2013-2014 University of Chicago (Pritzker) Application Thread

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Bauman1535 said:
The first batch of IIs was already released on 7/3. So maybe another batch going out on 7/10?
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Very interesting. I do not believe they had all their secondaries out to verified applicants at that point.
 
rfenzo said:
I know this has been asked already, but what do we think the timeline is like for interview communications this year?
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Invites have already begun to go out so once your app is complete you could hear back anytime from that day to a month or more. For the most part, though, I think you can expect to wait a few weeks, with a shorter wait earlier in the cycle and perhaps longer as we come to August and September and the volume of apps increases.

Sent from my SGH-M919
 
Submitted. Nerve-racking that my top choice school had to be my first secondary. Good luck to all!
 
Bauman1535 said:
The first batch of IIs was already released on 7/3. So maybe another batch going out on 7/10?
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I don't think that IIs are given out in "batches" as, say, final decisions are. Besides, trying to predict when you might hear back from a school (Pritzker or otherwise) is a bit of a fool's errand - you'll never know for sure when you might hear back and it'll only cause you stress. As hard as it may be my advice would be to try and be patient and take a "you'll hear back when you hear back" approach. I know that's not gratifying and easier said than done, but it really will reduce the anxiety around the process.

Sent from my Nexus 7
 
aed5 said:
What kind of students go to Pritzker? Like how would you describe them?

Also...

It's been a week since I got my secondary and I barely have a sentence written. Chicago always makes me hesitant on what to write. I don't even know HOW to approach either essay despite reading through the pages of this thread.
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Haha, well it's hard to generalize in any meaningful way. Are there more specific questions you have though? Or are there certain things you're curious about?

Sent from my Nexus 7
 
I'm thinking through some possible topics for the second essay, which will likely form the basis for the many "problem solving" secondary essays I will write.
So, while growing up I had to take on a lot more responsibility in my family due to my younger brother's severe bipolar disorder. Without going into a ton of detail the house was in a constant state of chaos. If you've seen Silver Linings Playbook it felt a lot like that, only things devolved into violence more often. I want to specifically address the coping and focus skills that I had to develop out of necessity in order to succeed academically while in a very confusing situation, and the people who advised me during this time. My personal statement did not cover this at all.

My concerns are this:
1. I have heard that a topic like this might be far, far too personal for an admission essay (I am not uncomfortable sharing it, but adcoms might be?)
2. Is this a very common topic for a middle class white kid to be writing about?
3. Since most of these experiences occurred in middle/high school (though many challenges continue to be relevant today) is this beyond the scope of what adcoms care about?

I guess the advantage I can see in using it would be that it allows adcoms to get a better sense of who I am personally, which supposedly is what these are for. Do you think this would be an appropriate topic?
 
RowBlue said:
I'm thinking through some possible topics for the second essay, which will likely form the basis for the many "problem solving" secondary essays I will write.
So, while growing up I had to take on a lot more responsibility in my family due to my younger brother's severe bipolar disorder. Without going into a ton of detail the house was in a constant state of chaos. If you've seen Silver Linings Playbook it felt a lot like that, only things devolved into violence more often. I want to specifically address the coping and focus skills that I had to develop out of necessity in order to succeed academically while in a very confusing situation, and the people who advised me during this time. My personal statement did not cover this at all.

My concerns are this:
1. I have heard that a topic like this might be far, far too personal for an admission essay (I am not uncomfortable sharing it, but adcoms might be?)
2. Is this a very common topic for a middle class white kid to be writing about?
3. Since most of these experiences occurred in middle/high school (though many challenges continue to be relevant today) is this beyond the scope of what adcoms care about?

I guess the advantage I can see in using it would be that it allows adcoms to get a better sense of who I am personally, which supposedly is what these are for. Do you think this would be an appropriate topic?
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I'm just a fellow applicant, but that sounds like a solid topic to write about, especially if you can answer the prompt and then reflect on how it has shaped you as an adult. The difficulty will be getting all of that into about 400 words.
 
