2013-2014 University of Chicago (Pritzker) Application Thread

[NickNaylor]

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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?

There is no best answer, really. Go with whatever situation you think will best illustrate what you want to convey. It's hard to talk about appropriateness without context. Any topic could possibly be inappropriate, no matter how benign, depending on how you frame it. By the same token, almost every topic is appropriate as long as it is presented appropriately.

Sent from my Nexus 7

 

[metview]

I am listing an Alumni relationship, but under "Academic Area" it gives me a lot of choices. The alumni was a graduate of the medical school but there is no such area unless the medical school is the "biological sciences division" ?

 

[NickNaylor]

I am listing an Alumni relationship, but under "Academic Area" it gives me a lot of choices. The alumni was a graduate of the medical school but there is no such area unless the medical school is the "biological sciences division" ?

The med school is within the BSD.

Sent from my SGH-M919

 

[MilkIsGood]

I am listing an Alumni relationship, but under "Academic Area" it gives me a lot of choices. The alumni was a graduate of the medical school but there is no such area unless the medical school is the "biological sciences division" ?

Yep. The med school is under bsd, unfortunately

 

[GeckoMan]

Yep. The med school is under bsd, unfortunately

Why unfortunately? Is there a downside to this arrangement?

 

[hopefulMD12]

Just got an Interview Invite! Last year, only 9 international students got interviews from 339 apps... so I'm feeling great right now.

 

[surely]

Just got an Interview Invite! Last year, only 9 international students got interviews from 339 apps... so I'm feeling great right now.

Wow, check you out. Great work! How are you celebrating?

 

[McMeowerson]

Just got an Interview Invite! Last year, only 9 international students got interviews from 339 apps... so I'm feeling great right now.

Congrats 😀

 

[Amba]

Just got an Interview Invite! Last year, only 9 international students got interviews from 339 apps... so I'm feeling great right now.

Congrats! You should join me on the 29th 😉

 

[BurberryDoc]

Dear Pritzker,
We would have so much fun together, if only you'd return my calls. I need you in my life.
Sincerely yours,
Joshua Bronco

 

[jeghaber]

Just got an Interview Invite! Last year, only 9 international students got interviews from 339 apps... so I'm feeling great right now.

Nice! Congratulations 😀 This bodes well for your season -- you must have a killer app!

 

[ewelling]

Just got an Interview Invite! Last year, only 9 international students got interviews from 339 apps... so I'm feeling great right now.

Congrats!!! Good luck!

 

[hopefulMD12]

Wow, check you out. Great work! How are you celebrating?

By doing more secondaries 😛 Not sure yet actually. I'm still a bit in the phase right now.

 

[hopefulMD12]

Congrats! You should join me on the 29th 😉

That'd be awesome. I'll keep you all posted on my interview date!

Sorry for the double post!

 

[Jennyfishy]

Congrats on the interview! 😀

This school is a long shot for me. Actually, little to no chance bc of my gpa/mcat, but the admissions office sent me a thank you email for submitting my secondary... 🙂 felt nice.

 

[Amygdarya]

Yes, the admissions staff at Pritzker are so awfully nice they gave me glimpse of hope, too 🙂

 

[Farmerboy]

I received an invite via email as well. It's too bad there are no dates available in July or early August - I can't wait to go there!

Does anyone have advice for preparing for the interview? It is multiple, open-file sessions, correct? And what is the weather like in Chicago in late August?

 

[NickNaylor]

By doing more secondaries 😛 Not sure yet actually. I'm still a bit in the phase right now.

You will likely have three interviews:

-one with a member of the admissions team, who has access to the entirety of your file

-one with a faculty member, who has access to most of your app but not everything (I forget the particulars)

-one with a student (if you're interviewing early this will likely be a MS2, MSTP, or MS4 student, and if later could also be a MS1), who has access to your primary but not your secondary or your numbers (GPA/MCAT)

I say "likely" because if, for whatever reason, the office is unable to find student interviewers for everyone scheduled for that day then no interviewees for that day will have student interviews. This is very rare, though.

