2015-2016 University of Wisconsin Application Thread

[Jennyfishy]

Could any current students share their experience with second look. What kind of information did the school share to either solidify your decision or change your opinion of the school? Was the shared information largely a reminder of topics covered during interview day or insightful new information? How was the day split in terms of presentations versus socializing/exploring time?

One of my undergrad classmates was recently accepted here and invited by the Office of Multicultural Affairs to attend a longer version of second look. Since she refuses to use SDN, I wanted to ask on her behalf: "what additional insights are provided during this additional time?"

Second look itself was a day packed with a variety of panels/sessions [sessions like financing your education, life of a med student, parent support, non-trads, etc], and mini-sessions that other student orgs were invited to facilitate. You get a good mix of time to meet other potential classmates in between, and take pictures with Bucky, etc. There's some kind of food provided, or Babcock's ice cream (it's been a while, I need that brain space for STEP stuff )

As for the extended second look, it's a program that spans something like Wednesday Evening-Sunday afternoon, where the invited students who choose to attend have their flights/lodging covered, and they receive extensive programming/opportunities to meet various potential mentors/faculty at UW. They provide you with a more detailed itinerary, but it's something like Wednesday dinner meet and greet, and a ton of additional programming Thursday-Friday - think shadowing an M1/M2 medical student for the day (going to class with them), touring all over Madison/checking out the different buildings (WIMR, WID, etc), with a good mix of down-time to just bond with this cohort. At night, there's scheduled dinners and events such as meet/greet with faculty/physicians who work with diverse populations in Madison, and so forth. M1s-M4s are part of the planning process and will be around to make you feel at home/take you around town in the evening as well . Then on Saturday, you roll into second look with a solid group of new friends, and meet the rest of your potential classmates for the upcoming year/spend the day doing all the scheduled stuff. There's a final brunch on Sunday morning for last-minute check-outs and opportunities to hang out with other med students, and some other stuff.

I attended the extended second look 2 years ago, and it definitely sold the school for me, as well as a ton of my friends who were deciding between other schools. My closest friends and people I study with now are still the folks I met from that week, and it definitely convinced me to let go of CA and move out to the midwest. I highly recommend anyone who has been invited to attend!

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[Dr.JD.House]

What do people wear for second look day? It's probably a stupid question, but is it somewhat business casual? Or more formal? Or shorts and sandals?!

 

[Glandzburg]

What do people wear for second look day? It's probably a stupid question, but is it somewhat business casual? Or more formal? Or shorts and sandals?!

I think the dress code is officially "beach casual." Most of the guys wore either dark jeans or khakis and a polo or less formal button-up. So, no lounging clothes, but definitely less formal than business casual. You'll get more specifics about stuff like that as the day draws nearer.


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[MANDOC2016]

Does anyone know when the first day of class will be? The academic calander online is not very helpful.

It will cost me around $600 to come to the second look day. I am fairly confident that I will pick this school already. Do you guys think it is worth it to attend anyways?

 

[Glandzburg]

@MANDOC2016

-August 16 (Tuesday) = Start
-August 19 (Friday) = White Coat ceremony
-November 24-27 = Thanksgiving recess
-December 15 = Last day of fall semester

-January 3 = Spring semester begins
-March 18-26 = Spring break
-May 12 = Last day of spring semester

-You will also have off the Mondays of Labor day (fall) and MLK, Jr. Day (spring)​

Regarding second look day, I really enjoyed the opportunity to meet my future classmates and start building relationships before school started. Second look day also allows you to get a better idea of what you can expect next year, since there is not enough time during interview day to include all of it. It is also an ideal time to look for places to live next year and to find potential roommates. It's really up to you to decide if these opportunities are worth the trip; it certainly won't be held against you if you decide not to come.

 

[xzyabc]

Hi guys! I have been lurking around this page for awhile now and was wondering if someone could direct me to the facebook group via pm! I received an acceptance call March 1st as an OOS (Interviewed Feb 5th). For those waiting on scholarship committee calls, I received a call from the scholarship committee this afternoon and received in-state tuition.

 

[Old Ham]

Hi guys! I have been lurking around this page for awhile now and was wondering if someone could direct me to the facebook group via pm! I received an acceptance call March 1st as an OOS (Interviewed Feb 5th). For those waiting on scholarship committee calls, I received a call from the scholarship committee this afternoon and received in-state tuition.

