2018 Nontrad Applicants' Progress Thread

[DBC03]

I completely agree. My friends are supportive but I spend a lot of time explaining. And as supportive as they are, I still feel isolated and alone at times while going through the process.



I actually went to one of the oldpremeds conferences. It was helpful and I met one of the lovely people on this forum. But it was early in the process for me and I didn’t know enough to ask the right questions. There is really a different dynamic once you are in the window and med school seems like it it might really happen. I also think it will be beneficial to stay in touch as we go through school, esp in the early days so we can share what’s working for us and how we’re coping.



I’m on the east coast too. Let’s do it! I vote for the warmest location we can agree on. I’m tired of the cold and gray.

I have had a wonderful time talking with other non-trads. And I’m near Disney, which is warm and sunny!!!


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[willow84]

Oooh Orlando would be great!

 

[jazzmetal]

Or maybe JazzFest 2018 in New Orleans??? I will be heading there from California, last weekend of April / first weekend in May, in case anyone wants to meet up then. Bonus: it will be my birthday!

 

[willow84]

New Orleans has actually been on my bucket list to do... I may have plans that weekend though, but I do love jazz!

 

[DBC03]

NOLA is Definitely on my bucket as well! Not sure about the weekend, but I’m open to it!


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[jazzmetal]

New Orleans has actually been on my bucket list to do... I may have plans that weekend though, but I do love jazz!

NOLA is Definitely on my bucket as well! Not sure about the weekend, but I’m open to it!

Sweet, I'll let you know when I've pinned down dates. The lineup this year is amazing - it's always much more than jazz. Probably every kind of music there is, other than classical or death metal. The best part is the performances in smaller venues on the weekdays between the two big fairgrounds weekends. More intel here: http://www.nojazzfest.com

 

[ChopinLiszt]

Great news - I was accepted to Mayo AZ today!! I'm so happy/relieved/excited/grateful/shocked.. Thank you guys for being such a great support this year! I can't believe I actually got in. And now I need to go sleep for 3 or 4 days.. haha

 

[DBC03]

Great news - I was accepted to Mayo AZ today!! I'm so happy/relieved/excited/grateful/shocked.. Thank you guys for being such a great support this year! I can't believe I actually got in. And now I need to go sleep for 3 or 4 days.. haha

Yay!!!! That is excellent news! But, I mean, you already CLEARLY knew it from that "Likely Letter" (amiright?). (I want an office meme here)

 

[Laterthansooner]

Great news - I was accepted to Mayo AZ today!! I'm so happy/relieved/excited/grateful/shocked.. Thank you guys for being such a great support this year! I can't believe I actually got in. And now I need to go sleep for 3 or 4 days.. haha

Soooooooooooo THRILLED FOR YOU! What great news!

 

[ChopinLiszt]

Yay!!!! That is excellent news! But, I mean, you already CLEARLY knew it from that "Likely Letter" (amiright?). (I want an office meme here)

The email did give me hope, but then the whole drama with admissions staff telling an applicant that 200 people would get those emails kind of put a damper on it, confidence-wise. A lot of weird stuff went on in those threads! Either way I'm just happy it turned out well and that I finally have an acceptance! I squealed and screamed a little bit today..

Long distance high five to all my nontrads!

 

[willow84]

Jim & Pam

 

[DBC03]

The email did give me hope, but then the whole drama with admissions staff telling an applicant that 200 people would get those emails kind of put a damper on it, confidence-wise. A lot of weird stuff went on in those threads! Either way I'm just happy it turned out well and that I finally have an acceptance! I squealed and screamed a little bit today..

Long distance high five to all my nontrads!


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OH - and one more thing. You're GOING TO BE A DOCTOR!!!! Woot Woot!!

 

[Laterthansooner]

Either way I'm just happy it turned out well and that I finally have an acceptance!
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[Laterthansooner]

OH - and one more thing. You're GOING TO BE A DOCTOR!!!! Woot Woot!!

Triple LIKE!

 

[hebrewBAMmer]

Wonderful seeing so many acceptances! Congrats to all! I'm still elated from getting one a few weeks. Like, I legit can't believe it's happening.

