Cincinnati

[Mage]

I don't mean to seem jaded or have low form or anything, but I submitted my online application Oct. 1...a friend of mine did his Oct. 29. We both got our August MCATs on the 18th. I got a 30, he got a 29. My GPA is a 3.5, his is a 3.6. He got an interview invite 2-3 weeks after submitting his application, and I've heard nothing.

Any ideas? I thought UC was offering invites by going down numerical stats...and I even busted myself applying as early as I did. It's pathetic of me to feel this way only because my friend got an interview...but another friend with a lower MCAT (his GPA is likely higher than mine) also got an interview. I mean, I'm hurting for some information here

My older brother (a UCMed alumni) even said I should just call and ask "what's the hold-up?" Of course, it would be incredibly boorish to do so. Besides, how am I to judge what criteria they use? But, the idea is floating in my head :/

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[amonkeybutt]

have you called to make sure everything is in on your file? i applied there also and turned in my secondary online about the same time you did and i called about two weeks ago to check up and found out something was missing from my file. after that mistake was fixed, i was offered an interview within two days. so i suggest you call just to make sure. did you check the status check? i noticed that they didn't enter in my rec letters until a month after when they should have received them so perhaps they are running late. good luck.

 

[Mage]

Well, I haven't called, but I have emailed them roughly 10 times during the past 2 months, making sure they had my letters of recommendation, mcat scores, etc., and the last 3 emails have been "Your application is complete, if you receive an interview, you will be notified in the mail." I've checked online, it simply keeps saying "application complete - (recent date)." So...I guess I could call...I just don't think it'll make any difference.

 

[Cookie]

hi amonkeybutt...when was your interview at university of Cincinnati ? I had an interview there on 11/27. I can't wait to hear back from them..I keep checking the online status check. have you heard anything back from them? thanks

 

[mongoose]

Just thought I would add my two cents, since in this case they provide a little additional insight. I am pretty certain they aren't going strictly by numbers since I have an interview. Brace yourselves: I have a 30 MCAT and a 2.71 GPA. So much for the "granting interviews by the numbers theory", huh? I am also out of state so I really don't know what they saw in my application, but I will let you know after December 18, my interview date. Overall, I must say that I have had remarkable success so far in the application process given my horrible GPA. This makes my fifth interview. Obviously, it is not just a numbers game at these five schools.

 

[RainaNoelle]

Heheh...it seems that Clarice Fooks (Asst. Dean of Admissions at UC) was feeding me lots of bad info. She did tell me that they go straight down the numbers list for interviews. She also told me they'd not be using the status page this year, and it turned out that they are.

I'm now in the process of watching that "appl. complete 11/4/01" screen carefully, waiting on the day it hopefully changes to an interview date.

Good luck to everyone!

Raina

 

[Mage]

Well, I called them (that 2.71 sort of impelled me...no offense, but I can't understand how you got interviews unless you did something absolutely extraordinary, or went to harvard/yale)...as expected, they told me nothing. Damned UC. Hope I get some info from my other apps soon.

 

[mongoose]

Mage -- It is compelled, not impelled. By the way, no I did not go to Harvard or Yale, I do not have any extraordinary EC's (judging from fellow SDNers EC's), and I have interviews because I deserve them, not because they were bought, fell out of the sky, or anything else. I have 5 interviews and 3 are at out-of-state schools, which I am very proud of since they have a reputation for being harder to obtain. Like I said before, it is NOT a numbers game at these five schools, obviously. If it makes you feel any better the University of Tennesse-Memphis, the medical school affiliated with my own undergraduate institute of University of Tennessee-Knoxville, still hasn't granted me an interview. Maybe they have some sort of minimum GPA or something. Regardless, if I have my choice I won't end up there anyway. I know you may not want any advice from someone with a lowly 2.71 GPA, but here it comes anyway: Do not focus on everyone else's results in this med school application process. Focus, instead, on your own results and how to make them better. It seems to be working for me, don't ya think?