Posting here for others also: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1644273822488068

 

[DuckHunt]

Hi guys! I have been lurking around this page for awhile now and was wondering if someone could direct me to the facebook group via pm! I received an acceptance call March 1st as an OOS (Interviewed Feb 5th). For those waiting on scholarship committee calls, I received a call from the scholarship committee this afternoon and received in-state tuition.

Congrats! Do you happen to know if you receive in-state tuition for all 4 years? I just received the scholarship call as well.

 

[xzyabc]

Congrats! Do you happen to know if you receive in-state tuition for all 4 years? I just received the scholarship call as well.

I was assuming (hoping) it was for 4 years... but didn't ask on the phone. I think we should receive a letter soon so hopefully the letter will be more detailed!

 

[Future.miss.doctor]

So I was complete in August and I still haven't heard anything yet and did not receive a rejection letter. Did they send out rejection letters yet? Did they even look at my application?

 

[scooter91]

got the acceptance call recently and first acceptance this cycle! OOS LM 67. Mid February interview date.

SO HAPPY RIGHT NOW! Hoping others get good news soon as well!

 

[Jennyfishy]

So I was complete in August and I still haven't heard anything yet and did not receive a rejection letter. Did they send out rejection letters yet? Did they even look at my application?

Hi! Sorry about that. There are two likely scenarios that could have happened.

1) Do you have the right school? Are you talking about University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health (UWSMPH) or Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW)? We actually get this mix-up pretty frequently, so I have to ask, since we usually send notices out as they are made.

2) If yes, then it's an error with the post office, and your letter most likely did get lost in the mail (maybe sent to the wrong address). In that case, we can send you another one - please email the admissions office at [email protected] to have them look up your file and they'll be more than happy to figure things out for you!

Sorry for the inconvenience! We definitely do not do silent statuses and do our best not to keep folks in the dark.

 

[mr.mkitty]

@Jennyfishy I was wondering if you knew when the waitlist rankings would be available this year..?
One student posted last year that they found out on March 15th?

 

[Jennyfishy]

@Jennyfishy I was wondering if you knew when the waitlist rankings would be available this year..?
One student posted last year that they found out on March 15th?

I don't, but I bet it'll be +/- around that date as well, especially since other folks have to let go of their acceptances soon! Hang tight, and hopefully the rank # is in your favor

 

[Future.miss.doctor]

Hi! Sorry about that. There are two likely scenarios that could have happened.

1) Do you have the right school? Are you talking about University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health (UWSMPH) or Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW)? We actually get this mix-up pretty frequently, so I have to ask, since we usually send notices out as they are made.

2) If yes, then it's an error with the post office, and your letter most likely did get lost in the mail (maybe sent to the wrong address). In that case, we can send you another one - please email the admissions office at [email protected] to have them look up your file and they'll be more than happy to figure things out for you!

Sorry for the inconvenience! We definitely do not do silent statuses and do our best not to keep folks in the dark.

I am talking about MCW. Should I contact the admissions office?
Thank you for the reply.

 

[scooter91]

I am talking about MCW. Should I contact the admissions office?
Thank you for the reply.

I think you're on the wrong thread then. MCW is http://forums.studentdoctor.net/thr...lege-of-wisconsin-application-thread.1135044/

But in any case, if I were in your shoes, I would email or call their admissions to politely ask about an interview status (i.e. to ask if they are still extending interviews).

 

[Jennyfishy]

I am talking about MCW. Should I contact the admissions office?
Thank you for the reply.

Seconding what @scooter91 said - this is the page for The University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health in Madison (email address I linked you is for our school). The Medical College of Wisconsin is in Milwaukee, and you should look up their phone number/email and reach out to them. I, unfortunately, cannot figure out their website for the life of me , so hopefully someone over on that forum can help you out. Good luck!

 

[BphysDoc]

I took my fiance to many med schools, and she absolutely loved U Wisconsin. I may decide soon, and will probably see many of you at Wisconsin!

 

[mr.mkitty]

For other waitlisters, I contacted Becky and she said the waitlist rankings won't be available till the end of March or the beginning of April.

 

[Pastamahn]

For other waitlisters, I contacted Becky and she said the waitlist rankings won't be available till the end of March or the beginning of April.

Woooo more waiting

 

[mr.mkitty]

Woooo more waiting

Yesss, looking back at last years thread people found out where they were ranked on March 15th. I was a little disappointed to find out we had to wait another two weeks, but that's just how it goes.

