2012-2013 University of Chicago (Pritzker) Application Thread

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"At the University of Chicago in an atmosphere of interdisciplinary scholarship and discovery, the Pritzker School of Medicine is dedicated to inspiring diverse students of exceptional promise to become leaders and innovators in science and medicine for the betterment of humanity."

Essay Question 1. Our Mission Statement above is an expression of our core purpose and educational philosophy. In particular, it highlights the value we place on diversity since we regard the diversity of the entering class as essential for educational excellence. Please write an essay on how you would enhance diversity at Pritzker and advance the Pritzker mission. We suggest that you limit your essay to about 550 words.

Essay Question 2. Tell us about a difficult or challenging situation you have encountered and how you dealt with it. In your response, identify both the coping skills you called upon to resolve the dilemma, and the support person(s) from whom you sought advice. We suggest that you limit your essay to about 400 words.

(Optional) Additional Information. Please feel free to use this space to convey any additional information that you might wish the Committee to know. We suggest that you limit your text to about 200 words.

Good luck to everyone applying! :luck:
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Applying here to test my luck
Is Chicago rolling admissions?
 
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I probably have close to zero chance of getting in, but this school is definitely in my top 3 schools I would LOVE to go to.
 
Anyone know this school's stance on AP credits for prereqs? Too lazy to look it up!
 
All in for Pritzker. Lived in Chicago for a year of undergrad... maybe they can accomodate a super early interview while I'm at Lollapalooza!! :p
 
Best of luck guys. Feel free to post any questions you might have. I seem to be the main SDN representative here, but we also have a third year/upcoming fourth year (nosugrefneb) who posts occasionally as well as a couple other first years every once and a while.
 
NickNaylor said:
Here's a relatively brief discussion of AP credit: http://pritzker.uchicago.edu/admissions/requirements/pathways.shtml

I highly recommend that everyone spend a little time checking out the admissions website (especially the FAQs). There's some very valuable information there that's probably worth your time to read.
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Say someone is a cookie cutter applicant with pretty good stats. What would be your advice to him for actually getting an acceptance? Just try and set yourself apart alittle with essays/interview?
 
sliceofbread136 said:
Say someone is a cookie cutter applicant with pretty good stats. What would be your advice to him for actually getting an acceptance? Just try and set yourself apart alittle with essays/interview?
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The secondary is very important. Beyond numbers, Pritzker heavily emphasizes "fit." It will help you to clearly demonstrate why Pritzker in particular will be helpful to you becoming a physician (beyond just being a medical school) or otherwise helping you achieve your goals. The secondary really can make or break you.
 
CodeRedDew said:
Nick, does Pritzker screen applicants with subscores below an 8 in a section?
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I have no idea. I highly doubt that they would screen anyone out based on scores alone without looking at the rest of your app. That said, you're probably looking at an uphill battle unless your other scores are top notch.

Edit: after looking at your MDApps, I wouldn't count you out at all. Your other scores are pretty strong. Obviously it depends on the rest of your app, but a 33 isn't anything to sneeze at.
 
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Do they accept community college credits? I might have to take one class at a community college.
 
BurntFlower said:
Do they accept community college credits? I might have to take one class at a community college.
Click to expand...

Here's their take on CC credit for pre-reqs (from the FAQs, available here: http://pritzker.uchicago.edu/admissions/faq.shtml). I'm not sure if that's your situation, but I imagine you can extrapolate their opinion on pre-reqs to all CC courses.

Q. Can I take my prerequisites at a community college?

A. Generally speaking, community college courses are not viewed as having a similar level of rigor as the courses provided at four-year institutions. There are certainly many reasons to pursue your first two years of coursework at a community college prior to transferring to a four-year institution. Should you choose to do so, we would recommend either holding off on taking your prerequisite science course until you transfer to the four-year institution, or taking introductory level science courses at the community college and then planning to take upper-level science courses at the four-year institution.
 
