UPenn 2014 cycle updates!

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DickVetPlease -- you should have just slapped it down on the table and been like BAM! .... ok, maybe not so Emeril-like. ;p Did you get to talk about your research at all??

sooo do you guys think they're going to be calling people tomorrow with some good news?? I'd really love an acceptance (DUH, understatement of the year), not only cause I liked Penn but also just so I could feel like 'okay, I am going to vet school next year, phew'.

sending good luck vibes our way!:xf:
 
I don't know, I was hoping to sleep late tomorrow for the first time in ages, but I think I'm going to be too anxious about the possibility of getting a phone call for that to happen. Fingers crossed for everyone! :xf:
 
Classes start for me tomorrow, but I know its going to be really hard for me to concentrate since i'll be praying for a phone call. Think of the first impression i'd make on my new professors, if I ran out of the room wildly waving my phone in the air.
 
I guess they did things a little later than last time... Just got an acceptance call about 20 mins ago. Totally bittersweet for me... My fingers are cross for the rest of you 1/8 interviewees!!
 
also... so THIS is why no one will pick up my phone calls today haha i guess i will have to try calling tomorrow
 
Haha! I'm in too!! YAY! what a great feeling 🙂

I missed the call originally and had to call back.
The guy was teasing me at first, putting off telling me, he was like
Rob: sooo...did you have a nice weekend?
Me: oh yeah, it was nice
Rob: oh good so you were able to relax after the interview on Friday?
Me: yeah well the day wasn't so bad
Rob: oh so you think you did good then?!
Me: well, it was my first interview and I had a nice time and really enjoyed myself
Rob: well....you did do a good job! We'd like to accept you into the Fall 2010 class, you'll get an official acceptance letter in a few weeks
Me: woo hoo!

What a great great feeling 😀
 
GellaBella said:
Haha! I'm in too!! YAY! what a great feeling 🙂

I missed the call originally and had to call back.
The guy was teasing me at first, putting off telling me, he was like
Rob: sooo...did you have a nice weekend?
Me: oh yeah, it was nice
Rob: oh good so you were able to relax after the interview on Friday?
Me: yeah well the day wasn't so bad
Rob: oh so you think you did good then?!
Me: well, it was my first interview and I had a nice time and really enjoyed myself
Rob: well....you did do a good job! We'd like to accept you into the Fall 2010 class, you'll get an official acceptance letter in a few weeks
Me: woo hoo!

What a great great feeling 😀
Click to expand...

Haha thats hilarious because he did the EXACT same thing to me (word for word pretty much). I was thinking the entire time, GET ON WITH IT ALREADY!

congrats!
 
Congratulations you three!

Does anyone know how many weeks they will be doing interviews this year? It would seem that they've already sent out invites for 5, counting the one they had in December, right?
 
nyanko said:
Congratulations you three!

Does anyone know how many weeks they will be doing interviews this year? It would seem that they've already sent out invites for 5, counting the one they had in December, right?
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And does anyone happen to know when equine day might be? Hoping for an invite...
 
Haha 1/8'ers, I got just about the same treatment on the phone! I'm in, too. I was so excited that I sort of went on talking auto-pilot. I don't know exactly what I said back into the phone, but I'm sure it was eloquently stated...

Congrats to everyone else that got good news!
 
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Congrats to everyone who's in at Penn!! 😀 I'm sure you've all worked your butts off to get there and you guys deserve it! I'll be interviewing this Friday. I'm a tad nervous, but after reading everyone's comments, I've been slightly reassured. I've never been to UPenn or Philly for that matter, so I'm interested to find out if Penn is right for me. Good luck to everyone else interviewing this week! :luck:
 
GREAT job everyone! Congrats on your acceptances!
 
The Mad Penguin said:
Congrats to everyone who's in at Penn!! 😀 I'm sure you've all worked your butts off to get there and you guys deserve it! I'll be interviewing this Friday. I'm a tad nervous, but after reading everyone's comments, I've been slightly reassured. I've never been to UPenn or Philly for that matter, so I'm interested to find out if Penn is right for me. Good luck to everyone else interviewing this week! :luck:
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I'll be there on Friday as well, Mad Penguin, and though I'm not exactly a Philly "native", I live only about 45 minutes from the city. There's some pretty cool stuff to do, see, and experience there, so you'd never be bored. I'm not a city person at all, but I think even I could tolerate a couple of years there - especially since once you're beyond the city boundaries you hit some great countryside.

