2014-2015 University of Minnesota Application Thread

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Does anyone know how to select each school (Twin Cities vs Duluth) separately for AMCAS? The payment goes to one institution...:thinking:
 
@STLMako91 I believe, and if I am not mistaken, they will contact you to ask which school you intend to apply for.
 
Poking in to say good luck to everyone applying. I'm starting in August, can't wait. If anyone has any questions about the process, particularly from an out of state perspective, I'd be happy to help.

About which campus to apply to, once umn gets your primary you'll get an email in early July which contains access to a web portal where you can make your selection.

I know last year when I applied I was on pins and needles waiting to hear back about interview invites and such, but having some idea made it easier. For those who'd like to have an idea of what you're going to see over the next year, I've posted my timeline with umn below. I would estimate these are the earliest dates you'll see, and note that I applied to the tc campus only.

July 1- primary received, select campus
July 8- primary verified by tc
July 9- invited to complete secondary
July 29- interview invite
October 15- acceptance via phone call
January 6- email for applying for financial aid

Again, good luck and I'll try and check back to help out with any questions!
 
Thanks for providing your timeline @Captain Sisko !! Describing it as "pins and needles" would be very accurate. Good luck in medical school!
 
sparos said:
Hi all, does any know how UMinnesota favors out of state applicants? I want to apply for location reasons (girlfriend can get a job in Minneapolis) but I don't know if it would be a waste of time to apply if they are too tough on OOS applicants.
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My understanding is that the school takes its mission to the state of Minnesota very seriously. I remember seeing a billboard somewhere in the Twin Cities saying over half of the physicians in the state train at the school at some point. Strong ties (meaning you grew up here, have a substantial family history here, etc.) are probably a necessity to have much of a chance, unless you are applying MD/PhD. There is no IS preference for MD/PhD.
 
Just received an email for campus selection
 
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Captain Sisko said:
July 1- primary received, select campus
July 8- primary verified by tc
July 9- invited to complete secondary
July 29- interview invite
October 15- acceptance via phone call
January 6- email for applying for financial aid
Click to expand...

I worked for the school (different department [housing] but met people through events) and I can almost guarantee that these dates will look the same, just moved one day back... simply because of their unwillingness to work/update information on weekends. They also really like to keep secondaries fairly consistent (perhaps some tweaks to character limits, but asked around and they couldn't remember the last time they changed the actual prompts at tc).

So June 30th should be campus selection (which I think people are starting to get already)
July 7th should be primary verification.

Duluth does somethings faster, some things slower... can't really say much because I have seen it go differently based on the year/time you apply.


EDIT: Here are the old prompts for TC

*1. Beyond what you have written in your AMCAS Personal Comments, please discuss your early life experiences, family background and aspects of your home community that have led to your decision to become a physician. 1500 ch

*2. Please describe a challenging life experience and how you dealt with it. 1500 ch

*3. Our medical school is committed to enrolling and graduating a diverse student body. The Admissions Committee considers the following: high academic potential, disadvantaged background, race and ethnicity, evidence of outstanding leadership, creativity, unique work or service experience, community involvement, non-traditional educational progression, and demonstrated commitment to working with diverse populations. How would you contribute to the diversity of the University of Minnesota Medical School? 1500 ch

*4. Are you a resident of the state of Minnesota? 300 ch

*5. If you did not designate Minnesota as your state of legal residence on your AMCAS application, briefly describe any ties that you might have to this state. 1200 ch

*6. Briefly describe what you are currently doing. If you have already graduated, please indicate what you have been doing since graduation, and what your plans are for the coming year? 1200 ch

*7. Please explain any gaps in your education and/or work experiences since high school graduation that are not previously described in yourapplication.300ch

8a. Have you ever been convicted of a felony?*
8b. If YES, you must include a full explanation below. 1200 ch

*9. Have you considered alternate career options to fulfill your commitment to providing healthcare other than medicine? Please talk about what you might do if you are ultimately not accepted to medical school. 900ch

* What other pertinent information would you like to bring to the attention of the Admissions Committee? 900ch
 
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Don'tStopMeNow said:
Duluth does somethings faster, some things slower... can't really say much because I have seen it go differently based on the year/time you apply.
Click to expand...