RowBlue said:
I'm thinking through some possible topics for the second essay, which will likely form the basis for the many "problem solving" secondary essays I will write.
So, while growing up I had to take on a lot more responsibility in my family due to my younger brother's severe bipolar disorder. Without going into a ton of detail the house was in a constant state of chaos. If you've seen Silver Linings Playbook it felt a lot like that, only things devolved into violence more often. I want to specifically address the coping and focus skills that I had to develop out of necessity in order to succeed academically while in a very confusing situation, and the people who advised me during this time. My personal statement did not cover this at all.

My concerns are this:
1. I have heard that a topic like this might be far, far too personal for an admission essay (I am not uncomfortable sharing it, but adcoms might be?)
2. Is this a very common topic for a middle class white kid to be writing about?
3. Since most of these experiences occurred in middle/high school (though many challenges continue to be relevant today) is this beyond the scope of what adcoms care about?

I guess the advantage I can see in using it would be that it allows adcoms to get a better sense of who I am personally, which supposedly is what these are for. Do you think this would be an appropriate topic?
Click to expand...

Sounds appropriate to me. Talking about a dark topic or a less than ideal aspect of your past isn't off limits. I think you see so many people suggest not to write about those things, though, because it can be easy to not do it well. As long as you are careful about the way in which your portray the situation I think it would be fine. Make sure you're answering the question and try to avoid straying far from that path.

Sent from my SGH-M919
 
...
 
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@NickNaylor:

I was only really able answer the "advance the Pritzker mission" part of the first essay prompt; do you that is going to create problems for me? I feel like I couldn't relate what makes ME unique enough to contribute to a body of diversity, but I was able to relate my past experiences (some unique, some less so) with my fit at UofC.

Thanks!
 
Does anyone know how long it takes them to approve the FAP fee waiver?

I was all ready to submit the day I received the secondary, but I still haven't gotten my fee waiver approved after I sent them the required email to request it. =(
 
@Nick

Could you please discuss the rigor of the research atmosphere at Pritzker? How is it that you guys have so many more Nobel Prizes in med and phys than every other med school in the nation combined?
 
aed5 said:
I figured it'd be a pretty tough question to even try to answer. I just wonder if there was any way we could see if our personalities are similar the general student population at Pritzker. To see if we "fit" the school.

Regarding the essays...<sigh> I haven't the slightest clue on how to not be cliche when writing about diversity. We all talk about it and love diversity but how does one write about what they think they can contribute... And I feel like there's a way to not talk about yourself too much but also not write a standard essay where you list diverse experiences and explain them in greater context...(Not really a question, more like a stream of conciousness. Hope you don't mind)

bleh. More thinking needed...
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From my second look experience, I think it is hard to generalize the students at Pritzker. For a small class of 88 there was an impressive amount of obvious diversity in personality and experiences. Though I honestly think most schools are like this and is not something unique to Pritzker. At this stage, for fit, I would worry about resources of the school(and possibly the schools values as evidenced by their programs or other things they tout).

With regards to the essays, there is definitely a fine line to walk between talking too much about yourself and just discussing irrelevant experiences. I liked to start off direct(something like "XXXX is the perspective I am going to bring...") and then talk about experiences regarding this perspective, eventually returning to something a little more direct. I am sure there are 10,000,000 ways to approach these questions, my way is just one option.

This may not apply to you, but I think most people are more "diverse" than they give themselves credit for.
 
YankeeBean said:
@NickNaylor:

I was only really able answer the "advance the Pritzker mission" part of the first essay prompt; do you that is going to create problems for me? I feel like I couldn't relate what makes ME unique enough to contribute to a body of diversity, but I was able to relate my past experiences (some unique, some less so) with my fit at UofC.

Thanks!
Click to expand...

