<p>Hi! I'm an undergraduate freshman in the UCSD Med Scholar 7 to 8 year direct medical program. I saw the Penn state/jeff thread, and thought I'd make a similar one for UCSD. I don't know how much I can answer as a freshman, but I can definitely talk about interviews and requirements, and about what older MSs have told me about med school at UCSD. If you have any questions I can't answer, I'll ask around as well (:</p>
<p>Hello and thanks for doing this.</p>
<p>My questions:
typical accepted applicant SAT I and II scores?
I heard the admission office has a fornula that ranks students based on tabulated SAT GPA etc?? Is it true?
What kind of activities and awards do your classmates have–other than the usual club, Sci. Olympiad, sports etc?
How many people do they accept off waitlist typically?
What is the interview like? What type of questions?? health care, ethics questions??</p>
<p>Thanks again for your help.</p>
<p>Hi @ratrat
Take this all with a grain of salt because I’m not on the admissions committee and I don’t know everything about people in my year, but:</p>
<p>The SAT scores are generally above 2300 (SAT I scores have to be above 2250 for a person to be considered, and in my year I believe all of us broke 2300.)
SAT II: I’ll post mine, but I don’t know other applicants; I’ll ask and see if anyone is willing to share
Math Lvl 2: 780
Lit: 740
Chem: 740
US History: 760
Biology M: 730
I’d assume our averages would be over 750 for every test, since I didn’t really focus on studying for them. (I checked with another MS and if the rest are the same way, the above 750 hypothesis is correct.)</p>
<p>The admission office has a formula that ranks students based on tabulated SAT, GPA, etc.? Beyond needing the 2250 SAT or 34 ACT, I’ve seen no evidence of that. Honestly, within the pool that makes it to the interview, I can’t see there being much of a purpose to that, since the difference between a 2250 and a 2400 is so tiny, and most of our GPAs are the same way. </p>
<p>Activities and awards my classmates have–other than the usual club, Sci. Olympiad, sports, etc?
Honestly, we all did a LOT, and we don’t talk about it much but off the top of my head (# of people-activity):
1- fencing*
3- dance*
1-cricket*
*other than that, we really didn’t have any traditional athletes
3- debate (2 Mock Trial, 1 MUN, 1 policy and public forum)
3- high school journalism
2- singing
1- theatre
1- robotics
10 (+/-1)- research (1 published)
2- international chem oly (1 wayyy high-ranking)
(most of us probably did chem/bio/physics oly or amc on a lower level)
1-3- academic decathelon
2- community service (Key Club, Operation Smile, Relay for Life)
1- Improv Comedy
4- Frenchies (Franch club/speakers I think)
1- Girl Scout</p>
<p>How many people do they accept off waitlist typically? During my interview mixer, they said 1-2 people typically do. I have no idea how many our year.</p>
<p>What is the interview like? It wasn’t universal ethics; it was personal. There were questions that were about determining you were a normal sane human, a few deeper dealing-with-death/stress/etc. questions, and then some research-based ones. A lot of people in my year said they felt that the interviewers had already decided who was going to be an MS before the interview. (I personally didn’t feel that though.)</p>
<p>Thanks a lot.</p>
<p>[@]radiantrobot - by the time some students show up for interviews, they already have admissions to other combined programs. Does UCSD care? Did this issue come up during any interviews that you know of? </p>
<p>@HickoryDoc - I think during the meet and greet, a few people asked where else the interviewees were considering, but during the actual interview, I doubt it’d come up (It didn’t in mine). Honestly, they’re expecting you to come in with acceptances, both to combined programs and to other prestigious schools (I’m 90% sure everyone in my year had already been accepted somewhere), so just focus on letting them know you want to be at UCSD, and it shouldn’t matter, or even come up.</p>
<p>Thank you, @radiantrobot. For now, I just hope to get invited to the interview. Just finished my application. </p>
<p>@HickoryDoc Congratulations on finishing the application! Good luck and hope to see you on interview day (:</p>
<p>Hi @ratrat
These are the opinions of two other Med Scholars in the same year as @radiantrobot</p>
<p>Typical accepted applicant SAT I and II scores?</p>
<p>Person A:
SAT I Score: 2240 (Math: 800, Verbal: 720, Writing: 720 Essay: 8)
ACT Score: 34
SAT II Scores: Math II: 800, Chemistry: 750, Biology M: 720 (Took it freshman year after standard level Bio–Don’t judge me), Physics: 800</p>
