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Welcome to UCF's discussion thread - We wish you well in the application process this year.
2015-2016 University of Central Florida Application Thread
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Here's some information compiled from previous years' threads. Please correct me if you see any outdated and/or incorrect info! Loved my interview day at UCF; it was by far the most thorough and interactive interview I had all cycle. Good luck to all! 
Stats:
~4875 applied
~3000 EFI
426 interviewed
120 matriculated
Secondary application and status page
Note: as stated in secondary e-mail, UCF looks for a minimum of a 3.00 GPA and 24 MCAT in order to be interviewed.
1) If you do not expect to spend the academic year enrolled in an academic program, please explain how you will use this time.
2) Please provide details regarding academic difficulties, grades below B minus, or course withdrawals.
3) Do you have any information that you would like to share with the UCF COM Medical Student Admissions Committee that has not already been addressed in your AMCAS application? You may also use this section to include information about your family, personal interests, hobbies, and travels that have not already been discussed in your AMCAS application. Please provide details about NEW information for the Committee to consider to include information about your family, personal interests, hobbies, and travels that have not already been discussed on your AMCAS application.
4) Please provide a short essay to help us understand who you are. This essay should be different than you AMCAS Personal Statement. UCF COM places great value on the diversity of our students within the classroom and believe that the diverse characteristics of each individual in the class are important factors in serving the educational missions of this school and of our community. Please discuss any unique, personally important and/or challenging experiences in your background that have influenced your goals and preparation for a career in medicine and service to others. These may include experiences such as the quality of your early educational environment, socioeconomic status, cultural background, or other significant events or circumstances that you feel have shaped your character and defined you as an individual. We are also interested on your thoughts about what you can contribute to your class and the medical profession in general. (2 pages, single spaced)
Important Dates (2014-2015)
First secondary application: July 2nd, 2014
First “AORTA/Eligible for Interview” status: July 22nd, 2014 by portal update
First interview invite: August 1st, 2014 via phone call
First acceptance: October 15th, 2014 via phone call
First waitlist: October 15th, 2014 via phone call
First reported acceptance off of waitlist: December 17th, 2014 (received waitlist call 12/3/14; placed in upper third)
Curriculum
2-year preclinical, with A/B/C/F grading system for core modules, P/F or H/P/F for other courses or electives. Classes are “criterion-based” rather than graded on a curve.
Interview
Two individual faculty interviews. Open-file (but they are not given your grades or test scores). Interviewers are supplied with preset questions and allowed to generate several of their own based off of their review of your application.
Update Letter Policy:
Pre/post interview updates may be uploaded to the applicant portal. You are allowed a maximum of three updates.
Of Note
Stats:
~4875 applied
~3000 EFI
426 interviewed
120 matriculated
- As per interview, about ½ of waitlisted candidates are eventually offered admission. The waitlist is divided into thirds and, upon request, Mr. REL Larkin will update applicants as to their position on the list.
- Currently, roughly 25% of the incoming class is out-of-state, though there are plans to increase this number in the coming years.
Secondary application and status page
Note: as stated in secondary e-mail, UCF looks for a minimum of a 3.00 GPA and 24 MCAT in order to be interviewed.
1) If you do not expect to spend the academic year enrolled in an academic program, please explain how you will use this time.
2) Please provide details regarding academic difficulties, grades below B minus, or course withdrawals.
3) Do you have any information that you would like to share with the UCF COM Medical Student Admissions Committee that has not already been addressed in your AMCAS application? You may also use this section to include information about your family, personal interests, hobbies, and travels that have not already been discussed in your AMCAS application. Please provide details about NEW information for the Committee to consider to include information about your family, personal interests, hobbies, and travels that have not already been discussed on your AMCAS application.
