2012-2013 Drexel University Application Thread

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
Status
Not open for further replies.
Just withdrew my acceptance (interviewed 10/18, acceptance letter dated 12/21, received after xmas). Hope one of you all gets that spot!!
 
I'm on a pre-interview hold. Any success for people in this position or should I assume it's a no?
 
Any thoughts on living in Germantown vs center city?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Any thoughts on living in Germantown vs center city?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I've been looking into places to live in Philly too, but I'm definitely not a native so what I say may need some fact-checking. My interviewer also said that most students live in the east falls, city center, and manayunk areas. They personally live in east falls and said it is nice, safe, and convenient to walk to school, but pretty quiet. They also said the area east and north of Wissahickon ave is sketch, and looking at a map that's where Germantown falls under. Their definition and my definition of sketch may be different though, I didn't venture around that area firsthand. Personally I've been to Philly many times and city center is pretty awesome with lots of stuff to do, I'm definitely considering living there if I go to Drexel. I could get to queen lane from there by either walking to the drexel shuttle bus, taking the septa to the queen lane station, or just driving. Apparently manayunk is about a 5-10 minute drive to queen lane and has lots of restaurants and bars and whatnot. I'm sure students live in other areas as well and commute.

Can any current students or Philly natives comment on the best places to live?
 
I've been looking into places to live in Philly too, but I'm definitely not a native so what I say may need some fact-checking. My interviewer also said that most students live in the east falls, city center, and manayunk areas. They personally live in east falls and said it is nice, safe, and convenient to walk to school, but pretty quiet. They also said the area east and north of Wissahickon ave is sketch, and looking at a map that's where Germantown falls under. Their definition and my definition of sketch may be different though, I didn't venture around that area firsthand. Personally I've been to Philly many times and city center is pretty awesome with lots of stuff to do, I'm definitely considering living there if I go to Drexel. I could get to queen lane from there by either walking to the drexel shuttle bus, taking the septa to the queen lane station, or just driving. Apparently manayunk is about a 5-10 minute drive to queen lane and has lots of restaurants and bars and whatnot. I'm sure students live in other areas as well and commute.

Can any current students or Philly natives comment on the best places to live?

Thanks for throwing out east falls + manayunk! I'll definitely look into that after I decide whether I want to live a suburban or city lifestyle (unless center city is exuberantly expensive 😛)
 
15+ weeks now and still waiting for a post-interview decision. I think they lost my file or something.
 
Thanks for throwing out east falls + manayunk! I'll definitely look into that after I decide whether I want to live a suburban or city lifestyle (unless center city is exuberantly expensive 😛)

Haha my thoughts exactly. I've been looking around online and for city center it really depends on what you want/what you're willing to spend. The price range is from dirt cheap to NYC $$$.
 
I'm on a pre-interview hold. Any success for people in this position or should I assume it's a no?


I applied to Drexel last year, got the pre-interview hold, and was eventually rejected for whatever thats worth (n=1). I remember a couple people on last years thread saying they got an interview after the hold, but it seems pretty rare. To be honest, I think they just get so many applicants they just pick names out of a hat.
 
I've been looking into places to live in Philly too, but I'm definitely not a native so what I say may need some fact-checking. My interviewer also said that most students live in the east falls, city center, and manayunk areas. They personally live in east falls and said it is nice, safe, and convenient to walk to school, but pretty quiet. They also said the area east and north of Wissahickon ave is sketch, and looking at a map that's where Germantown falls under. Their definition and my definition of sketch may be different though, I didn't venture around that area firsthand. Personally I've been to Philly many times and city center is pretty awesome with lots of stuff to do, I'm definitely considering living there if I go to Drexel. I could get to queen lane from there by either walking to the drexel shuttle bus, taking the septa to the queen lane station, or just driving. Apparently manayunk is about a 5-10 minute drive to queen lane and has lots of restaurants and bars and whatnot. I'm sure students live in other areas as well and commute.

Can any current students or Philly natives comment on the best places to live?


yes +1 please. I am wondering the same. I have been debating between either east falls or center city. It would be nice to know where most students decide to live 1st year. Also can we get a facebook group up or something I would like to try and find a roommate sometime soon.
 
