Being in 3 places at once ... 2nd look weekends ...

[shemarty]

I know there's a very small window of time in April/May for schools to hold 2nd look weekends, so the overlap is inevitable, but how do people decide where to go?

I've talked to current med students who hopped around the country on one weekend visiting each school for 1 day - that doesn't seem too cost-effective or worthwhile... how much can you really tell about a place in such a rushed day?

I have 5 acceptances, and the revisit weekends of my 2nd, 3rd, and 4th choice (I don't even know in what order) are on the same weekend.

Should I not even go to any of them, and commit to my current front-runner school? What if revisiting another school actually changes my mind and this one's no longer my front-runner?

Should I see which one's the least expensive to fly to and go to that one? Should I (seriously?!) try to hit 2 in one weekend?

Then there's the issue of in-state tuition vs possible merit scholarships that I [probably wont get, and] probably won't find out about until after 2nd look is over.

Anybody else trying to be in multiple places at once?

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[flaahless]

You should DEFINITELY attend UCSF Accepted Student's Weekend! It's May 2 and 3rd so clear your schedule. Congrats on your success and good luck deciding which school to attend. Whatever decision you make will be a great one.

 

[ChubbyChaser]

I guess 1 day is better than none. I would probably say just committ to your top choice, but if you are iffy i vote to just pick the one you could possibly see yourself attending over UCSF or whichever your top choice is.

*You also might could check out UCLA and UCSD sepearately from the second looks (since its close), and then go to wash u and Umich?

 

[silverlining1]

I guess 1 day is better than none. I would probably say just committ to your top choice, but if you are iffy i vote to just pick the one you could possibly see yourself attending over UCSF or whichever your top choice is.

*You also might could check out UCLA and UCSD sepearately from the second looks (since its close), and then go to wash u and Umich?

UCLA and UCSD are not on the same weekend, so I guess that means we're her last choice *ouch*

But yeah, if you were willing to rent a car, you could come to UCSD's second look and then hit up LA in the same weekend, though I do not think it would be as informative as actually going to LA's second look.

 

[jtimmer1]

I would narrow down which of the 2nd-5th ranked schools to two or so, and attend those 2nd looks; compare and contrast finances, program strengths/weaknesses, and overall student life.

At least, that is what I would do. Good luck, and nice application cycle by the way.

 

[shemarty]

UCLA and UCSD are not on the same weekend, so I guess that means we're her last choice *ouch*

But yeah, if you were willing to rent a car, you could come to UCSD's second look and then hit up LA in the same weekend, though I do not think it would be as informative as actually going to LA's second look.

Heeey - I already talked to you about this in *private*! I purposely didn't name the schools, but with MDApps, and the "second look weekend dates" thread, it wouldn't have been too hard to figure out. Bah, I've been outed.

Anyway...

UCSF is my current front-runner largely because I'm from the Bay Area so UCSF became my default "top choice" for no concrete reasons. I'm trying to figure out those reasons right now.

WashU and Michigan are tricky because it depends A LOT on finances. I would only consider either of these if they offered me enough financial aid / scholarships to make them less expensive than the UCs. Otherwise, UCSD/UCSF/UCLA are all fantastic schools, and way less expensive.

So it's really more like UCSF ?>? UCLA/UCSD > WashU/UMich, except that WashU/UMich has the potential to end up > UCSF if it works out financially. But maybe not, because I do love CA. But maybe its time for me to try living in a new place. Anyway, thats for me to figure out later.

So I was thinking of going to UCSF and UCSD's revisit weekends, but the dilemma is in UCLA/WashU/UMich.

Chubby said "if you are iffy i vote to just pick the one you could possibly see yourself attending over UCSF or whichever your top choice is."

I think this means I should go to UCLA, and forget about WashU and UMich, since I'm 99% sure I won't go to either of those unless they offer me a huge scholarship, which isn't likely. On the other hand, there's the possibility that I'd choose UCLA or UCSD over UCSF if I go to the 2nd look weekends and absolutely love either of them and hate UCSF.

Otherwise, I feel like I will most likely be at UCSF since Norcal>Socal (kidding!)

That was probably too much personal information.

And, I'm still waiting on Yale's decision. That has the potential to throw all of this off.

 

[ChubbyChaser]

Lmao, you have definitely analyzed this to death!!

Good thing is, you cant really go wrong no matter what school you pick.

 

[shemarty]

Lmao, you have definitely analyzed this to death!!

Good thing is, you cant really go wrong no matter what school you pick.

Haha... maybe I'm over-thinking this... *sigh*

The [even more] inconvenient thing is that UCLA's 2nd look weekend is only Saturday. So I couldn't even split UCLA/WashU in any sensible way.

A little part of me just wants to withdraw from everywhere and go to UCSF, but then if for whatever reason I'm not 100% happy there, I'll regret not considering my other options.

 

[DrWookie]

Haha... maybe I'm over-thinking this... *sigh*

The [even more] inconvenient thing is that UCLA's 2nd look weekend is only Saturday. So I couldn't even split UCLA/WashU in any sensible way.

