2010-2011 University of Chicago (Pritzker) Application Thread

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been a while since I've been on here .

for those of you who don't know me ... pritzker student that used to give some advice from time to time


anywho, concerning scholarships i can verify that full tuition is NOT the most given.

i know for certain that some students have full tuition + 30K spending money.

for those of you that haven't gotten financial aid, hang tight, it maybe coming. also, if you have other places that you're thinking of attending, let the admissions/fin aid office know ... you might suprised how they can divert funds in your direction to help make your decision a little bit easier 🙂

At what point should this "negotiation" process begin? I fully intended on using that strategy, but I'm not sure when I should send that e-mail.

Pritzker is definitely my first choice at this point, but it's hard to turn down a top 25 state school that will cost me less than what the remaining cost of Pritzker is after the scholarship I was given. Curse this whole money thing.
 
does anyone know when we get second look details? i'd like to know so i can book flights before it becomes ridiculously expensive. i know the dates, but it would be nice to know start and end times on those dates for travel purposes.
 
does anyone know when we get second look details? i'd like to know so i can book flights before it becomes ridiculously expensive. i know the dates, but it would be nice to know start and end times on those dates for travel purposes.

Hi all,

I suspect you'll be getting more specific revisit details soon, but for now, I can give you some general info concerning the tentative schedule.

Friday, April 8
9am-1pm: check-in, visit classes, tour
Later: faculty panel, Q&A, reception
Laterer: dinner in Hyde Park

Saturday, April 9
8:30-9:30am: breakfast
Then: financial aid
10:30am-12:30pm: first set of student panels
Then: lunch
1:45-3:45pm: second set of student panels
Then: talent show, video
Later: bus tour of Hyde Park, head to restaurant
Laterer: dinner on Mag Mile

Again, these times should definitely be considered preliminary at this point, so don't make any concrete plans around them alone. In general, plan to spend all day Friday and all day Saturday in Chicago. As you can see, the days will be fully planned out. UF2099 up there and I are involved with some of the planning process, so if you have other questions, don't hesitate to ask here or via PM/email.

Ben
[email protected]
 
Thanks for the info Ben! Sounds like a great time.
 
I got the acceptance call Thursday!

Funnily enough, I was under anesthesia for surgery and my parents took the call. They told right after I came to and I don't think I'll really believe it until I see the paperwork. 😀
 
I got the acceptance call Thursday!

Funnily enough, I was under anesthesia for surgery and my parents took the call. They told right after I came to and I don't think I'll really believe it until I see the paperwork. 😀

Wow congrats man! Hope everything went well with your surgery! (what a unique way to find out about a med school acceptance...in a hospital! lol)
 
Hi all,

I suspect you'll be getting more specific revisit details soon, but for now, I can give you some general info concerning the tentative schedule.

Friday, April 8
9am-1pm: check-in, visit classes, tour
Later: faculty panel, Q&A, reception
Laterer: dinner in Hyde Park

Saturday, April 9
8:30-9:30am: breakfast
Then: financial aid
10:30am-12:30pm: first set of student panels
Then: lunch
1:45-3:45pm: second set of student panels
Then: talent show, video
Later: bus tour of Hyde Park, head to restaurant
Laterer: dinner on Mag Mile

Again, these times should definitely be considered preliminary at this point, so don't make any concrete plans around them alone. In general, plan to spend all day Friday and all day Saturday in Chicago. As you can see, the days will be fully planned out. UF2099 up there and I are involved with some of the planning process, so if you have other questions, don't hesitate to ask here or via PM/email.

Ben
[email protected]

Are the meals paid for?!
 
Hi all,

I suspect you'll be getting more specific revisit details soon, but for now, I can give you some general info concerning the tentative schedule.

Friday, April 8
9am-1pm: check-in, visit classes, tour
Later: faculty panel, Q&A, reception
Laterer: dinner in Hyde Park

Saturday, April 9
8:30-9:30am: breakfast
Then: financial aid
10:30am-12:30pm: first set of student panels
Then: lunch
1:45-3:45pm: second set of student panels
Then: talent show, video
Later: bus tour of Hyde Park, head to restaurant
Laterer: dinner on Mag Mile

Again, these times should definitely be considered preliminary at this point, so don't make any concrete plans around them alone. In general, plan to spend all day Friday and all day Saturday in Chicago. As you can see, the days will be fully planned out. UF2099 up there and I are involved with some of the planning process, so if you have other questions, don't hesitate to ask here or via PM/email.