 

[scooter91]

Hoping current students can help answer a few questions (mostly about transitioning into first year but also some general ones about the school)?

1) Where do most students end up living? I'm assuming there are clusters in specific areas/apartments? Looking for single apartment suggestions in particular close to school and other students...
2) How essential is having a car during your first year? I know there are a lot of buses and we get a free pass...
3) What are some things about the first year or med school experience (at UWisconsin or generally) that you wish you had known about beforehand or that you could have prepared better for?
4) What studying resources are a must-have for first year? I know it probably varies by learning style, but it also seems like some resources are classics that everyone ends up using...
5) Any tips for managing our budget during the next 1-4 years?
6) For financial aid, are there any forms beyond the online FAFSA? Are we also supposed to email in our tax returns? I remember the financial aid talk was very brief, almost mentioned in passing when describing one of the papers in our packets, and I have no idea what we need to do on this front. Also, anyone know when financial aid packages will go out?
7) What are the programs at UWisconsin that you think everyone should take advantage of and which do you regret not doing?

Feel free to PM if you prefer, and many thanks for any and all advice/insight!

 

[Glandzburg]

Hoping current students can help answer a few questions (mostly about transitioning into first year but also some general ones about the school)?

1) Where do most students end up living? I'm assuming there are clusters in specific areas/apartments? Looking for single apartment suggestions in particular close to school and other students...
2) How essential is having a car during your first year? I know there are a lot of buses and we get a free pass...
3) What are some things about the first year or med school experience (at UWisconsin or generally) that you wish you had known about beforehand or that you could have prepared better for?
4) What studying resources are a must-have for first year? I know it probably varies by learning style, but it also seems like some resources are classics that everyone ends up using...
5) Any tips for managing our budget during the next 1-4 years?
6) For financial aid, are there any forms beyond the online FAFSA? Are we also supposed to email in our tax returns? I remember the financial aid talk was very brief, almost mentioned in passing when describing one of the papers in our packets, and I have no idea what we need to do on this front. Also, anyone know when financial aid packages will go out?
7) What are the programs at UWisconsin that you think everyone should take advantage of and which do you regret not doing?

Feel free to PM if you prefer, and many thanks for any and all advice/insight!

1) Most students live in apartments in the neighborhoods south and west of the school. There are plenty of options, though I can't think of any specifically at the moment. PM me if you want more help with this.

2) Car is definitely not necessary first and second year, and the bus system in Madison is VERY good. The bike paths/lanes are quite extensive as well.

3) I wish I would've fully embraced the pass/fail system a bit earlier. I stressed out about exams way too much the first couple months.

4) It's hard for me to advise you about studying resources since your classes are going to be entirely different than mine with the new curriculum. Youtube videos are your friend if you don't understand something the way the professor explains it.

5) The biggest budget tip I can give you is to actually make a budget! You'd be surprised how many people just never sit down and do it. Also, check out the Whitecoat investor website.

6) I think you only need to complete the FAFSA, but you should double check the instructions you receive. They won't leave you in the dark about anything they need from you. Last year, I was notified of my financial aid package at the end of April. Loans are distributed at the end of August, when the undergrads start school.

7) I think everyone should take advantage of the opportunity to do paid research through the Shapiro program between first and second year. I regret not signing up for a global health trip this coming summer.

Hope that helps!


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[kittykattat]

Hoping current students can help answer a few questions (mostly about transitioning into first year but also some general ones about the school)?

1) Where do most students end up living? I'm assuming there are clusters in specific areas/apartments? Looking for single apartment suggestions in particular close to school and other students...
2) How essential is having a car during your first year? I know there are a lot of buses and we get a free pass...
3) What are some things about the first year or med school experience (at UWisconsin or generally) that you wish you had known about beforehand or that you could have prepared better for?
4) What studying resources are a must-have for first year? I know it probably varies by learning style, but it also seems like some resources are classics that everyone ends up using...
5) Any tips for managing our budget during the next 1-4 years?
6) For financial aid, are there any forms beyond the online FAFSA? Are we also supposed to email in our tax returns? I remember the financial aid talk was very brief, almost mentioned in passing when describing one of the papers in our packets, and I have no idea what we need to do on this front. Also, anyone know when financial aid packages will go out?
7) What are the programs at UWisconsin that you think everyone should take advantage of and which do you regret not doing?