A little part of me just wants to withdraw from everywhere and go to UCSF, but then if for whatever reason I'm not 100% happy there, I'll regret not considering my other options.

From your post before this (which was longer and I didn't want to quote and take up a lot of space), it sounds like if you are going to go to second looks you should be going to UCSF (To make sure you really like it) and WashU and Michigan.

You listed UCSF above UCLA and UCSD and never really had any compelling reason why that would change. Mich and WashU may end up at the top if you get money, but there isn't a similar situation for UCLA and UCSD. So I would probably be thinking between UCSF (your current top) and Mich/WashU as your potential tops depending on how things work out.

EDIT:

Oh well I guess you did say you might fall in love with one of them if you visit again...

Tough call.

At least you can make it to second looks though...the major second look weekends are right in the middle of my finals! (Well one is right before and the other is right before my thesis defense). I can't go to any!

 

[shemarty]

From your post before this (which was longer and I didn't want to quote and take up a lot of space), it sounds like if you are going to go to second looks you should be going to UCSF (To make sure you really like it) and WashU and Michigan.

You listed UCSF above UCLA and UCSD and never really had any compelling reason why that would change. Mich and WashU may end up at the top if you get money, but there isn't a similar situation for UCLA and UCSD. So I would probably be thinking between UCSF (your current top) and Mich/WashU as your potential tops depending on how things work out.

EDIT:

Oh well I guess you did say you might fall in love with one of them if you visit again...

Tough call.

At least you can make it to second looks though...the major second look weekends are right in the middle of my finals! (Well one is right before and the other is right before my thesis defense). I can't go to any!

Yea, I'm *definitely* going to be at UCSF's 2nd look weekend. I only live 30 min away.

UCLA and UCSD don't give merit-based full-rides. If UCSF and WashU/UMich were the same price, I'd still pick UCSF. It'd probably have to be a full ride, which is reaaaaally unlikely, so that's why I was leaning towards *not* going to their 2nd look weekends.

On the other hand UCLA/UCSD might actually draw me away from UCSF if I happen to like it more, after I visit. I'm sure they'll end up being approx the same price, so that won't be a major issue.

I PM'd Flaahless to ask about UCSF, and now I have more concrete reasons why I like UCSF.

 

[DrWookie]

Yea, I'm *definitely* going to be at UCSF's 2nd look weekend. I only live 30 min away.

UCLA and UCSD don't give merit-based full-rides. If UCSF and WashU/UMich were the same price, I'd still pick UCSF. It'd probably have to be a full ride, which is reaaaaally unlikely, so that's why I was leaning towards *not* going to their 2nd look weekends.

On the other hand UCLA/UCSD might actually draw me away from UCSF if I happen to like it more, after I visit. I'm sure they'll end up being approx the same price, so that won't be a major issue.

I PM'd Flaahless to ask about UCSF, and now I have more concrete reasons why I like UCSF.

North or South of SF?

my girlfriend is from Sebastopol. If you are north you may have heard of it.

So if you would only consider WashU/Mich if you were offered a full ride...could you see yourself turning down WashU/Mich IF you did get a full ride? If that is the only thing that would make you want to go, and you wouldn't turn it down...you can just wait and see with them.


I've changed my mind. I would go to UCSF/UCLA/UCSD. They are all 'close' and relatively cheaper I would imagine (to get to). Might as well check them out and see what you think. San Diego/LA/SF are all nice places to be.

EDIT:

Oh well it says Stanford so I guess that means south. Probably never heard of Sebastopol.

 

[silverlining1]

I think talking to flaahless was a great idea. Come to think of it, maybe you should try to talk to more Mich/WashU students to get a better idea of whether you would really go there or not. If they sound incredible, maybe you should try going to learn more. If they sound good but not more wow-worthy than UCSF, then it may be a better use of your time to check out UCLA and UCSD, which you seem more likely (all things considered) to attend.

I definitely agree that there really isn't a bad option here. I know you, and I believe you would be happy at any of these schools. Do your best to investigate what life is like at each of the schools and what kind of opportunities/support they give you... the choice you make is the one that matters. Try not to waste your time thinking "what if".

 

[shemarty]

North or South of SF?

my girlfriend is from Sebastopol. If you are north you may have heard of it.

So if you would only consider WashU/Mich if you were offered a full ride...could you see yourself turning down WashU/Mich IF you did get a full ride? If that is the only thing that would make you want to go, and you wouldn't turn it down...you can just wait and see with them.


I've changed my mind. I would go to UCSF/UCLA/UCSD. They are all 'close' and relatively cheaper I would imagine (to get to). Might as well check them out and see what you think. San Diego/LA/SF are all nice places to be.

