2015-2016 Washington University in St. Louis Application Thread

[gettheleadout]

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That's a good question. I know when I got off the waitlist here, I withdrew via email from the school I previously planned on attending. For some reason, I cannot remember if I got my deposit back or not. I might have been so excited to go here that I forgot about it. Maybe @gettheleadout remembers how it worked?

I just lost the deposit I had paid to another school when I withdrew after being accepted off the waitlist here.

 

[Pastamahn]

I just lost the deposit I had paid to another school when I withdrew after being accepted off the waitlist here.

Is there a formal process for withdrawing from a school, or would that likely vary on a school to school basis? I haven't looked into the topic much so thought I'd ask.

 

[a_borgia]

A dean's certificate is not really necessary for admission - I got my phone call on Monday saying "turn it in soon, but you've been accepted."

 

[p0gono]

A dean's certificate is not really necessary for admission - I got my phone call on Monday saying "turn it in soon, but you've been accepted."

Awesome! When did you interview?

 

[a_borgia]

Awesome! When did you interview?

Mid November - it was a very fast turn around.

 

[p0gono]

Mid November - it was a very fast turn around.

That's awesome. Congratulations!

 

[NotWayneBrady]

Is there a formal process for withdrawing from a school, or would that likely vary on a school to school basis? I haven't looked into the topic much so thought I'd ask.

It varies based on the school.

 

[Amba]

A dean's certificate is not really necessary for admission - I got my phone call on Monday saying "turn it in soon, but you've been accepted."

Hmm. They must have changed the policy this year, then. Congrats on the acceptance!

 

[a_borgia]

Hmm. They must have changed the policy this year, then. Congrats on the acceptance!

Well, it was very "we are getting tired of waiting for it and just want to let you know" and I had emailed them about it on Friday with a question, so they wanted to call and give me incentive to hurry things along, I suppose.

 

[anonymoosepremed]

Well, it was very "we are getting tired of waiting for it and just want to let you know" and I had emailed them about it on Friday with a question, so they wanted to call and give me incentive to hurry things along, I suppose.

Wow, I wish they wanted ME that badly! Congratulations to you, though!

 

[Pastamahn]

Out of curiousity, are there any other schools that specifically require the Dean's Cert?

 

[ElanaSilogram]

I'm pretty sure WashU is the only school that asks for it (from non-IA students, anyway) pre-admission.

 

[bearintraining]

Dean's certifications have been finally marked as complete. Maybe this means I'll get an II???

 

[NotWayneBrady]

Dean's certifications have been finally marked as complete. Maybe this means I'll get an II???

Don't think the dean's cert holds any weight with II selection.

 

[bearintraining]

Don't think the dean's cert holds any weight with II selection.

I'm sure you're right - just odd that it is finally marked as being received after about 2 months later than everything else was marked.

 

[deleted733684]

So any October interviewees get any news? Or are we swimming around in the maybe pile?

 

[NotWayneBrady]

So any October interviewees get any news? Or are we swimming around in the maybe pile?

Patience Daniel-san.

 

[Pastamahn]

So any October interviewees get any news? Or are we swimming around in the maybe pile?

They slowly trickle out acceptances for a long time in a seemingly random order, so it's hard to guess when you will hear back.

 

[deleted733684]

Patience Daniel-san.

They call me crabcake-san

 

[meme12]

So any October interviewees get any news? Or are we swimming around in the maybe pile?

I interviewed in October and nothing

 

[after_the_flood]

So no Oct interviewees have been accepted as per SDN?

If so, do any current students have any insights as to why that is? Or is this thread just too unrepresentative.

 

[Pastamahn]

So no Oct interviewees have been accepted as per SDN?

If so, do any current students have any insights as to why that is? Or is this thread just too unrepresentative.

Look three posts up and above

 

[riguy16]

Should post-interview updates be sent to Dean Ratts?

 

[p0gono]

Should post-interview updates be sent to Dean Ratts?

That's what she told us.

 

[anonymoosepremed]

Does anyone (maybe @Amba ) have a sense of how wash u chooses whom to accept post-interview? I know some schools choose to disregard MCAT and GPA for the most part in the post-interview assessment, for example. I'm just worried that my weaker stats for this school will still hold me back at the committee review stage, although I've been told the other parts of my application are quite strong and I felt great about my interview day.

 

[NotWayneBrady]

Does anyone (maybe @Amba ) have a sense of how wash u chooses whom to accept post-interview? I know some schools choose to disregard MCAT and GPA for the most part in the post-interview assessment, for example. I'm just worried that my weaker stats for this school will still hold me back at the committee review stage, although I've been told the other parts of my application are quite strong and I felt great about my interview day.

