UCSD Acceptance Procedures

[isa]

I got this from the school's director of admissions Linda Whitson and hope that it'll be useful to some of you...

UCSD uses a point-system for their evaluations. Points are assigned to applicant's GPA and MCAT, and those who meet the cut-off receive an automatic secondary. Those who fall below this "magic" number but meet their min. requirements of a 2.7 GPA and 7's across the MCAT get reviewed further. 2000 2ndaries are sent out until Jan. When 2ndaries come in, the letters of rec as well as the activities listed from the primary application are scored. The autobiography is NOT scored. After some cut-off number again, interviews are handed out. 50% of the ~600 interviewed get accepted (including wait-listed applicants). This year the first acceptances will be sent out around Thanksgiving. The dean of admissions personally calls, and I got the impression that interviewees who don't get notified w/in a given amount of time are either put into their "pool of acceptable applicants" or given rejection letters. (I'm not sure about this last one. Anyone else have different info?)

Okay, I hope this is helpful to you guys.

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[none]

hm...balanced 30R and 3.7 GPA (FROM UCSD!!!!) and no secondary here. Got 'em from all the other UCs though.

 

[Darwin]

hey isa...very accurate info (except for the rejection part. They RARELY, if ever, reject an applicant after an interview...that is, of course, until classes start and they know they have their class filled).

 

[Triangulation]

Those who fall below this "magic" number but meet their min. requirements of a 2.7 GPA and 7's across the MCAT get reviewed further.

What does 'reviewed further' mean? Do they continually return to your file and review you, or are you shoved in another pile to be reviewed way later?

 

[Keith]

I just sent in my UCSD secondary a few days ago. For those who received invites to interview, how long did it take after your secondary was submitted?

 

[isa]

Triangulation:
From how I understood it, "reviewed further" means that they looked at things in your applications besides your numbers and then decide from then whether they send a secondary or not.

None:
My student host told me that the med school actually prefers UCSD undergrads. She had a high GPA but only a 25 MCAT and they accepted her b/c the past UCSD undergrads have been successful in their med school. I think this is true for most UCs. Don't worry, they're sending 2ndaries until Jan.

Keith:
It took about 1 1/2 months for me to get an invite after submitting my 2ndary, but they lost my letters the first time and had to resend.

 

[Triangulation]

Thanks isa!! You're helping making sense of this mess. My August MCAT was a 35, think I'll get a 2dary? ****, my bro went to UCSD. Maybe I should've thrown that in my app! Viva La Jolla.

 

[nerfornothin]

Hey Keith,
Had no delays and it took about three weeks from secondary submission to interview invite.