Wish I could meet up with some of you. SoCal here

 

[_leo08]

Great news - I was accepted to Mayo AZ today!! I'm so happy/relieved/excited/grateful/shocked.. Thank you guys for being such a great support this year! I can't believe I actually got in. And now I need to go sleep for 3 or 4 days.. haha

WHAT HAPPY NEWS TO START OFF THE WEEK. You only need that one

 

[ChopinLiszt]

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Hahaha best ever!

Thanks for the congrats guys! You are all so great - we're going to form a Nontrad Class of 2022 thread, right?? Or maybe there already is one?

 

[MercMutt]

A belated, yet still very heartfelt congratulations to all of the recent nontrad acceptances!

@ChopinLiszt @DSM_302.0 @hebrewBAMmer @naway
@anylurkerswithacceptances

I apologize for not posting lately - lots of real life crazy for me of late. I guess that comes with the nontrad status.

@jazzmetal - my boat also appears headed for Reapplicant Island, although I’m undecided if I’ll be stopping there or heading for A New Direction Island.

I too am an “ultra” nontrad and have received all rejections except for one lone interview - so I can empathize with your frustrations.

To all of us still waiting to hear something, best of luck in the coming weeks!

 

[jazzmetal]

@jazzmetal - my boat also appears headed for Reapplicant Island, although I’m undecided if I’ll be stopping there or heading for A New Direction Island.

I too am an “ultra” nontrad and have received all rejections except for one lone interview - so I can empathize with your frustrations.

Thanks for the good vibes! Do you have any schools left to hear from? Did you apply DO? Did you hear back from the one interview?

I still have no interviews... Silence still from five schools, most of which don't give any pre-II rejections until the very end. Unfortunately, I don't have much to say in terms of an update - got an A in Physiology! lol. But yeah, nontrad life. I've been focusing on trying to repair my finances after five years in career limbo while I took all the prereqs.

What are your potential New Directions? Singing? (I've been binging Glee...)

 

[MercMutt]

Thanks for the good vibes! Do you have any schools left to hear from? Did you apply DO? Did you hear back from the one interview?

I still have no interviews... Silence still from five schools, most of which don't give any pre-II rejections until the very end. Unfortunately, I don't have much to say in terms of an update - got an A in Physiology! lol. But yeah, nontrad life. I've been focusing on trying to repair my finances after fives years in career limbo while I took all the prereqs.

What are your potential New Directions? Singing? (I've been binging Glee...)

I have 2 schools that I am still post-secondary/pre-II, so I guess they’re not ruled out completely, but I’m losing hope with them. I’ve received pre-II rejections from the rest, except for my top choice which I interviewed at in Dec. I should hear from them sometime in the next week or two. Not to be pessimistic, but I don’t think my interview there went very well, so I’m not very confident about my chances.

I did not apply to any DO schools - which I’m beginning to regret. If I reapply, I’ll probably add a couple of them to the mix.

I’m all over the place with potential New Directions. If I stay in the medical field, I’m considering PT/OT, or maybe an MPH - but I do wonder if I’ll always be disappointed to not be practicing medicine. I am a painter & sculptor in my free time, so I may look in that direction - graphic arts perhaps? And who knows what else I may come up with.

I’m just ready to know!

 

[jazzmetal]

I’m just ready to know!

Agree. Just get it over with, adcoms!
That's fabulous that you interviewed at your top choice though. Seems like a good sign if you're still in the mix after a December interview?
I really wish there were more mid-level options to branch off from after a failed cycle. A friend is considering PA, but then you need 2000+ clinical hours to be competitive, and how are you supposed to get that in any reasonable amount of time if you're working? I'm looking at genetic counseling, myself, since I started slanting my coursework toward that at the end. Even then, the programs each have their own special slant, e.g., one wants you to have three months of crisis counseling experience, another wants not just psychology but developmental psychology.
I like the graphic arts idea as a backup. I'd certainly liked to have seen better illustration in some of my science textbooks.

 

[DBC03]

@jazzmetal - have you thought of applying to the new California school? I would love to see you apply and get accepted!!

