UMass Worcester

Discover Your Odds of Getting into Medical School
This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
Members do not see this ad.
Docwannabe08 said:
I called the admissions office yesterday morning (4/21). (My first call to them!) It went directly to voicemail. I left a message asking for any information on WL movement. No word yet back from them; but, as soon I hear anything, I'll let you know.... Hang in there 🙂
Click to expand...


Thank you for calling. And thanks premed86 for the info.
 
I just reread my last post and found it really depressing. I'm just going to wait and see what happens. thanks for calling them docwannabe08.
 
nothing:scared:

Docwannabe, did you back from admissions about waitlist movement? Thanks!
 
You should try contacting Karen Lawton or Dean Paraskos for a quicker reply. I dropped off some forms at the finaid office in person, and noticed the admissions office was closed (I think this was at 3 or 4 pm). My guess is they might potentially be closed for the rest of the season, which would explain why the last couple of admissions have been extended by phone calls.
 
PreMD86 said:
You should try contacting Karen Lawton or Dean Paraskos for a quicker reply. I dropped off some forms at the finaid office in person, and noticed the admissions office was closed (I think this was at 3 or 4 pm). My guess is they might potentially be closed for the rest of the season, which would explain why the last couple of admissions have been extended by phone calls.
Click to expand...

Thanks premed. Very kind of you to keep participating even though you are all set. I like your hypothesis. Do you know WHO has made these phone calls then - Was it Karen Lawton or Paraskos themselves?

Thanks
 
First responder to sdn but i interviewed in feburary and waitlisted on the 25th of April.

Still waiting to hear also know of someone who interviewed in oct, waitlisted on the 25th as well and was accepted on the 19th of May
 
jka said:
Thanks premed. Very kind of you to keep participating even though you are all set. I like your hypothesis. Do you know WHO has made these phone calls then - Was it Karen Lawton or Paraskos themselves?

Thanks
Click to expand...

I don't know who made the phone calls. I doubt it was Paraskos or Lawton themselves, but I'll ask my friend who got the phone as soon as I can.
Btw, I asked the student affairs office where the best place to inquire about WL status , and they said admissions is still the best resource. Although it's far from their jurisdiction, they mentioned you shouldn't give up hope quite yet, because "there is still activity on the WL".

As a side note, I'm personally really keeping my fingers crossed for you in particular. For many of us, Umass is only the difference between some debt or more debt. You have alot more invested in this though. Good luck.
 
PreMD86, you're the man!... or the woman.

Thanks a lot for all the info.
 
PreMD86 said:
I don't know who made the phone calls. I doubt it was Paraskos or Lawton themselves, but I'll ask my friend who got the phone as soon as I can.
Btw, I asked the student affairs office where the best place to inquire about WL status , and they said admissions is still the best resource. Although it's far from their jurisdiction, they mentioned you shouldn't give up hope quite yet, because "there is still activity on the WL".

As a side note, I'm personally really keeping my fingers crossed for you in particular. For many of us, Umass is only the difference between some debt or more debt. You have alot more invested in this though. Good luck.
Click to expand...

Thank you so much for all your support and info. I really appreciate it. Of course I am still hoping to get off the waitlist, but I've started looking farther into the future in terms of early decision and another MCAT. I think like everyone else who is still waiting to hear, I went through a huge bout of disappointment after May 15th; now I am focusing on being constructive with my situation.

THANKS AGAIN
 
Thanks PreMD86 for all your help!! Very cool of you to keep us updated.
 
I seem to remember there is an orientation thingy coming up. If you get a chance, premed86 (and any one else who is inspired), can you give us some feedback; e.g how many students are there, etc??

Thanks!
 
Orientation was ok- Can't say I learned anything I didn't already know. They paired us with a 1st year "buddy" that answered all our questions, and the bulk of the day was occupied by talks from the administration, bbq, and then student talks.

It was close to impossible to guage how many incoming students were there. Not only was there no way to distinguish between incoming students and current students, but people were also encouraged to bring their families and significant others. However, every student that was invited to orientation had an information packet waiting for them, and apparently around 30 were unclaimed by the end of the day. Whether that was because these people couldn't make it or didnt want to make it, I cannot say. Good luck again- It ain't over til the fat lady sings!
 
PreMD86 said:
Orientation was ok- Can't say I learned anything I didn't already know. They paired us with a 1st year "buddy" that answered all our questions, and the bulk of the day was occupied by talks from the administration, bbq, and then student talks.

