Application Cycle One: 2008

• Undergraduate college: University of California, Los Angeles
• Undergraduate Area of study: Biological/Life Sciences

• Institution: Boston University
• Area of Study: Other
• Degree Obtained: M.A.

• Total MCAT SCORE: 519
• MCAT Section Scores: B/B 131, C/P 129, CARS 127   Detailed Breakdown
• Overall GPA: 3.17
• Science GPA: 3.05

Summary of Application Experience

R: received
S: submitted
H: hold
C: complete
II: interview invite
I: interview date
WL: waitlisted
WD: withdraw
=(: rejected
=D: accepted

6/19/08 - Submitted AMCAS
6/23/08 - Updated schools list - removed UAB, MedUofS.Carolina, US.Carolina, USF, NEOUCOM, UMDNJ-Newark, U.Missouri-Columbia, WVU, Louisville, Kentucky and added SUNY Upstate
6/24/08 - Updated schools list - removed Iowa, UMDNJ-RWJ and added Alabama (total 53)
6/29/08 - Does anyone have any advice on the new schools opening? FIU? UCF? Any others I\'m forgetting? Also, keeping Wake b/c from what I\'ve read, they look at the app as a whole on their pre-screen and I\'ll take my chances on that.
7/1/08 - Added OHSU and UW to \'iffy list\'
7/2/08 - Removed UofOklahoma (52)
7/7/08 - AMCAS verified but there was a problem w/ one of my classes (BU did not hold to wait for one of my grades so AMCAS took off one of my medical school classes). I\'ll be submitting a Academic Change Request but apparently, it should not delay receiving secondaries nor completion of them since I won\'t be complete until my final MCAT scores are in (mid-Aug). Just frustrating...Going in w/ 49 schools...2 left on my iffy list (removed UAB)
7/9/08 - Removed UofNebraska from \'iffy list\'
7/17/08 - Removed University of Kansas (KU) from \'iffy list\' which now no longer exists
7/18/08 - MCAT retake (3rd time)
8/20/08 - Obviously very very very happy about my new MCAT score. Now, is it reasonable to think that I am a solid enough applicant to apply to some higher-tier schools now? I never thought I would go from so desperate applying to 49 schools to now where I might actually think about where I would prefer to go. I definitely would not have applied to 49 had I gotten this score before. Anyways, any advice would be greatly appreciated!
9/17/08 - Yesterday, after much debate, I decided to email schools I was complete at to see if they could accommodate me for an interview during my Wayne State trip. I found out that if you book a ticket using mileage, adding an extra leg comes at ZERO COST aside from the fee for cancelling your original reservation ($150) (UPDATE 10/16/08 - found out this is only through American Airlines). So basically my thought was either get another interview and have to pay ~$300-$400 for another flight out of CA or $150 to do it in the same trip. In the email, I did my best to make myself sound as polite as possible but however you word it, it still comes off a little pretentious. Anyways, I woke up this morning to about 15 positive responses, most of which said they will try, which was good enough for me. Then, lo and behold, SLU granted me an interview! So anyone on the fence about doing this, have no fear. Adcoms are sympathetic ppl too!
9/24/08 - Sent appeal to UCSD for secondary (was previously on hold).
10/1/08 - Wayne State Interview (58k --> 80k):
+: glowing clinical experiences at DMC, new library being built (should be ready for incoming class), friendly faculty/staff/students, large class size makes for lots of on-campus clubs and special interest groups, Deeeetroiiiit Baaaaasketballlll
-: not the prettiest area/campus, commuter school, sky-high tuition (58K) and class size (~300), drama b/t DMC and WSU, traditional curriculum, lack of reliable public transportation (most students have a car), Liooons Foootballl, gloomy weather
---> supposed to hear back 10/22
10/6/08 - So I\'m having trouble deciding whether or not to go on my interview at Toledo b/c I can\'t decide whether or not I like it more that Wayne State (assuming I am presented with acceptances at both). If I decide I like Toledo less, my options are either to
a) book Toledo now and cancel flight ($150) if I get in to WSU
b) wait until 10/22 to make a decision thus pushing back my interview dates and decreases my chances at Toledo
If I decide I like Toledo more, then I probably should book Toledo ASAP. So anyone with advice on Wayne State vs. Toledo, any advice is greatly appreciated!