Sorry, just looked at my times wrong... looks like duluth is a bit faster overall, but that was just my experience. I don't know enough about the duluth campus inner workings to actually say much I guess haha
 
Anyone apply here who has no connections to the state of Minnesota?! Hope that doesn't automatically disqualify me.

What should I even say for that essay? N/A is reserved for Minnesota residents =/ I've actually never even been in Minnesota lol...am I just throwing away money? XD
 
Heplayer92 said:
Anyone apply here who has no connections to the state of Minnesota?! Hope that doesn't automatically disqualify me.

What should I even say for that essay? N/A is reserved for Minnesota residents =/ I've actually never even been in Minnesota lol...am I just throwing away money? XD
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If you apply Duluth without being Minnesotan/Native American... yeah, that is money thrown away.

If you are applying to the Twin Cities with no connections... you honestly need stellar stats and to really do fantastic on the interview to have a shot.

I don't know the exact breakdown, but of the over 4000 people who applied last year, 31 were from out of state. Compared to the over 139 Minnesota residents... I don't know. I'd have to see the breakdown of how many OOS applied vs in-state applicants. Anyone have that info?
 
Don'tStopMeNow said:
If you apply Duluth without being Minnesotan/Native American... yeah, that is money thrown away.

If you are applying to the Twin Cities with no connections... you honestly need stellar stats and to really do fantastic on the interview to have a shot.
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Yeah I'm only applying to Twin Cities. Ehh my stats are around average, but my ECs are pretty solid and hopefully they'll like my Personal Statement and my secondaries. Just confused on what I should put for "Connections to the State." I feel like leaving it as "none" isn't good. Maybe I'll write about how although I have no connections...I do like _____ about it and ______ so they know I've at least done some research. I'll try to make it interesting XD
 
Heplayer92 said:
Yeah I'm only applying to Twin Cities. Ehh my stats are around average, but my ECs are pretty solid and hopefully they'll like my Personal Statement and my secondaries. Just confused on what I should put for "Connections to the State." I feel like leaving it as "none" isn't good. Maybe I'll write about how although I have no connections...I do like _____ about it and ______ so they know I've at least done some research. I'll try to make it interesting XD
Click to expand...

Eh, I tried the same thing on Wisconsin last year (and I actually have connections with a family cabin in Wisconsin, did 50 hours of physician shadowing in Wisconsin, and all of my living relatives outside of my immediate family live in Wisconsin... +spending every holiday of my childhood in the northwoods) and when I had a phone feedback session they basically told me that I should move to Hudson right over the border if I want anything I said to have impact.

Don't take my word on it though, I'm just an applicant, same as you. Talk to the resources available at you school or admissions.
 
Don'tStopMeNow said:
Eh, I tried the same thing on Wisconsin last year (and I actually have connections with a family cabin in Wisconsin, did 50 hours of physician shadowing in Wisconsin, and all of my living relatives outside of my immediate family live in Wisconsin... +spending every holiday of my childhood in the northwoods) and when I had a phone feedback session they basically told me that I should move to Hudson right over the border if I want anything I said to have impact.

Don't take my word on it though, I'm just an applicant, same as you. Talk to the resources available at you school or admissions.
Click to expand...

It's good to know though. Definitely appreciate the time and feedback. Best of luck this cycle!
 
4.0 GPA/28 mcat, Minnesota resident - do I stand any chance at all? Just wondering 🙁 :scared:

Received the primary yesterday (6/30).
 
Your GPA is good, obviously... but your MCAT is pretty low (I don't know your distribution) for the U of M.

4.0 and 28 MCAT give a LizzyM score of 67, when the U of M LizzyM score is 69.6. This puts you in the "low reach" or within one standard deviation *below* the mean LizzyM score. However, how much that means depends on a lot of things.

I don't know anything about your other stats or story, so... you have a chance? I dunno. Better to ask this question in the "What are my chances" section of the forum.
 
Don'tStopMeNow said:
Your GPA is good, obviously... but your MCAT is pretty low (I don't know your distribution) for the U of M.

