UCSF Application 2009-2010

[Skillz18]

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It's so awesome to see someone else from the city, if you get in, you can be the go-to person for all of your classmates with good food places referrals and awesome things to do. Good luck with your interview !

haha, do I get bonus points for restaurant referrals?? 😛

If anyone is still around Thursday night, you should check out the Cal Academy of Science Adult Night Life. DJs, drinks, museum exhibits, and no kids. It would be a great way to unwind and enjoy SF nightlife without going too crazy. The Exploratorium After Dark is my new favorite monthly event so for all the P's and future P's, definitely check it out when you get a chance!

 

[spinin]

Thanks for sharing. Good luck. Sounds like it flowed naturally and that was probably what they were looking for.

Yeah, I hope so. At the same time, memory can play tricks on you as well. I hope I'm not filtering out some other stuff.

Hello. Thanks for the feedback and I am glad you had a great interview. Just a quick question, I know it stated on their website that the interview is usually about 45 min...did yours last that long and perhaps went over?

I don't know if it was 45 min or 1 hr. I definitely went the distance and over. When I got out of the room, everyone in my group was already writing the essay. I was given my own private room so that there were no disturbances. I definitely felt a bit special. Don't think about the time during the day and just go with the flow. Let it happen naturally. Remember that you really want to be there and try to savor each moment. It is obviously not that easy to do and I was actually not feeling too enthusiastic when I first got there. However I've kept an open and positive frame of mind for days leading up and when the moment of the interview was there I was able to find myself. Actually, right before the interview, I did the chat with P1 students. Asking them some questions seemed to help a lot and relaxed me. Of course, I may not know what the heck I'm talking about since I still don't know if I'm in or not.

Hey I think you were in my group. Were you in the afternoon group? Are you tall and had glasses on? I'll be 32 when I start school this aug. Don't let the number get in the way of what you want to do.

Thanks. I'm trying not to. Overall, I'm not getting too negative about any of the numbers, but it is still something in my mind. Tall? Above average. Glasses? Yes. I was in the afternoon group. Were you the guy from Hawaii maybe?

 

[Muangz]

@ spinin

Do you think the writing portion was difficult? What was it like? I heard we are allow to write only one page! Is it possible to do a 5-paragraph format? Given the amount of space, I would imagine one would have to be concise and to the point. Get the thesis across in a few paragraphs.

I am on my way up to SF from Los Angeles this afternoon. Wish me luck for tomorrow morning. I don't know how else I can prepare; no matter what I do, I still feel nervous.

 

[kmoogs]

@ spinin

Do you think the writing portion was difficult? What was it like? I heard we are allow to write only one page! Is it possible to do a 5-paragraph format? Given the amount of space, I would imagine one would have to be concise and to the point. Get the thesis across in a few paragraphs.

I am on my way up to SF from Los Angeles this afternoon. Wish me luck for tomorrow morning. I don't know how else I can prepare; no matter what I do, I still feel nervous.

Off the top of my head from reading past posts, I think you get a box with ~2/3 to 3/4 of a page worth of space in a box + 3 essay topics. I could be wrong but that's what I remember reading somewhere.

 

[kogekao]

Off the top of my head from reading past posts, I think you get a box with ~2/3 to 3/4 of a page worth of space in a box + 3 essay topics. I could be wrong but that's what I remember reading somewhere.

Yup, you get a box with about 3/4 of a page to complete. It's really not a lot of space but I managed to write a 5 paragraph essay, just with fewer sentences that were straight to the point. I'd advise writing a rough draft on scrap paper before beginning the essay so that you don't run out of space and have an idea of how much you can write. You get three essay topics and choose just one to write.
There's not really much you can do to prepare for the essay since you won't know the topics and they don't expect you to know. I'd advise maybe browsing through the news and keeping up on current events if one of the questions asks something like that, but at least one of the questions shouldn't require prior background knowledge. They won't ask you technical stuff about chemistry or whatever. Basically, you just have to be able to write a clear, concise essay in 45 minutes and argue your point effectively.

 

[Tomcat8]

Hi everyone, I just arrived here in San Francisco. I was wondering if anyone was planning to stay a little longer. I would love to get to know everyone and even check out the museums and attractions together.

So far the people in SF have been really nice. If it wasn't for their help I would feel so lost. The weather is nice too. However, according to weather.com it will rain tomorrow. I hope that doesn't affect the interview.

Oh and Muangz, it seems like you are right about grouping together those in the same area. I'm from So cal as well. How long are you staying in SF?

 

[kmoogs]

😕 I'm in Socal and scheduled for next week. Still feels random to me ... people from Socal also interviewed in Jan.

