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UPenn 2014 cycle updates!
Started by nyanko
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I got the same offer a few days ago (same criteria and same monetary amount), DickVet, but I'm an IS student. Again, it's a help, but it still doesn't close the gap for me between Penn and my other options. If it was $10,000 per year, it'd really complicate things for me in making a choice, but I'll likely be turning it down. Hope it goes to someone awesome!
Yeah I'm also just too excited about Mizzou to turn my back on that. So it looks like there are already two scholarships being turned now, hopefully one of you will get it!
BlacKAT: Sorry, that's just how I roll 😛
BlacKAT: Sorry, that's just how I roll 😛
Congrats on the scholarships! That's quite an achievement!
So I emailed Penn today to find out my application status (hadn't heard from them since Oct. when they told me my application was complete). They sent me an email back saying that they would make decisions within the next two weeks. I sent a reply letting them know that I would like to withdraw my application. Instead of sending back an acknowledgment, they sent me an email saying that I apparently didn't make the cut to even get an interview. I found this funny since I applied to 4 schools, and I have acceptances to 3 of them. (excluding Penn)
hahahahahahaha.
So.... I thought that was funny.
just thought i'd share.
🙂
hahahahahahaha.
So.... I thought that was funny.
just thought i'd share.
🙂
That's pretty freakin' funny.
Hey guys, Congrats to those of you who were awarded the academic scholarships! I'm just curious if anyone knows how they determine who they will offer these to? Is it based on Cumulative GPA, science GPA, pre-req GPA? Do they consider GRE scores?
Just curious
Congrats again! 👍
Just curious
Congrats again! 👍
I was offered one of the scholarships yesterday too. It just said high academic achievement, and there were stipulations (mainly staying above a 3.2 gpa and not getting worse than a C in any required course) for keeping it in following years.
Still going to Cornell, though...
Still going to Cornell, though...
I think the main purpose of the scholarships is to encourage people who have multiple offers (and are trying to figure out where to go) to attend Penn. They know the school is expensive, so they want to try and make tuition less of a deciding factor for the folks that they really want. 🙂
If they send me one of those letters, I am mailing back my acceptance immediately! If only the post office loved me...
Hey there!
Did you interview on January 8th? I think I may have spoken with you in the morning before interviews started in the lobby of Hill! I was the shorter girl with short brown hair standing to your left. If not then I met someone with a very similar story to yours (upenn for undergrad, living in CA, completely changing fields). Either way congratulations on your acceptance and on finding SDN! This is a great place. 🙂
That was me! I didn't know about these forums at the time (although I had seen the interview feedback section at that point). I must say I check this site out way too many times.
Congrats to you too, I saw you accepted Penn. I am being uncharacteristically indecisive and haven't made a decision yet.
I must say you have a pretty good head on your shoulders to pick me out from my few random postings here and the few minutes of conversation we had 1.5 months ago. It will serve you well!
Translation: "Stop stalking me"
haha the people I talked to during my interview were great. and I really liked this one girl!! she also went to happy hour with me after the interviews. I know she lives in cali and ive been wondering if she is on SDN but i havent heard anything lol i hope she is in our class though! maybe i'll see her in august!
haha I know I def felt wicked stalkerish being like...I think I know who you are..
Sorry! I'm not really stalkerish in real life! 😳
I can't say I feel particularly threatened..... you don't give off the stalker vibe. People on this site crack me up sometimes. .
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=297261743039&ref=ts#!/group.php?gid=297261743039
join the V'14 facebook group
join the V'14 facebook group
Has anyone found out about when the elusive March interviews are taking place? It seems like the most recent interview date was back on February the 12th, which was an awfully long time ago. Of course I know that SDN isn't a representative sample, but still. Insight from current students perhaps?
Just wondering when they're going to do another round of application reviews so I might have a chance of getting out of "hold" purgatory 😳.
Just wondering when they're going to do another round of application reviews so I might have a chance of getting out of "hold" purgatory 😳.