Not a philly native, but am definitely going to Drexel and have been working out my living situation... One of my friends actually works at Drexel, and she said that East Falls and Manayunk are great, but if you want to live anywhere within drive-able distance, there is plenty (plenty, plenty, plenty) of street parking around the queen lane campus because it's so residential. The school charges $100/month for a spot in their lot but my friend says it isn't worth it. Just thought this might be some useful info! 🙂
 
I've been looking into places to live in Philly too, but I'm definitely not a native so what I say may need some fact-checking. My interviewer also said that most students live in the east falls, city center, and manayunk areas. They personally live in east falls and said it is nice, safe, and convenient to walk to school, but pretty quiet. They also said the area east and north of Wissahickon ave is sketch, and looking at a map that's where Germantown falls under. Their definition and my definition of sketch may be different though, I didn't venture around that area firsthand. Personally I've been to Philly many times and city center is pretty awesome with lots of stuff to do, I'm definitely considering living there if I go to Drexel. I could get to queen lane from there by either walking to the drexel shuttle bus, taking the septa to the queen lane station, or just driving. Apparently manayunk is about a 5-10 minute drive to queen lane and has lots of restaurants and bars and whatnot. I'm sure students live in other areas as well and commute.

Can any current students or Philly natives comment on the best places to live?

I would avoid Germantown, however on the border of Germantown and East Falls are a few large apartment complexes where a number of Drexel Med (and Philly U) students live. Alden Park is the most common. Probably about just as common are the apartments across the street and adjacent to the med school - Charlwin and Carlton Park.

If you want to live a little farther away (5-10 min driving) where there is a little more to do, then Roxborough and Manayunk would be places to look. There are a variety of options like newer complexes, rowhouses, etc. Manayunk is a fun area that you will likely spend a lot of time going out to during MS1 and MS2.

Even a little farther away (10-15 min driving)between East Falls and Center City, is the Art Museum area. This is mostly rowhouses which people rent out and have typically been updated. The population is younger and a mix between residential and city lift because it's about 5 min away from Center City. Students also live in Center City (about 20 min shuttle ride), which has all your typical things of a big city.

I'd say the general trend for MS1 and MS2 is 75% live in East Falls, Roxborough, or Manayunk area and 25% in Art Museum or Center City. This shifts to like 50-50 during MS3 and MS4.

Not a philly native, but am definitely going to Drexel and have been working out my living situation... One of my friends actually works at Drexel, and she said that East Falls and Manayunk are great, but if you want to live anywhere within drive-able distance, there is plenty (plenty, plenty, plenty) of street parking around the queen lane campus because it's so residential. The school charges $100/month for a spot in their lot but my friend says it isn't worth it. Just thought this might be some useful info! 🙂

I'd play it safe and pay for the parking at Queen Lane if you plan on using the streets as your regular overnight parking. Because the area is close to Germantown, a car break-in isn't completely unheard of. If you're commuting everyday, then buying a parking pass is optional, although it can be hassle parking on the street on busy days. And unless they upped the prices this year, parking was $400/yr.
 
Ooh good to know! Maybe her pricing for parking is different since she is an employee.
 
oh, the long awaited "final decision" has been reached, 15wks post interview!! interviewed first wk of oct. usps, please be good to me!
 
I still don't have anything...will be 16 weeks for me next Wednesday, so I will hold the record then! 😀
 
"A decision has been reached and a letter will be mailed to a preferred address." Interviewed 11/8. Looks like a wait list 🙁 anyone with a decision get accepted?
 
Just got the status change today
Interviewed 11/7
Sent to a member of the Adcom 11/9
Sent to the admissions committee 12/7
A final decision has bee reached 1/18
 
eek.. i feel your pain. hopefully, your status will change next wk! :luck:

I hope so. My status is still :"Your file is currently under review by a member of the admissions committee and will be sent to committee shortly. No decision has yet been made regarding your admission status to Drexel University." I'll give it about 2 more months.
 
Got "A decision has been reached" today. Interviewed 11/5.

Bummer, but going to withdraw anyways.
 