Oh, and unless you're a veggie-saur, you do have to try a cheesesteak or scrapple while you're there. It's a must. 😀 Just don't call it a "Philly cheesesteak" or you will be immediately pegged as a tourist. There's no other kind of cheesesteak you could possibly order!
 
Good luck to everyone interviewing this week! Let me know if you have any questions about getting around Philly, etc.

And congrats to all the kids admitted last week! I hope I get to meet some of you this fall! Let me know if you have any questions that will help you make a (the right!) decision! 😉
 
Also wanted to wish the interviewers for the upcoming week good luck. I'll be waiting anxiously to hear how it went.

Minor piece of advice: If you're using the subway system to get around, don't count on finding the station without ever having looked at a map of the area before. More importantly, don't try to do this without a jacket, because you'll end up wandering the city in the freezing cold. Not that I have personal experience or anything...😳

Have to say though, once I figured everything out (like their weird token system), I found the public transportation to be very easy and convenient.
 
DickVetPlease said:
Have to say though, once I figured everything out (like their weird token system), I found the public transportation to be very easy and convenient.
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Ugh, the tokens... Seriously, SEPTA, get with the times!! It's not 1991 anymore. ALSO, I always mistake them for nickels in my wallet and it drives me maddddd. :laugh:
 
Hi I'm new here - not sure if it's a good or bad thing that I've found this site ...since it may actually increase my anxiety level (if that's possible). Anyway, I was just wondering if anyone knows how late they will be sending out interview invites? I know they will be interviewing into March, but when do the invites stop? Also, I've taken pre-req classes at big universities/non-competitive liberal arts school/and a couple at a community college...how big of a deal is the competitive school aspect? I have good GPAs across the three sets they look at....but I'm not sure they'll see it that way...
Lastly, I'm an older student and I've been a tech for almost 8 years...is experience a big consideration for them??

Thanks! 🙄
 
Hmmm, just realized I have a question and I'm hoping someone knows teh answer. I interview this Friday, and I was wondering...if you don't get a call, does that mean you are def rejected/waitlisted, or are people accepted but still don't get a call? I just want to know so next mon/tues if (hopefully not :xf:) I don't get a call I will just know and not keep my hopes up.
 
Tech2Vet said:
Hi I'm new here - not sure if it's a good or bad thing that I've found this site ...since it may actually increase my anxiety level (if that's possible). Anyway, I was just wondering if anyone knows how late they will be sending out interview invites? I know they will be interviewing into March, but when do the invites stop? Also, I've taken pre-req classes at big universities/non-competitive liberal arts school/and a couple at a community college...how big of a deal is the competitive school aspect? I have good GPAs across the three sets they look at....but I'm not sure they'll see it that way...
Lastly, I'm an older student and I've been a tech for almost 8 years...is experience a big consideration for them??

Thanks! 🙄
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i dont know the exact answer, but this is just what i'm thinking. they seem to give invites about 3 weeks before the interview date because that's when i got mine and you can look at the passed invites. I thought that they interviewed into feb (no clue about march) but if that is the case i would assume the last letters go out around mid feb. Now, this is just me guessing and making up a time table lol. but if you can find out the last day of interviews...i would say 3 weeks before that.

secondly, the experience does count a lot at penn because i think i got my invite solely based on my experience. my grades are BAD, but i have had 2 bad semesters that have hurt my GPA. My gre is the same. the total is avg, but the verbal is below avg and the quantitative is really above avg. Being a tech for 8 years is great experience. If for some reason you need to apply again next year i would try to branch out and get either lab, research, LA, or wildlife experience too.

good luck and welcome to SDN!
 
lalzi22 said:
if you don't get a call, does that mean you are def rejected/waitlisted, or are people accepted but still don't get a call?
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Not everyone gets a phone call. In the past, it was the interviewers that made the calls, and not all interviewers did. So some people never got a phone call but did get an acceptance letter within a week or two. So no call does not mean bad news.

Now, if this year there is one person making all the calls, and it's not the interviewers as in past years, maybe it's different, but there have been people on SDN who were admitted and never did get the phone call.
 
My acceptance phone call came from a guy in the admissions office, not one of my interviewers. That being said I think it is possible for you to go to the interview and then for your file to basically be put on hold as they wait to do another round of interviews and make a decision later.

