2011-2012 Virginia Commonwealth University Application Thread

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Anyone have any thoughts on the safety of Richmond/the MCV area? I hear there's a lot of crime but what does this translate to? What's it like?
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music2doc said:
Anyone have any thoughts on the safety of Richmond/the MCV area? I hear there's a lot of crime but what does this translate to? What's it like?
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Having lived in Richmond for a fair amount of time, I think that it is not as bad as the statistics would lead you to believe. That being said, I try to avoid walking by myself late at night (the Fan always feels pretty safe, but I try to avoid wandering alone downtown) and I am aware of my surroundings. I would not put Richmond in the same league as Temple and Memphis where a small percentage of the class have concealed carry permits.

In short, as long as you remember that you are in a city and not the enclosed bubble of your undergrad campus, you should be fine.

S
 
Salinas said:
Having lived in Richmond for a fair amount of time, I think that it is not as bad as the statistics would lead you to believe. That being said, I try to avoid walking by myself late at night (the Fan always feels pretty safe, but I try to avoid wandering alone downtown) and I am aware of my surroundings. I would not put Richmond in the same league as Temple and Memphis where a small percentage of the class have concealed carry permits.

In short, as long as you remember that you are in a city and not the enclosed bubble of your undergrad campus, you should be fine.

S
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What do you and others think about living in the low-rise dorms on campus?
 
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Haha, it's May 15. Sooooo, who else is checking this every hour even though updates, if any, likely won't come till tomorrow or the day after?
 
dc1112 said:
Haha, it's May 15. Sooooo, who else is checking this every hour even though updates, if any, likely won't come till tomorrow or the day after?
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I use e-mail subscription and "push e-mail" (IMAP IDLE) so I never have to check unless there is a post.
 
flodhi1 said:
What do you and others think about living in the low-rise dorms on campus?
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Can't say I know much about on-campus housing, but I haven't lived in dorms since my first year of undergrad and can't imagine going back to that sort of environment. I also don't think it works out that much cheaper than renting an apartment in Fan or downtown.
 
dc1112 said:
Haha, it's May 15. Sooooo, who else is checking this every hour even though updates, if any, likely won't come till tomorrow or the day after?
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Also- I think the updates/offers come in after 6pm like how the regular cycle was done. Just to save you a few hours worth of refreshing your email and anxiety :)

Goodluck everyone!
 
Just withdrew my acceptance, in-state. Good luck to you all waiting to hear back.:xf:
 
music2doc said:
Anyone have any thoughts on the safety of Richmond/the MCV area? I hear there's a lot of crime but what does this translate to? What's it like?
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Here is an old post of mine from a few years back that should help you all figure out where to live: I am a Richmond native. I was a med student at MCV a few years back. I am now up in Baltimore doing my residency. While a small amount has changed over the last 2 years, it hasn't changed much. This should be a good guide.

350px-RichmondFanDistrict.jpg


in the above picture MCV is located right above where the purple line intersects the 2nd O of "downtown"

Sketch areas that you probably don't want to live in include: oregon hill, Jackson ward, Randolph, or anything with court in it (ie Gilpin court). Also, dont live right across the river from downtown (ie called manchester on the second picture). Finally in Church Hill, dont live too far north of broad street. For those of you that went to the financial aid workshop the director lady told you that Jackson ward is a good area to live in. I pretty much crapped myself when she told you that. Jackson ward is a really sketchy, really dangerous part of Richmond. Don't live there.


Here is a second picture that shows things a bit further east
350px-DowntownRichmondNeighborhoods.jpg


Here MCV is located right around where it says "court end"

The Fan: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fan_District
Note that while Wikipedia doesnt consider west of boulevard 'the fan' many in Richmond do. Others refer to west of boulevard as "the museum district." Either way it is nice to live near carytown (shopping/eating area). You will be good living pretty much anywhere in the fan area. But the further away (west) from the undergrad campus, the quieter things will be. Generally around the 2000 block (of streets parallel w/ broad st) you should be in good shape. Other considerations are that there are a lot of bars on Robinson. So you might want to live around there (i think about 2500 block). The further west you go, generally the safer things get.

