UCSD A Pool

[LoneCoyote]

Yeah. I don't know where I come up with my crazy ideas.

I'd still apply to UCSD even if I were out of state and wasn't applying MD/PhD. Like I said, I think I think it'd be worse to not apply and wonder forever whether you would have gotten in; this is especially true if you really like UCSD. Now, if you're applying just for the hell of it and don't care too much, then yeah, save your money.

I don't even know why I am reading this thread since I didn't even apply to UCSD... just bored at work... but I agree, and this is the advice that the advisor gives to premeds at the University of Arizona who are applying. She says the chances of getting into school in California as an Arizonan are slim to none, so don't set your heart on it, but apply if you really want to.

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[Alexander99]

I don't even know why I am reading this thread since I didn't even apply to UCSD... just bored at work... but I agree, and this is the advice that the advisor gives to premeds at the University of Arizona who are applying. She says the chances of getting into school in California as an Arizonan are slim to none, so don't set your heart on it, but apply if you really want to.

I don't see why it'd be any more difficult to get into a UC from Arizona compared to any other state outside of CA. You guys are our cousins afterall.

 

[kiki the alto]

Wow...thanks for the love, guys. Makes a newbie feel all special 😍

Well, as far as I understand it, half the people in this state are originally from Cali...they moved out here for jobs and such. We from Arizona probably stand less of a shot of getting into any of the UC's than most because almost all of us apply there and we aren't even from anyplace interesting diversity-wise. An Arizonan is like a Cali applicant, but even less acceptable because we might come back here after medschool. We want to go to California because the culture's a lot the same but with better weather. A few of us (including me) brave the Midwest, but most of us are California dreamin'.

 

[Jalby]

Wow...thanks for the love, guys. Makes a newbie feel all special 😍

Well, as far as I understand it, half the people in this state are originally from Cali...they moved out here for jobs and such. We from Arizona probably stand less of a shot of getting into any of the UC's than most because almost all of us apply there and we aren't even from anyplace interesting diversity-wise. An Arizonan is like a Cali applicant, but even less acceptable because we might come back here after medschool. We want to go to California because the culture's a lot the same but with better weather. A few of us (including me) brave the Midwest, but most of us are California dreamin'.

I think you might be applying to the wrong Cali school if that is your train of thought.

 

[CalBeE]

Well, Columbia is sort of in a different league I think. For SD vs. Cornell, NYU, and NW, its just a matter of location preference. NYU's tuition is going up too. Tuition increases can happen to any school.

I met one guy at the SD second look that was on the fence about Columbia vs. SD though... I would just go to Columbia.

Columbia and Cornell are very different though...even though they are both in NYC. People can choose one over the other depending on what they prefer. So a Cornell vs. UCSD decision is probably as hard as a Columia vs. UCSD decision.

 

[Eraserhead]

I think you might be applying to the wrong Cali school if that is your train of thought.

Why is that Jalby>?

 

[qwerty one]

I could totally imagine a 45 WL movement.

That would be so sweet.

 

[qwerty one]

Hi guys,

I don't know if you guys already know this and i'm the only one who didn't, but i found out this from the admissions office today:

The acceptable is not the actual waitlist. Around midMay, the committee picks the waitlist from the acceptable pool. Supposedly 150-200 people gets to be on the waitlist and the rest gets rejections. Approximately 1/4 to 1/2 of the waitlist may eventually get acceptances.

Just wanted to share this info with y'all.

Really? That's interesting because there was a thread from last year where people were getting taken off the acceptable pool and getting acceptances in mid-May, instead of being put yet again on another list. Maybe they changed it? We'll see what happens.

 

[shanddallar]

Really? That's interesting because there was a thread from last year where people were getting taken off the acceptable pool and getting acceptances in mid-May, instead of being put yet again on another list. Maybe they changed it? We'll see what happens.

I think they probably got in before the waitlist was set, or they were on the top of the waitlist and got in right away, so there was no need to tell them that they are on the waitlist. I don't know, I was just quoting what the admissions lady said over the phone.