South - I'm on the peninsula. I've never heard of Sebastopol

Yes, I could also see myself turning down WashU/Mich IF I did get a full ride. I'd have to visit it, genuinely like it, then accept the money as icing on the cake. However I have no idea how I feel about either right now (besides that they're not in CA, and I've been in CA for a long time, so its very comfortable and familiar here). That's what makes this complicated. I don't think I would blindly pick the least expensive place, I want to make sure I'm going to be in an environment that I can enjoy for the next 4 years.

For now, I'm just going to assume that WashU and Mich will be more expensive than the UCs, so I'll deal with that decision if I actually have the opportunity to, which I don't think I will, so its a moot point.


I'm kind of terrified about the Yale decision that's coming on Friday. It's my last chance to have an "east coast" option.

Eek, I didn't mean for this to turn into such a personal discussion of my situation. Apparently this thread has 300+ views - sometimes I forget how public SDN is.

 

[DrWookie]

I should also add, since I"ve been meaning to say this but haven't found the right thread to mention it in.

If that is you in your picture shemarty you are quite pretty.

Just wanted to say that

 

[sindadel]

Don't overthink it - UCSF is objectively the best choice: location, support network, finances, prestige. If Yale accepts you, it'll be a little more difficult, but there's a lot going for UCSF. You could do an East Coast residency or fellowship if you end up wanting that exposure.

UCLA and UCSD are fun places to live (and of course good medical schools) but if you don't long for beach and surfing and smog and palm trees, stay where you are!

Just my two cents (Berkeley alum, did my undergrad in SoCal and loved it - I'd be picking UCLA in your shoes, btw, for all the reasons above - losing out slightly in the prestige department as I understand it). Good luck with the agonizing!

 

[shemarty]

I think talking to flaahless was a great idea. Come to think of it, maybe you should try to talk to more Mich/WashU students to get a better idea of whether you would really go there or not. If they sound incredible, maybe you should try going to learn more. If they sound good but not more wow-worthy than UCSF, then it may be a better use of your time to check out UCLA and UCSD, which you seem more likely (all things considered) to attend.

I definitely agree that there really isn't a bad option here. I know you, and I believe you would be happy at any of these schools. Do your best to investigate what life is like at each of the schools and what kind of opportunities/support they give you... the choice you make is the one that matters. Try not to waste your time thinking "what if".

That's a good idea. Yea, there don't seem to be any really high-profile Mich/WashU med students on SDN, and a *lot* of my recent premed experience has been SDN-centric, haha.

I'll go talk to the Stanford-->Mich people.
I only know one Stanford-->WashU person, and she was my student host... hmm... facebook perhaps...

 

[RoadRunner17]

Eek, I didn't mean for this to turn into such a personal discussion of my situation. Apparently this thread has 300+ views - sometimes I forget how public SDN is.

Hey, we all got nothing but love for ya. After all, you helped us all out with the organization of the secondary threads.

I would personally find the contact information of some current students (M1's and maybe M4's) at WashU and Michigan. Perhaps you know some people who were in classes above you at Stanford who went to those schools, or someone knows someone, whatever. Then you can find out what they liked, and didn't like about the school and maybe what kind of people would do best at these schools. All of these things and whatever other questions you have. Do that first before you decide where to go.

Presumably, since you're from California and already know what to expect from UCSD and UCLA (just making assumptions here, I apologize if I'm wrong), and if you don't, you can easily go visit them on your own. My guess is that Second Looks tend to focus more on the positives of the school, and gloss over the negatives... i.e. it's a sales job. So be sure to take everything they give you with a grain of salt and focus more on whether you actually like the location/students... which leads me to my next point.

It sounds like you want to go with UCSF, but you aren't sure if you want to stay in CA. Well, you better be damn sure you want to go to Missouri or Michigan... or even Connecticut. You'll get a good vibe on what life's like being there for at least a day and night. So that's why I think you should consider going to WashU and Michigan's Second Looks, and going to UCLA/UCSD on your own at another time.

Hope this is helpful, either way I don't think you can really go wrong. Good luck.

 

[Lukkie]

ill buy you dinner if you come to UCLA shemarties

 

[shemarty]

Don't overthink it - UCSF is objectively the best choice: location, support network, finances, prestige. If Yale accepts you, it'll be a little more difficult, but there's a lot going for UCSF. You could do an East Coast residency or fellowship if you end up wanting that exposure.

UCLA and UCSD are fun places to live (and of course good medical schools) but if you don't long for beach and surfing and smog and palm trees, stay where you are!

Just my two cents (Berkeley alum, did my undergrad in SoCal and loved it - I'd be picking UCLA in your shoes, btw, for all the reasons above - losing out slightly in the prestige department as I understand it). Good luck with the agonizing!

Thanks for your input sinadel! Yea, being from Norcal, I don't have a strong urge to be in Socal, except just to check it out / go somewhere different...except ...that I don't really want to do that either. Haha - I'm kind of lame like that. I like the Bay Area!

I actually kind of hate the beach - in fact I can barely swim, I'd rather be too cold than too hot (this is within my narrow Norcal temperature range of 50-75 degrees. I'd rather it be 85 than, say, 30, so that's -1 for Yale, haha), I prefer fog to smog, though I do *love* palm trees (sad to leave Stanford).

