Application Cycle One: 2005

• Undergraduate college: Tulane University
• Undergraduate Area of study: Biological/Life Sciences

• Total MCAT SCORE: 513
• MCAT Section Scores: B/B 130, C/P 126, CARS 129   Detailed Breakdown
• Overall GPA: 3.34
• Science GPA: 3.10

Summary of Application Experience

AMCAS - $730
Secondary Applications - $450 so far (plus $20 in postage)(received fee waivers after Hurricain Katrina destroyed my home, so not all secondaries were paid for.
Suit - $415 (J.crew)
Shoes - $50 (Nine West Outlet)
Padfolio - $20 (Staples)
Trip to Houston for Tulane Interview -$450 ~$350 For flight and hotel (holiday inn, had nifty shuttle that took you everywhere so no cabs!), $42 for airport shuttle, $58 for food and drinks.
Trip to Louisiana for both LSUs - $1050 ~$960 for flight and hotels (Sam's Town and Sheraton Convention Center), $40 for cabs in Baton Rouge where there was wicked traffic, $50 for food and drinks
Trip to LA for UCLA Interview - $574 ~$520 for flight and hotels, $44 for Shuttle, $10 for food (my room has a kitchenette!)


Total expenditure so far: $3759

9/8: Like this process wasn't difficult enough, my home has been destroyed by Hurricane Katrina!!! I am now living in Connecticut with my husband's family while we try to get back on our feet. Many schools that I hadn't submitted my secondaries to yet have kindly offered a fee waiver for me (so far only NYMC has said no) so I'm still chugging along, of course however I have no clue what is happening to my interview at tulane that is supposed to be next monday!!! grrrr

10/20: I feel like my moivation has been zapped out of me. I've spent so much time trying to rebuild my life, negotiate with FEMA and for other benefits, not to mention trying to get salvageable property back from my apartment in New Orleans before I'm evicted for non-payment of rent, that I have no energy left for this whole med school thing. I wish all the schools got paused for the last two months like Tulane so it wouldn't matter that I've had to put my life on hold.

11/3: Interviewed yesterday with Tulane at Baylor, felt good to be surrounded by tulanians for the first time since I evacuated, tho odd to not be home. Crossing fingers and knocking on wood that I get in as this is where I really want to go!

11/17: I'm Innnnnn!!!!! Whooohooo! Scared the crap outof my husband because I screamed so loud he thought there was an intruder attacking me or sonething! Letter was forewarded thru my old New Orleans address so it took forever to get here (was dated 11/7) and I didn't get the phone call because they called my New Orleans number . . . to think I've been tourturing myself for the past 10 days for nothing. But I'm in and I get to go home!

11/22: I received an interview offer from LSU Shreveport, would be a great option to leave open for financial reasons. Before I accept, however I have to check and make sure I am still considered a resident, as I haven't been able to return after Katrina. . . we'll see. Aparently Louisianna loves me!

12/6: More Louisiana love! LSU New Orleans interview invite received, now I have to try and figure out how to hit both schools at once since otherwise won't be able to afford!

2/4: Days before I fly to Louisiana I randomly check my status at UCLA & see and interview invite!!!!! I had thought the game was over but aparently I'm still knee deep in it. Will have to wait until I get back to figure out how I'm getting myself to LA!

2/10: Well I'm back from Louisiana and had an interesting trip. Was super impressed with the facilities and curriculum at LSU Shreveport but unimpressed with some of their students and faculty who felt the need to diss both Tulane and LSU-NO, sometimes even lying about them. Don't know if its enough to outweigh everything I loved about the place put definitely put a damper on the love fest. Was half zombified by the time I got to LSU-NO but really enjoyed my time there, tho of course we didn't get to see facilities or anything, they really put my mind at ease about the status of the school and their future. On flight home luck sat me next to a prof from LSU-NO who I had a really interesting and fun conversation with and further impressed upon me what a great fit this school is for me. Will wait to see if I'm in to start having the LSU vs Tulane debate . . .

3/6: Recieved Rejection from Columbia, I definitely sent in my secondary too late. Took too long gettin my shiznat together after Katrina, oh well. Off to Cali!

3/10: Flight home from LA today, but before I took of my hubby called with the news that I was in at LSU-NO which was a great pick me up after a not so good day. I loved LA and the UCLA campus, gorgeous and I could see myself happy there, and I knew coming in that I really thought I would fit well at UCLA. The interview day was really disorganized, I came in at 11:45 for a 3:00 interview, with only a short tour of the school inbetween, otherwise I was left on my own to entertain myself. The interview was much more of an interrogation than I have had to face at other schools and I'm not as confident about my performance as I usually am. Also, I think I might have been more nervous at this one because I like the school so much! Only time will tell, but I still love this school and will be probably be quite obsessive about my mail checking until I find out!

In the end I went to LSU-NO. I loved the student body at Tulane but felt that in all other realms (especially financially) LSU-NO was a better fit for me. I'm almost thru my first semester and am so happy with my decision. I am getting so much experience and don't have enough time to take advantage of the miriad of opportunites that are offered to me. And it feels just peachy to know that I'm 'only' aquiring 120k of debt!