As far as preparing for the interview, my biggest piece of advice is to think about why you're interested in coming to Pritzker and why you think you would benefit from training here specifically over any other institution. In my experience, applicants that are best able to do this have the most success. What can Pritzker offer you that you think will make you a great physician? How (or will) you continue to pursue your interests here? What sorts of things do you think you'll take advantage of if you end up being a student here? Beyond that, being familiar with your app and being able to succinctly summarize your experiences and why they were important to you will be helpful. Be yourself!

The interview day is very friendly, and hopefully you'll get the sense that you are truly welcome to campus and that the admissions staff is happy to have you here. They really do want to get to know you, and the interviews will be low pressure and driven with that goal in mind. Of all the interviews I attended I thought Pritzker's was the most enjoyable, and I was surprised at how well they treated us as applicants.

As far as weather, expect warm and humid. In August I would say 90s on a warm day, 80s or even 70s otherwise.

Hope that helps!

Sent from my Nexus 7

Edit: Sorry that the quote above got messed up - Tapatalk goes a little stupid sometimes. My response was directed to Farmerboy.

 

[ThrombinHood]

II also! I've signed up for the August 27th date.

 

[MilkIsGood]

Why unfortunately? Is there a downside to this arrangement?

Mainly having to share the building with undergrads. There have been plenty of times this year were we got kicked out of classrooms because there was an undergrad class afterwards. Becomes problematic for TA review sessions, sometimes its been hard for the TA to book a room to use. Once, an undergrad professor started yelling at our teacher for going over time even though it was still 5 min before his class started. Also, apparently, one of our course directors said we had 8 am classes instead of 8:30 classes like previous years due to undergrad scheduling. Guess how many people went to class? Minor annoyances, but not really major issues. Upsides to this arragement? None that I know of, although it is nice to see undergrad and grad students in the lobby and stuff and not just med school classmates all the time.

 

[surely]

Rejected via email today - 35 MCAT, 3.6c/4.0s, nontrad OOS. Good luck everyone!

 

[Captain Sisko]

sorry to hear that surely.

 

[RocDiva4040]

Woww they're rejecting people already. Sorry to hear that. Good luck with the rest of your season.

 

[NickNaylor]

Mainly having to share the building with undergrads. There have been plenty of times this year were we got kicked out of classrooms because there was an undergrad class afterwards. Becomes problematic for TA review sessions, sometimes its been hard for the TA to book a room to use. Once, an undergrad professor started yelling at our teacher for going over time even though it was still 5 min before his class started. Also, apparently, one of our course directors said we had 8 am classes instead of 8:30 classes like previous years due to undergrad scheduling. Guess how many people went to class? Minor annoyances, but not really major issues. Upsides to this arragement? None that I know of, although it is nice to see undergrad and grad students in the lobby and stuff and not just med school classmates all the time.

Sounds like you guys had some bad luck with bratty professors. This definitely wasn't a problem with us, though... we had one undergrad professor that had a bit of a freak out moment but other than that we didn't have any issues. We also never had any issues with TAs, but again maybe you guys just had bad luck. And while I suppose my perspective is different since I'm usually at the hospital by 6 every morning, I couldn't help but laugh that 8:00 lectures would make a difference for you guys. You guys must be spoiled. 😉

As far as upsides to this organization, I agree that it won't affect you on a daily basis, but it does represent a symbolic gesture in that the med school is part of a larger organization and works closely with the other departments in that organization rather than being in its own bubble. As an example, one way in which this manifests is the incredible ease with which you can find research projects for your summer work if you decide to take advantage of the Summer Research Program. The faculty of the BSD are solicited for projects they would like help with and the school turns this info into a book complete with project details, what you should expect for the summer, and contact info for the PIs among other things. Compared to the experience of undergrad - which, at least for me, was about running around and emailing PIs and begging for them to graciously accept you into their lab as a dish washer - it's a relief to be able to pick from 100+ projects PIs WANT help with and just send an email to get involved.

