Official U Maryland Class of 2009 Thread

[starfruit]

Is that the budget for an on-campus student?
Given the price of student housing, it seems like the on-campus budget should be more than off-campus by $4K, not the other way around!

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[starfruit]

don't they mail them out April 8th?

Thanks. Only a few more days of waiting, then.
I guess we should have web access to the award through SURFS on Friday then, too.

 

[tinkerbelle]

Is that the budget for an on-campus student?
Given the price of student housing, it seems like the on-campus budget should be more than off-campus by $4K, not the other way around!

Hmm. Well, that was the budget listed on my SURFS account. But the room/board part looks about right for off campus housing for a 12 month period. I'm estimating spending about $1000/month on food & bills & rent.

 

[neuropower]

Is that the budget for an on-campus student?
Given the price of student housing, it seems like the on-campus budget should be more than off-campus by $4K, not the other way around!

hey starfruit
i had the same question and i actually called the fin aid office a while back and asked about this...
they told me that these are just averages...so you gotta figure that some people are living in expensive off campus apts (maybe they're married, have kids, need a lot of space, who knows?)...also the campus apts are new for this year and it sounds like the numbers may not have been adjusted? in any case, she warned me not to take them at face value and rather to figure out your own budget for housing rather than rely on their simplified budget...

 

[ehaskins]

I'm planning on applying to medical school this year and was wondering if anyone knew whether there is a minimum MCAT score that will be considered for acceptance to UMD. In the MSAR guide to medical school it says that 10 is the average in each section for UMD, but also that the range is 6-14. Would I be kidding myself applying with a 3.6 science GPA and an MCAT score of 24 as a Maryland resident? Please, if anyone can relate their personal experience here it would be much appreciated.

 

[tinkerbelle]

I'm planning on applying to medical school this year and was wondering if anyone knew whether there is a minimum MCAT score that will be considered for acceptance to UMD. In the MSAR guide to medical school it says that 10 is the average in each section for UMD, but also that the range is 6-14. Would I be kidding myself applying with a 3.6 science GPA and an MCAT score of 24 as a Maryland resident? Please, if anyone can relate their personal experience here it would be much appreciated.

Well, what is the rest of your application like? If you have awesome recs and ECs, then you still have a chance. There is always hope, although I think a 24 is a little low. Can you retake the MCAT in august? Even with my 31, my advisor said I might not get into UMD (although my gpa was lower than yours... like a 3.45 or something). She said that UMD was becoming more competitive. Have you checked out mdapplicants.com? You might get an idea of the mcat scores from there. Good luck with whatever you decide

 

[ehaskins]

I have an M.P.H. in International Health, decent recommendations from graduate school and my post-bacc courses, a few years experience teaching in Southeast Asia, and lots of volunteer work. I am actually taking a KAPLAN prep course now and have consistenly been scoring around 24. I don't forsee doing much better on the real deal when I take it at the end of next week for the first time. I am planning on studying like crazy over the summer and taking the MCAT again in August, however, it is my understanding that an applicant's chances of acceptance are greatly lowered if they apply to schools that late. Everyone tells me, get your application in early and you're chances will be much better. Although, I understand that an early application doesn't outweigh a low MCAT score.

As for mdapplicants.com, I feel like the stats are a little inflated.

I appreciate your input tinkerbelle. Thank you.

 

[tinkerbelle]

Hmm. Yes, your chances are much better the earlier you apply. However, having your application complete in October isn't that bad. You do have some awesome experiences though. UMD was interested in my public health experience and my teaching... so maybe you'll be unique enough to get an interview.. even with your 24.

Good luck on the MCAT

 

[serindipity]

hey all,
i'm pretty sure i'll be at maryland in the fall as well. I'm not sure at what point in the summer, but i look forward to meeting all of you at some point.

Erin

 

[tinkerbelle]

hey all,
i'm pretty sure i'll be at maryland in the fall as well. I'm not sure at what point in the summer, but i look forward to meeting all of you at some point.

Erin

hi Erin I can't wait to meet everyone as well. It's kinda reassuring that some of us will know eachother on the first day of class. Once more people start posting on here, we can pick a more definite date for the summer meet-up

 

[Law2Doc]

I have an M.P.H. in International Health, decent recommendations from graduate school and my post-bacc courses, a few years experience teaching in Southeast Asia, and lots of volunteer work. I am actually taking a KAPLAN prep course now and have consistenly been scoring around 24. I don't forsee doing much better on the real deal when I take it at the end of next week for the first time. I am planning on studying like crazy over the summer and taking the MCAT again in August, however, it is my understanding that an applicant's chances of acceptance are greatly lowered if they apply to schools that late. Everyone tells me, get your application in early and you're chances will be much better. Although, I understand that an early application doesn't outweigh a low MCAT score.