 

[Tomcat8]

Oh, nevermind than. Thanks Kmoogs for clearing that up. I was just going around to explore and locate where to go and guess who I bumped into? Joel Gonzales! He's a nice person. Is everyone in SF always this pleasant and nice? I wish all of California was like this.

 

[kmoogs]

Oh, nevermind than. Thanks Kmoogs for clearing that up. I was just going around to explore and locate where to go and guess who I bumped into? Joel Gonzales! He's a nice person. Is everyone in SF always this pleasant and nice? I wish all of California was like this.

Just don't run into raider fans Good luck tomorrow!

 

[Legion]

I am freaking out. I made two grammar mistakes in my essay. OMG.

 

[Tomcat8]

Just don't run into raider fans Good luck tomorrow!

haha, I'll keep that in mind. And thanks Kmoogs. Good luck to you next week as well.

 

[Legion]

I forgot to mention . I already had an interview and made mistakes in the essay on the day of the interview.

 

[brambo]

anyone interviewing tmorrow @ 2:30? 😀

 

[spinin]

@ spinin

Do you think the writing portion was difficult? What was it like? I heard we are allow to write only one page! Is it possible to do a 5-paragraph format? Given the amount of space, I would imagine one would have to be concise and to the point. Get the thesis across in a few paragraphs.

I am on my way up to SF from Los Angeles this afternoon. Wish me luck for tomorrow morning. I don't know how else I can prepare; no matter what I do, I still feel nervous.

You have about 80% of a page available. You can have a 5 paragraph essay as long as it has 3 or 4 sentences per paragraph. I felt like I had to state less than I am used to, but I realized that early on and didn't feel like the essay had to have "everything".

It did not seem too difficult. I felt like I could write about each one of the three topics given. And yet none of them stood out either as obvious or easy. You will probably know something on each. My suggestion is think about each one a little, and pick the one where you can think of the most facts to support your idea. I didn't pick the one that I would most want to write about because I like the subject. I picked the one where I felt like I had the most facts and the best argument. Overall, nothing to stress about, but don't get too relaxed after the interview and misjudge the whole thing. I felt like I could have been a bit sharper. I didn't write a rough draft beforehand and had to squeeze in the last half line. It also could have looked neater if I didn't scribble or scratch out some words. It was definitely not perfect planning on my part, but I'm hoping it will be good enough.

Good luck to you. If you already did your preparations and went over sample questions, then the only thing left to do is be yourself. It really sounds so cliche, but believe that you are ready. Don't doubt it. Just go in and make sure you give them a piece of yourself in addition to all of the knowledge.

 

[Tomcat8]

anyone interviewing tmorrow @ 2:30? 😀

I will be there. Hope to see you and get acquainted.

 

[socalgirlie]

I am freaking out. I made two grammar mistakes in my essay. OMG.

I did the same thing!!! I found them after reading them again...ahhhh 🙁

 

[Tomcat8]

I did the same thing!!! I found them after reading them again...ahhhh 🙁

We receive a copy of our written essay from the interview?

 

[rycetrix]

We receive a copy of our written essay from the interview?

No. I think socalgirlie confused Legion's comment as meaning the PS or supplemental essays when he fixed it to mean the interview essay.

 

[Legion]

yes. Thank you. Finally someone got it. Well, i guess it does not matter anymore. Besides, i am sure i am not alone. Good luck to all of us. I guess it is all about luck now.

 

[Tomcat8]

I wanted to exercise at the Millberry Fitness Center but unfortunately they would charge 15 dollars for guests. However, it is 7 dollars if you have a UCSF student with you. Rycetrix or cheburashka, want to help me me get the discount? (If you are done with your midterms of course). I don't mind using the other 8 dollars to pay for your lunch. 🙂

 

[busyizzy]

Does anybody know what UCSF's policy is on submitting new information on current applicants (ie. new publications and such) post-interview? Do they discourage it (it looks desperate) or encourage it, and if it's the latter, do we send them an email orrrr, what?

 

[kmoogs]

Does anybody know what UCSF's policy is on submitting new information on current applicants (ie. new publications and such) post-interview? Do they discourage it (it looks desperate) or encourage it, and if it's the latter, do we send them an email orrrr, what?

From UCSF's PharmD Admissions section...

Step 4: After Applying

...

Please Do Not Contact Us Unless...

* Your contact information has changed.
* Your course schedule has changed.
* You want to withdraw your application.

At least that is what it says on their website. I suppose you could shoot Joel an e-mail but he may say the same thing(?)

