I would say your chances of getting the Chicago campus if you interview January 24 are very small. My student I interviewed with said that he was accepted in December last year, and Chicago was already full. Not impossible, but if you're accepted it most likely wont be until February before you get your card turned back in.
This is likely what your interviewer was told, but you'll find UIC often doesn't tell people the complete truth. I know of at least a few students who were accepted in March and got directly into the Chicago campus, and I don't know a ton of students on that campus to begin with. I suspect the percentage is higher.
I think the process is pretty complicated actually. I imagine that there are three distinct variables affecting placement. The one that is most obvious Is availability which we have all addressed. The next obvious variable is fit/ class profile. The adcoms have to consider individual campus profile, which is a factor outside of availabilty. If they think one campus is getting a heavy distribution of a type of applicant perhaps they want that applicant at another campus despite availability. The third factor I believe is withdrawing applications. A lot of out of staters withdraw when they get into their state school. If they were assigned to Chicago, suddenly more Chicago spots are open when it used to be " full". I think the adcom gives the first group of acceptances the campus of their choice because they want them to choose university of Illinois, but after that I think it is up in the air, and not necessarily based on availability. All of this said, I bet your MS4 was someone who they needed to be represented at another campus, and thus was assigned to that campus. Finally, we should all remember we have the right to appeal our placement. Best of luck with the placement process!
👍 Very well said, I completely agree. Anyone confused about campus placement should read that.
So does that mean that you can get a campus placement before making a final decision on what school to go to? I don't really understand how that process works. Is it the same with all schools with multiple campuses? It seems like that could impact someone's decision on which school they decide to go to, if they didn't get their preferred location.
Yes. The process works like this:
-Post-interview, you get a notice from each school that accepted you.
-To reserve a spot at that school that has accepted you, you put down a deposit.
-You can hold spots at multiple schools until May 15, which is the point you have to make a final decision on which school to attend.
When you get into UIC, you'll find out your campus placement a couple weeks later. Unless you interview very late, this will be before May 15. So you'll be able to weigh your specific UIC campus against any other school you have a spot at before making your final decision.
Any tips for interviewing at the Chicago campus? What was it like?
I interviewed in Chicago. Three 1-on-1 sessions with 2 professors and a medical student. I enjoyed the interview day. It's been 2 years so I've forgotten her name, but the lady in the interview office was incredibly friendly and welcoming. The students all gave off a very positive vibe - it was my tour guides that actually influenced my decision towards UIC over other schools. Very diverse student body, definitely the most diverse of any school I interviewed at.
As far as advice, just the general stuff. Our year was the big healthcare debate, so it was important to able to answer questions about the healthcare system (not sure if this is emphasized now in interviews). It might help to know a little bit specific about UIC (e.g. research opportunities) in case they ask, but I doubt they will. Stay relaxed and have fun
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Can't really comment on Rockford specifically, but the Chicago campus is defined by what the city has to offer. Twenty hospitals to rotate through, including some of the most high-volume, high-acuity in the country.
Adding on to Visionary's post - Chicago definitely offers the most opportunities by far, but keep in mind that Rockford students have the freedom to do Chicago rotations as well (without counting it as an away rotation). I've heard of several Rockford M4's who just move to Chicago their 4th year and do all their rotations there.
Rockford emphasizes primary care, but they match students into top-notch specialties across the board. There are no residents in Rockford, which means as an M3 you'll often be the first person assisting on a surgery - great for hands-on experience, but you also don't get a feel for a typical teaching hospital hierarchy.
This is how I procrastinate on the morning of my finals
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Sorry to hear the bad news guys. I am also very worried, because I haven't heard from them for the past 5 months! I was wondering what it said on your status page. For me, it still says "Application is in Process," for the past 5 months.