4.0 and 28 MCAT give a LizzyM score of 67, when the U of M LizzyM score is 69.6. This puts you in the "low reach" or within one standard deviation *below* the mean LizzyM score. However, how much that means depends on a lot of things.

I don't know anything about your other stats or story, so... you have a chance? I dunno. Better to ask this question in the "What are my chances" section of the forum.
Click to expand...

Thanks so much for this input! I'll definitely check the forum you mentioned.
 
Found the stats I was looking for.

Last year 4,482 people applied to the University of Minnesota (BOTH CAMPUSES). 230 were accepted (or rather, matriculated, not factoring in wait-list movement).

Of those 4,382 people, 3,335 (76.1%) were out of state. Of those 3,335 students who applied OOS, 35 matriculated (In short, 1.05% of OOS students who applied matriculated).

835 applied in state. Of that number, 428 (51%) were interviewed. I have no data on the quality of the applicants who were not interviewed, but over 51% is solid regardless. 194 matriculated (23.2% of instate applicants matriculated).

Home field advantage, eh? (Unless my numbers are crap, got them from an open MSAR)
 
Don'tStopMeNow said:
Found the stats I was looking for.

Last year 4,482 people applied to the University of Minnesota (BOTH CAMPUSES). 230 were accepted (or rather, matriculated, not factoring in wait-list movement).

Of those 4,382 people, 3,335 (76.1%) were out of state. Of those 3,335 students who applied OOS, 35 matriculated (In short, 1.05% of OOS students who applied matriculated).

835 applied in state. Of that number, 428 (51%) were interviewed. I have no data on the quality of the applicants who were not interviewed, but over 51% is solid regardless. 194 matriculated (23.2% of instate applicants matriculated).

Home field advantage, eh? (Unless my numbers are crap, got them from an open MSAR)
Click to expand...
This is good stuff. I wonder how many of those OOS interviewed and how of those interviewed got accepted. Possibly they extended acceptances to a number of OOS but very few chose to go there?
 
Ruby109 said:
I wonder how many of those OOS interviewed and how of those interviewed got accepted. Possibly they extended acceptances to a number of OOS but very few chose to go there?
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I have the numbers for how many OOS interviewed, but acceptances are hard to say.... time for some guesswork.

I mean, I have data on matriculants, but it gets rough with knowing how many of those on the wait-list were in state/out of state and how many initially had acceptances. Although, I have heard that it moves about 50-75 spots? That might be way off though, the source was just on the applicant thread for 2013-2014. So we assume a maximum of 75 people initially got acceptances and then gave them up.

So, of the 3,335 OOS applicants, only 266 were extended interviews (slightly less than 8%). I can't say how many were given a status of "accepted" out of that bunch but chose to decline, but if all 75 rejected acceptances were OOS, that means that at most only 3.29% of OOS applicants get an acceptance. The low end would be if no OOS applicants rejected an application, which would mean 1.05% were given acceptances.

So, ignoring the potential of moving from the wait-list to an "accepted" status.... If we ignore stats completely and just look at the factor OOS on an application it boils down to ~1.05% to 3.29% of OOS applicants getting an acceptance when they choose to submit.

This is contrasted by the theoretical 23.2% to 32.2% of in state applicants who received acceptances (maximum assuming all 75 declined acceptances were in state).

The true number is somewhere in the range for both, but that is the best I can do.

Edit: Just found the previous thread with the 50-75 number... the thread cuts off before anyone can say if that was the actual movement, or the rankings. Any info would be appreciated, but if it was just ranking then my assumption of 75 rejected acceptances is obviously very high (and thus the calculated range would have a lower upper limit).
 
