VCU Secondary

[kirpnn03]

I have a couple of questions about VCU's secondary:

1. I got credit for calculus through a high school AP class. Do they require one semester or two semesters of math classes? And how stringent are they one these reqs?

2. Hand-written essay: Can we write on ANY topic and are they really strict on the 200 word limit?

Thanks in advance!

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[tinkerbelle]

1. I got credit for calculus through a high school AP class. Do they require one semester or two semesters of math classes? And how stringent are they one these reqs?

They require 2 semesters of college mathematics. I don't know how stringent they are though.

http://www.medschool.vcu.edu/admissions/faq.html#q8

2. Hand-written essay: Can we write on ANY topic and are they really strict on the 200 word limit?

Yup, you can write your essay on anything you can think of. Who knows how strict they are. I stayed within the 200 word limit just to be on the safe side. Although I seriously doubt they're gonna sit there and count every word you write... so if you go over, it probably won't matter I know there were a bunch of threads on VCU a while ago... you can try searching for them and seeing if anyone called VCU and got an answer about the word limit.

 

[morganlefay]

I have a question too. I just added VCU a couple weeks ago, and as they screen, and I'm out of state, I wonder whether I will get a secondary or not. Does anyone know VCU's out of state cut-offs? How strict are they? Right now I'm waiting for them to decide about me.....

 

[tinkerbelle]

I have a question too. I just added VCU a couple weeks ago, and as they screen, and I'm out of state, I wonder whether I will get a secondary or not. Does anyone know VCU's out of state cut-offs? How strict are they? Right now I'm waiting for them to decide about me.....

I'm an out-of-stater and I got a secondary with a 3.4 gpa and 31 MCAT. However I got put in the "we like you , but we're gonna put you on hold till we see if better peeps apply" category post-secondary. I don't know if they actaully have cutoffs though. Their website says that the average matriculant has a 3.4 gpa and a 30 MCAT.

 

[Supercluster]

VCU is pretty well known for having the attitude that they look at the whole applicant throughout the process. All files are reviewed and ranked, and this determines who gets secondaries. Then you're re-reviewed for interviews. I got a pretty early interview, and I am far from a perfect applicant. I feel like a lot of borderline people get through the screening process, but then again I've seen a few SDN'ers who were better on paper than I was who got screened out. Be mindful that they do screen out about half of their applicants and don't send them secondaries, so it's a more stringent screen then you might expect from a public school.

 

[morganlefay]

That helps, tink and cluster! Appreciate it

 

[The Remix]

I have a couple of questions about VCU's secondary:

2. Hand-written essay: Can we write on ANY topic and are they really strict on the 200 word limit?

Thanks in advance!

I would stick to the word limit but the topic is totally unrestrained. I was accepted and wrote my 200 word essay on how underappreciated TV weathermen are. I called it "Ode to the Weatherman"

 

[pratik7]

morgan: about half of the people that apply(4500) get a secondary(2000). FYI they interview around 750 applicants.

kirpnn: i went over the word limit and was interviewed a few weeks ago. I had around 220 words. I think that the 200 word limit is to make sure that they do not get essays that are several pages long...they dont have time to read all those essays

lastly i have to second what supercluster said and say that VCU does look at your whole application... not just gpa and mcat scores

 

[b-real]

Hey Pratik, did that 750 interview number come from VCU directly? I thought they interview 60% (1200) of those that submit secondaries.

 

[camisho]

How many do they accept? Also, how many people do they have in each class?

 

[Assembler]

I don't know how lenient VCU is...

I passed the screen and received a secondary from them. The same day I sent them my handwritten essay (USPS Overnight), I was rejected. It was blunt too; the least they could've done was reviewed my file or send me a "nicer" letter.

 

[Code Brown]

How many do they accept? Also, how many people do they have in each class?

Last year, they received 3909 applications, interviewed 629 people, and offered 413 acceptances for a class of 184. (this is from US News).

About half were from out of state (this is from information given at the interview).

Also, someone on here who has already been accepted got in with a 26 MCAT (non-EDP).

 

[Fusion]

I don't know how lenient VCU is...

I passed the screen and received a secondary from them. The same day I sent them my handwritten essay (USPS Overnight), I was rejected. It was blunt too; the least they could've done was reviewed my file or send me a "nicer" letter.

So are you saying that they went ahead and reviewed your file before your secondary was actually complete?

 

[icecream4me]

I have a couple of questions about VCU's secondary:

1. I got credit for calculus through a high school AP class. Do they require one semester or two semesters of math classes? And how stringent are they one these reqs?

2. Hand-written essay: Can we write on ANY topic and are they really strict on the 200 word limit?

Thanks in advance!

I just interviewed at VCU this past Thursday and I absolutely loved it! Totally did not expect Richmond to be a nice place to live, but I would be thrilled to go there.

As for the AP credits, I too have AP credits for Calculus (which amounted to 6 total credits). This sufficed as their requirement, I think, because they granted me an interview and didn't mention anything about it during the interview. I don't remember exactly, but I think that I also emailed them prior to sending out my AMCAS and they had sent me an email saying that it was okay. FYI: I also have AP credit for Statistics and Chemistry and those were fine as well.

Hope this helps!

 

[chondrocyte]

when i interviewed dr. heldberg told us they interview ~ 650 people every year..

they actually have a list of 1300 ppl they want to interview but due to lack of manpower, they can only offer interviews to half of that group

Hey Pratik, did that 750 interview number come from VCU directly? I thought they interview 60% (1200) of those that submit secondaries.

 

[2tall]

Anybody complete (secondary and all supporting docs) around October 20-somethingth...receive any updates to their status page? Date complete and date updated, if you please.

 

[VPDcurt]

Anybody complete (secondary and all supporting docs) around October 20-somethingth...receive any updates to their status page? Date complete and date updated, if you please.

I've been complete since around Oct 24 or so and I've heard nothing from them. I think some people were on vacation for a week or so - at least that's what I heard.

 

[pratik7]

Hey Pratik, did that 750 interview number come from VCU directly? I thought they interview 60% (1200) of those that submit secondaries.

That what i thought Dr. Heldberg said during the my interview. However, chondrocyte maybe right with the 650 number.

If i understood Dr. Heldberg correctly, they dont really consider state residency when they grant interviews. They make adjustments off the waitlist to ensure they have the ~82 out of state and ~102 in state

 

[2tall]

I've been complete since around Oct 24 or so and I've heard nothing from them. I think some people were on vacation for a week or so - at least that's what I heard.

I've been complete since the 26th...let me know when something happens. I'll do the same.