2014-2015 University of California - San Diego Application Thread

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Hello everyone!

I'm a first year medical student at UC San Diego and saw that some of you had questions about student housing. SDN was helpful for me during my application and pre-matriculation so I thought I'd come back and answer whatever questions I could.

As you may know, UCSD is in La Jolla, a beautiful beach community north of downtown San Diego. The campus is built just off the pacific coast which makes the surrounding area a highly desirable place to live; yes it's gorgeous, but this means real estate is pricey. Rent in the surrounding apartments isn't Manhattan expensive, but it was a bit more than I wanted to spend. Fortunately, UCSD has great, affordable student housing for graduate and professional students that you can live in during your first two years of training (during rotations you're likely going to want to live somewhere more central). For me, student housing has been the way to go - although, I'd estimate that about a quarter of students in our class live in non-UCSD, off-campus housing.

For student housing, here are some key points:
- You can submit your housing application once you've been formally accepted into the SOM. I'd encourage you to apply early if you plan on living in student housing.
- Check the waitlist times on the housing website. Some properties have really long wait times (see: Coast Apartments) and you are not likely to get a spot before your move-in date or you may get placed in one of your lower ranked locations.
- You can change your move-in date and location preferences at any time until you get a housing offer. Once you do get a housing offer, you must either accept or decline the offer. If you decline two offers they'll give your spot to the next person in line and you'll need to re-apply (back of the waitlist line). Thus, as your move-in date approaches next summer, make sure that you have correctly ranked your location preferences and that you really want to move in on the date you selected.
- Once you've accepted an offer or moved in, transfers from one property to another are allowed but you have to re-apply and go through the waitlist.

From our current class, most medical students that are living in student housing are either residing at Rita Atkinson or One Miramar; a few more live at Mesa Apartments, a couple at Coast, and the rest are living in non-university, off-campus housing.

I'll try to check this forum now and then and answer questions. Disclaimer though, I don't know much about what is going on in admissions, so if you have admissions-specific questions I may not have the best answers and would have to go off of my own experiences from last year.

Good luck!
 
Ezra16oz said:
Hello everyone!

I'm a first year medical student at UC San Diego and saw that some of you had questions about student housing. SDN was helpful for me during my application and pre-matriculation so I thought I'd come back and answer whatever questions I could.

As you may know, UCSD is in La Jolla, a beautiful beach community north of downtown San Diego. The campus is built just off the pacific coast which makes the surrounding area a highly desirable place to live; yes it's gorgeous, but this means real estate is pricey. Rent in the surrounding apartments isn't Manhattan expensive, but it was a bit more than I wanted to spend. Fortunately, UCSD has great, affordable student housing for graduate and professional students that you can live in during your first two years of training (during rotations you're likely going to want to live somewhere more central). For me, student housing has been the way to go - although, I'd estimate that about a quarter of students in our class live in non-UCSD, off-campus housing.

For student housing, here are some key points:
- You can submit your housing application once you've been formally accepted into the SOM. I'd encourage you to apply early if you plan on living in student housing.
- Check the waitlist times on the housing website. Some properties have really long wait times (see: Coast Apartments) and you are not likely to get a spot before your move-in date or you may get placed in one of your lower ranked locations.
- You can change your move-in date and location preferences at any time until you get a housing offer. Once you do get a housing offer, you must either accept or decline the offer. If you decline two offers they'll give your spot to the next person in line and you'll need to re-apply (back of the waitlist line). Thus, as your move-in date approaches next summer, make sure that you have correctly ranked your location preferences and that you really want to move in on the date you selected.
- Once you've accepted an offer or moved in, transfers from one property to another are allowed but you have to re-apply and go through the waitlist.

From our current class, most medical students that are living in student housing are either residing at Rita Atkinson or One Miramar; a few more live at Mesa Apartments, a couple at Coast, and the rest are living in non-university, off-campus housing.