So if you happen to not get a phone call right away, I wouldn't say thats the end of the world and you're not being offered a seat. It may just mean they want to take a look at some more applicants and make a decision at a later date.

But of course I hope you all get phone calls immediately 🙂
Relax! Have fun! It was a really nice laid back kind of day (in retrospect)
👍:luck::xf:
 
I was also called by a guy in the admissions office, so its possible that if you don't receive one, you're on hold (or rejected). Definitely don't take my word for it though.

Maybe SDN is a horrible sample to use, but doesn't it seem like they accept a large majority of their interviewees?
 
DickVetPlease said:
I was also called by a guy in the admissions office, so its possible that if you don't receive one, you're on hold (or rejected). Definitely don't take my word for it though.

Maybe SDN is a horrible sample to use, but doesn't it seem like they accept a large majority of their interviewees?
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LOL i thought it was just because us SDNers kick butt 😀 hoping for the same good luck after my interview!
 
For those of you interviewing tomorrow: Good luck!!

Also I have a couple questions for current PennVet-ers:

1) How much is parking for the year? Is it hard to find spots? Is there parking close to the vet school?
2) Does tuition include gym membership?
3) Does the vet school have its own library? What are its hours?

I have an interview for Tufts coming up and I'm also still waiting to hear from NCSU, UFl, and UC-Davis. I really liked UPenn when I visited and I think being in Philly would be great for my fiance, but I'm just trying to get as much info as possible 🙂

Thanks!
 
1) There is free street parking around here if you just need somewhere to sit your car for the occasional weekend trip. If you plan on driving in every day you can pay for a spot, but I have no idea what it costs.

2) Tuition does not include the gym membership sadly. I believe it is $300 for the year. The gym is pretty bad ass though, so it is worth the price.

3) The vet school does have its own library. It isnt that big, but it is nice. There is also a nice student lounge open all the time where lots of people study. And of course there are the normal Penn libraries if you really need them, which are large, nice, and probably open all the time (but I dont remember).

ps. Penn is the greatest, Philly is the greatest, and most importantly I am the greatest, so go here.
 
The free street parking is a good option if you live out towards W. Philly. Most people near where I live though (43rd) did transfer their plates to PA (if they were out of state) and get a yearly parking permit thru the city. I think it is like $30. It opens up a lot more spots - you can park along Spruce without a permit, but if you want to park on any of the numbered streets (at least this close in), you need a permit. I think if you get out past 45th or so, those streets open up to non-permit holders, but don't quote me on that.

There are also some off-street parking options up around here. The lot where my car is is ~$115/month. I just like not having to worry about it since I don't drive it much. Street parking suits my roommate and most of my friends just fine. 🙂 If you're planning on living in Center City, expect off street parking to double in cost.

There is a Penn-owned lot right across Spruce from the vet school where a lot of folks park. It is completely locked up (have to have a key card just to get into the deck, which is nice)...I think it is around $1000 for the year? The street parking near the vet school is all meters. The deck would probably be your best option if you're planning on commuting in from the suburbs, but most of the folks I know who commute end up riding Septa instead of driving. The traffic around here can be pretty horrendous!

That was probably a lot more than you wanted to know!

Vnair covered everything else.

GOOD LUCK TO EVERYONE INTERVIEWING TOMORROW! 👍
 
To all of the current vet students who helped with the day, you guys did a wonderful job! The tour/discussion leaders were very helpful, funny, and great at making us feel at home. 🙂 We definitely couldn't have asked for a nicer day weather-wise to be walking around the city. And I didn't get hit by a bus or taxi, so my day was a total win!

For those who have interviews coming up, don't stress too much about this one. You're with a small group of other interviewing students for the day, so you get pretty friendly with them after chatting for several hours. Plus, the current students are great at keeping things going - you really do start to forget that you will be/already have interviewed once you're on the tour! My pair of interviewers were pretty laid-back, and I never felt as though I was being interrogated or really nitpicked while I was there. The whole 30 minutes kind of blurred by, so I'm not really sure what I said or how I did (hopefully okay).

Also, shout-out to lalzi22 who I got to meet at the beginning of the day! Hope your trip is fantastic! 😀
 
aspiringDVM said:
And does anyone happen to know when equine day might be? Hoping for an invite...
Click to expand...

