2013-2014 Applicants and their parents.....

<p>Dd texted me that she now realizes she does not have all the prereqs for our state public (UIC). Seems the require 3 social/behavioral science classes which she does not have. Dd applied there because it is the norm to apply to your state schools and budget friendly but I never felt like D would return home for MS. I am wondering if MS stick hard and fast to their prereqs? D’s stats are above average for this school. This process is so laborious intensive I am not surprised this oversight occurred. Does D toss the secondaries and move on or submit anyway?</p>

<p>^ I feel your pain. Is she applying as a junior? If she is, she can squeeze the remaining courses into her senior schedule.</p>

<p>Son is in the same boat with a couple of schools. He got his 8th secondary of this cycle today, from Vanderbilt. This one is interesting, because they pre-screen and the secondary invite clearly said that it is extended by the screening committee. </p>

<p>He applied to Vanderbilt expecting fully well that he may not get a secondary or an interview because he is one course short in Physics and they don’t accept AP credit. I hope they give him a pass on that or at least give him a chance to finish that course in his senior year.</p>

<p>I keep wondering about the requirements for many schools asking for something above and beyond everyone else like UIC. I heard Pitt insists on a microbiology class. Do they reject people who have not taken those classes or can’t find time to accommodate them in the final year? </p>

<p>Kal - did he put down the class for final year curriculum on the app?</p>

<p>@spring162,

</p>

<p>Are you certain she doesn’t have the credit? There is much variation in how such classes are defined. How did/will your D graduate without such credits? Are there no core requirements at her school? Is she only 1 class short?
This doesn’t seem like a deal breaker to me.</p>

<p>"Behavioral Sciences Pre-requisites</p>

<p>Candidates must complete three courses in the Behavioral/Social Sciences (for example: Psychology, Anthropology, Economics, Gender Studies or Sociology). Two of the three courses must be in the same field of study. Other behavioral or social science courses will be considered to fulfill this requirement. Applicants must provide documentation on the content of such courses to be given consideration. "</p>

<p>[Pre-requisites</a> - University of Illinois College of Medicine](<a href=“http://www.medicine.uic.edu/admissions/apply_to_the_md_program/pre_requisites/]Pre-requisites”>http://www.medicine.uic.edu/admissions/apply_to_the_md_program/pre_requisites/)</p>

<p>What classes did she take outside of science requirements? It says even Economics is acceptable.</p>

<p>

</p>

<p>Yes, they do. If adcomms make an exception for a pre-req for one kid, it opens the floodgates for possible litigation w/r/t acceptances.</p>

<p>Remember, all acceptances are conditional until you supply the school with a final transcript showing you’ve satisfactorily completed all pre-reqs. </p>

<p>When D1 was applying, she was missing a required lab. After her acceptance, she got a several email and snail mail reminders she had to fulfill ALL missing pre-reqs or her acceptance would be revoked.</p>

<p>Dd feels she is “technically” short 2 classes for this requirement. She is a Neuroscience/Spanish double major. She thinks she could possibly spin a neuro or spanish class to fit but it is the requirement that 2 of the classes be from the same area that is getting her. I guess most of her core classes fall under the “Humanities” designation. No room in Senior schedule since she added Spanish major late in the game and has to do Senior thesis. Oh well, live and learn I guess.</p>

<p>^ Are there Summer or Winter terms at her school? My school has a 4 week Winter semester.</p>

<p>I would think Neuroscience is a behavioral science though. You should check with the college.</p>

<p>

Like a lot of other things, its one of those gray areas. It depends on the medical school, the number and nature of the missing pre-requisites. I know of an instance where JHU explicitly specified a contingency in the acceptance letter requiring that the missing humanities courses be finished before matriculation. Vanderbilt is generally considered as the most stubborn. However, I have known of instances, even in the times they would not allow substitutes for AP credits, when they looked the other way regarding missing pre-requisites for certain applicants. I’ve also read of situations, where in certain medical schools actually awarded undergrad degrees for certain folks who couldn’t complete (for valid reasons, of course)!</p>

<p>In my son’s case, he followed his pre-health department’s guidelines to the letter with regards to his AP credits. He is fine with all the schools he is applying to except Vanderbilt and may be to a lesser extent Columbia.</p>

<p>

Unfortunately, no. He has a FULL schedule for the final year and has to drop something to accommodate a physics course. He would rather not unless he absolutely has to.</p>

<p>I think, depending on which department offers the neuroscience, it could either a behavior science class or a science class. It sometimes depends on the school as well. </p>

<p>Once i noticed that one med school in midwest allows the students to take one semester of orgo class and one semester of biochemistry to fulfill the requirements of two semesters of orgo. With the new MCAT requirement, I think it may change.</p>

<p>spring–what about an online class? Even one from a different college or a CC? Could she fit that into her schedule during her senior year?</p>

<p>She should also email the admissions director pronto and **ask ** him/her what, if any, of her current courses would fulfill the social sciences requirement. If the answer is yes, then she should save the email as definitive proof in case of questions.</p>

<p>Dd did a little more digging and noticed that a few of her Neuro classes are also listed in the Psych department so she will press on and worry about sending in the syllabus for consideration etc. if she has to. I think that this journey is starting to weigh on her and it would have been easier for her to just chuck the UIC secondaries and move on but I am glad she sees the benefit of finishing the secondaries and seeing what happens. Thanks for the help.</p>

<p>I didn’t think of cross departmental course numbers for a single class but if your daughter’s school has neuroscience classes with a psych ID class too, that is perfect for justification.</p>

<p>For those trying to fit certain classes in, I echo plumazel’s suggestion – try taking it during the summer, a J-Term, or even online. D just finished biochem, a prerequisite for several schools. She called one school to ask a question (non-related) and followed up by asking how they would like the update acknowledging she completed this course. She was told not having it completed when the app went out would not preclude her from getting an interview invite, especially since she denoted she was taking it this summer on the app. They said as long as it was complete BEFORE MATRICULATION, she was fine and told her how to precede with the update. So even if your child can’t squeeze it in during the fall or spring, he/she probably can get it knocked out before fall 2014 even if they have to take it post-bac next summer.</p>

<p>RE: knocking it over the summer.</p>

<p>It depends when the medical school term begins. Some schools start quite early–like mid-July. That may not leave enough time to finish the class and have an official transcript sent out to the med school, have it certified by the admission office and have it all done before classes start. IME, med schools are loathe to wait until the last month before classes start to see if an applicant has finished all the pre-reqs. There’s too much paperwork to be done and they really don’t want to have to call someone off the waitlist on very short notice if they don’t have to.</p>

<p>D1 was required to send certification/official transcript that she had completed all required coursework not later than June 15th–or approx 1 month before the start of classes.</p>

<p>Its very easy to convince AMCAS about cross-listed courses for the purpose of BCPM classification. Convincing medical schools to accept them as pre-requisites may be a whole different matter. No harm in trying though.</p>

<p>On a different note, son’s committee letter is done - sealed and ready to go. By the clues his pre-health advisor gave him, its a great one. Now, if only he speeds up putting together those secondary essays …</p>

<p>As far as senior year plans changing for med school realities…it happens. D had always planned a bio and chem double major with a religious studies minor. Couldn’t pull off the chem major and ended up one class short.</p>

<p>Slacker…</p>

<p>lol. Yup. WTH was she doing with her free time?</p>