I am not NickNaylor and I have no inside advice, but if you have unique experiences don't you instantly have something that "would enhance diversity at Pritzker"?
 
Tots said:
From my second look experience, I think it is hard to generalize the students at Pritzker. For a small class of 88 there was an impressive amount of obvious diversity in personality and experiences. Though I honestly think most schools are like this and is not something unique to Pritzker. At this stage, for fit, I would worry about resources of the school(and possibly the schools values as evidenced by their programs or other things they tout).

With regards to the essays, there is definitely a fine line to walk between talking too much about yourself and just discussing irrelevant experiences. I liked to start off direct(something like "XXXX is the perspective I am going to bring...") and then talk about experiences regarding this perspective, eventually returning to something a little more direct. I am sure there are 10,000,000 ways to approach these questions, my way is just one option.

This may not apply to you, but I think most people are more "diverse" than they give themselves credit for.
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Agree 100%. Everyone brings a different perspective and everyone has experiences that differentiate themselves from others. For some those things are obvious while for others it will require some thought and reflection. This is why I think it's so important not to rush the secondary if you're having trouble coming up with a response you're happy with. If that's you, take a break from the Pritzker app for a few days and work on some other secondaries. You might be surprised at how beneficial "getting away" can be.

Sent from my SGH-M919
 
Dbate said:
Does anyone know how long it takes them to approve the FAP fee waiver?

I was all ready to submit the day I received the secondary, but I still haven't gotten my fee waiver approved after I sent them the required email to request it. =(
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These things are usually processed manually, so I would expect at least 1-2 business days, maybe longer depending on the load on the office.

Sent from my Nexus 7
 
Just went to complete, but I found out - actually from another school - that one of my recommendations is not signed by the author. Should I bring this to their attention now, and send an update when I can get one? OR Should I wait since I am now already complete, and send an update later (probably a few days, maybe more)?
 
rfenzo said:
Just went to complete, but I found out - actually from another school - that one of my recommendations is not signed by the author. Should I bring this to their attention now, and send an update when I can get one? OR Should I wait since I am now already complete, and send an update later (probably a few days, maybe more)?
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I wouldn't bring it up as it may not be an issue. That said, I would talk to your letter writer if possible to see if you might be able to get a signed copy to prevent some future stress.

Sent from my SGH-M919
 
ThrombinHood said:
@Nick

Could you please discuss the rigor of the research atmosphere at Pritzker? How is it that you guys have so many more Nobel Prizes in med and phys than every other med school in the nation combined?
Click to expand...

Pretty sure that isn't true.
 
ThrombinHood said:
@Nick

Could you please discuss the rigor of the research atmosphere at Pritzker? How is it that you guys have so many more Nobel Prizes in med and phys than every other med school in the nation combined?
Click to expand...

Research is definitely important, but I think Pritzker strikes a nice balance between "plenty of high quality research opportunities" and "there are other things to do outside of research." If, like me, you have very little interest in research, there's no pressure to do research beyond the Scholarly Project, which can be anything and is often not your traditional quantitative lab work. However, the school makes it extremely easy to get involved with research, and there are plenty of faculty doing very influential work if that strikes your fancy more.

Not sure about the Nobel prize figure but I do know we have a few. 😉

Sent from my SGH-M919
 
NickNaylor said:
Research is definitely important, but I think Pritzker strikes a nice balance between "plenty of high quality research opportunities" and "there are other things to do outside of research." If, like me, you have very little interest in research, there's no pressure to do research. However, the school makes it extremely easy to get involved with research, and there are plenty of faculty doing very influential work.

Not sure about the Nobel prize figure but I do know we have a few. 😉

Sent from my SGH-M919
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Know of anyone who's doing research outside of the med school, at all? 🙂 [I'm an economics major and Chicago is pretty godly in that area.]
 
