2013-2014 University of Massachusetts Application Thread

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funknewbious said:
Hi fellow interviewee! How did you feel about the MMI process? Did you like it?
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Honestly, I didn't like it very much. I can see its appeal from an admissions committee standpoint since it removes all the subjective factors, but as an applicant I left feeling like they didn't know me any more than they did just reading my application over.
 
McMeowerson said:
Honestly, I didn't like it very much. I can see its appeal from an admissions committee standpoint since it removes all the subjective factors, but as an applicant I left feeling like they didn't know me any more than they did just reading my application over.
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Got ya.. Personally, I liked the format better than just sitting for an hour with one doc, researcher, student, etc. but I definitely see where you are coming from. In fact, in my post-interview questionnaire I mentioned that I would have liked an additional 15-20 min personal interview to explain some of the more salient components of my app. That way you can still have the subjectiveness of a classical interview and stay relatively standardized with the MMI.
 
funknewbious said:
Hi all:

My first post here...I was accepted to UMass last Friday morning. Interviewed on 9/11. 3.45 sGPA, 3.7 cGPA, 32 (12P/10V/10B) MCAT. Super non-traditional. Non-URM. Feel free to ask anything about the process!
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Also interviewed that day!

Just wondering, did you apply early decision?
 
FAQ said:
Also interviewed that day!

Just wondering, did you apply early decision?
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That was quite the day! hahaha

I did not apply early. I applied to 23 other schools, mostly in New England and the East Coast. It was my second interview at the time, and my first (and only) MMI experience.
 
funknewbious said:
That was quite the day! hahaha

I did not apply early. I applied to 23 other schools, mostly in New England and the East Coast. It was my second interview at the time, and my first (and only) MMI experience.
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Great. Thanks a lot!

Congratulations and good luck with the remainder of your cycle!
 
funknewbious said:
Hi all:

My first post here...I was accepted to UMass last Friday morning. Interviewed on 9/11. 3.45 sGPA, 3.7 cGPA, 32 (12P/10V/10B) MCAT. Super non-traditional. Non-URM. Feel free to ask anything about the process!
Click to expand...

Interviewed same day too here! Hot day, and my student tour guide actually took my little group on an outside walk. Talk about uncomfortable suiting...
 
funknewbious said:
Got ya.. Personally, I liked the format better than just sitting for an hour with one doc, researcher, student, etc. but I definitely see where you are coming from. In fact, in my post-interview questionnaire I mentioned that I would have liked an additional 15-20 min personal interview to explain some of the more salient components of my app. That way you can still have the subjectiveness of a classical interview and stay relatively standardized with the MMI.
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I think that would be a great compromise. Hopefully they take your suggestion 🙂

Congrats!
 
AxiomaticTruth said:
Interviewed same day too here! Hot day, and my student tour guide actually took my little group on an outside walk. Talk about uncomfortable suiting...
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Oh man...we just took the bridge thankfully... tough day to have to wear a suit. hahaha


McMeowerson said:
I think that would be a great compromise. Hopefully they take your suggestion 🙂

Congrats!
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Thank you 🙂 Good luck to all! Hope we're classmates in the near future!
 
food2 said:
Received one two days ago and complete early august. Interview in december! Any more advice on the MMI, like type of questions they ask?
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While I cannot speak to any specifics of the MMI questions, I can give you some advice on how I prepared. The best way to overcome any anxiety about the MMI format (or really any problem you encounter) is to learn as much as you can. Google, wikipedia, learn how the format came about in Canadian medical schools. After doing that, the process seemed far less foreign to me.

This blog also helped... http://mmiqd.wordpress.com/about/

It has a bunch of MMI-style questions covering personal, ethical and moral dilemmas. Since the traditional format for executing the MMI seems to be 2-3 minutes of reading the question/formulating a coherent response and 6-8 mins talking with a committee member, I would practice the daily MMI questions under these same conditions at home.

