2013-2014 University of Illinois Application Thread

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scheduled the interview and it's 5 hours long!?

can anyone who has interviewed give any feedback with regards to what goes on? is that all interviews or is there other stuff as well?

I interviewed last cycle...
There are two sets of groups interviewing... morning and afternoon.
I was in the morning and here's how it went:
Got there and hung up my coat and such and just sat and chatted with the other candidates.
We get itineraries concerning who we interview with and what time: it's a combo of 3 people; admissions/prof/MD/current student.
You get escorted to each of your interviews and theyre approx. 30-45min
Mixed in the day is catered lunch with current students, presentation from Dean of Admissions, and campus tour.

Plan out parking accordingly and wear comfy shoes!
Good luck!
 
k well that gives me hope, im a UIUC alum myself

If you're an IL resident you're in good shape. They interview 1/3 of them and I've heard 75% of those interviewed get accepted. And woohoo UIUC!
 
Just got an interview invite! 🙂 I was complete around 7/17.
 
If you're an IL resident you're in good shape. They interview 1/3 of them and I've heard 75% of those interviewed get accepted. And woohoo UIUC!

Really? I was planning on casually trying to hint at being willing to donate a kidney to go here but maybe that won't be necessary...

(checks GPA)

yeeeea I'll probably still mention it
 
My supp is complete but awaiting admissions officer letter review...does anyone know how long this usually takes?
 
Withdrew my interview today. Hopefully my spot goes to one of you guys. Good luck!
 
0.o why such an early withdraw?!

Applied here without really thinking it through and never expecting to actually get an interview. 73k a year in tuition is just too much. That's just for tuition! With cost of attendance, I'd probably be close to half a million dollars in debt after school is over.
 
Applied here without really thinking it through and never expecting to actually get an interview. 73k a year in tuition is just too much. That's just for tuition! With cost of attendance, I'd probably be close to half a million dollars in debt after school is over.

oh sweet jesus it is
well thats one way to deter OOS people

also checked my status today,
i went from "applicant in progress" to "applicant in process"
i dont know what that means
 
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letter packet is acceptable. I asked today. FYI

I know a letter packet is acceptable, but on the secondary did you select the 3 recommenders option or the composite rec option? Thanks in advance!
 
Eff. Just submitted and then reading back on this thread realized that I could have put employment on the extracurricular page. I wasn't even thinking about employment because of the employment history page later and only listed my volunteer work. I've been working full-time for ten years, so I don't even think of my job as being "extra-curricular."
It's on my amcas, but damn, probably totally screwed up my chances for an interview here.

Do you think it's worth a call or email?
 
Eff. Just submitted and then reading back on this thread realized that I could have put employment on the extracurricular page. I wasn't even thinking about employment because of the employment history page later and only listed my volunteer work. I've been working full-time for ten years, so I don't even think of my job as being "extra-curricular."
It's on my amcas, but damn, probably totally screwed up my chances for an interview here.

Do you think it's worth a call or email?

I wouldn't worry about it that much. If it's on your AMCAS they'll see it.
 
Does anyone know what the requirements are to receive a secondary? I know on the website it says that they only send them to people they are seriously considering for admission. But I have a 3.64uGPA/3.6sciGPA, 26S MCAT, and I received a secondary. I am retaking the MCAT in September, if that matters...
 
IS and complete around 7/24

Also, on the status page, my interview is scheduled but the "confirm interview" box is still blank. Is that what we have to respond to via regular mail? I was a little confused by what the admissions office said haha
 
IS and complete around 7/24

Also, on the status page, my interview is scheduled but the "confirm interview" box is still blank. Is that what we have to respond to via regular mail? I was a little confused by what the admissions office said haha

I think what they told me is when it's closer to your interview date they send you a reminder email and then you have to confirm your interview. I think it's like 3 weeks before your scheduled date. What day did you choose?
 
I think what they told me is when it's closer to your interview date they send you a reminder email and then you have to confirm your interview. I think it's like 3 weeks before your scheduled date. What day did you choose?

