UCSF MEPN 2016

FutureNP2019 · Jul 31, 2015

@emara9 I am not sure about using a lab professor as your only academic rec. The purpose of having an academic recommender is so that they can assess your preparedness for the academic rigors of the program. So, I don't know about using a lab professor. Maybe, maybe not.

Also, does anyone have a clue as to what is most important on the application? I am stressing that I do not have enough. I have ~3.9 GPA, good verbal and writing GRE but not great on the math section, some volunteer experience with medical non-profits. Three years patient contact experience with 9 months in community clinic setting. I am starting volunteering with Lucile Packard Childrens Hospital, and will be able to to some direct NP observation before a *possible* interview, but not before applications go in.

I guess I am thinking my experience is somewhat lacking. I have a good GPA and was hoping my GRE scores would be a little better. Anyone have any opinion or know from previous years? Thanks for the input! I am still applying but don't want to get my hopes super high :unsure:

Marmite16 · Jul 31, 2015

@FutureNP2019, I think your stats look great. I wouldn't worry too much about the math section of the GRE. If anything, I think the verbal section would be much more important. You look like a great candidate to me.

KRC0121 · Aug 7, 2015

Hi everyone! We are getting closer and closer to the deadline. Feels like time is flying by so fast.

I just attended the information session tonight and found one piece of information new and worth sharing. Although I can't find it for the life of me on the website or the application itself, apparently you must have taken statistics within the last 5 years for you application to even be considered. This is not the case with any of the other prerequisite courses. This made me quite angry as I could have easily retaken stats over the summer had I known (my intro to stats class was in 2006 when I was a wee 17 year old). Now I am almost done with my application and it is looking as if it will not even be considered. UCSF is my first choice school and have been focusing on it the most out of the schools I will be applying to. I am quite upset.

Has anyone else seen this anywhere? The person giving the presentation seemed to think that it has always been on the website and doesn't know why it would no longer give that information. I have reached out to admissions to see if I can find out more. I will let you all know how it turns out if you are interested or are in the same boat as me.

emara9 · Aug 7, 2015

@KRC0121: I think I remember seeing that somewhere? But honestly, I could be thinking about another school as many schools require stats to have been in the past 5 years. I just looked at the admissions requirements and it doesn't even say anything about that, it only says next year's applicants must have taken it within 3 years. If it doesn't state this anywhere, they can't make it a requirement.

Does anyone know how the letters of rec work? Do they send out the emails after I submit the application or are they sent as they're added to my application? I was just thinking about this because I think I'll be cutting it close as far as getting everything done (I need to start writing, I've wasted WAY too much time the past two weeks) so I was hoping the emails to recommenders were sent before the application was officially submitted...not after. If this isn't the case, do the recommenders have to send their letters in before Sept 1st also?

SBCvixen · Aug 7, 2015

I don't recall seeing that on the website anywhere either, and I know I specifically looked because my last stats class was in the spring of 2010, so I'm wondering if that will count.

Re: Recs, when you put the recommender's information into the recommendation portion you save their information, and then once it's saved click the send button and they will receive the info they need. I did that a bit ago, and one of my recommenders let me know they received everything within an hour.

SBCvixen · Aug 11, 2015

Update: I emailed admissions to ask about stats. I'm not sure who said five years, but they confirmed via email there is no recency requirement for statistics for this year's cohort. They do recommend a refresher course if it's been a while, but the recency requirement will not take effect until next year.

sml14 · Aug 12, 2015

I also panicked a bit when I was told at the info session that stats has to be with in 5 years...but it says on the website that the 3-year limit is for the next application round, and I also confirmed with several people in admissions that there is no time limit for this application cycle. Phew!

emmafleur18 · Aug 12, 2015

Anyone else think its weird that the application asks for a personal statement, and then 4 other "writing" sections with a word limit of 2700? I feel like if I try to write 2700 words for each of the separate questions, thats pretty much like 5 personal statements? How much did everyone actually fill out those extra questions? I wrote about a paragraph for each (still working on the history one), but I'm afraid that's not gonna be enough. Even though I don't really have more to say.

SBCvixen · Aug 13, 2015

Yep- personal statement, goal statement and the additional experience statements.... makes it difficult to figure out what to say where.

emara9 · Aug 13, 2015

I feel the same way. I've written the "additional background information" ones (roughly), and the goal and personal history statements I've barely started on because I have no clue where to even start. I know the goal statement is extremely important, but it seems really similar to the background information "job/career goals" so I'm not sure where to go with either without repeating similar things. I'll be on a plane for four hours today so we'll see what I can conjure up because I need to stop procrastinating on these :/

FutureNP2019 · Aug 15, 2015

I am glad the conversation has been started about the "Additional Background Information" section because I am about to start on that and I am confused! It seems like we can write a whole extra paper? Ugh!

Maybe we can write more detailed information there, and that way our goal/ personal statements can be more succinct? It would be nice to know how much weight that Additional Info section holds. I have been spending my time on the Statements and just started looking at the Additional Info section.

FutureNP2019 · Aug 18, 2015

Also, can anyone shed some light on what exactly "Community-based activities or experiences" means? It seems rather broad- anyone have some examples they might be using?

Thanks!!