2018-2019 University of California - Irvine

[theKingLT]

Please describe to the Admissions Committee a challenge you have overcome and what you learned about yourself from that experience.

I wanted to talk about my experience moving to the US for college - how it was difficult to leave my family and friends and to relate to people around me especially with the language barrier- what I learned about myself is that I was highly adaptable to new situations, what do you guys think? too cliche?

I think you'll be okay, most adversity boils down to a few different types so experiences tend to be cliche, it's how you write about them that can help you stand out. If you want to make sure it sounds unique maybe try to think of another (less cliché?) personal quality or lesson you learned in addition to adaptability. 1500 characters is enough to talk about more than just one thing.

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[theKingLT]

Oh darn I'm so sorry. I thought II meant Interview invite so I thought maybe you got an interview. my bad. keep your head up! long road ahead with lots of opportunities awaiting you!

II does mean interview invite, but I think sometimes people get confused and use it to mean secondary

 

[non-trad-sad-man]

can they invite me for an interview please? I really wanna go to UCI

 

[Area_Postrema_95]

Just got rejected Post-Secondary. LM=72 OOS. Good Luck Everyone!

 

[Area_Postrema_95]

Dang sorry. Can i ask when you were complete?

July 17. It was probably the clinical hours.

 

[initialize]

Not even sure if I should submit. LM 70-71, no underserved volunteer work, little research... I’m a veteran but not sure if that’ll help much


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[Wahkoon]

Not even sure if I should submit. LM 70-71, no underserved volunteer work, little research... I’m a veteran but not sure if that’ll help much


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

If you're IS, there is no reason not to in my opinion.

 

[Kiwi95]

Gotcha. Hmm i wonder if they have begun to reject Instate ppl too.

Yeah look earlier in the thread, many people being rejected are IS, myself included

 

[initialize]

If you're IS, there is no reason not to in my opinion.

I’m oos lol


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[Wahkoon]

I’m oos lol


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Unless you have ties to the state or have a strong interest in specific programs (eg, PRIME-LC) it will be difficult. Consider that IS receives interviews at a rate double that of OOS. Unless you really want to live and practice in Irvine/SoCal, I would say that your time/effort/money would be better used applying to other schools.

 

[teriyakibeef]

Just got an II! LizzyM 69-70, secondary received 7/6, completed 7/7, IS, ORM.

 

[djsbaseball2014]

@teriyakibeef Awesome! what dates were available?

 

[teriyakibeef]

@teriyakibeef Awesome! what dates were available?

For me, one date end of August and two dates mid-Sept.

 

[knguyen34]

Yeah look earlier in the thread, many people being rejected are IS, myself included

Any idea why they rejected you?

 

[Kiwi95]

Any idea why they rejected you?

I'm pretty sure it was because of my stats

 

[Kiwi95]

DO you mind me asking what your stats are?

LM of 69

 

[knguyen34]

LM of 69

Those are pretty solid stats though! You made it through the initial screen for the secondary right?

 

[Kiwi95]

Those are pretty solid stats though! You made it through the initial screen for the secondary right?

Yeah the rejection was post-secondary

 

[surfandturf1]

any IS still waiting for secondary? Verified 7/13

 

[knut19]

Anyone else get an email saying they received your primary app and will review it soon, but haven't heard anything.
Verified: 6/29
Got the email on 7/12
OOS

 

[hiragana]

Hello all! I was just wondering if anyone has run into this situation yet....

I submitted my secondary yesterday and it was well within the character count. However today, when I log back into the amp secondary site, it cuts off part of my essays. It seems like it cut off where it would have if it counted spaces, but above the prompts it says 1500 characters without spaces.

Do you think this is just a formatting thing and the adcoms will be able to see it? Has this happened to anyone else?

I'll call them to make sure, but I thought I'd ask here first.

Thank you!

Did you ask them what happened? Is it 1500 characters with space included?

 

[champagnemamasita]

anyone else still waiting on a secondary? do they do silent pre-secondary rejections?

 

[horsecatdog]

Did you ask them what happened? Is it 1500 characters with space included?

Hi yes so it was the formatting difference between my home computer and my work computer. The character count is correct and when before you submit this problem won't happen but after you submit you might not be able to see portions of the essays on certain computers!

 

[mcmcmc613]

Still haven't received a secondary, and I was complete 7/13. Anyone else in a similar position? LizzyM ~ 77

 

[suggestionsplease]

Does anyone know long does it take for the letters section in the portal to be updated?

 

[LukaDoncicLuk]

WTH is up with UCs this year. The only peep I've heard is from UCSD who already sent me a secondary.

I got the under review email but haven't heard received a secondary.