I agree, there's a *lot* going for UCSF. I'm asking Flaahless more about the schedule, grading basis, research opportunities, etc. I wish there were an undergrad campus associated with it - that's one of the only cons I can think of, but that certainly shouldn't make or break my decision.

Once it's May 15th, I'm going to buy a hoodie from whatever school I choose. I think hoodies have some kind of magical power that makes you suddenly feel a ridiculous amount of school spirit and forget about all the "what ifs."

 

[scarletgirl777]

I think that the fact that the UCLA revisit is only one day makes me think you could better spend your time visiting somewhere else. It seems like you could easily do your revisit to UCLA and the Westwood area on your own time since you're relatively close and not miss much.

 

[Penguick]

It makes much more sense for you to visit UCSD and UCLA on your own time as they are so much easier/cheaper for you to get to. You could visit UCSD, while hanging out with silverlining, and that will easily give you the opportunity to talk to her classmates. Thus, that one will basically be the equivalent of getting to know UCSD and its students. Then for UCLA, it's only a short drive from SD, so that is another easy one to get to.

I'd say go to the one between WashU and Michigan that you feel like you would more likely want to spend 4 years of your life if you decided on that location. Then, go to that one.

Your gut is usually the right option.

 

[shemarty]

Hey, we all got nothing but love for ya. After all, you helped us all out with the organization of the secondary threads.

I would personally find the contact information of some current students (M1's and maybe M4's) at WashU and Michigan. Perhaps you know some people who were in classes above you at Stanford who went to those schools, or someone knows someone, whatever. Then you can find out what they liked, and didn't like about the school and maybe what kind of people would do best at these schools. All of these things and whatever other questions you have. Do that first before you decide where to go.

Presumably, since you're from California and already know what to expect from UCSD and UCLA (just making assumptions here, I apologize if I'm wrong), and if you don't, you can easily go visit them on your own. My guess is that Second Looks tend to focus more on the positives of the school, and gloss over the negatives... i.e. it's a sales job. So be sure to take everything they give you with a grain of salt and focus more on whether you actually like the location/students... which leads me to my next point.

It sounds like you want to go with UCSF, but you aren't sure if you want to stay in CA. Well, you better be damn sure you want to go to Missouri or Michigan... or even Connecticut. You'll get a good vibe on what life's like being there for at least a day and night. So that's why I think you should consider going to WashU and Michigan's Second Looks, and going to UCLA/UCSD on your own at another time.

Hope this is helpful, either way I don't think you can really go wrong. Good luck.

Thanks RoadRunner! Yea, I know some M1's at Michigan so I'll get in touch with them again. I'll have to track down some WashU students, since I don't know many.

Regarding staying in CA... I'm actually fairly sure I'd be extremely happy to stay in the SF Bay Area for my entire life. But people keep telling me I need to go out and exploooooore. I dunno, maybe *they* want to explore...do I really need to explore?

So, yes, I want to go to UCSF and I *think* I want to stay in CA foreeeever, but maybe that's too close-minded of me. I don't think I'd actually prefer to live in Michigan or Missouri over CA, but maybe it's one of those things where I need to go and challenge myself... maybe not. As Sindadel said - I'm over-thinking it!

I was really bummed about not getting into HMS because it would've been a fairly legit reason to leave CA and turn down UCSF. There are few schools I'd give up UCSF/in-state tuition for, but I would have seriously considered HMS. Alas, that's not an option for me, which actually makes this decision *easier*, thank god.

Darn it, your reasoning for going to WashU/Mich's 2nd looks and visiting UCLA/UCSD some other time also makes a lot of sense too! But I'm fairly sure that I would only go to either of these schools on the tiny chance that they offered me a huge scholarship. And it'd be at the expense of going to UCLA's 2nd look, where they [presumably] try to convince acceptees of why UCLA is awesome. I might not get as much of a sales pitch if I just visited on my own during some random time. But maybe that's better, to hear the non-glossy version of the story.

I would really need to learn a lot more about UCLA before deciding that I'd rather be at UCSF. Otherwise, I'd be picking SF based solely on geography and US News rankings.

Why do I over-analyze everything? I'm fairly convinced I have mild OCD. Oh well, it helps keep SDN threads organized,

 

[fizzle]

Otherwise, I feel like I will most likely be at UCSF since Norcal>Socal (kidding!)

Hey, there's nothing to kid about. It's confirmed that Norcal>Socal

The skies are clearer, the land is greener, the summers are cooler...I could go on, but I'm visiting Socal for a family reunion in a couple of weeks, so I don't want to further convince myself that I'll be miserable down there

Heh heh heh...

PS: I'm just kidding too! Don't kill me please! Well, not kidding about the Norcal>Socal part *runs away*

 

[shemarty]

It makes much more sense for you to visit UCSD and UCLA on your own time as they are so much easier/cheaper for you to get to. You could visit UCSD, while hanging out with silverlining, and that will easily give you the opportunity to talk to her classmates. Thus, that one will basically be the equivalent of getting to know UCSD and its students. Then for UCLA, it's only a short drive from SD, so that is another easy one to get to.