Church Hill: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_Hill
Note that you dont want to live very far north of Broad street. If you can, stay SOUTH of broad street (red line going up church hill). Really I cant stress this enough. If you go like 10 blocks north of broad around church hill you will get shot. Only half kidding about this. South of broad street has some very beautiful areas and some very nice apts. North of broad is a great place to buy crack. You see the dark black line going north of church hill, that is where the projects are and is arguably one of the most dangerous area of Richmond. So stay away from it.

Shockoe Bottom: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shockoe_Bottom
Apts are spotted throughout here generally above shops or in converted industrial buildings. The apts generally have a lot of character but, it can get loud if you are near the clubs/bars. Most of my class lives in the bottom so that is a consideration, plus it is nice and close to MCV. Basically on a decent day you can walk from the bottom. Things can get pricey here but if you look you can find a cheap place.
__________________________________________________________________________

Here is my update from this above post:
I had been hearing a lot of talk about the new revitalization of the Manchester area. I was curious about how much they could have done and my girlfriend was looking for a place to live so we decided to head across the river. I am not too sure what people consider a 'revitalization' but it didnt look a whole lot different. I'd still recommend not living there (well that is unless you plan to sling crack to pay for school-which i also do not recommend- but Glenda Palmer, the financial aid lady, always encourages us to be creative to save money so she may recommend differently).

Now a bit west from manchester you get to the Westover Hills/Forrest Hill Ave area (still in the southside). It is a bit of a drive but using the Nickel Bridge (which funny enough has a 35 cent toll) it takes around 10 minutes to get to school. This is a pretty safe area and you can get a pretty nice house to rent or buy for really, really cheap. Of the south-side area, this is probably one of your better options based on price and distance from school. This is right across the river from where the "fan" turns into the "museum district"

The Fan
Stretches of the fan are surrounded by kinda sketchy areas. In some stretches of broad you may feel unsafe. My GF lived on Grace a few years back and the alley behind her building was shared with the shops on broad. While I felt perfectly safe, she often felt uneasy walking alone at night. So if you are a female or would like to feel safer, if you choose to live in the fan, living either on the south side of grace (so you dont share an alley w/ broad) or just living south of grace st would be best.

The West end-
This is where I grew up so if you have any questions feel free to PM me. Unquestionably the safest and nicest area of Richmond. Can be a bit of a hike to class ranging from 15-45 minutes based on what part of the west end you live in. The apt prices vary wildly from obscenely expensive to pretty cheap.

Church Hill
I re-read what I wrote and it basically sounds like church hill is a war zone. It is not. South of broad is very very nice. Some of the nicest apts I have seen in R-Va are in Church hill. The people I know that live there feel safe. That said, stay south of broad because the projects really are about 10-15 blocks north with a nice little transition zone starting about 6 blocks north of broad. Stay south of broad and you will be fine and shouldnt feel unsafe.


During Med school I used to live in the fan/museum district. There are pros and cons about each area. My class was spread mainly in Downtown and the fan. There are probably a few dozen who live in the southside or west end. If you have questions feel free to PM me. If you have a specific apt complex in mind I probably wont be able to help you since I have limited exposure to the thousands of apt complexes in Richmond. But if you are worried about an area or want some input, feel free to PM me.
 
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flodhi1 said:
What do you and others think about living in the low-rise dorms on campus?
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I'm assuming you mean the ones on Leigh street?

A few things:
1) They aren't that cheap (~$400/mo) and it is essentially like living in a dorm. Few of my classmates lived there during first year. After that, most moved out. You don't have a lot of amenities you'd have in a normal apt- like your own kitchen.

2) Rent is relatively cheap in Richmond so you could very easily get an apt with a few people and live in a much nicer apt for roughly the same money. For instance, I lived in the 2nd ffloor of a house with 1 roommate. We each had a large bedroom. I had my own office. We shared a huge den, a bathroom and a kitchen. We also had in apt washer/dryer (all things you won't have in the low rise dorms) and paid just $100 + utilities/mo more in rent. It's just not worth living in those dorms.

3) The dorms aren't close to a grocery store or any store for that matter. You'd either have to drive or take the bus.

4) The area around MCV isn't all that safe. Literally across the bridge on Leigh street is a project. You can live in a much safer area paying marginally more rent.

5) Probably the most impt reason is that the dorms are 9 month leases.
 