 

[sprinkles_7519]

Congrats! Also how long did it take you to reach complete? Do they send you an email once you're complete? On the portal it says they don't have my letters of rec which is surprising since I have all of them on there on AMCAS.

Did your application ever reach complete?? I'm in the same boat. Submitted my app over a week ago and they still don't have my letters though they are on AMCAS and all the other schools received them fine....I tried emailing UCI but they sent a generic reply.

 

[suggestionsplease]

Did your application ever reach complete?? I'm in the same boat. Submitted my app over a week ago and they still don't have my letters though they are on AMCAS and all the other schools received them fine....I tried emailing UCI but they sent a generic reply.

+1
I'm almost reaching the 30-day deadline....by then do we ask for an extension?

 

[Hopeful_student]

+1
I'm almost reaching the 30-day deadline....by then do we ask for an extension?

To my understanding, the deadline doesn’t apply to LORs. It only applies to the portion of the application that you can complete and submit.

 

[Kiwi95]

Did your application ever reach complete?? I'm in the same boat. Submitted my app over a week ago and they still don't have my letters though they are on AMCAS and all the other schools received them fine....I tried emailing UCI but they sent a generic reply.

Yeah I reached complete and was subsequently rejected by them. I got a complete email from them the day after I submitted the secondary

 

[fugacitybrah]

Some interesting statistics from previous cycles.

6,616 primaries received, 3,401 secondary app granted, and 544 total interview invites.

Assuming everyone that got a secondary sent in their secondary, 15.6% get an interview invite.


Similarly, if the other UCs also filter out 50% of their applicants through the secondary this is the % we get:

School: II% (post Interview acceptance %)

UCSD: 18.5% (32%)

UCLA: 15.4% (34%)

UCSF: 12.5% (55.2%)

UCD: 13.5% (40%)

 

[Kiwi95]

Some interesting statistics from previous cycles.

6,616 primaries received, 3,401 secondary app granted, and 544 total interview invites.

Assuming everyone that got a secondary sent in their secondary, 15.6% get an interview invite.


Similarly, if the other UCs also filter out 50% of their applicants through the secondary this is the % we get:

School: II% (post Interview acceptance %)

UCSD: 18.5% (32%)

UCLA: 15.4% (34%)

UCSF: 12.5% (55.2%)

UCD: 13.5% (40%)

And if you factor in the fact that IS gets a majority of the IIs, the interview percents are probably even higher

 

[jordij94]

Verified 7/15. Secondary finally received this morning!

 

[Freddywap]

Finally received a secondary!!

 

[doc.hero]

Verified 7/24, secondary today 12:00pm 8/10

 

[mcmcmc613]

Verified 7/13, LM 77, WARS 105... no secondary or any email at all... anyone else in a similar spot? I received secondaries to UCSD, UCLA, and UCSF pretty early on, and it seems from above that UCI is pretty slow this year?

 

[inacrowdofthousands]

when they ask for courses in the prereq section are you listing all your courses (including labs) or just enough to fill the prereqs?

 

[doublehoo]

Secondary just received, on the dot of 5 pm CA time on a Friday! Nice way to go into a weekend! OOS w/ ties, verified 8/2.

 

[deleted939001]

it seems like there has been silence on II's for a bit... does anyone know how long they usually go between interview rounds? Do they come out at intervals or continuously throughout the cycle? I guess this is kind of a general question but it seems like it has been quite a while for UCI...

 

[Hopeful_student]

Has anyone complete after 7/20 heard back yet? II, R, or otherwise?

 

[djsbaseball2014]

Primary verified 8/7
Secondary received 8/11
LizzyM 69, IS, URM

 

[djsbaseball2014]

Under the "research activity" section should I also be listing my poster presentations and publication? Probably a stupid question but I did not know if it was just limited to bigger lab involvement.

 

[mcmcmc613]

Finally got a secondary TODAY after about a month lol

 

[theKingLT]

Under the "research activity" section should I also be listing my poster presentations and publication? Probably a stupid question but I did not know if it was just limited to bigger lab involvement.

Both those things sound appropriate for the section

 

[flyingworm]

If I have not worked with an underserved community for at least a year am I basically out of the running. I feel as if checking no for underserved basically axes you unless you have something else exceptional in your application.

 

[dnsf]

Just got rejected
Complete 7/17
Good luck everyone!

 

[non-trad-sad-man]

Just got rejected
Complete 7/17
Good luck everyone!

Wtf.. Seriously 3.8/519 IS? Oh god I hate applying to med school

 

[wesleysnipes]

Just got rejected
Complete 7/17
Good luck everyone!

I'm guessing you had few underserved ECs?

 

[dnsf]

I'm guessing you had few underserved ECs?

You would be correct!

 

[Hopeful_student]

I’m confused... does UCI focus on service to the underserved or research? I’ve heard both being thrown around lol