From what I've read, it looks like the emphasis isn't on exactly what you say, but rather it focuses on your ability to construct a logical response under pressure. As I mentioned above, I enjoyed the format much more than the traditional interview, despite being completely new to the style. The admissions staff is an absolutely wonderful group and dispelled any anxiety from the very beginning, so don't worry about that. Enjoy the beautiful new campus. Learn from the student tours. They sold me from the minute I arrived.

Good luck! 🙂
 
hey guys! Anybody get any news? I'm curious about when people generally hear back from umass. Could a current student elaborate on this? Thanks!
 
roundza said:
hey guys! Anybody get any news? I'm curious about when people generally hear back from umass. Could a current student elaborate on this? Thanks!
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+1 Also curious. I interviewed ~6 weeks ago and I haven't heard anything.
 
When I interviewed here last year, they usually said they would notify applicants from anywhere from 4 weeks after the interview till the end of may. I don't see why they would change that this year, but who knows? haha
 
I think they might hold on to applicants a little longer this year since it was a new interview method and they probably want to compare the early ones to the later ones etc.
 
food2 said:
When I interviewed here last year, they usually said they would notify applicants from anywhere from 4 weeks after the interview till the end of may. I don't see why they would change that this year, but who knows? haha
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I imagine it'll be like years past where there's a trickle of acceptances between now and February, and then they start sending a bunch of decisions on what seems like a weekly basis through March.
 
MedWonk said:
I imagine it'll be like years past where there's a trickle of acceptances between now and February, and then they start sending a bunch of decisions on what seems like a weekly basis through March.
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That's what I'm thinking too. I've basically resigned myself to hearing nothing for months on end (although I would love to hear earlier!) This is just the way UMASS rolls, so I guess all we can do is basically forget we've even applied there until we hear back.
 
funknewbious said:
While I cannot speak to any specifics of the MMI questions, I can give you some advice on how I prepared. The best way to overcome any anxiety about the MMI format (or really any problem you encounter) is to learn as much as you can. Google, wikipedia, learn how the format came about in Canadian medical schools. After doing that, the process seemed far less foreign to me.

This blog also helped... http://mmiqd.wordpress.com/about/

It has a bunch of MMI-style questions covering personal, ethical and moral dilemmas. Since the traditional format for executing the MMI seems to be 2-3 minutes of reading the question/formulating a coherent response and 6-8 mins talking with a committee member, I would practice the daily MMI questions under these same conditions at home.

From what I've read, it looks like the emphasis isn't on exactly what you say, but rather it focuses on your ability to construct a logical response under pressure. As I mentioned above, I enjoyed the format much more than the traditional interview, despite being completely new to the style. The admissions staff is an absolutely wonderful group and dispelled any anxiety from the very beginning, so don't worry about that. Enjoy the beautiful new campus. Learn from the student tours. They sold me from the minute I arrived.

Good luck! 🙂
Click to expand...

Got an II for the MD/PhD for Dec 5-7 on Oct. 4. Was complete 9/23. Anyone else interviewing MD/PhD then?

Thanks for the advice funknewbious!
 
slamesh said:
Got an II for the MD/PhD for Dec 5-7 on Oct. 4. Was complete 9/23. Anyone else interviewing MD/PhD then?

Thanks for the advice funknewbious!
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Was complete 9/4 for MD/PhD and still haven't heard anything…. guess that's not good.
 
There is no way to check your status for UMass online correct? Also post-interview do they let you know if a decision besides an acceptance/rejection?
 
funknewbious said:
While I cannot speak to any specifics of the MMI questions, I can give you some advice on how I prepared. The best way to overcome any anxiety about the MMI format (or really any problem you encounter) is to learn as much as you can. Google, wikipedia, learn how the format came about in Canadian medical schools. After doing that, the process seemed far less foreign to me.

This blog also helped... http://mmiqd.wordpress.com/about/

It has a bunch of MMI-style questions covering personal, ethical and moral dilemmas. Since the traditional format for executing the MMI seems to be 2-3 minutes of reading the question/formulating a coherent response and 6-8 mins talking with a committee member, I would practice the daily MMI questions under these same conditions at home.

