would love to find out before I book a flight to Ohio...

congrats! when were u complete?

 

[busta292]

Ahh interview invite for CP and UP!! I thought they moved on from me already because I was put on hold for CCLCM about two weeks ago with no word from UP. Complete 8/7.

Side note, I didn't get any notification that I was off hold for CP. When I logged on to iApply I noticed there was also a new letter under CP. Would have missed it if I didn't scroll down! So there's a shot still if you were initially put on hold for CP.

Are interview invites just by status update or are you receiving an email (or two for CP & UP)?

 

[anguisette]

Are interview invites just by status update or are you receiving an email (or two for CP & UP)?

I received an email about an interview invite for UP. I found out about CP interview through the status page. So only one email for me regarding UP.

 

[zeppelinpage4]

Ahhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!! Interview Invite! 😀

I had given up on Case and figured I got a silent rejection. I was complete 8/1 and just heard back today. Saying this is a reach school for me is an understatement, I can't believe i got invited.

I'm sorry for sounding really neurotic (this is just unbelievable and I want to make sure I'm doing everything I can), but the earliest interview date was 10/23, however my dance team has a competition that week, and it's my last chance to dance with them. So I took the next date on 10/29.

Would interviewing a week later be detrimental at all? I know earliest is always better, but I'm hoping a week isn't a big deal.

Also any tips for those interviewing? (I'm gonna start reading through the website) I can't believe I got invited, I would go here in a heartbeat, but I still have a hard time believing that I have a shot at the program. 😳

It's University Track BTW.

P.S. Are pre-interview updates acceptable? Or should I wait till after? The problem is that I wrote my research essay on my ecology research and stated that I planned to continue it. However, I ended up switching to a biochemistry related lab this year. I had good reasons for it, but my research now is different from what i wrote about in the secondary.

 

[thekay]

.

 

[zeppelinpage4]

You must have discovered time travel. I'm going to assume you meant October... I guess the only advice I can give to you is to chill out and do some research on the school. It's still really early in the cycle and I don't think a week really makes a difference at all.

Haha thanks, yes I meant October (I fixed it in my post now), my mind is like racing.

I really appreciate your reassurance, I guess the best I can do now is keep calm.

 

[elevenses]

Ahhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!! Interview Invite! 😀

I had given up on Case and figured I got a silent rejection. I was complete 8/1 and just heard back today. Saying this is a reach school for me is an understatement, I can't believe i got invited.

I'm sorry for sounding really neurotic (this is just unbelievable and I want to make sure I'm doing everything I can), but the earliest interview date was 10/23, however my dance team has a competition that week, and it's my last chance to dance with them. So I took the next date on 10/29.

Would interviewing a week later be detrimental at all? I know earliest is always better, but I'm hoping a week isn't a big deal.

Also any tips for those interviewing? (I'm gonna start reading through the website) I can't believe I got invited, I would go here in a heartbeat, but I still have a hard time believing that I have a shot at the program. 😳

It's University Track BTW.

P.S. Are pre-interview updates acceptable? Or should I wait till after? The problem is that I wrote my research essay on my ecology research and stated that I planned to continue it. However, I ended up switching to a biochemistry related lab this year. I had good reasons for it, but my research now is different from what i wrote about in the secondary.

Congratulations! I was also complete 8/1, but I haven't heard a peep. Wish me luck...