2017-2018 University of Illinois

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Deciding to withdraw my acceptance. Going to retake the MCAT and apply next cycle. Good luck to those of you who are on the waitlist. Really hope one of you receive my spot.
Better change your username then ... there are plenty of people that would kill for an acceptance and a seat at UIC COM.
Good luck with your decision if you have yet to make one already.
 
Just checked my portal and it said : "A final decision was made on your application on . If you have not received email communication regarding the outcome please email the Office of Medical College Admissions: [email protected]"

Did anyone else get this status?

UPDATE: Got my rejection at 1AM in the morning
 
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Just checked my portal and it said : "A final decision was made on your application on . If you have not received email communication regarding the outcome please email the Office of Medical College Admissions: [email protected]"

Did anyone else get this status?

Sadly, UIC is not sending out any more II.
 
I have not made the decision officially. Just contemplating on what my next move should be.
 
How did everyone find out their placement locations? The portal or email?

In my financial aid award letter, my site says Chicago, but is this the same for everyone?
 
Deciding to withdraw my acceptance. Going to retake the MCAT and apply next cycle. Good luck to those of you who are on the waitlist. Really hope one of you receive my spot.

As an applicant who interviewed here but was deferred, I would love to be in your place
 
I interviewed back in October. Received an update last week that I have been deferred (my application will continue to be evaluated until they make the official waitlist in April). Not going to lie, I'm a bit bummed out, especially given how high the post-interview acceptance rate is supposed to be. At the same time though, I am very grateful to have at least one acceptance this cycle. Congrats to everyone who was accepted! Wishing you all the best at this incredible school
 
I have not made the decision officially. Just contemplating on what my next move should be.

So why do you feel that it is more compelling to reapply than to take an acceptance to UIC? Why did you apply to UIC if you have no intention on going?

This is so strange. Maybe you should withdraw and give somebody who really wants to go a chance to be a doctor.
 
has anyone who interviewed in January or February been accepted? Seems like almost everyone is getting deferred if they interviewed later...
I interviewed in the second week of Jan in Rockford and was accepted 8 days later. From some of the comments on this thread, I saw a handful of people with the same timeline and outcome.
 
I have not made the decision officially. Just contemplating on what my next move should be.
You will likely never be admitted to an MD program if you withdraw your only acceptance. It's a GIGANTIC red flag and usually only acceptable if a candidate has significant health or family issues, and even then most candidates request deferments.
 
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I have not made the decision officially. Just contemplating on what my next move should be.
It will cost hundreds of dollars to retake the MCAT and thousands of dollars to reapply (AMCAS Fees+Secondary fees+interview travel cost). Plus, as others have mentioned, you will more than likely have a major red flag on your application. UIC is a great school, especially for the price.
 
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Deciding to withdraw my acceptance. Going to retake the MCAT and apply next cycle. Good luck to those of you who are on the waitlist. Really hope one of you receive my spot.
I'm going to take the unpopular opinion here and say go for it. I'm sure you'll get a 520 on your retake and get into Harvard next year, it'll be worth it.

*just doing what I can for my sdn friends on the waitlist 😀*
 
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I have not made the decision officially. Just contemplating on what my next move should be.
Is it possible to defer your admission for next year in this way you still have a chance to come back next year.. Or Pray if UIC can put you on a Defer list like they did last year to few of IS students and get a free tuition in your 1st year.
 
LOL I actually had one MD acceptance the first time I applied but decided to take the MAJORRR risk and reapply because the OOS tuition was wayyyy too high for me. I reapplied and got into UIC and Im waiting on a post interview response from another school. It could happen but I still wouldnt necessarily advise anyone to do it.
 
I have not made the decision officially. Just contemplating on what my next move should be.

I think if you really want to fulfill your goal of becoming a physician - take this opportunity and RUN WITH IT!! Milwaukee also isn't too far away - if you want to try and make things work with your gf, it's possible. Just hang in there, bud. Don't do anything you might regret.
 
I think if you really want to fulfill your goal of becoming a physician - take this opportunity and RUN WITH IT!! Milwaukee also isn't too far away - if you want to try and make things work with your gf, it's possible. Just hang in there, bud. Don't do anything you might regret.
Exactly. I know a guy whose s/o goes to MCW. She literally is in Chicago 3 or 4 days a week, since the drive is like less than an hour and a half. It can definitely work out if you guys are willing to put in the effort.
 
Also wondering about this... curious if they will give any scholarships
From my understanding of what an upperclassman told me, they have a decent amount of renewable ~15k scholarships or other smaller amounts that go by the name of College of Medicine scholarship or something. They also have a few full tuition ones like the Dean's scholarship, which I think is for outstanding underrepresented minorities. They also had a Sweeney Scholarship for scorers of 39+ on the old mcat, which was a large amount. Im curious if they still have that one and, if so, what they new mcat cutoff is. Regardless, ecstatic over instate tuition!!!
 