Feel free to PM if you prefer, and many thanks for any and all advice/insight!

1. You should join the accepted students facebook group (I believe the link is posted in an above post), they are all talking about housing and that kind of stuff on there! But the biggest cluster is just a block south of the med school on Old University Avenue
2. A car is not needed at all the first two years (EDIT: first 18 months for you guys!!!)
3. I wish I would have ditched my undergrad style of studying (cramming and purging) and tried to study for longterm retention, since you need to know all the stuff you learn in preclinical classes for boards and rotations.
4. Pretty much everyone is going to use Netters for anatomy (can get it in atlas form, flashcard form, coloring book form, whatever you please!) but otherwise at UWSMPH they write modules for all of the classes and all of the test questions come out of those so extra materials/resources will only serve you for boards or for repetition if you need to see things multiple ways. Most people at our school use Pathoma lectures and workbook for both of these reasons.
5. Im horrible with money... see above advice haha
6. They will talk about it more at second look, but I think its just FAFSA, and you dont have to include info about your parents unless you are trying for the special primary care loans that you can ask Amy Whitford more about if youre interested
7. Again, I agree with the above advice... I did both a shapiro funded research project and a two week global health trip and I am SO glad I didnt pick just one. You can absolutely do both!!!

 

[Jennyfishy]

To add to what others say about summer opportunities - don't feel pressured to do research if you're not interested in that track! I traveled for my entire summer with the global program (8 weeks abroad, 4 weeks on vacation on the west coast), and several others participated in different programs such as working with the public health department, completing shadowing externships, or completing community projects for their path of distinction (example is CHIP/AHEC which is also funded). There are so many programs and opportunities, and there's no "correct way" to do your summer

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[scooter91]

thank you all so much for the thoughtful replies! @Glandzburg @kittykattat @Jennyfishy

 

[rogernadal]

Is the match list for 2016 available yet for everyone's viewing pleasure?

 

[kittykattat]

Is the match list for 2016 available yet for everyone's viewing pleasure?

Nope, sorry frans. will come out some time this week im sure! I watched the ceremony tho and it looked good... seemed like more students going out west this year!

 

[bloom32]

Hi @Glandzburg @Jennyfishy @kittykattat

Do you guys have any opinions on iPads? I am trying to decide if I should buy one now to use next year for class. I thought it might be useful to look at lecture slide PDFs and outside texts on.

 

[Glandzburg]

Hi @Glandzburg @Jennyfishy @kittykattat

Do you guys have any opinions on iPads? I am trying to decide if I should buy one now to use next year for class. I thought it might be useful to look at lecture slide PDFs and outside texts on.

Definitely not necessary, but it's a nice thing to have. I use mine to annotate lecture powerpoints (with a stylus) instead of printing them. Others without a tablet just type in the notes field under each slide using a laptop.

 

[kittykattat]

Hi @Glandzburg @Jennyfishy @kittykattat

Do you guys have any opinions on iPads? I am trying to decide if I should buy one now to use next year for class. I thought it might be useful to look at lecture slide PDFs and outside texts on.

Definitely not necessary, but it's a nice thing to have. I use mine to annotate lecture powerpoints (with a stylus) instead of printing them. Others without a tablet just type in the notes field under each slide using a laptop.

Same as Glandzburg! I actually love it because it is nice and light and i never liked dragging my computer to school and all around town with me. Especially because I like just bringing my purse to meetings and lectures and not a whole backpack.

Also theyve got some great software out there for annotating ppts (I use Notability), and I also download all of the modules so that i can "highlight" with my stylus instead paying to print all the modules and then using actual highlighters. All personal preference, but id say about half of our class has some sort of tablet (and maybe 75% of those have iPads).

 

[BphysDoc]

Hi Glandzburg and Kittykattat,

Do you know if we can have a match list for 2016? I would love to see how well do UW students match.

 

[kittykattat]

Hi Glandzburg and Kittykattat,

Do you know if we can have a match list for 2016? I would love to see how well do UW match.

Absolutely BphysDoc! They usually give it to us (with names of people matching) within a few days of the match... ive been looking each day but its still not up yet. As soon as it is I will convert it to an anonymous list and post it in this thread! I know they posted the US map with locations already ( http://www.med.wisc.edu/news-events/medical-students-learn-residency-locations-at-match-day/48022 ) but I understand that its pretty hard to make much of it since some of the pins dont even have a specialty indicated for them... idk how that happens, but I know a list will be a lot better for you guys so i'll post it ASAP.

