Information on UCSD's Acceptable Pool

[MDinTraining26]

Hi All:

Does anyone know what the acceptable pool actually is? Is it a waiting list?

Do you guys also know how many people are accepted from this list? I tried looking for the stats and could not find out.

Also, do you have any ideas on how to gain an acceptance in this case? I really want to know and if you guys had any suggestions, I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks.

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[Uegis]

No one (unless you messed up real bad during your interview) gets rejected post-interview at UCSD. Instead they place everyone in this pool and draw from it through the interview season until they interviewed everyone and drew enough people from the pool to fill the class.

Then, the remainder in the pool is either rejected or waitlisted. Since they do use this system, not that many people actually get in off the waitlist, like 20 or so according to Yvonne. From another poster on here, the person said that UCSD goes by a 20/80 system, in that they only initially accept 20% of their class right after interview and the other 80% off the acceptable pool. Don't know how valid that is at all, but I wouldn't be surprised if that is the case since some schools like BU does do that. Good luck. I'm still waiting to hear back post-interview.

 

[CalGoldenBear]

has anyone been accepted yet who was put in the acceptable pool? i know UCSD said they pull from it anytime during the interview season until june, so has anyone been pulled out and been accepted yet?

 

[MDinTraining26]

It looks like the people in the acceptance pool have courses that they need to take. I am not sure. I know they accept about 120 students in their first class, which is a number higer than the 20% so that makes some sense there.

Is UCSD your first choice?

 

[Uegis]

It looks like the people in the acceptance pool have courses that they need to take. I am not sure. I know they accept about 120 students in their first class, which is a number higer than the 20% so that makes some sense there.

Is UCSD your first choice?

Nah, they place people in there instead of rejecting. Yvonne Coleman, the coordinator, told us. Yea, I'm not sure about the 20/80 thing. UCSD is one of my top choices - any CA school is desirable at this point.

 

[btowngirl]

bump

 

[sdnstud]

My interview is not until march 15. does this mean my chances of being accepted is very very slim? am i going straight to the waitlist? if it is true that only 20 people get pulled out of the waitlist, maybe i should cancel my interview (btw..hotel in la jolla is freaking expensive!!!)

 

[MDinTraining26]

SDNstud: if you are already in, then it might eb a good idea to cancel since most people are waitlisted. they finish interview at the end of the month so that the end of the pile

 

[Qemmalee]

My interview is not until march 15. does this mean my chances of being accepted is very very slim? am i going straight to the waitlist? if it is true that only 20 people get pulled out of the waitlist, maybe i should cancel my interview (btw..hotel in la jolla is freaking expensive!!!)

SDNstud, UCSD accepts 50% of the people they interview. You definitely have a strong shot of getting in. There are students willing to host you if hotel costs are high. But you've already invested a tremendous amount of time, energy and money into applying, and this one interview is the last little step before they let you in.

 

[Ambs]

My interview is not until march 15. does this mean my chances of being accepted is very very slim? am i going straight to the waitlist? if it is true that only 20 people get pulled out of the waitlist, maybe i should cancel my interview (btw..hotel in la jolla is freaking expensive!!!)

Don't you even think canceling! [said in maternal tone]

An interview offer from UCSD is very impressive, and you have worked very hard to come this far. Your admission's decision ultimately (and obviously) rests only with the committee, and nobody else can accurately comment on your chances. They interview through March for a reason -- because they're still interested! Be confident and shine at your interview!

And like the above user said, if a hotel is expensive, then stay with a student host, who'll also be able to give you tips and other useful information.

 

[zephyr_97]

In terms of acceptable pool, I was in it before being pulled from it May 16. (wow, almost 2 years ago). Definitely come and interview as some of my classmates were interviewed in March and accepted right away. So you are not necessarily interviewing for a waitlist spot. There is a hosting program here however the second week of march is finals for us so I doubt anyone would volunteer.

Good luck to everyone waiting to hear; I remember it was a rather anxious experience. Shoot me any questions as I am a good procrastinator, though I do have 2 weeks of finals to get through so may be slow in responding. Peas.

Z.

 

[supersnuffles]

I don't know, but numbers that were given to us at the interview for last year's class were as follows:

5000 applicants
2000 secondaries
550 interviews
280 acceptances (including people on waitlist that were continually pulled off until August)

As for the class being full, according to my student tour guide person, she said since I was interviewing so late, the class was probably already full, and pretty much told me to expect to the waitlisted. This was pretty discouraging because I really want to go to UCSD, so I asked the Dean. She told me that they have accepted about 100 applicants, but my chances of being accepted were no better or worse than if I had interviewed in November.

Who knows?

But good luck, you should visit the school, despite all the negative things people say, I really loved the school. It was awesome.

 

[CalGoldenBear]

hey supersnuffles,

maybe i missed it, but when did you interview at UCSD? (just wondering up to when had they sent out 100 acceptances)

thanks

 

[CalGoldenBear]

In terms of acceptable pool, I was in it before being pulled from it May 16. (wow, almost 2 years ago). Definitely come and interview as some of my classmates were interviewed in March and accepted right away. So you are not necessarily interviewing for a waitlist spot. There is a hosting program here however the second week of march is finals for us so I doubt anyone would volunteer.

Good luck to everyone waiting to hear; I remember it was a rather anxious experience. Shoot me any questions as I am a good procrastinator, though I do have 2 weeks of finals to get through so may be slow in responding. Peas.

