I have a question for whoever. What is the deal with letters of rec and reapplying? Specificly, if you are going to reapply, how many new LOR's are you required to get? And if you are required to get new letters, does it matter from who? Lastly, what is the deal with PharmCAS, will they save your app from last year? If they don't then do we have to track down all of our letter writers and have them re submit their letters?.........I know it is a lot, but someone please help.
I just spoke with the admission coordinator and for UCSF specifically, you only need to get
one new LOR, and you can tell them to just refer to other LORs from your past application (so you don't have to hunt down professors again). There is a new rule for next year for UCSF where they will not accept LORs from friends or family.
UCSF keeps all your transcripts, prior LORs, supplemental, and your interview feedback (if you made it that far). In your new app, you should definitely address how your application's been strengthened in the past year, and to not just cut and paste your app from last year. They definitely check! The admissions coordinator said that people who interviewed but did poorly are probably less likely to be called back since they already know those people's style.
As for PharmCAS, they don't save your app from last year, so if you're applying to other schools or new schools, you might have to talk to your previous recommenders to rewrite/resubmit your LORs for PharmCAS.
The admissions coordinator basically said that my application was really strong along with my interview and writing sample, and he told me all these things that I needed to do in order to strengthen the overall tone and message of my app in order to make it even stronger to get accepted. He did say that my GPA was probably a factor as well (at the time of PharmCAS, it was a 3.02), but that my other factors were strong enough to definitely consider reapplying and breaking through. It was really a lot of minor factors that added up pushed me into the waitlist instead of getting accepted outright.
Also, he said that there should be more movement next month as they start going over people's prereqs and kicking out both admits and waitlisters who aren't going to finish them in time for the fall. He also said that people who've already accepted a UCSD acceptance offer and are on the waitlist for UCSF will also get kicked off the list, since UCSF and UCSD share lists. I'm assuming that the same will also happen for people who got into UCSF outright and are still waiting for UCSD.
As for my own personal feelings, I'm cautious but still really hopeful. I'm totally preparing to apply again in case I don't get called, and getting some more real volunteer experience under my belt (which both the coordinator and I know was lacking), and maybe shadowing if I can pull it off.
BTW, we've all just been moved up another spot as of yesterday, the last #1 just declined.