 

[camstah]

how many people on ucsd's waitlist are also holding onto a usc acceptance/waitlist? i have a one track mind, i know...forgive me 😀

 

[lolli]

Does anyone know how UCSD will notify people accepeted in out of the A pool?
Phone call?
email?
letter? anyone?

For those of you who werer accepted outright, was it in the mail?

I'm checking my email waaaay too obsessively these days!

 

[mikeyboy]

Does anyone know who the acting Dean of Admissions is? I got an Acceptable Pool letter from Linda Whitson, but looking on the web site I see an "Interim Associate Dean of Admissions" as David Rapaport.

 

[Eraserhead]

Does anyone know who the acting Dean of Admissions is? I got an Acceptable Pool letter from Linda Whitson, but looking on the web site I see an "Interim Associate Dean of Admissions" as David Rapaport.

Yep, I'm pretty sure that is him. He led most of the second look weekend.

 

[Eraserhead]

Does anyone know how UCSD will notify people accepeted in out of the A pool?
Phone call?
email?
letter? anyone?

For those of you who werer accepted outright, was it in the mail?

I'm checking my email waaaay too obsessively these days!

For outright, it was email asking you to call them followed by mail.

 

[Alexander99]

Does anyone know who the acting Dean of Admissions is? I got an Acceptable Pool letter from Linda Whitson, but looking on the web site I see an "Interim Associate Dean of Admissions" as David Rapaport.

I checked out your profile. Jesus Christ. 3.9/38? How did you not get into a UC yet? You should e-mail UCSD and tell them, "I need to remind you--I have a 3.9 and got a 38 on the MCAT." Then they'll let you in. 👍

 

[Eraserhead]

I checked out your profile. Jesus Christ. 3.9/38? How did you not get into a UC yet? You should e-mail UCSD and tell them, "I need to remind you--I have a 3.9 and got a 38 on the MCAT." Then they'll let you in. 👍

Well good luck, but its a good thing this is not how medical students are chosen.

 

[mikeyboy]

I checked out your profile. Jesus Christ. 3.9/38? How did you not get into a UC yet? You should e-mail UCSD and tell them, "I need to remind you--I have a 3.9 and got a 38 on the MCAT." Then they'll let you in. 👍

Some bad luck, I guess. I didn't get an interview invite until later on, when I'm thinking there weren't many spots left and a lot of my interview group was pretty strong, at least in terms of numbers.

It's alright, I started drafting a LOI for UCSD and hope it'll all work out.

 

[Alexander99]

Some bad luck, I guess. I didn't get an interview invite until later on, when I'm thinking there weren't many spots left and a lot of my interview group was pretty strong, at least in terms of numbers.

It's alright, I started drafting a LOI for UCSD and hope it'll all work out.

Did you apply right at the deadline or something? I don't see how schools like UCLA and Davis didn't even interview you at all. Regardless, good luck with UCSD's waitlist.

 

[mikeyboy]

Did you apply right at the deadline or something? I don't see how schools like UCLA and Davis didn't even interview you at all. Regardless, good luck with UCSD's waitlist.

I applied a little late (late September) but not late enough such that Davis put me on hold for an interview for a long time. Anyhow, good luck to everyone waiting. I'm hoping some school will give me a nice graduation present some time soon.

 

[mikeyboy]

Anyone have suggestions about to whom I should address my LOI? I don't know if I should use Dr. Rapaport or Linda Whitson. And if it's Whitson, how should I address her (i.e. Ms. or Dean or whatever)?

 

[Eraserhead]

Anyone have suggestions about to whom I should address my LOI? I don't know if I should use Dr. Rapaport or Linda Whitson. And if it's Whitson, how should I address her (i.e. Ms. or Dean or whatever)?

I'd address it to "Dean Rapaport and the Members of the Admissions Committee" if I were to write one.

 

[qwerty one]

In case anybody is interested, I seem to have figured out how the pool works.