As for mdapplicants.com, I feel like the stats are a little inflated.

I appreciate your input tinkerbelle. Thank you.

While there are certainly people who have gotten into allopathic med schools such as Maryland with scores like a 24, they are a rarity, not the rule. You are far better off applying a few months later with an August MCAT if you can pull four or five extra points, than to apply early but with only a 24.

 

[tinkerbelle]

So according to the website, UMD should have sent our financial aid packages today.... so perhaps we should start receiving them tomorrow or monday?

 

[starfruit]

Actually, from last year's thread it looks like people received their award emails at 8 PM or so on April 8, so maybe tonight is still a possibility.

It also looks like a bunch of folks last year received all loans, and missed out on that $3K grant that was mentioned during the interview day. For that reason, I'm not expecting anything exciting.

 

[tinkerbelle]

Actually, from last year's thread it looks like people received their award emails at 8 PM or so on April 8, so maybe tonight is still a possibility.

Oh. We get e-mails? Good to know

Yeah, I remember seeing people complain about not getting the 3K grant too Maybe we'll get lucky though

 

[starfruit]

Apparently we only get emails - no paper mailings.

Do they hand out the MD professional school scholarships now, too? Just curious. I guess we'll know soon!

 

[tinkerbelle]

Apparently we only get emails - no paper mailings.

Oh. This shows how much I pay attention to details

 

[CopperButterfly]

Did anybody else not get an email regarding financial aid? I have not gotten an email and my information on SIMS web does not appear to have been updated.

 

[uptoolate]

Did anybody else not get an email regarding financial aid? I have not gotten an email and my information on SIMS web does not appear to have been updated.

me neither

 

[tinkerbelle]

me neither

 

[neuropower]

Hey everyone,
I called the financial aid office today to make sure they had my most recent email address on file (since they always seem to send it to my college address which is now closed!)...anyway, they said that we should expect an email sometime this week or next, so we probably have a while to wait...

peace

 

[BlueMagpie]

thanks, neuro!

 

[LucidSplash]

Well, not really sure if this is the right place to put this but since I check this thread all the time, I guess others like me might too...

I interviewed in mid-February, and I haven't heard a thing from UMD. I called and they said that I would definitely hear by the end of the month (April) and that they "don't have a thing to tell me; [they] are so far behind in reviewing applications."

So in case anyone else is like me - don't lose hope! They apparently didn't keep up with the interviews/applications (which is just slightly obnoxious).

I will be ok if I get rejected (even though I only applied to UMD) I just want to know!

 

[Bill Lumbergh]

Well, not really sure if this is the right place to put this but since I check this thread all the time, I guess others like me might too...

I interviewed in mid-February, and I haven't heard a thing from UMD. I called and they said that I would definitely hear by the end of the month (April) and that they "don't have a thing to tell me; [they] are so far behind in reviewing applications."

So in case anyone else is like me - don't lose hope! They apparently didn't keep up with the interviews/applications (which is just slightly obnoxious).

I will be ok if I get rejected (even though I only applied to UMD) I just want to know!

i interviewed in late march, probably one of the last interview days, and at the time, the dean of admissions (am i allowed to write his name here? some forums prohibit the posting of people's names.) told us that they usually give out about 300 acceptances to fill a class of 150, and they still had about 100 acceptances left to give. he also said that they were aiming to have them all sent out by the end of april, which confirms what they told you, so the class wasn't full a couple weeks ago and there's still hope!

 

[tinkerbelle]

Hmmm. I wonder if the Financial Aid Office is waiting until all of the acceptances are sent out before giving us our financial aid packages... maybe that's why our FAs aren't posted yet.

At any rate, I hope you two hear good news from UMD soon

 

[boobah16]

i interviewed in late march, probably one of the last interview days, and at the time, the dean of admissions (am i allowed to write his name here? some forums prohibit the posting of people's names.) told us that they usually give out about 300 acceptances to fill a class of 150, and they still had about 100 acceptances left to give. he also said that they were aiming to have them all sent out by the end of april, which confirms what they told you, so the class wasn't full a couple weeks ago and there's still hope!

Wow that is so good to hear! I interviewed at the end of Feb and a couple of weeks ago I got a letter saying i needed to be re-reviewed, whatever that means, and havent heard a thing since.... this waiting is killing me!
Good luck to all of you who are still waiting to hear!

