2015-2016 University of Texas - Southwestern Application Thread

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Any tips to avoid formatting issues?

For example, I wrote mine as

1. blahblah
- blah

- blah

Would that be fine? I tried to copy and paste from word but it got messed up :/

Should work.

I personally recommend typing it in word and then copy/pasting to a plain text editor (such as Notepad or TextEdit) and reformatting to plain text. Then you can copy/paste to apps without issue.
 
Thanks! Did you use complete sentences or are fragments fine?
 
Is there any point in submitting the secondary if the letters have not been uploaded yet? My school's being super slow this year...
 
Will Southwestern process my application before I submit my secondary?
 
Is there any point in submitting the secondary if the letters have not been uploaded yet? My school's being super slow this year...

Wondering this too. I feel it's unlikely that schools will review your app (and secondary) without your LOEs in, so may as well take some extra time to work on the secondary.
 
Any tips to avoid formatting issues?

For example, I wrote mine as

1. blahblah
- blah

- blah

Would that be fine? I tried to copy and paste from word but it got messed up :/

For the first part, since they request for a bulleted format, then the above is good. The second essay though, I would definitely elaborate and incorporate what you have chosen from that list and write it in paragraph form. The second essay is a two-parter! Don't forget to answer both: setting you envision and why you believe that setting would help you accomplish your medical goals (aka, the goals you chose in the prompt before). That is how I interpreted that.
 
Wondering this too. I feel it's unlikely that schools will review your app (and secondary) without your LOEs in, so may as well take some extra time to work on the secondary.

I know some applicants on the UTMB thread have already gotten IIs without there committee letters received by TMDSAS. So maybe it is possible? I would love the hear from applicants from last year.
 
In the part of the secondary application that deals with prerequisite coursework they explain that Pass/Fail classes should be indicated using P or F. Does anyone know what their policy is for P/F classes? Acceptable? (I got a P in freshman English, A in an upper-level English class, and was planning on taking an additional English class for a grade. If I end up not having to take it, that would be great!)

Also, my freshman biology class was only 2 credits, while all the other ones were at least 3 credits. So once I finish Biochemistry I will end up with 13 credit hours of biology instead of 14, but this is my school's "Two years of biology courses for science majors". Does anybody know if UTSW (or other TX schools) are somewhat flexible with this?
 
When did you get your first under review and was the email exact same?

I also got a second "under review" email. The first was on 7/6; the second one today. Mine are exactly the same, verbatim.
 
Interesting. We will see if everyone gets both under review emails. I got my only under review email 6/22.
 
Weird question. I just called them because I didn't have an under review email although I submitted very early. They said they have my complete app and sent me an under review email on 6/22. They even read my email address to me letter by letter and sure enough it was my email address with no errors. However, I've searched everywhere through my email and can't find the email. Now I'm worried if I do end up get a II that I won't get the email. Any ideas of how I can fix this??
 
I also got a second under review email yesterday. First one was 7/6 as well. Probably just a glitch in their system.
 
Disregard my comment. I finally found it in some folder I didn't even know my gmail had! Scared me for a second
 
I also got my first under review email on 6/22. I haven't gotten a second under review email, but I don't think it's a big deal.

I agree, probably not a big deal. Nevertheless...is there anyone here who received the first under review email on 6/22 and received the second one today?
 
From the trend going on, I think those that got their first review email in July are the ones getting the second review email.
 
I haven't received a single email from UTSW even though I submitted TMDSAS on 5-31 and my secondary in the next week. Should I call them?
 
I haven't received a single email from UTSW even though I submitted TMDSAS on 5-31 and my secondary in the next week. Should I call them?

Seems like you should have gotten at least two emails by now. I got one immediately after submitting the secondary (so I think that one is automatic) and then another one stating my application was under review. I don't think it would hurt to call.
 
Just got an email from the MD/PhD program saying they're just waiting on my MCAT (I took it in June). So nervous...this is my first choice

When did you submit your TMDSAS app? I too am waiting for my June scores.
 