From what I've read, it looks like the emphasis isn't on exactly what you say, but rather it focuses on your ability to construct a logical response under pressure. As I mentioned above, I enjoyed the format much more than the traditional interview, despite being completely new to the style. The admissions staff is an absolutely wonderful group and dispelled any anxiety from the very beginning, so don't worry about that. Enjoy the beautiful new campus. Learn from the student tours. They sold me from the minute I arrived.

Good luck! 🙂
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info! Did they give a break down of how many applied/Interviewed/ and Accepted they expect for this year? Just curious to see the breakdown. Do you also think they are interviewing more people due to the MMI format compared to last year? Maliro there is no way to check your status on the online thing and for post interview, I believe they also have waitlist.
 
food2 said:
Thanks for the info! Did they give a break down of how many applied/Interviewed/ and Accepted they expect for this year? Just curious to see the breakdown. Do you also think they are interviewing more people due to the MMI format compared to last year? Maliro there is no way to check your status on the online thing and for post interview, I believe they also have waitlist.
Click to expand...

Glad to help 🙂 If I am remembering correctly, the breakdown was around 1200 secondaries submitted/500 interviews offered/135 accepted for a class of 125. It was something like a 25% chance of getting an offer after the interview. Their waitlist isn't that large (around 10 or so)--I assume because most who get an offer end up accepting.

Please take these numbers with a grain of salt. I cannot recall exact figures and I don't have my interview materials in front of me. I can try to check my packet when I get home tonight.

I cannot say if they have changed the number of interview invites. Perhaps a current student can assist with this question. There were about 30 students who were invited to interview on the first day (9/11). Not sure how many more interview dates have passed since.
 
funknewbious said:
Glad to help 🙂 If I am remembering correctly, the breakdown was around 1200 secondaries submitted/500 interviews offered/135 accepted for a class of 125. It was something like a 25% chance of getting an offer after the interview. Their waitlist isn't that large (around 10 or so)--I assume because most who get an offer end up accepting.

Please take these numbers with a grain of salt. I cannot recall exact figures and I don't have my interview materials in front of me. I can try to check my packet when I get home tonight.

I cannot say if they have changed the number of interview invites. Perhaps a current student can assist with this question. There were about 30 students who were invited to interview on the first day (9/11). Not sure how many more interview dates have passed since.
Click to expand...

Okay, I thought they would have a larger waitlist! But this really helps and if you don't mind can you check your packet. Again you rock 🙂 hope this cycle is going well for you!
 
I will post whatever info I find in my packet on Monday.. Traveling until then. I'm pretty sure those numbers are accurate the more I think about them.

Keep fighting the good fight!
 
I checked my interview packet and only found notes that I jotted down. ~50% get an interview and they accept ~135 for a class of 125. Not sure if that included the accepted MD/PhD students.
 
OMG GOT AN ACCEPTANCE EMAIL THIS MORNING!!!

I can't believe it!!!! I wasn't expecting to hear anything until April!!! GL to everybody!!!!!!
 
roundza said:
OMG GOT AN ACCEPTANCE EMAIL THIS MORNING!!!

I can't believe it!!!! I wasn't expecting to hear anything until April!!! GL to everybody!!!!!!
Click to expand...

Congrats! That's awesome! When did you interview?
 
DRos28 said:
As did I.....

Here's to more waiting!
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OH HEY NOW

That's pretty cool. That was an awesome group- were you morning or afternoon? Good luck!

Stats are:
38>MCAT>35 and GPA approx 3.7 across the board. Also, nontrad if that matters!
 
roundza said:
OH HEY NOW

That's pretty cool. That was an awesome group- were you morning or afternoon? Good luck!

Stats are:
38>MCAT>35 and GPA approx 3.7 across the board. Also, nontrad if that matters!
Click to expand...
Morning. I liked the MMI format and I felt that I did well. My MCAT is a little lower but my GPA is similar and I'm super non trad as well. Hopefully they will get to me sooner rather than later!
 