Check the MSAR. They're stat heavy.

 

[Pastamahn]

Check the MSAR. They're stat heavy.

That might also be reflected by the people who they choose to interview, though. If they're already interviewing high stat people, then stats potentially will play a smaller role in the post-interview decision. I just don't think we can ever really know how schools actually go about making decisions.

 

[NotWayneBrady]

That might also be reflected by the people who they choose to interview, though. If they're already interviewing high stat people, then stats potentially will play a smaller role in the post-interview decision. I just don't think we can ever really know how schools actually go about making decisions.

Good point.

IMO I think it's a waste of time to even worry about it. What's done is done in the end.

 

[bearintraining]

Hi all -- I just saw on the portal the following message:

"According to our records and procedures your file is Complete.

Interview Offer Date: 12/7/2015"

but haven't yet received an email.. is it still "in the mail"? I assume if I dont receive the email within the next day or two I should call?

 

[TheRhymenocerous]

Hi all -- I just saw on the portal the following message:

"According to our records and procedures your file is Complete.

Interview Offer Date: 12/7/2015"

but haven't yet received an email.. is it still "in the mail"? I assume if I dont receive the email within the next day or two I should call?

Congrats! That's what my portal looks like with the date I got my email. I think it came in the evening though!

Edit: Yep, checked the email – it came at 8:45 p.m. eastern.

 

[bearintraining]

Congrats! That's what my portal looks like with the date I got my email. I think it came in the evening though!

Edit: Yep, checked the email – it came at 8:45 p.m. eastern.

Do you know if you can change the interview date online once you select it? Want to be careful about what I pick cause I may have to change it.

 

[ohnotornadooo]

Hi all -- I just saw on the portal the following message:

"According to our records and procedures your file is Complete.

Interview Offer Date: 12/7/2015"

but haven't yet received an email.. is it still "in the mail"? I assume if I dont receive the email within the next day or two I should call?

Woohoo! Congrats, bear!

 

[TheRhymenocerous]

Do you know if you can change the interview date online once you select it? Want to be careful about what I pick cause I may have to change it.

Pretty sure you'd have to contact them directly to change it. I remember their wording being stricter than usual about choosing a date you know you can make.

 

[bearintraining]

Another question: I have significant updates to my AMCAS primary.. Would it be best to submit the updates prior to Interview (essentially january), or do submit it as part of a thank you after the interview? Thoughts?

 

[p0gono]

Another question: I have significant updates to my AMCAS primary.. Would it be best to submit the updates prior to Interview (essentially january), or do submit it as part of a thank you after the interview? Thoughts?

Probably either way is fine, but if it were me I would verbally update my interviewer in person and then send it to Dean Ratts after the day is over so that it is on file. Just don't wait too long after the interview.

 

[SurgeonOfLife]

Dean's certifications have been finally marked as complete. Maybe this means I'll get an II???

Haha maybe this was true then

 

[mordac21]

Just got an II! Submitted 7/31 -- I had pretty much given up on WashU by this point, so it's great to hear back from them. LizzyM 74-77.

 

[zenith563]

Just got an invite 😀 Interviewing 1/29.

 

[Amba]

Just got an invite 😀 Interviewing 1/29.

That's a great day to interview. Not that I interviewed on January 29th and eventually matriculated or anything like that

 

[CardinalDoc]

Interview invite yesterday! Marked complete 9/29, LizzyM 75.
Can anyone comment on the H/HP/P/F grading system in second year? Is it competency based (i.e. the whole class can get honors if everyone scores well), or graded on a curve? Thanks!

 

[ishuman]

Interview invite yesterday! Marked complete 9/29, LizzyM 75.
Can anyone comment on the H/HP/P/F grading system in second year? Is it competency based (i.e. the whole class can get honors if everyone scores well), or graded on a curve? Thanks!

I remember hearing from the students during the interview that it's competency based (actually criterion-based and not norm-based nor competency based, learned from @chronicidal), so no curve and it is possible that everyone gets honors

 

[panda16]

I remember hearing from the students during the interview that it's competency based, so no curve and it is possible that everyone gets honors

Going further, they are considering changing it so by the time we become second years it actually may just be P/F

 

[MedDoctor92]

Going further, they are considering changing it so by the time we become second years it actually may just be P/F

I actually heard them say that it is UNLIKELY the system will be implemented by the time we are second years so you probably should bank on it.