10/14/08 - Saint Louis Interview (44k --> 66k):
+: emphasis on humanistic clinical medicine, great class camaraderie, block curriculum, match well back to CA, cheap cost of living, unique cases due to underserved St. Louis community, Clinical Skills Center simulations, good/cheap on-campus food at Cardinal Glennon, 3h class/day, virtual microscopy
-: lack of reliable public transportation - most students have a car, Rams suck, no local professional basketball team, gotta pay for parking and printing
---> supposed to hear back ~Thanksgiving
10/19/08 - Just want to say...UCSD\'s secondary was a beast. By far, the most difficult one I had to do.
10/22/08 - WOW. DREAM COME TRUE! I have finally made it!
11/18/08 - University of Vermont Interview (48k --> 69k):
+: #1 online curriculum (block): VIC = Vermont Integrated Curriculum (integrated basic/clinical everyday), COMET = College of Medicine Education Tools (online infrastructure), genuine ppl, #5 rank primary care, super nice campus, beautiful area around Lake Champlain, lots of outdoorsy activities (skiing, biking, hiking, sailing), Step 1 taken in Feb. of 2nd year so extra time for rotations, very personal small-town feel
-: not much diversity, cold, no real sports to root for, less vacation time
---> supposed to hear back between 1/5/09-1/9/09
11/19/08 - Penn State Interview (46k --> 61k):
+: small town feel, diverse patient population in that you are close enough to big cities like Harrisburg but Hershey is in rural area so you see lots of different cases, Department of Humanities builds well rounded physicians
-: middle of nowhere, literally nothing in Hershey aside from Penn State College of Medicine and the Hershey factory, required research for MD, cold, lots of construction all the time, every student I talked to said that this was the only school they got in to
---> supposed to hear back 6-8 weeks (12/31/08-1/14/09)
11/21/08 - Sent update letter/letter of interest to UCI
11/24/08 - Sent update letter/letter of interest to SLU, UVM
12/4/08 - University of Toledo Interview (54k --> 72k):
+: student-faculty relationship strong, few distractions (but close enough to big cities if you need that escape), low cost of living, USMLE testing site on campus, 24h library, integrated curriculum, can get IS tuition after first year (24k --> 41k), affiliated w/ undergrad campus
-: not much to do, similar to Detroit (blehh), gloomy weather
---> supposed to hear back by 1/3/08
12/16/08 - NYMC Interview (43k --> 67k):
+: location (40m from NYC so close enough to big city yet far enough to not be distracted all the time), tight knit community as result of on campus housing, high board scores, match well back to CA, easy to get dual MD-MPH, free parking for students, free printing, anatomy lab upstairs w/ good ventilation, whole building has lots of natural light, 24h dorm gym, block curriculum, rotations in NYC, Westchester County level I trauma center
-: seems like you have to do a lot of work outside of class, not a fan of going back to the dorms, not affiliated w/ UG campus so not as many on-campus activities as I would like, microscopes, one outdoor bball court, lots of uncertainty w/ rumors of merging w/ Touro due to financial instability
---> supposed to hear back in 10-12 weeks (2/24/09-3/10/09)
12/19/08 - Called EVMS again today about the \'interview\' that was I was TWICE told I would be given when I called to ask about my status and they are now reneging their offer b/c they have too many applicants. Pretty shady of them to tell a bunch of applicants that they will be getting an interview and now pull back from that.
12/27/08 - Sent update letter/letter of interest to VCU
1/3/09 - Sent update letter/letter of interest to UCSD
1/6/09 - Sent update letter/letter of interest to UCLA
1/12/09 - Note to self: when booking tickets using AA mileage, flights within 21 days of purchase = $50 charge...
1/15/09 - Albany Interview (46k --> 67k)
+: balance b/t small city life and more rural areas, great class camaraderie/good vibe from students, board style exams, many UG campuses in area, theme-based curriculum, cheap rent, free parking, can do rotations outside of Albany, can rely entirely on syllabus, tablet will have all pre-loaded lecture notes/syllabi, nice student lounge (pool table, foosball, plasma), Choices Cafe, level I trauma center