Soulstice said:
Know of anyone who's doing research outside of the med school, at all? 🙂 [I'm an economics major and Chicago is pretty godly in that area.]
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There's a girl in my class who was MSTP and did her PhD in economics here. Obviously Pritzker is geared more towards bioscience research, but you are certainly free to do whatever you wish on your own time.

Sent from my SGH-M919
 
NickNaylor said:
There's a girl in my class who was MSTP and did her PhD in economics here. Obviously Pritzker is geared more towards bioscience research, but you are certainly free to do whatever you wish on your own time.

Sent from my SGH-M919
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I should add that if you want to do research outside of the sciences to fulfill your scholarly project, it will likely have to have some relation to medicine. For example, if you wanted to do economics research to fulfill your scholarly project requirement, you would likely have to work in healthcare economics or policy analysis. I'm not sure that you can just do any research in any field to fulfill the school's requirement. That said, earning a second degree at U of C fulfills the scholarly project requirement, so if, say, you wanted to get a masters in economics (or any other field), that would fulfill the requirement.

Sent from my SGH-M919
 
NickNaylor said:
I should add that if you want to do research outside of the sciences to fulfill your scholarly project, it will likely have to have some relation to medicine. For example, if you wanted to do economics research to fulfill your scholarly project requirement, you would likely have to work in healthcare economics or policy analysis. I'm not sure that you can just do any research in any field to fulfill the school's requirement. That said, earning a second degree at U of C fulfills the scholarly project requirement, so if, say, you wanted to get a masters in economics (or any other field), that would fulfill the requirement.

Sent from my SGH-M919
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That makes sense; of course, if I wanted to do research that wasn't health relevant, I'd have skipped the MCAT for the GRE and passed on

Second question - I'm not applying for the MeSH track because I don't think I'd be competitive enough for it (cGPA and MCAT both in 10th - 50th percentile range), but is Chicago one of those schools where you can apply into their MSTP after your 1st and/or 2nd year?
 
Soulstice said:
That makes sense; of course, if I wanted to do research that wasn't health relevant, I'd have skipped the MCAT for the GRE and passed on

Second question - I'm not applying for the MeSH track because I don't think I'd be competitive enough for it (cGPA and MCAT both in 10th - 50th percentile range), but is Chicago one of those schools where you can apply into their MSTP after your 1st and/or 2nd year?
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Yes. It's not technically the MSTP program, but it's the same in effect. The program is called the Growth and Development Training Program (GDTP). You apply into the program during your second year and begin PhD training immediately afterward. You're still on the hook for the MS1/MS2 years with respect to finances, but the remainder of your training is paid for.

There are multiple people from my class who got accepted and will be starting the program this upcoming year. If you get accepted and you'd like to know more later on, get in touch and I would be happy to put you in touch with some of them. You can also let the admissions office know that you're interested in the program and they can get you in touch with some students.

Sent from my Nexus 7
 
so I'm kind of freaked out about my secondary essay. maybe i didn't eat my Wheaties the morning i submitted, but I'm reading what i wrote and it just doesn't seem "me." I guess this goes to show there should be a waiting period between the time when you think you're done and when you press the button, but I'm wondering how much this will hurt. will a poorly articulated diversity essay in an otherwise strong, clearly diverse application be a show stopper?
 
Captain Sisko said:
so I'm kind of freaked out about my secondary essay. maybe i didn't eat my Wheaties the morning i submitted, but I'm reading what i wrote and it just doesn't seem "me." I guess this goes to show there should be a waiting period between the time when you think you're done and when you press the button, but I'm wondering how much this will hurt. will a poorly articulated diversity essay in an otherwise strong, clearly diverse application be a show stopper?
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Can't do much about it now - I wouldn't worry about it. 😉

Sent from my Nexus 7
 
NickNaylor said:
Can't do much about it now - I wouldn't worry about it. 😉

Sent from my Nexus 7
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guess so. just tagged complete, so I'll find out in a little while i guess. if I'm not lucky enough to continue you can bet I'll take this lesson to heart
 
