2016-2017 University of California - Los Angeles (Geffen) Application Thread

[nenk]

I really wish they would be a bit more transparent/timely about their admissions process. They said that Geffen scholarships are extended by a special committee after the applicant is accepted. Now that multiple scholarships have been awarded, that must mean there is a group of accepted students who were not selected to receive the scholarship. What's the point of waiting to notify them? Last year the first scholarships were awarded in December and regular decisions did not go out until 2 months later..

good question! unless they eyeball scholarship worthy students first and accept those, then grant the scholarship...
I am in the same boat. I wish they can tell us around what week (the real time frame) we should expect to hear acceptances?

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[dioxane]

So do you think they send out all the scholarships first before any of the regular acceptances? That would make more sense

at my interview session in december they stated that we would probably be in the february, not january wave of acceptances, and that scholarships would still be given out. they even said that people coming off the waitlist would be eligible for the geffen. so it seems to me like the time you interviewed is the best indicator of when you'll hear back, not so much whether or not you got a scholarship


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[tonicwater]

agreed, but i think that scholarship handouts are still far from over. only a couple people on here posted they received word from UCLA


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My student host when I interviewed didn't receive secondaries until December. Yet she told me that she was accepted in late March with the scholarship. So you're absolutely right that only very few scholarships have been given out. I don't know why they wouldn't send out the decisions earlier, but I'm sure they're getting to it as I've received nothing in my mailbox/email since I got the call either. My guess would be they're getting the acceptance packets together and will send them together with other admits. So hang in there, and I wish all of you best of luck as well.


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[Pusheen]

at my interview session in december they stated that we would probably be in the february, not january wave of acceptances, and that scholarships would still be given out. they even said that people coming off the waitlist would be eligible for the geffen. so it seems to me like the time you interviewed is the best indicator of when you'll hear back, not so much whether or not you got a scholarship


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huh, that's helpful to know. I didn't get that tidbit of information in my session. I'm a later interviewee as well, so I'm hoping everything moves along according to plan

 

[nenk]

at my interview session in december they stated that we would probably be in the february, not january wave of acceptances, and that scholarships would still be given out. they even said that people coming off the waitlist would be eligible for the geffen. so it seems to me like the time you interviewed is the best indicator of when you'll hear back, not so much whether or not you got a scholarship


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That is also true, I remember that from my interview. Scholarships are kept being given out...but I am not sure why those students would be waitlisted..?
I feel like it is a very complex way of screening.

 

[Pusheen]

My student host when I interviewed didn't receive secondaries until December. Yet she told me that she was accepted in late March with the scholarship. So you're absolutely right that only very few scholarships have been given out. I don't know why they wouldn't send out the decisions earlier, but I'm sure they're getting to it as I've received nothing in my mailbox/email since I got the call either. My guess would be they're getting the acceptance packets together and will send them together with other admits. So hang in there, and I wish all of you best of luck as well.


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This is reassuring, thanks! Man, I'd probably be second guessing that phone call as a dream/hallucination so badly if I never got any email or mail confirmation, haha

Congrats again!

 

[dioxane]

That is also true, I remember that from my interview. Scholarships are kept being given out...but I am not sure why those students would be waitlisted..?
I feel like it is a very complex way of screening.

i'd imagine that some people they gave the geffen to declined the offer, freeing up the opportunity for waitlisted students. otherwise it wouldn't make much sense


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[Pusheen]

That is also true, I remember that from my interview. Scholarships are kept being given out...but I am not sure why those students would be waitlisted..?
I feel like it is a very complex way of screening.

You send in an update letter that takes you from waitlist ----> Geffen scholarship

 

[nenk]

i'd imagine that some people they gave the geffen to declined the offer, freeing up the opportunity for waitlisted students. otherwise it wouldn't make much sense


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That makes sense! good reasoning

 

[Pusheen]

i'd imagine that some people they gave the geffen to declined the offer, freeing up the opportunity for waitlisted students. otherwise it wouldn't make much sense


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They said the percent declining the scholarship is the same as the percent denying the regular acceptance. So they overextend the scholarship the same way they do acceptances. Who even knows how it all works...

