2020-2021 UCLA (Geffen)

Discover Your Odds of Getting into Medical School
This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
I think its important, regardless of your status of admission or not, to keep in mind how hard COVID is hitting LA. Many of the folks at admissions are physicians and are still active in patient care.

This whole process is a black box and I think just sitting tight/waiting (as painful as it may be) is better than speculation and expecting a speedy response.
 
TheLittleWillowTree said:
I think its important, regardless of your status of admission or not, to keep in mind how hard COVID is hitting LA. Many of the folks at admissions are physicians and are still active in patient care.

This whole process is a black box and I think just sitting tight/waiting (as painful as it may be) is better than speculation and expecting a speedy response.
Click to expand...
Great point. Thanks for reminding us that many of those involved in the process are also shoulder-deep in COVID care.
 
got the A yesterday! complete August, interviewed 12/7. received an email around 3pm PST and a call around 5pm PST. they told me scholarships and financial aid packages are behind this year so expect to hear back by the end of the month. ask me your questions!!
 
driedmangos said:
got the A yesterday! complete August, interviewed 12/7. received an email around 3pm PST and a call around 5pm PST. they told me scholarships and financial aid packages are behind this year so expect to hear back by the end of the month. ask me your questions!!
Click to expand...
Thanks for the insight! Guess February will be another month of waiting for financial aid. Congratulations!
 
Got the A last Thursday!! Honestly, my stats were much lower than the median (and I am ORM), so this was an absolute shock! Just wanted to put it out there that stats aren't everything and this process is truly holistic! I encourage you to have hope!
 
frazzledmeatball said:
Got the A last Thursday!! Honestly, my stats were much lower than the median (and I am ORM), so this was an absolute shock! Just wanted to put it out there that stats aren't everything and this process is truly holistic! I encourage you to have hope!
Click to expand...
Congrats!!! Can I ask when you interviewed?
 
Is the interview season over for UCLA? I haven't heard from them still and just want to know mentally if I should still expect anything or not
 
koalaburrito said:
Current MS1 here! They've sent out ~140 acceptances so far! Financial aid and merit scholarships coming soon! Ask me any questions about UCLA but I'm not involved in any admissions so I don't know exact timelines.
Click to expand...
Thanks for coming on here. A couple of questions:
  • How do you feel UCLA's response/communication has been in light of the pandemic to y'all?
  • Any surprises from UCLA after matriculation?
  • What are your classmates like?
  • Biggest pro/con in your opinion regarding UCLA for us to consider
 
koalaburrito said:
Current MS1 here! They've sent out ~140 acceptances so far! Financial aid and merit scholarships coming soon! Ask me any questions about UCLA but I'm not involved in any admissions so I don't know exact timelines.
Click to expand...
Thanks for coming on here! What do you think of the new curriculum? (I know you're not doing it and ours would be the first class, but just wondering what people generally thought)
 
koalaburrito said:
Current MS1 here! They've sent out ~140 acceptances so far! Financial aid and merit scholarships coming soon! Ask me any questions about UCLA but I'm not involved in any admissions so I don't know exact timelines.
Click to expand...
Thanks for letting us know! Any idea of when "coming soon" financial aid and scholarships may be released? No problem if you don't!
 
onions_w_salt said:
Thanks for coming on here. A couple of questions:
  • How do you feel UCLA's response/communication has been in light of the pandemic to y'all?
  • Any surprises from UCLA after matriculation?
  • What are your classmates like?
  • Biggest pro/con in your opinion regarding UCLA for us to consider
Click to expand...
1. They've been great. I've never felt unsafe and most of us are vaccinated now (who wanted to be).
2. I mean COVID education is a constant surprise because every school had to adapt quickly. But the main surprise is how amazing my classmates are! Truly world class people coming from all over the states/world.
3. Honestly the biggest difference from other T10 schools is that UCLA students are a lot more laid back. Don't get me wrong, students here work extremely hard and are involved across many dimensions, but it's a very relaxed vibe when you are with other students. We surf, run, hike together and have lives outside of medicine "physician AND ____". Most T10 schools felt pretty stressy when I talked to students there. But at UCLA everyone was like "this is the BEST time of my life" and it felt more genuine. Having been here now (despite zoom and the diminished human connection) I can definitely back that up that there is such a good school/life balance. I think there is something unique about being a top tier institution but also being a public shcool. I would put Michigan in that same position (but we have sunshine and beaches). At other top places you'll constantly be told "it takes someone special to be admitted to ____" and over time you'll start to believe it. You'll start to believe that you're actually better than others. That's why some of those places have a culture of malignant attendings and stuck up try-hards. But at UCLA (and I would imagine UCSF/Michigan) it'll just be more like, "we know you are amazing, so what are you going to actually DO with your talents?" There's an expectation to be involved in the community more than just padding your resume. You'll work with real patients instead of rich patients (although we do treat lots of celebrities at Raegan). That culture breeds exceptional humans who are understated and celebrate the accomplishments of others. Way less stressful than undergrad.
4. Biggest pro would also be the biggest con: the new curriculum. What's helpful for us is that all the classes before us have compiled awesome study guides for each lecture that simplifies our life a lot. I would imagine that they will still be helpful when studying for finals, but lectures may not line up perfectly. That being said, the biggest drawback for me coming to UCLA was that our curriculum was 2 years. With step going pass/fail, it'll be more important to have time for research and activities outside of book learning. So even though you'll be guinea pigs, they are keeping the same block chairs involved so it won't be that big of a change. If I could change with your class, I would in a heartbeat. I think having a full year dedicated to whatever you want is invaluable. Another huge perk is that you'll rotate through a wide variety of hospitals (county, VA, top in the nation quaternary hub, clinics). A lot of schools have some of those options but not all. Again, this is the benefit of a public school.