So I guess I agree with Milk to some extent, but I think the real value is reflected more in the culture of the institution and its approach to teaching and training. I think you see that in the relaxed environment of the school, the strong connections between different departments and schools, and the implicit realization that while what you're being taught in the classroom is obviously important, that's not the whole picture and there are many other things that can inform your training as a physician - academically and otherwise.

Sent from my Nexus 7

 

[MilkIsGood]

Sounds like you guys had some bad luck with bratty professors. This definitely wasn't a problem with us, though... we had one undergrad professor that had a bit of a freak out moment but other than that we didn't have any issues. We also never had any issues with TAs, but again maybe you guys just had bad luck. And while I suppose my perspective is different since I'm usually at the hospital by 6 every morning, I couldn't help but laugh that 8:00 lectures would make a difference for you guys. You guys must be spoiled. 😉

As far as upsides to this organization, I agree that it won't affect you on a daily basis, but it does represent a symbolic gesture in that the med school is part of a larger organization and works closely with the other departments in that organization rather than being in its own bubble. As an example, one way in which this manifests is the incredible ease with which you can find research projects for your summer work if you decide to take advantage of the Summer Research Program. The faculty of the BSD are solicited for projects they would like help with and the school turns this info into a book complete with project details, what you should expect for the summer, and contact info for the PIs among other things. Compared to the experience of undergrad - which, at least for me, was about running around and emailing PIs and begging for them to graciously accept you into their lab as a dish washer - it's a relief to be able to pick from 100+ projects PIs WANT help with and just send an email to get involved.

So I guess I agree with Milk to some extent, but I think the real value is reflected more in the culture of the institution and its approach to teaching and training. I think you see that in the relaxed environment of the school, the strong connections between different departments and schools, and the implicit realization that while what you're being taught in the classroom is obviously important, that's not the whole picture and there are many other things that can inform your training as a physician - academically and otherwise.

Sent from my Nexus 7

Yea, bad luck. People complained about it, so I think those issues will be fixed in the future. 30 min difference feels like an hour in the mornings 😀 And, the bus starts running every 5 min after 8am!

 

[Wooki3]

I made the mistake of sending more than 3 letters to the University of Chicago. What should I do to remedy or clarify which letters are correct?

 

[hopefulMD12]

August 27th scheduled for interview. Any suggestions on accommodations?

 

[Soulstice]

Just got an Interview Invite! Last year, only 9 international students got interviews from 339 apps... so I'm feeling great right now.

#s? If you don't mind that is

 

[jeghaber]

#s? If you don't mind that is

In the MDApps link.

 

[Soulstice]

In the MDApps link.

On SDN mobile; can't load it for some reason.

 

[Jennyfishy]

I made the mistake of sending more than 3 letters to the University of Chicago. What should I do to remedy or clarify which letters are correct?

Where does it say that 3 letters is the max? This was what I referenced when I applied: http://pritzker.uchicago.edu/admissions/recommendation.shtml

 

[hopefulMD12]

On SDN mobile; can't load it for some reason.

4.0 GPA, 37 MCAT. My numbers are in range, but I think it was my LORs that got me the interview. I have fantastic relationships with my professors and 3 out of my 4 letter writers said that they explicitly wrote that I was one of the best overall students they had in the last 20 or 30 years. The interview invite email referred to my letters of recommendations, but idk if it was an individualized letter or one that is sent out to all invites. I'm thinking the latter, but not sure.

 

[nbahsan]

Stalker

 

[Amba]

4.0 GPA, 37 MCAT. My numbers are in range, but I think it was my LORs that got me the interview. I have fantastic relationships with my professors and 3 out of my 4 letter writers said that they explicitly wrote that I was one of the best overall students they had in the last 20 or 30 years. The interview invite email referred to my letters of recommendations, but idk if it was an individualized letter or one that is sent out to all invites. I'm thinking the latter, but not sure.

My email last week sounds the same. I thought it was interesting that they explicitly mentioned that they were impressed with other people's assessments.

Just got a rejection email. 🙁 32 3.9c/3.86 science

Sorry 🙁

 

[hopefulMD12]

Just got a rejection email. 🙁 32 3.9c/3.86 science

So sorry to hear. Good luck with other schools.

