UCSD?

[Darwin]

Anyone else get the UCSD secondary? I got it two weeks ago and am working on this damn autobiography. This is by far the toughest secondary I've filled out so far. The autobiography is the only essay, but it's damn hard trying to fit an entire autobiography into two pages and make sure that those two pages reflect why you have chosen medicine. Anyone else find this one a doozy? In the e-mail it stated that I had to have it done in three weeks or my app. would be trashed. Today is two weeks...one more to go. I hope I can finish it, proof read, and make sure that it reads well before then. Just venting...looking for others in the same boat. Take care.

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[redowa]

several questions:

when did you receive the ucsd secondary? was this before or after you sent in your uc app? also, has your amcas app been verified and transmitted to the school?

 

[kutastha]

For some reason some people got UCSD secondaries before the UC system put out their app.

Andrew

 

[Darwin]

Yeah...I got the UCSD supplemental before I sent my UC app. in. Pretty wierd. I called them and asked if they had screened the applications and they said that they had. My app. has already been processed and verified (8/02) and I originally submitted on 6/23. I'm not EDP so I'm not sure why I've already been processed. I have a hunch though...around July 23rd I called AMCAS for a transcript status and ended up speaking with the lady (very nice lady by the way) for about 1/2 hour about the process and everything they were going through. We laughed a lot, and I told her that I understood her frustration with everything. She just noted that she wished all calls were like mine, and that she was going to see what she could do about getting my app. finished. I didn't think she did anything, but after reading all these horror stories about people who submitted around the time I did not being processed, perhaps she did. I guess I'm one of the lucky ones. I didn't ask UCSD if they had the WHOLE app., just if they screened, so I'm not sure my entire app. was transmitted. Anyway, this essay is killing me.

 

[pillbug]

I received the secondary on Aug 9th. you have one month to finish it from the time they send it to you.

 

[sproggin]

Hey Darwin,
Whats all the UCSD secondary questions. Is it just "write an autobio." and include in it why youve chosen medicine"? Many thanks

 

[BeckyG]

Hi Darwin,

I remember this "question" from last year - it is hard to write the autobiography because you're not sure what to include or leave out. I think it's important to tell them a little about your family and what affect they had on your life/values/etc. -- not what affect (if any) they had on your decision to apply to med school (unless one of your family members is in medicine). Other than that, basically tell them a story so they have a good sense of who you are and what you have done. Also, keep in mind that what you "put in" the story tells volumes about you and what you think is important. Keep that in mind as you write it. Other than that, just have fun with it and have a couple of people read it to make sure it is a good "picture" of you. Last thing: as you write the essay, think to yourself: "If I were reading all these autobiographies and had to only choose a few of these extrememly qualified people, who would I choose to interview and why?" Thinking of your application from the Adcom's perspective of "who is an interesting person - the kind I would like to meet (i.e., interview)" will help a lot. Good luck!

-- Becky

 

[Darwin]

Thanks for all your replies everyone, and thanks Becky for your detailed support. This entire process is so introspective and although difficult at first, things are getting a bit easier. Thanks again.

 

[Papi Smurf]

I sent off my UCSD secondary two weeks ago and today I got an email asking for the best interview dates for me in October. So as long as you send it off quick, you should get a response right back, well at least in the time frame AMCAS have given us.
------------------------
Outstanding

 

[Ai]

I am having a difficult time with this one as well. For those of you who have finished, what font did you use? Is 10 too small? Did you just attach the two sheets to the application or did you cut and paste it into the space below the question? Thanks

 

[Darwin]

I am having problems cutting and pasting into the space provided...it only allows one page, and cuts the rest off. I cut the box out of the word document and just pasted it into the plain text, without using the box provided. I hope they won't care. I'd like to use size 10 font...but think I'm going to use 11 just in case. Did anyone else have problems cutting and pasting this document into the box provided?

 

[Ai]

I don't even have a box on mine. There is a box for the criminal conviction but for the autobiographical sketch it just says "Type you (it does say 'you' not 'your'!) essay below:"

Did you repeat alot of what was in your personal statement and vision statement?

 

[Darwin]

Good...maybe I'll cut the box out and they'll never know..hee hee. You know, I contemplated whether or not to rehash what I had written in my personal statement and decided rather to focus on various transition periods in my life and how each has effected and led to who I am today. There's a bit of overlap (maybe 5%), but I figured I'd give them everything I possibly could by introducing more about myself then what was written in my personal statement. Besides, my personal statement mainly focuses on post-secondary and for this essay I only spent one paragraph on post-secondary and focused rather on my childhood. Who knows. I'm just spitting these things out without thinking too much about them at this point.

 

[paisley]

To all of you people out there who were so fortunate to get UCSD secondaries already, I was wondering if you would mind posting your stats? I'd like to know whether I'm UCSD-secondary material.