So as you can see I didn't apply to many places, but I still think I have good options (or will have hopefully). My primary was verified and complete in late June, but I straggled a bit on secondaries because I was studying for the MCAT which I took in August. So, I wasn't complete at any school until early September. Either way, this has definitely been a lesson in patience.
The first acceptance definitely takes a huge load off my back.
Currently the Univ. of Iowa is my number one choice. It was my first interview and I was really impressed with the school and curriculum. Hopefully the OOS waitlist keeps on moving. :)
3/26: Got a call from my parents saying I got a rejection letter from the U of MN-TC. I must say I'm a bit surprised, considering I was in-state and a fairly competitive applicant. Then again, I think I was drawn more to the school because it is close to home and because I love Minneapolis/St. Paul. The school itself and its facilities didn't really impress me. The organization (or lack thereof) and frequent rudeness of the admissions office (i got hung up on twice...) was also a turn-off.
My interview experience was also sub-par, with a ton of waiting around with nothing to do and an interviewer who basically spent the majority of the time grilling me about why the government didn't care about the large mortality rate of American Indians under the age of 45. Oh yeah, he also spent the rest of the time criticizing the medical school's approach to teaching, saying it was old-fashioned and ineffective. (well, gee now i really want to go there...) Btw, after he said this, he told me he wasn't employed by the medical school (good to know..?) and if I wanted to ask him any questions he probably wouldn't know the answers to them (!!). Overall, not for me.
2/4 First Acceptance! Medical College of Wisconsin: I went on my interview not expecting much, but was super impressed with the school and its facilities. The situation is a little different because it is just a medical school and has no undergraduate students (probably for the better). Anyway, the interviews went smoothly and I was finally asked some questions of substance (considering the UMN interview was crap and U of I was a closed file interview) and was able to ask some questions myself. The students seemed really happy and not-stressed. Also I really appreciated only having to wait a week and a half to get a decision. The surrounding area seemed nice and downtown Milwaukee is only 7 miles away. MCW just replaced UMN as my second choice.
10/15: FIRST interview at Univ. of Iowa: Got my invite the day my MCAT scores were released (9/7). I guess they stick to their baseline 10-10-10 rule for OOS kids fairly well. Very nervous but excited. The interview was closed file, so I pretty much knew what to expect. School was smaller, but curriculum and facilities were very impressive. A little worried about cost of OOS tuition, but they said there are a lot of scholarship opportunities available.
Update: Accepted on 7/22! I am so happy to be going here, it was my first choice!
