Legend:
R: Received Secondary
SS: Sent Secondary
C: Complete
II: Interview Invite
I: Interview Date
A: Accepted
RR: Rejected
H: Hold
W: Waitlisted
WD: Withdrew
Transcripts Received By: 6/14/08
AMCAS Sumbitted: 6/17/08
AMCAS Verified: 6/30/08
Letters of Rec (Collected/Requested Distribution by): 07/23/08
Virtual Evals Receives LORs: 07/24/08
AMCAS Receives LORS: 07/25/08
Secondaries Received From: 6/30/08 to ??
Completed Applications From: 7/28/08 to ??
Interview Invites Received From: 09/03/08 to ??
(05/23/08) - Requested transcripts from my colleges to be forwarded to AMCAS, no word yet (as of (6/4)) on receipt of transcripts.
(06/06/08) - Last day of class as an undergrad! WOOHOO. Also got two emails from AMCAS saying they have received 2 of my 3 college transcripts. Hopefully the last one will be in within the next week.
(06/17/08) - Some time ago, I can't remember when, I received notification from AMCAS that my last transcript has been received. I also submitted my primary app today at 3AM. The PS never feels like it's ready to be turned in...ever. Let the year long roller-coaster ride of doom begin.
(06/30/08) - Application went under review today and was verified within 4 hours with some minor corrections. Wish I had waited for spring grades, would have boosted my senior grades significantly, but I would probably not be verified until late July at the earliest then. Overall AMCAS GPA: 3.87, AMCAS BCPM GPA: 3.84, with a total of 130.20 AMCAS hours. Odd number... Now...the wait for secondaries.
(07/02/08) - Been checking my email neurotically. I have a feeling this will keep up for the next year at least, unfortunately. So far, I've received three secondaries. The longest series of prompts so far goes to University of Illinois...The shortest (aka no prompt) was Medical College of Wisconsin; was able to turnaround same day. More waiting as I think of how to tackle the UIC prompts now, in a succinct, yet 'PLEASE TAKE ME' manner...
(07/07/08) - Got the Jefferson email for secondaries early this morning. All secondaries have been returned except for UIC, which will hopefully be sent out by Wed. via snail mail.
(07/10/08) - Sent out UIC's secondary yesterday. Got Creighton's yesterday as well. Got the no-essay-NYMC-secondary (WOOHOO!) today and submitted. Questionable if they will accept my LORs, hopefully they will, otherwise it's $100 down the drain. Debating whether or not I want to do Creighton's secondary. It's $95....
(07/11/08) - Thanks to some stupid way my final rent worked out, it looks like I'll be strapped for cash. This translates into not completing the secondary for Creighton. In other good news, I got the Wake Forest secondary invite!!! So excited!! Also got the USC secondary today....hot damn....5 essays. This one is going to take a while.
(07/13/08) - Completed the online Wake Forest secondary. The mini paragraph prompts....so awkward. I hope it's acceptable for the adcoms, since this school is one of my top choices. Still thinking about USC's monster secondary. Got to make another trip to the post office tomorrow thanks to how schools are so silly with their online application system, but how you have to mail in your checks. Guess they like you see your money literally carried away.
(07/14/08) - Single day turn-around for Dartmouth secondary. Mailed out Wake Forest fee. Hoping to really read through USC's information today and start drafting those essays...what little monsters. My last two letters of recommendation still haven't been written...what a pain in my behind. In other good news, I just realized I have received almost 50% of my total secondaries and turned almost all of them around. Yay!
(07/16/08) - The fact that some UCs have released secondaries makes me extremely nervous; much more so than I thought I would be. I've gotten just the one email from UC Irvine saying that my application is 'Pending review.' I know I have no chance at UCSF and I would still count myself extraordinarily lucky to even get a secondary from them, but it just makes me worry so much when I see how some people with as good stats as you could possibly have worrying about whether or not THEY are going to get secondaries. Prepping these essays about how I can contribute to the diversity of the class (UCI and USC) and talking more about myself...I feel so...ordinary. What are you supposed to say?! Last, but not least: No secondaries so far this week. More nervousness.
(07/17/08) - Still haven't passed UC Irvine's screening after a whole day.. (Pending Review) :( Got AECOM's secondary and turned it around today. Will mail it out with the ridiculous $115 fee tomorrow or next week. Still haven't been motivated enough to tackle USC.
(07/21/08) - GAH. Why is it so hard to motivate myself to write the damn essays for USC. Now I've also got Temple's to finish, those it should only be sort of half of an essay adapted from another, and the true monster that is RFU's. I got Boston's invite over this weekend (yes, Sunday morning, 1:28 am timestamp). They have the absolute WORST pre-requisite grid ever. So confusing. Luckily no real essays there. Finalized it today. AND, the best news of today: I checked my status for UCSF and I passed their screening!!!! Sending that one out tomorrow, along with Einstein's.
