Ellaie
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Posts posted by Ellaie
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45 minutes ago, Elisheva said:
@mithila.belekar, welcome! I really all hope we have better luck next year. The new match system is making me nervous - I hope it's really to our benefit.
To all of you second year applicants, I wonder how letters of recommendation work. Do we get new ones? Extra ones? Can we ask the schools to forward our precious ones onto our new applications? I guess when we reach out for constructive criticism we can ask some of these questions...
I just can't believe we all need to go through this grueling process again.
When I reapplied I had my recommendation letter writers resubmit my letters. From my experience, schools said it's okay to use the same recommendation letter writers but they advise they write a new or updated letter. One of the things some programs said when I applied was that I should strengthen my recommendation letters and have them focus more on genetic counseling. I sent my writers the recommendations that schools had told me about my letters when I asked them to write for me again. I was very careful with how I phrased everything in order to not seem offensive and let them know that what they wrote was ultimately up to them. I was a little paranoid when it came to my letters and actually submitted 5 letters to every school that allowed it instead of the 3 I had submitted last year. I asked another professor and the nurse practitioner involved in my advocacy experience. I did this because I figured if a couple weren't good then at least there were 3 others to make up for it. I also didn't want to be stressed out again if my writers didn't submit in time. Honestly, it was probably unnecessary, but it doesn't hurt.
I asked a couple schools about whether I needed to start an entirely new application and they said yes.
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Congratulations to everyone that got accepted somewhere this year!! This is a really exciting time! I'm looking forward to connecting with you all in the future at conferences or other events.
For those that didn't get in, I know exactly what you're going through. I was a 2nd year applicant, so I know how crushing it is to realize you put so much time into things and didn't get accepted anywhere. I applied to 7 schools last year and only received one interview at UCI and was wait listed. This year I applied to 10 and received 6 interviews. I know so many people have already said it, but it really is such a common thing to be a 2nd or 3rd year applicant in this field. There just aren't enough programs yet for all the qualified applicants. For anyone looking for advice on strengthening their application or wanting someone to proofread their essay for them next year feel free to reach out! I don't want to put my contact information on this board, but shoot me a PM and I'll give you my email or facebook info.
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1 hour ago, KeepSwimming2017 said:
USF is full. What a bummer. But on a happier note - I've officially accepted SLC! I'm actually really excited for the program. @bubusaur we're officially classmates! Woo hoo!
I'm disappointed to hear we wont be classmates! SLC was a great school though, and I'm sure you're going to enjoy it there!
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1 hour ago, Ultrapeaches said:
Congrats! You're going to rock it.
Don't forget to turn down your other offers (cough UCI cough) - there are a lot of us desperate to get off of waitlists.
Don't worry. Those were the next couple calls I made as soon as I officially accepted the offer from USF.
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I've officially accepted a position at USF! I'm feeling a huge mix of relief and anxiety about being finished with the application process. @KeepSwimming2017 I really hope you end up getting accepted to USF and we can be classmates!! Keep me updated on how things are going for you.
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2 minutes ago, WBGC said:
@Ellaie I can totally relate to what you are saying about the comfort of staying near home vs moving to a new state. I went into this set on moving out of California to experience something new! But now that the reality of it is in front of me it seems really inconvenient and kind of scary! It's really tough.
I live in Chicago right now because I moved here when I didn't get into school last year to experience the city life for a year. Moving back to Florida would put me back near my family, and I have missed them the last year.
It's a hard decision, and I keep worrying about making the wrong one. But, I guess there isn't necessarily a wrong choice here. Every program still gives you the education to become a genetic counselor. I'm trying to keep that in perspective and it helps a little.
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I'm so stressed out right now. I don't want to make the wrong decision. Before going into today I had USF as my top choice. Tuition is less than 20k and it'd let me be close to my family and friends in Florida. Being part of the first class would be a really unique experience as well. And they're only taking four people and I was one of the four that they initially wanted for their inaugural class. That kind of feels like a big deal to me too and makes me think they see more in me than the other programs do. I feel like I should accept the offer, but that just seems so finalized. Emory told me I'm high on the waitlist and would most likely receive an offer, and I really liked both Emory and UCI. I've never lived in Georgia or California so it would be a new adventure that I wouldn't get to experience by staying in Florida. They are also more established programs.
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3 hours ago, KeepSwimming2017 said:
@Ellaie do you think USF already called all of their acceptances/waitlists? I'm so crushed that I haven't heard anything from them yet =/
They said in the email that they were going to contact the people accepted, followed by the people rejected, and then those high on the waitlist. So, it could be a good sign that you haven't heard anything.
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1 minute ago, GCFaith92 said:
Question : what do you guys say when they call if you don't want to reject or accept right away
I told USF I was leaning towards accepting, but wanted to think about it for a little bit. I told them I'd get back to them as soon as possible.
