2013-2014 Loyola University (Stritch) Application Thread

[gettheleadout]

Space reserved for prompt.

Please PM the essays or lack thereof to me when the secondary is available and I will update this.

Good luck to everyone applying!

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[Girly X]

Hi future Stritch Class of 2018!!

I am an incoming MS1 and will be happy to answer whatever questions I can this cycle.

Starting in July, I will probably be trying to cut back on SDN use so a PM would be best. However, I will post the answers here just in case anyone else has the same questions. Throughout my app process, I have been very impressed with the school, the students and the staff. All things indicate that I will be very happy at Loyola.

Good luck everyone!!

 

[LPpostbacc]

Wowsers. Can't believe the new threads are up! Good luck '18ers!

 

[eefen]

Hi future Stritch Class of 2018!!

I am an incoming MS1 and would be happy to answer whatever questions I can this cycle.

Starting in July, I will probably be trying to cut back on SDN use so a PM would be best. Throughout my app process, I have been very impressed with the school, the students and the staff. All things indicate that I will be very happy at Loyola.

Good luck everyone!!

+1!

Good luck, everyone!

 

[applyingtomed13]

I am applying to medical school this summer and am very interested in living in the area of Chicago. Some questions for current students:
Where do most of your classmates live?
What patient population do you have the opportunity to work with?
What aspect of Loyola's medical school are you the most excited about? Why did you decide to attend this medical school?

Thanks for the help!

 

[eefen]

I'm an incoming MS1, and thus not a current student, but I'll take a stab at a couple of these.

I am applying to medical school this summer and am very interested in living in the area of Chicago. Some questions for current students:
Where do most of your classmates live?

Most students seem to live in the Forest Park/Oak Park area. Oak Park is where a lot of the "hot spots" for students seem to be located - it's also pretty spendy. I'll be living in the Forest Park area. A fair number of students do actually live in the city itself - for example, they might live in the suburbs for the first couple of years, and then move to the city, or vice versa.

What patient population do you have the opportunity to work with?

I'll defer this to current students who might be better able to answer this.

What aspect of Loyola's medical school are you the most excited about? Why did you decide to attend this medical school?

This is a blog post I wrote about my interview day at Loyola as well as several of the things that stood out to me about the school - you might find that helpful.

 

[Girly X]

What aspect of Loyola's medical school are you the most excited about? Why did you decide to attend this medical school?

Hopefully an upperclassman stops by, but just wanted to also chime in from an applicant's perpective. I personally wanted to be near Chicago to be closer to family. Other things also stood out specifically for Loyola. For example, the admissions and financial aid staff were some of the nicest and most responsive folks. They seem to REALLY care.

And hands down the students seemed the most relaxed and happy (like insanely happy, even those prepping for Step 1!). You'll see what I mean if/when you meet some of them

 

[roaringblue]

It is bolded on the website to have two, but I am wondering if any one has personal experience to share. I have plenty of letters from non-science people and an MD who knows me well. How much will it hurt to not have basic science professor LORs? I am going to visit a couple of my past ones this week with a prepared packet, but not sure how well they will remember me...

 

[Girly X]

It is bolded on the website to have two, but I am wondering if any one has personal experience to share. I have plenty of letters from non-science people and an MD who knows me well. How much will it hurt to not have basic science professor LORs? I am going to visit a couple of my past ones this week with a prepared packet, but not sure how well they will remember me...

Most schools will require 2 science letters, unless you have a committee letter. And if it is bolded on Loyola's website, then def. do everything you can to get them if you are applying here.

 

[Brent8927]

I am applying to medical school this summer and am very interested in living in the area of Chicago. Some questions for current students:
Where do most of your classmates live?
What patient population do you have the opportunity to work with?
What aspect of Loyola's medical school are you the most excited about? Why did you decide to attend this medical school?

Thanks for the help!

I just graduated from Loyola a few weeks ago--I absolutely loved my time there. It was my first choice, and I can't imagine going anywhere else. I'm really going to miss being a medical student there.

As mentioned, in the first two years, most classmates live in Oak Park/Forest Park. Some live in North Riverside, Brookfield, and La Grange/La Grange Park. For 3rd and 4th year, it seems like up to half of the class is living in Chicago. Personally I didn't want to commute that far, but for your surgery rotation you're waking up so early traffic isn't much of a problem anyway... Students usually don't live in the "real" suburbs (I don't personally consider Oak Park and Forest Park to be suburbs) unless they're living with their parents, or possibly if they have a family. I only knew a few people who lived out in the suburbs and they were living with their parents to keep costs down.

