2019-2020 UCLA (Geffen)

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How important is it to use recent activities to write for the most important/meaningful experience or honor? I used an award that I got in high school because it truly describes the person that I am or should I choose one more recent? As for experiences, these are things I did in high school and have continued them in college but just don't dedicate as much time to anymore. Should I mention that I still do these things in college?
 
starnight10 said:
How important is it to use recent activities to write for the most important/meaningful experience or honor? I used an award that I got in high school because it truly describes the person that I am or should I choose one more recent? As for experiences, these are things I did in high school and have continued them in college but just don't dedicate as much time to anymore. Should I mention that I still do these things in college?
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Generally nothing you did/received in high school is reflective of who you are now. The experiences being continued into college shows that they're still important to you, so you can include those, but awards need to be limited to college onwards.
 
Seihai said:
Generally nothing you did/received in high school is reflective of who you are now. The experiences being continued into college shows that they're still important to you, so you can include those, but awards need to be limited to college onwards.
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starnight10 said:
How important is it to use recent activities to write for the most important/meaningful experience or honor? I used an award that I got in high school because it truly describes the person that I am or should I choose one more recent? As for experiences, these are things I did in high school and have continued them in college but just don't dedicate as much time to anymore. Should I mention that I still do these things in college?
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While I don't agree with Seihai's phrasing that nothing you did in HS is reflective of who you are now, I think it is true that med schools don't really care what you did in HS (you might have the same values as you did then, but you're more mature now). If you are continuing HS efforts now, that's a little different, but emphasize the recent stuff over the HS stuff. Don't talk about an award you got in HS. Choose something more recent.
 
MrsDrDr said:
While I don't agree with Seihai's phrasing that nothing you did in HS is reflective of who you are now, I think it is true that med schools don't really care what you did in HS (you might have the same values as you did then, but you're more mature now). If you are continuing HS efforts now, that's a little different, but emphasize the recent stuff over the HS stuff. Don't talk about an award you got in HS. Choose something more recent.
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I understand, I'll choose a better award. But for the experiences, I went with the "showing" method of when I competed in a sports competition and this showed teamwork, and the other experience is when I auditioned for something but even though I failed, I continued this as a hobby. So I would say a good chunk of it is on the HS portion.
 
Can anyone please verify that the 5 letters of recommendation can be of any type? I don't see any specifics on their website.
 
Laix said:
I don't think they are doing the 3.4/514 cut-off anymore, at least not for this cycle.
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Def not. A lot of people below those have received and a lot of people above have not received.
 
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Anyone else tempted to copy-and-pasta their paid experience descriptions from their primary?
 
PierreMD said:
Anyone else tempted to copy-and-pasta their paid experience descriptions from their primary?
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I did...don't know if that was a good idea. Did add some extra details, but otherwise, copy and pasted some sentences
 
samosamosa said:
My GPA is below the 3.4 cutoff and I got a secondary. MCAT is way above the cutoff though.
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Thanks. This really gives me hope that I still have a chance of getting a secondary here. More worried about the cutoff for GPA than for MCAT.
 
JACKRABBIT27 said:
I got a secondary the day after I was verified (7/3) and my MCAT is from April 2017.... Their cutoff is June 2017 so I don't think they are screening.
I'm a CA resident
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yikes didn't know their MCAT cutoff was 2 years - anyone else in the same boat? assuming this means no shot at an II?
 
For those of you inputting work experience, if the activity is ongoing, do I include projected hours or only hours completed up until secondary submission? I have about 2k projected and 2k completed and don't want to overstate if they're looking for current hours only...
 
Did you guys state what you learned for the work experience question? It says "list" but it feels weird to not include a paragraph describing what I learned from the experience.
 
Can somebody chime in on the MCAT information on their website saying "Beginning with the 2020 application year DGSOM will accept 2015 MCAT". Does it mean this year or next year? I have emailed and called the admissions but had no reply. I have a MCAT from August 2016 and got the secondary. i am really confused whether I should give it a shot or my MCAT is just too old?
 