Ben
[email protected]

thank you ben! this is exactly the kind of framework i needed.

do you know if there will be hosts and, if so, for which nights? since i am coming from the west, i'll likely have to arrive the thursday before so it'd be great if there were any host options for then.
 
Are the meals paid for?!

As far as I know, yes. (Except alcohol.)

thank you ben! this is exactly the kind of framework i needed.

do you know if there will be hosts and, if so, for which nights? since i am coming from the west, i'll likely have to arrive the thursday before so it'd be great if there were any host options for then.

Yes, there will be hosts available. I'm sure you can arrange to have one Thursday too.
 
anyone know anything about "continued" students?


i recently received a "continued candidate" status update... which is exciting because it means they're still considering me! 🙂

the letter stated loosely what this meant, what I want to know is
1.) how many people from the continue candidate status end up being accepted?

2.) does this mean if I'm not accepted by May 15th that I'll for sure be on the waitlist?

anyone else in this boat.. speak up!
 
Hard to say for sure. Maybe a handful every year.



Pretty much. http://pritzkerpodcast.com/2009/02/17/18-to-be-continued-mp3/


Thank you for the answers!

I left out another very important question... how many people are put in this "continued candidate" status? 10, 25, 50, 100,..? A handful of students isn't a lot as far as how many are selected, unless of course only 10-20 people are on the list... I have a feeling it's a lot more than that though...
 
Thank you for the answers!

I left out another very important question... how many people are put in this "continued candidate" status? 10, 25, 50, 100,..? A handful of students isn't a lot as far as how many are selected, unless of course only 10-20 people are on the list... I have a feeling it's a lot more than that though...

I would guess it's at least on the order of several dozen to perhaps a hundred-ish. I should also say, though, that with all this stuff, these are really pure guesses: I don't have access to any numbers whatsoever beyond how many interviewed and how many are ultimately accepted.

Before you ask, no, I don't know how many have been accepted so far this year. 🙂
 
I would guess it's at least on the order of several dozen to perhaps a hundred-ish. I should also say, though, that with all this stuff, these are really pure guesses: I don't have access to any numbers whatsoever beyond how many interviewed and how many are ultimately accepted.

Before you ask, no, I don't know how many have been accepted so far this year. 🙂
from what i recall (from one of your podcasts 😉), pritzker very rarely rejects anyone outright after the interview. the reasoning given was that if you got that stage, it means they already like you, so barring interview disaster, the sense i got was you would be either accepted or held.
 
from what i recall (from one of your podcasts 😉), pritzker very rarely rejects anyone outright after the interview. the reasoning given was that if you got that stage, it means they already like you, so barring interview disaster, the sense i got was you would be either accepted or held.

Correct. (But continued, not held. "Hold" is pre-interview; "continued" is post-interview.)

Either way when does Pritzker start taking people off the continued list?

Any time between now and May 15. After then, you're moved from continued status to the waitlist.
 
Oh life as a continued applicant....

Why does the world appear so gray, colors so dull, food taste so bland.

Okay I'm being a tad bit over-dramatic. Either way when does Pritzker start

taking people off the continued list?

According to: http://pritzkerpodcast.com/2009/02/17/18-to-be-continued-mp3/

It looks like they can take people off at any time, but that the majority of the movement occurs in March/April. This makes sense since all of the interviews are done by this point and they have a better idea as to what the overall shape of the applicant pool is.

I really hope that the above post about a "handful of people" being taken off the list is wrong. That gives us all a pretty dismal chance of acceptance when you consider that several hundred people are likely on the list.
 
According to: http://pritzkerpodcast.com/2009/02/17/18-to-be-continued-mp3/

It looks like they can take people off at any time, but that the majority of the movement occurs in March/April. This makes sense since all of the interviews are done by this point and they have a better idea as to what the overall shape of the applicant pool is.

I really hope that the above post about a "handful of people" being taken off the list is wrong. That gives us all a pretty dismal chance of acceptance when you consider that several hundred people are likely on the list.

You know that the guy you're referring to in the above post is the same person who makes those podcasts, right?
 
11 weeks now and I still haven't heard anything. Could be a bad sign 🙁
 
You know that the guy you're referring to in the above post is the same person who makes those podcasts, right?