No idea of an exact timeline on fin aid.

My best advice to you all is to base your decision on fit, not brand name. I get that UCLA has a huge brand, but we all spend too much time googling rankings and how dope your announcement will be on Instagram (as I did too). Where will you be happiest? Because the bottom line is that most medical schools have so much research happening there that it will be impossible to take advantage of all of it. Same with the clubs there. Same with the mentors. You'll probably have less than 10 mentors, be involved in less than 5 clubs, and work in a few labs. You can find good clubs/research/mentors anywhere. So ignore all of that for a second and think about the types of students that you want to associate with. Think about the location and what you would do on the weekends. Realize that prestige is a double-edged sword. Sure you may get an eyebrow raise when you mention where you went to med school for the rest of your life, but also understand that people may treat you differently based on that. Maybe you don’t want your neighbors and friends viewing you as “the Harvard guy” for the rest of your life..? Maybe it’ll be harder to connect with people because you will be associated with all the baggage of your school, good and bad. For me, UCLA is the best of both worlds. I can be proud of my school, know I am getting amazing training, but saying I went to UCLA doesn’t come across as pretentious. So don't JUST go to the school that happens to be ranked highest the year you apply. Go where you'll be happy and where you get the cheapest deal. You'll do great!
 
Last edited:
koalaburrito said:
1. They've been great. I've never felt unsafe and most of us are vaccinated now (who wanted to be).
2. I mean COVID education is a constant surprise because every school had to adapt quickly. But the main surprise is how amazing my classmates are! Truly world class people coming from all over the states/world. I've also been shocked
3. Honestly the biggest difference from other T10 schools is that UCLA students are a lot more laid back. Don't get me wrong, students here work extremely hard and are involved across many dimensions, but it's a very relaxed vibe when you are with other students. We surf, run, hike together and have lives outside of medicine "physician AND ____". Most T10 schools felt pretty stressy when I talked to students there. But at UCLA everyone was like "this is the BEST time of my life" and it felt more genuine. Having been here now (despite zoom and the diminished human connection) I can definitely back that up that there is such a good school/life balance. I think there is something unique about being a top tier institution but also being a public shcool. I would put Michigan in that same position (but we have sunshine and beaches). At other top places you'll constantly be told "it takes someone special to be admitted to ____" and over time you'll start to believe it. You'll start to believe that you're actually better than others. That's why some of those places have a culture of malignant attendings and stuck up try-hards. But at UCLA (and I would imagine UCSF/Michigan) it'll just be more like, "we know you are amazing, so what are you going to actually DO with your talents?" There's an expectation to be involved in the community more than just padding your resume. You'll work with real patients instead of rich patients (although we do treat lots of celebrities at Raegan). That culture breads exceptional humans who are understated and celebrate the accomplishments of others. Way less stressful than undergrad.
4. Biggest pro would also be the biggest con: the new curriculum. What's helpful for us is that all the classes before us have compiled awesome study guides for each lecture that simplifies our life a lot. I would imagine that they will still be helpful when studying for finals, but lectures may not line up perfectly. That being said, the biggest drawback for me coming to UCLA was that our curriculum was 2 years. With step going pass/fail, it'll be more important to have time for research and activities outside of book learning. So even though you'll be guinea pigs, they are keeping the same block chairs involved so it won't be that big of a change. If I could change with your class, I would in a heartbeat. I think having a full year dedicated to whatever you want is invaluable. Another huge perk is that you'll rotate through a wide variety of hospitals (county, VA, top in the nation quaternary hub, clinics). A lot of schools have some of those options but not all. Again, this is the benefit of a public school.

No idea of an exact timeline on fin aid.