 

[nenk]

You send in an update letter that takes you from waitlist ----> Geffen scholarship

good one! you discover something that changes the world of medicine in the time you wait. thanks for giving me an idea

 

[dioxane]

They said the percent declining the scholarship is the same as the percent denying the regular acceptance. So they overextend the scholarship the same way they do acceptances. Who even knows how it all works...

imagine if only the people who were offered the scholarship matriculated they'd be in a bit of financial straights


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[Pusheen]

It's interesting how they don't have an official waitlist either. I just imagine this amorphous mass of applications piled up in a room, and every couple weeks someone goes in there and pulls out a couple to accept

 

[Pusheen]

imagine if only the people who were offered the scholarship matriculated they'd be in a bit of financial straights


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Oh gosh that would be hilarious. Though the scholarship fund is pretty massive, I think it would just end sooner than planned in the next 10 years or whatever

 

[keytonez]

I really wish they would be a bit more transparent/timely about their admissions process. They said that Geffen scholarships are extended by a special committee after the applicant is accepted. Now that multiple scholarships have been awarded, that must mean there is a group of accepted students who were not selected to receive the scholarship. What's the point of waiting to notify them? Last year the first scholarships were awarded in December and regular decisions did not go out until 2 months later..

the waiting (with no end in sight) is destroying what little sanity i have left.

 

[nenk]

In the mean time, let us keep each other updated on a time frame when we should expect to hear acceptance for this cycle, so we can allocate our stress to other proper sources and not waste it here, waiting.

 

[Pusheen]

In the mean time, let us keep each other updated on a time frame when we should expect to hear acceptance for this cycle, so we can allocate our stress to other proper sources and not waste it here, waiting.

Let us designate someone every week to call the office and inquire about their current proceedings

 

[dioxane]

Let us designate someone every week to call the office and inquire about their current proceedings

i second this motion. just *67 your phone number and call away


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[benjamin94559]

i second this motion. just *67 your phone number and call away


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Nah you gotta use a payphone in a different city with no cameras on it.

Big brother is always watching

 

[deleted751373]

Nah you gotta use a payphone in a different city with no cameras on it.

Big brother is always watching

Don't forget the variable voice changer. They prob record the calls and cross analyze it with NSA data.


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[nenk]

ha. I actually don't think it is that much of a big deal..the calling and not calling doesn't change the decision...at least that is what I tell myself...It honestly doesn't.
I am going to keep trying to call, it seems like I keep calling at the busiest times, and will keep you guys updated.

 

[danimal22]

ha. I actually don't think it is that much of a big deal..the calling and not calling doesn't change the decision...at least that is what I tell myself...It honestly doesn't.
I am going to keep trying to call, it seems like I keep calling at the busiest times, and will keep you guys updated.

the hero we need, but not the one we deserve

 

[sof18]

Received II end of November and have my interview the end of January. Am I at a disadvantage since my interview date is later in the cycle? does this lower the chances of admission??

 

[mcatvsme16]

How did everyone get from LAX to UCLA? And where is a good area to stay? Thanks!

 

[nenk]

the hero we need, b

Received II end of November and have my interview the end of January. Am I at a disadvantage since my interview date is later in the cycle? does this lower the chances of admission??

Nope! I don't think so. What is important is getting the interview! That is going to play a role to determine admission. After that it is waiting and seeing what happens.

 

[tonicwater]

How did everyone get from LAX to UCLA? And where is a good area to stay? Thanks!

Take the LAX FLYAWAY shuttle to westwood. It'll drop u off near the UCLA area


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[slippydubloons]

Take the LAX FLYAWAY shuttle to westwood. It'll drop u off near the UCLA area


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Sage advice!

 

[calimed2017]

How did everyone get from LAX to UCLA? And where is a good area to stay? Thanks!

Uber Pool is also a good alternative. It was like ~$20. And you want to stay in the Westwood area

 

[mcatvsme16]

How many minutes is each MMI station (besides the 2 minutes for reading prompt)? How many stations is it? And is there a traditional component?

 

[keytonez]

How many minutes is each MMI station (besides the 2 minutes for reading prompt)? How many stations is it? And is there a traditional component?

there are 8 stations that are 8 minutes each and then there's a 20 minute traditional interview at the end

 

[mcatvsme16]

there are 8 stations that are 8 minutes each and then there's a 20 minute traditional interview at the end

thanks so much!

 

[bbx-8995-1]

never mind, I answered my own question.

 

[RockoSigma]

Does Geffen reject as they review or do they do silent rejections/reject everyone at the end of the cycle? I was complete October 7th, so just wondering if it's a silent rejection at this point...