Ah, okay cool. And I went with 10/1 at the Chicago campus.
 
I submitted my primary on August 1st. and still nothing 🙁

Stats:

3.3 cGPA
3.3 BCPM
31 MCAT

Very strong ECs (do a lot of projects for the university, which in turn benefit any one affiliated with the university), Also very strong letters of recommendations

Do you think I have a shot? How long does it take for an invite for the secondary?
 
I submitted my primary on August 1st. and still nothing 🙁

Stats:

3.3 cGPA
3.3 BCPM
31 MCAT

Very strong ECs (do a lot of projects for the university, which in turn benefit any one affiliated with the university), Also very strong letters of recommendations

Do you think I have a shot? How long does it take for an invite for the secondary?

I got a secondary literally the day my primary was verified. Are you still under review with AMCAS?
 
Originally Posted by wchaud2
I submitted my primary on August 1st. and still nothing

Stats:

3.3 cGPA
3.3 BCPM
31 MCAT

Very strong ECs (do a lot of projects for the university, which in turn benefit any one affiliated with the university), Also very strong letters of recommendations

Do you think I have a shot? How long does it take for an invite for the secondary?




If you submitted your primary on Aug 1st, it's highly unlikely that it would be verified already. It can take up to 6 wks (possibly even more b/c it is later in the season). I have a much lower MCAT score than you and I received a secondary right away (submitted primary 6/24, verified 7/31). Once you get verified, I'm almost positive you will get a secondary app.
 
Thanks! I wasnt sure if UIC only sent secondaries to verified applications!

Hopefully get in here! hoping for some in state love
 
Thanks! I wasnt sure if UIC only sent secondaries to verified applications!

Hopefully get in here! hoping for some in state love

youre kinda late... and your stats are a bit low....
hopefully everything else is as great as you make it out to be
i have a 3.61/3.54 and 34 and i didnt get into UofI last year (in state)
and i had similar timing to you
being late is gonna hurt you
 
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youre kinda late... and your stats are a bit low....
hopefully everything else is as great as you make it out to be
i have a 3.61/3.54 and 34 and i didnt get into UofI last semester (in state)
and i had similar timing to you
being late is gonna hurt you

Did you interview last year?
 
Did you interview last year?

didnt even get an interview
for reference i was verified 9/14/12 and submitted the secondary mid-late ish september. i dont remember the exact dates.

but yea, no interview

so considering the 6-8 week verification time AMCAS is taking, wchaud2 can look at either a mid-late september verification. So looking at similar timing to me, and considering i had stronger stats (and i have the kosher ECs for premed kids)... idk, you never know, but id be realistic

Illinois has a deceptively wide range on their MCAT and GPA, but they take in so many students, im assuming they take a decent amount of URM who historically perform worse on the stats, and then low stat individuals with the good stories/crazy cool non traditional backgrounds/friends in high places... etc

wchaud2 definitely still has a shot, but he kinda shot himself in the foot a bit submitting on august 1st
 
youre kinda late... and your stats are a bit low....
hopefully everything else is as great as you make it out to be
i have a 3.61/3.54 and 34 and i didnt get into UofI last year (in state)
and i had similar timing to you
being late is gonna hurt you

The individual's GPA is lower, but mcat and I believe they said their extracurriculars were very good, depending on where they did their undergraduate holds some weight, but to say the stats are low is wrong. My mcat was much lower than a 34 and I interviewed their last year. So maybe there is some other flaw in your application or something to have not got an interview.
 
The individual's GPA is lower, but mcat and I believe they said their extracurriculars were very good, depending on where they did their undergraduate holds some weight, but to say the stats are low is wrong. My mcat was much lower than a 34 and I interviewed their last year. So maybe there is some other flaw in your application or something to have not got an interview.


When did you submit your application last year?
Only reason for a low GPA was health related one semester.. literally destroying it.. 🙁
Graduating in three years..

Worst case scenario would be applying early next year with a higher (3.6ish) GPA..

and for reference...my three stronger ECs include...