-: technologically behind (recently wireless campus, forcing students to buy a certain tablet PC for c/o 2013 to eliminate incompatibility issues), library is pretty dreary lacking natural light, super cold, average board scores, no formal board review, expensive, nothing really stands out about it, students say administration seems to have organization issues
---> supposed to find out in 1-2 weeks (1/22/09-1/29/09)
1/16/09 - Boston Interview (45k --> 68k)
+: leg up as GMS student, commitment to underserved, love Boston, strong in research, pt. contact in 1st yr, diverse class
-: facilities run down, food options in/around campus, cold administration, overly liberal and pushes these views in teaching medicine, pathways to get there, the computers on 13th floor of the library are freaking slow and this pisses me off immensely, semi-traditional subject curriculum
---> supposed to hear back last week of March
1/26/09 - Wow...I have choices?! Anyone w/ comments regarding Wayne State v. Albany - please let me know! My gut reaction from what I saw was that I\'d be more comfortable at Albany but it\'s hard to ignore the superb clinical training I could get at Wayne...
1/27/09 - Cincinnati Interview (43k --> 64k)
+: IS tuition after 1st year (28k --> 47k), low cost of living, super nice campus/facilities, in between small town feel/urban city, top Children\'s hospital = high ranking peds program, prestige, affiliation w/ UG campus, I like Chili
-: Bengals, lots of class time/day, class seemed to be lacking diversity,
---> supposed to hear back in 6-8 weeks (3/10/09-3/24/09)
2/2/09 - SUNY Downstate Interview (41k --> 64k)
+: top notch clinical training (Kings County and a billion other hospitals you can rotate at), IS tuition after a year (22k --> 49k), student-run free clinic, nice anatomy lab
-: Brooklyn is not a pretty place...has a \'if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere\' mentality, professors are poor so need to teach yourself a lot, facilities the worst I\'ve seen, old school microscopes (talk about going VM next year?), doesn\'t feel like a school, no UG campus, 9-3 class/day, 8 students/cadaver
---> supposed to hear back in 10 weeks (4/13/09)
2/4/09 - SUNY Buffalo Interview (41k --> 64k)
+: collaborative culture, genuine faculty, friendly class, organ based integrated curriculum, short class days, optional recorded board review, nice facilities, early prep for residencies, IS tuition after first year (21k --> 41k), low cost of living
-: weather, no transcription service, no attached teaching hospital, 8 students/cadaver
---> supposed to hear back in 1-2 days (2/5/09-2/6/09)
2/13/09 - Second update letters/letters of interest sent to UCLA (post-secondary rejection) and UCI (pre-secondary rejection)
2/14/09 - Submitted FAFSA
2/17/09 - FAFSA processed
2/23/09 - I\'ve come full circle w/ EVMS...they offered me an interview today. ?!
2/25/09 - Appealed UCI pre-secondary rejection
3/11/09 - UCI denies appeal haha. Double rejection, double the pleasure.
3/11/09 - EVMS Interview: (43k --> 64k)
+: famous standardized patient program, super friendly uncompetitive vibe, small class size so everyone knows each other, transparency b/t administration/faculty and students, emphasis on community service, flexibility w/ rotations (US and intl), MD/MPH program, hospital system, weather, young school (room to grow), financially stable (not as dependent on state funding as other \'state\' schools), free parking
-: 9-5 class, traditional curriculum, not a great experience w/ the admissions office (see 12/19/08), low on the prestige ladder, old school histo labs, technologically behind other schools, the \'South\', no affiliated UG campus
---> supposed to hear back 2-3 weeks (3/25/08-4/1/08)
3/31/09 - The day before I plan to turn in my Master\'s thesis to BU, they reject me. FML.
4/7/09 - Sent update letter/letter of interest & additional LOR from current PI to Cincinnati
4/24/09 - Sent 2nd update letter & additional LOR from current PI to SLU
5/21/09 - Sent 2nd update letter/letter of interest to UVM, Cincinnati
5/22/09 - Sent 3rd update letter/letter of interest to SLU
6/4/09 - Sent update letter/letter of interest & additional LOR to EVMS
6/16/09 - Sent 3rd update letter to UVM, Cincinnati and 4th update letter to SLU AGHHHHHHHH

Preference of schools I\'ve interviewed at (and still have a chance at):
1) Vermont/Cincinnati/SUNY Buffalo
2) SLU
3) EVMS
4) Toledo/Penn State