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2012-2013 University of Chicago (Pritzker) Application Thread
Started by gettheleadout
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I'm a little confused about the diversity question on the secondary application. My understanding is that they're asking how I would change Pritzker's policies/system/etc to enhance diversity. Like..."if you had control, how would you change the school to enhance diversity?"
My uncle argues that they're asking me what I as an individual would bring (w.r.t. my background and experiences) which would enhance diversity, should I be admitted. In other words, "what do you as an individual bring to the table which would enhance diversity?"
This is kind of crucial since it changes the direction of the essay entirely, so any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance!
My uncle argues that they're asking me what I as an individual would bring (w.r.t. my background and experiences) which would enhance diversity, should I be admitted. In other words, "what do you as an individual bring to the table which would enhance diversity?"
This is kind of crucial since it changes the direction of the essay entirely, so any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance!
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I just started this essay, and took it for more of a personal diversity thing. How do you contribute to Pritzker? What experiences have you had? I took this approach and blended it in with their overall mission. Diversity, then mission. Working through this really slowly...postponing a quick rejection as much as I can!
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Congrats on the latest interviews!
The new students have arrived and we'll be welcoming them to the Pritzker family this morning! Hopefully a few of you will be in the same position a year from now. 🙂
(sent from my phone)
The new students have arrived and we'll be welcoming them to the Pritzker family this morning! Hopefully a few of you will be in the same position a year from now. 🙂
(sent from my phone)
So... I've been put on hold. I'm really worried that this is a soft rejection, and I know that they eventually pull people "out of holding," but is there anything that I can do to improve my chances on this one? I'm really into Pritzker, so it would be awesome to go there.
I would suggest an update letter at some point. The office values applicants that express interest when put on hold or wait listed. However, it really isn't a soft rejection. As I said before, I think something like 10-20% of interviews are applicants that are initially put on hold. Some of those applicants are also accepted post interview, so you're by no means doomed.
(sent from my phone)
I am writing the challenging situation essay. It relates to an event that I wrote about in my primary essay but it is a different topic but the setting is the same (volunteer program abroad). Do I need to re-introduce the setting, i.e. program, goal, where, when, or can I just say that it was the program and assume that person has read my primary?
+1
Sorry to hear about the recent rejections - best of luck with the rest of your cycles.
OMG!! just got invited for MSTP interview!!! >< this is amazing!!
Rejected this morning. Good luck everyone.
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Yes, it came via email. I submitted my app 7/13.
If they are rejecting people with high stats they're probably looking for something other than stats, so I wouldn't assume anything based on that.
It doesn't hurt to re-introduce briefly. As long as you don't copy and paste the words directly, I'm sure you'll be fine. If someone has your secondary essays, they should also have your primary, but it'll make it easier for them if they don't feel obligated to refer back to get the context. Good luck!
So it's been 5 weeks since I received the secondary, but I can't submit since 2 of my letters had to be resubmitted since both writers did not put their first two letters on letterhead OR with their signature (despite my instructions...) If I submitted my secondary now, since Pritzker has already received 3 letters, they would mark the app as complete without those 2 letters. So is it going to affect my chances that I won't have submitted the secondary until 5.5 - 6 weeks after receiving it? 🙁
I understood that essay as being more of what you as an individual would bring
yeah, i was praying my good stats would carry me to interviews and I would be able to just talk my way through the interview and hopefully sell myself pretty well, but I guess that's what I get for having really weak ECs. I'm just really nervous now about all the other schools I applied to.
Don't worry about it. As I mentioned before, there are people every year that are rejected pre-interview from Pritzker but end up getting into top notch schools. I think Pritzker is more particular in a subjective way than its peer institutions.
WHOA. I was complete 2 days ago and I have an interview invite!!!
Awesome!!! MSTP started! Now I'm gonna be neurotic about U Chicago cuz their awesome! 😀.
I submitted my secondary 3.5 weeks after I received it, still got an interview invite
and... i think you can submit without an mcat score, but your file just won't be completed or reviewed before they get the score
Yes, you can submit the secondary app before your MCAT is received.
No, that's an arbitrary deadline propagated on SDN but not based in reality. My advice would be to take as long as necessary for you to provide meaningful responses. I turned my secondary in ~a month after I received it when I applied.
