2016-2017 Loyola University Chicago (Stritch) Application Thread

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  • "Your file has been initially reviewed by the Committee on Admissions. The review process is continuous from now until the conclusion of our interview season in February. If you wish to update your file, please do so within your portal. Thank you for your interest in Loyola University Chicago-Stritch School of Medicine."
Does this mean I'm on hold? Also, does anyone know if Loyola waits until the end of interview season to send out rejections, or did they see something they liked in my application, and that's why I didn't get rejected after being initially reviewed?
 
  • "Your file has been initially reviewed by the Committee on Admissions. The review process is continuous from now until the conclusion of our interview season in February. If you wish to update your file, please do so within your portal. Thank you for your interest in Loyola University Chicago-Stritch School of Medicine."
Does this mean I'm on hold? Also, does anyone know if Loyola waits until the end of interview season to send out rejections, or did they see something they liked in my application, and that's why I didn't get rejected after being initially reviewed?
sounds like it :/ but remember being on hold > rejection
 
  • "Your file has been initially reviewed by the Committee on Admissions. The review process is continuous from now until the conclusion of our interview season in February. If you wish to update your file, please do so within your portal. Thank you for your interest in Loyola University Chicago-Stritch School of Medicine."
Does this mean I'm on hold? Also, does anyone know if Loyola waits until the end of interview season to send out rejections, or did they see something they liked in my application, and that's why I didn't get rejected after being initially reviewed?

They send out rejections at the end.
 
People with IIs - what days of the week were you offered? Any weekend dates?
 
What are people's current status without interviews right now?
 
how long after app was verified did it take for yall to get a secondary?
 
Does anyone know how safe is the area around the school? I know the school does not have on-campus housing and tells students to find housing in the near suburbs; however, Maywood is full of gang activity and crime.
http://www.city-data.com/crime/crime-Maywood-Illinois.html

Maywood isn't the best, but the area around the hospital is pretty safe. Oak park, River Forest, and Forest Park are roughly a 20 minute drive away and are gorgeous neighborhoods.
 
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Maywood isn't the best, but the area around the hospital is very safe. Oak park, River Forest, and Forest Park are roughly a 20 minute drive away and are gorgeous neighborhoods.
There is no housing within walking distance?
 
I feel like I've made it seem like a bloodbath. The hospital area is pretty safe, you're not going to get shot by walking outside. Maywood isn't the most affluent area so the housing isn't the best, but the surrounding suburbs, like the ones I mentioned before, are really nice.
I know, I am pretty sure it is not that bad.
 
Does anyone know how safe is the area around the school? I know the school does not have on-campus housing and tells students to find housing in the near suburbs; however, Maywood is full of gang activity and crime.
http://www.city-data.com/crime/crime-Maywood-Illinois.html

I live in Forest Park, about 10 mins driving time from Loyola. I think it's pretty safe! I live just off of Madison St (where all the popular M1 hangout spots are) and I've walked home at night many times feeling completely safe! I have to agree with the above post that Maywood isn't the safest place to live, but there are many neighborhoods surrounding Maywood that are considered very, very safe (and pretty!). With that being said, I know several people that do live in Maywood and have not complained about feeling unsafe. Those same people also renewed their apartment leases for M2 year, which should say something about the location. Hope that helps!
 
Is the selection following the interview just based on the interview itself then?
If you mean people who are no longer under consideration, yes, performance at the interview could have been a contributing factor, though not necessarily the only one. Also, some candidates are instead waitlisted if the interview is not particularly strong.
 
II! Anyone know when the day ends? For flights

I booked a 5:50 return flight - the day is supposed to end around 3:30 and I saw that we shouldn't book a flight before 5 PM the day of your interview (according to the interview info they upload after selecting your interview date).
 
Any current students care to share some of your favorite things about this school?
 