 

[BphysDoc]

Great! Thanks much.

 

[kittykattat]

Alright, here ya'll go!

Anesthesiology (11)
LSU SOM – New Orleans
Medical College of Wisconsin
Oregon Health & Science University
UC San Diego
U Iowa
UTSW
U Washington
U Wisconsin
U Wisconsin
U Wisconsin
U Wisconsin

Dermatology (4)
Mayo
Mayo
Medical College of Wisconsin
NYP – Cornell

Emergency Medicine (19)
Carolinas
Detroit Medical Center - Wayne State
Geisinger Health (PA)
Icahn SOM Beth Israel
Icahn SOM at Mount Sinai
Kern Medical Center (CA)
LSU SOM – New Orleans
MGH
Medical College of Wisconsin
Medical College of Wisconsin
Northwestern
Ohio State
Regions Hospital (MN)
Sparrow Hospital (MI)
UCSF
U New Mexico
U Rochester
UT Houston
U Wisconsin

Faculty (1)
Asst. Professor – Carnegie Mellon University

Family Medicine (25)
Allina Family Medicine – St Paul, MN
Aurora St Luke’s – Milwaukee, WI
Contra Costa Regional Medical Center – Martinez, CA
Gunderson Lutheran – La Crosse, WI
Gunderson Lutheran – La Crosse, WI
Gunderson Lutheran – La Crosse, WI
Jamaica Hospital – Queens, NY
Kaiser Permanente – Woodland Hills, CA
Medical College of Wisconsin – Appleton, WI
Medical College of Wisconsin – Appleton, WI
Medical College of Wisconsin – Appleton, WI
Northeast Iowa Medical Education Foundation
OHSU – Klamath Falls, OR
OHSU – Klamath Falls, OR
OHSU – Portland, OR
Tacoma Family Medicine
U Minnesota – Duluth
U Minnesota – Mankato
U New Mexico
UNC – Chapel Hill
U Penn
U Wisconsin – Madison
U Wisconsin – Madison
U Wisconsin – Madison
U Wisconsin – Madison

Internal Medicine (24)
Aurora Sinai Medical Center – Milwaukee, WI
Emory
Grand Rapids Medical Education Partners
Hennepin Co Medical Center – Minneapolis, MN
Mayo
Mayo
Montefiore/Einstein
Northwestern
OHSU
OHSU
Presbyterian Hospital – Dallas, TX
Stanford
Summa Health – Akron, OH
U Arizona
U Illinois – Chicago
U Iowa
U Minnesota
UPMC
UTSW
UTSW
UTSW
U Wisconsin
U Wisconsin
U Wisconsin

Internal Medicine/Pediatrics (2)
Medical College of Wisconsin
U Cincinnati

Internal Medicine - Preliminary (1)
University of Chicago

Neurological Surgery (1)
U Utah

Neurology (4)
NYP – Columbia
NYU
U Penn
USCF

Neurology - Child (1)
St Louis Children’s Hospital

OB-GYN (10)
Barnes-Jewish/Wash U
Mountain Area Health Education Center – Asheville, NC
Ohio State
SIU
SIU
West Virginia University
University of Buffalo
University of Buffalo
U Rochester
U Wisconsin

Ophthalmology (3)
Emory
U Arizona
U Michigan

Orthopedic Surgery (5)
Geisinger Health PA
Loyola
Medical College of Wisconsin
U Wisconsin
U Wisconsin

Otolaryngology (3)
U South Florida – Tampa
U Wisconsin
U Wisconsin

Pathology (3)
Detroit Medical Center/Wayne State U
Yale
U Wisconsin

Pediatrics (19)
Baylor COM
Children’s Hospital-Boston
Children’s Hospital-Oakland
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital
Cincinnati Children’s Hospital
Marshfield Clinic
Mayo
Mayo
Medical College of Wisconsin
MGH
Nationwide Children’s Hospital – Columbus, OH
Rhode Island Hospital/Brown University
St Louis Children’s Hospital
UCSF
University of Chicago
UT Houston
U Utah
U Wisconsin
U Wisconsin

