2012-2013 Virginia Commonwealth University Application Thread

[giants25]

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yea same here. How high are the pre-secondary stats you need to get the supplemental? According to MSAR I'm within their 10th-90th percentile and above the 90th percentile for MCAT and I still didn't get a secondary.


Edit:yup mine just switched too...thanks jhuskp!

 

[toby13]

I applied last year- received further status. This year, when I first logged in, it said I was rejected pre-secondary. I logged in again, and it switched to this:

"The School of Medicine at Virginia Commonwealth University on the Medical College of Virginia Campus has received your preliminary application from AMCAS. Your application will be reviewed. Decisions are made at that point as to which candidates will be granted supplemental application from us. It has always been our committee's policy to grant supplemental applications to those candidates who are deemed competitive within our applicant pool."

Anybody else have this happen?

wow, i just re-logged in and i got the same thing!

 

[GoBriightly]

I applied last year- received further status. This year, when I first logged in, it said I was rejected pre-secondary. I logged in again, and it switched to this:

"The School of Medicine at Virginia Commonwealth University on the Medical College of Virginia Campus has received your preliminary application from AMCAS. Your application will be reviewed. Decisions are made at that point as to which candidates will be granted supplemental application from us. It has always been our committee's policy to grant supplemental applications to those candidates who are deemed competitive within our applicant pool."

Anybody else have this happen?

I actually just checked mine and got the same thing... I'm so confused hahaa

 

[Goobs]

Wow mine just switched too! I'm so happy I decided to check these forums and mope around a bit before hitting withdraw application!!!

 

[Bink]

Went from rejection to being under review too. Phew.

 

[erin1234]

also just got switched from rejected to under review... maybe (hopefully) it was a computer error?

 

[ilovechemistry]

They have rejected me already!? Last cycle I was interviewed and I am currently on the waitlist for this cycle. I am also retaking my MCAT July 26th so it seems a little too quick for them to count me out. ahhh

 

[ilovechemistry]

Mine switched also...thank God lol

 

[MsPlasmodesmata]

Under review as well. Gaaah, I got so excited reading the e-mail at first, thinking it was a secondary invite.
ETA: Anyone know how they screen primaries?

 

[typicalindian]

Just got the secondary. Will be working on it when I get home 🙂

 

[crazedpiggy]

Hey guys,

Lol yeah, I got the rejection message after I changed my PIN but after I relogged on it changed back to under-review status. I'm guessing this is a problem with their status website?

Either way, I hope VCU screens well so I can save my application fee/work on secondary if they deem me to be uncompetitive. This cycle is already taking a huge toll on my wallet.

Either way, hoping to get some love back from this great school!

Good luck to everyone. 🙂

 

[jcurtin2013]

Hey guys,

Lol yeah, I got the rejection message after I changed my PIN but after I relogged on it changed back to under-review status. I'm guessing this is a problem with their status website?

Either way, I hope VCU screens well so I can save my application fee/work on secondary if they deem me to be uncompetitive. This cycle is already taking a huge toll on my wallet.

Either way, hoping to get some love back from this great school!

Good luck to everyone. 🙂

Ladies and gentlemen:

The same thing happened to me, and I took the liberty of calling VCU and speaking to Shania, the very kind admissions advisor there. She informed me that they'd been having a glitch of some kind in their system, and that they had just received our primary AMCAS applications. They have NOT as of yet screened out anyone; the screening process is just beginning and we should hear more within 14 business days. GL to all.

 

[crazedpiggy]

Ladies and gentlemen:

The same thing happened to me, and I took the liberty of calling VCU and speaking to Shania, the very kind admissions advisor there. She informed me that they'd been having a glitch of some kind in their system, and that they had just received our primary AMCAS applications. They have NOT as of yet screened out anyone; the screening process is just beginning and we should hear more within 14 business days. GL to all.

Awesome, thanks for the info! 👍

 

[erin1234]

thanks for calling! that is helpful.

 

[MedPR]

Hey guys,

Lol yeah, I got the rejection message after I changed my PIN but after I relogged on it changed back to under-review status. I'm guessing this is a problem with their status website?

Either way, I hope VCU screens well so I can save my application fee/work on secondary if they deem me to be uncompetitive. This cycle is already taking a huge toll on my wallet.

Either way, hoping to get some love back from this great school!

Good luck to everyone. 🙂

Me too.

 

[MedPR]

Just got the secondary. Will be working on it when I get home 🙂

Secondary, or notification that you will be screened in/out of a secondary? I thought the email I received was the secondary too until I logged in.

 

[MedPR]

Rejection email today 🙁 Didn't make it through the pre-screen.