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2 minutes ago, Gorays39 said:
Accepted to Indiana State! So at least I don't have to worry about not getting in anywhere.
Congratulations!!
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Just checked my application on SLC and it says I was waitlisted. Still haven't received an email. Wanted to let everyone here know, so you can check your application status there instead of waiting for an email.
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I got accepted to USF!!! I can't believe this is happening right now. I didn't accept yet because I want to hear from other schools first and think about it, but I'm leaning towards accepting. I'm just so shocked. Second time applying and I get outright accepted to my top program.
- HC929, avargason, hey_ella77 and 2 others
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@metabolismo Thanks for setting up that survey! It's been really interesting seeing all the results. I've really enjoyed reading them. It's funny how differently people view the programs. For example, Arkansas is towards the bottom of my list of programs and 3 people have it listed as their top choice!
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On 4/3/2017 at 8:09 AM, KeepSwimming2017 said:
I was just there last week. Don't be nervous! Everyone there was super nice. They just did a presentation explaining the program. Then had 4 interviews each was 25 minutes. Then there was a campus tour. Pretty standard format and nothing was scary about it.
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4 hours ago, metabolismo said:
Also, in regards to waiting for next year's application cycle next...
I have heard from two schools during interviews that next year the GC Programs are switching from a Universal Acceptance Notification Day to a legit Match Day (like residencies for med school). That means each applicant will receive only one offer of admission to a GC program (with offers of admission generated from an algorithm based on student and program rankings of each other).
Not sure if it will affect the odds of acceptance at any particular program that much, but definitely Something to consider since the dynamics of the application cycle, will be a little different next year!
I just wanted to confirm that I have heard this from multiple sources as well. It'll definitely be interesting to see how it goes doing a match day. Hopefully it's not something I'll have to worry about though!
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Just called Northwestern to ask them about the interview waitlist. They told me that at this time they're not expecting any movement on the waitlist and have most likely contacted everyone already for an interview that's going to receive one. I'm sure most people were already assuming this. I just wanted to let everyone here know.
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47 minutes ago, Nazifa Abasova said:
Hi, everyone
I want to apply UC Irvine GC M.D program at Fall 2017. Is anyone here got a interview from UCI? What is the requirements ?
Thanks
It's too late now to apply for the Fall 2017 class. Applications were due in February and interviews are already taking place. If you wanted to apply for the Fall 2018 class, then I'd say the best place to find information about their program is their website. http://www.pediatrics.uci.edu/masters-genetic-counseling.asp If you click on admissions it will tell you the program requirements and how to apply to the program.
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35 minutes ago, metabolismo said:
Glad your interview at SCL went well! (And congrats on UCI!). I am also planning to take the Metro North/M60 Bus combo (took the bus last time I flew into New York w/ no problems). Did you have the morning session, and did you do the optional campus tour? How long did it take you to get from campus to the airport? Google Maps estimates 1h 30 min.
I'm trying to figure out which flight to book. Not sure if a 6:00pm departure will leave me enough travel time + buffer for security. It looks like it's only ~25 minutes by car if you take the highway, so I wonder if trying to split an uber to laguardia would be a better option to save time.
I had the afternoon session. I did the tour, but it was completely optional. A couple current students walked us around campus. Super informal and I really doubt anyone would notice if you didn't go to it.
I wasn't really in any hurry to get back because my flight wasn't until 10PM. I stayed later than I had to chatting with some of the currentl students. I walked to the Fleemont Metro North station, which was about a 15 minute walk from campus. I called a friend when I got there and my phone says I made that call at 6:40. I called my mom when I got to the airport and I made that call at 7:56. When I was in the airport security was super fast. Less than ten minutes for sure. I think it'd definitely be a safer option to do a later departure than 6PM. But if that was the only option then I'm sure they would be willing to work around it. The last part of the day was very informal and if you had to I don't see why they wouldn't let you skip the refreshments portion after the interviews.
It probably would be faster to take a car, but I didn't do that so I'm not really sure.
@WBGC That's interesting that you were the only one there. I wonder why no one else was scheduled for the same day.
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1 hour ago, GCFaith92 said:
@minja134 Thank you so much. I thought we had to call them back the day they called us and give an answer!
Nope! But also keep in mind that if you get in somewhere and are holding that spot waiting for another school to accept, then you're holding a spot that others who applied to that school might really want. If you wait until the last minute on April 26th to reject an offer, then there won't be time to contact that other student. So I think it's good etiquette to try to make a decision sooner rather than later if possible. That being said, you have to do what's best for you too.
Had my SLC interview yesterday! It went good I think! I really liked everyone involved in the program, and they were all really easy to talk to. It was two individual interviews and then a group interview. Also the school recommends taking the shuttle bus from Laguardia to grand central and then the metro north to campus. You can also take the M60-SDS bus to Harlem-125th street station and catch the metro north there. It'll save you about $30 to do it this way, and I found it super easy. I can give anyone more details on it if anyone wants.