It was close to impossible to guage how many incoming students were there. Not only was there no way to distinguish between incoming students and current students, but people were also encouraged to bring their families and significant others. However, every student that was invited to orientation had an information packet waiting for them, and apparently around 30 were unclaimed by the end of the day. Whether that was because these people couldn't make it or didnt want to make it, I cannot say. Good luck again- It ain't over til the fat lady sings!
Click to expand...

Premed86 you are THE BEST. I look forward to meeting you this fall or next (I know a little presumptuous, but you gotta be confident!)

Thanks again!
 
Thanks -

I am willing to bet that a lot has to do with creating a class with diverse backgrounds...
 
Missed a call and then a subsequent email from the director of admissions today. I am absolutely losing it trying to figure out why they would be trying to get ahold of me if not to give me the good news. Did anyone hear anything recently? Is this it?
 
FatherOblivion said:
Missed a call and then a subsequent email from the director of admissions today. I am absolutely losing it trying to figure out why they would be trying to get ahold of me if not to give me the good news. Did anyone hear anything recently? Is this it?
Click to expand...

DID YOU CALL THEM BACK? This should be it! Why would the director of admissions e-mail you unless it is an acceptance?! Let us know what happens! This sounds like good news for you!

I haven't heard anything but am feeling ok.

Good luck!
 
Last edited:
That was it. I'm incredibly happy to be a part of the class of 2012. The waitlist is officially still moving so keep hope alive.
 
Last edited:
Got a question for you, FatherOblivion: what did you do between finding out you were on the waitlist and being accepted?
 
congrats Father Oblivion - you must feel amazing!
 
Thanks everyone for the kind words. It does, in fact, feel absolutely amazing. It's my first acceptance and I'm incredibly excited that it's umass.

I didn't do a whole lot between the waitlist and the acceptance. I sent a fairly detailed letter of intent a few weeks before I got the waitlist notice and didn't want to come off as overly pushy. When I emailed to accept the spot on the waitlist I reiterated that umass was my first choice and that I would gladly withdraw all of my other outstanding apps and attend if accepted. I called once to make sure everything was in order and found that my LOI had gotten wedged in my file somewhere and made sure it was hanging out on top. When I got the call I was in the process of writing an update letter. I think at this point it's just a waiting game.

Good luck to everyone still on the waitlist. It seems like lists are moving more then last year so there's probably going to be more movement through the month of June. Persistence pays off.
 
FatherOblivion said:
I called once to make sure everything was in order and found that my LOI had gotten wedged in my file somewhere and made sure it was hanging out on top.
Click to expand...

Hi, Father oblivion -

thanks for the info. Can you elaborate on the above, however? I too sent in a detailed LOI a week BEFORE the waitlist notice (for fear of a rejection.) I also had another LOR sent in after the waitlist notice. Reading your story makes me a little nervous since I assumed new additions would be put at the forefront of the app and reviewed accordingly. Who did you talk to and what did you say?? I don't want to come off as being overly pushy, but I also don't want the additions to my app. to go unnoticed.
Thanks!! And congrats again. It's nice to see people who really want it finally get that relief and validation.
 
Also, when did you make this phone call and how soon afterwards were you accepted? I am curious to know if you think this actually made a difference and they viewed you differently once your LOI was put on top.

Thanks!
 
anyone thing that there will be another group of mass acceptances? like there was a few weeks ago? or do we think it will just go one by one.....


goodness i just wanna get in already!
 
jka said:
Also, when did you make this phone call and how soon afterwards were you accepted? I am curious to know if you think this actually made a difference and they viewed you differently once your LOI was put on top.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

The story with the LOI is that it was wedged in between two transcripts, and it took the woman in the front office a couple of minutes to find it. Who knows if it really matters, but I didn't like the idea that it might have gotten overlooked if someone quickly scanned through my file. As for the phone call, I think I called two or three weeks ago, so it definitely didn't have any kind of immediate impact. I take them at their word when they say that they review everything out there when a spot opens up to maintain the profile of the class that they're after. It's definitely hard to know how to strike the right balance between showing them just how interested you are, and coming off pushy and overly aggressive. I'd offer advice if I had any idea what the best way to approach the process really is.

Other waitlists are still moving, and umass should be no different. I think there will still be good news coming for some of the people who are waiting patiently. I will say this, as painful as the process is, it all feels worth it when it finally ends. Good luck.
 
smdh said:
anyone thing that there will be another group of mass acceptances? like there was a few weeks ago? or do we think it will just go one by one.....


goodness i just wanna get in already!
Click to expand...