Edit: Now I'm back under review? No complaints here!

Really? What are your stats? 3.00/3.14/33 and I didn't get a rejection email (yet).

 

[Goobs]

Really? What are your stats? 3.00/3.14/33 and I didn't get a rejection email (yet).

Oh it was the first wave of "rejections" that weren't really rejections. Glitch in the system or whatever, I'm under review haha I have a 3.78/3.70/33.

 

[unhappytnt]

So when is the secondary going to be sent out? On the webpage I get this:

The School of Medicine at Virginia Commonwealth University on the Medical College of Virginia Campus has received your preliminary application from AMCAS. Your application will be reviewed. Decisions are made at that point as to which candidates will be granted supplemental application from us. It has always been our committee's policy to grant supplemental applications to those candidates who are deemed competitive within our applicant pool.

but see no secondary 🙁

 

[HoyaDoc25]

From last year if you were about a 3.3 and a 27 you were sent a secondary. Just relax if you're above that then its just a matter of time until you get one.

 

[MedPR]

We are pleased to notify you that the preliminary review of your application has been completed. You are now authorized to complete the supplemental application. Please be certain to review the directions carefully (click on Instructions/Forms to access the Application Instructions) and complete the supplemental fully.

yay!

3.00c, 3.14s, 33Q OOS

 

[deleted454156]

Just got the secondary. But the "supplemental essay" has no prompt, and an 8000 character limit. Is this an error?

 

[GoBriightly]

secondary here as well! I'm not sure about the supplemental essay either though.

 

[kad]

Just got the secondary. But the "supplemental essay" has no prompt, and an 8000 character limit. Is this an error?

Same. By far the largest character limit I have seen so far...

 

[crazedpiggy]

Yeah, I just got an email suggesting an updated status to my application. I ended up getting the secondary.

Man, I must have a weak heart or something. Got a sudden loss of appetite, heart rate elevated, and my hands were trembling as I incorrectly entered my login information. If I'm gonna get so worked up about something like getting screened in for a secondary, I'm gonna have a loooooong application cycle ahead of me. :|

Numbers: Non-trad OOS, 3.29 cGPA/3.19 BCPM at a notoriously difficult institution, 4.00 Masters at the same institution, 28 MCAT but retake scores coming in on the 24th (I'm guessing they either used my previous score or ignored my MCAT for the pre-screen?).

 

[Bink]

Screened in. Hope it's for real this time 😉

 

[MedPR]

If I got screened in I'm sure all of you will. My GPA is incredibly low.

 

[deleted454156]

This is the supplemental essay prompt from last year, I assume it will be the same this year:
- Supplemental Essay: The admissions committee requests that you write an essay that provides us with some insight into why you would like to join VCU School of Medicine. (Limit 8000 characters)

 

[MedPR]

Glad there's a problem with the secondary. I don't have time for it right now 🙂

 

[typicalindian]

Just got the secondary. But the "supplemental essay" has no prompt, and an 8000 character limit. Is this an error?

I'm a little annoyed that they would let us write up to 8000 chars :/

 

[GoBriightly]

This is the supplemental essay prompt from last year, I assume it will be the same this year:
- Supplemental Essay: The admissions committee requests that you write an essay that provides us with some insight into why you would like to join VCU School of Medicine. (Limit 8000 characters)

I just sent an email through the help button on their secondary about this, so hopefully they'll let me know what is going on! I'll let you all know what they say when I get a response 🙂

 

[MedPR]

Can any current VCU students weigh in on the two clinical rotation sites? I'm tentatively marking option 2 (willing to do either site). I'm only concerned that I would have to rotate at both sites in the same year instead of being confined to only one site. I'd rather not have to commute, and I plan on living as close to my rotation site as possible.

 

[hopeful22213]

I just sent an email through the help button on their secondary about this, so hopefully they'll let me know what is going on! I'll let you all know what they say when I get a response 🙂

Thanks. I'll be curious to see how they respond. I'm guessing it was meant to be a why VCU thing.

 

[GrabSlamBoot]

Yeah guess is 8000 character for me to compose a rap song. No prompt...?

 

[hopeful22213]

Can any current VCU students weigh in on the two clinical rotation sites? I'm tentatively marking option 2 (willing to do either site). I'm only concerned that I would have to rotate at both sites in the same year instead of being confined to only one site. I'd rather not have to commute, and I plan on living as close to my rotation site as possible.

I didn't even consider that possibility. Fairfax to Richmond is a two hour drive, so I'd hope they wouldn't ask people to shuttle between both sites.