For those who have been accepted: Second look at the Chicago campus is on Friday, April 6th. Sign in begins around 9:30am, activities go 10am-4pm, then student led activities until 6pm and after some people go out to a local bar with current students. UIC COM admissions office sent an invite via email today and you have to RSVP, FYI.
 
what are the advantages of going if you are almost certain you will attend u of i? asking genuinely

1) Meeting people who can become future roommates
2) Meeting faculty and staff early on to start forging professional relationships
3) Exploring the academic load in the M1 year and how you can begin to prepare over the next 5 months
4) Becoming familiar with student life and the local neighborhood
5) Having some financial aid questions answered
6) "Next steps" clarification (i.e. background checks, immunizations, loan paperwork, etc.)
7) Asking current M1s for tips (i.e. 1. what can be studied/prepared pre-matriculation 2. what kind of electronic devices are best 3. where to live)

Just a few advantages that come to mind immediately. Obviously, there is more than one forum for this information (facebook, calling UIC admissions, SDN), but this will likely be the best one to get honest, straightforward answers from face to face interactions with current students, staff, and faculty.
 
I interviewed back in October. Received an update last week that I have been deferred (my application will continue to be evaluated until they make the official waitlist in April). Not going to lie, I'm a bit bummed out, especially given how high the post-interview acceptance rate is supposed to be. At the same time though, I am very grateful to have at least one acceptance this cycle. Congrats to everyone who was accepted! Wishing you all the best at this incredible school

I'm sorry about your situation, but at least there is still hope on the deferral list! I interviewed back in November and still haven't heard back. Did you get your deferral update via email or the portal? Thanks and best of luck with the rest of your cycle!
 
I'm sorry about your situation, but at least there is still hope on the deferral list! I interviewed back in November and still haven't heard back. Did you get your deferral update via email or the portal? Thanks and best of luck with the rest of your cycle!
I don't recall seeing any post on this forum where a student got accepted from a Deferred list. To me its more of a waiting list now. From past year chances of getting acceptance from WL are slim to none.
I been on Deferred List since November (via email) and its like dead silence. Not complaining since I have 1 acceptance from other school but uic is my first choice and I like to see a closure early rather then in May or June.
Anyway April 30 we have to choose one school if we have multiple acceptances. And April 1st AAMC will notify each school where you apply if you get accepted in other school or not. So there will be a movement after 4/1 for rejections and acceptances..
 
I don't recall seeing any post on this forum where a student got accepted from a Deferred list. To me its more of a waiting list now. From past year chances of getting acceptance from WL are slim to none.
I been on Deferred List since November (via email) and its like dead silence. Not complaining since I have 1 acceptance from other school but uic is my first choice and I like to see a closure early rather then in May or June.
Anyway April 30 we have to choose one school if we have multiple acceptances. And April 1st AAMC will notify each school where you apply if you get accepted in other school or not. So there will be a movement after 4/1 for rejections and acceptances..

Same (sans acceptance elsewhere). I spoke with admissions in December and they were hopeful that deferred applicants would be re-reviewed around mid-February, after interviews were completed. Seems like they extended the interview cycle until the end of the month, so hopefully they'll start re-reviewing soon.

It feels a lot like a wait list to me, but admissions said pretty clearly that they expect it to function differently than a wait list, although they didn't specify as to how this might be. Anyway, much love/respect/obligation to anyone who wants to call admissions and see if they can get a status update on the re-review of deferred apps.
 
I'm sorry about your situation, but at least there is still hope on the deferral list! I interviewed back in November and still haven't heard back. Did you get your deferral update via email or the portal? Thanks and best of luck with the rest of your cycle!

Received the deferral update via email. My portal hasn't changed at all lol
 
Random thought...and please no one take it the wrong way. I love UIC and I have tremendous respect for the institution.

Why is it ranked so poorly considering how well it's students do in the match? What are the USNWR rankings based off of and why does UIC seem to swing so much above its rank?
 
Random thought...and please no one take it the wrong way. I love UIC and I have tremendous respect for the institution.

Why is it ranked so poorly considering how well it's students do in the match? What are the USNWR rankings based off of and why does UIC seem to swing so much above its rank?

You should probably email admissions instead.
 
Random thought...and please no one take it the wrong way. I love UIC and I have tremendous respect for the institution.

Why is it ranked so poorly considering how well it's students do in the match? What are the USNWR rankings based off of and why does UIC seem to swing so much above its rank?

USNWR rankings are based on a number of things but two really matter: 1) Overall NIH funding to the institution 2) "Prestige ranking" of the institution. From the start a high prestige ranking was assigned to Harvard, Stanford, Hopkins, NW, etc. and it is very difficult for institutions to move up the list. Match success and USMLE scores do not factor into the rankings I believe (and if they do, very small part of them).

UIC attracts a good number of very good medical school applicants from IL and the Chicagoland area. The top 10-15% of the class could give NW or UChicago a run for their money USMLE score wise, intelligence-wise, etc. Additionally, match is both a numbers game and a networking game. You have to hit your scores but who you know also matters. You have a lot of daughters and sons of physicians there, providing their kids a boost once they are ready for match. Plus, UIC has a very strong alumni network in Chicago and the mid-west. Also, UIC graduates ~300 MDs a year, resulting in more of them eventually reaching decision-making positions in academic residency programs and providing a boost to future UIC residency applicants. All in all, this creates an institution that "punches above its weight" as you put it.