Hey -

I don't have a lot to base this on, but I think it will be one-by-one from now on....
 
Hey is anyone out there looking for a female roommate? If so reply back to me. Thanks! 🙂
 
Hi,
I am also a waitlist applicant desperately hoping to be contacted by UMASS in the next few weeks. I was wondering what options people are considering in the meantime if it doesn't work out this time. I was considering applying to UMMS this summer in the EDP even though i haven't really done anything to up my mcat scores/gpa.
I recently read about the current student who applied once, got rejected, and then applied EDP and got accepted, but I don't know how probable that is.
Any info would be helpful. also, sorry for no posting until now. I've pretty much kept myself off of SDN until pretty recently and have now almost exclusively been tracking this thread.
Thanks for all of your input and discussion.
 
Hang in there. We got an email last week from our dean that the class size is being increased to 110 this year.








-UMMS 09-
 
dicek said:
Hang in there. We got an email last week from our dean that the class size is being increased to 110 this year.



I think the number they gave us during the May 31st orientation is 114.
Click to expand...
 
I called the other day and they said that the class was full. So sadly I feel like that means although its been increased to 110 or 114 that is probably the clas size right now.
Posted via Mobile Device
 
Sorry about that, it was probably closer to the 31st when we got the email. There are 110 spots for the MD program and around 4 for the MD/PhD. Up until this year there were only 100 spots for the MD program. Class sizes fluctuate after that based on people extending. I quickly read that some have suggested emailing Dr. Paraskos in regards to their intent. I would recommend not. Obviously I have never had this conversation with him but based on our lectures I don't see him responding kindly to the emails. Feel free to post more questions or concerns that you may have. I am currently procrastinating putting my residency application together and will check in from time to time to help out with what I can. If anyone has any questions about the program, Worcester, starting first year just post. I am obviously biased so take this from what it is worth but UMASS is one of the top training programs on the east coast. I have rotated through sites of Harvard's, Tuft's, BU's, and Yale's. Unequivocally the attendings and residents at those sites say we are the most prepared for residency training. Furthermore, friends of mine from GW, Georgetown, Hopkins, Maryland rotated at our school and were even more impressed with our school. So for those of you who are on the fence about the school or feel that the money was the only reason you accepted feel assured that you will get a great education and be well prepared for whatever field you choose. All right, this ended up much longer than I intended.
 
dicek said:
Sorry about that, it was probably closer to the 31st when we got the email. There are 110 spots for the MD program and around 4 for the MD/PhD. Up until this year there were only 100 spots for the MD program. Class sizes fluctuate after that based on people extending. I quickly read that some have suggested emailing Dr. Paraskos in regards to their intent. I would recommend not. Obviously I have never had this conversation with him but based on our lectures I don't see him responding kindly to the emails. Feel free to post more questions or concerns that you may have. I am currently procrastinating putting my residency application together and will check in from time to time to help out with what I can. If anyone has any questions about the program, Worcester, starting first year just post. I am obviously biased so take this from what it is worth but UMASS is one of the top training programs on the east coast. I have rotated through sites of Harvard's, Tuft's, BU's, and Yale's. Unequivocally the attendings and residents at those sites say we are the most prepared for residency training. Furthermore, friends of mine from GW, Georgetown, Hopkins, Maryland rotated at our school and were even more impressed with our school. So for those of you who are on the fence about the school or feel that the money was the only reason you accepted feel assured that you will get a great education and be well prepared for whatever field you choose. All right, this ended up much longer than I intended.
Click to expand...

Hey, thanks for the inside info on Dr. Paraskos. It is hard to know how to approach someone about something that is sooo important to you when you've never met them. I'll keep this in mind from now on.
 
So it appears umass sends letters out at the end of June, beginning of July, to say that you won't make it off the waitlist. Not everyone gets these letters, however, so it seems we should expect to endure another round of selection! 😳 At least it seems this way to me based on previous years' posts.

As for me, I called AMCAS today because I had forgotten my username and password from last year. I am aiming to resubmit by 7.1...

Good luck everyone.
 
Just wanted to let you know I just got an email from a classmate saying she's looking for someone to take over her rent because she received a scholarship from a different university. Looks like a spot just opened up. Good luck!
 