 

[shawty ya'head]

hi everyone -

i was wondering what maryland needs for financial aid
i am assuming just our FAFSA's.
is that correct?

i'm out of state, so the in-state biz-nass doesn't apply to me.

 

[decflower]

They need the FAFSA and a couple of other forms they list on SURFS (loan app and entrance interview quiz). All pretty simple stuff that doesn't take very long.

 

[tinkerbelle]

They need the FAFSA and a couple of other forms they list on SURFS (loan app and entrance interview quiz). All pretty simple stuff that doesn't take very long.

Hmm. Are you sure we need to fill the loan app and the entrance interview quiz right now though? I thought they only required the FAFSA right now.

 

[nervouspremed]

i interviewed in late march, probably one of the last interview days, and at the time, the dean of admissions (am i allowed to write his name here? some forums prohibit the posting of people's names.) told us that they usually give out about 300 acceptances to fill a class of 150, and they still had about 100 acceptances left to give. he also said that they were aiming to have them all sent out by the end of april, which confirms what they told you, so the class wasn't full a couple weeks ago and there's still hope!

Oh really, when I interviewed there, late march, one of the guy told us that they have around 20 spots left to give up. But I still hope you are right, haha, thats' better for us. Good luck all

 

[Bill Lumbergh]

At any rate, I hope you two hear good news from UMD soon

thanks tinkerbelle

Oh really, when I interviewed there, late march, one of the guy told us that they have around 20 spots left to give up. But I still hope you are right, haha, thats' better for us. Good luck all

i like my version better too. i don't know why dr. F would tell us that if it weren't true. maybe the person you talked to meant that there were 20 spots left in the class, but they still need to give about 100 more acceptances to fill those 20 spots and the spots of anyone who drops out to go to another school. in any case, there's no point in guessing. we should all hear by may. good luck!

 

[uptoolate]

Hmm. Are you sure we need to fill the loan app and the entrance interview quiz right now though? I thought they only required the FAFSA right now.

Hey Tink,

I called the FA office after I missed the state scholarship deadline and they told me to fill out the loan app and quiz ASAP. Then they sent me an e-mail telling me that they couldn't process my FA package until I brought in those two forms. I ended up drving them down the next day (no biggie, I live 5 mles from UMd). I often get conflicting info from there, so you might want to call and check.

 

[decflower]

I am really having trouble deciding between the University housing and renting a place on my own. Where is everybody else planning on living? I called today and only the three and four bedroom places are left at Fayette.

 

[DantheMan05]

I am really having trouble deciding between the University housing and renting a place on my own. Where is everybody else planning on living? I called today and only the three and four bedroom places are left at Fayette.

I'm thinking somewhere like the Redwood apartments are probably a better bet for the price range, especially since I don't think I'm going to be signing any leases till June at the earliest.

 

[tinkerbelle]

Hey Tink,

I called the FA office after I missed the state scholarship deadline and they told me to fill out the loan app and quiz ASAP. Then they sent me an e-mail telling me that they couldn't process my FA package until I brought in those two forms. I ended up drving them down the next day (no biggie, I live 5 mles from UMd). I often get conflicting info from there, so you might want to call and check.

ARGH Darn it. Ok, I should fill those forms out now. I wonder why they didn't send me and e-mail about those two forms. In fact, I even asked them what I needed to turn in and all they said was the stupid FAFSA. And they SENT BACK some other forms that I did send. How annoying. I'm so mad

Thanks for the info, uptoolate

 

[CopperButterfly]

Hey uptoolate,

Who did you talk to at the financial aid office? When I called they said that those forms are needed so that your funds can be disbursed( i.e. money in hand or to school) but would not necessarily affect the awarding of funds.But she also said that I should get the forms in as soon as I could.

 

[adog]

Maryland financial aid packages out....40 k worth of loans....woohoo. there goes most of my incentive to going to a public school over a private school

 

[decflower]

I'm thinking somewhere like the Redwood apartments are probably a better bet for the price range, especially since I don't think I'm going to be signing any leases till June at the earliest.

Yeah, I'm not really familiar with the area. One person was telling me that TONS of med students live in the University Suites and that it is the best way to meet people. I don't know how accurate that is. But I really kind of wanted to get my own place......

 

[LucidSplash]

Got one of those "unable to make a decision at this time" "your application is still under very active review" letters today.

Almost lost my lunch when I saw the thin envelope...

Personally signed by the Dean, but yikes! Don't they know what happens when people see a thin envelope!