I'd say go to the one between WashU and Michigan that you feel like you would more likely want to spend 4 years of your life if you decided on that location. Then, go to that one.

Your gut is usually the right option.

I think that the fact that the UCLA revisit is only one day makes me think you could better spend your time visiting somewhere else. It seems like you could easily do your revisit to UCLA and the Westwood area on your own time since you're relatively close and not miss much.

Hmm, this makes sense. I could go to UCSD's regular 2nd look weekend (it doesn't conflict with anything) and then head up to UCLA, visit my college friends who happen to be in LA, meet up with some UCLA students, and try to learn more about UCLA that way.

I'm still not sure if I want to spend $250 flying to either Michigan or WashU, given that the chance that I'll actually end up there is so seemingly small at this point. I think Michigan's scholarship info might come out at the end of March... but WashU's isn't until late-April.

Another possibility is that I can just to wait until I hear back about the financial situation, then make a separate trip out there at that time. That way I only have to spend the $250 if I were actually at the point where I'd seriously be considering either of those options. I'd miss the official sales pitch, though. But maybe that's okay? Maybe I can just stay with some students and hang out for a couple days, and that'll still give me a good sense about what the school is like. (If that's gonna be true for UCLA/UCSD, then it should extrapolate to Mich/WashU, too, right?)

Good thing my job situation is super flexible this year, haha...

 

[shemarty]

Hey, there's nothing to kid about. It's confirmed that Norcal>Socal

The skies are clearer, the land is greener, the summers are cooler...I could go on, but I'm visiting Socal for a family reunion in a couple of weeks, so I don't want to further convince myself that I'll be miserable down there

Heh heh heh...

I hope you have fun at your reunion! All my extended family's in China, but I'm going for a month in June!

and, something for your sig: moot point, not mute point

 

[caffeineaholic]

Hey,
I just wanted to chime in w/ my input and let you know that your chances of a full-ride at WashU or Mich may not be as slim as you think (i.e. I would suggest that you don't view your chances as being so nil to none that you stop considering both of the schools as valid options just because of that reason).

I haven't been following the pre-allo threads recently so I don't know if initial merit offers have been made yet. HOWEVER, the merit scholarship offers can keep coming and the keep changing (i.e. increase) up until late in the app season (I think up until May 15, or whenever the final decision date is). Pretty much, merit $ will be offered, and the when some students turn down that money (usually after waitlist movement occurs / more financial aid award info becomes available), the funds will be offered to other students.

the rest of what i have to say is anecdotal and doesn't really imply anything specific about your case other than don't discount your chances of getting a full ride to Mich or WashU quite yet, so take it as you will...

I was accepted to both Mich (OOS) and WashU last year. Applied for the Olin / general merit funds at WashU, didn't get anything. Mich doesn't make you apply separately for merit funding, and I got $15k awarded the first day they were sending out merit $ notices. This was despite interviewing on the last interview day and nabbing one of the last few non-waitlist spots in the class. I got a full-tuition scholarship elsewhere and I tried seeing if Mich would match or at least increase the merit $ amount, just to see what would happen and to make finances play a negligible role in my decision-making. Mich didn't budge / didn't change the amount. Since I liked the school that I got the full-ride to for multiple non-monetary reasons (in addition to the nice funding), I ended up going there.

As for Mich, I know in the past they've been open to negotiating for increasing merit aid. Three of people I know (older classes, not last year's app cycle) were Mich in-state, admitted on 10/15, got partial but not full tuition initially. Each got into other schools (Hopkins / Yale / Penn) and used those admission offers as leverage and got full-rides to Mich. Two of them got into those other schools off of the waitlist in May. I have heard of a couple other cases (in-staters though) who used either offers (admission or merit $) from better-ranked schools or better merit $ offers from slightly lower-ranked schools to get Mich to increase what merit $ they would offer. This may vary greatly from applicant to applicant though. I think it all depends on how much they want you as a member of the incoming class. They have their whole point system for figuring out admission offers and then merit $ initial offers...I think that's probably also playing a role in whether they'll negotiate or not with you. I don't know if they have a preference for negotiating w/ in-staters (esp since full-tuition awards for in-state would be less $ than full-tuition awards for out of state people). However, since you were admitted on 10/15 (i did some MDapps glancing), it shows that they at least wanted you enough to admit you on the first possible day, and thus may give you merit $.

Another example which runs a little opposite from the previous examples...
I know a Mich in-state person who got admitted into both Mich and WashU. No initial merit $ from either, but was an alternate for the merit scholarship at WashU. Tried asking for $ from both early on (just using admission offers as a basis), but no luck. Ended up getting full-tuition to WashU in May, a few days before final decisions had to be made.