It seems that those that will be accepted out of the pool will be notified by June 1st. Those that are still in the pool at that time will either be let go or put on the summer waitlist. Hope that helps.

 

[mikeyboy]

Yeah, I heard from Linda Whitson the same thing:

We have completed our interview process and all applications have been reviewed by our Admissions Committee. As we near the May 15th deadline for multiple acceptances, we expect some openings to occur. These openings will be filled from the Acceptable Pool. At the end of the month all remaining applicants will be notified of their status - either selected for the summer waitlist or no longer being considered.

 

[qwerty one]

Bump!

If any of you guys in the A-pool hear anything, please let us know, thanks.

 

[curandero]

I heard we'll find out in 2 - 3 weeks, that's when the bottom half off the pool gets cut off and only the top half remains! 😱

In 2-3 weeks BUMP!

 

[BjOrKnRaDiOhEaD]

HI everyone

im trying not to get too excited,cuz i dont know what this means

today i got an email saying the following::

"At your earliest convenience please call the UCSD School of Medicine, Office of Admissions so that we may update you on recent action taken on your application for admission. You may reach us at 858 534-3880 at any time during our normal business hours, 8:00AM to 4:30PM. You may speak to anyone in the admissions office, and need not ask for me personally. We look forward to hearing from you soon.
Sincerely,
David Rapaport
Acting Associate Dean of Admissions."


Does anyoneknow what this might mean????


thanks i love u all

noosh

 

[stressedout]

YOU GOT IN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Congratulations Noosh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[BjOrKnRaDiOhEaD]

hi stressed out

how do u know i got in,maybe its to be put on the waitlist??

im sooooooooooo nervous and on edge rite now,i cant wait till 8 am!!

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

 

[hoping2004]

congrats!!!!!!!!! you got IN 🙂 welcome welcome! we're going to have an awesome class

 

[stressedout]

hi Noosh,

I got that exact same email several months ago...They only send it to people who get in. You got in! Congratulations. Look forward to meeting you in the fall if you choose to come to SD! 🙂 🙂

 

[hoping2004]

stressed out - you going to SD? what's yoru background? where you from? i'm curious what my classmates are like!

 

[Eraserhead]

YAYYYYYY NOOSH!

Too bad I'm not going! You rock dude! Good luck at SD!

😀 😀 😀

 

[qwerty one]

That's definitely good news there buddy. Keep us updated.

 

[BjOrKnRaDiOhEaD]

thank you for the support....

i hope it means im in...ill let u guys know tomorrow, im soooooooooo nervous

noooooooooosh

 

[BjOrKnRaDiOhEaD]

i got in !!!!! fromthe A pool i got the email on monday and i called at 8 am

thank you all for the support

much love

 

[qwerty one]

Nicely done, congrats!

 

[finnpipette]

i wish they told us roughly where we were ranked on the acceptable pool list. Dang...so they hack the list into two in early June, eh?...two more weeks 😴

 

[mikeyboy]

Well they said they'd make an alternate/wait list at the end of May, and at that point some people in the A-Pool will get rejected. I guess that is kinda telling you where you stand; maybe they divide it into top and bottom tier, and eliminate the bottom tier.

 

[hoping2004]

good luck mikeyboy! hope we can be classmates at SD. we need more people who are psycheda bout this school!

 

[lolli]

Hey all you all in the A Pool. I just wanted to send some love to all of you out there hoping for that special email from Dean Rappaport. Keep the hope alive - noosh, we will be joining you!!!

Lolli
checking her email waaaaay too frequently these days.

 

[mikeyboy]

Thanks...I am really excited about the possibility of going there, but also really worried about not having the chance. One of the reasons I didn't go to UCSD for undergrad is that I thought it would be a great place to go to med school (but spending 8 years in the same school wasn't my idea of fun), and I still feel that way.