 

[radiculating spines]

Any other non-trads accepted to UVA/going to second look/want to be friends?

 

[jazzmetal]

@jazzmetal - have you thought of applying to the new California school? I would love to see you apply and get accepted!!

Cal Northstate? No - I didn't look into them too much after Goro said they were basically the most evil bunch of administrators on the planet. In any case, their primary and secondary deadlines for this fall have long passed. I appreciate the good vibes, though!

How is your cycle winding up - do you have schools left to hear from? Any that would sway your current plans?

 

[DBC03]

Cal Northstate? No - I didn't look into them too much after Goro said they were basically the most evil bunch of administrators on the planet. In any case, their primary and secondary deadlines for this fall have long passed. I appreciate the good vibes, though!

How is your cycle winding up - do you have schools left to hear from? Any that would sway your current plans?

It's a NEW california school - not cal northstate! I'll post the thread here: 2017-2018 California University of Science and Medicine - You should definitely consider it - it seems a bit more reputable from the get go.

I'm pretty sure the only schools that haven't gotten back to me are Einstein, Miami, NYMC, and Jefferson. I wouldn't mind going to an Einstein or Miami interview, but I can't imagine actually attending Miami. But I am 99% sure that I am at the end of my cycle. Unfortunately I'm in a bit of stand still on where to actually attend, so I think I'll be waiting until after second look weekend.

I'm really hoping you get one interview - you never know! It might happen!

 

[jazzmetal]

It's a NEW california school - not cal northstate! I'll post the thread here: 2017-2018 California University of Science and Medicine - You should definitely consider it - it seems a bit more reputable from the get go.

I'm pretty sure the only schools that haven't gotten back to me are Einstein, Miami, NYMC, and Jefferson. I wouldn't mind going to an Einstein or Miami interview, but I can't imagine actually attending Miami. But I am 99% sure that I am at the end of my cycle. Unfortunately I'm in a bit of stand still on where to actually attend, so I think I'll be waiting until after second look weekend.

I'm really hoping you get one interview - you never know! It might happen!

Wait - what?! How had I not heard of them?! How ambitious that they're just now taking applications hoping to field an entering class in a few months! I'm not a great mission fit, but if Carle got only 533 applications even offering a full 4-yr ride... Anyway, thanks for the link; I would not have otherwise known about them.

Sounds like your silent schools are ghosting just about everyone. I don't know *anyone* who's heard from Jeff! How many are you choosing from? That's awesome to have choices, congrats!

Thanks again for the vote of confidence. You'll all be among the first to know if I stage the biggest nontrad comeback of the cycle.

 

[MercMutt]

Agree. Just get it over with, adcoms!
That's fabulous that you interviewed at your top choice though. Seems like a good sign if you're still in the mix after a December interview?
I really wish there were more mid-level options to branch off from after a failed cycle. A friend is considering PA, but then you need 2000+ clinical hours to be competitive, and how are you supposed to get that in any reasonable amount of time if you're working? I'm looking at genetic counseling, myself, since I started slanting my coursework toward that at the end. Even then, the programs each have their own special slant, e.g., one wants you to have three months of crisis counseling experience, another wants not just psychology but developmental psychology.
I like the graphic arts idea as a backup. I'd certainly liked to have seen better illustration in some of my science textbooks.

I too am considering genetic counseling and psychology - in particular the psychology/neuroscience of dementia.

Here’s to hoping that these paths are unnecessary

 

[DBC03]

Wait - what?! How had I not heard of them?! How ambitious that they're just now taking applications hoping to field an entering class in a few months! I'm not a great mission fit, but if Carle got only 533 applications even offering a full 4-yr ride... Anyway, thanks for the link; I would not have otherwise known about them.

Sounds like your silent schools are ghosting just about everyone. I don't know *anyone* who's heard from Jeff! How many are you choosing from? That's awesome to have choices, congrats!

Thanks again for the vote of confidence. You'll all be among the first to know if I stage the biggest nontrad comeback of the cycle.

I agree it might not be the right mission, but it's a possibility - and one in California! They just started posting this week, so that's probably why you haven't heard of them.