Pretty much, it's not over til it's over. Waitlist movement will occur. Merit $ offers can change (and get better) up until the last minute, especially with waitlist movement as ppl w/ full-rides somewhere give them up after they get off their top choice's waitlist.

I'd recommend going to either WashU or Mich's 2nd look weekends. Pick whichever one you liked better from interviewing and go. Both had a lot of school/area-specific activities planned for the weekends and gave out nice free stuff (i.e. bags or sweatshirts) w/ the schools' logos + had & lots of free food. It was good opportunity to go and see who your potential future classmates would be too. There were a bunch of people at both who were deciding b/t other schools, but there were many at both who were definite members of the incoming class and wanted to go to get a head start on the housing search + meet people. The 2nd look weekends were great for getting to hear about the perks about the schools and the locations, for meeting people, and getting wined and dined.

You could go, and end up being able to see yourself being happy at either place, and if the merit $ thing works out, have a good thing going on. Or, you could go, and realize that you could never be happy as a California transplant in the Midwest. Then, your decision will be even easier as you could cross WashU and/or Mich off your lists and not look back and wonder, what-if.

good luck! hope this helps & wasn't too convoluted to follow.

 

[silverlining1]

It's confirmed that Norcal>Socal

The skies are clearer, the land is greener, the summers are cooler...I could go on, but I'm visiting Socal for a family reunion in a couple of weeks, so I don't want to further convince myself that I'll be miserable down there

FALSEHOODS

Actually, I would totally agree that Stanford's skies were much clearer than LA's. San Diego, though... no joke, this place is the best. I'm not a huge beach fan either (though I do like to sit at coffee shops that overlook the water), but the climate is great, and I personally like the city of San Diego and its variety more than other cities in California. Personal choice issue... I won't insist that SoCal > NorCal for everyone

I could go to UCSD's regular 2nd look weekend (it doesn't conflict with anything) and then head up to UCLA, visit my college friends who happen to be in LA, meet up with some UCLA students, and try to learn more about UCLA that way.

Yupyup. I'm busy on Sunday anyways so I can only entertain you Friday and Saturday.

If you haven't RSVP'd yet, I know the "deadline" has already passed, but we're accepting another bunch next week so we're going to give them a chance to RSVP too =] So please do so if you want to come!

 

[unsung]

Dude, save your money. There IS a chance you might learn something new during revisit that sways you in a new direction... but how often does that really happen? I mean, I know after my 1st interview/school tour, I kinda figured out that all schools pretty much give you the same schpiel. They all drag you to the anatomy lab and it all looks the same any way. Plus, I sort of believe in first impressions, anyway. I felt like I got the vibe of a place pretty well and pretty quickly during that first tour/interview.

At the end of the day, I kinda knew it would just come down to a question of finances. Be realistic and be honest with yourself about what you're actually going to do. IF you are severely torn between 2 places, then go to the revisit. If you KNOW you're most likely going to one place, save your hundreds of dollars... or maybe take yourself on a shopping spree if you're itching to spend it

 

[shemarty]

Dude, save your money. There IS a chance you might learn something new during revisit that sways you in a new direction... but how often does that really happen? I mean, I know after my 1st interview/school tour, I kinda figured out that all schools pretty much give you the same schpiel. They all drag you to the anatomy lab and it all looks the same any way. Plus, I sort of believe in first impressions, anyway. I felt like I got the vibe of a place pretty well and pretty quickly during that first tour/interview.

At the end of the day, I kinda knew it would just come down to a question of finances. Be realistic and be honest with yourself about what you're actually going to do. IF you are severely torn between 2 places, then go to the revisit. If you KNOW you're most likely going to one place, save your hundreds of dollars... or maybe take yourself on a shopping spree if you're itching to spend it

Haha, a good point also. Problem is I don't think I got a very thorough impression of UCLA/UCSF from their interview days. I didn't even really have a tour at UCLA. So it's kinda hard to compare those two.

Apparently Mich's 2nd look weekend is FULL, so I guess that helps! I accidentally deleted the email that came 3 days ago.... I found it in my trash folder after asking someone on the Mich thread for the subject heading. How silly.

I'm definitely going to visit UCSF, then maybe I can hit UCLA on my UCSD trip, and then maybe go to WashU on the off chance that I happen to love it and they offer me a scholarship later.

I guess it'd be pretty stupid to burn all my bridges and withdraw from everywhere now, just to have closure, haha.

 

[redlight]

when is the washu second look?
i'm not sure if you know this/if it helps at all, but the admissions lady from washu said scholarship offers are usually made in april.

EDIT: forgot to add that your chances are not exactly terrible because something like 1/4-1/5 of the non mstp people receive scholarship support.

 

[shemarty]

when is the washu second look?
i'm not sure if you know this/if it helps at all, but the admissions lady from washu said scholarship offers are usually made in april.

EDIT: forgot to add that your chances are not exactly terrible because something like 1/4-1/5 of the non mstp people receive scholarship support.

It's April 24th, ~same time scholarship info is announced, I guess.