4) Please provide a short essay to help us understand who you are. This essay should be different than you AMCAS Personal Statement. UCF COM places great value on the diversity of our students within the classroom and believe that the diverse characteristics of each individual in the class are important factors in serving the educational missions of this school and of our community. Please discuss any unique, personally important and/or challenging experiences in your background that have influenced your goals and preparation for a career in medicine and service to others. These may include experiences such as the quality of your early educational environment, socioeconomic status, cultural background, or other significant events or circumstances that you feel have shaped your character and defined you as an individual. We are also interested on your thoughts about what you can contribute to your class and the medical profession in general. (2 pages, single spaced)
Important Dates (2014-2015)
First secondary application: July 2nd, 2014
First “AORTA/Eligible for Interview” status: July 22nd, 2014 by portal update
First interview invite: August 1st, 2014 via phone call
First acceptance: October 15th, 2014 via phone call
First waitlist: October 15th, 2014 via phone call
First reported acceptance off of waitlist: December 17th, 2014 (received waitlist call 12/3/14; placed in upper third)
Curriculum
2-year preclinical, with A/B/C/F grading system for core modules, P/F or H/P/F for other courses or electives. Classes are “criterion-based” rather than graded on a curve.
Interview
Two individual faculty interviews. Open-file (but they are not given your grades or test scores). Interviewers are supplied with preset questions and allowed to generate several of their own based off of their review of your application.
Update Letter Policy:
Pre/post interview updates may be uploaded to the applicant portal. You are allowed a maximum of three updates.
Of Note
- UCF’s admissions page (includes links to incoming class profiles and FAQs)
- As per US News, UCF awards all students financial aid and some form of grant/scholarship (corroborated by information from REL on interview day)
- UCF College of Medicine viewbook
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Just a few minor corrections.
- I believe REL mentioned during my interview in March that this year they interviewed ~400 applicants
- A/B/C/F rather than A/B/C/D/F
- I believe REL mentioned during my interview in March that this year they interviewed ~400 applicants
- A/B/C/F rather than A/B/C/D/F
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Above correct; plus we did have 4875 applicants and we did interview 426 for the class entering August 2015.
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EFI two years ago, now prepped and ready to try again! 
Good luck everyone!
Good luck everyone!
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Cali are well represented here each year, several from UC-SD, LA, Berk, Davis, etc
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REL, I saw your posts in the 2014-15 thread. They are so helpful and insightful. I wish more med-schools will emulate you. Very much look forward to your active participation in the 2015-16 cycle.
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That secondary tho...
2 pages, single spaced
UCF is worth it, trust me.
Their interview day was phenomenal. And FYI it's pretty much the same secondary as UCSD and Vanderbilt. Good luck!
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remember that this is a "maximum" ---That secondary tho...
2 pages, single spaced
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It always changes to some degree, but we are comfortable with the majority so there will not be any wholesale changes.
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submitted 6/2, but short one transcript that is at AMCAS but not yet processed.
Non-trad with 9 transcripts total.
Non-trad with 9 transcripts total.
Not sure how the schools will look at it, honestly. I took 1 bio class, and gen chem at my home town cc but all of my upper level (ochem, physics, biochem, etc) were at FAU. I'd say go for it if you feel confident with your mcat score and gpa, in addition to your ECs and experiences. However, your OOS status will make it even more difficult. I wish you all the best, keep us updated.
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CC is fine if you take additional course work in those areas and do well at 4-year BS+ institution
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How is UCF for out of state nontrads? My wife and I own a house in Florida and her family lives there but since I'm in the military and it isn't my home of record I am fairly sure I count as out of state.
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If you are considered OOS by UCF, this would be one of the better schools for you. According to the MSAR, over 1/3 of UCFs interviews were OOS, however a little less than that are reflected in the matriculation numbers. Those numbers are better than FSU and other state funded institutions in florida. Goodluck and thanks for your service.
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I'm an out-of-state, non-traditional student in the Class of 2019. Go for it.
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C.W. Bill Young, a recent FL legislator died and as his legacy he left money for non-Florida military members to be treated as Florida residents for tuition purposes. You also should be able to go to your miltary admin unit and refile for Florida as you HOR.
