2020-2021 UCLA (Geffen)

Started by TheDataKing
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medopen132 said:
does anyone know how many ucla interviews/accepts each cycle?
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I don't know about MD-only, but if you're MSTP the info is here - 75 interviews offered with approx. 20 then also at Caltech, for 12-15 positions total.

Edit: For the MD program, they estimate 118 accepts (source). Couldn't find info on number of interviews, though.
 
medopen132 said:
does anyone know how many ucla interviews/accepts each cycle?
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I don't really know where this data came from but here's this link from the 2020 cycle that I found on SDN's applicant sticky post. It says that UCLA gives out 600 IIs
docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1NDHcXgD-Irr02LfTIgTJ7rtnTMCDfXwwn3q2i94Wm_Y/edit?usp=sharing
(here's the sticky. the link above is titled "Post-II Acceptance % by School 2020 update": Forum Members - *~*~*~*2020-2021 Med School Applicant Sticky (PS, AMCAS, Secondaries, Interviews, etc)*~*~*~*)
 
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caffeinatedbiochemist said:
wow! congratulations thats amazing! do you mind sharing your stats?
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Not at all. GPA 3.7, MCAT 519

EDIT: ORM, OOS with ties

r2med said:
First ever poston SDN is about II?
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Wasn't planning on posting on SDN ever but I thought some of the folks here would find the information useful. I certainly was not expecting to hear back at all, let alone in two weeks.
 
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Savitr said:
Not at all. GPA 3.7, MCAT 519

EDIT: ORM, OOS with ties



Wasn't planning on posting on SDN ever but I thought some of the folks here would find the information useful. I certainly was not expecting to hear back at all, let alone in two weeks.
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what would you say is the average turnaround time then? I submitted mine 07/24 and have yet to hear back so now I’m worried...
 
premonist said:
what would you say is the average turnaround time then? I submitted mine 07/24 and have yet to hear back so now I’m worried...
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It's great that OP got a very quick turnaround time, but it's important to know that not all schools review chronologically. Depending on your background (i.e. ORM/URM, high stats, linkage program, post-baccs, who reviews your application etc), it is a very difficult-to-gage process!
 
HouseJC said:
Depending on your background (i.e. ORM/URM, high stats, linkage program, post-baccs, who reviews your application etc)
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Why would "who reviews your application" matter. Do they split the apps to each reviewer (I'm assuming based on some factors)? That seems a lot more inefficient than having one big queue that all reviewers go off of.
 
hamiltonnyc said:
Why would "who reviews your application" matter. Do they split the apps to each reviewer (I'm assuming based on some factors)? That seems a lot more inefficient than having one big queue that all reviewers go off of.
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It's most likely school dependent and only AdComs of that school probably know how the work gets divided up.
I have heard that USC, for example, has a reviewer for each MCAT score.
 
Does the portal make any comment on certain secondary questions being optional? I saw people in older threads say that you are not required to complete every prompt
 
hamiltonnyc said:
Why would "who reviews your application" matter. Do they split the apps to each reviewer (I'm assuming based on some factors)? That seems a lot more inefficient than having one big queue that all reviewers go off of.
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Well, I'm just quoting what LizzyM said a while ago that different revirwers read and review at different pace. In fact, I believe someone in previous posts said the same thing when they emailed admissions to ask when they would be done screening.

But at the same time, I don't know what really occurs at Adcoms. Just trying to provide some rationale in what is a crazy and stressful process
 
Hey this might be a stupid question but for the Spanish competency they're looking at the courses you took in college, right? Like I took AP Spanish Language in HS and another semester in college so I guess I should just say "no"?
 
supusenor said:
Hey this might be a stupid question but for the Spanish competency they're looking at the courses you took in college, right? Like I took AP Spanish Language in HS and another semester in college so I guess I should just say "no"?
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where does it ask for this? also do you know if all of the secondary questions are required?
 
ThatSerb said:
where does it ask for this? also do you know if all of the secondary questions are required?
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It's under "Scholastic Achievements." Do you have any opinion on what I was asking about? I think if you leave something blank, save your progress, and the page doesn't get marked as "complete," then it's required.
 
supusenor said:
It's under "Scholastic Achievements." Do you have any opinion on what I was asking about? I think if you leave something blank, save your progress, and the page doesn't get marked as "complete," then it's required.
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Well, I haven't actually received the secondary yet so it is hard for me to guess at exactly what they want. Maybe I could offer more if you provide the exact language they use
 
supusenor said:
Hey this might be a stupid question but for the Spanish competency they're looking at the courses you took in college, right? Like I took AP Spanish Language in HS and another semester in college so I guess I should just say "no"?
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If you click the link to their recommended competencies from that page, it says AP credit is accepted. I also remember a comment earlier in this thread about someone speaking to UCLA and they said competency is open-ended - if you grew up speaking Spanish at home or some other experience that wasn't a formal class, that could also apply.
 
1. Does anyone know if the GPA and MCAT cut-offs still apply?

I found this quote online:

"The David Geffen School of Medicine is raising its math and science GPA and MCAT cutoff scores to 3.4 and 512, respectively, according to a policy proposal released by school of medicine faculty and students."

Is this 3.4 and 512 cut-off still being applied this cycle?



2. Also, on MSAR it says that the 10th percentile for "All Matriculated Students" is 508.
Does this mean that 10% of the matriculated students at UCLA for the entering class of 2020 scored less than a 508? Does this include Charles Drew University matriculants? I believe Charles Drew University matriculants may have lower stats.
 