Captain Sisko said:
guess so. just tagged complete, so I'll find out in a little while i guess. if I'm not lucky enough to continue you can bet I'll take this lesson to heart
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Plus people tend to by hypercritical of themselves. If you think it's bad, it almost certainly isn't - or at least not to the degree you think. So no worries, be happy. 🙂

Sent from my Nexus 7
 
Nick, what rotation are you on right now that lets you have the time to post on SDN haha
 
NickNaylor said:
Plus people tend to by hypercritical of themselves. If you think it's bad, it almost certainly isn't - or at least not to the degree you think. So no worries, be happy. 🙂

Sent from my Nexus 7
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Nick, you are a very positive person!! Thanks for keeping our chins up 🙂
 
MilkIsGood said:
Nick, what rotation are you on right now that lets you have the time to post on SDN haha
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Medicine. 😉 My SDN posting has fallen off quite a bit though. I only reply to this thread since I get notifications on new posts on my phone and tablet. I haven't looked at pre-allo or any other forum for that matter in weeks haha.

Sent from my SGH-M919
 
NickNaylor said:
These things are usually processed manually, so I would expect at least 1-2 business days, maybe longer depending on the load on the office.

Sent from my Nexus 7
Click to expand...

Thanks for the response. I got my FAP approved today and submitted the application.

I saw on the thread from last year that some people got rejections within a few hours of submitting. Given my stats, there's a good chance I might hear back from Pritzker today, lol :laugh:
 
Dbate said:
Thanks for the response. I got my FAP approved today and submitted the application.

I saw on the thread from last year that some people got rejections within a few hours of submitting. Given my stats, there's a good chance I might hear back from Pritzker today, lol :laugh:
Click to expand...

😉 Don't be too hard on yourself.

Sent from my Nexus 7
 
I am applying for the MSTP at UChicago. I am not sure how detailed they want in our answers to the following prompt:

• Please indicate up to four general areas of research that interest you at present.
• Please provide the names, institutional addresses and telephone numbers of up to three individuals who are familiar with your research and who will provide letters in support of your application to MD/PhD Program of your choice (MD/MSTP, MD/MeSH). These letters should be specific to your application to the MD/Phd Program, are required, and are in addition to those submitted in support of your general application to medical school. It is preferable for your letters to be sent through the AMCAS Letter Service, but if needed, letters may also be sent to:

I am interested in biomedical engineering (BME), so I have a few sentences detailing that interest. And then a small paragraph highlighting my exposure to BME to date. Then I provide my research contacts. Are they looking for an essay here? Or will this suffice?

Thanks!
 
kvm90 said:
I am applying for the MSTP at UChicago. I am not sure how detailed they want in our answers to the following prompt:

•Please indicate up to four general areas of research that interest you at present.
•Please provide the names, institutional addresses and telephone numbers of up to three individuals who are familiar with your research and who will provide letters in support of your application to MD/PhD Program of your choice (MD/MSTP, MD/MeSH). These letters should be specific to your application to the MD/Phd Program, are required, and are in addition to those submitted in support of your general application to medical school. It is preferable for your letters to be sent through the AMCAS Letter Service, but if needed, letters may also be sent to:

I am interested in biomedical engineering (BME), so I have a few sentences detailing that interest. And then a small paragraph highlighting my exposure to BME to date. Then I provide my research contacts. Are they looking for an essay here? Or will this suffice?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

I'll admit that I'm not familiar with the MSTP process and what all they're looking for. In my (uneducated) opinion, I think a few sentences about each field that discusses your interest and any past experience substantiating that interest would be appropriate. Is there a character limit? Usually that will give you a clue as to the length that's expected.

Sent from my SGH-M919
 
"At the University of Chicago in an atmosphere of interdisciplinary scholarship and discovery, the Pritzker School of Medicine is dedicated to inspiring diverse students of exceptional promise to become leaders and innovators in science and medicine for the betterment of humanity."