Also I got an interview at UCI!! So excited about that one! They also said that since I interviewed there last year I only have to do a skype interview if I don't have the money or time to come in person.
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5 hours ago, minja134 said:
For the back of your ankles I would recommend getting the real thick fabric bandages and putting them anywhere on your feet you think your shoes might rub, then put your tights on. Also your outfit is cute and I too recommend nude tights and maybe a blazer of some sort of you have one?
I was actually wearing a blazer in the second picture. But funny story. I got on the train to go to the airport and realized that I had forgotten my blazer. I blame it on it being 3am as I was trying to get ready. So I guess I'm going to rock this interview without a blazer. I'm going to pull my skirt up a little bit from where it was in the picture I sent. I'd feel more comfortable having my blazer on, but I think I still look professional enough without it. I'm gonna have to cuz I don't have another option at this point haha.
@Ferris604 thanks for the info on the bandaids! In the past I've usually just bought whatever's cheapest and layered them, but I'll have to look into that specific type.
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1 hour ago, bubusaur said:
Everything looks good! If you have nude tights, I'd prefer nude tights. I don't have one so I'm going with black. Make sure your new flats don't kill your feet either! I bought new flats and it killed my feet...gonna take a while longer to break them in.
I'm also wearing a skirt to my interview but I've been warned that since it's in NY, I'm gonna freeze. People have been telling me to wear dress pants, but they simply don't look good on me (hence I'm not comfy in them either).
I have black tights, but I could easily stop at walgreens and pick up a pair of nude ones. I have such a hard time with shoes! They always destroy the back of my ankles. These ones feel great so far and they're Michael Kors, which makes me hopeful that they'll be a little more comfortable. I'm still gonna bring my gym shoes just in case I need them.
I was talking to my friend that lives there and she said it's supposed to be pretty nice tomorrow. I definitely understand the dress pants thing. I'm 5'11, which makes finding a good pair of dress pants extremely difficult.
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I'm trying to decide what to wear to my interview tomorrow. I thought I'd have more time to shop today because I wanted to buy another shirt, but I didn't. I did buy a new pair of flats because the ones I have kill my feet and I'm going to be walking around NY all day tomorrow. I also bought a big bag, so I can can carry everything for my interview as well as my computer to pass the time when I'm not in the interview. What do you all think of this outfit and the purse? Also would you recommend black or nude tights?
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27 minutes ago, Gadgette said:
Did you get the list of hotels from UAMS?
I did, but I feel like the school just lists the hotels that are most convenient by location. I'll have my car so being walking distance isn't super important, and I was wondering if there were any better options.
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Hi guys! So I have my interview at Arkansas on Monday. I'm looking into hotels there now. I know the schools provide a list of hotels, but I've found that a lot of times you can find cheaper or nicer places doing your own research. I'm driving down, which means I don't mind being a little farther away from campus. Anyone have any hotel recommendations for Little Rock? I've never even been to Arkansas before.
@GCInTraining I have my interview at SLC tomorrow. I'll let you know how it goes!
Genetic Counseling Fall 2018 Applicants
in Biology
Posted
You're not being nosy. I don't mind answering. Last year I applied to 7 (UCI, California state, Alabama, Utah, Indiana state, Michigan, and UC Denver). I only received an interview at UCI. I was wait listed and from my conversation with Pam I could tell I was pretty low on the wait list and didn't have that great of a chance of getting in. This year I applied to UC Irvine, USF, Emory, Michigan, Indiana State, South Carolina, Northwestern, UAMS, Sarah Lawrence, and Ohio State. I got interviews at UCI, USF, Emory, Ohio State, Sarah Lawrence, and UAMS. USF was my top choice and they accepted me outright. Ohio State and UAMS rejected me. SLC had me on the waitlist, but I declined. I didn't talk to anyone, so I'm not sure what my position on the wait list was. UCI and Emory both told me I was high on the wait list. Emory said I would likely receive an acceptance before Monday was over. I don't know for sure whether I would have actually been accepted though because I accepted my offer for USF around noon and took myself off the other wait lists.
I did a lot during my off year to improve my resume. Previously I had been volunteering as a rape crisis advocate for a month, but I continued to do it and had over a year of experience by this round of applications. I tutored a girl with Down syndrome in literacy. I shadowed a couple more genetic counselors. I interviewed a couple more that I wasn't able to shadow. I think more important than all these experiences themselves though was how I did a better job presenting them and myself in my resume and essay. I spent a lot more time on my writing, and I had A LOT of people proofread it for me and give me advice. So to answer yours and @adragonisnoslave's question, I wrote an entirely new one. I think this was important to include the new experiences over the last year as well as improve my writing. I feel like from my application experience and the feedback I received I learned a lot more about what programs are looking for and tried to include this in my statement.