 

[chronicidal]

Can anyone comment on the H/HP/P/F grading system in second year? Is it competency based (i.e. the whole class can get honors if everyone scores well), or graded on a curve? Thanks!

The terminology in the educational literature is "criterion-based" vs. "norm-based." The grading system is criterion-based. Consequently, the proportion of the class that receives honors in a given second-year course ranges widely, from 30 to 100%.

Going further, they are considering changing it so by the time we become second years it actually may just be P/F

There are no current committees tasked with discussing whether the second-year grading system should be changed. A committee to consider this change is due to be convened in 2016. This timing reflects the 2014 decision of the last committee, charged with considering the change among others, choosing instead to defer the decision for no greater than two years. That committee heard testimony that accepted applicants rarely if ever mentioned the grading system in free response surveys regarding a decision to not matriculate. To make this happen, you must mention it at every opportunity. You are a change agent.

 

[panda16]

. That committee heard testimony that accepted applicants rarely if ever mentioned the grading system in free response surveys regarding a decision to not matriculate. To make this happen, you must mention it at every opportunity. You are a change agent.

It's too bad that they didn't survey the current students instead, everyone I talked to on interview day mentioned it as a room for improvement.

 

[Smoove]

II just now!!! Complete late July, hang in there!!! 🙂

 

[p0gono]

It's too bad that they didn't survey the current students instead, everyone I talked to on interview day mentioned it as a room for improvement.

Yeah, I heard a lot of mixed things from the students I talked to. Thoughts ranged from "it's awesome because it gives residencies more to look at than just step" to "it sucks but in some classes half of everyone gets honors" to "it motivated me to study and then probably helped for step".

It is a threshold-based system, so everyone can theoretically get honors, but obviously it's still comparative in that the thresholds are set based on previous years' performances.

 

[Amba]

Yeah, I heard a lot of mixed things from the students I talked to. Thoughts ranged from "it's awesome because it gives residencies more to look at than just step"

Tbh I don't know many people with the attitude of "it's awesome because it gives residencies more to look at than just step". Or more like I don't know anyone with that view. Second year grades in a vacuum really have a minimal impact on residency applications, and most of us know that. My view of grades - and I think the view that most people hold - are that they're tolerable. The pressure is certainly internal, not external, which means they are as stressful as you want them to be.

"it sucks but in some classes half of everyone gets honors" to "it motivated me to study and then probably helped for step".

50% of people with honors is not the upper end of the spectrum as your post implies. In fact, it's normally the bottom. The lowest % of honors that we have had this year was in renal, where it was ~20%. Even then, I heard that this year was anomalous and renal is normally around 40% honors. In a typical class, 60-70% (or higher) of people get honors.

It is a threshold-based system, so everyone can theoretically get honors, but obviously it's still comparative in that the thresholds are set based on previous years' performances.

No, this isn't quite true. It's threshold-based -- a 90% is honors in basically every class. The threshold doesn't change based off results from the previous years.

Don't take this as me calling you out or anything. Just had to clarify some things regarding grades.

 

[chronicidal]

It's too bad that they didn't survey the current students instead, everyone I talked to on interview day mentioned it as a room for improvement.

Then-current students surveyed showed that the support for a change decreases with more senior students. More than 80% of first years supported a change; less than half of fourth years supported a change. This pattern was consistent with surveys conducted at other schools (eg, Hopkins, Pitt) prior to changing. I expect no different results if students were surveyed today. What do you think causes the decline?

Second year grades in a vacuum really have a minimal impact on residency applications, and most of us know that.

Second year grades in context, averaged together with clerkship grades, have a moderate impact on residency applications. The number of second year honors appears in the the MSPE (Dean's Letter) and, more importantly, second year grades are weighted in consideration for AOA and class rank as worth one-half of third year grades. If you high-pass more than half of second year, but honor everything else and third year, you probably won't be AOA.

To be clear, even though the grades are criterion-based, residency programs also use the norm-referenced transcription of grades, class rank / AOA.

Even then, I heard that this year was anomalous

Isn't this year-to-year fluctuation in % honors just disturbing and unpredictable? Huge shifts like that probably has more to do with the writer of the tests than the difference in knowledge of the students. Instability makes grades completely uninterpretable for outsiders. Residency programs have a hard enough time keep track of clinical grading scales. They are not going to take the time to examine the histograms for preclinical grades or be able to compare them with grades at other schools. The only way they can be used is to compare two WUSM students. This comparison is facilitated through class rank and AOA.

 

[URMinority]

II yesterday. Complete mid-Sept. OOS
They don't have interview booking through their portal though, just received an email.