 

[MedPR]

I didn't even consider that possibility. Fairfax to Richmond is a two hour drive, so I'd hope they wouldn't ask people to shuttle between both sites.

Are you familiar with both areas? I'm interested mainly in urban settings, but the supplemental says the Fairfax location is "busy" so that's interesting too.

 

[toxicwombat]

LMFAO at the old SAT format. It hasn't been out of 1600 in a good ten years or so... regardless, I just put my total score of 2010 and left math/verbal blank.

 

[Rumalum]

Can any current VCU students weigh in on the two clinical rotation sites? I'm tentatively marking option 2 (willing to do either site). I'm only concerned that I would have to rotate at both sites in the same year instead of being confined to only one site. I'd rather not have to commute, and I plan on living as close to my rotation site as possible.

I start in the fall so I can't say much myself, but I know that fairfax is in an suburban environment. Dick Cheney had his heart transplant there, so I'm assuming you'll receive just as good a training as you would at MCV. I do know that the cost of attendance goes up a fair bit if you elect to go to fairfax. At any rate, the decision you make during your application is not binding at all. You can change your decision at any time, and they ask again after you have been accepted

 

[hopeful22213]

I'm originally from Chicago but currently live in northern VA. I don't know Richmond well, but you couldn't accurately characterize Fairfax as an urban setting. It is more or less a part of the extended DC metro area, but has less crime and more affluence.

 

[MedPR]

LMFAO at the old SAT format. It hasn't been out of 1600 in a good ten years or so... regardless, I just put my total score of 2010 and left math/verbal blank.

Uh, I took the SAT in 2005-2006 and it was out of 1600. That's only 7 years ago.

 

[MedPR]

I start in the fall so I can't say much myself, but I know that fairfax is in an suburban environment. Dick Cheney had his heart transplant there, so I'm assuming you'll receive just as good a training as you would at MCV. I do know that the cost of attendance goes up a fair bit if you elect to go to fairfax. At any rate, the decision you make during your application is not binding at all. You can change your decision at any time, and they ask again after you have been accepted

Sounds good. They might have changed the policy about changing though.. On the supplemental it says

I am interested and willing to commit to my 3rd and 4th year only at Fairfax.
I am interested and willing to spend my 3rd and 4th year at either Fairfax or MCV Hospitals.
I am interested and willing to commit to my 3rd and 4th year only at MCV Hospitals.

If more than 24 students indicate choice #1, a lottery will be held to select only 24 students at the end of your 2nd year in medical school. If fewer than 24 students indicate choice #1 or #2, a lottery will be held among the other students at the end of your 2nd year in medical school to assign students to Fairfax. Once you check off your choice you are committed to that choice and will be assigned as space allows.

I'm originally from Chicago but currently live in northern VA. I don't know Richmond well, but you couldn't accurately characterize Fairfax as an urban setting. It is more or less a part of the extended DC metro area, but has less crime and more affluence.

Suburban is fine with me. I'm just not particularly interested in rural/country. How close is it to DC?

 

[CsHead]

Suburban is fine with me. I'm just not particularly interested in rural/country. How close is it to DC?

http://lmgtfy.com/


On a serious note.. it's right next door dawg (well not in 3pm traffic...)

 

[clown22]

They changed the prompt, this year it is:

Describe your unique qualities and how they might contribute to or benefit our medical school class.

 

[Clumpofstuff]

Where does it say that?

 

[clown22]

Where does it say that?

Where it says "supplemental essay"

 

[1289]

is anyone else having problems getting stuff to save in the secondary? I've uploaded my picture 3x and it never stays, no message about it being too big or anything

 

[GrabSlamBoot]

is anyone else having problems getting stuff to save in the secondary? I've uploaded my picture 3x and it never stays, no message about it being too big or anything

Same here, and I have no prompt next to my "supplemental essay". Guess I will give them a call/email in the morning and see whats up.

 

[1289]

Same here, and I have no prompt next to my "supplemental essay". Guess I will give them a call/email in the morning and see whats up.

yeah same.

 

[toxicwombat]

Uh, I took the SAT in 2005-2006 and it was out of 1600. That's only 7 years ago.

Okay I might have exaggerated but that doesn't change the point that most applicants will be applying with the 2400 version. Not a big deal though.

 

[deleted472157]

is anyone else having problems getting stuff to save in the secondary? I've uploaded my picture 3x and it never stays, no message about it being too big or anything

Have you completed every part of the "General Information" section when you save? I couldn't get mine to save either, but I think it's because it kept asking me to write something down for that mysterious supplemental essay. 😛

Same here, and I have no prompt next to my "supplemental essay". Guess I will give them a call/email in the morning and see whats up.

👍