Right now I'm choosing between 4 schools. I really like 3 of the 4 (not to get into details, but I hate the location of 1), and I am seriously considering 2 of the 3. It seems a bit ridiculous to write how many - but i come from a "lucky" state and 3 of the 4 are my state schools. Did you apply to Wake Forest? During their interview day, they showed a video of the story of one of their oldest graduates - I think she graduated from medical school in her 50s. They are hosting a non-trad dinner during second look weekend, so it seems they really like non-trads. If you apply next year, definitely put them on your list.

Definitely apply a second time before giving up on the dream. I learned SO much about the application process and in some ways wish it has been a practice round. Use what you learned this year and apply super early. I really think you'll have better luck with the next cycle!

 

[sss1219]

I agree it might not be the right mission, but it's a possibility - and one in California! They just started posting this week, so that's probably why you haven't heard of them.

Right now I'm choosing between 4 schools. I really like 3 of the 4 (not to get into details, but I hate the location of 1), and I am seriously considering 2 of the 3. It seems a bit ridiculous to write how many - but i come from a "lucky" state and 3 of the 4 are my state schools. Did you apply to Wake Forest? During their interview day, they showed a video of the story of one of their oldest graduates - I think she graduated from medical school in her 50s. They are hosting a non-trad dinner during second look weekend, so it seems they really like non-trads. If you apply next year, definitely put them on your list.

Definitely apply a second time before giving up on the dream. I learned SO much about the application process and in some ways wish it has been a practice round. Use what you learned this year and apply super early. I really think you'll have better luck with the next cycle!

Concur with everything my fellow floridian has to say. I had to go through 2 cycles too, and I learned quite a lot about my deficiencies and what adcoms like to see by stalking posts on this forum alone throughout my first cycle. Grab one of us successful applicants and work through your app if you think you can withstand one more application year, doing so helped so much for my second cycle

 

[willow84]

I agree it might not be the right mission, but it's a possibility - and one in California! They just started posting this week, so that's probably why you haven't heard of them.

Right now I'm choosing between 4 schools. I really like 3 of the 4 (not to get into details, but I hate the location of 1), and I am seriously considering 2 of the 3. It seems a bit ridiculous to write how many - but i come from a "lucky" state and 3 of the 4 are my state schools. Did you apply to Wake Forest? During their interview day, they showed a video of the story of one of their oldest graduates - I think she graduated from medical school in her 50s. They are hosting a non-trad dinner during second look weekend, so it seems they really like non-trads. If you apply next year, definitely put them on your list.

Definitely apply a second time before giving up on the dream. I learned SO much about the application process and in some ways wish it has been a practice round. Use what you learned this year and apply super early. I really think you'll have better luck with the next cycle!

I agree with all of this! I would have done things so, so differently with the knowledge I have about the process now.

+1 for Wake as it was my first II this cycle.

 

[vaguelybackward]

Definitely apply a second time before giving up on the dream. I learned SO much about the application process and in some ways wish it has been a practice round. Use what you learned this year and apply super early. I really think you'll have better luck with the next cycle!

+2 on this-- as a third time applicant I absolutely KNOW how crushing those Rs are, especially when you've worked so hard and waited SO long!! But you can absolutely use what you've learned this cycle to CRUSH it next go round (don't be me-- learn from your first cycle )

 

[_leo08]

+2 on this-- as a third time applicant I absolutely KNOW how crushing those Rs are, especially when you've worked so hard and waited SO long!! But you can absolutely use what you've learned this cycle to CRUSH it next go round (don't be me-- learn from your first cycle )

AGREED. Please, don't hesitate to reach out if you end up reapplying (that's a big "IF" )

 

[jazzmetal]

Thanks for the moral support, everyone! I'd be happy to add y'all to the list of folks who've perused my application. I'll be honest, I really can't figure out the red flag, and that's the main reason I'm reluctant to reapply - if they didn't take me this year, what's going to be different in Round 2? I've been focused on nothing but work this past year and have no option to change that right now, so it seems silly to reapply with nothing but the same stats and story. The second big reason is financial, and the third is just being ready to move on with life and contribute something of meaning before I leave the planet. I certainly should have applied to more places earlier and turned secondaries faster, and my school list was not the greatest. Still, someone I know with similar stats and timeline has now racked up six post-New-Year's interviews and counting, vs. my zero... Just trying to be evidence-based here.