 

[MC_Infarction]

Does Geffen reject as they review or do they do silent rejections/reject everyone at the end of the cycle? I was complete October 7th, so just wondering if it's a silent rejection at this point...

I've been sitting silent (post-secondary) since the end of August, so I wouldn't be worried.

 

[Kathy_Geiss]

Does Geffen reject as they review or do they do silent rejections/reject everyone at the end of the cycle? I was complete October 7th, so just wondering if it's a silent rejection at this point...

They said that nobody who's rejected will find out until June. They will reject all at once at the very last minute. Yes, June.

I remember this because it was seared into my soul.

 

[RockoSigma]

Damn that's a long wait.

 

[MC_Infarction]

They said that nobody who's rejected will find out until June. They will reject all at once at the very last minute. Yes, June.

I remember this because it was seared into my soul.

Damn. That's brutal. Lol.

 

[keytonez]

They said that nobody who's rejected will find out until June. They will reject all at once at the very last minute. Yes, June.

I remember this because it was seared into my soul.

I thought that was just for people who interviewed. I remember seeing some rejections in the 2015-2016 thread in April pre-II (and in October, pre-secondary)

 

[Kathy_Geiss]

I thought that was just for people who interviewed. I remember seeing some rejections in the 2015-2016 thread in April pre-II (and in October, pre-secondary)

Oh, I hadn't considered that, sorry. I was going off of something they told our interview group.

 

[keytonez]

Oh, I hadn't considered that, sorry. I was going off of something they told our interview group.

That June date has been seared into my soul as well, trust me

 

[bbx-8995-1]

For those who will be interviewing tomorrow, the rain here in LA. is really bad so please be aware of that

 

[deleted751373]

For those who will be interviewing tomorrow, the rain here in LA. is really bad so please be aware of that

Hopefully the rain doesn't stop them giving out IIs. Hahaha...pls


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[Radiata20]

For those who will be interviewing tomorrow, the rain here in LA. is really bad so please be aware of that

If it's raining too hard, we may unfortunately forgo the Reagan Medical Center part of the tour so that we don't soak all of your nice interview suits, so bring your questions as we may have more time for Q&A in Geffen Hall!

 

[calimed2017]

If it's raining too hard, we may unfortunately forgo the Reagan Medical Center part of the tour so that we don't soak all of your nice interview suits, so bring your questions as we may have more time for Q&A in Geffen Hall!

if you hear anything about when admission decisions will be released, please let us know!

 

[Pusheen]

if you hear anything about when admission decisions will be released, please let us know!

+10000

dying of impatience over here

 

[unclairvoyance]

+10000

dying of impatience over here

Every time I get a notification about this thread, my heart skips a little.

 

[Radiata20]

if you hear anything about when admission decisions will be released, please let us know!

+10000 dying of impatience over here

Every time I get a notification about this thread, my heart skips a little.

Haha sorry everyone! It's a long wait, but in the end what matters most is where you end up, not when you got in...I know it's easy for me to say that as someone who's done with the process, but my best friends here who were accepted in May are just as happy at DGSOM as the one who was accepted in December.

As everyone's probably aware, only a handful of acceptances have gone out. We students are currently gearing up for the first major waves of acceptances coming out soon, but that's all I can say at this point. At that point, we'll be reaching out to accepted applicants (hopefully you!), and there will be a large and diverse pool of current students who will all be happy to answer your questions and provide you with different perspectives. I really appreciated having access to this database of students who spent a lot of time writing quite detailed and personalized responses, and I'll be helping coordinate this effort this year. I would highly recommend that you all reach out to current students at any school you're considering before making your final decisions; if there isn't a dedicated system for this in place at every institution, reach out to the admissions offices and they'll be happy to connect you.

I will say though that there is a very good reason that the UCLA admissions process takes time. They in the admissions office are not just sipping tea taking their leisurely time--quite the opposite, in fact. Ours is a thorough process where even the screening is much more involved than simply clicking "filter by GPA/MCAT" on AMCAS. Combine that with the fact that just under an entire 1/3rd of all applicants who apply anywhere in the USA apply here, and you have a formula for a very time-intensive review process. That's all I'll say about it here, but considering that I tell all of my tour groups that my favorite thing about DGSOM is my peer group--which is saying a lot, as I'm quite satisfied with everything this school has to offer--I'm very happy with our admissions process and the group of people it selected to be my classmates. Ask Dean Hall about our admissions process at Second Look Weekend, or better yet, if you matriculate here then volunteer to work admissions and see it for yourself!