PM&R (1)
Barnes-Jewish/Wash U

Plastic Surgery (3)
Grand Rapids Medical Education Partners
Medical College of Wisconsin
U Kansas

Psychiatry (10)
Harvard South Shore
Loyola
Stanford
U Maryland
U Maryland
U Washington
U Wisconsin
U Wisconsin
U Wisconsin
U Wisconsin

Radiology - Diagnostic (4)
Mayo
UCLA
U Michigan
U Wisconsin

Radiology - Interventional (1)
Barnes Jewish/Wash U

Surgery - General (8)
Central Iowa Health System – Des Moines
Indiana University
Medical College of Wisconsin
U Illinois COM – Chicago
U Minnesota
U South Dakota
U Utah
U Wisconsin

Surgery - Preliminary (3)
Rush
U Wisconsin
U Wisconsin

Vascular Surgery (1)
U Washington

 

[BphysDoc]

Thank you, kittykattat! It's a great and diverse list. UW students seem to do pretty well, and be able to get matched across the country.

 

[kittykattat]

Thank you, kittykattat! It's a great and diverse list. UW students seem to do pretty well, and be able to get matched across the country.

Yeah I think most importantly, watching the ceremony, nearly everyone squealed or jumped for joy after seeing what was in their envelopes. One must accept that our list will never look like the private schools such as Wash U, BU, NW, etc. because as a state school 75% or more of each class is WI residents and a lot of those students want to stay here. We will always have a ton of WI matches and a large handful of MN, IL, and MI matches as well, but coming from a top 30 (top 25 now?!) school that PDs have all heard of, you will have no trouble getting interviews across the country, from coast to coast, if you desire to move out of the midwest for residency.

 

[Glandzburg]

Yeah I think most importantly, watching the ceremony, nearly everyone squealed or jumped for joy after seeing what was in their envelopes. One must accept that our list will never look like the private schools such as Wash U, BU, NW, etc. because as a state school 75% or more of each class is WI residents and a lot of those students want to stay here. We will always have a ton of WI matches and a large handful of MN, IL, and MI matches as well, but coming from a top 30 (top 25 now?!) school that PDs have all heard of, you will have no trouble getting interviews across the country, from coast to coast, if you desire to move out of the midwest for residency.

This is a great point when it comes to interpreting match lists. A particular school may not match very many students at certain program or in a certain specialty, but that could be for a variety of reasons. Perhaps students in a particular class didn't have anyone attempt to match into that program or specialty. While match lists are fun to look at, it's pretty tough to compare two medical schools based on their match lists without knowing where the students were actually attempting to match.

And for those of you who have not seen the new US News rankings, UWSMPH is now a top 25 medical school!

 

[kittykattat]

This is a great point when it comes to interpreting match lists. A particular school may not match very many students at certain program or in a certain specialty, but that could be for a variety of reasons. Perhaps students in a particular class didn't have anyone attempt to match into that program or specialty. While match lists are fun to look at, it's pretty tough to compare two medical schools based on their match lists without knowing where the students were actually attempting to match.

And for those of you who have not seen the new US News rankings, UWSMPH is now a top 25 medical school!

Agreed! I didnt even mention specialty because I hope you would all realize not to take stock in those numbers as they change so dramatically each year based on the class composition. As a quick example, this year's class was very heavy in primary care matches and low in surgery matches. Last year was the opposite... we almost had the same number of ortho matches as family med! (last year, 8% of the class matched Ortho, 9% matched FM... this year, 3% of the class matched Ortho, 15% matched FM)

 

[bloom32]

Same as Glandzburg! I actually love it because it is nice and light and i never liked dragging my computer to school and all around town with me. Especially because I like just bringing my purse to meetings and lectures and not a whole backpack.

Also theyve got some great software out there for annotating ppts (I use Notability), and I also download all of the modules so that i can "highlight" with my stylus instead paying to print all the modules and then using actual highlighters. All personal preference, but id say about half of our class has some sort of tablet (and maybe 75% of those have iPads).

Same as Glandzburg! I actually love it because it is nice and light and i never liked dragging my computer to school and all around town with me. Especially because I like just bringing my purse to meetings and lectures and not a whole backpack.

Also theyve got some great software out there for annotating ppts (I use Notability), and I also download all of the modules so that i can "highlight" with my stylus instead paying to print all the modules and then using actual highlighters. All personal preference, but id say about half of our class has some sort of tablet (and maybe 75% of those have iPads).