You work with just about every patient population you can imagine. As an academic institution you attract both the wealthy looking for the best specialists, as well as the poor/uninsured. There is a ton of ethnic/cultural diversity in the patients we serve. Plus, Hines VA (Chicago's main VA) that is literally on the same campus (technically we're on their campus... we bought the property for $1 decades ago...) gives you even more diversity with the vets. Granted they are almost exclusively male...

I decided to attend Loyola because it was my first choice--it just felt like the right place to be. You can't beat the people--the students, the professors, attendings, and staff. I know the motto can sometimes sound corny, but Loyola really does treat the human spirit. The people you learn from and learn with really shape who you are as a person and future physician, and I didn't think any place could beat Loyola in that aspect.

Loyola is a great place to lay the foundation of your medical education--I wish everyone the best of luck!

 

[ChemicalKat]

I just graduated from Loyola a few weeks ago--I absolutely loved my time there. It was my first choice, and I can't imagine going anywhere else. I'm really going to miss being a medical student there.

As mentioned, in the first two years, most classmates live in Oak Park/Forest Park. Some live in North Riverside, Brookfield, and La Grange/La Grange Park. For 3rd and 4th year, it seems like up to half of the class is living in Chicago. Personally I didn't want to commute that far, but for your surgery rotation you're waking up so early traffic isn't much of a problem anyway... Students usually don't live in the "real" suburbs (I don't personally consider Oak Park and Forest Park to be suburbs) unless they're living with their parents, or possibly if they have a family. I only knew a few people who lived out in the suburbs and they were living with their parents to keep costs down.

You work with just about every patient population you can imagine. As an academic institution you attract both the wealthy looking for the best specialists, as well as the poor/uninsured. There is a ton of ethnic/cultural diversity in the patients we serve. Plus, Hines VA (Chicago's main VA) that is literally on the same campus (technically we're on their campus... we bought the property for $1 decades ago...) gives you even more diversity with the vets. Granted they are almost exclusively male...

I decided to attend Loyola because it was my first choice--it just felt like the right place to be. You can't beat the people--the students, the professors, attendings, and staff. I know the motto can sometimes sound corny, but Loyola really does treat the human spirit. The people you learn from and learn with really shape who you are as a person and future physician, and I didn't think any place could beat Loyola in that aspect.

Loyola is a great place to lay the foundation of your medical education--I wish everyone the best of luck!

great stuff. You answered just about every question I was just about to ask. How close to downtown is Campus and the Oak/Forest Park area? Small town guy and a big city like Chicago is intimidating although I live in an Atlanta suburb right now.

 

[Soulstice]

Where does Loyola fall on the spectrum of emphasis between research and patient care, both in terms of the type of student they're looking for and the opportunities they offer med students?

 

[BurberryDoc]

much closer to patient care, I'd say it's a 70/30 to 80/20 split.

 

[Girly X]

great stuff. You answered just about every question I was just about to ask. How close to downtown is Campus and the Oak/Forest Park area? Small town guy and a big city like Chicago is intimidating although I live in an Atlanta suburb right now.

Will be living in Oak Park starting next week! It's a gorgeous area about 15 mins outside Chicago and about 10 mins from campus. Forest Park is slightly closer to campus, maybe a 7 mins drive.

 

[BurberryDoc]

Does anyone feel like chancing me?

cGPA 3.3, sGPA 3.3, MCAT 30S (8V, 10P, 12B), gradGPA 3.85 [MS in Physiology]; 350 hours clinical volunteering, 2 years full time lab research, probably 300 hours physician shadowing. Volunteer interpreter for Russian & Spanish in an emergency room. nonTrad, graduated college in 2010. Feel like I've paid penance for a bad undergrad GPA. Can someone weigh in with their thoughts?

Thanks, and good luck!

 

[Captain Sisko]

Does anyone feel like chancing me?

cGPA 3.3, sGPA 3.3, MCAT 30S (8V, 10P, 12B), gradGPA 3.85 [MS in Physiology]; 350 hours clinical volunteering, 2 years full time lab research, probably 300 hours physician shadowing. Volunteer interpreter for Russian & Spanish in an emergency room. nonTrad, graduated college in 2010. Feel like I've paid penance for a bad undergrad GPA. Can someone weigh in with their thoughts?

Thanks, and good luck!

we're all applicants here, those who have previously applied obviously didn't get in before, so i don't see the point of anyone telling you their opinions if they're not based on anything. of you're looking for a confidence booster go visit the wamc forum, or maybe the nontrad board. plenty of happy optimists over there...

 

[Success]

Does anyone know the minimal mcat needed for a secondary invite?