Yes, but I also realize that the person who was quoted in the podcast was not him, but Joni Krapec, who was the director of Admissions and Outreach. I'm not sure what your point is. Ben openly admitted in his previous post that he does not have access to the specific number accepted at each stage and only knows the total accepted/interviewed. I would wager to guess that this is why he invites guests to come onto his podcast who have more knowledge about the process than him....

I'm honestly not sure what your point was...?
 
My apologies for the last-minute notice, but we're going to be recording a quick podcast episode tomorrow with one of the revisit coordinators (a fourth-year student) to give you all a better idea of what it will be.

Is there anything in particular you have questions about? Get them out now, and we can talk about it.
 
Don't lose hope. I think that's about where I was at before I got my decision.

Thanks Cole. Good to know. I ended up calling the admissions office and was told the adcom is meeting next week so hopefully there should be some decisions coming out soon.
 
Continued via snail-mail yesterday after a confirmed receipt of a new rec letter earlier in the week. Starting to feel like an underdog after working hard to get off the pre-interview "hold" list. Interviewed mid-January.

For all of us not (yet!) blessed with an acceptance to Pritzker--http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmyUkm2qlhA
 
does anyone know if chicago will reimburse for the flight for second look? or maybe subsidize it partially? due to the fact that the middle east is on fire, the price of a ticket to chicago has skyrocketed to $500+ for me.
 
does anyone know if chicago will reimburse for the flight for second look? or maybe subsidize it partially? due to the fact that the middle east is on fire, the price of a ticket to chicago has skyrocketed to $500+ for me.

Highly doubtful. But you can ask.
 
13 weeks and counting. 🙁. I feel like I'm holding some sort of record here
 
13 weeks and counting. 🙁. I feel like I'm holding some sort of record here

Not necessarily a bad thing man. Look what happened in Cole's case!

I just hope I don't have to wait around on the continued list until May. I love you, UChicago! Please love me back!!! :xf:
 
Same here man. You know if anyone on the continued list has heard back yet?

I think March is probably the month for most of that movement.
 
Same here man. You know if anyone on the continued list has heard back yet?

I think March is probably the month for most of that movement.

A few friends and I have been continued since October,
But I think things may start to happen this month. Still, it wouldn't surprise me if a LOT of movement didn't happen until April/may. It kills me to think of another 10 weeks. Brutal.
 
You got into some other great schools and interviewed at others. Is this your top choice?
 
You got into some other great schools and interviewed at others. Is this your top choice?

Pritzker would be phenomenal for several reasons. I really wish I could go back or second look (top bad i won't, eh?). I interviewed at the end of august so my memory is getting a bit hazy. The next couple of weeks will definitely help solidify my preferences. But yeah, uchicago would be so so rad. Jealous of all those accepted! Something tells me we will all be alright though.

Are you holding out for pritzker no matter what?
 
Pritzker would be phenomenal for several reasons. I really wish I could go back or second look (top bad i won't, eh?). I interviewed at the end of august so my memory is getting a bit hazy. The next couple of weeks will definitely help solidify my preferences. But yeah, uchicago would be so so rad. Jealous of all those accepted! Something tells me we will all be alright though.

Are you holding out for pritzker no matter what?

Throughout everywhere I interviewed, Vanderbilt and UPenn were my top 2 choices.

I heard back good news from Vanderbilt 🙂

The only thing thats going to keep me from going there is money anywhere or getting into UPenn

But I did love Chicago too and that was definitely up there with my other choices. It would just make my decision much more difficult.

Also, I am thinking about doing a dual degree and an MD/MBA from chicago would be absolutely incredible.
 
Throughout everywhere I interviewed, Vanderbilt and UPenn were my top 2 choices.

I agree that Penn was incredible. And I loved Vandy. I think Penn is a bit out of my league, but there's nothing wrong hoping, right?

Still crossing my fingers for pritzker - the potential for financial so aid is such an appeal. Almost unmatched it seems.
 
Got my scrub top in the mail today! I'm thinking I just might be going for the pants too... we'll see 😀

that being said, I hope there is an opportunity at some point to change the M top for a L.
 