@DBC03 - No, I did not apply to Wake, but I did hear about their 54-yr-old med student! I think the first thing I did before starting this journey was to google, "How old is too old for med school?" and her story popped right up. There was also the guy in his late 40s who matched to ortho surgery after being a handyman and musician before med school. OSHU seems pretty nontrad-friendly, too, with the most students over age 40 that I've seen. Granted, that is only three students, but that's at least 3x more than most. I'd have to buy property in Portland and get a job there to get residency, but the odds of an IS interview are 75%... and it wouldn't suck to end up in Portland even if that hail mary didn't work out.

Anyway, enough about me. I'm super proud of all the nontrad success this year - you're paving the way for career changers to come and proving that, far from "taking a seat" from a younger person, we grownups are willing to keep paying our own way to let that same young person enjoy a little social security of their own. Longer lifespan *should* mean longer workspan, so we nontrads are only doing the responsible thing, right? Kudos to @DBC03 on making the most of your own "lucky" state! Although with four acceptances, there was obviously a lot more than luck involved.

ps - I did of course submit my primary to CUSM lickety split last night. #addicted

 

[DosageMTP]

I guess I'm a little late to this forum, but congrats to all of the non-trads that have been accepted so far this cycle...especially those that have gotten into their top choice (that must be an amazing feeling)!

I'm crossing my fingers for the rest of the non-trads out there. Represent!

 

[hebrewBAMmer]

So out of the schools I interviewed at, I got accepted to 2 of my top 3 (waitlisted at the other -- all the schools that were originally my top choices rejected me). Not sure how to decide between schools when you really like both.

I did of course submit my primary to CUSM lickety split last night. #addicted

I'm rooting for you! Hope you get it! (I'm from SoCal -- San Bernadino is far from my favorite area, but at least it's only 3 hours from Vegas if you want a weekend getaway and an hour or so away from the 626 which has the greatest Chinese food outside of Asia). If you end up having to reapply, I'd be happy to look over your essays for you!

 

[jazzmetal]

I'm rooting for you! Hope you get it! (I'm from SoCal -- San Bernadino is far from my favorite area, but at least it's only 3 hours from Vegas if you want a weekend getaway and an hour or so away from the 626 which has the greatest Chinese food outside of Asia). If you end up having to reapply, I'd be happy to look over your essays for you!

Thanks so much! Yeah, I'm pretty familiar with the Inland Empire, as a lifelong Californian. I think San Francisco's Chinatown would probably want to arm wrestle the 626 for that greatest Chinese food title.
Thanks for the offer to review my essays! I might take you up on that.
Congrats on getting into two of your top three - that's fantastic! I guess you still have a couple of months to decide. Also to play them off each other for financial aid.

 

[wysdoc]

It's a NEW california school - not cal northstate! I'll post the thread here: 2017-2018 California University of Science and Medicine - You should definitely consider it - it seems a bit more reputable from the get go.

Well, read up on the founder a bit...Prem Reddy and Prime Health Care have been in the news and not in a good way. Questionable upcoding, pressure on doctors to admit from ER instead of observing, whistleblower suits, DOJ investigations, etc.
Feds say Prime Healthcare has figured out how to make money from hospitals — through fraud
Judge denies motion to dismiss Prime whistle-blower suit
Government jumps into whistle-blower lawsuit against Prime
High malnutrition rates at Prime Healthcare hospitals raise doubts | FierceHealthcare

They have been granted preliminary status to accept applications just recently (Feb 23rd 2018) and are trying to get together a class to start EY 2018. They will start in a temporary building as theirs is not built yet. There will be no federal loans available for now.

Caveat Emptor

 

[jungdoc]

I was originally posting to these forums under a different username, but now that I am able to report my accepted status, I decided it would be better to switch names as I continue to be a part of this community.