<p>Person B:
SAT I Score: 2280 (Math: 800, Verbal: 710, Writing: 770 Essay: 11)
ACT Score: 34
SAT II Scores: Math II: 800, Chemistry: 780, Biology M: 780</p>
<p>What kind of activities and awards do your classmates have–other than the usual club, Sci. Olympiad, sports etc?</p>
<p>Person A:
Division Spirit Coordinator–Key Club
President of Troy High Operation Smile–Went on a medical mission to the Phillippines
Interned for 2 reconstructive surgeons–Did research with one regarding OMT imaging
Organized T-Shirt fundraiser after tsunami in Japan–Raised over $6,000 around 12 high schools
Tennis, Tae kwon do, WORKING OUT</p>
<p>Person B:
Vice President–City Youth Council
President–NHS
Siemens Competition Regional Semifinalist
Cricket–U-17 National Champion
Science Olympiad Participant–4 years–We made it to state
Published Paper in PLOS ONE peer reviewed journal</p>
<p>How many people do they accept off waitlist typically?</p>
<p>Person A and B:
Try not to aim for the waitlist…
Do or do not, there is no try
–Master Yoda</p>
<p>What is the interview like? What type of questions?? health care, ethics questions??</p>
<p>Person A:</p>
<p>The general idea of the interview is to see your passion for the medical field. Whatever questions they ask is to just gauge your interest in the medical field, and whether you are truly devoted to becoming a doctor. All they want to see is passion. Other than that it is pretty relaxed. My dude offered me a cookie. I rejected it though, I was full.</p>
<p>The basic intent of the Medical Scholars Program is to allow freedom in your undergraduate years to explore interests beyond medicine. For me, I was interested in psychology as well as business, and getting admission into this program would allow me to not worry about the basic requirements of med school. Basically, just convey to them that you know the purpose of the program. Don’t simply say that you want the program solely because you want to be a doctor.</p>
<p>Person B:</p>
<p>This program makes it very clear that it does not want solely stats and extracurriculars. It wants an individual who shows passion for whatever he/she does. It takes doctors, not robots. Whether it be person A’s mission to the Philippines, or my research on athletes with cardiac abnormalities, there has to be a purpose behind it, as well as a love for what you’re doing. That’s what you must convey in the interview. </p>
<p>Good luck and have fun!!</p>
<p>@Medschoolorbust - thanks for the info. I had not realized that people with SAT score less than 2250 get invited to UCSD interviews. </p>
<p>This is great info. Thank you.</p>
<p>What were the other BSMD pgms MSs targeted and got offers on? Was merit scholarship or instate a huge factor in decision towards UCSD?</p>
<p>I got an interview invite today…any tips for the interview?</p>
<p>I got the interview invite as well 
Do you have an idea of how many people are invited for the interviews? </p>
<p>Congratulations you guys!
@silverwind- The number 2 years ago was 25; I don’t know how many were invited are year, but it was about the same I think.</p>
<p>@HickoryDoc- Yep (: you just have to meet the ACT or SAT requirement, not both.</p>
<p>@radiantrobot Thank you for the info! My best friend goes to UCSD and I would love to join the Med Scholars program if I’m accepted!</p>
<p>Also, what do you feel is the most rewarding aspect of the program? Apart from the fact that you don’t have to take the MCAT :)</p>
<p>@silverwind- One of the MSs told me that our year had 35 interviewees. (:</p>
<p>What has been score cut-off in the past two years? What is the general expectation extra curricular activities in med area? Is there any special focus on social service aspect as mentioned on the website.</p>
<p>@sm577501
What were the other BSMD pgms MSs targeted and got offers on?
I don’t want to share others’ without asking, but my personal choice came down to 6-year Penn State/Jeff, which was the school I liked best atmosphere-wise out of my directs, UCSD, and then undergrads that offered full scholarships.
Was merit scholarship or instate a huge factor in decision towards UCSD?
Instate tuition was; it’s what made choosing UCSD as opposed to a 6 or 7 year program and paying an extra year of undergrad tuition, feasible. Plus, being instate means traveling home or to see friends tends to be cheaper. I don’t have a scholarship, though. (Most MSs are Regents Scholars though, which gives you $2500 (I think), research opportunities, and most importantly priority registration, which is pretty helpful.)</p>