 

[dcc23]

Does anyone know the minimal mcat needed for a secondary invite?

Just got one with a 32, 3.7 OOS, so that's the best I can help you.

 

[Noggin]

Secondary received!

 

[ffxfreak13]

Secondary received!

But we also have to pay the $75 app fee before we can even see the questions. I think that is kinda ridiculous. A school that locks you into the fee before you can even see the questions?

 

[AquiVoy13]

Received it as well.

I wasn't expecting it this early!

 

[talinnlove]

Looks like the prompts are the same as last year. In case anyone needs them:

1. Describe a valuable experience in your personal development. This might be a decision you have made, an achievement of which you are particularly proud of, or a person who has influenced your life.

2. Provide in detail an experience of working with individual(s) from diverse background(s). What was the experience? How did it have an impact on you?

3. Describe how you have dealt with a personal or academic challenge. Focus on what you learned about yourself and how it will help you during the challenges you might face in medical school.

4. Your patient has a rare disease and would be a great candidate for an experimental new treatment. You are the principal investigator for the research project and you and your Chair would like to pursue this experiment with the patient. The parents of your patient are adamant against the treatment. How would you handle this situation?

5. If you will not be enrolled as a full-time student during the current academic year, please explain what you will be doing prior to your planned matriculation into medical school? If you are a re-applicant, please tell us how your application has improved since the last time you applied.

6. Please use this space to bring the information in your AMCAS application up-to-date. Please indicate additional grades earned, alterations in your proposed coursework or graduation date, address changes, additions to your list of activities, and anything else you feel we should know.

 

[AquiVoy13]

Ahh I don't like how we have to limit each essay to two paragraphs... it's surprisingly challenging to include everything I want to say

 

[cyaneidae]

Ahh I don't like how we have to limit each essay to two paragraphs... it's surprisingly challenging to include everything I want to say

Is there a word/character limit? I can write two very large paragraphs if there's no word/character count.

Otherwise, I'm stuck too--I'm usually pretty verbose in my writing and have been cutting it close to the limit on secondaries so far...

 

[AquiVoy13]

Is there a word/character limit? I can write two very large paragraphs if there's no word/character count.

Otherwise, I'm stuck too--I'm usually pretty verbose in my writing and have been cutting it close to the limit on secondaries so far...

There's the (recommended) 25 line limit... not quite sure how many words this is

 

[cyaneidae]

There's the (recommended) 25 line limit... not quite sure how many words this is

Oh I forgot about that.

Well my one secondary (for another school) that was just under 1500 characters (and 226 words) was 21 lines, if that helps. So Loyola's essays probably have to all be under 2000 characters, I would guess.

 

[ddc150]

Received it as well.

I wasn't expecting it this early!

Submitted app on first day and haven't heard back yet for secondary invite.. Does this mean reject or do they invite secondaries later?

 

[AquiVoy13]

Submitted app on first day and haven't heard back yet for secondary invite.. Does this mean reject or do they invite secondaries later?

It's possible that they send out the secondaries in batches, and that only a portion of the students that submitted the primary have received the secondary. I know this is the case for a few other schools.

I'm not sure what Loyola's minimum GPA/MCAT are for the secondary, but if you think you should have received the secondary, I would just hang in there. Sorry I can't give you any definitive info. Good luck.

 

[Brownshorts]

Anyone else having an issue uploading a photo? It won't let me select anything.

 

[BurberryDoc]

There's the (recommended) 25 line limit... not quite sure how many words this is

Where was this recommended? I never saw a 25 line suggestion...

Also, the application didn't save my two paragraphs and it lumped them together as one obtuse paragraph. Did anyone else have this problem?

 

[annawmc]

Where was this recommended? I never saw a 25 line suggestion...

Also, the application didn't save my two paragraphs and it lumped them together as one obtuse paragraph. Did anyone else have this problem?

The 25 line suggestion is in the secondary itself but not in the pdf instructions that were attached to the secondary invite email. I'm having the same issue with it lumping my paragraphs, and I also can't upload a photo. I just figure I'll call tomorrow to fix all my issues at once.

 

[BurberryDoc]

The 25 line suggestion is in the secondary itself but not in the pdf instructions that were attached to the secondary invite email. I'm having the same issue with it lumping my paragraphs, and I also can't upload a photo. I just figure I'll call tomorrow to fix all my issues at once.

I see it. Do you think it's a problem if we went over the 25 line recommendation? For question #3 my response was 28 lines - but since it was a suggestion and not an actual cut off, does anyone think It'll cause a big stink?