Awesome, this is super helpful, thanks @Glandzburg and @kittykattat !

 

[mr.mkitty]

I pray the waitlist rankings come out next week..
Like everyone on this thread, I hope I am ranked well. Regardless, I just want the rankings to come out so that I can know whether I should keep my hopes up, or if I should just mark off Wisconsin and try to move on.

 

[AutoFever]

Hey guys, I've been on UW's IS Waitlist for couple months now:
Just got a (physical) mail with my specific ranking.
I live 8 minutes away from the school so might take a little bit longer for other folks to get the mail.
Wish you all best of luck!

 

[Pastamahn]

I'll give more details later, but my parents back home just told me my wait list rank letter just came in. Also, should I be submitting financial aid info if I'm on the wait list currently? I don't think I was never really told what to do if wait listed.

 

[AutoFever]

I'll give more details later, but my parents back home just told me my wait list rank letter just came in. Also, should I be submitting financial aid info if I'm on the wait list currently? I don't think I was never really told what to do if wait listed.

hope you had a solid ranking.
I think you should submit financial ASAP

 

[Pastamahn]

hope you had a solid ranking.
I think you should submit financial ASAP

Do you or anyone here know how many people they wait list and what might be considered a good rank?

 

[AutoFever]

Do you or anyone here know how many people they wait list and what might be considered a good rank?

I've seen rank go as high as 65+ in the past but exactly where it ends is a mystery to me too.

Nowhere should I be quoted,
but
for past couple years,
I know roughly 15~20 people got off the waitlist
(though you must recognize that this does NOT necessarily mean ranking #15~20 were the only ones offered the spot; not all on WL necessarily accepts the offer)
but I'm probably going to source it out to folks who are more savvy on this topic than I am.

I'm a pessimist by nature,
so personally think #20 is the end of "solid" rank
but don't let that discourage you.

Here's a quote from the waitlist letter I got:
"In the past five years we have offered a place in the class to as many as 30 alternates and as few as zero. Each year is unique in the final formation of our incoming class."

Many optimists will consider # 20~30 still a solid rank.

Optimist or Pessimist,

I pray for you all regardless.

p.s I'm strictly referencing IS WL. From what I heard OOS WL moves as slow as Vatican tradition.

 

[mr.mkitty]

I'd literally drive to the post office however many hours away (where my letter is probably currently sitting) if I could find out now. Regardless of my ranking.

 

[AutoFever]

I'd literally drive to the post office however many hours away (where my letter is probably currently sitting) if I could find out now. Regardless of my ranking.

from what I understand,
if you don't get it in the mail on Monday,
you can just call them and they'll let you know.

 

[kittykattat]

from what I understand,
if you don't get it in the mail on Monday,
you can just call them and they'll let you know.

Admissions is probably going to hate me for saying this but I have also heard that this is correct. haha

 

[Jennyfishy]

I've seen rank go as high as 65+ in the past but exactly where it ends is a mystery to me too.

[...]I know roughly 15~20 people got off the waitlist
(though you must recognize that this does NOT necessarily mean ranking #15~20 were the only ones offered the spot; not all on WL necessarily accepts the offer)
but I'm probably going to source it out to folks who are more savvy on this topic than I am.

I'm a pessimist by nature,
so personally think #20 is the end of "solid" rank
but don't let that discourage you.

[...]
p.s I'm strictly referencing IS WL. From what I heard OOS WL moves as slow as Vatican tradition.

This is a pretty good rule of thumb. I'd say if you're in-state, even if we happened to have an amazing year and everyone we accepted chose to matriculate, a rank number up to 10-12 is probably going to be solid no matter what. It looked like the waitlist moved a lot more last year than it did 2 years ago because a ton of people end up withdrawing while on the waitlist, so even though they were something like "#21" they were the "10th" waitlist spot offered. It's hard to say how this year is looking, but I'm sure the list will slowly move as financial aid offers come out at other schools, and scholarship offers are redistributed at our school.

We are told to tell most OOS people that we have not had to pull from the waitlist in the past several years (1 or 2 likely at most), but I know we're also looking to increase the OOS class pool size, so there's a chance maybe the #1-4 spots could have an okay shot this year too. An M1 from the current class who is OOS told me that he was taken off the alternate list, but I don't know his exact circumstance (so don't give up hope if you're really dying to come here)