Applying to way too many schools -- should I cut UCSD?

<p>Okay, I guess I am looking for permission to not apply to UCSD. I don't really want to apply to UCSD (Southern CA, few faculty of interest, bankrupt UC system), BUT, good Med-into-Grad program, custom Molecular Endocrinology track, always hear good things... I just fear missing out on a good program/could have gone there-regret (which is why I'm applying to 13-crazy right?-schools). Cut it? Keep it?</p>

<p>You have my permission to cut UCSD. You also have my permission to cut another 8 or so of your other schools. You realize there are maybe six interview weekends you could attend if the timing worked out perfectly?</p>

<p>Do all schools require an interview before you’re officially admitted?</p>

<p>BoogieEngineer, biomedical science PhD programs require on-site interviews (paid for by the program) for those who make it through the first screening. Admissions to those programs are modeled loosely on the medical school process.</p>

<p>Engineering doesn’t fall into that category, obviously.</p>

<p>if you don’t really want to apply to a place, don’t.</p>

<p>Thank you Momwaitingfornew</p>

<p>

I don’t think I’ve ever heard of anybody regretting not applying to a particular school, when all was said and done. After you fly across the country six or eight weekends in a row, interviewing at schools you might actually enjoy, you won’t have the time or energy to wonder what might have happened if you’d applied to another five or so.</p>

<p>An issue you will likely encounter, applying to 13 schools, is the need to turn down interview offers at several of them. You have to be able to do this, too, because there’s no point in interviewing somewhere far down your list if you are already accepted to schools higher up on your list.</p>

<p>Mollie – I have a question about your comments above. Were you still receiving requests to interview after you were accepted? Or did you assume that multiple interview requests guaranteed at least one acceptance? If Harvard was the acceptance (an anomaly since they accept without an interview), then what about those who are not applying to Harvard? I ask because my D is applying to 8 or so programs, and she has a clear top four. She would probably love not to go to some interviews if she got into one of those top four, but I don’t see the timing as working out for her.</p>

<p>I am applying to 13 schools too just to increase my chances of getting in somewhere this year! Just have to wait and see where I receive interviews from! UCSD Biomedical sciences looks pretty good…I wouldn’t cut it out unless you are absolutely sure you don’t like their program. </p>

<p>Good luck everyone!</p>

<p>You get most interview requests prior to actually interviewing anywhere, since all interviews generally happen feb-march. You probably hear from schools in January. However, even if you have agreed to interview you can cancel at any time. Most schools let you know if you were accepted within about a week of the interview, sometimes in less time than that-- I was on the Bay Area circuit and heard from UCSF and Berkeley while still at Stanford. So if her lower choices happen to schedule their interviews later in the season, then it is quite possible that she would have already been accepted to her top few choices and can decide not to interview.</p>

<p>It really depends on how much you want to go and your chances of admissions.
Application will take you at most three days, but you will go to college for four years.</p>

<p>

Exactly – I turned down interview requests some time after accepting them, but prior to going on the interview.</p>

<p>In my particular circumstances, Harvard did happen to be my first choice, so when I heard from them in late January, I knew I could turn down a few of my less-favored interview locations. But in the case of all three interviews I didn’t attend, I had accepted the invitation first (because I had gotten those invitations in late December/early January), then later emailed my regrets.</p>

<p>Okay, so I took my own virtual tour of the UCSD area with google maps street view (been to LA and SD before, but never La Jolla) and that helped confirm that I am not applying. Thanks for the feedback.</p>

<p>^ HAHAHAHAHAHA. I was totally “walking around” Chicago the other day. Oh Google! I’m applying to 11. I was going to do 12, but I realized even if I got into Northwestern, I wouldn’t go, so there’s no point in applying. Even if I already sent my transcripts and GRE scores, better cut my loses now. Eh.</p>