UC Irvine Waitlist

[Aria111]

Waitlisted. I'm so bummed.
My interviews there went so well, I can't believe i didn't make it... ahhh, well. So med school won't be as cheap as i'd hoped, and I won't be staying in california...pisser.

Does anyone know anything about the waitlist? As in how many people get waitlisted, how many people are taken off the waitlist, etc...

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[Kazzar]

I've heard in the past about 40% of students in the entering class were taken off the waitlist. This is pretty common, especially in non top 50 schools.

I had a close friend who got into UCI med in June last year off the waitlist and she had a 25 MCAT (although 3.9 GPA and stellar extracurriculars).

I am there with you buddy - so lets hope lots of people turn down their acceptances. Please acceptees, go to Harvard, Yale, John Hopkins, or any UC other than Irvine! It's my only hope!

 

[McEntrye]

I was just waitlisted at Irvine yesterday, kind of a ****ty feeling, as it was my first waitlist.

As to the question about how many are waitlisted, I believe they said on interview day that everyone is either waitlisted or accepted. In my waitlist email they said in June they would give more info, I assume this means relative position on the list.

I have heard that Irvine doesn't place much weight on the interview, because they make it very relaxed, low stress. As a result, almost all interview reports are positive . Why do you think they chose first-years to give the interview? So they mainly decide on the basis of the rest of your application. But there is hope! A lot of people get off the waitlist. So good luck both of you

 

[souljah1]

I have also heard that noone is initially rejected post-interview. Everyone is either accepted or placed on the waitlist/alternate list. Sometime in late spring/early summer the waitlist is reviewed and those on it are either then rejected or filed to remain on the waitlist (which is then ranked, I believe). I have heard that there is pretty good movement of the waitlist at UCI (the most of any UC, I think). Anyway, keep you chin up.

 

[Darwin]

How did you guys find out you were waitlisted? I interviewed back in Jan. and called about 4 weeks later and they told me that I wasn't accepted at that time and to just wait. I never received any e-mails or anything. Someone had mentioned that they were sending a big batch of decisions right about this time. Do you know anything about this?

 

[Aria111]

Thanks for your responses!
Since Irvine doesn't consider the interview very important, why don't they just interview fewer, but more competitive applicants, instead of waitlisting most of their interviewees? grrr...

Hey Darwin-
I have no idea about any big batch of decisions, except for their decision to waitlist me. I received my waitlist notice by e mail last Thursday- about 5 weeks post-interview. Since they haven't waitlisted you yet, you probably have a pretty good chance...Good Luck!

 

[Scooby Doo]

WTH are you guys talking about?
I interviewed at UCI recently and when they decide who gets in they trash EVERYTHING AND ONLY look at your interview. This came directly from Gayle Pierce and both of my interviewers. When they asked me if I had anything else to tell them, I asked "well you don't look at MCAT or GPA right? So I don't need to explain anything there to you right?"
They said "exactly, when we get in there to make decisions, we are only looking at your interview, and the front page of your UC application...we never discuss your GPA or MCAT"

Gayle made a point during interview day that UCI places extreme emphasis on the interview.

 

[altaskier]

This is true....however, you get a cummulative score that combines your interview, MCAT/GPA, etc. So in a sense, they are only looking at your interview, but then after they are done with that, they look at your application as a whole.

 

[nray]

Scooby,

Did you interview on 3/21? I was there that day and based on what Gayle told me, I heard something different. Basically, you get a score for your interview like 1-7. Then they combine this score with two other areas, Grades/MCAT being one and ECs/personal statement/supplementary app being another. Anyone with a 20+ gets automatic acceptance. The rest are waitlisted. At that point, the committee looks at the group as a whole and starts evaluating the whole application. The interview is definitely not the only thing they look at. Both my interviewers told me this. I wish it was the case, since both interviews went pretty well I thought, but I think this tends to be the case for everyone because they emphasize low stress and friendly atmosphere.

 

[Scooby Doo]

Mercer,

Ah well..interesting...I was there on 3/21...I guess I just used my selective hearing again

Who were you? Maybe I'll remember you...what undergrad were you from?