Called admissions yesterday afternoon; the woman I talked to said the committee would be meeting tomorrow. After this week, they'll be meeting every Tuesday. Hoping for some good news sometime this month! :xf::xf::xf:
 
Can any current students that have lived/will live in Regents get in touch with me about that? Do most students that live there drive, or is it possible to walk/ride a bike? Or do most people do public transit? I would imagine that'd be pretty brutal during the winter. Also, is it possible to afford a 1BR (~$1200/mo) over a studio (~$900/mo) on the budget Pritzker uses for financial aid?

You can PM me or reply here. Thanks in advance!
 
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Can any current students that have lived/will live in Regents get in touch with me about that? Do most students that live there drive, or is it possible to walk/ride a bike? Or do most people do public transit? I would imagine that'd be pretty brutal during the winter. Also, is it possible to afford a 1BR (~$1200/mo) over a studio (~$900/mo) on the budget Pritzker uses for financial aid?

You can PM me or reply here. Thanks in advance!

I'd be interested in hearing about this as well, and also more about living in Regents vs. elsewhere.

Another question... thoughts regarding bringing a car/leaving it at home? I don't really have a good feel for whether the area is one where having a car is an expensive PITA or it's likely to be useful.
 
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Can any current students that have lived/will live in Regents get in touch with me about that? Do most students that live there drive, or is it possible to walk/ride a bike? Or do most people do public transit? I would imagine that'd be pretty brutal during the winter. Also, is it possible to afford a 1BR (~$1200/mo) over a studio (~$900/mo) on the budget Pritzker uses for financial aid?

You can PM me or reply here. Thanks in advance!

Hi, I went there for undergrad (also accepted at Pritzker). There's a free bus that runs from right in front of Regents to campus. It's a CTA bus but if you have a student ID you don't pay. I've taken that regularly every day for a couple of years. It's very convenient esp since the Regents stop is the terminal stop (you'd be amazed how crowded it instantly gets by the second or third stop!) I haven't lived in Regents but I've lived in the high rises across the street from it. I'd recommend those too, especially Twin Towers. You might want to look into that as well as the Algonquin. On the bus I remember it took about 15ish minutes to get to campus. Walking usually takes me about 25-30 minutes. Not sure about biking. Great lake view but bad wind tunnel in the winter. Also ask about discounts for U of C students. I know Twin Towers and Regents gives them, or at least used to (about 10% off) Hope this helps.
 
Hi, I went there for undergrad (also accepted at Pritzker). There's a free bus that runs from right in front of Regents to campus. It's a CTA bus but if you have a student ID you don't pay. I've taken that regularly every day for a couple of years. It's very convenient esp since the Regents stop is the terminal stop (you'd be amazed how crowded it instantly gets by the second or third stop!) I haven't lived in Regents but I've lived in the high rises across the street from it. I'd recommend those too, especially Twin Towers. You might want to look into that as well as the Algonquin. On the bus I remember it took about 15ish minutes to get to campus. Walking usually takes me about 25-30 minutes. Not sure about biking. Great lake view but bad wind tunnel in the winter. Also ask about discounts for U of C students. I know Twin Towers and Regents gives them, or at least used to (about 10% off) Hope this helps.

Fantastic, thanks much. 👍

If anyone else has any other info, feel free to share.
 
Here's a link to the bus routes and schedules. For Regents you want the 172.

I also want to say that there's a number 6 bus almost right in front of Regents that goes downtown. I always seem to see on forums people talking about how "removed" Hyde Park is from downtown and I really want to point out that it's not. It's pretty convenient to get downtown IMO. The 6 is a straight shot on Lake Shore Drive down to the Loop. Takes about 20 minutes.

There's also a cute little cafe attached to the Hyde Park Art Center by Regents. They sell really good gelato.
 
Here's a link to the bus routes and schedules. For Regents you want the 172.

I also want to say that there's a number 6 bus almost right in front of Regents that goes downtown. I always seem to see on forums people talking about how "removed" Hyde Park is from downtown and I really want to point out that it's not. It's pretty convenient to get downtown IMO. The 6 is a straight shot on Lake Shore Drive down to the Loop. Takes about 20 minutes.

There's also a cute little cafe attached to the Hyde Park Art Center by Regents. They sell really good gelato.

Oops forgot the link. Here it is http://safety-security.uchicago.edu/transportation/transportation/cta170.shtml
 

Some other resources:

 
Called admissions yesterday afternoon; the woman I talked to said the committee would be meeting tomorrow. After this week, they'll be meeting every Tuesday. Hoping for some good news sometime this month! :xf::xf::xf:

Is this for continued students??
 
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