I embarked on this ridiculous mission over three years ago. Like many here, I've had a hard time explaining what drove me to sacrifice my evenings and weekends to take undergraduate classes and take practice MCATs while working a full-time professional career. You get into a rhythm of spouting the same inspirational story (the one you probably wrote in your personal statement), but -- surprisingly -- even that starts to lose a little of its glow after enough times said. You begin to question: Do I really want to do this or is this just another kind of escapism?

But as I sit here at my desk with the acceptance letter from my choice program in front of me, I feel vindicated. Three years is a long time to stay dedicated to a self-study program. If nothing else, I can say I did really want this (even if I'm singing a completely different tune in MS1). It's only so satisfying as an adult to do well on the MCAT or post good grades in prerequisite courses. When you have a family, responsibilities weigh on you all the time and results are the only currency that matters. And, even then, the acceptance is only the very first step in a still-longer road ahead.

I'm glad that I found this place. Its resources and its users have been an incredible aid to me as a non-traditional student. For folks like us, most of us don't have the luxury of being surrounded by other pre-medical hopefuls and peers of our age. Without resources like this and the Internet, it would be way too easy to never hear about all the useful advice out there for planning, studying, and applying.

In any case, I apologize for the wall of text. I'm pretty reserved in real life with things like this, but it feels nice to make an announcement and get this part of the feeling bubbling up within me out there. Congratulations to everyone. I'll be around more often now that I'm no longer trying to keep med school admissions out of sight and mind.

 

[ADSigMel]

Is anyone else nervous to start school after having been out for a couple of years? I am!

I am, too. I took a few classes last year to knock out some missing prereqs before applying, but I haven’t been a full-time student since I graduated from law school over a decade ago. I’m pretty sure even that was a cakewalk compared to what we’re walking into now.

 

[Skiiiiiing]

I have 2 schools that I am still post-secondary/pre-II, so I guess they’re not ruled out completely, but I’m losing hope with them. I’ve received pre-II rejections from the rest, except for my top choice which I interviewed at in Dec. I should hear from them sometime in the next week or two. Not to be pessimistic, but I don’t think my interview there went very well, so I’m not very confident about my chances.

I did not apply to any DO schools - which I’m beginning to regret. If I reapply, I’ll probably add a couple of them to the mix.

I’m all over the place with potential New Directions. If I stay in the medical field, I’m considering PT/OT, or maybe an MPH - but I do wonder if I’ll always be disappointed to not be practicing medicine. I am a painter & sculptor in my free time, so I may look in that direction - graphic arts perhaps? And who knows what else I may come up with.

I’m just ready to know!

Interviewing at DO schools was quite an experience. It changed my perspective on DO quite a lot - there's tremendous quality variance among DO schools that I just didn't find among MD schools. One of the schools....my god I don't know how they're not under administrative review...on the other hand DMU and KCU both did not strike me as meaningfully different from MD schools.

PA is probably a better financial route for nontrads over 35 or so. This is especially true if only options are newer DO schools that are 60k+ and that are going to be the first to struggle in the coming residency squeeze.

 

[Skiiiiiing]

I am, too. I took a few classes last year to knock out some missing prereqs before applying, but I haven’t been a full-time student since I graduated from law school over a decade ago. I’m pretty sure even that was a cakewalk compared to what we’re walking into now.

Have you picked up Robbins and Coltran or similar? I was much more worried until I read a few chapters - there's a lot of content to cover but its not any more difficult than o-chem or biochem.

 

[DSM_302.0]

Is anyone else nervous to start school after having been out for a couple of years? I am!

For me, I have been juggling a busy, full-time tech startup workload with being a part-time premed student (for 4 years!), squeezing in homework and test studying nights, weekends, mornings. Was exhausting!

Being "just" a full-time med student feels like an incoming relief. Fewer things to juggle! An opportunity to focus on just one thing! Yes, I think it will be intense, but I feel like if I treat it like a full-time job, it will be manageable.

Show up, do my work, carve out some time for myself and my partner, call it a day. Rinse, lather, repeat for five years (for me).