I dunno, I kinda gave up on the idea of it. I feel fortunate enough for the acceptances that I have, and I'm kinda in a bleh mood because of the last 3 decisions I got over the past couple weeks, so it seems like too much to hope for a substantial scholarship. At least CA <3's me back.

I'm sure I'd be very happy at one of the UCs, so WashU and Michigan are huge question marks right now.

 

[scarletgirl777]

when is the washu second look?
i'm not sure if you know this/if it helps at all, but the admissions lady from washu said scholarship offers are usually made in april.

EDIT: forgot to add that your chances are not exactly terrible because something like 1/4-1/5 of the non mstp people receive scholarship support.

Merit scholarship support? That is actually a lot of merit scholarship support.

 

[redlight]

Merit scholarship support? That is actually a lot of merit scholarship support.

yes, merit! and i said the same thing to her... it's craziness. very few other schools give such merit money.

edit: here's a listing of some washu support

 

[redlight]

It's April 24th, ~same time scholarship info is announced, I guess.

I dunno, I kinda gave up on the idea of it. I feel fortunate enough for the acceptances that I have, and I'm kinda in a bleh mood because of the last 3 decisions I got over the past couple weeks, so it seems like too much to hope for a substantial scholarship. At least CA <3's me back.

I'm sure I'd be very happy at one of the UCs, so WashU and Michigan are huge question marks right now.

well my feeling is, if you were good enough to be accepted, you are going to be competitive for the scholarship.

other schools' decisions don't matter at all, especially because they saw your application in a slightly different light (as in they judged you from different secondary essays, interview evaluations). for whatever reasons, those schools didn't want you badly enough, but obviously that has no bearing on washu's opinion of you.

 

[shemarty]

This is ironic/funny... I got Yale - e-mail just came!

Yale's 2nd look is ALSO THE SAME WEEKEND!

But I loved Yale, whereas I was more on the fence about Mich or WashU. (Might just be a east coast vs midwest thing) I don't think I'd give up UCSF for Yale unless it turned out to be at least the same price, which is also unlikely, but not as crazy as hoping for a full tuition scholarship.

Shemarty's Official Plan:
I'm going to UCSD's 2nd look to hang out with Silverlining, I'll will try to swing by LA for an unofficial 2nd look, then I'll go to Yale and UCSF's official 2nd look weekends, then if I actually get offered a scholarship by WashU or Michigan, I'll revisit (pun intended) the issue then!

 

[redlight]

lol, congrats on yale! great school, great atmosphere.

there were a good number of people from the UCs/cali when i was there last summer--im sure you'd fit right in.

 

[ProteinChemist]

Shemarty, I want your problems.

 

[silverlining1]

Shemarty's Official Plan:
I'm going to UCSD's 2nd look to hang out with Silverlining, I'll will try to swing by LA for an unofficial 2nd look, then I'll go to Yale and UCSF's official 2nd look weekends, then if I actually get offered a scholarship by WashU or Michigan, I'll revisit (pun intended) the issue then!

Yay!!! I'm so happy you made a decision about this and that you feel happy about it!

And yeah ProteinChemist, I totally hear you. It's funny that something like this can cause a person a lot of real stress, and when it passes you realize how lucky you really are and that you should be bouncing off the walls!

 

[shemarty]

Yay!!! I'm so happy you made a decision about this and that you feel happy about it!

And yeah ProteinChemist, I totally hear you. It's funny that something like this can cause a person a lot of real stress, and when it passes you realize how lucky you really are and that you should be bouncing off the walls!

I know, I woke up this morning, saw the Yale email, and couldn't help but laugh at the whole situation.

I'm finally somewhat stress-free, I think. I'm just going to try to be happy and relax from now until whenever orientation is, with probably a little blip in my cortisol levels around May 15th.

 

[WaterBird]

sounds like you have a good plan at this point with your travels!

Regarding staying in CA... I'm actually fairly sure I'd be extremely happy to stay in the SF Bay Area for my entire life. But people keep telling me I need to go out and exploooooore. I dunno, maybe *they* want to explore...do I really need to explore?

As to the above line, I think the fact that you can imagine staying in the bay area forever is MORE reason to go elsewhere for med school. i lived in norcal, and every once in a while someone would say something weird, and then i'd remember that they had only ever lived in the bay area and it would all make sense. It's hard to describe. Also, I totally <3 northern california, but i think everyone should, at some point, live at least 100 miles from the parents. arbitrary? kind of, but still something i believe in. Far enough that you can't do laundry at home in a pinch

if after your 2nd looks you still love ucsf the most, thats a different story! but these aren't schools most people would distinguish btwn based on rankings.

 

[silverlining1]

As to the above line, I think the fact that you can imagine staying in the bay area forever is MORE reason to go elsewhere for med school. i lived in norcal, and every once in a while someone would say something weird, and then i'd remember that they had only ever lived in the bay area and it would all make sense. It's hard to describe. Also, I totally <3 northern california, but i think everyone should, at some point, live at least 100 miles from the parents. arbitrary? kind of, but still something i believe in. Far enough that you can't do laundry at home in a pinch

if after your 2nd looks you still love ucsf the most, thats a different story! but these aren't schools most people would distinguish btwn based on rankings.