I'll try to check this forum now and then and answer questions. Disclaimer though, I don't know much about what is going on in admissions, so if you have admissions-specific questions I may not have the best answers and would have to go off of my own experiences from last year.

Good luck!
Click to expand...

Thank you for this information! Which on-campus housing are you currently in, and what are your likes/dislikes? Also, when did they call you to offer you the spot? I'm just a bit nervous that if they don't offer until that summer, that it would be too late to secure off-campus housing if on-campus ends up not working out. How did you manage this? Thanks!
 
Has anyone gotten their acceptance packet? I haven't and I'm starting to get nervous about getting that form back in time.
 
soccerusa said:
Has anyone gotten their acceptance packet? I haven't and I'm starting to get nervous about getting that form back in time.
Click to expand...

Personally, I wouldn't worry. I haven't received my packet, though it'll likely take some time (for reference, I got my UCI acceptance on the 25th and received the packet yesterday. In it they included a link to the "Statement of Intent to Register," so you could input your acceptance/withdrawal online).

Not sure if this process is similar across UCs, but I'm sure UCSD accounts for the general lateness of snail mail. 🙂
 
@soccerusa I have not received my packet either. I caved in and called Brian 2 days ago since it said online that my decision letter was sent 10/30/14. Brian said, however, that this really was not the case. Many of the acceptance letters have gone out within the past couple of days. They were waiting for financial aid. Hope this helps! haha.
 
LA | MD said:
Thank you for this information! Which on-campus housing are you currently in, and what are your likes/dislikes? Also, when did they call you to offer you the spot? I'm just a bit nervous that if they don't offer until that summer, that it would be too late to secure off-campus housing if on-campus ends up not working out. How did you manage this? Thanks!
Click to expand...
I'm living in Rita Atkinson. I moved in mid-June since I attended the CTBS summer course (check out this course btw, it was really helpful!). Typically, everyone wants to move in right before the fall quarter starts (so, around mid to late August) but it means that late summer units will be in high demand with so many students wanting to move in at the same time. If your application went in early and you're high on the waitlist, then you're likely to get one of those units; but if you sent in your application in July for an August move-in, your chances may not be so good.

A lot of students will help improve their chances of getting a unit by moving in earlier in the summer when vacancies are high. I had no trouble getting an offer since I moved in early during summer break. I got my offer, via telephone and email, about two weeks before my move in date. I chose a date that was a bit earlier than I needed in case they didn't have availability until later in the month. Moving in early also meant that I had plenty of time to get acquainted with my new surroundings and adjust. By the time school started I was already well established, while other people were still trying to get moved in, find things on campus, get groceries, buy housewares, get parking permits, buy school supplies, etc.

I really like living in Rita. My rent is currently about $500/mo. Utilities, except for electricity, are included. The building is LEED certified so our electricity bills come out to about $3-5 per month, per resident. I've never heard of anyone paying more than about $8 for electricity in one month. All units are two bedroom, so you'll be paired up with another graduate student - unless you're married. If you want internet access for your apartment you'll need to sign up for that yourself and split it with your roommate. There is university WiFi in the common areas.

Rita Atkinson is really close to the medical school campus, which I really like. It's about a 3 minute walk! This makes it really convenient for things like running home because you: forgot your stethoscope, want to grab lunch, want to change clothes for lab, etc. On the other hand, some people like to get out of class and get away to a distant apartment and a change of scenery; I suppose you'll have to figure out which type you are.

I like studying on campus, and medical students have after-hours access to the medical education building and study rooms in the biomedical library. Living really close to these buildings makes it easier for me to get my study time in since I'm so close and it doesn't feel like I need to make a long trip for a quiet study area or for group sessions.

Rita has a small gym, study areas, community gas grills, a community living room, and some cool lounge areas that I frequently use. It's definitely a comfortable place to live.