PreMD86 said:
Just wanted to let you know I just got an email from a classmate saying she's looking for someone to take over her rent because she received a scholarship from a different university. Looks like a spot just opened up. Good luck!
Click to expand...


Thanks!!
 
has anyone applying for fall of 09 entrance recieved the umass secondary yet? i submitted amcas about a week and a half ago and am antsy on getting started on it. and to all of you that appplied last year - passing along the questions would be most appreciated!!

p.s. is there any one out there who applied EDP to umass? thoughts? feedback?
 
mbh1122 said:
has anyone applying for fall of 09 entrance recieved the umass secondary yet? i submitted amcas about a week and a half ago and am antsy on getting started on it. and to all of you that appplied last year - passing along the questions would be most appreciated!!

p.s. is there any one out there who applied EDP to umass? thoughts? feedback?
Click to expand...

Last year the questions were: What is your attachment to MA? What would you do if you were not accepted to medical school? What field of medicine do you see yourself going into? Have you been involved with UmassMed in the past, if so describe how? All questions, if i remember correctly, were supposed to be 500 words tops.

In regards to EDP, I think it's one of the smartest things you could do if you have 3.6+/33+ and are confident you want to go there. You have a much better shot at getting in, and you get to sit out on the craziness that is the application process.
 
PreMD86 said:
Last year the questions were: What is your attachment to MA? What would you do if you were not accepted to medical school? What field of medicine do you see yourself going into? Have you been involved with UmassMed in the past, if so describe how? All questions, if i remember correctly, were supposed to be 500 words tops.
Click to expand...

I'm looking at my essays from last year, and the wording I have for the questions is slightly different:

"Please describe your attachment to Massachusetts"

"What are your future medical career plans?"

--This gives you the opening, if you want it, to talk about aspects of your plans beyond just what specialty you're interested in.

"What career would you choose if medicine were simply not an option? Why?"

--And the wording of this is important because it doesn't allow for the standard answer of improving your app and trying again - it wants you to really address the issue of what you'd choose to do instead.

Good luck!
 
Hi, Since I am still waitlisted, I still have access to the secondary site. They loaded up a new question, which I confirmed with the office to be on next year's secondary : What is your favorite book read in the last 5 years and why?

This with the old ones I think makes up the complete app.

Premed, where did you get the 500 word limit? I am curious cause I was wondering what kind of volume they were looking for with these questions and never got a straight answer.

Thanks!
 
jka said:
Hi, Since I am still waitlisted, I still have access to the secondary site. They loaded up a new question, which I confirmed with the office to be on next year's secondary : What is your favorite book read in the last 5 years and why?

This with the old ones I think makes up the complete app.

Premed, where did you get the 500 word limit? I am curious cause I was wondering what kind of volume they were looking for with these questions and never got a straight answer.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

Awesome! I'm applying now as well. Thanks for this.
 
jka said:
They loaded up a new question, which I confirmed with the office to be on next year's secondary : What is your favorite book read in the last 5 years and why?
Click to expand...

That makes me glad I applied last year! (Do you think they would have approved if I'd said Med School Confidential or the MSAR?)
 
HanginInThere said:
That makes me glad I applied last year! (Do you think they would have approved if I'd said Med School Confidential or the MSAR?)
Click to expand...

Ha Ha! Yes, I know, hate to admit that I hardly have time to read. I am going on vacation, though, and will be bringing my favorite book with me for this reason!
 
that book question is a toughie....any one have any suggestions as to what they are trying to get at with that question?
 
mbh1122 said:
that book question is a toughie....any one have any suggestions as to what they are trying to get at with that question?
Click to expand...

I don't think they are trying to evaluate you in an unobvious way with this question. I imagine they just want to see if you can say something intelligent.

Hey, have any unaccepted waitlisters heard from umass? Based on previous years, waitlisters are often asked if they are still interested at this point or are told they don't have a reasonable chance. I haven't heard anything! Although I left for vacation a few days ago, so I suppose the dreaded letter could be in my mailbox.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

U
Letter of intent: UMass
Replies
8
Views
1K
chilly_md
chilly_md
MedGuy23
UMass Chan WL situation/ LOI
Replies
7
Views
2K
MedGuy23
MedGuy23
J
Should I apply to UMass?
Replies
2
Views
1K
chilly_md
chilly_md
S
  • Locked
BU vs UMass
Replies
8
Views
977
serendipity2147
S
ravioliravioli
UMass vs. Brown
Replies
4
Views
862
Yhwach
Yhwach
Top