I just called the admissions office yesterday to check they got my fall transcripts and the guy in the office said the equine day should be mid-feb... he was really nice/funny (I love the Penn Admissions Office), I wonder if it's the same guy calling the admitted people?
 
Hey, guys! I'm new to this forum/site.

I'm an IS applicant to Penn, and my friend from my same undergraduate university interviewed at Penn already and got accepted. Does this mean my chances aren't that great? I know that they interview in cycles, so I'm not too sure. I consider my application to be good, and my experience to be above average, but I'm really nervous. Is there any particular order that they interview IS applicants? I know 51% of their class is IS applicants. I'd appreciate any advice, and I plan on calling the admissions office tomorrow.

Congrats to those who are already accepted!!!
 
Equine day... So they interview in cycles based on track preference??? Have they already done small animal?
 
chii chan said:
Equine day... So they interview in cycles based on track preference??? Have they already done small animal?
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Per Roseanne in admissions, they only group the equine people (and maybe food animal too? someone confirm/deny?) together for interviews, and they hold that interview day at New Bolton so that those applicants who are pretty firmly LA can see the facility. Everyone else is mixed up on different days, in terms of interests.
 
turnbackhelly said:
Per Roseanne in admissions, they only group the equine people (and maybe food animal too? someone confirm/deny?) together for interviews, and they hold that interview day at New Bolton so that those applicants who are pretty firmly LA can see the facility. Everyone else is mixed up on different days, in terms of interests.
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Sweet! Thanks! I was worried that i missed something.
 
Has anyone who interviewed last Friday heard anything?

Oh, by the way, I am new here, haha! I had an interview last Friday and I thought it went really well - but now I am a nervous wreck.
 
Since its a holiday today the admissions office is probably closed. I wouldn't count on getting a call today one way or the other
 
ovylicious said:
Has anyone who interviewed last Friday heard anything?

Oh, by the way, I am new here, haha! I had an interview last Friday and I thought it went really well - but now I am a nervous wreck.
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I think I would've resorted to heavy drinking if they had made me wait all weekend for my phone call last year. It was hard enough waiting a couple hours!
 
lol how spoiled! When I interviewed at Davis 2 years ago it was on Feb 26, and nobody heard anything until the last week of March. :meanie:

I hope everyone who interviewed hears good news tomorrow! 👍
 
Congrats and good luck to all you who have had interviews or have them coming up!

However, is Penn giving anyone else fits? It is my instate, probably #1 school and have yet to hear ANYTHING. Even though I am already in (osu, tufts) I am still panicking about penn since thats all i have left to panic about (I have withdrawn my other four interviews). Anyone else in the same boat??
 
Um, yes. I've heard at least SOMETHING from my other 4 schools. F-ing Penn hasn't given me anything. I'm in at Edinburgh, invited to interview at Glasgow and Tufts, and rejected from Cornell.
Penn? Silence.
 
I'm right there with you two. I too have heard from my other schools and not a peep from Penn.

I'm hoping tomorrow's the day I find an invite in my inbox! Good glory, I need it.
 
Horsingaround31 said:
I'm right there with you two. I too have heard from my other schools and not a peep from Penn.

I'm hoping tomorrow's the day I find an invite in my inbox! Good glory, I need it.
Click to expand...

Right? I mean, on the one hand, I haven't been rejected yet so that's a plus. On the other hand, I want to call and be like "um, 'scuse me, have you like misplaced my email address? Or something? Please give me something to go on?"
 
nyanko said:
lol how spoiled! When I interviewed at Davis 2 years ago it was on Feb 26, and nobody heard anything until the last week of March. :meanie:

I hope everyone who interviewed hears good news tomorrow! 👍
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Well, now, we all know that Davis is just special. 😛
 
Right there with you guys, except I have heard NOTHING from my other two schools either. Granted, I just applied to three late-notifying schools, but I've been spasmodically checking my email for a Penn invite for the past week.
Here's hoping that everyone who's already been interviewed gets good news tomorrow, and that the rest of us have invites in our inboxes! :xf:
 
totally. i feel like an a** for saying this, but it would be absurd if the only school to not give me an interview was my instate right? get it over with already!
 
Nothing here either. I still have a couple schools to hear from as well.

Of course, I would absolutely kill to have an "in" and already be accepted somewhere 😛
 
No. Just staring at my phone for the past 3 hours.
 
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