2016-2017 University of Chicago (Pritzker) Application Thread

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
For rejections/II are they done via email? Or did you all check the portal


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile
 
How long does it usually take for Pritzker to receive LORs? I submitted my secondary on the 2nd and the REC box is still grayed out. Is this happening to anyone else?
 
How long does it usually take for Pritzker to receive LORs? I submitted my secondary on the 2nd and the REC box is still grayed out. Is this happening to anyone else?

I was just gonna post on this thread asking the same thing. I submitted secondary on the 4th and LOR's probably the day before, but the box is still gray for me. I'm wondering when I should contact someone....
 
How long does it usually take for Pritzker to receive LORs? I submitted my secondary on the 2nd and the REC box is still grayed out. Is this happening to anyone else?

The LOR box is blue for me now, it should be the same for you. just thought i'd let you know!
 
Hi all: I am a recent accepted student to Pritzker (accepted last cycle).
I just want to remind everyone that the online portal is updated by hand by the admissions staff. Keep this in mind if it takes some time for things to update! The Pritzker admissions office was by far the most impressive school during my cycle when it came to promptness and organization. Don't worry too much!
-theboatman
 
Hi all: I am a recent accepted student to Pritzker (accepted last cycle).
I just want to remind everyone that the online portal is updated by hand by the admissions staff. Keep this in mind if it takes some time for things to update! The Pritzker admissions office was by far the most impressive school during my cycle when it came to promptness and organization. Don't worry too much!
-theboatman

Thanks for visiting. What should I be on the lookout for when I go for the interview? Key transportation issues i.e. time required for getting to and from the airport, things they ask about during interviews, etc.? thanks!
 
On my application portal my application status has changed to:

Application Held for Later Review
Your application has been placed on hold for further review later in the application process. In the meantime we encourage you to keep us informed by email of new academic and extracurricular accomplishments.

Kind of bummed, I am MSTP though so hopefully that is the reason.
 
On my application portal my application status has changed to:

Application Held for Later Review
Your application has been placed on hold for further review later in the application process. In the meantime we encourage you to keep us informed by email of new academic and extracurricular accomplishments.

Kind of bummed, I am MSTP though so hopefully that is the reason.

Mine says this as well, and I am not MD/PH.D. 🙁
 
Mine says this as well, and I am not MD/PH.D. 🙁


When were you complete? I feel like my status has been on complete for forever (not really, just feels that way). Between people getting interviews and being put on hold, it's weird that mine hasn't changed at all.
 
I feel like my status has been on complete for forever (not really, just feels that way).

I've been complete since 7/1 with no change on the portal or via email. Keep having to tell myself that it's way too early in the cycle to have such little patience already 🙄 Best of luck!!
 
Holy crap, on a Sunday?

Yeah...idk. Got the email around dinnertime too...
If I had to guess - members of the adcom read the apps they're assigned on their own time, make suggestions (probably via online database or something), and then if reasonable, applicant's status is updated? My reader(s) probably just had the time this past weekend or something, considering I was only marked complete on Friday... But this is just pure speculation on my part.

Basically med school admissions process is a black box 😕
 
Thanks for visiting. What should I be on the lookout for when I go for the interview? Key transportation issues i.e. time required for getting to and from the airport, things they ask about during interviews, etc.? thanks!
Of course!

Here are some tips for the interview:
1) I stayed with a student host and I would highly recommend doing so. It is a great opportunity to spend time with some students and get a good feeling for the school. Just be prepared to sleep on a couch or pull out sofa.
2) I drove to my interview. If you are driving distance, the admissions office will give you a voucher that will cover your parking for the day of your interview.
3) In terms of flying, you need to fly in the evening before the interview. I recommend flying into Midway (rather than O'hare) if possible because it is much closer to the school (Southwest Airlines only flies to Midway). From Midway, you can take an Uber/Lyft and it is not too expensive (maybe around $15-$20 each way), and probably a 20-30 minute journey depending on traffic. There are also public transportation options, but I don't recommend using them at night (this is the advice I was given by host at the time).
4) The interview ends around the same time for everyone, so you can probably find other interviewers who are heading back to the airport and want to split an uber/lyft.
5) Breakfast and lunch were provided for me at my interview, and both were delicious!
6) I (and likely you) had 3 interviews. 1 Student, 1 Faculty/Physician, and 1 Administrative interview. Your student interviewer should be taken just as seriously as the others.

General interviewing tips:
Note: There is no specific advice I can give you for interviewing at Pritzker. But I can share with you some general tips that apply to all medical school interviews, regardless of school.
1) Look good. Wear a suit. There's lots of stuff on this website if you need help with that.
2) Most interviews (especially Pritzker) are extremely laid back. Just a conversation getting to know you. Take a deep breath and just be yourself. Smile.
3) There are 2 questions you will be very likely be asked at every interview. First, Why do you want to be a doctor? Second, Why our school? Those came up in pretty much all of my interviews. Then be ready to talk about your activities/research, and answer classic interview questions like greatest strength, greatest weakness, successes, failures, etc.

I hope this helps!
-theboatman
 
Of course!