I called early last week and they said that final decisions would be made by Friday, so I think we should be hearing from them this week. 🙂
As in, more interview invites? Or just acceptances for people who are waiting on hold, and rejections?
I was told that all interview invites had been sent out and final decisions (acceptances, rejections, waitlist) would be made by Friday (2/26). Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. 🙁
Good luck to everyone on hold! I hope you get some good news next week! 🙂
Same here! I can't say I didn't see it coming though considering I've been on hold for about a month and a half.
Me three. Guess my interview didn't go as well as I thought 🙁
Me four. I thought my interview went really well and I never think interviews go well. I guess this makes things easier. 😳
I'm so sorry! I really had my fingers crossed for all 4 of you...
Thanks, Ben and Me. I was pretty bummed, especially since this puts me at 2 waitlists and 0 acceptances. Oh well, still have Auburn to go
😍 In any case, it looks like Penn already has an awesome entering class!
Aw, thanks Ben and Me. 🙂 Penn's alternate list seems like it will move a little (from what I've seen on this forum), so there is still hope for us!
I will most likely be declining my alternate offer, so good luck to the rest of you!
Quick question: what exactly does "accepting the offer of alternate" (as per the email) entail? I certainly want to stay under consideration, but I can't guarantee that I'll accept a seat if they offered me one as I'm still waiting on another school. Also, does "in writing" actually mean I need to send a letter via USPS 😱 ?!
Thanks, Ben and Me. I was pretty bummed, especially since this puts me at 2 waitlists and 0 acceptances. Oh well, still have Auburn to go
Well, in that case I'll keep my fingers crossed for Auburn (though prabs you don't want me to - seems like I'm bad luck!) 😉
And, for what it's worth, an in-stater got in off the waitlist last year in July! It happens! She's also much smarter and cooler than me, so who knows why she was on there in the first place!
I know that for Minnesota last year, they had a box I could check that stated whether or not i wanted to remain an alternate. I assume that's what this is as well. I don't think you have to accept the offer if they give it (I don't think they can do that?) but I'd ask them when you email back your reply. I think they just don't want a verbal response - I'd imagine that an email will work just fine. Of course, I have no idea and am really talking out of my ass...probably best to ask them when you send in your reply!
I agree that you don't have to accept the seat if it's offered to you. I think they just want to get an idea of who is still interested in Penn after being given alternate status. I think the "written response" is just an e-mail. That's how I took it, anyway.
This isn't really related to anything about the current admissions cycle at Penn at all, but I thought here might be a good place to ask:
Did any of you go to undergrad in the Philadelphia area or take any post-bacc classes at a Philadelphia area university? I need to take biochem and genetics next fall, and will be moving back to the Philly suburbs at the end of the summer. So far I have Penn, Temple, Drexel, and Widener on my list (not Villanova because their fall term starts too soon), and am wondering if anyone has input on taking classes at any of these schools. I'm thinking specifically about a) how easy it is to enroll as a non-degree seeking student, b) how expensive tuition is, and c) the intensity of the academics (I had a hard 4 years of undergrad, so I don't want to kill myself on finishing these pre-reqs).
Did any of you go to undergrad in the Philadelphia area or take any post-bacc classes at a Philadelphia area university? I need to take biochem and genetics next fall, and will be moving back to the Philly suburbs at the end of the summer. So far I have Penn, Temple, Drexel, and Widener on my list (not Villanova because their fall term starts too soon), and am wondering if anyone has input on taking classes at any of these schools. I'm thinking specifically about a) how easy it is to enroll as a non-degree seeking student, b) how expensive tuition is, and c) the intensity of the academics (I had a hard 4 years of undergrad, so I don't want to kill myself on finishing these pre-reqs).
West Chester University is an option.
I took a few pre-reqs at Penn. The easiest way to do it is to enroll in the Special Science program through the College of Liberal & Professional Studies (looks like these days they're calling it Pre-Health Specialized Studies program). Here's a link: http://www.sas.upenn.edu/lps/postbac/pre-health
They make a big deal about how competitive it is to get into the program, blah blah blah, but I think that's BS. I filled out an app, might've had to write a cheesy essay, and then had a completely non-stressful "interview" with one of the advisors, and was told on the spot that I could sign up for classes. I'm pretty sure that from the time I found out about the program to the time I was accepted was less than a month.