Z.

zephyr, did you do anything to get off the waitlist, like write letters and call? any other advice on how to improve your chances of being taken out of the acceptable pool?

 

[supersnuffles]

hey supersnuffles,

maybe i missed it, but when did you interview at UCSD? (just wondering up to when had they sent out 100 acceptances)

thanks

Hey, sorry for the long lapse before reply. I interviewed early March. The tour guide person told us that we were basically destined for the waitlist, but when I asked the dean, she told us that they had accepted about 100, but our chances were still as good as if we had interviewed in October/November. We'll see....

 

[Haybrant]

Hey, sorry for the long lapse before reply. I interviewed early March. The tour guide person told us that we were basically destined for the waitlist, but when I asked the dean, she told us that they had accepted about 100, but our chances were still as good as if we had interviewed in October/November. We'll see....

hey supersnuf; i interviewed first wk of march too and already recieved a letter from them and was put in the acceptable pool. Anyone think having another acceptance could percipitate this; the interviewers kept probing me where else i interviewed and where i had gotten in; anyone else feel like this isnt really a fair question?

so anyone know if it is important to keep writing them and updating?

 

[bhp]

hey supersnuf; i interviewed first wk of march too and already recieved a letter from them and was put in the acceptable pool. Anyone think having another acceptance could percipitate this; the interviewers kept probing me where else i interviewed and where i had gotten in; anyone else feel like this isnt really a fair question?

so anyone know if it is important to keep writing them and updating?

I interviewed at the end of Feb, but haven't heard a single thing from UCSD...

I got asked that questions many times too... At Cornell, the interviewer ask me (even back in November) why I will pick Cornell over Harvard... and I didn't have a good answer to that surprised question... and guess what, I got accepted to Harvard but rejected by Cornell... I guess those are unfair questions... my 2 cents

 

[Haybrant]

I interviewed at the end of Feb, but haven't heard a single thing from UCSD...

I got asked that questions many times too... At Cornell, the interviewer ask me (even back in November) why I will pick Cornell over Harvard... and I didn't have a good answer to that surprised question... and guess what, I got accepted to Harvard but rejected by Cornell... I guess those are unfair questions... my 2 cents

yah i think its so awkward that i got placed on that list in the blink of an eye. I gave a pretty convincing reason why i would choose ucsd over stanford, but perhaps they didnt believe it; my interviews went really well so im thinking that played a big part of it.

 

[BananaSplit]

yah i think its so awkward that i got placed on that list in the blink of an eye. I gave a pretty convincing reason why i would choose ucsd over stanford, but perhaps they didnt believe it; my interviews went really well so im thinking that played a big part of it.

I was placed in the acceptable pool last cycle in November, waitlisted in May, accepted in June. I wrote update and interest (not intent though) letters every few weeks. When Dr. Rappaport called me to offer an acceptance, he actually mentioned the letters...so yes, send them in, especially if SD is your first choice. It can't hurt you unless you're obnoxious or send letters in that really don't tell them anything new.

BananaSplit

 

[shinji]

I interviewed at the middle of march and the dean told me that the admission committee meets on every other Monday to review the pool. Acceptance decision is also made in the meeting. Then the dean will call accepted applicants on the next day. The next meeting is on the coming Monday, Mar 28. Good luck to all of us who are wondering in the pool

 

[supersnuffles]

hey supersnuf; i interviewed first wk of march too and already recieved a letter from them and was put in the acceptable pool. Anyone think having another acceptance could percipitate this; the interviewers kept probing me where else i interviewed and where i had gotten in; anyone else feel like this isnt really a fair question?

so anyone know if it is important to keep writing them and updating?

hey haybrant, ditto on the letter for the a pool. if you read the last year's thread on the a pool, they said that writing them loi's was super important. but when i called linda whitson, they said that they want us to keep them updated on school/projects/research, but as for these letters, they would be put into our folders, but those aren't really considered post-interview (ditto for additional rec letters).

as for the interview, my first interview went super, second interview, not so well. i got asked where i interviewed and where i had been accepted. sucked. i didn't expect that one either. i thought those questions were "illegal"?

 

[biggreen05]

I was placed in the acceptable pool last cycle in November, waitlisted in May, accepted in June. I wrote update and interest (not intent though) letters every few weeks. When Dr. Rappaport called me to offer an acceptance, he actually mentioned the letters...so yes, send them in, especially if SD is your first choice. It can't hurt you unless you're obnoxious or send letters in that really don't tell them anything new.

BananaSplit

cool, it's good to know the dean of admissions will be reading our letters. just fyi for any other acceptable pool people, the dean is no longer dr. rapaport as the ucsd website says but instead dr. caroln kelly (i fired off an email to dr. rapaport and he told me this and forwarded it for me--nice guy).

 

[CalGoldenBear]

is UCSD done interviewing now?

anyone know when the acceptable pool will see some movement? i think someone on sdn mentioned a friend that had been pulled out of the a pool, but any other news?

 

[sdnstud]

Dr. Kelly told me via email that acceptable pool will start moving in mid-May

is UCSD done interviewing now?

anyone know when the acceptable pool will see some movement? i think someone on sdn mentioned a friend that had been pulled out of the a pool, but any other news?

 

[sdnstud]

BUMP

UCSD should be done interviewing now, which means the Acceptable Pool will begin to move soon. If I am correct, the next adcom meeting is on April 25th. Let's keep each other informed!!!

 

[DoctorMalki]

has anyone called them lately?