My email last week sounds the same. I thought it was interesting that they explicitly mentioned that they were impressed with other people's assessments.

Maybe it shows that they place high emphasis on LORs? Hmm...

 

[NickNaylor]

August 27th scheduled for interview. Any suggestions on accommodations?

Unless you're fundamentally opposed to it you should stay with a student: it's free and a great way to get some personal insight into the school. Barring that, the International House is on campus, 3-4 blocks away and costs about $60-70/night.

If THAT doesn't work, unfortunately there are no decent hotels in Hyde Park (the Ramada seems a little run down), I guess a hotel downtown.

Sent from my SGH-M919

 

[Wooki3]

Where does it say that 3 letters is the max? This was what I referenced when I applied: http://pritzker.uchicago.edu/admissions/recommendation.shtml

Thank you! I was freaking out a little bit because the application mentioned having three letters, but didn't say anything about having more

 

[Tots]

August 27th scheduled for interview. Any suggestions on accommodations?

Unless you're fundamentally opposed to it you should stay with a student: it's free and a great way to get some personal insight into the school. Barring that, the International House is on campus, 3-4 blocks away and costs about $60-70/night.

If THAT doesn't work, unfortunately there are no decent hotels in Hyde Park (the Ramada seems a little run down), I guess a hotel downtown.

Sent from my SGH-M919

I did all three(Hotel for interview, International House/Host for second look) and definitely recommend staying with a host. At first I was a little apprehensive about staying with hosts since I figured I would be on edge staying somewhere unfamiliar in addition to being nervous about the interview but as I interviewed at more places I stayed staying with hosts. It was an invaluable experience since, like NN said, they provided great insight into the school.

 

[hopefulMD12]

I did all three(Hotel for interview, International House/Host for second look) and definitely recommend staying with a host. At first I was a little apprehensive about staying with hosts since I figured I would be on edge staying somewhere unfamiliar in addition to being nervous about the interview but as I interviewed at more places I stayed staying with hosts. It was an invaluable experience since, like NN said, they provided great insight into the school.

Excuse my ignorance, but will UChicago send me info about the hosting program? I am not sure how to go about signing up with a host..

 

[ThrombinHood]

They should have sent it in an email after you picked your interview day. Its at the bottom of the interview verification email

 

[hopefulMD12]

They should have sent it in an email after you picked your interview day. Its at the bottom of the interview verification email

Nvm, just checked junk folder. The verification email was in there. Thanks!

 

[adbunnybabybay]

Hey everyone,

I was just wondering for the people who submitted and recieved II.
Did you receive an email from the school confirming that your secondary had been received and your application was complete? Or was it just reflected as a status change on the Application Portal?

Thanks for the help

 

[Strawberry7]

Just got a rejection email. 🙁 32 3.9c/3.86 science

Also rejected, identical stats

 

[Dbate]

Just got a rejection email. 🙁 32 3.9c/3.86 science

Also rejected, identical stats

When did both of you submit the secondary?

I haven't heard anything :/

 

[Strawberry7]

When did both of you submit the secondary?

I haven't heard anything :/

7/8. I'd say no news is better 😉

 

[jeghaber]

7/8. I'd say no news is better 😉

Sorry to keep asking, but were you complete or only with primary+secondary?

 

[Dbate]

7/8. I'd say no news is better 😉

Thanks for letting me know! I submitted on the same day.

My chances of getting an interview are low considering my sub-3.6 gpas, so I just want to get the rejection and move on.

I feel like I am already obsessively checking my email

And that just can't be good for my health

 

[McMeowerson]

Thanks for letting me know! I submitted on the same day.

My chances of getting an interview are low considering my subpar MCAT, so I just want to get the rejection and move on.

I feel like I am already obsessively checking my email

And that just can't be good for my health

+1

I'm just waiting for the inevitable!

 

[Mmhmm]

+1

i'm just waiting for the inevitable!

+2

 

[Strawberry7]

Sorry to keep asking, but were you complete or only with primary+secondary?

I was complete. Recs, primary, and secondary. I think my mcat didn't make the cut? who knows