Just got the status change today
Interviewed 11/7
Sent to a member of the Adcom 11/9
Sent to the admissions committee 12/7
A final decision has bee reached 1/18

I interviewed on the same day as you but no change for me. booooo
 
I would avoid Germantown, however on the border of Germantown and East Falls are a few large apartment complexes where a number of Drexel Med (and Philly U) students live. Alden Park is the most common. Probably about just as common are the apartments across the street and adjacent to the med school - Charlwin and Carlton Park.

If you want to live a little farther away (5-10 min driving) where there is a little more to do, then Roxborough and Manayunk would be places to look. There are a variety of options like newer complexes, rowhouses, etc. Manayunk is a fun area that you will likely spend a lot of time going out to during MS1 and MS2.

Even a little farther away (10-15 min driving)between East Falls and Center City, is the Art Museum area. This is mostly rowhouses which people rent out and have typically been updated. The population is younger and a mix between residential and city lift because it's about 5 min away from Center City. Students also live in Center City (about 20 min shuttle ride), which has all your typical things of a big city.

I'd say the general trend for MS1 and MS2 is 75% live in East Falls, Roxborough, or Manayunk area and 25% in Art Museum or Center City. This shifts to like 50-50 during MS3 and MS4.



I'd play it safe and pay for the parking at Queen Lane if you plan on using the streets as your regular overnight parking. Because the area is close to Germantown, a car break-in isn't completely unheard of. If you're commuting everyday, then buying a parking pass is optional, although it can be hassle parking on the street on busy days. And unless they upped the prices this year, parking was $400/yr.

Awesome, thanks for the info!
 
"A decision has been reached and a letter will be mailed to a preferred address." Interviewed 11/8. Looks like a wait list 🙁 anyone with a decision get accepted?
Lots of people get accepted off the WL, because we have a huge class and not everyone accepted will go to Drexel. Hang in there! Send updates, and closer to the time for everyone's final decisions, send an LOI - Drexel likes updates. 🙂

Also, congrats to all the new acceptees!

I echo what spezimdoc says in terms of where to live. I'd stay away from Germantown (unless you can go there and be 100% sure that it's a part of the neighborhood you're comfortable living in.) Lots of people live in the complexes right next to campus, in East Falls/Manayunk/Roxborough, or downtown and take the shuttle in.
 
I finished my secondary 10/12/12, and still have this on my status.... "Your file is complete and will be reviewed."
 
I finished my secondary 10/12/12, and still have this on my status.... "Your file is complete and will be reviewed."

Yeah... I've given up. Lol. It's so late in the cycle and I haven't heard anything. I really like the medical humanities program here and would have loved to interview. In at the pre-interview hold stage. :-/ they get so many apps and my stats aren't stellar.
 
Are the long post-interview wait times largely because of how long the interviewer takes to hand in his/her evaluation?
 
Are the long post-interview wait times largely because of how long the interviewer takes to hand in his/her evaluation?

Could be that, could be they're backlogged, could be they're just not sure one way or the other what to do with your app. There are tons of possibilities.

Sit tight, those who are waiting! And don't be afraid to check in/send updates.
 
I just wanted to thank all the current Drexel students for their recommendations on places to stay! One last question about housing: From what I remember during my visit, center city (particularly by city hall) is really close to the Drexel Hahnemann shuttle, and that it's a really nice area. Rittenhouse square is a bit further and also nice as well. How about old city though? From the map I can see that it's the furthest out of the three areas, but how is the surrounding area? Since it's a bit of a walk from the shuttle I just want to make sure I don't have to worry too much about my safety if I get back late.
 
I just wanted to thank all the current Drexel students for their recommendations on places to stay! One last question about housing: From what I remember during my visit, center city (particularly by city hall) is really close to the Drexel Hahnemann shuttle, and that it's a really nice area. Rittenhouse square is a bit further and also nice as well. How about old city though? From the map I can see that it's the furthest out of the three areas, but how is the surrounding area? Since it's a bit of a walk from the shuttle I just want to make sure I don't have to worry too much about my safety if I get back late.
I like Old City a lot, just as safe as Rittenhouse and the rest of Center City. It can get pricy down there - lots of expensive but awesome lofts - but if you look around, chances are you could find something to fit the budget. Tons of stuff to do when you need to get away from work, too. Bit of a hike from the hospital/shuttle compared to Rittenhouse and areas of CC closer to Broad St.
 