Salinas said:
Does anyone know if VCU ranks students? If so, when do you find out your rank?
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SignOftheTiger said:
You are ranked based on all aspect of the medical education (basic sciences and clinical years). However, it is not a numbered system, but rather quartiles. So, you are either in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 4th quartiles (1st quartile = top 25% of the class). That is all you get to know and that is all they put in your deans letter. They say you can't find out until 4th year, but if you ask any of the advisers (don't ask like after your first exam, but like at the end of first year if you're curious) they'll be more than happy to tell you. But if you find out end of first year, just keep in mind that you have 3 more years to go and your rank can change.
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So there is an internal numbered rank- not that this matters more than a quartile though. What is put in the deans letter are histograms and vague phrasing. All medical schools do this (even the pass/fail ones). For instance, in the dean's letter, one student may be an "Exceptional" student to mean they are the top quartile. Another may be a "very good" student and be in the top half.

After the first 2 years, they elect a junior AOA based on grades. After 3rd year and boards, they elect a senior AOA based on boards, grades and community service. This is similar to many (?most) other schools.

tsf3396 said:
Would anybody be willing to comment on the advantages/disadvantages of spending 3rd and 4th year at INOVA Fairfax versus MCV Hospitals? Thanks!
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Advantages: Solid hospital with some well known faculty.
Disadvantages: more expensive to live around there and you have to up root and learn a new city.

Most of the people in my class who went to INOVA were from northern Va already so knew the area and either lived with family to save money or knew where to live. I don't think it is a detriment or an advantage to do your rotations there. Also, you can change your mind at anytime. So, while they ask you to say if you want to do INOVA before matriculating, if you later decide you want to stay at MCV you can do so.
 
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ACCEPTED!!!!!!! I feel like this is a dream, maybe it is but who cares....it came true... thanks for withdrawing from IS treyJ
 
Any possible way the instaters (e.g. aliko) can post stats? Or PM me! I'm really anxious to see if I stand a chance in the next wave
 
Aliko said:
ACCEPTED!!!!!!! I feel like this is a dream, maybe it is but who cares....it came true... thanks for withdrawing from IS treyJ
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I withdrew at about 3pm earlier today, so if not you then the other guy took my spot. Congratulations. I wrestled with Stony Brook vs. VCU for a long time. You'll love VCU and love the people there.
 
sg816 said:
accepted! IS, 31S, 3.7 cumulative, 4.0 science
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What was the weak point that caused you to not get accepted from the beginning? Most IS people get in with those stats
 
had this playing in my head all day:

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyggY_R3jU8[/YOUTUBE]

and it was pure bliss when i saw the email and the song popped in my head once again...

accepted: IS, 30R, 3.7
 
2 school 4 cool said:
had this playing in my head all day:

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyggY_R3jU8[/YOUTUBE]

and it was pure bliss when i saw the email and the song popped in my head once again...

accepted: IS, 30R, 3.7
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What was the weak point that caused you to not get accepted from the beginning? Most IS people get in with those stats
 
I'm out of state, so I don't know how they do things, but it is still a state school so most people who will be accepted will be in state. It is only today though, most schools won't get back to you until later this week, next week and even late may and June. The fact that VCU was so quick and organized that they could immediately issue acceptances is a testament to them.
 
Accepted off the waitlist..!! Just opened my email to check for the millionth time and could not believe it.

IS 31 10v/11p/10b 3.7o 3.6s

Interviewed in early Feb and felt great about the experience. After the Mar acceptance date passed I thought I was cast off into waitlist oblivion.

BioChemistry major with Medicinal Chemistry concentration at Arizona State Univ

Average ECs with some research experience and current internship at a Spinal clinic.

Solid LORs with only one acceptance at a DO school and several MD waitlists

Kept in contact with my Interviewer from VCU who I honestly believe was my champion for the extra mile to get in.

One Letter of Interest to admissions with no response. Other than that just pound and ground since applying in Jun...

Time to celebrate big time..!!

Best of luck to everyone...
 
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Hi everyone!

I posted earlier about looking for roommates and I'm still looking.

I've secured housing and would love to have the roommate thing down.

I have a 1300 sqft townhouse in Church Hill that is 3br/2.5 bath. I have two bedrooms available to rent. The master is $480 with a private bath, the room is about 12x14. There is a middle room with no windows and a shared bath for $390 and is about 10x12.