Here are some tips for the interview:
1) I stayed with a student host and I would highly recommend doing so. It is a great opportunity to spend time with some students and get a good feeling for the school. Just be prepared to sleep on a couch or pull out sofa.
2) I drove to my interview. If you are driving distance, the admissions office will give you a voucher that will cover your parking for the day of your interview.
3) In terms of flying, you need to fly in the evening before the interview. I recommend flying into Midway (rather than O'hare) if possible because it is much closer to the school (Southwest Airlines only flies to Midway). From Midway, you can take an Uber/Lyft and it is not too expensive (maybe around $15-$20 each way), and probably a 20-30 minute journey depending on traffic. There are also public transportation options, but I don't recommend using them at night (this is the advice I was given by host at the time).
4) The interview ends around the same time for everyone, so you can probably find other interviewers who are heading back to the airport and want to split an uber/lyft.
5) Breakfast and lunch were provided for me at my interview, and both were delicious!
6) I (and likely you) had 3 interviews. 1 Student, 1 Faculty/Physician, and 1 Administrative interview. Your student interviewer should be taken just as seriously as the others.

General interviewing tips:
Note: There is no specific advice I can give you for interviewing at Pritzker. But I can share with you some general tips that apply to all medical school interviews, regardless of school.
1) Look good. Wear a suit. There's lots of stuff on this website if you need help with that.
2) Most interviews (especially Pritzker) are extremely laid back. Just a conversation getting to know you. Take a deep breath and just be yourself. Smile.
3) There are 2 questions you will be very likely be asked at every interview. First, Why do you want to be a doctor? Second, Why our school? Those came up in pretty much all of my interviews. Then be ready to talk about your activities/research, and answer classic interview questions like greatest strength, greatest weakness, successes, failures, etc.

I hope this helps!
-theboatman

Very informative, thanks for the info!
 
Of course!

Here are some tips for the interview:
1) I stayed with a student host and I would highly recommend doing so. It is a great opportunity to spend time with some students and get a good feeling for the school. Just be prepared to sleep on a couch or pull out sofa.
2) I drove to my interview. If you are driving distance, the admissions office will give you a voucher that will cover your parking for the day of your interview.
3) In terms of flying, you need to fly in the evening before the interview. I recommend flying into Midway (rather than O'hare) if possible because it is much closer to the school (Southwest Airlines only flies to Midway). From Midway, you can take an Uber/Lyft and it is not too expensive (maybe around $15-$20 each way), and probably a 20-30 minute journey depending on traffic. There are also public transportation options, but I don't recommend using them at night (this is the advice I was given by host at the time).
4) The interview ends around the same time for everyone, so you can probably find other interviewers who are heading back to the airport and want to split an uber/lyft.
5) Breakfast and lunch were provided for me at my interview, and both were delicious!
6) I (and likely you) had 3 interviews. 1 Student, 1 Faculty/Physician, and 1 Administrative interview. Your student interviewer should be taken just as seriously as the others.

General interviewing tips:
Note: There is no specific advice I can give you for interviewing at Pritzker. But I can share with you some general tips that apply to all medical school interviews, regardless of school.
1) Look good. Wear a suit. There's lots of stuff on this website if you need help with that.
2) Most interviews (especially Pritzker) are extremely laid back. Just a conversation getting to know you. Take a deep breath and just be yourself. Smile.
3) There are 2 questions you will be very likely be asked at every interview. First, Why do you want to be a doctor? Second, Why our school? Those came up in pretty much all of my interviews. Then be ready to talk about your activities/research, and answer classic interview questions like greatest strength, greatest weakness, successes, failures, etc.

I hope this helps!
-theboatman

Thanks so much!
 
Placed on hold 🙁 Better than a rejection, though I'm not holding out much hope...big reach for me without any research experience.
 
Congrats everyone with interviews!! I'm just sitting here waiting for my committee letter to be sent like
766Xb_s-200x150.gif
 
still waiting on my recs to be marked as received...
 
Placed on hold 🙁 Better than a rejection, though I'm not holding out much hope...big reach for me without any research experience.
Sorry to hear 🙁. When were you marked complete?
 
Can anyone speak to the number of pre-interview hold applicants that were ultimately invited to interview? I tried looking it up in past threads but didn't find much.
 
  • Like
Reactions: HIV
It's ridiculous that I'm already getting antsy, isn't it? Complete in June but no change in status since. Perhaps my application is sitting buried and forgotten on someone's desk :-D
 
Can anyone speak to the number of pre-interview hold applicants that were ultimately invited to interview? I tried looking it up in past threads but didn't find much.
From what I recall from last year, there were not nearly as many pre-interview holds as this year. I think this may be a new thing Pritzker is doing this year to keep applicants from anxiously waiting for the II email.
 
Congrats everyone with interviews!! I'm just sitting here waiting for my committee letter to be sent like
766Xb_s-200x150.gif
Literally me. Took the MCAT early to have my letter in early as my school recommended... Liessssss
 
did people who got holds get emails? I hate being in this limbo....
 
Rejection 🙁. It's okay, I didn't want to go there anyways... *sobs in corner*
 
Top