I have to decide too...Is it cut throat? Are you having issues with financial aid going through? Is it just admin problem or the class atmosphere? I would like to go clinical so I am leaning toward UIC but I am would have to commute 1hr (one-way) to get there. Wondering if it will be worth it all.
Sorry for the late reply but I'll answer your questions.
1. Is it cut throat? This depends on your definition. If you mean classes/grading: it's more like you don't know if its going to be cut throat or not. Let me give an example: I was talking with one the p2's about a paper he wrote for one of his classes. He made a few mistakes but earned a decent grade. He then compared it another p2 who more or less made the same mistakes, but received a much lower score. The reason, according to the p2, was because they were graded by different preceptors. The later had a more critical preceptor, yet in the end, this will not be reflected on the final grade. It's basically "luck" as this p2 put it, which annoys me the most about UIC.
2. Financial aid is straight forward and not too much trouble personally.
3. In terms of class atmosphere and admin? Man, I could rant on this forever. Basically, for a prestigious college of pharmacy, you don't get that feeling form either students or faculty. Students (p1, p2, p3) tend to form their own cliques and if you're not part of it, you're ignored basically. To give an example: I asked if I could study with this one group and they gave me the cold shoulder. Faculty is somewhat similar: you hear professionalism yet you have disorganization, confusion, poor communication skills, lateness and at times a condescending attitude by some of the lecturers. However, it's not all doom and gloom: the good lecturers are fantastic. I wish I had these lecturers during undergrad because their presenting skills are top notch and make me not regret my choice.
In spite of those lecturers, UIC has me on a sour note. I could go on and on, but this is from my point of view. If I had to do the admission process again, I would have chosen another pharmacy school. With that said, your experience might different, so think carefully about your choice.