(07/23/08) - Loving the UC love. Got a secondary from UCSD today. If I didn't get one from them...that would have been very, very sad to say the least. Letters of rec are all finally complete after I had to harass the last letter writer to turn it in over past two days. Hopefully the letter service will have it up on VE by mid next week, if not sooner so I can start being complete at half of my schools. Now...this is motivation to crack down on those leftover secondaries. Time to go beat Temple's, Penn State's, and USC's secondaries senseless by tonight so I can do UCSD's monster for the next week. Too many secondaries flooding in...Loma Linda's came in today too. 6 essays, with 750 character limits. Joy.
(07/24/08) - Thank goodness for no new secondaries today. Sent out Temple's secondary today. Hopefully will get Penn State's out today too. Hope to finish drafting USC's by tonight, and send it out sometime tomorrow. Letters uploaded to VE, around 7:14pm EST today. Hopefully will start being complete around schools sometime tomorrow or early next week. While I desperately want UCD, UCI, and UCLA's secondaries, if they could hold off on screening me for 2 weeks, that would be perfect, that way I can draft my UCSD one nicely. Why can't they all just be like UCSF, and make it a simple secondary? Also decided today, that I am withdrawing from RFU as well as Loma Linda. The first because (1) too many essays and (2) a ridiculous fee for a school I probably can't see myself going to. The second because, while I am not an alcoholic by any means (read: can't drink at all) I do very much enjoy the chance to go out with friends to have a small glass of wine or a beer after a long week. Unfortunately, the lifestyle of a student at Loma Linda does not agree with that. So...poof out the door that one goes.
(07/25/08) - AMCAS has received my letters of rec via Evals. That was fast. Hopefully the rest of today is good as in, no new secondaries. Sent out secondary for Penn State. Sent out USC's secondary today. I feel like I bombed the answer about diversity, and as such would expect a miracle to occur for an interview invite. Will do better work with UCSD's secondary this weekend and next week. Thank god for no more secondaries this week.
(07/28/08) - Complete at Darthmouth, Jefferson, and Wisconsin. Still waiting on schools to acknowledge receipt of my LORs. Working on UCSD's secondary this week.
(07/31/08) - Still no real progress on UCSD's massive autobiography, but it officially is about 5% done (aka 1 paragraph). Hopefully will get it in next week. Thank goodness it's almost the end of the week with no other secondaries being granted yet (other than Stanford's, which is almost done. I thought the questions would be hard at first, but it's really not that bad. The first question being a smaller version of your PS, the second a 'future' question, and the third a 'why do you like us' question.) Hope to submit Stanford's tomorrow. Also complete at Boston as of today.
(08/06/08) - About 60-70% done with the autobiography for UCSD. Will most definitely finish it today, proof, and send it in before the end of the week. Wake Forest finally emailed me today to tell me I'm complete. I hope some of the other schools finally mark my file as complete. They sure don't wait to cash those checks though. Received and sent secondary for Drexel today. Their webpage is stupidly confusing. Complete at UIC after emailing them to bug them about LORs.
(08/07/08) - Finished and sent in the secondary for UCSD. Taking a day off from writing essays, and hopefully the last three secondaries will come in. Complete at Einstein, Temple, and NYMC today as well.
(08/15/08) - No secondaries for two weeks is making me nervous. Though I must admit, the break from constantly writing about myself is a wonderful break at the same time. If just waiting for secondaries and interviews is already this nerve wracking, I don't know if I'll be able to stay sane until March or April. Complete at Drexel earlier this week, their website really sucks. Complete at USC today, finally they downloaded those letters of rec.I want those UCLA, UCD, and UCI secondary invites already!! Checked my UCSD status page neurotically as usual, and they updated today that I'm complete as of 08/08. Odd isn't it? Figured I'd include this here as a record for anyone else applying this cycle or later about the delay in the status page updates. Another note: I think the process has made me religious; praying and believing in charms to help get those interviews.
(08/21/08) - Got the UC Davis secondary this evening (odd?). Complete at UCSF as of yesterday. STILL waiting on UCI and UCLA for their secondaries.
(08/25/08) - I got terrible news today. Well, not so quite as bad as a rejection from one of my top choices, but pretty damn close. I've been put on hold for an interview at UCSD. Sigh. Way to make a day worse, when I'm already trying to beat what feels like a stomach flu.
(09/03/08) - Is my application really that weak? I get put on hold yet again today. This time by the Medical College of Wisconsin. So depressing. Scratch that. Got my FIRST INTERVIEW INVITE today!!! WOOHOO!!! NYMC here I come! On second thought, NYC is pretty damn confusing. I've scheduled myself for 3 days/2nights in NYC. Only booked hotel so far, waiting on AECOM to see if they want to see me at that time too so I can figure out my flight plans a bit better. I would love to stay for longer but man...so expensive. Got to save my money.