NickNaylor said:
Here's their take on CC credit for pre-reqs (from the FAQs, available here: http://pritzker.uchicago.edu/admissions/faq.shtml). I'm not sure if that's your situation, but I imagine you can extrapolate their opinion on pre-reqs to all CC courses.

Q. Can I take my prerequisites at a community college?

A. Generally speaking, community college courses are not viewed as having a similar level of rigor as the courses provided at four-year institutions. There are certainly many reasons to pursue your first two years of coursework at a community college prior to transferring to a four-year institution. Should you choose to do so, we would recommend either holding off on taking your prerequisite science course until you transfer to the four-year institution, or taking introductory level science courses at the community college and then planning to take upper-level science courses at the four-year institution.
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I just need to take one prerequisite at a community college because wasn't able to it during my 4 years of undergrad (graduating next week with two majors). I took all classes except inorganic chem 2.

Thank you so much!
 
Hey guys,

I'm not applying this cycle but I will be one year from now! So I'm just posting in here to follow along with the process to help me get an idea of what to expect :)

Best of luck,
Big N Tasty
 
NickNaylor said:
In that case it definitely won't matter. The chronology on your app will be obvious, so I can't imagine that'll be held against you.
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How was your adjustment to life as a med student at U of C Pritzker (and if considering you had never lived in the area before)?
 
vayntraubinator said:
How was your adjustment to life as a med student at U of C Pritzker (and if considering you had never lived in the area before)?
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This is an apt question for me as I was born and raised in Dallas and went to undergrad at a school two hours south of home, so this is my first significant period of time outside of Texas. I'll admit that I'm a pretty easy-going guy, so the move for me was a lot of fun. I liked getting to see a new city, especially in a different part of the country than what I'm used to.

As far as life as a med student, parts have been better and worse than I expected. In general, the work hasn't been as bad as I expected. I've been surprised at the amount of free time I generally have. I don't study as much as many of my classmates and I'm usually average or just below average on exams, but I'm fine with that (your personal goals will most determine your lifestyle as a med student). The volume of material was more than I was expecting, so that's been the only negative. I didn't do all that well in anatomy because I think it took me longer to adjust than most of my classmates. Overall, though, it's been a great experience - much better than I was expecting.

Hopefully that addresses your question. If you have more specific questions, though, feel free to post them.
 
NickNaylor said:
This is an apt question for me as I was born and raised in Dallas and went to undergrad at a school two hours south of home, so this is my first significant period of time outside of Texas. I'll admit that I'm a pretty easy-going guy, so the move for me was a lot of fun. I liked getting to see a new city, especially in a different part of the country than what I'm used to.

As far as life as a med student, parts have been better and worse than I expected. In general, the work hasn't been as bad as I expected. I've been surprised at the amount of free time I generally have. I don't study as much as many of my classmates and I'm usually average or just below average on exams, but I'm fine with that (your personal goals will most determine your lifestyle as a med student). The volume of material was more than I was expecting, so that's been the only negative. I didn't do all that well in anatomy because I think it took me longer to adjust than most of my classmates. Overall, though, it's been a great experience - much better than I was expecting.

Hopefully that addresses your question. If you have more specific questions, though, feel free to post them.
Click to expand...

Very honest and very much appreciated!
 
I'm also a rising second year, and I could echo a lot of what NickNaylor said. The volume of material is absolutely incredible, so learning to manage it is challenging. I've really learned to appreciate the P-F system and the opportunities to collaborate with classmates. I think my main misconception about what medical school would be like was that I thought more of my learning would be more independent--that's how it was for me in undergrad, so I expected more of the same. I've found that my learning has been greatly enhanced by dedicated physicians and awesome classmates to guide me through this crazy process of becoming a doctor :)

I'm also from out of state, and can say that Chicago has been a lot of fun. It's my first time living in a big city, and while it's been a big adjustment, I've thoroughly enjoyed it.
 