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IS App submitted....good luck guys
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Also submitted, with everything received by AMCAS. Just waiting in the line for verification . I am very excited about this school and think I'll have a chance to visit it to see more in a couple of months.
. I am very excited about this school and think I'll have a chance to visit it to see more in a couple of months.
I am re-taking my MCAT on August 6th. Would you recommend submitting the secondary as soon as I get it? Or should I wait until I get my score? Also, what stats are required to receive a secondary?
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I would recommend submitting the secondary ASAP. It'll show that you're enthusiastic about applying there, and it'll get your materials completed faster as well. However, they will probably not look at your file or consider you for interview at all until your MCAT score has arrived. But at least your secondary will be time-stamped early.
Hi,
Are all 4 questions supposed to be answered in a maximum of 2 pages single spaced? Or does that only apply to the last question? If so, what is the word/character limit or length for the other questions.
Thank you in advance!!
Are all 4 questions supposed to be answered in a maximum of 2 pages single spaced? Or does that only apply to the last question? If so, what is the word/character limit or length for the other questions.
Thank you in advance!!
Hi,
Are all 4 questions supposed to be answered in a maximum of 2 pages single spaced? Or does that only apply to the last question? If so, what is the word/character limit or length for the other questions.
Thank you in advance!!
Are all 4 questions supposed to be answered in a maximum of 2 pages single spaced? Or does that only apply to the last question? If so, what is the word/character limit or length for the other questions.
Thank you in advance!!
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Hi all. I'm writing to give my two cents about the secondary application length since a few people are asking. I was interviewed by this program during the 2012-2013 cycle, was wait listed, then ultimately rejected with encouragement to reapply. I then interviewed again for the 2013-2014 cycle, followed the previous advice, and was accepted without spending any time on the "wait" list (or landed right on top of the "grand" list but was informed of my accepted before I got any indication of my location on the list, however you want to articulate that).
I wanted to let you know that I wrote 5 single spaced pages for all of the 4 questions listed in the second post. You do not need to write a full two pages for each of them to be an acceptable candidate. In fact, you shouldn't write that much if you have nothing to write. Programs that read over 4000 applications appreciate less fluff.
I wanted to let you know that I wrote 5 single spaced pages for all of the 4 questions listed in the second post. You do not need to write a full two pages for each of them to be an acceptable candidate. In fact, you shouldn't write that much if you have nothing to write. Programs that read over 4000 applications appreciate less fluff.
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Since I brought up the wait list, and since this info will be posted on this thread soon enough...
UCF uses a single list throughout the interview season. Everyone goes on this grand list after his/her interview. Every couple of weeks or so the admissions committee will accept the top X number of candidates and offer them admission (something on the order of 10 candidates every 2 weeks. If you get placed very high on this list, you can be accepted during the round of admissions directly after your interview but before updates are sent out about your interview day results. If so, it will appear to you that you were accepted without being wait listed when you eventually do receive the first update call from REL, even though you technically did reside on that list for a moment. If you're not accepted, you are given an approximation (but never an exact rank) of your position on the list. This position will change as more interviewed candidates join this list, and your rank will shift up or down as they keep slotting candidates into the list. Once interview season ends and no one else is added to the list, UCF has recruited a full class of 120 and this grand list becomes a true wait list. As attrition of the accepted class occurs, they go down the wait list to keep the class full.
In the past it has been assumed that if you achieve and remain in the top half of the grand list throughout the interview season, you will eventually gain admission either during the interview season of over the summer. If you end the interview season and are on the bottom half of the true wait list, you likely won't get accepted. These generalizations are especially true for the top and bottom thirds of the wait list, respectively. The middle third is the land of possibilities surrounded by the uncertainly of the unknown. These are all generalizations. There are never guarantees. This is an anecdotal account of UCF COM admissions cycles past, not an except of gospel. However, you should get comfortable with the concept of halves of thirds (in essence, sixths) if you plan to follow this thread.