Lease starts June-15th. Please PM me with any questions and/or if you are interested.

Also, from skimming the thread, don't live in the dorms! With parking and all the fees, it ends up being 700+ a month!
 
IS 30M (10,10,10), 3.6 gpa 3.5 sgpa, tons of volunteer work, tons of clinical experiance (scribe helped me a lot)
 
Did anyone from the waitlist (accepted or not accepted) contact Dr. WHC about where they stand? If so, what type of response did you get?
 
IS white male
cGPA 3.6
MCAT 31P
2 years of scribe experience

Still waiting on EVMS so not a done deal quite yet but I'm so excited I feel like moving to Richmond right now!
 
So if Dr. WHC says "I'm not sure where you stand on the WL," I take it as a bad thing?
 
Well she told me the WL has moved very rapidly the last few days so maybe it's just hard to predict exactly where you are right now? Mind posting your stats?
 
I called Dr. WHC last week, and she said I was in the top 5% of the waitlist and was confident that I should get off it (no gaurantees though), but I didn't hear any news yesterday. However, I'm not sure about the size of the waitlist. 5% out of 20 people is a lot different than 5% out of 300. Also, I'm OOS so maybe there's a separate wait list for OOS'ers

Male, 32, 3.9
 
Rumalum said:
I called Dr. WHC last week, and she said I was in the top 5% of the waitlist and was confident that I should get off it (no gaurantees though), but I didn't hear any news yesterday. However, I'm not sure about the size of the waitlist. 5% out of 20 people is a lot different than 5% out of 300. Also, I'm OOS so maybe there's a separate wait list for OOS'ers

Male, 32, 3.9
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MWC said that there is a seperate wait list for OOS and IS. Any instate withdrawals result in a person offered an acceptance off of the IS waitlist and same thing with OOS when an OOS person withdraws. I hope the OOS starts moving faster soon. :xf:
 
any current students ever commute from Fredericksburg to VCU? I was curious because I'll be living in Fredericksburg with my fiance which is right in the middle of her work and vcu, so I'll be commuting 1 hour to go to school everyday. do you guys/gals think this is a good idea?
 
hrider said:
MWC said that there is a seperate wait list for OOS and IS. Any instate withdrawals result in a person offered an acceptance off of the IS waitlist and same thing with OOS when an OOS person withdraws. I hope the OOS starts moving faster soon. :xf:
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OOS here, and I was accepted yesterday
 
H Y F R said:
OOS here, and I was accepted yesterday
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Congrats, so jealous! Did you ever ask her where you stood on the wait list before you received an acceptance? And if so, what did she say?
 
also- when did you guys get the acceptance email- was it around 6/6:30pm?
 
Rumalum said:
I called Dr. WHC last week, and she said I was in the top 5% of the waitlist and was confident that I should get off it (no gaurantees though), but I didn't hear any news yesterday. However, I'm not sure about the size of the waitlist. 5% out of 20 people is a lot different than 5% out of 300. Also, I'm OOS so maybe there's a separate wait list for OOS'ers

Male, 32, 3.9
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How were you able to talk directly to WHC? Can you PM me what you did?
 
hrider said:
she told me the same thing- "not in a bad place". I keep rereading her email trying to find hidden clues that will give me more information.
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haha me too! Ya think that's the same thing as "in a good place"?? This whole process is out of hand! :p
 
hrider said:
Congrats, so jealous! Did you ever ask her where you stood on the wait list before you received an acceptance? And if so, what did she say?
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hrider said:
also- when did you guys get the acceptance email- was it around 6/6:30pm?
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Thank you! I never asked for an update. I just took things one day at I time ever since I was put on the wait list in November. To be honest, I was aware that 15 May is a big day, but for some reason I wasn't anywhere near a computer to frantically check for any changes. I finally opened my email around 2 pm PST, and noticed I was accepted to Wayne State. I check again around 4 pm PST, and saw the status change at VCU message- I kinda knew right there that VCU picked me up :)

Best of luck to you my friend. Everything will work out for the best..

I have a professor/mentor who has been very important for me the past few years, and taught me something that I live by every day- "Do the next right thing, and do it right."

! ! ! !
 
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