Invin22 said:
I'm also a rising second year, and I could echo a lot of what NickNaylor said. The volume of material is absolutely incredible, so learning to manage it is challenging. I've really learned to appreciate the P-F system and the opportunities to collaborate with classmates. I think my main misconception about what medical school would be like was that I thought more of my learning would be more independent--that's how it was for me in undergrad, so I expected more of the same. I've found that my learning has been greatly enhanced by dedicated physicians and awesome classmates to guide me through this crazy process of becoming a doctor :)

I'm also from out of state, and can say that Chicago has been a lot of fun. It's my first time living in a big city, and while it's been a big adjustment, I've thoroughly enjoyed it.
Click to expand...

What are some of the things you liked the most, and the least, about living in Chicago?
 
BurntFlower said:
What are some of the things you liked the most, and the least, about living in Chicago?
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Good question--so my biggest concern about coming here was that it would be too cold. Having grown up in Arizona, these concerns were significant. While it was much colder than I was used to last winter, I made sure to have some solid winter coats, and really, I stayed inside most of the time. When I first got here, I felt like I was the only person who wasn't a pro at using the subways, trains, and buses. It seemed like everyone had grown up using public transit, except me. It wasn't until I had been here a few months that I became comfortable with getting around in the city. It actually isn't that bad, and Chicago's public transit is very convenient once you learn how to navigate the system. Once you do learn how to get around, you can begin to appreciate the variety which city life affords--restaurants, museums, malls, etc. I really enjoy walking around downtown and just exploring. There is no shortage of musical performances, plays, baseball games, whatever you could want really. Also, Lake Michigan is very beautiful, and they have a very nice running trail that extends from Hyde Park all the way to downtown, so if you're into running or biking, it's something you'll really appreciate.
 
My top school!
Good luck to everyone! ;)
 
Does Pritzker frequently admit Canadians who have studied in Canada or internationals? My numbers aren't par to the school's averages, but my background/motivations and experiences/extracurriculars might change their mind :)
 
nychila said:
Does Pritzker frequently admit Canadians who have studied in Canada or internationals? My numbers aren't par to the school's averages, but my background/motivations and experiences/extracurriculars might change their mind :)
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Per the FAQ, Candians = international students = US students for the purposes of evaluating your candidacy. However (as I'm sure you know by now), international students aren't eligible for federal loans or institutional aid (other than perhaps scholarships - the FAQ is a little vague), so you'll have to front that cost yourself.

For future reference, I highly recommend all applicants spend a few minutes reading the FAQ. It's a great resource that spells out the application process well: http://pritzker.uchicago.edu/admissions/faq.shtml
 
Hi! I'm sorry if this is a silly question but I'm slightly neurotic at the moment and want to be sure I'm not missing the boat here regarding secondaries. I checked out the FAQ section on the Pritzker website and it says that within a couple days of submitting your primary application, you will receive an email with a link to fill out the secondary. I submitted June 5 and I have nothing. I just checked my spam and nothing. Did they mean, "after your primary is verified?" Please advise!
 
Applications won't be transmitted to schools until June 29th; this is when you will start receiving secondaries.
 
mrbrowncanmoo said:
Hi! I'm sorry if this is a silly question but I'm slightly neurotic at the moment and want to be sure I'm not missing the boat here regarding secondaries. I checked out the FAQ section on the Pritzker website and it says that within a couple days of submitting your primary application, you will receive an email with a link to fill out the secondary. I submitted June 5 and I have nothing. I just checked my spam and nothing. Did they mean, "after your primary is verified?" Please advise!
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See DCS' post above. Even though primaries aren't submitted until the end of June, you may not actually get the secondary until sometime in July.
 
thanks Nick for helping out. I'll also be applying here. Another cookie cutter that doesnt know how to make myself stand out :/
 
NickNaylor said:
but we also have a third year/upcoming fourth year (nosugrefneb) who posts occasionally
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Yo. Good luck, people. I'll be one of the fourth years on the admissions committee this year, so do ask any questions that you have and I'll try to keep you updated (though perhaps not as well as Nick has done). The podcast is also a good resource to search through if you have random questions about this crazy process.