 

[Newquagmire]

Thanks...I am really excited about the possibility of going there, but also really worried about not having the chance. One of the reasons I didn't go to UCSD for undergrad is that I thought it would be a great place to go to med school (but spending 8 years in the same school wasn't my idea of fun), and I still feel that way.

wow. having taken a quick look at your mdapp profile, i'm amazed you havent gotten the call anywhere yet. good luck mikeyboy.

 

[Buddha]

So I just got the same message, so I'm hoping it's an acceptance as well. How much time did they give you to decide? If I've been accepted, I have to decide between UC Davis and UCSD. I'd really appreciate it if someone could give me their pros and cons about UCSD (other than US&WR ranking). Thanks.

 

[Eraserhead]

So I just got the same message, so I'm hoping it's an acceptance as well. How much time did they give you to decide? If I've been accepted, I have to decide between UC Davis and UCSD. I'd really appreciate it if someone could give me their pros and cons about UCSD (other than US&WR ranking). Thanks.

Pros
1. Ranking
2. Location
3. Research, Research, and Research

Cons
1. Conservative faculty
2. Traditional curriculum with >average lecture hours
3. Students complain about happiness level, too stressful, etc.
4. Required Thesis
5. Competitive grading/ranking system

 

[DZM]

I just wanted to congratulate all of you that have been accepted and wish luck to those still waiting.
With three more weeks of class/exams before I finish this first year here, I have to say that this year has been much better than i expected. As I continue to procrastinate my studying by reading your posts, I remember how i was reading many of the negative posts about ucsd. I was almost convinced by my biochem TA (Jalby) and the others to choose USC over ucsd. I don't know what USC would have been like, but UCSD has been awesome thus far. I wont lie to you and say there havent been moments where i thought to my self "What the F... am i doing this for," but from talking to freinds in thier first years at SC, UCLA, SF, UCI, Einstein and Miami- we're all in the same boat. We all study the same stuff and take the same board exam in the end. Yes, the lecture hours here can get overwhelming, but you learn to pick up on which lectures are worth your time. For the most part the syllabi and lecture notes are awesome. If you learn from lecture- the lectures are there. But if you're like me, you'd rather sleep in, study, and attend the lectures you find the most useful- you can do well and still have time for fun. When it comes down to it you'll find your own way of doing things. I find that most of my classmates are happy (eventhough we have had an exam every week for the past seven weeks). You'll learn alot about yourself and you'll form some awesome freindships. Like any school there are those folks who sit in the front row during every lecture practically having assigned seats, writing every word that comes out of the lectureres mouth, going to the library the minute class lets out, brown nosing; then there are those who sit in the back, abosrb whats being taught, play some IM sports, celebrate after every exam. In a year you'll be working at the free clinic and realize that you can actually apply all the information thrown at you during the first year to the human being's life standing in front of you.

Oh yeah, for those of you still waiting - you have a great chance- a good part (~20%) of my class was accepted in the summer.

See you all in the fall, DZM

 

[Alexander99]

I want to add a different perspective about the frequent exams. I think I would actually prefer frequent exams with less material in each exam than fewer exams that cover a lot more stuff.

This keeps you from getting behind and slacking cause you know the next exam is always just a week or two away. I know for a fact that during undergrad, once I took a midterm and had a good 4 weeks before finals, I found it nearly impossible to keep from slacking. I think it would have been better if instead of a final, there were weekly quizzes that covered 1/4 of the material on the final for 4 weeks in a row.

 

[speedbird001]

Hi everyone,
Just out of curiosity, for those who were accepted off of the Acceptable Pool, was your status page updated to show that a final decision letter has been sent? I believe everyone who still remains in the Acceptable Pool, like myself, still has a blank next to the Final Decision box.

Congrats to all who have gotten off the waitlist!! 🙂

 

[Buddha]

Yes, there was an update on my status page. I called them the day after they e-mailed me and they told me they were sending out my admission packet that day.

 

[Love4Radiohead]

So just wondering if anyone else was offered admission from the Acceptable Pool? If so, please be kind enough to inform the rest of us. Thanks 🙂

 

[qwerty one]

Bump to the top.