Now, I wasn't an English major so maybe I'm wrong, but isn't there a comma missing in the mission statement?

As in:
"At the University of Chicago, in an atmosphere of interdisciplinary scholarship and discovery, the Pritzker School of Medicine is dedicated to inspiring diverse students of exceptional promise to become leaders and innovators in science and medicine for the betterment of humanity."
 
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kvm90 said:
I am applying for the MSTP at UChicago. I am not sure how detailed they want in our answers to the following prompt:

• Please indicate up to four general areas of research that interest you at present.
• Please provide the names, institutional addresses and telephone numbers of up to three individuals who are familiar with your research and who will provide letters in support of your application to MD/PhD Program of your choice (MD/MSTP, MD/MeSH). These letters should be specific to your application to the MD/Phd Program, are required, and are in addition to those submitted in support of your general application to medical school. It is preferable for your letters to be sent through the AMCAS Letter Service, but if needed, letters may also be sent to:

I am interested in biomedical engineering (BME), so I have a few sentences detailing that interest. And then a small paragraph highlighting my exposure to BME to date. Then I provide my research contacts. Are they looking for an essay here? Or will this suffice?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

I just listed four comma separated keywords, followed by my three PIs.
 
termitechips said:
"At the University of Chicago in an atmosphere of interdisciplinary scholarship and discovery, the Pritzker School of Medicine is dedicated to inspiring diverse students of exceptional promise to become leaders and innovators in science and medicine for the betterment of humanity."

Now, I wasn't an English major so maybe I'm wrong, but isn't there a comma missing in the mission statement?

As in:
"At the University of Chicago, in an atmosphere of interdisciplinary scholarship and discovery, the Pritzker School of Medicine is dedicated to inspiring diverse students of exceptional promise to become leaders and innovators in science and medicine for the betterment of humanity."
Click to expand...

it's fine on the website
http://pritzker.uchicago.edu/about/mission.shtml

but who cares?
 
For the LORs, I know they allow either a premedical committee letter or 3 individual letters. I can do either option, but I would prefer to send in the 3 individual letters because I believe they will be much stronger than the premedical committee letter. Can I send in all of them? I'm not sure which box to mark on the secondary where it asks to indicate which form my LORs will be sent in.

And they also have an additional section asking us to explain if we chose to get a premedical committee letter. If I only send in 3 individual letters, do I still have to explain this, since I have one, but chose not to send it in?

Any thoughts?!
 
aspiringdoc21 said:
For the LORs, I know they allow either a premedical committee letter or 3 individual letters. I can do either option, but I would prefer to send in the 3 individual letters because I believe they will be much stronger than the premedical committee letter. Can I send in all of them? I'm not sure which box to mark on the secondary where it asks to indicate which form my LORs will be sent in.

And they also have an additional section asking us to explain if we chose to get a premedical committee letter. If I only send in 3 individual letters, do I still have to explain this, since I have one, but chose not to send it in?

Any thoughts?!
Click to expand...

I would include all of them. As a general rule you should send a committee letter if you have one (this goes for all schools, not just Pritzker). It can only cause you stress in the future if you choose not to send it. And yes, you should explain why you didn't send it if you decide not to. You don't get a free pass for getting one but not sending it. 😉

I would mark that you're sending in a committee letter and then email the office to let them know you'll also be sending in additional letters if you're unable to mention it on the secondary. That way they know to wait for additional letters before evaluating your app.

Sent from my SGH-M919
 
Hi everyone, like for so many people, this school is my top choice.

I submitted my primary on 7/3, and received the secondary invite moments later. I got some stuff down for the first prompt, but I'm having a little trouble thinking about what to write about for the second, which is about dealing with a difficult situation. Like just about everyone else, I have had my share of hardships and pain, however I'm not sure what kinds of situations are appropriate to write about. What kinds of things are you all writing about? Academic hardships, personal losses, ethical dilemmas? Other things?
 
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