My best advice to you all is to base your decision on fit, not brand name. I get that UCLA has a huge brand, but we all spend too much time googling rankings and how dope your announcement will be on Instagram (as I did too). Where will you be happiest? Because the bottom line is that most medical schools have so much research happening there that it will be impossible to take advantage of all of it. Same with the clubs there. Same with the mentors. You'll probably have less than 10 mentors, be involved in less than 5 clubs, and work in a few labs. You can find good clubs/research/mentors anywhere. So ignore all of that for a second and think about the types of students that you want to associate with. Think about the location and what you would do on the weekends. Realize that prestige is a double-edged sword. Sure you may get an eyebrow raise when you mention where you went to med school for the rest of your life, but also understand that people may treat you differently based on that. So don't JUST go to the school that happens to be ranked highest the year you apply. Go where you'll be happy and where it's cheap. You'll do great!
Click to expand...
Really appreciate the in-depth insight and heartfelt advice. Thank you for sharing!
 
Matchaman1310 said:
Interviewed in September. Waiting very patiently. DGSOM is my top choice. Anyone else in the same boat? Should we expect more invites for Sept/Oct? I know there are still more than half of available invites that need to go out.
Click to expand...
I've been waiting since August...It has been such a long wait and I cannot wait till it's over...I'm getting some consolation from the fact that they haven't rejected us so hopefully, they're still considering our candidacies. I hope to find out by the end of the month, though! 🤞
 
Matchaman1310 said:
Interviewed in September. Waiting very patiently. DGSOM is my top choice. Anyone else in the same boat? Should we expect more invites for Sept/Oct? I know there are still more than half of available invites that need to go out. Also I’m OOS.
Click to expand...
In the same boat. They are less than half way through As, so we definitely are still being considered. My theory is they have a point system and accept the top of the list every Thursday and will keep going until they fill the class, but they also haven't gone back to Aug/Sep/Oct in a while so who knows.
 
mitochondriapowercell said:
In the same boat. They are less than half way through As, so we definitely are still being considered. My theory is they have a point system and accept the top of the list every Thursday and will keep going until they fill the class, but they also haven't gone back to Aug/Sep/Oct in a while so who knows.
Click to expand...
If this is true, most likely means that those of us who interviewed a while ago are out of the running for Geffen scholarship, no?
 
emergencydancing said:
If this is true, most likely means that those of us who interviewed a while ago are out of the running for Geffen scholarship, no?
Click to expand...
Geffen and admissions are separate committees as far as I am aware. Quite a few people got Geffen and their acceptance in Feb/March of last year.
 
emergencydancing said:
If this is true, most likely means that those of us who interviewed a while ago are out of the running for Geffen scholarship, no?
Click to expand...
No, the scholarship committee and admissions committee are separate, this is why in previous years people who interviewed in October but accepted in feb ended up with a Geffen

Edit: sorry didn’t see the post above mine
 
Last edited:
Gonna be interesting to see how they’re gonna roll out another ~140 A and distribute the Geffen in the next couple of weeks. I really hope those of us who got As are still in the running for the Geffen!
 
santanalopez93 said:
Gonna be interesting to see how they’re gonna roll out another ~140 A and distribute the Geffen in the next couple of weeks. I really hope those of us who got As are still in the running for the Geffen!
Click to expand...
I think everyone is safely in the running for Gefffen. Even people who end up waitlisted in the event that someone with a Geffen turns down their offer
 
Matchaman1310 said:
Interviewed in September. Waiting very patiently. DGSOM is my top choice. Anyone else in the same boat? Should we expect more invites for Sept/Oct? I know there are still more than half of available invites that need to go out. Also I’m OOS.
Click to expand...
yeap, ive been waiting since 9/14 and haven't heard anything at all
 
Matchaman1310 said:
Interviewed in September. Waiting very patiently. DGSOM is my top choice. Anyone else in the same boat? Should we expect more invites for Sept/Oct? I know there are still more than half of available invites that need to go out. Also I’m OOS.
Click to expand...
+1
 
ASV444 said:
Nothing yet for me. When did it come out for people last week?
Click to expand...
I think the majority said they got their email around 2-3 PM PT. So going by that trend, maaaaybe not this week/other people have already gotten it but not posted.
 
Nervous but hopeful. Let’s hope for the best for everyone!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

wysdoc
2024-2025 UCLA (Geffen)
42 43 44 45 46
Replies
2K
Views
557K
__zr1__
Z
wysdoc
2023-2024 UCLA (Geffen)
50 51 52 53 54
Replies
3K
Views
653K
research-girlie
R
wysdoc
2022-2023 UCLA (Geffen)
30 31 32 33 34
Replies
2K
Views
478K
Drewin2027
D
wysdoc
2021-2022 UCLA (Geffen)
29 30 31 32 33
Replies
2K
Views
534K
Current-big-pharma-shill
Current-big-pharma-shill
TheDataKing
2020-2021 UCLA Prime
2
Replies
90
Views
26K
Tealco
Tealco
Top