AcceptableKale said:
Does anyone know if the GPA and MCAT cut-offs still apply?

I found this quote online:

"The David Geffen School of Medicine is raising its math and science GPA and MCAT cutoff scores to 3.4 and 512, respectively, according to a policy proposal released by school of medicine faculty and students."

Is this 3.4 and 512 cut-off still being applied this cycle?
Click to expand...

I've heard of people getting secondaries despite not meeting these criteria
 
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AcceptableKale said:
Does anyone know if the GPA and MCAT cut-offs still apply?

I found this quote online:

"The David Geffen School of Medicine is raising its math and science GPA and MCAT cutoff scores to 3.4 and 512, respectively, according to a policy proposal released by school of medicine faculty and students."

Is this 3.4 and 512 cut-off still being applied this cycle?
Click to expand...

I had the same question after I posted the MSAR Screening PDF from 2020. Someone replied with 2021’s MSAR pdf and it looks like the cutoffs weren’t implemented.
 
Does anyone know how they're determining the interviews? Cause I see people who submitted their secondary app 2 weeks ago getting their invites at the same time as those who turned it in two days after getting an invite. Does it really just depend on the people who your app is assigned to?
 
AcceptableKale said:
1. Does anyone know if the GPA and MCAT cut-offs still apply?

I found this quote online:

"The David Geffen School of Medicine is raising its math and science GPA and MCAT cutoff scores to 3.4 and 512, respectively, according to a policy proposal released by school of medicine faculty and students."

Is this 3.4 and 512 cut-off still being applied this cycle?



2. Also, on MSAR it says that the 10th percentile for "All Matriculated Students" is 508.
Does this mean that 10% of the matriculated students at UCLA for the entering class of 2020 scored less than a 508? Does this include Charles Drew University matriculants? I believe Charles Drew University matriculants may have lower stats.
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I'm in the current first year class. We had the same question about these cut-offs. I did not meet one of these cut-offs and got into UCLA's Geffen program!
 
If we received a secondary, does that mean they've looked at our letters of recommendation?

If they weren't satisfied with our letters, would they update us?

Might be a silly question but genuinely curious.
 
premonist said:
If we received a secondary, does that mean they've looked at our letters of recommendation?

If they weren't satisfied with our letters, would they update us?

Might be a silly question but genuinely curious.
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I would assume that they don't look at LoRs before 2º invite. I received my secondary 7/14, submitted 7/23, and didn't have my letters in AMCAS until 8/6. Finally complete 8/8
 
JB96 said:
I would assume that they don't look at LoRs before 2º invite. I received my secondary 7/14, submitted 7/23, and didn't have my letters in AMCAS until 8/6. Finally complete 8/8
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do you think they would e-mail us if our letters didn’t meet their requirements?
 
For the "most important honor" question, what if you have never received any? I can potentially talk about dean's honors for GPA, but I already talked about it in my primary app. Or perhaps a student writing a heart warming thank you email for tutoring.

Is it okay to leave this blank?
 
Hemiacetal said:
For the "most important honor" question, what if you have never received any? I can potentially talk about dean's honors for GPA, but I already talked about it in my primary app. Or perhaps a student writing a heart warming thank you email for tutoring.

Is it okay to leave this blank?
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Don't leave it blank. I would go with the student writing the thank you email if you can't think of anything else. It doesn't have to be academic.
 
AcceptableKale said:
1. Does anyone know if the GPA and MCAT cut-offs still apply?

I found this quote online:

"The David Geffen School of Medicine is raising its math and science GPA and MCAT cutoff scores to 3.4 and 512, respectively, according to a policy proposal released by school of medicine faculty and students."

Is this 3.4 and 512 cut-off still being applied this cycle?



2. Also, on MSAR it says that the 10th percentile for "All Matriculated Students" is 508.
Does this mean that 10% of the matriculated students at UCLA for the entering class of 2020 scored less than a 508? Does this include Charles Drew University matriculants? I believe Charles Drew University matriculants may have lower stats.
Click to expand...
I got a secondary and did not meet these cut offs
 
Hemiacetal said:
For the "most important honor" question, what if you have never received any? I can potentially talk about dean's honors for GPA, but I already talked about it in my primary app. Or perhaps a student writing a heart warming thank you email for tutoring.

Is it okay to leave this blank?
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definitely dont leave it blank. write about the student's email, especially if you felt honored by what they said. i also didnt have anything academic besides dean's list so i wrote about my PI's evaluation of my lab work
 
brianca24 said:
definitely dont leave it blank. write about the student's email, especially if you felt honored by what they said. i also didnt have anything academic besides dean's list so i wrote about my PI's evaluation of my lab work
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Yeah, I'm just a fellow applicant, but I think this is good advice.
 
make_things_better said:
Don't leave it blank. I would go with the student writing the thank you email if you can't think of anything else. It doesn't have to be academic.
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Thank you both. On a thread from 2006, a matriculated UCLA student was saying they left that question blank and copied over their exact descriptions of activities onto questions 1-3

brianca24 said:
definitely dont leave it blank. write about the student's email, especially if you felt honored by what they said. i also didnt have anything academic besides dean's list so i wrote about my PI's evaluation of my lab work
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parametz said:
That was 2006 though. It has become much more competitive now.
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I agree. That was quite a while ago. I would imagine there would be some turnover in the folks who review apps?

IDK man, it's your call, but I feel like if a school is giving you the space to add something, take that opportunity.
 
Just submitted my secondary! Does anyone else see blank fields near where it says transcripts are expected? Are we to do anything about that?
 
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