I just received the Duluth Secondary today (July 3). Here are the questions:

Q1: In what ways do you fit the goals of this school? (800 characters)

Q2: How familiar are you with life in a rural setting or American Indian community? (800 characters)

Q3: What are some of the professional and personal advantages and disadvantages of a rural family medicine practice? (800 characters)

Q4: How have you familiarized yourself with the field of medicine? (800 characters)

Q5: How have your volunteer experiences influenced your life goals? (800 characters)

Q6: Briefly describe your career plans in the event that you do not attend medical school. (800 characters)

Q7: Have you ever struggled with being honest and compassionate at the same time? Describe the situation, the struggles and, if there was one, the resolution. (800 characters)

Q8: Describe an experience you have had working in a team (other than a sports team), what role you played, and your comfort level with that role. (800 characters)

Q9: What does lifelong learning mean to you? (800 characters)

Q10: What are your recreational and leisure activities? (800 characters)

Q11: Medical school can be stressful. What coping skills have you used in the past to deal with stressful situations? (800 characters)

Q12: Please use this space to update the information contained in your AMCAS application. Indicate grades earned, alterations in your proposed coursework or graduation dates, additions to your extracurricular activities, and anything else you feel the Committee should know. (800 characters)

Q13: Please describe what you are currently doing. If you have already graduated please indicate what you have been doing since graduation and what your plans are for the coming year. (800 characters)

Q14: FOR REAPPLICANTS ONLY: What have you done to improve your application to medical school? (800 characters)

Q15: Describe your ties to the state of Minnesota. (800 characters)
 
No, no TC yet.

TC should (theoretically) come out next week. Possibly monday, but with how this year things are shifted closer to the fourth of July, possibly later.
 
sunshine_45 said:
4.0 GPA/28 mcat, Minnesota resident - do I stand any chance at all? Just wondering 🙁 :scared:

Received the primary yesterday (6/30).
Click to expand...

A 28 is a neutral score, so it's bad (in my opinion). Also, I feel like the EC+LOR+Interview+Personal Statement+Secondaries represent the other 1/3 of the application aside from GPA and MCAT, so be confident!

edit: NOT* bad.
 
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STLMako91 said:
A 28 is a neutral score, so it's bad (in my opinion). Also, I feel like the EC+LOR+Interview+Personal Statement+Secondaries represent the other 1/3 of the application aside from GPA and MCAT, so be confident!
Click to expand...

🙂 That does make me feel a little better! It's totally unbelievable how I bombed this, particularly since i was doing so well in all the practice tests (and believe me, I've exhausted them all!) 🙁
 
sunshine_45 said:
🙂 That does make me feel a little better! It's totally unbelievable how I bombed this, particularly since i was doing so well in all the practice tests (and believe me, I've exhausted them all!) 🙁
Click to expand...
Whoops!! I meant to say that a 28 is NOT bad! Sorry, I was tired when I was typing that last night.
 
STLMako91 said:
Whoops!! I meant to say that a 28 is NOT bad! Sorry, I was tired when I was typing that.
Click to expand...

That's what i assumed from the rest of your reply 😀 (very conveniently at that because I hardly have other options 🙁 )
 
No secondary yet? I'm afraid that the email might wind up in my Spam box since that's what happened to a few secondary invites already...
 
Spoke to someone (Carrie?) at the UMN Twin Cities MD Admissions office yesterday and she said that they plan on sending out the secondaries this coming week. Don't know how accurate that information is, but that's what she told me. Hope this helps. I've been very antsy about it too 🙁
 
sunshine_45 said:
Spoke to someone (Carrie?) at the UMN Twin Cities MD Admissions office yesterday and she said that they plan on sending out the secondaries this coming week. Don't know how accurate that information is, but that's what she told me. Hope this helps. I've been very antsy about it too 🙁
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I also called admissions earlier this week and received the same response. Good luck everyone!
 
Received an email saying that they'll screen the applications and send out secondaries to selected individuals. Anyone received anything yet? I'm afraid this might be their way of keeping me on hold or something! 🙁
 
sunshine_45 said:
Received an email saying that they'll screen the applications and send out secondaries to selected individuals. Anyone received anything yet? I'm afraid this might be their way of keeping me on hold or something! 🙁
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+1 i got the same email :/
 
sunshine_45 said:
Received an email saying that they'll screen the applications and send out secondaries to selected individuals. Anyone received anything yet? I'm afraid this might be their way of keeping me on hold or something! 🙁
Click to expand...

+2; they probably send it to everyone
 
sunshine_45 said:
Received an email saying that they'll screen the applications and send out secondaries to selected individuals. Anyone received anything yet? I'm afraid this might be their way of keeping me on hold or something! 🙁
Click to expand...