I like Old City a lot, just as safe as Rittenhouse and the rest of Center City. It can get pricy down there - lots of expensive but awesome lofts - but if you look around, chances are you could find something to fit the budget. Tons of stuff to do when you need to get away from work, too. Bit of a hike from the hospital/shuttle compared to Rittenhouse and areas of CC closer to Broad St.

Thanks! I'm hoping to fly over in a month or two to explore the areas better! Hopefully I don't get rained on 😛
 
Could be that, could be they're backlogged, could be they're just not sure one way or the other what to do with your app. There are tons of possibilities.

Sit tight, those who are waiting! And don't be afraid to check in/send updates.


Ah I didn't think of those possibilities. Thanks!
 
Can any current students/anyone who lives in the area comment on how the skiing is in Pennsylvania? Is there anything decent within 100-ish miles of Philly?
 
I prefer Blue Mountain, which is about a 2 hour drive. It's less "touristy" than ones like Camelback.
 
Can any current students/anyone who lives in the area comment on how the skiing is in Pennsylvania? Is there anything decent within 100-ish miles of Philly?
Yeah, you can find a lot of places within two hours of Philly in the Poconos region.
Mount Snow, Bear Creek, Big Boulder, Jack Frost, Blue Mountain, etc.

Conditions aren't always spectacular though, especially if you are more used to skiing out West or in the more Northern US/Canadian areas.
 
I prefer Blue Mountain, which is about a 2 hour drive. It's less "touristy" than ones like Camelback.

Yeah, you can find a lot of places within two hours of Philly in the Poconos region.
Mount Snow, Bear Creek, Big Boulder, Jack Frost, Blue Mountain, etc.

Conditions aren't always spectacular though, especially if you are more used to skiing out West or in the more Northern US/Canadian areas.

Thanks! Yeah I'm not really picky about conditions, I pretty much stick to park anyway. This is definitely good news 🙂
 
Does anyone know how much the essay question is counted when making a decision after an interview here?
 
Does anyone know how much the essay question is counted when making a decision after an interview here?

If you look through some older posts it sounds like it can definitely hurt you if you don't follow the instructions, but I'm not sure how an outstanding essay would do.
 
Thank you for your application. Your file has been reviewed by a member of our Admissions Committee. While we have decided not invite you for an interview at this time, we would like to re-evaluate your application again in the spring should interview spots remain. We have many completed applications to review and wish to hold on a final decision on your application until later in the cycle. Again, thank you for your interest in Drexel College of Medicine.

Does this message mean that you have been rejected and just havent been told yet? thanks


not necessarily. they're just putting your app on hold for now since they're prob backed up with too many. once the cycle progresses and accepted students start withdrawing, they will prob start giving out more invites. just stay optimistic!
 
So I looked at previous year's posts and the border of East Falls/Germantown right along Wissahickon seems to have a couple of pretty popular apartment complexes with Drexel med students. I tried to google street view it, and I wasn't able to see that many street lights. How safe is the walk from Queen's lane station to these clusters of apartments at night if you were by yourself? Sorry for sounding all neurotic! I just heard a bunch of bad things regarding Germantown in this thread and prior ones so I'm sketched out about the border of it as well.
 
So I looked at previous year's posts and the border of East Falls/Germantown right along Wissahickon seems to have a couple of pretty popular apartment complexes with Drexel med students. I tried to google street view it, and I wasn't able to see that many street lights. How safe is the walk from Queen's lane station to these clusters of apartments at night if you were by yourself? Sorry for sounding all neurotic! I just heard a bunch of bad things regarding Germantown in this thread and prior ones so I'm sketched out about the border of it as well.
As a Philly native and someone who is friends with current Drexel med students, you should definitely stay away from East Falls and stick to center city instead for housing. East Falls is, in lack of a better adjective, boring. Center city has a great atmosphere and so much to do (plus rittenhouse square area is beautiful!. I currently live in center city (borderline south). I can give you more info and a contact for housing in my area if you PM me.
 
Interviewed 11/8
Final Decision 1/25

This is either going to be a dream crusher or my first acceptance! I hope I survive!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top