 

[tinkerbelle]

Yeah, I'm not really familiar with the area. One person was telling me that TONS of med students live in the University Suites and that it is the best way to meet people. I don't know how accurate that is. But I really kind of wanted to get my own place......

I plan on living in an apartment near campus. A lot of people do seem to live in the University Suites, but it just seems like a waste of money. And I'm sure there will be plenty of opportunities to meet people without having to live in the dorms.

 

[tinkerbelle]

Got one of those "unable to make a decision at this time" "your application is still under very active review" letters today.

Almost lost my lunch when I saw the thin envelope...

Personally signed by the Dean, but yikes! Don't they know what happens when people see a thin envelope!

sorry to hear that lucidsplash But there's still hope

 

[tinkerbelle]

Maryland financial aid packages out....40 k worth of loans....woohoo. there goes most of my incentive to going to a public school over a private school

Yay. 40k in loans. how wonderful

I was at least hoping for that 3k grant people were talking about last year.

 

[BlueMagpie]

Yeah, I'm not really familiar with the area. One person was telling me that TONS of med students live in the University Suites and that it is the best way to meet people. I don't know how accurate that is. But I really kind of wanted to get my own place......

I'm getting my own place near the med center. I personally wanted to live by myself for awhile, and it seems that there are a number of students (med, law, pharm, etc.) living in my building so I'm sure we'll have all sorts of chances to meet other students.

 

[BlueMagpie]

Oh, I just wanted to say for those of you looking for non-university apartments, you might want to call them now and put your name on a waiting list because they're filling up fast, especially for June/July. The Marlboro/Redwood has a "VIP" waitlist for accepted students (they have an agreement with UMD) - meaning that you get first dibs on apartments over non-students.

 

[nervouspremed]

Got one of those "unable to make a decision at this time" "your application is still under very active review" letters today.

Almost lost my lunch when I saw the thin envelope...

Personally signed by the Dean, but yikes! Don't they know what happens when people see a thin envelope!

Sorry to hear the bad news, dont' give up yet. I am now. Bill Lumberg, did you get a response from UMD yet?

 

[Bill Lumbergh]

Got one of those "unable to make a decision at this time" "your application is still under very active review" letters today.

Almost lost my lunch when I saw the thin envelope...

Personally signed by the Dean, but yikes! Don't they know what happens when people see a thin envelope!

i know exactly how you felt. i got the exact same, thin-enveloped letter today

i'm curious, has anyone here received this letter and then was later accepted, or has everyone so far been accepted after their initial review? hopefully at least one of you can help me stay optimistic.

 

[LucidSplash]

I spoke with my Aunt (an MD in Houston) and she suggested the following things:

-I'm going to answer the Dean's letter, just reaffirming my interest in U of MD.

-I'm going to try and get a couple more LORs in.

-Also, although they don't ask for transcripts until after acceptance/matriculation, I'm going to have the transcripts of the classes I took last fall sent in, because they didn't have those grades when I initially applied.

Any other ideas out there? (Oh and thanks for all the already accepted SDNers who are putting up with us!)

 

[starfruit]

Lucid Splash -

I think your aunt's ideas are good ones. At this point, any communication that lets the Adcom know that you still are very much interested in matriculating at UMD is a positive thing. Hopefully the school will give you an answer soon.

Good luck to you and the others waiting!

 

[starfruit]

tinkerbelle and adog -

did you guys receive an email from Fin Aid notifying you of your awards? I didn't, even though I can access it online. Do you think they are still working on packages, and the awards we see on SURFS/SIMS are incomplete at this point? Just curious (all loans for me too - so much for the $3K grant).

 

[tinkerbelle]

tinkerbelle and adog -

did you guys receive an email from Fin Aid notifying you of your awards? I didn't, even though I can access it online. Do you think they are still working on packages, and the awards we see on SURFS/SIMS are incomplete at this point? Just curious (all loans for me too - so much for the $3K grant).

Nope, I didn't get an e-mail notification. My package seems complete to me though. I mean , if it was incomplete and they were going to add the 3k grant, then my total probably wouldn't add up to 40k.

I was also wondering if any of us got work-study. I was hoping to get work-study, but it didn't show up on my package.

 

[starfruit]

Hmmm - mine seems complete too. Strangely, on Friday morning I called the Fin Aid office to see when they might be making the awards, and they told me "we don't know. wait for the the email. we are still waiting for some information from the medical school before making the awards." Then, by Friday evening, adog reported that the awards were up on the website, but no email. That's why I'm a bit perplexed.