 

[amonkeybutt]

hey cookie, i haven't had my interview yet so i can't help you with any info (sorry ). Mage, i'm sorry they weren't more helpful (the lady wasn't too nice to me either, she actually sounded very annoyed by me), please don't be too discouraged, perhaps the person reviewing your app is just super slow (and everyone else lucked out). Best of luck to you

 

[Ranger Bob]

mongoose, I understand your point about the admissions being more than a numbers game. But to what do you attribute your success? I can understand, based on the information you've provided thus far, why Mage might feel disappointed not to have gotten an interview.

 

[Mage]

im?pel (m-pl)
tr.v. im?pelled, im?pel?ling, im?pels
To urge to action; drive: I was impelled by events to take a stand.
To drive forward; propel


Please, don't try to come off so arrogantly, mongoose. It is perfectly logical for me to wonder what has buoyed your application in the face of your admittedly horrible GPA. If you don't want to share, that's fine. If you feel the need to explain the obvious, please think of who you are addressing first; pre-meds. I think we, of all people, understand the most that numbers do not dictate this process. If I had not been told about UC's apparently nonexistent "number game," this thread would not exist.

 

[mongoose]

Defintion of impel:

Pronunciation: im-'pel
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Form(s): im?pelled; im?pel?ling
Etymology: Latin impellere, from in- + pellere to drive -- more at FELT
Date: 15th century
1 : to urge or drive forward or on by or as if by the exertion of strong moral pressure : FORCE
2 : to impart motion to : PROPEL

Defintion of compel:

Pronunciation: k&m-'pel
Function: transitive verb
Inflected Form(s): com?pelled; com?pel?ling
Etymology: Middle English compellen, from Middle French compellir, from Latin compellere, from com- + pellere to drive -- more at FELT
Date: 14th century
1 : to drive or urge forcefully or irresistibly
2 : to cause to do or occur by overwhelming pressure

So, Mage, would you say you felt a "strong moral pressure" to call? Or would you say you felt a "forceful or irresistible urge" to call? Anyway, enough on semantics. It is now time to be a nice guy in the face of insulting comments made by my peers. Everyone seems to want to know the key to my success and to be perfectly honest, I don't know exactly what it is. So, I will give a brief overview of my application so that maybe we can discern what Cincinnati is looking for in an applicant. I listed only seven EC's, three of which were work related. At two of the jobs, I was a shift supervisor in industrial facilities. Maybe they saw this as an indication I have good leadership skills. Another of my EC's listed my experience as a motocross racer. I raced semi-professionally for three years. Maybe they saw this as an indication of great drive and determination. My fourth EC listed my experience helping disadvantaged high school students as a tutor. Maybe a sign of maturity. My final EC, which I feel probably had more impact at Cincinnatti, listed my volunteer experiences at a local childrens hospital. Why would this have more of an effect at Cincinnatti? They are the sixth ranked pediatric school in the world. Another EC lists my experience in college athletics. This one probably didn't help all that much. As for the GPA, it is somewhat misleading. It is a 2.71 cumulative. However, I spent four years obtaining a Business Administration degree in which I had a 2.4 GPA. Since starting work toward prereqs for med school, my GPA is about 3.5 and my science GPA is a little over 3.6. This higher GPA came, of course, after my work experience. Maybe they saw the positive trend and realized I am far more mature and focused than I once was. That is enough about me, though. And if you want to know why my previous post was a little persnickety, just think how this line comes off when read from my perspective: that 2.71 sort of impelled me...no offense, but I can't understand how you got interviews unless you did something absolutely extraordinary, or went to harvard/yale)... that was in one of Mage's posts.

 

[Mage]

It's nice of you to realize your carping was over semantics, though it resulted in my learning some diction. As for insulting you, nobody did anything of the sort, though if I offended you, I apologize. I've been amazed by the courteousy and politeness of those in this forum and so was put off by your seemingly condescending criticism of my word choice. In the face of the rest of your application, there was no need to become defensive. I misunderstood the circumstances surrounding your GPA, since you made no mention of them beforehand, and it's now logical why you've been successful. Your ECs do seem pretty extraordinary to me, even when compared to fellow SDNers', so I don't know why you were putting them down.

 

[mongoose]

My EC's are not much compared to some of the folks who roam these forums. Lots of people on here have published articles and extensive research. More impressive than mine, IMHO.