 

[DSM_302.0]

Have you picked up Robbins and Coltran or similar? I was much more worried until I read a few chapters - there's a lot of content to cover but its not any more difficult than o-chem or biochem.

omg are you pre-studying?

 

[Laterthansooner]

@Laterthansooner I have two schools that still want my parent's info... even though I've been financially independent for 15 years.

@willow84 @ChopinLiszt @DBC03 @ADSigMel ...(and anyone else who has submitted FAFSA for the upcoming cycle)...did you get a dollar amount for your estimated unsubsidized loans? I just submitted mine and I'm a little worried about the dollar amount it estimated. It seems like they estimated about half the total amount of tuition. Uh-oh. I"m hoping that's just for one semester, but not sure. (This isn't the final award amount; it's the amount estimated.)

 

[DSM_302.0]

@willow84 @ChopinLiszt @DBC03 @ADSigMel ...(and anyone else who has submitted FAFSA for the upcoming cycle)...did you get a dollar amount for your estimated unsubsidized loans? I just submitted mine and I'm a little worried about the dollar amount it estimated. It seems like they estimated about half the total amount of tuition. Uh-oh. I"m hoping that's just for one semester, but not sure. (This isn't the final award amount; it's the amount estimated.)

The number (EFC?) from FAFSA? Or a number from your school?
I think the EFC is just a number that says they expect you have to have this much cash on hand to contribute to the cost, and then you cover the rest with loans. I will have to take out the full loan amount, despite my EFC being very high (I make good money now, but don't have a ton of cash to throw at this whole paying for med school thing).

 

[tiramisucheese]

For me, I have been juggling a busy, full-time tech startup workload with being a part-time premed student (for 4 years!), squeezing in homework and test studying nights, weekends, mornings. Was exhausting!

Being "just" a full-time med student feels like an incoming relief. Fewer things to juggle! An opportunity to focus on just one thing! Yes, I think it will be intense, but I feel like if I treat it like a full-time job, it will be manageable.

Show up, do my work, carve out some time for myself and my partner, call it a day. Rinse, lather, repeat for five years (for me).

YES. This is exactly what I'm looking forward to the most - just having ONE role to worry about.

 

[Laterthansooner]

The number (EFC?) from FAFSA? Or a number from your school?
I think the EFC is just a number that says they expect you have to have this much cash on hand to contribute to the cost, and then you cover the rest with loans. I will have to take out the full loan amount, despite my EFC being very high (I make good money now, but don't have a ton of cash to throw at this whole paying for med school thing).

I probably wasn’t clear in my post...

A few lines below the EFC, there’s another that says “Direct Stafford Loan Estimate”. My estimate is about half the annual amount listed for tuition costs at one of my schools. (On the info sheet they gave us at the interview, it lists the amount we can receive for MS 1&2). The loan estimate from FAFSA was half this amount. I’m really hoping that’s because it only covers first semester.

It’s entirely possible that I did something wrong.

 

[DSM_302.0]

I probably wasn’t clear in my post...

A few lines below the EFC, there another that says “Direct Stafford Loan Estimate”. My estimate is about half of what the annual amount listed for tuition costs at one if my schools. (On the info sheet they gave us at the interview, it lists the amount we can receive for MS 1&2). The loan estimate from FAFSA was half this amount. I’m really hoping that’s because it only covers first semester.

It’s entirely possible that I did something wrong.

Oh I'm not sure I'm familiar with this line.
Stafford loans are limited. They have special terms/conditions that are favorable to students. It's easy to max them out. After that you have to look to other loans, like Grad PLUS. Hope this helps!

 

[DSM_302.0]

Oh I'm not sure I'm familiar with this line.
Stafford loans are limited. They have special terms/conditions that are favorable to students. It's easy to max them out. After that you have to look to other loans, like Grad PLUS. Hope this helps!

I really wished I lived in a European system rn.

 

[MercMutt]

I think I'm in at my top pick, Univ of Washington - also my only interview. I'm on the waitlist in the top 10 - and their recent history shows them pulling 25-45 applicants from the waitlist each year. I'm so excited!!!