Rejected as well 🙁. Too bad they don't write a couple of line to explain why!
1) Diversity: lived in four different countries growing up. Served in the army.
2) Challenge: overcoming cancer in graduate school.
I really hoped for an interview. I am impressed that they work on Sunday though!
Good luck everyone!
1) Diversity: lived in four different countries growing up. Served in the army.
2) Challenge: overcoming cancer in graduate school.
I really hoped for an interview. I am impressed that they work on Sunday though!
Good luck everyone!
Also rejected this morning, and agree that it would've been nice to have a line or so. Oh well, good luck to everyone on here with the rest of the application process!
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Best of luck to you guys.
Congrats!
Anyone have any advice on the interviews? How to dress? What it's like? What questions do they ask?
1) Dress professionally at all interviews... hopefully that isn't a surprise...
2) You'll have three interviews of ~30 minutes: one with a faculty member, one with an admissions committee member, and one with a student.
3) Questions will vary widely. My suggestion would be to know clearly why you want to come to Pritzker and make it clear that you would flourish here. Really, though, there's no way to predict what kinds of questions you'll get.
For those with rejections and II today, when were you complete?
My online status changed from "Application Complete" or whatever the standard complete message was to "MSTP and MD Application Process Complete" with "Thank you for your interest in the MD and MSTP programs at Pritzker" underneath it. Does anyone else think this sounds like a rejection? 🙁
Never got an email saying when my status changed, but I was complete in early July for MSTP.
Never got an email saying when my status changed, but I was complete in early July for MSTP.
Status changes will be explicit. I believe this was a problem last year, and the admissions office told me that there's no significance to this change. If you're rejected, placed on hold, or invited to interview, it will be very clear.
Put on hold. i know this isnt a rejection but can't help feeling bummed! Also i never got an email telling me this...I saw it when I logged into the portal today.
Any advice on when to send an "update" email? Also, what sorts of things are included in a letter of interest/update letter?
Any advice on when to send an "update" email? Also, what sorts of things are included in a letter of interest/update letter?
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If you have something meaningful to update with, then I would wait a couple of weeks at least and then send it. My understanding is that most people on the hold list likely won't hear back until November or December at least. I could be entirely wrong though, and that is of course subject to variation.
(sent from my phone)
How exactly do you know you were put on hold? Does it say so in the "my history" section?
on the front page when you log into the portal, it says this under "application status"
Your application has been placed on hold for further review later in the application process. In the meantime we encourage you to keep us informed by email of new academic and extracurricular accomplishments.
Your application has been placed on hold for further review later in the application process. In the meantime we encourage you to keep us informed by email of new academic and extracurricular accomplishments.
My status says this:
"Application Held for Later Review"
Does it mean I am placed on HOLD and I won't get interview very soon??
"Application Held for Later Review"
Does it mean I am placed on HOLD and I won't get interview very soon??
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Theoretically you could get an interview invite at any time, but based on what I've seen in past years most people placed on hold that get invited to interview aren't invited until November or December at the earliest.
Thanks buddy. Thanks for your reply. I really appreciate it.
Let's see what happens now.
Thanks for clearing that up, I really appreciate it!
Nick, so its been 4 weeks and change by today that I have been complete (7/9) and have received no news and nothing has changed online. Should i follow up? And, If I want to contact Admissions to make sure everything is okay with my application, how do I not sound like a whiny pre-med?
Has anyone else waited this long?
Has anyone else waited this long?
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I would if I were in your shoes. You could mention that you've heard of others that were complete around the time you were who have received decisions, so you wanted to make sure your app wasn't missing anything or that there weren't any problems. That's how I would approach it anyway.
Thanks for the quick reply! I just sent it. I'll let you know what happens
This is what they told me,
"I checked the status of your application and the Committee still has your application. When a decision is made we will let you know. If you have any more questions let us know. Thank you for your interest in Pritzker School of Medicine"
I don't really concern myself with other schools but since UofChicago has such quick turnarounds the time lapse since my application was complete has caught my attention and hence made me more anxious. But I'm happy I sent the email because now the thought of my application being lost scenario is out of the picture. Anyway, I guess I just wait
I assure you that they don't withhold decisions just for the sake of withholding decisions.
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