Upper 1/3 (subdivided into upper and lower halves)
Middle 1/3 (subdivided into upper and lower halves)
Lower 1/3 (subdivided into upper and lower halves)
UCF uses a single list throughout the interview season. Everyone goes on this grand list after his/her interview. Every couple of weeks or so the admissions committee will accept the top X number of candidates and offer them admission (something on the order of 10 candidates every 2 weeks. If you get placed very high on this list, you can be accepted during the round of admissions directly after your interview but before updates are sent out about your interview day results. If so, it will appear to you that you were accepted without being wait listed when you eventually do receive the first update call from REL, even though you technically did reside on that list for a moment. If you're not accepted, you are given an approximation (but never an exact rank) of your position on the list. This position will change as more interviewed candidates join this list, and your rank will shift up or down as they keep slotting candidates into the list. Once interview season ends and no one else is added to the list, UCF has recruited a full class of 120 and this grand list becomes a true wait list. As attrition of the accepted class occurs, they go down the wait list to keep the class full.
In the past it has been assumed that if you achieve and remain in the top half of the grand list throughout the interview season, you will eventually gain admission either during the interview season of over the summer. If you end the interview season and are on the bottom half of the true wait list, you likely won't get accepted. These generalizations are especially true for the top and bottom thirds of the wait list, respectively. The middle third is the land of possibilities surrounded by the uncertainly of the unknown. These are all generalizations. There are never guarantees. This is an anecdotal account of UCF COM admissions cycles past, not an except of gospel. However, you should get comfortable with the concept of halves of thirds (in essence, sixths) if you plan to follow this thread.
Upper 1/3 (subdivided into upper and lower halves)
Middle 1/3 (subdivided into upper and lower halves)
Lower 1/3 (subdivided into upper and lower halves)
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Thanks tygerguy! Sage contributions, always on target with an injection of humor, keep up the great work!
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Supplemental Applications are being released this afternoon via email. They will be sent in batches today and tomorrow. I would hope that we can get Supp Apps to all that meet minimum MCAT/GPA sent out by tomorrow afternoon. We will also work on others after that.....hopefully all well go well. Happy Fourth of July all!
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I will be in Orlando over Labor Day and was wondering if there is a good day to go about visiting the school or if I should just show up and look around.
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I was verified today and I already got a secondary saying that AMCAS wasn't done screening me so I am not sure the schools were actually sent my primary yet unfortunately. If I get a secondary tomorrow from UCF I suppose I'll know
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Does anyone know if it is frowned upon or looked at as a negative to have less than 2 pages for the essay portion of the secondary? I feel like I have such long answers to the first questions that having two pages for my essay would be, to a certain extent, overkill. I also am sure that the admissions committee reads way too many of the same story and would prefer less than the full amount, but I don't want a page or page and a half essay to give the impression that I don't care.
Feedback on these thoughts would be great!
Feedback on these thoughts would be great!
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Based on RELs post earlier I would say 3.0 science and cumulative GPA and 24 or higher MCAT. Based on the post though secondaries will come to some that don't meet that as well. I also know at least as of an hour ago they weren't done sending secondaries out yeti didnt get a secondary
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We are done for the day, unfortunately did not get them all out. We were working minus two in a four person shop which slowed things down considerably.
We do screen. Must have minimum 3.0 overall, 3.0 science (BCPM), 24 (old MCAT), 495 (new MCAT), be a US citizen/Perm Rez/Aslyee, and have done your academics at a regionally accredited institution. For those who do not meet the GPA/MCAT now but have indicated future academics/mcat we will more often than not send a secondary, but it will be after we clear the initial queue of those who do meet the criteria now. Since we will be working one down all next week it may be a couple of days before all is sent.
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No, IT is cleaning them out now too.
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double post.
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@REL is question 3) optional, or do people usually fill this portion out? What is the recommended length for responses to 1) and 2) ?