The problems with Rita are: there's no dedicated resident parking lot (you have to park your car about 10 minutes away and pay for an on-campus parking permit), the layout of the building means that you don't really interact much with your neighbors (at least not those on a different floor; however, it's also really quiet), some people don't like some of the aesthetics of the building (exposed concrete ceilings and floors - I kinda like it though).

I can't speak much about the other housing properties, but I do know that people also really like living at One Miramar. I would consider both of these options.
 
Ezra16oz said:
I'm living in Rita Atkinson. I moved in mid-June since I attended the CTBS summer course (check out this course btw, it was really helpful!). Typically, everyone wants to move in right before the fall quarter starts (so, around mid to late August) but it means that late summer units will be in high demand with so many students wanting to move in at the same time. If your application went in early and you're high on the waitlist, then you're likely to get one of those units; but if you sent in your application in July for an August move-in, your chances may not be so good.

A lot of students will help improve their chances of getting a unit by moving in earlier in the summer when vacancies are high. I had no trouble getting an offer since I moved in early during summer break. I got my offer, via telephone and email, about two weeks before my move in date. I chose a date that was a bit earlier than I needed in case they didn't have availability until later in the month. Moving in early also meant that I had plenty of time to get acquainted with my new surroundings and adjust. By the time school started I was already well established, while other people were still trying to get moved in, find things on campus, get groceries, buy housewares, get parking permits, buy school supplies, etc.

I really like living in Rita. My rent is currently about $500/mo. Utilities, except for electricity, are included. The building is LEED certified so our electricity bills come out to about $3-5 per month, per resident. I've never heard of anyone paying more than about $8 for electricity in one month. All units are two bedroom, so you'll be paired up with another graduate student - unless you're married. If you want internet access for your apartment you'll need to sign up for that yourself and split it with your roommate. There is university WiFi in the common areas.

Rita Atkinson is really close to the medical school campus, which I really like. It's about a 3 minute walk! This makes it really convenient for things like running home because you: forgot your stethoscope, want to grab lunch, want to change clothes for lab, etc. On the other hand, some people like to get out of class and get away to a distant apartment and a change of scenery; I suppose you'll have to figure out which type you are.

I like studying on campus, and medical students have after-hours access to the medical education building and study rooms in the biomedical library. Living really close to these buildings makes it easier for me to get my study time in since I'm so close and it doesn't feel like I need to make a long trip for a quiet study area or for group sessions.

Rita has a small gym, study areas, community gas grills, a community living room, and some cool lounge areas that I frequently use. It's definitely a comfortable place to live.

The problems with Rita are: there's no dedicated resident parking lot (you have to park your car about 10 minutes away and pay for an on-campus parking permit), the layout of the building means that you don't really interact much with your neighbors (at least not those on a different floor; however, it's also really quiet), some people don't like some of the aesthetics of the building (exposed concrete ceilings and floors - I kinda like it though).

I can't speak much about the other housing properties, but I do know that people also really like living at One Miramar. I would consider both of these options.
Click to expand...
Thanks! How do you apply for the parking pass?
 
keevwu said:
If I don't get a secondary by now, I'm pretty much rejected huh?
Click to expand...
I feel you. They received my Primary on 6/30, and even after emailing the UCSD admissions committee twice, still no response for a secondary/presecondary rejection 🙁
 
.
 
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Tman90 said:
Thank you @Ezra16oz for answering all our questions! With regards to the CTBS summer course, would you recommend applying to that ASAP like housing?
Click to expand...
I suppose that it wouldn't hurt to apply now, but if you have tons of other things going on I'd say it's safe to wait too. I didn't apply until after second look in April and I didn't have any trouble getting a spot. Some of the current MS1s have been talking about the course during the occasional interview day tour, so there's a chance that there might be more interest for it next year - perhaps don't wait as long as I did to apply. If you later decide that the class isn't for you, you can just email the coordinator and drop.
 