Hey i got this email as well which definitely played a major role in me applying. I did get a moderate scholarship upon being accepted, but I do not think it had anything to do with the email. But they work fast if you follow the email's instructions. I got it in september, submitted my app, and with week or 2 I got an II! Hope that helps, good luck!

Wondering if you mind sharing what your stats were? I got the invitation to apply email as well and they will be pulling my application for review this week. Just trying to gauge my chances.
 
Any current students care to share some of your favorite things about this school?

The environment and the people. The students at Stritch are genuinely nice, and everyone is collaborative and more than willing to lend a hand. We all share study guides, flashcards, books, notes, etc., and really everyone wants everyone to succeed. This is true for the faculty members too. They genuinely care about our well-being, and are willing to go out of their way to help us in any way that they can. Admissions is very good at making sure student's voices are heard too, so if you have a problem with something, they'll likely try to fix it. To me, a family like community was something I really wanted in medical school, and I can definitely say Loyola does a great job of providing that for its students.
 
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Should I bother applying here if I only have a very small amount (~25 hours) of non-clinical community service?
 
At first thought, my answer would be no. But, honestly, there are exceptions to every rule. It is important to not rest your laurels on thinking you're the special snowflake(as this website likes to say), however.... Most of us are not. It might depend on what the rest of your application looks like. Can you show a dedication to serving others? If so, maybe.
 
At first thought, my answer would be no. But, honestly, there are exceptions to every rule. It is important to not rest your laurels on thinking you're the special snowflake(as this website likes to say), however.... Most of us are not. It might depend on what the rest of your application looks like. Can you show a dedication to serving others? If so, maybe.
I'm not sure what would count as "showing dedication." I worked with people from underserved and vulnerable groups as a home health aide for two years and my former supervisor wrote me a nice LoR about how compassionate and caring I am for that, but in terms of activities strictly focused on serving others like volunteering no, not really. It's not that I don't care about people though, I've just never really enjoyed that kind of volunteer work and had to focus on getting my grades up for a large part of college to make up for a very bad semester I had freshman year. I talked about serving others in my writing and essays, though. My small amount comes from a scholarship fund I co-founded with a friend.
 
If you feel like you can make a compelling argument that as an applicant, you are aligned with their mission and can show examples of how you can exemplify this (regardless of the specific number of hours you have), it could be worth it. If you don't feel you can, I wouldn't.

From their website:
"In keeping with our Jesuit heritage, we look favorably upon candidates who have shown the capacity to work and care for people from different social and economic groups, as well as learn from them. Involvement in community service is an advantage in that it demonstrates a concern for others and an ability to manage time efficiently. Of course, the Committee on Admissions recognizes that some people have limited opportunities for community service due to responsibilities at work and home."

But these things are purposefully fuzzily defined. I'm not sure anyone can give you a definitive answer as you know your motivation and background best. Use your best judgment.
 
Can anyone share the prompts? Want to give them a look before I pay the $125 fee. Thanks.

2 paragraphs or 500 word limit for all:

1) Becoming a person for others is a core Jesuit value. Please describe your own development in becoming a person for others. How have you demonstrated this value?

2) SSOM seeks students who are well rounded, resilient, adaptable and lifelong learners. Please describe a personal challenge that required resiliency or adaptability (and the skills, resources and strategies you employed to take on the challenge). DO NOT write about the MCAT, a course, or an academic issue.

3) How will you contribute to the diversity of the Stritch student body and community? Specifically, what unique traits, identities, experiences, skills and perspectives will you contribute?

4) Please use the space below to further explain anything in your application that may help us in our review of your candidacy-gaps or delays in education, academic missteps, or personal challenges not listed elsewhere, etc. (this is an optional response limited to 1500 characters)

5) Have you applied to any medical school prior to this year's application? If so, please list the years of your previous application submissions to AMCAS. Please also tell us how your application has improved since your previous application.

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. If you have not been enrolled in coursework, please let us know what you have been doing since coursework ended.
 
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