I also take cash.
Kidding. ORAMI?
 
Thanks for the support you guys! It's cool to know Med Students at Pritzker have a mentoring quality :).

Says something nice about the atmosphere I'm guessing right?
 
Slurrppee21 said:
Thanks for the support you guys! It's cool to know Med Students at Pritzker have a mentoring quality :).

Says something nice about the atmosphere I'm guessing right?
Click to expand...

I don't know about Ben's experience, but I'll say that second and fourth year advice/tips/suggestions during our classes was INVALUABLE. Both serve as TAs in every class and they're extremely helpful. The third years tend to disappear into The Void but I've had nothing but good experiences from the other older students I've interacted with.

(sent from my phone - please forgive typos)
 
Secondary link received!
 
DCSB6 said:
Secondary link received!
Click to expand...

Came here to give you guys an update on this. The office has begun receiving primaries, so if your application is verified you can expect to receive the secondary soon. Please don't panic if you don't receive the link immediately or even by the end of the day. Thousands of applications have been received and only so many emails can be sent out. If you don't receive the email today, you should sometime this weekend. And just to dispel any worries, there is no significance to when you receive the secondary.

Good luck!

(sent from my phone - please forgive typos)
 
I hope my mcat comes back good because I'm going to crush the diversity and challenging situation essay questions (rough life).

I'm so jealous of you guys with verified apps and done with the mcat. I'm still getting verified and waiting on my mcat score lol!
 
NickNaylor said:
Came here to give you guys an update on this. The office has begun receiving primaries, so if your application is verified you can expect to receive the secondary soon. Please don't panic if you don't receive the link immediately or even by the end of the day. Thousands of applications have been received and only so many emails can be sent out. If you don't receive the email today, you should sometime this weekend. And just to dispel any worries, there is no significance to when you receive the secondary.

Good luck!

(sent from my phone - please forgive typos)
Click to expand...

Wow thank you so much for your explanation because I almost panicked hehe
 
Is anyone else having difficulty accessing the secondary application? I received the email link, but keep getting error messages when I open up the page :(
 
NickNaylor said:
Here's their take on CC credit for pre-reqs (from the FAQs, available here: http://pritzker.uchicago.edu/admissions/faq.shtml). I'm not sure if that's your situation, but I imagine you can extrapolate their opinion on pre-reqs to all CC courses.

Q. Can I take my prerequisites at a community college?

A. Generally speaking, community college courses are not viewed as having a similar level of rigor as the courses provided at four-year institutions. ....
Click to expand...

Do you know why they think CC classes are less rigorous? I'm in CA; the 2 year CC + 2 year UC system is pretty standard and a great way for lower-income students to get a bachelors, and the fact that out-of-state med schools will look down on (or not even consider) people because of CC pre-reqs is really upsetting.
 
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threnodyk said:
Do you know why they think CC classes are less rigorous? I'm in CA and having taken science courses at both UC Berkeley and Berkeley City College, I can say they were the same level of difficulty. The 2 year CC + 2 year UC system is pretty standard and a great way for lower-income students to get a bachelors, and the fact that out-of-state med schools will look down on (or not even consider) people because of CC pre-reqs is really upsetting.
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No idea, sorry. However my guess is that if you majored in the sciences, you'll be fine.

(sent from my phone - please forgive typos)
 
NickNaylor said:
No idea, sorry. However my guess is that if you majored in the sciences, you'll be fine.

(sent from my phone - please forgive typos)
Click to expand...

Yeah, since "lower division" isn't specified, it works out ok for me. Thanks for the reply!
 
msf2012 said:
Is anyone else having difficulty accessing the secondary application? I received the email link, but keep getting error messages when I open up the page :(
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I know this is a couple of days late, but the storms on Friday were causing problems with a variety of web services (including the application service). Hopefully you got it worked out!
 
My #1 school! Really hope they give me a shot :)
 
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