TL;DR: I would focus less on USNWR rankings and more on USMLE scores (especially looking at top and bottom quartiles), match results, rotation quality and location, and student resources when looking at schools.
 
USNWR rankings are based on a number of things but two really matter: 1) Overall NIH funding to the institution 2) "Prestige ranking" of the institution. From the start a high prestige ranking was assigned to Harvard, Stanford, Hopkins, NW, etc. and it is very difficult for institutions to move up the list. Match success and USMLE scores do not factor into the rankings I believe (and if they do, very small part of them).

UIC attracts a good number of very good medical school applicants from IL and the Chicagoland area. The top 10-15% of the class could give NW or UChicago a run for their money USMLE score wise, intelligence-wise, etc. Additionally, match is both a numbers game and a networking game. You have to hit your scores but who you know also matters. You have a lot of daughters and sons of physicians there, providing their kids a boost once they are ready for match. Plus, UIC has a very strong alumni network in Chicago and the mid-west. Also, UIC graduates ~300 MDs a year, resulting in more of them eventually reaching decision-making positions in academic residency programs and providing a boost to future UIC residency applicants. All in all, this creates an institution that "punches above its weight" as you put it.

TL;DR: I would focus less on USNWR rankings and more on USMLE scores (especially looking at top and bottom quartiles), match results, rotation quality and location, and student resources when looking at schools.
Thanks for the response. What you said about UIC grads reaching high places is definitely true from my experience, the head of radiation oncology at OHSU is a UIC grad, and so is one of the Adcoms at WashU
 
USNWR rankings are based on a number of things but two really matter: 1) Overall NIH funding to the institution 2) "Prestige ranking" of the institution. From the start a high prestige ranking was assigned to Harvard, Stanford, Hopkins, NW, etc. and it is very difficult for institutions to move up the list. Match success and USMLE scores do not factor into the rankings I believe (and if they do, very small part of them).

UIC attracts a good number of very good medical school applicants from IL and the Chicagoland area. The top 10-15% of the class could give NW or UChicago a run for their money USMLE score wise, intelligence-wise, etc. Additionally, match is both a numbers game and a networking game. You have to hit your scores but who you know also matters. You have a lot of daughters and sons of physicians there, providing their kids a boost once they are ready for match. Plus, UIC has a very strong alumni network in Chicago and the mid-west. Also, UIC graduates ~300 MDs a year, resulting in more of them eventually reaching decision-making positions in academic residency programs and providing a boost to future UIC residency applicants. All in all, this creates an institution that "punches above its weight" as you put it.

TL;DR: I would focus less on USNWR rankings and more on USMLE scores (especially looking at top and bottom quartiles), match results, rotation quality and location, and student resources when looking at schools.
This makes a lot of sense. How do you all feel about the location and quality of the rotations at the Chicago Campus. Just curious.
 
Anyone know if oos students can get in state tuition? I know a few other med schools do this (usually after the 1st year). I lived for 4 years in Illinois for undergrad, but took 2 gap years and wasn't in Illinois during these past 2 years.
My understanding is that if you aren't actually "settled" in Illinois, you have to have been living in Illinois for work reasons and not school reasons ( i.e. you're not here just because you go to school here) for at least a year prior to application in order to be considered eligible for IS tuition. They have some scholarships for OOS'ers that reduce tuition to IS tuition. But, your best bet is calling the financial aid office.
 
This makes a lot of sense. How do you all feel about the location and quality of the rotations at the Chicago Campus. Just curious.

I am an incoming M1, so my personal experience is non-existent with clinical rotations at UIC. Hence, take what I say with a grain of salt. That being said, they have updated their website to include a very detailed description of each clinical rotation (length, weekly hour commitment, objectives, and clinical sites).

As an example here are the available sites for M3 surgical clerkship: chicago.medicine.uic/education/md-curriculum/curriculum-by-year/m3-m4-years/m3-year/other-m3-information-and-forms/reporting-instructions-for-core-clerkships/surgery/ (I tried to post some links to the UIC COM sites but SDN will not let me because I have not made enough posts ;-( )

You end up with a wide and rich variety of sites and experiences to choose. From Advocate Christ in Oak Lawn and Stroger Cook County hospital (with a large percentage of low-SES patients and the widest variety of surgical procedures) to Lutheran General in Des Plaines (a more affluent area, but still a level 1 trauma center). In terms of the experience during clinical rotation, that will depend on a multitude of factors: personal motivation and interest, the interest/teaching caliber of your attending preceptors and residents, etc.

This is my own take on it, but I think you get as rich and wide of an experience as some of the best clinical med school years in the country.
 
Anyone here back from IMED/UMED yet?

Also, is UIC at all receptive to 1 year deferral requests (family reasons)?

I applied to UMED but haven't heard anything yet. Maybe this week since it's the second week since the March 1st deadline. Although UIC and "deadlines" don't seem to mesh well.
 
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