YYmeow said:
Can somebody chime in on the MCAT information on their website saying "Beginning with the 2020 application year DGSOM will accept 2015 MCAT". Does it mean this year or next year? I have emailed and called the admissions but had no reply. I have a MCAT from August 2016 and got the secondary. i am really confused whether I should give it a shot or my MCAT is just too old?
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This year = 2020 application year
 
YYmeow said:
So I assume MCAT from 2015 to 2019 are all good?
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MSAR says oldest MCAT accepted is June 2017

From their website:
The test must be repeated if, at the time of matriculation, more than three years have elapsed since it was taken. Beginning with the 2020 application year DGSOM will accept 2015 MCAT.

So three years at time of matriculation would be Summer 2017

Still confused because I got a secondary and my MCAT is from Early 2017
 
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YYmeow said:
Can somebody chime in on the MCAT information on their website saying "Beginning with the 2020 application year DGSOM will accept 2015 MCAT". Does it mean this year or next year? I have emailed and called the admissions but had no reply. I have a MCAT from August 2016 and got the secondary. i am really confused whether I should give it a shot or my MCAT is just too old?
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The sentence before that is important. "The test must be repeated if, at the time of matriculation, more than three years have elapsed since it was taken."
 
JACKRABBIT27 said:
The sentence before that is important. "The test must be repeated if, at the time of matriculation, more than three years have elapsed since it was taken."
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Do you plan to submit?
 
microgliaiba1 said:
In the MSTP section they ask for your motivation to pursue a combined MD/PhD but that is exactly what was asked on the primary. Do I have to answer this question again in a different way or just copy and paste my answer from my primary?
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Bump!! Methinks they want something different 🙁 I was thinking of using the same general reasoning but switching up the anecdotes..
 
For the employment section, we get 4000 characters to “describe work experience” but once entered it goes under “company description”. How did everyone go about entering the description (company description or describe experience?)
 
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How much did yall write for the work experience box? 4000 characters is a ton and I probably won't write more than like 800 characters?
 
fuzzydoc303 said:
How much did yall write for the work experience box? 4000 characters is a ton and I probably won't write more than like 800 characters?
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I wrote 3800...that being said, if you have nothing else to write, then don't write more than you have to.
 
Mr_Kurtz said:
has anyone else not received a secondary? I'm OOS (east coast) and applied to PRIME - high stats though
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I too have not yet received the secondary. I am high stats as well. Had a mostly inconsequential IA, but I have been informed that this may flag it for manual review and delay the process a bit?
 
How did y'all format this question? (and in regards to the hours, dates and adviser

"What has been your most scholarly project (thesis, research or field of study in basic or clinical science or in the humanities)? Describe one and give number of hours, dates and adviser. (300 char)"

Edit: forgive me if this has been asked
 
the
cheeezcake said:
How did y'all format this question? (and in regards to the hours, dates and adviser

"What has been your most scholarly project (thesis, research or field of study in basic or clinical science or in the humanities)? Describe one and give number of hours, dates and adviser. (300 char)"

Edit: forgive me if this has been asked
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I said I did my Phd research full-time from 2004-2009 with Drs. Joe Schmoe and Big Bob at North of Nowhere University. My dissertation was on XYZ. I designed the research, won grants to fund it, and ran lab experiments and models that demonstrated 1+1=3.
 
MrsDrDr said:
the

I said I did my Phd research full-time from 2004-2009 with Drs. Joe Schmoe and Big Bob at North of Nowhere University. My dissertation was on XYZ. I designed the research, won grants to fund it, and ran lab experiments and models that demonstrated 1+1=3.
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Thanks so much. Your username now makes sense.
 
So is the consensus for the "most important honor" question that it needs to be a REAL award (not a situation where you felt "honored") and must be in college?

I have some unique awards from high school and some situational honors from college, but I'm struggling to come up with something recent that isn't academic/dry.
 
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