UC Secondary Applications

Hey everyone! I am mostly a lurker, though I did meet some of you at the conference, and everyone I met was wonderful! From what I have been able to gather, UC (University of California) schools are slightly unique in their qualifications for inviting you to send a secondary application. In general at most UCs only about half of their applicants are invited to complete a secondary, and I assume that they use some computer-based programming to weed out GPAs and MCAT scores that they don’t want. I was just wondering if anyone (through personal experience or otherwise) had any idea what their bar was. It helps with my creative visualization if I have a solid goal to reach;) Thanks for any input you may have!

As a UC alum I’ve been looking into them for med school as well. I’ve heard something similar, in that there is a “bare minimum” type of cut-off used to send secondaries. Also, I can’t be sure, but I think there might be info about this in the MSAR. You might want to check out SDN’s site on this; there is a whole thread about UC Sec Apps. From what I’ve read most people received secondaries between the 25th and 27th. Are you applying this cycle or for a later date?

I plan to apply next year as long as I can complete everything as planned this year with no complications.


My stats are:


Undergrad GPA (including prereqs completed after graduation): 3.62


Graduate GPA: 3.1-ish (need to check on this one)


MCAT: Plan to take May 2009. Absolutely NO CLUE where my scores will land me…but I need a mental goal:)


Clinical Experience: 260+ Hours Working at an out-patient physical therapy clinic, all hands-on clinical work one-on-one with patients


Currently Volunteering at 2 hospitals, one as a physical therapy volunteer, the other as a volunteer doula (birth assistant). By application time I will probably have another 800+ hours from those positions.


I have also applied for a 2nd Bachelor’s at a UC but it is rare that they actually accept anyone, so I don’t know how far this will go, but getting in is the only way I can afford to take classes at a University right now, so we’ll see. That way if I don’t get into medical school next year, I have more than enough time time to complete a 2nd bachelor’s, and if I do get in, I can still complete it in my dead year, and I will have a “2nd Bachelor’s expected Spring 2010” to put on my apps. All of my other prereqs have been done at community college. I just have OChem and Physics left.


Looking through my transcript though today I am a little worried about all of the W’s I have managed to rack up in the last 10 years, 10 in total. Anyone have any clue as to how this is going to be viewed?

Correction:


GPA is 3.62 total for BA


After BA Undergrad courses and prereqs: 3.77


Total undergraduate coursework GPA: 3.65


BCPM (Total, undergrad and current prereqs): 3.64

well, you certainly have solid GPA. Here is some rather dated info on all the UC medical schools application criteria from a mid-1990s court case. Sorry no numbers on the secondary cut off but it certainly gives you a better idea of how the Black Box of admissions works