(09/05/08) - Complete at Penn State today, finally.
(09/08/08) - Rejected at Boston today. I didn't really expect an interview, after so many other better applications than mine got rejected, but it hurts still. It's one less chance to become a doctor. I'm getting more and more worried every day that I don't hear back from UCI or UCLA about secondaries. I thought I would at least have a chance at UCI... After sending an email to UC Davis asking about my letters, they marked me as complete today. Their email, while concise, came off as annoyed. Can't blame them.
(09/10/08) - Interview invite at Albert Einstein today. Hoping to schedule for Wed. of the same week I have the interview at NYMC, but it's going to be extremely hectic for me to figure out things there. Sigh. If my father hadn't insisted upon going, it would have been so much easier.... I swear...parents...sometimes *wringing motion*.
(09/11/08) - Scheduled interview for Albert Einstein. It's going to be a week long 'vacation' in NY for me...and apparently my FATHER AND SISTER. Those two decided to jump the bandwagon and make it a mini-family NY vacation. Sigh. I'm getting nervous and stressed thinking about the interviews and how to answer the big questions like Why medicine? Why this school? among other healthcare and bioethics questions. I still have to buy shoes and a bag to complete my outfit.
(09/15/08) - Today I was expecting another slow day with no new updates, and as I went scrolling through my status pages, I noticed that I got an interview invite from UIC??! Amazing! But, the page is confusing, so I'll call them tomorrow and see how that will work out. To whatever great power/'almighty being' exists out there: I am very VERY grateful for all the good things in my life. THANK YOU.
(09/16/08) - No news from other schools yet, but confirmed my interview date for 10/15 at UIC. Just over a week ago, I was feeling the application blues about not getting any interviews, and now I have three scheduled within a week and a half of each other. It's going to be an East Coast marathon. Certainly draining my wallet though, those airplane tickets...
(09/28/08) - No news from schools which is disheartening as usual. Still hoping UCI and UCLA will take mercy on me and offer me a secondary. I really hoped that I would have better chances at California, but with only 3 UCs replying so far the odds aren't so good. Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful for what I have so far, and I could probably live with myself and learn to love wherever I go next year, but going far away from home again will be hard for me. Got my suit today, what a pretty penny that was. Now...only shoes left.
(09/30/08) - Holy CRAP! I can't believe it. I got an interview invitation from DARTMOUTH today! My dream school for international health. Whoever you are (God) I L-O-V-E YOU! :D
(10/01/08) - Scheduled the Dartmouth interview today. It is going to be one heck-uva week on the east coast, with 3 interviews in four days in NY and NH. Damn the economy and my limited purse strings or else I would have definitely separated these interviews. Back-to-back interviews with Dartmouth and AECOM.
(10/04/08) - Well, can't believe it's already October for one and secondly, my first interview is not that far away. A little over a week till I go to Chicago. Then the intense week in New York/New Hampshire. I'm getting so nervous. Looking at my lists of schools, it seems like I've already heard back from almost 50% of schools that I got secondaries from, which is pretty good. I can't believe I'm still pending for UCI's secondary and probably UCLA's. I don't know if I should just think that I no longer have a shot at those schools from now on. -Edit- Just got the thin envelope from UCSF. I knew this school was a long shot to begin with, but I'm still very saddened to know that my #1 of choices has denied me admissions. I'm debating whether or not I should appeal for an interview, and if so what I'm going to write in that letter.
(10/06/08) - I sent in the appeal to UCSF, but I highly doubt (99.9999% sure) that they won't treat as anything more than a last minute cry for mercy. I'm glad I sent it anyways because it was only a stamp's worth of money to know that I at least exhausted all possibilities to go to my dream of dream schools.
(10/13/08) - It's been a week with no news from anywhere. Finally scheduled my Temple interview. I'm hoping that other Penn schools will get back to me soon so I can do all the interviews in one trip.
(10/16/08) - Back from Chicago. So tired. I think the interview went well and was a ton of fun. I think out of the three people that interviewed me, I actually like the aggressive one the most. The other two were kind of bland and nice, which made for a better atmosphere, but it was nothing really challenging. Either way, I hope to hear back by end of October on a final decision. No news from other schools while I was away. Got to start packing again for three interviews next week in New York and New Hampshire.
(10/23/08) - Will update more about NYMC interview and Dartmouth interview here later today. Pretty tired from all the traveling. Got notice from my mom about a letter from Penn State on 10/21 saying that I've been put on hold (aka 'continue to review' pile). Not that I really care...but I'll probably want that interview later.