I definitely agree with this. Not that I'm the most worldly person, but I'm definitely aware of more now than when I was in high school - going to a college in a place more than 100 miles away with students from all over the globe was really eye-opening. Granted, shemarty went to the same college... but it was also near home for her, whereas it was not near home for me. I feel like experiencing a different atmosphere is one of those things that intangibly gives you more perspective on the world. In fact, I used to not care about traveling, but now that I've gotten a little taste, I want to travel more widely and see how people live and think in other parts of the nation and the world.

Now, is this something that's important for everyone to do? Well, I don't know... but I do think it's something worth considering. I can't concretely nail down the specific reasons that expanding your world view can help you grow as a person in important ways... but it can.

 

[WaterBird]

I definitely agree with this. Not that I'm the most worldly person, but I'm definitely aware of more now than when I was in high school - going to a college in a place more than 100 miles away with students from all over the globe was really eye-opening. Granted, shemarty went to the same college... but it was also near home for her, whereas it was not near home for me.

I think this is a good expansion point - that the same place can be different for different people. My freshman year next door neighbor's mom used to come vacuum her room Although we were both technically at the same eye-opening, chock full of international students kind of place, I felt like she never had to learn how to get a little tougher because mom was always 20 minutes away.

 

[shemarty]

I think you guys are right... that's one of the reasons I'm really drawn to Yale despite the fact that UCSF has "better clinical training". I'm sure I'll become a good doctor either way, but this is still 4 years of my life. San Francisco would just be way too safe of a choice, and I know I'd be very happy and comfortable there, but this might be a good opportunity to live somewhere else, temporarily.

I was on the phone with my dad today. I need to get my car's oil changed. I have no idea how to do this. The original plan was actually for me to drive home (25 min) and he'd take my car in for me. But I think the new plan is for me to go to a local oil-change-place confused on my own.

Here's the email he sent me:

Shemarty,
I used these garages for oil change at price no more than 30 dollars.
You can choose any one below.
Take one which you will wait the shortest time . bring a book with you.

call for how long you may wait.

http://www.midas.com/ I spend 19 dollars for Honda last week.

http://www.wheelworks.net/ I used it last year for Lexus for $25.

http://www.precisiontune.com/ I used it three years ago.

ask for 5000 mile services:
oil change and maybe free inspection: fluid level, brake, battery, tire pressure ...

Dad




Hahaha, I <3 my fobby parents

(if any of you can sympathize with this, check out mydadisafob.com and mymomisafob.com)

But yea, if I stay in SF I'll probably still gonna go with my mom to the hair salon and with my dad to get my car oil changed... not good for personal growth!

 

[silverlining1]

Shemarty,
I used these garages for oil change at price no more than 30 dollars.
You can choose any one below.
Take one which you will wait the shortest time . bring a book with you.

call for how long you may wait.

http://www.midas.com/ I spend 19 dollars for Honda last week.

http://www.wheelworks.net/ I used it last year for Lexus for $25.

http://www.precisiontune.com/ I used it three years ago.

ask for 5000 mile services:
oil change and maybe free inspection: fluid level, brake, battery, tire pressure ...

Dad




Hahaha, I <3 my fobby parents

(if any of you can sympathize with this, check out mydadisafob.com and mymomisafob.com)

But yea, if I stay in SF I'll probably still gonna go with my mom to the hair salon and with my dad to get my car oil changed... not good for personal growth!

OH my goodness. As soon as I started reading this, I thought "I should tell her to read mymomisafob and mydadisafob"... and then I saw the bottom of your post.

I do think it's important to live independently from your parents for some time, but it's also important to live in a different area with different types of people, different things to do, different attitudes...

 

[sleepy425]

Congratulations on all the nice acceptances! I kind of know what you're going through, I have two second looks that are on the same weekend and probably next week I'll find out if I have a third one that weekend.

I think unsung kind of mentioned this, but I want to point out that you might want to consider what you'd get out of going to some of these second looks. I think the second looks are very valuable if you have something in mind that you want to learn about a school. For me, since I'm doing MSTP, it's really important to me to go to these schools and see how I feel about the research there. For you, it might be the housing, or to meet the other students who go there, or to see if you like the campus. Obviously, it would be nice to attend all of them, but if you can't, you need to see if you already learned what you need to know from the interview day, and if you did, you can skip that second look.

If it really matters to you to go back and see all the schools again (which I perfectly understand), you might want to consider going for a revisit on another day (in other words, go back on a day that's not part of the second look weekend). Sure, it'll cost a bit, but if that's what it takes to give you peace of mind, go for it. You can call the school and see if they can give you the emails of a few students who you might want to shadow for the day, so you can get a chance to meet current students and such. They might be able to drive you around and show you were most students live.