As to academic rigor... I suppose it varies from class to class, and I wouldn't say they were easy-A classes, but I was pretty unmotivated and still did okay.
Looks like current tuition rates are ~$2500/course unit, and most courses are 1 course unit (3 semester hours = 1 course unit. No idea where Penn got this bizarre system from).
They make a big deal about how competitive it is to get into the program, blah blah blah, but I think that's BS. I filled out an app, might've had to write a cheesy essay, and then had a completely non-stressful "interview" with one of the advisors, and was told on the spot that I could sign up for classes. I'm pretty sure that from the time I found out about the program to the time I was accepted was less than a month.
As to academic rigor... I suppose it varies from class to class, and I wouldn't say they were easy-A classes, but I was pretty unmotivated and still did okay.
Looks like current tuition rates are ~$2500/course unit, and most courses are 1 course unit (3 semester hours = 1 course unit. No idea where Penn got this bizarre system from).
According to the website, "Penn's Post-Bac Pre-Health program offers an unusually diverse roster of evening courses in biology and neuroscience, taught by outstanding faculty.... In recent semesters, Molecular Biology and Genetics, Immunobiology, and Cell Biology and Biochemistry have been offered both on campus and online. Recent offerings have included: *Advanced Cell Biology *Molecular Biology and Genetics *Clinical Research in Emergency Medicine *Histology *Immunobiology *Vertebrate Physiology *Biochemistry"
You can also take any course offered by the College of Arts & Sciences during the day, but I think the day kids paid a little bit more.
Awesome, thanks dgm. I was initially hesitant about Penn, because all I could find was that it would be through the college of Liberal and Professional studies, and all the classes are 3 hours once a week at night, and I am really horrible at concentrating at night, so that would've been torture. But I also emailed someone at LPS, and I got the same reply, that I can take classes during the day at the college of arts & sciences, which is a huge relief. Although the email I got back also said that I could take the classes in the post-bacc undergraduate studies program rather than the pre-health, which would probably make more sense if I'm only taking 2 classes. Hopefully the tuition increase for taking them during the day won't be too much, I'll have to compare to Temple. Anyway, I'm glad to hear you had an easy time applying, and that the classes weren't super overwhelming.
Drexel sounds overly confusing, with biochem and the quarter system, so yeah, I'm gonna cross that off my list. West Chester University is equidistant from where I'll be living as Penn, but doesn't look like there's a Septa route. And I can't find any kind of genetics course on Widener's course listing, so crossing that one off too.
Drexel sounds overly confusing, with biochem and the quarter system, so yeah, I'm gonna cross that off my list. West Chester University is equidistant from where I'll be living as Penn, but doesn't look like there's a Septa route. And I can't find any kind of genetics course on Widener's course listing, so crossing that one off too.
I actually have a friend who goes there, but I don't think it's the best option for me, because I'll be at least an hour away from Doylestown (so twice as far away as center city). Also, I've completed most of my pre-reqs, so I don't really need an official post-bacc/pre-vet program, I just need to finish up these two classes.
Thanks tho.
For what it's worth (not much) I've never heard of that. Last year I just submitted the FAFSA, but I also didn't submit parental income, etc so I didn't go through the entire process.
So i sent my fee in to save my seat! i got a letter back saying that i am officially in the class of 2014 and i will be receiving more info throughout the year. Has anyone gotten a big packet of like...all the info we need to know about? specifically financial aid. I already submitted my FAFSA but i am pretty clueless as to anything else and that whole process. i have no clue what i should be doing in preparation of this yr in terms of things that have deadlines. i may be worrying too much...but it just makes sense that we should get some type of big packet..?
thanks!
thanks!
You can't be too far behind yet when some (many?) of us haven't made our final decisions yet. Jeez, ur makin me nervous.