 

[socalgirlie]

Yesterday was fun, but I hope I didn't blow my interview by being so nervous!!! Everyone was so nice, great meeting everyone who was there. Good luck 😳)

 

[socalgirlie]

No. I think socalgirlie confused Legion's comment as meaning the PS or supplemental essays when he fixed it to mean the interview essay.

Haha, yeah...I was reading my supplementals again and I found a few mistakes, but I can't remember if I fixed them or not (they were the rough drafts) :/ That is embarrassing. But they did not say anything about them in my interview!

 

[kmoogs]

Haha, yeah...I was reading my supplementals again and I found a few mistakes, but I can't remember if I fixed them or not (they were the rough drafts) :/ That is embarrassing. But they did not say anything about them in my interview!

I found mistakes in mine too 🙁 I hope it doesn't count against us when they're completing final reviews for decisions.

What is your avatar supposed to be socalgirlie?

 

[OldPharm]

What is your avatar supposed to be socalgirlie?

That looks like a Chanel logo to me.

 

[kmoogs]

Oooooh that it is. Thanks! It looked very familiar but I couldn't place where I'd seen it ...

 

[arcticrevolver]

I'm not so sure my interview went over well. It felt more like an interrogation than an interview. I definitely love the people there and the school is AMAZING. I was able to meet up with my friend that's a first year there and she talked to me before my interview.

 

[UES Girl]

I'm not so sure my interview went over well. It felt more like an interrogation than an interview. I definitely love the people there and the school is AMAZING. I was able to meet up with my friend that's a first year there and she talked to me before my interview.

Don't worry about it at this point, it seems everyone in my class had drastically different interview experiences. My interview was very nice, but definitely strictly formal going by the format. Others had very informal interviews - one of my friends danced for an interviewer, another walked away with a business. Another guy was quizzed on his organic chemistry during the interivew. So, it's quite a variety of experiences and don't feel bad if your interview went very formally.

 

[kmoogs]

Don't worry about it at this point, it seems everyone in my class had drastically different interview experiences. My interview was very nice, but definitely strictly formal going by the format. Others had very informal interviews - one of my friends danced for an interviewer, another walked away with a business. Another guy was quizzed on his organic chemistry during the interivew. So, it's quite a variety of experiences and don't feel bad if your interview went very formally.

Business 😕
O-chem test? Argh!
Dance? I'll do the electric slide if it's for an interview...

 

[UES Girl]

Business 😕
O-chem test? Argh!
Dance? I'll do the electric slide if it's for an interview...

He he, I meant a business card.

Well for ochem, it will depend on which professor interviews you. Only a couple people were quizzed on science material, so don't worry too much. 🙂


As for dancing, dancing was his EC, so that's why they probably asked. He is a phenomenal dancer by the way, incredible. 😍

 

[kmoogs]

I'm not so sure my interview went over well. It felt more like an interrogation than an interview. I definitely love the people there and the school is AMAZING. I was able to meet up with my friend that's a first year there and she talked to me before my interview.

Is UCSF your #1 choice?

 

[OldPharm]

As for dancing, dancing was his EC, so that's why they probably asked. He is a phenomenal dancer by the way, incredible. 😍

Oh~ I think I know who that is. He gave us a campus tour. His name reminded me of a city in CA. Am I hot or cold?

 

[UES Girl]

Oh~ I think I know who that is. He gave us a campus tour. His name reminded me of a city in CA. Am I hot or cold?

Cold, he wasn't able to sign up for any time slots, it was actually a very competitive process for us as students to be able to get them. I was so happy when I got mine, I jumped up high in the air and fell onto a nearby desk. I had a bruise that covered my entire upper leg for several weeks. That should tell you something about the level of my enthisiasm.

 

[OldPharm]

Cold, he wasn't able to sign up for any time slots, it was actually a very competitive process for us as students to be able to get them. I was so happy when I got mine, I jumped up high in the air and fell onto a nearby desk. I had a bruise that covered my entire upper leg for several weeks. That should tell you something about the level of my enthisiasm.

Darn it~! Anyway, you guys were great. I really enjoyed the interview day.

 

[Muangz]

I thought I would be able to post my experience and feedback on the interview as soon as Friday was over with, but quite frankly I walked out of the interview room with mixed feelings; in fact, sort of bummed. I loved the campus and everyone was so nice and welcoming, but the interview itself was not so pleasant.