In the meantime while waiting, really do try to enjoy and make the most of these last few months before matriculating. After that, chances are you'll be busier than you've ever been before, right up until you retire.

 

[Fortyfive]

Haha sorry everyone! It's a long wait, but in the end what matters most is where you end up, not when you got in...I know it's easy for me to say that as someone who's done with the process, but my best friends here who were accepted in May are just as happy at DGSOM as the one who was accepted in December.

As everyone's probably aware, only a handful of acceptances have gone out. We students are currently gearing up for the first major waves of acceptances coming out soon, but that's all I can say at this point. At that point, we'll be reaching out to accepted applicants (hopefully you!), and there will be a large and diverse pool of current students who will all be happy to answer your questions and provide you with different perspectives. I really appreciated having access to this database of students who spent a lot of time writing quite detailed and personalized responses, and I'll be helping coordinate this effort this year. I would highly recommend that you all reach out to current students at any school you're considering before making your final decisions; if there isn't a dedicated system for this in place at every institution, reach out to the admissions offices and they'll be happy to connect you.

I will say though that there is a very good reason that the UCLA admissions process takes time. They in the admissions office are not just sipping tea taking their leisurely time--quite the opposite, in fact. Ours is a thorough process where even the screening is much more involved than simply clicking "filter by GPA/MCAT" on AMCAS. Combine that with the fact that just under an entire 1/3rd of all applicants who apply anywhere in the USA apply here, and you have a formula for a very time-intensive review process. That's all I'll say about it here, but considering that I tell all of my tour groups that my favorite thing about DGSOM is my peer group--which is saying a lot, as I'm quite satisfied with everything this school has to offer--I'm very happy with our admissions process and the group of people it selected to be my classmates. Ask Dean Hall about our admissions process at Second Look Weekend, or better yet, if you matriculate here then volunteer to work admissions and see it for yourself!

In the meantime while waiting, really do try to enjoy and make the most of these last few months before matriculating. After that, chances are you'll be busier than you've ever been before, right up until you retire.

Do you know if there are still IIs left ?

 

[Radiata20]

Do you know if there are still IIs left ?

Afraid I don't know the answer to that off the top of my head, sorry! But anecdotally, one of my best friends here got her II last year in March (for a March interview), so it wouldn't surprise me at all if there are II's left.

 

[Pusheen]

Haha sorry everyone! It's a long wait, but in the end what matters most is where you end up, not when you got in...I know it's easy for me to say that as someone who's done with the process, but my best friends here who were accepted in May are just as happy at DGSOM as the one who was accepted in December.

As everyone's probably aware, only a handful of acceptances have gone out. We students are currently gearing up for the first major waves of acceptances coming out soon, but that's all I can say at this point. At that point, we'll be reaching out to accepted applicants (hopefully you!), and there will be a large and diverse pool of current students who will all be happy to answer your questions and provide you with different perspectives. I really appreciated having access to this database of students who spent a lot of time writing quite detailed and personalized responses, and I'll be helping coordinate this effort this year. I would highly recommend that you all reach out to current students at any school you're considering before making your final decisions; if there isn't a dedicated system for this in place at every institution, reach out to the admissions offices and they'll be happy to connect you.

I will say though that there is a very good reason that the UCLA admissions process takes time. They in the admissions office are not just sipping tea taking their leisurely time--quite the opposite, in fact. Ours is a thorough process where even the screening is much more involved than simply clicking "filter by GPA/MCAT" on AMCAS. Combine that with the fact that just under an entire 1/3rd of all applicants who apply anywhere in the USA apply here, and you have a formula for a very time-intensive review process. That's all I'll say about it here, but considering that I tell all of my tour groups that my favorite thing about DGSOM is my peer group--which is saying a lot, as I'm quite satisfied with everything this school has to offer--I'm very happy with our admissions process and the group of people it selected to be my classmates. Ask Dean Hall about our admissions process at Second Look Weekend, or better yet, if you matriculate here then volunteer to work admissions and see it for yourself!

In the meantime while waiting, really do try to enjoy and make the most of these last few months before matriculating. After that, chances are you'll be busier than you've ever been before, right up until you retire.

Thanks, I appreciate you taking the time to reassure us