After reading these profiles for two years, I can't believe I've finally gotten to the point where I get to make one too. Time flies.
06/05: Application submitted to AMCAS for verification.
06/06: Application verified. One day - that was fast!
06/15: Battled the MCAT beast. I hope it was vanquished, and will not be back for a sequel. The PS section was brutal.
06/21: AMCAS releases primary applications to medical schools.
07/06: Committee letter made available to schools via VirtualEvals.
07/18: Was unfortunately right about the PS section of the MCAT, but probably won't retake in August.
07/19: I decided to fill out all of the secondaries regardless of how much of a reach they are with my MCAT score.
08/01: First rejection, pre-secondary from Wake. Meh.
08/02: First interview invite!!!! George Washington! Take that, Wake!
08/08: Invite to Tulane!!! Woo! Lots of family went to Tulane, and I'm interested in their 4 year MD/MPH degree.
08/10: Called EVMS to confirm receipt of an LOR and was told to expect an emailed interview invite in mid-August!
08/13: I thought being put in UVM's 'pool of applicants' wasn't a good sign, but I got an early interview anyway!
08/21: Pritzker Hold. I think that's pretty close to a kiss of death, but I'm SHOCKED it wasn't an outright rejection.
08/22: I'm not on hold at Pritzker. It was a GLITCH. Still under review, and assuming a rejection is in short order. Cruel.
08/24: First Chicago area invite! RFU! And then: first rejection: BU. Ouch.
08/28: Invite! to! Loyola! Stritch! School! of! Medicine! Need I say more?
08/30: Vanderbilt pre-secondary rejection. Expected, so not really disappointing.
09/06: Drexel invite! And then: UIC!!! Saw via status page. Woo!
09/14: Loved GWU - hope they feel the same way about me! AMAZING health care policy & international opportunities.
09/19: Pritzker hold! Again! Yay!!! To be reviewed again in late January. Need to find something to update about myself.
09/19: RFU interview - nice school, nice students, near Chicago!
09/21: UIC: excellent clinical training in years 1 & 2, and great clinical years 3 & 4 - in Chicago to boot!
09/26: Added two incredible reach schools: Mayo (dream school) & Yale.
09/27: Loyola, in a word: Wonderful.
10/01: Had a great time at Tulane & in New Orleans!
10/02: UCSF rejection letter on my birthday. Expected.
10/05: Received Mayo screened secondary! Dare I dream?
10/07: Submitted Mayo secondary along with a letter of interest.
10/15: I'm dreaming. 6:26am email from GWU. I'M GONNA BE A DOCTOR!!!!
10/15: Withdrew from Drexel & EVMS interviews.
10/17: Got an acceptance letter from RFU!
10/18: Loved UVM. Amazing curriculum, great student body, star trek technology! Not my best interview though.
10/18: Feel like a dog with a full bag of kibble accidentally left open. Do I want to confirm that Loyola acceptance? YES!
10/22: Tulane acceptance! YAY!
10/23: Withdrew from RFU.
10/26: I'm in ecstatic shock right now. MAYO INTERVIEW INVITE!!!! *swoon*
10/29: UIC acceptance!
11/15: Withdrew from SLU, MCW, Tufts and Jefferson.
11/19: OOS waitlist at UVM - as expected. A little off at my interview, and OOS is tough to boot. S'ok, prefer Loyola.
12/09: Completely seduced in Mayo, MN. (Forget about 'Rochester,' it's really 'Mayo, MN')!
12/10: Met some amazing Pritzker students at Mayo & decided to send a post-hold letter of interest to Pritzker.
12/10: Called Miami and Virginia and learned I'm on pre-interview holds. Nice to know I've been reviewed.
12/14: Sent another love letter to Mayo.
01/14: NU rejection. Bygones. NU's got NOTHING on Mayo.
01/17: False alarm: not an NU rejection. However, definitely a Cornell rejection. S'ok, Cornell, no hard feelings.
01/17: I was ranked at Mayo today! Now I get to stare anxiously at my phone for the next few weeks/months too. YAY!
01/19: NU and Cornell rejection letters received. Closure = good.
01/29: Pritzker rejection. No hard feelings; great school, but most likely not a good fit (curriculum) for me.
01/30: UVA rejection. Looks like the long parade of rejection letters has begun its march through my mailbox.
01/30: Mayo hold. *whimper* Still considered through mid-March, when the waitlist is created and rejections go out.
02/04: Alas, no Baylor/Emory/Miami/USC invites likely, but Rush invite still possible. Otherwise, stick a fork in me.
02/05: Sent another love letter to Mayo.
02/06: UVM is a great school, but I decided to withdraw in light of my other acceptances.
02/29: Emory rejection. I think March will be a big month for closure.
03/05: USC rejection. My dog is quite depressed he won't be enjoying CA weather.
03/06: Baylor and NYU rejections. Expected them, but still a little sad about Baylor.
03/16: The last Mayo acceptances went out on 3/14. Waiting to see if I get a rejection or waitlist email this week.
03/17: Wow - I just got the Mayo alternate list email - pretty shocked! Three and a half more months of suspense!
03/17: Yale rejection letter - definitely no hurt feelings there. And then there were two (Rush & Miami)....
03/18: Alas, just found out there are 100 people on the Mayo waitlist, and about 10-15 usually get in.
03/24: I emailed Rush seeking some closure, and closure was provided. Not sure what they were looking for.
04/18: Informal second look visit at Loyola was great.
05/07: Oddly, I just received an email about a UIC scholarship (totaling $12,500) that was mailed in DECEMBER.
05/13: Got back from Argentina to a Miami rejection and a Tulane financial aid letter ($68,600-Ugh!). Hello, Rush?
05/14: Know I'd LOVE attending Tulane, but will withdraw for financial and geographical reasons.
05/15: After much angst and debate, I have withdrawn from UIC. Loyola will be $44,000 more, but a better fit.
05/15: Withdrew from GWU. Looks like I'll be attending Loyola!
05/16: Strike that. I got a one week extension to wait for GWU financial aid before making a final decision.
05/16: Sent an email of intent to Mayo. Just in case they didn't know I was a sure thing.
05/19: Informal second look visit to GWU. Amazed by the health care policy opportunities in DC.
05/22: Definitely leaning toward GWU now. Decision day is tomorrow!
05/23: I'm VERY sad to withdraw from Loyola, but after much agony and debate I'm headed for D.C.!
06/10: MAYO MAYO MAYO MAYO MAYO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
06/13: Albeit a bit cheesy, this process has taught me that we really aren't just a set of numbers in this process, and that it's best to ignore the odds and just follow your dreams. A friend in medical school convinced me to cut Mayo off my AMCAS application when I was applying in early June. I recall her saying that I didn't have 'a snowball's chance in hell of getting into Mayo.' I knew she was just trying to be helpful and realistic, so I reluctantly took her advice and removed my dream school. In late September I decided to add Mayo and apply, realizing that it was my own application money to waste on a dream, and that I'd rather have tried and failed than have never tried at all and always wonder. Needless to say, I'm still in complete shock that I was accepted to Mayo, let alone with the dean's merit scholarship! (Everyday I expect them to call back and say there was an error). I'm literally on cloud nine, and yet incredibly honored and humbled at the same time.
For those of you still in the application trenches, keep your head up and just pour your passion into this process. If you have a dream school, don't pine away in secret - let them know it!
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Application Costs:
$975: AMCAS Fee
$1935: Secondaries
$477: GWU Interview
$310: Tulane Interview
$790: UVM Interview
$277: Mayo Interview
$4774: Running Total
Feel free to leave comments/suggestions!