I got the same two e-mails as SweetCaroline7, if that helps at all. Now if I can just snag a dern interview!!! lol
 
So I took SweetCaroline7's advice after submitting my primary and secondary in early June and not receiving any emails thus far from UTSW to call and see if there was a problem with their system. When I called admissions, I was told that my application was received, complete, and under review and that I should have received an email from either Anne Mclane or Wes Norred. But I checked every email inbox I have and still nothing. They told me I could continually check UTSW MyGateway for updates on my application, like an II.

Does anyone know if this works? Do they put updates for that sort of thing on MyGateway and if so, would I be able to respond to it via the MyGateway system?
 
I did see that, I guess we just fill it out as instructed..... it seems like this part of the secondary is really pointless.

When I filled it out, I picked the highest grade for the pre-req course. It's not like they aren't going to see the original course anyway. I also talked about how I re-structured my study habits after a bad year of grades so I felt like putting the higher score was my proof.
 
I wanted to ask if it matters what I put for the pre-req coursework if I have multiple classes that fill the requirement?

For example, I have a statistics in market analysis course that could count for the mathematics pre-req, but I also have an honors calculus course that could count as well. However, I got an A in the stats course and a B in the honors calculus course. Does anyone have any recommendations on which would be better to use?

Thank you!
 
I wanted to ask if it matters what I put for the pre-req coursework if I have multiple classes that fill the requirement?

For example, I have a statistics in market analysis course that could count for the mathematics pre-req, but I also have an honors calculus course that could count as well. However, I got an A in the stats course and a B in the honors calculus course. Does anyone have any recommendations on which would be better to use?

Thank you!

I don't think there is a wrong way of doing it. I kept mine minimal and only put the stats course down, even though I took Calculus as well. On one hand you want the adcom to quickly scan and see that you've met the requirements, on the other it might be a chance for you to boast a few hard-earned BCPM classes. It's really up to you.
 
I don't think there is a wrong way of doing it. I kept mine minimal and only put the stats course down, even though I took Calculus as well. On one hand you want the adcom to quickly scan and see that you've met the requirements, on the other it might be a chance for you to boast a few hard-earned BCPM classes. It's really up to you.

Thanks for the reply!
 
Also, when it says "For AP and CLEP credit indicate the school that transcripted the credit and your first term/year at that school as the semester/year." is it referring to the university's information or the high school's information for the school that transcripted the credit? I'm pretty sure it refers to the university, but I just wanted to double check.
 
Also, when it says "For AP and CLEP credit indicate the school that transcripted the credit and your first term/year at that school as the semester/year." is it referring to the university's information or the high school's information for the school that transcripted the credit? I'm pretty sure it refers to the university, but I just wanted to double check.
university
 
No updates to report over here, but last cycle their first round of II was 8/8, so I think this is typical for them?
 
Still no II out yet?? Interesting. :whistle:
 
Has anyone heard anything from ANY of the Texas schools yet? (aside from San Antonio, who seems to be the early bird). The radio silence is killing me.

EDIT: apparently most of the Texas schools have been sending out IIs. I had hoped that because I was complete 5/13 and verified by 6/26 that I would have heard back by now, but the feedback I have been getting from other threads is that the AdComs don't necessarily review the applications in chronological order.
 
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Has anyone heard anything from ANY of the Texas schools yet? (aside from San Antonio, who seems to be the early bird). The radio silence is killing me.
UTMB and UTH have been sending IIs as well.
 
UT Southwestern seems to be the only school left in Texas that haven't sent an II to any SDN users at least based on the postings here.
 
UTSW is torturing us with this wait...
Anyway idk if Baylor has officially given out any II either. That would make sense that the two hardest schools in the state are taking their sweet time.
 
UTSW is torturing us with this wait...
Anyway idk if Baylor has officially given out any II either. That would make sense that the two hardest schools in the state are taking their sweet time.
Baylor has sent out one wave of IIs!
 
I think that Southwestern's first round of invites last year was 8/10, so they're probably going to come out any day now. Not to be a spreadsheet need, but I've been tracking these dates and it seems most schools were a couple weeks behind last year's schedule, likely due to time spent analyzing the new MCAT. I'm guessing we hear about the first round of UTSW invites this week or next!

Edit: it was 8/8 🙂
 
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