(10/28/08) - Got a big packet in the mail from UIC...acceptance!! I'm excited yet at the same time not so excited by how much UIC is asking me to pay in tuition. I hope that I'll get answers from what I thought were disastrous interviews from the other schools so I have some choices. But I'm not going to be un-grateful for what I already have. I'm going to be a doctor, one way or another!
(12/08/08) - Got a letter today...small envelope, which of course couldn't be good news. And sure enough, it was a waitlist letter from NYMC. Haven't updated this profile in quite a while. I may later on...after this cycle is over. I've spent so much time lately just away from my computer doing random other things to stop myself from FREAKING OUT all the time about how quiet it is right now. No interview invites. Nothing. All quiet on the western front, so they say. And now...a wait list. Granted, it isn't a school I was pegging my hopes on after a very dismal interview, but still...bad news, during a period of no news...makes me feel like I won't have a chance at any other schools. Sigh. I hope everyone else's cycle is doing better than mine.
(12/10/08) - Will be headed to Medical College of Wisconsin for an interview in January. Got to go buy some warm clothes to wear underneath the suit soon. I hear it's snowing in such places.
(12/22/08) - Received a letter from Temple, dated 12/15/08 saying I had been placed on their wait list (aka Continuing Candidate list). Sigh. Life is so depressing. This news on top of the other wait list I got from NYMC earlier this month...the chances of doing my med school at a school other than UIC are bleak and getting bleaker. I say this with dripping sarcasm, 'what a wonderful Christmas this is going to be.'
(01/12/09) - Interviewed at MCW last week. Will do a regional interview for SLU later this week. More detailed updates after this cycle is over.
(01/13/09) - Small little envelope came to me from UCLA's Admissions today. Needless to say, I'm not surprised by the rejection, but it still hurts knowing that reality is knocking on my door telling me 'Say goodbye to CA for medical school *aka next 4-10 years of your life*.'
(01/15/09) - Wow. That was just...wow..the worst interview ever. I have never felt so tongue-tied and stupid in my life before. That includes the time I screwed up a major lab experiment. If I didn't need an acceptance other than UIC right now, I would have immediately withdrawn from SLU this instant. The interviewer was nice, but didn't seem to even try to understand what I was saying. The most obvious things didn't make sense to her at all (and I'm saying this as someone who has done 6 interviews before this one at this point), I'm pretty damn sure that what I say makes sense. For example, I've never had to explain what impact someone dying on me has before in pushing me towards pursuing medicine. I just couldn't believe it. I'm so glad that SLU is not even on the edges of my radar for schools I want to attend.
(01/17/09) - Albert Einstein was not one of my better interviews, as the interviewer and I didn't really hit it off. Waitlisted there as of today. So depressed. Every school is waitlisting me!!! Please someone else take me! I just need one!!
(01/20/09) - It was inauguration day for President Obama, and also a pleasant day in my own little world as well. Got the big envelope from MCW today. Woot! Now I feel so much more comfortable about this whole process, which while it hasn't been ideal, it suddenly feels a whole lot less stressful now.
(01/21/09) - Got the little letter from Stanford today telling me I'm out of the running. I've been expecting this one since I designated the school on AMCAS. At least the letter was pretty nice (relatively, using their own words), though generic. I'll take it though and be happy because I know I wasn't a good fit for that school and far better people than I also got that same letter today. In the end, it's less than a week till new year's (yes I'm Asian), so I really should be feeling happy and not letting little things like this weigh me down.
(01/30/09) - Got an email from Dartmouth this morning saying I've been waitlisted. Well, I suppose it was a longshot anyways and I was expecting a letter of rejection in the mail, so this isn't as bad as it could be. Expecting the worse takes the sting off a bit and the email was fairly nice too. I'll just keep praying that they take me because they are numero uno in my book! COME ON DARTMOUTH! ACCEPT ME!
(02/11/09) - Wow, Wake Forest must be trying to cut costs on everything. Including the actual mailing of their rejection letters. Just got the PDF file in an email that started with the subject: 'Letter from WFSOM'. Nice. But I really don't care to interview anymore (unless if its from a California school), so it's all good.
(2/27/09) - Got the letter from my alma mater today, saying they had finished reviewing all pre-interview holds. Ah well, again I'm not expecting out of the rest of this season and the only hope I'm holding onto left is that Dartmouth is going to take me from their waitlist.
(03/21/09) - Updated the list to show that I don't expect anything to happen for the rest of this cycle and it is effectively over. A lot of money spent, a lot of myself was invested in this process, and I think while it was pretty painful at times to do this, there were also many things I learned about myself and my goals as I went through this. I'll probably do a final update after June, and also post my own two cents on how to do well in this process for future applicants.
Total costs so far:
Primaries - $790
Secondaries - $1255-1375
Interviews - Probably in the vicinity of $4000 and counting after 7 interviews.