Yeah, everyone gets one like that (same thing as last year). It just means they received the primary.

They will screen any applications that don't meet their standards and send out the secondary invite soon. Last year it only took a day, but no promises.
 
Heplayer92 said:
Yeah I'm only applying to Twin Cities. Ehh my stats are around average, but my ECs are pretty solid and hopefully they'll like my Personal Statement and my secondaries. Just confused on what I should put for "Connections to the State." I feel like leaving it as "none" isn't good. Maybe I'll write about how although I have no connections...I do like _____ about it and ______ so they know I've at least done some research. I'll try to make it interesting XD
Click to expand...

I had zero connections and wrote something about how I felt that my family and I wanted to reside in a mid-western state where we could enjoy the diversity of a large city with the beauty of nature nearby. I also said that while I didn't have any ties to the state I hoped to in the future. Perhaps this was cheesy.

I think what they're looking for is some reason to give you another look in an interview setting as they're wading through the piles of OOS applicants. Someone above said some ridiculously small percentage actually go there (I would estimate that roughly 3-4% OOS actually receive an acceptance). If you say "none" or something like that they'll just toss it in a pile. Give it some honest thought, try to justify yourself to them, and try to justify Minnesota to yourself. (as you are doing)
 
Looks like it may be next week instead, eh? Well, unless they send it later tonight or over the weekend (which I doubt).

Things are taking a bit longer this year in any case.
 
Don'tStopMeNow said:
Looks like it may be next week instead, eh? Well, unless they send it later tonight or over the weekend (which I doubt).

Things are taking a bit longer this year in any case.
Click to expand...
I would have to agree. I don't think anyone has gotten the secondary yet...
 
So, question for anyone applying to duluth.

My application page has green checks on both the fee and secondary (so both are complete) but I didn't receive any sort of indicator saying it was complete via e-mail.

I know schools vary in how they keep you posted on that sort of thing, but did anyone applying to Duluth get some sort of confirmation email? I would call them but I am currently in Japan... so I guess I could e-mail them if it is an issue.
 
I also only have green check marks without any sort of confirmation email. I think we are fine.
 
I received a secondary from Twin Cities tonight (7/21). I'm IS. Good luck!

Here are the questions:

1. Beyond what you have written in your AMCAS Personal Comments, please discuss your early life experiences, family background and aspects of your home community that have led to your decision to become a physician. (1500 characters)

2. Please describe a challenging life experience and how you dealt with it. (1500 characters)

3. The University of Minnesota strives to ensure diverse educational experiences appreciating individual differences by creating learning environments that promote acceptance, respect and inclusivity. Please describe your experiences with diversity and diverse groups of people by reflecting on your background and the impact it has had on developing your own values and attitudes toward others. Please include how your values and attitudes will foster a positive learning environment during your training, and benefit your future patients through the practice of medicine. (1500 characters)

4. Are you a resident of the state of Minnesota? (300 characters)

5. If you did not designate Minnesota as your state of legal residence on your AMCAS application, briefly describe any ties that you might have to this state. (1200 characters)

6. Briefly describe what you are currently doing. If you have already graduated, please indicate what you have been doing since graduation, and what your plans are for the coming year? (1200 characters)

7. Please explain any gaps in your education and/or work experiences since high school graduation that are not previously described in your application. (300 characters)

8a. Have you ever been convicted of a felony?
8b. If YES, you must include a full explanation below.

9. Have you considered alternate career options to fulfill your commitment to providing healthcare other than medicine? Please talk about what you might do if you are ultimately not accepted to medical school. (900 characters)

10. What other pertinent information would you like to bring to the attention of the Admissions Committee? (900 characters)

11. If you are a re-applicant to the University of Minnesota Medical School, how has your current application changed or what additional information would you like to highlight for the Admissions Committee? (900 characters)
 
Thanks for posting!

Unless I am missing something obvious they used the exact same prompts again down to the character limit (so this should be a short turn around for me hehehe)
 
Applying here OOS, received that "we are screening primaries" email a while back...still no secondary.
 
IS, no secondary either

Anyone capable of confirming "GoBadgers!", or that they are sending out at least some? I like at least two data points before I get excited about anything.
 
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