Overall, none of the questions were even hard. I felt that I answered all the questions well including the situational questions (and I recognized a pattern immediately--that the situational questions deeply depend on your experience and which pathway you are most likely to pursue). It wasn't the questions that bothered me, it was the comments. The interviewers definitely KNOW you before they even meet you based off of your essays. For that reason, I felt like they had a preconception about who I am and perhaps could have even been pre-judgmental (or bias) about my character. I tried my best though to be genuine but it was difficult after a constructive criticism was given to me within the first ten minutes. It definitely killed the enthusiasm and self-confidence. The least I could do for the remainder 40 minutes was act professional and show them I was real.

Just a side note, my interviewers did not have much eye contact. One of them looked at his/her watch every five minutes. I didn't feel like he/she valued me as an applicant. But I was there for a reason, right? Or was I invited simply to be criticized in person? If that's the case, Ha-ha.

Good luck to the last group of interviewees next Friday. Then we all wait for our letters of acceptance/denial/waitlist.

--Patience is virtue--

 

[kmoogs]

I tried my best though to be genuine but it was difficult after a constructive criticism was given to me within the first ten minutes. It definitely killed the enthusiasm and self-confidence. The least I could do for the remainder 40 minutes was act professional and show them I was real.

Did they think you were fake? They invited you for a good reason or else they would have just rejected you with the other applicants. You make it sound like they thought your personal statement was fake 🙁 Do you feel the bias came from the last statement in form B? The one about how your personal characteristics make you stand out as a person? Maybe you're reading too deeply into everything and they just wanted to make sure you made it to your essay session on time 🙂

From Joel's blog...

In a nutshell, we are looking for authentic applicants. Authentic in all aspects -- in their experiences, in their written applications, in their on-site interviews -- you know, "the real deal". Not some made-up and make-believe applicant with a phony application. (Haha! I haven't used the word "phony" in a long time!)

Those characteristics that we are looking for can really only be found in authentic applicants.

As you can imagine, we review LOTS of applications. When you've read hundreds and hundreds of files, it becomes very easy to separate the authentic applicants from the... from the... from the... well, the PHONY ones! The fake ones.

When we talk about "authentic", what do we mean? We want to read and meet (and ultimately admit) applicants who are *honest and real* -- both on paper and in person. We don't want applicants engaged in altruistic activities in order to make themselves stronger applicants; instead, we are interested in applicants that help others because that's really who they are and what they are about. We don't want applicants who attend a certain university because they think they will have a better chance to be admitted to pharmacy school; instead, we are interested in applicants that chose to attend a specific school that was a great fit for them -- a place where they could learn and thrive. We don't want applicants who respond with answers they *think* we want to hear; instead, we are interested in hearing real voices. Real authentic voices.

 

[Muangz]

Did they think you were fake? They invited you for a good reason or else they would have just rejected you with the other applicants. You make it sound like they thought your personal statement was fake 🙁

You are right about the being invited part. I kept thinking that in my head the entire time I was being interviewed. I was there for a reason. I was definitely being challenged on the authenticity part, lol. I did emphasized the time, effort, and quality I put into all my ECs and priorities (which are a lot, which almost seems impossible to manage or multi-task given the amount of hours available in a week), for this too, the interviewers remain skeptical throughout the entire interview. That's exactly the attitude of them--SKEPTICAL and they have every right to be. Like I said, mixed feelings, I'm not gonna try to over-analyze right now (but I already am, inevitably).

Thanks for quoting Joel. I'm gonna keep my head up and just wait for the letter (acceptance or rejection at its finest--haha).

 

[kmoogs]

sigh. I wonder what'll happen at my interview, only 4 more days !

 

[OldPharm]

You are right about the being invited part. I kept thinking that in my head the entire time I was being interviewed. I was there for a reason. I was definitely being challenged on the authenticity part, lol. I did emphasized the time, effort, and quality I put into all my ECs and priorities (which are a lot, which almost seems impossible to manage or multi-task given the amount of hours available in a week), for this too, the interviewers remain skeptical throughout the entire interview. That's exactly the attitude of them--SKEPTICAL and they have every right to be. Like I said, mixed feelings, I'm not gonna try to over-analyze right now (but I already am, inevitably).

Thanks for quoting Joel. I'm gonna keep my head up and just wait for the letter (acceptance or rejection at its finest--haha).

Cheer up! Just remember what cheburashka said. Current P1s also had mixed feelings after their interviews. Over analyzing is going to drive you nuts!! Trust me... It has been driving me nuts since I got back from the interview..

 

[Muangz]

Cheer up! Just remember what cheburashka said. Current P1s also had mixed feelings after their interviews. Over analyzing is going to drive you nuts!! Trust me... It's has been driving me nuts since I got back from the interview..

LOL, thanks.

 

[Muangz]

sigh. I wonder what'll happen at my interview, only 4 more days !