If you felt like you did well you probably did! I felt 50/50 about my performance during the MMI but I was having fun and I guess they saw that haha.
 
funknewbious said:
Hi fellow interviewee! How did you feel about the MMI process? Did you like it?
Click to expand...

I went to the Nov. 13th interview. I didn't like the MMI format. Though, I'm biased because it was my first MMI and I only prepared for it the day before. I wish I had prepared better and maybe I would have done much better. There were definitely some awkward silence moments for me zoo at this point, I'm proooobably not getting into UMASS.. Best advice I've got: Eat well before the interview, think aloud but don't say anything stupid. Read the question properly before going in, and make sure you get your complete thoughts out before being prompted by the interviewer. I made the mistake during one of the questions on pausing, giving the interviewer time to prompt me on another thought that I already had, making it seem like I wasn't insightful enough.
 
SDu3er said:
I went to the Nov. 13th interview. I didn't like the MMI format. Though, I'm biased because it was my first MMI and I only prepared for it the day before. I wish I had prepared better and maybe I would have done much better. There were definitely some awkward silence moments for me zoo at this point, I'm proooobably not getting into UMASS.. Best advice I've got: Eat well before the interview, think aloud but don't say anything stupid. Read the question properly before going in, and make sure you get your complete thoughts out before being prompted by the interviewer. I made the mistake during one of the questions on pausing, giving the interviewer time to prompt me on another thought that I already had, making it seem like I wasn't insightful enough.
Click to expand...

I don't know that it's necessarily a mistake. The interviewer's job in an MMI is to guide you towards a more insightful answer whether by challenging with an opposing view or by providing some twist to your line of thinking that would require you to adapt your position on the fly. A bad interviewer in the MMI will say something like "Is that all?" and make no effort to provide any follow up questions (this happened to me on one prompt).
 
I completely misread one of the questions at one station, and blabbered on for about a couple minutes until the interviewer corrected me (I had missed a key word). It was pretty comical in retrospect. I've heard rumors at other schools that they drop the highest and lowest MMI station scores (not saying they do this at UMass), but part of the MMI is recovering from one bad performance and rocking the next station.
 
oshkoro said:
I completely misread one of the questions at one station, and blabbered on for about a couple minutes until the interviewer corrected me (I had missed a key word). It was pretty comical in retrospect. I've heard rumors at other schools that they drop the highest and lowest MMI station scores (not saying they do this at UMass), but part of the MMI is recovering from one bad performance and rocking the next station.
Click to expand...



I'd be OK with that. I pretty much rocked two or three of the stations and had one that I felt like I just failed.
 
MedWonk said:
I don't know that it's necessarily a mistake. The interviewer's job in an MMI is to guide you towards a more insightful answer whether by challenging with an opposing view or by providing some twist to your line of thinking that would require you to adapt your position on the fly. A bad interviewer in the MMI will say something like "Is that all?" and make no effort to provide any follow up questions (this happened to me on one prompt).
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This happened to me on one prompt as well. The girl interviewing me actually said, "do you have anything else? I can't think of any questions to ask you." I did explore the question from several points of view and then felt that I clarified my stance but still, it made for an awkward silence for a moment. I really appreciated the follow up questions at other stations.
 
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II today. Complete 9/4. >3.8, >35.

Anyone know if there's a hosting list at UMass? It's the first school without one. The email also didn't mention what time the interview ends.
 
Last edited:
DRos28 said:
This happened to me on one prompt as well. The girl interviewing me actually said, "do you have anything else? I can't think of any questions to ask you." I did explore the question from several points of view and then felt that I clarified my stance but still, it made for an awkward silence for a moment. I really appreciated the follow up questions at other stations.
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The same exact thing happened to me!! Fortunately it was only about 5 or 10 seconds before the end, but it felt like hours!!!!
 
FAQ said:
The same exact thing happened to me!! Fortunately it was only about 5 or 10 seconds before the end, but it felt like hours!!!!
Click to expand...
Same. It might have been the same station. When did you interview?
 
Does UMass take updates/LOI prior to a decision being a made? Is it even wise to do so?
 
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