I submitted my app already because I'm trying to get everything out as promptly as possible for the rolling schools

 

[annawmc]

I see it. Do you think it's a problem if we went over the 25 line recommendation? For question #3 my response was 28 lines - but since it was a suggestion and not an actual cut off, does anyone think It'll cause a big stink?

I submitted my app already because I'm trying to get everything out as promptly as possible for the rolling schools

I'm sure it'll be fine. It's not like you went 20 lines over or anything, and at the end of the day, it is only a recommendation. I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[talinnlove]

Anyone else having an issue uploading a photo? It won't let me select anything.

I'm having the same problem. I trolled through some of the past SDN forums on Loyola's applications, and one user said to make sure that you are using either Internet Explorer or Safari. I tried it with Safari and still can't upload anything, but it might work if you try it with IE?

 

[BurberryDoc]

I'm having the same problem. I trolled through some of the past SDN forums on Loyola's applications, and one user said to make sure that you are using either Internet Explorer or Safari. I tried it with Safari and still can't upload anything, but it might work if you try it with IE?

Name. Eesti?

 

[paulvujb]

I am an incoming MS1 and will be happy to answer whatever questions I can this cycle.

 

[IgA]

Anyone else having an issue uploading a photo? It won't let me select anything.

I have figured out how to upload the photo because when I clicked "choose file," it wasn't letting me select anything either. Just drag the photo into the "choose file" button and it can be uploaded from there.

 

[BurberryDoc]

I have figured out how to upload the photo because when I clicked "choose file," it wasn't letting me select anything either. Just drag the photo into the "choose file" button and it can be uploaded from there.

I got fed up and loaded from camera roll on iPhone. It worked. Thank you Steve Jobs!

 

[MDLady413]

I'm having the same problem. I trolled through some of the past SDN forums on Loyola's applications, and one user said to make sure that you are using either Internet Explorer or Safari. I tried it with Safari and still can't upload anything, but it might work if you try it with IE?

I had the same issue. I switched to Firefox and it worked. Trying messing around with a few browsers. Safari didn't work for me.

 

[Brownshorts]

I have figured out how to upload the photo because when I clicked "choose file," it wasn't letting me select anything either. Just drag the photo into the "choose file" button and it can be uploaded from there.

Can confirm, this worked for me in Safari

 

[annawmc]

I have figured out how to upload the photo because when I clicked "choose file," it wasn't letting me select anything either. Just drag the photo into the "choose file" button and it can be uploaded from there.

I had no idea you could do that - it worked perfectly! Thanks!

 

[western1]

Submitted app on first day and haven't heard back yet for secondary invite.. Does this mean reject or do they invite secondaries later?

Secondaries are sent out automatically assuming you meet the minimum criteria. Your primary hasn't been reviewed by a committee until your secondary is submitted so don't worry. The minimum numbers are pretty low, something like a 3.0 and 24 to get the secondary. If an applicant doesn't meet these criteria his/her application can be given special review and a secondary still sent out.
Pretty much everyone who submits will receive an automated secondary, but they may be sent out in batches based on when your primary was received or based on name. I'm not entirely sure but if you haven't received a secondary yet be patient.

 

[Pandaeac]

For the question about the experimental treatment... are we supposed to assume the patient is a minor? Or, should we include a discussion of the patient's age/legal status as part of our discussion?

 

[HipChick]

Is Loyola nontrad non res friendly?

 

[BurberryDoc]

Is Loyola nontrad non res friendly?

OMG I hope so lol

 

[HipChick]

omg i hope so lol

hahahha right??

 

[cyaneidae]

For the question about the experimental treatment... are we supposed to assume the patient is a minor? Or, should we include a discussion of the patient's age/legal status as part of our discussion?

From looking at last year's thread, I think people took it both ways--you can assume they're a minor, or you can debate it/bring it up and say how it impacts the discussion.

I think I'm going to look at all possibilities, including if the person is NOT a minor and their parents just have a huge impact on their medical decisions (like in certain cultures and religions). Will also talk about ways to proceed if the person *is* a minor.

 

[yoyohomieg5432]

has everyone received the secondary? i haven't got it yet and i'm applying with a 3.97/32

 

[AquiVoy13]

Is Loyola nontrad non res friendly?

I'm pretty sure they are. Each class has a large percentage of IL residents, but I think that's just IL residents wanting to stay relatively close to home. I think don't they prefer IL residents over non-residents. Also, I've heard that most schools like non-trad applicants because they bring work experience and a more mature perspective.

 

[Girly X]

Is Loyola nontrad non res friendly?

A large number of Illinois residents (which is purely self-selected as stated above), and from what I have seen, tons of non-trads (which is in line with many med schools).