You will be great. It's cliche but be yourself. 🙂

 

[socalgirlie]

Yes, I also have been having mixed feelings ever since Friday...I felt like my answers were not good enough, and I did not receive any feedback from the interviewers the whole time on any of my answers. It just did not feel like they liked me, and I felt like I was doing HORRIBLE answering their questions..It will be very interesting to see what happens..

 

[Tomcat8]

Hi Muangz, I'm not sure if you were in the am group or the pm group but, I wanted to pass along what the P1 students during the chat room told everyone. They said that many of the students who attend UCSF are often their own greatest critic. From everyone that I met and talked to, I felt that everyone was unique and had a lot accomplishments. Now I know I am not the admissions committee but I believe that UCSF is able to spot someone who is not genuine before they even make it to the interview stage. Just as Joel said, "we review LOTS of applications. When you've read hundreds and hundreds of files, it becomes very easy to separate the authentic applicants from the...fake ones." I believe all of us after the interview, at some point or another, kept replying the whole day in our heads trying to pin-point areas of fault. I am sure you did great. 🙂

 

[Tomcat8]

...it was actually a very competitive process for us as students to be able to get them. I was so happy when I got mine, I jumped up high in the air and fell onto a nearby desk. I had a bruise that covered my entire upper leg for several weeks. That should tell you something about the level of my enthisiasm.

Haha Cheb! Are you serious? You must have been in the AM chat session then. I didn't see anyone with huge bruises on their leg or walk funny during the tour.

Actually, you might have been present during a different interview day all together. Well regardless, your enthusiasm was probably appreciated by those who talked to you.

 

[kmoogs]

You will be great. It's cliche but be yourself. 🙂

But of course

 

[Tomcat8]

Kmoogs, I am not sure how long you will be staying in SF but if you have the time I would suggest you go check out the Cal Academy of Science. It was really fun and interesting. I can even PM you how to get there. I figured out how to use the transportation system after asking the locals for help. Railways are so awesome. I wish so cal had those. I would ditch my car. Haha

 

[kmoogs]

Kmoogs, I am not sure how long you will be staying in SF but if you have the time I would suggest you go check out the Cal Academy of Science. It was really fun and interesting. I can even PM you how to get there. I figured out how to use the transportation system after asking the locals for help. Railways are so awesome. I wish so cal had those. I would ditch my car. Haha

Thanks for the recommendation 👍 I'll definitely check it out if I have time. Hopefully I can manage my way around SF. I'll be relying on google maps/google nav on my phone + http://tripplanner.transit.511.org/mtc/XSLT_TRIP_REQUEST2?language=en to get me to where I need to be haha. If all else fails, just cab it over.

I can get around Manhattan and Boston w/o any problems. I'm hoping the SF light rail system is organized in a similar fashion.

 

[elizafly]

I thought I would be able to post my experience and feedback on the interview as soon as Friday was over with, but quite frankly I walked out of the interview room with mixed feelings; in fact, sort of bummed. I loved the campus and everyone was so nice and welcoming, but the interview itself was not so pleasant.

Overall, none of the questions were even hard. I felt that I answered all the questions well including the situational questions (and I recognized a pattern immediately--that the situational questions deeply depend on your experience and which pathway you are most likely to pursue). It wasn't the questions that bothered me, it was the comments. The interviewers definitely KNOW you before they even meet you based off of your essays. For that reason, I felt like they had a preconception about who I am and perhaps could have even been pre-judgmental (or bias) about my character. I tried my best though to be genuine but it was difficult after a constructive criticism was given to me within the first ten minutes. It definitely killed the enthusiasm and self-confidence. The least I could do for the remainder 40 minutes was act professional and show them I was real.

Just a side note, my interviewers did not have much eye contact. One of them looked at his/her watch every five minutes. I didn't feel like he/she valued me as an applicant. But I was there for a reason, right? Or was I invited simply to be criticized in person? If that's the case, Ha-ha.

Good luck to the last group of interviewees next Friday. Then we all wait for our letters of acceptance/denial/waitlist.

--Patience is virtue--

I know exactly how you feel! I was confident going to the interview and then after I walked out, I was thinking, "What happened?" My interviewer even asked me what I would do if I did not get in, so I was thinking, "Are you trying to hinting something?" 🙁

Waiting for the letter is driving me nuts!! 😱

 

[kmoogs]

I know exactly how you feel! I was confident going to the interview and then after I walked out, I was thinking, "What happened?" My interviewer even asked me what I would do if I did not get in, so I was thinking, "Are you trying to hinting something?" 🙁

Waiting for the letter is driving me nuts!! 😱

Oh I already know what I'm going to do. Re-apply!