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redpanda13 said:
I feel you. They received my Primary on 6/30, and even after emailing the UCSD admissions committee twice, still no response for a secondary/presecondary rejection 🙁
Click to expand...
I e-mailed them. They told me I was pretty much rejected. They say they don't send any e-mails yet because they wait until december when other applicants send in their planned MCAT scores.
 
did anyone who was rejected md-phd by any chance end up getting an MD only II?
 
Pre-interview hold...so I'm still in the game, I guess. I was complete early September with ~75 LizzyM.
 
Pre-interview hold. Completed mid September. I guess it is better than a flat out rejection.
 
Also joining the pre-interview hold cluster. Complete in September. Agree that its better than a straight rejection, but from reading through this thread, does anyone get a post-secondary rejection?
 
asyouwish said:
Also joining the pre-interview hold cluster. Complete in September. Agree that its better than a straight rejection, but from reading through this thread, does anyone get a post-secondary rejection?
Click to expand...
Are these pre-interview holds via a portal change or an email?
 
Hold as well. Kind of bummed... At least I guess I don't have to worry about this school until January though. LizzyM ~ 76

Edit: Complete late August
 
+6 with the hold. in the e-mail it isn't clear to me if the post-hold interviews go out in january or that all of them will have been sent out by then? when does the interview invitation season end for UCSD versus when the actual interviews end? does anyone know?


also, my portal doesn't actually reflect that i'm on hold--idk about you folks, but for me it was just the e-mail.
 
pinkPEACE said:
+6 with the hold. in the e-mail it isn't clear to me if the post-hold interviews go out in january or that all of them will have been sent out by then? when does the interview invitation season end for UCSD versus when the actual interviews end? does anyone know?


also, my portal doesn't actually reflect that i'm on hold--idk about you folks, but for me it was just the e-mail.
Click to expand...

Same deal for me with the portal. Also, from a cursory glance at last year's thread, it looks like people that got put on hold in November got interview invites trickling in through to January, and then at the end of January a bunch of post-hold rejections went out.
 
hueso said:
Same deal for me with the portal. Also, from a cursory glance at last year's thread, it looks like people that got put on hold in November got interview invites trickling in through to January, and then at the end of January a bunch of post-hold rejections went out.
Click to expand...

good to know what to expect. thanks for sharing!! 🙂
 
Not sure if it's already been answered, but is UCSD receptive to post-secondary updates?
 
mellykey said:
Not sure if it's already been answered, but is UCSD receptive to post-secondary updates?
Click to expand...

I saw somewhere in the thread that they are only receptive to updates POST-interview.....I disregarded that and recently sent an update regarding publications....never heard back and still no II (although I did finish the secondary app late september).

So I'm not sure updates pre-interview/post-secondary are useful
 
Yeah, UCSD doesn't want pre-interview updates.
 
rektedit said:
I saw somewhere in the thread that they are only receptive to updates POST-interview.....I disregarded that and recently sent an update regarding publications....never heard back and still no II (although I did finish the secondary app late september).

So I'm not sure updates pre-interview/post-secondary are useful
Click to expand...

As per my interview day, they discouraged post-interview updates. Brian essentially said: "You interviewed... and now it's out of your hands." :shrug:

Good luck to all those in the wait! I'm ridiculously excited about this school and barring any unforeseen circumstances will be going to second look.
 
I wonder if those of us who didn't get a hold letter are already in the reject pile...does UCSD still give interview invites to non-hold applicants past December?
 
lawyer_doc said:
I wonder if those of us who didn't get a hold letter are already in the reject pile...does UCSD still give interview invites to non-hold applicants past December?
Click to expand...

As the first 2 letters of my name are the same as the first 2 of the word reject, I consider it likely that I am in that pile. Oh well, law school for me! 🙁
 
Zaynecarrick said:
As the first 2 letters of my name are the same as the first 2 of the word reject, I consider it likely that I am in that pile. Oh well, law school for me! 🙁
Click to expand...

send me a PM if you are interested lol

Edit: Just sent you a message!
 
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