1.) 2 years.. 30 hours a week..
scheduler for my department... and managing our 100 plus student work force..
implementing new training processes for my department on campus. ie (creating blackboard modules which make our training process more efficient)
marketing what are department offers to anyone affiliated with the university.. mostly dealing with how our student population can benefit.
increasing the awareness of the department.. ie visual appearance.

2.) tutor for the science department.. orgo, gen chem, bio, physics. usually 15 hours a week for 1 years now.

3.) volunteering at a museum and introducing new exhibit ideas (1 year) about 80 hours total.


there are are few others but they would be the same as a typical medical school student.. shadowing doctors for some time..

only thing I dont have is research..
 
"awaiting Admissions Officer letter review-"

I assume this stage is prior to becoming "applicant in process?"
 
What does the status "applicant in progress" after clicking the "next" button on the status portal mean?

Does this mean I'm complete?


Also, did they give out secondaries to everyone?
 
If I filled out the disadvantaged applicant essay (rural, low-income growing up, first gen high school grad/college student) do I have to address this here again? Can I just say not applicable because it was already explained and 150 char is not enough to address it effectively.

I also have tourette's syndrome and didn't mention that in the primary at all so I thought I could say something like "In addition to the obstacles addressed in my disadvantaged essay I have tourette's..."

I would love any advice on this I don't want to shoot myself in the foot one way or the other.
 
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If I filled out the disadvantaged applicant essay (rural, low-income growing up, first gen high school grad/college student) do I have to address this here again? Can I just say not applicable because it was already explained and 150 char is not enough to address it effectively.

I also have tourette's syndrome and didn't mention that in the primary at all so I thought I could say something like "In addition to the obstacles addressed in my disadvantaged essay I have tourette's..."

I would love any advice on this I don't want to shoot myself in the foot one way or the other.
If you want to you should, I would just be careful how you talk about it. I would highlight what you have learned when dealing with it and more importantly how it doesn't and won't hugely impact your life anymore.
 
MD interview invite today; waiting to schedule until after I hear from the MSTP committee however. Was told that MSTP invites will start going out after Sept 16th.

3.72/37, OOS, complete 8/1
 
MD interview invite today; waiting to schedule until after I hear from the MSTP committee however. Was told that MSTP invites will start going out after Sept 16th.

3.72/37, OOS, complete 8/1

Congrats! Did you write the optional essay on the MSTP app?
 
Congrats! Did you write the optional essay on the MSTP app?

Thanks! I didn't do the optional MSTP essay, but I have no idea whether that will hurt me or not; from what they told me, the MD committee doesn't even check whether applicants are MSTP or not before reviewing them, so the MD interview isn't necessarily a sign that an MSTP interview is coming. Fingers crossed though!
 
Thanks! I didn't do the optional MSTP essay, but I have no idea whether that will hurt me or not; from what they told me, the MD committee doesn't even check whether applicants are MSTP or not before reviewing them, so the MD interview isn't necessarily a sign that an MSTP interview is coming. Fingers crossed though!

It seems like most of the things they ask for are covered in the MD/PhD essays anyway.

By the way, for anyone else got the email today asking you to email them your AMCAS application, don't forget that the form contains a list of all schools you applied to, plus the number of schools (next to each of your assigned letters). Probably best to edit that info out before you send it on to them. :laugh:
 
Congrats! Did you write the optional essay on the MSTP app?

Thanks! I didn't do the optional MSTP essay, but I have no idea whether that will hurt me or not; from what they told me, the MD committee doesn't even check whether applicants are MSTP or not before reviewing them, so the MD interview isn't necessarily a sign that an MSTP interview is coming. Fingers crossed though!

FWIW, I'm not going to complete the MSTP essay either. It seems redundant since my essays already say the same thing.
 
Would someone mind posting the link to the status check website? I recently switched emails and no longer have access to the original email sent to me! Thank you.
 
So I checked my status webpage today and yesterday it said application in progress and today it said interview letter/date/confirmation and a big calendar grid of available dates up on the screen.

I still havent gotten an email inviting me to an interview, but can I assume that this means I am about to get an II?
 
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