I Got The UIC Secondary Today

[rxfudd]

I received an email from UIC inviting me to send in their online secondary. I know they screen applicants, so I'd wait until they request it before you send it off. Here's the link:

http://www.uic.edu/depts/mcam/supplemental/

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[lorarp]

I got it too. Can you believe they require THREE SEMESTERS of behavioral/social science. I don't have any! Whenever I wasn't taking a class for my biology major I took humanities classes, not intro psych. When I called the guy said it was an absolute requirement and I should take the classes by correspondence if necessary! Does any other school require behavioral science classes?

 

[sandflea]

'behavioral science' is a pretty broad term. do you have any sociology or psych courses at all? when i applied the first time, i counted poli sci classes as behavioral science, and no one questioned it--i was told that this was appropriate. then again, i wasn't accepted so take my advice for what you will.

 

[Bruin4Life]

for thier advanced bio req., they include a small list. is this list all-inclusive or can I for example use Cell Biology 380 with lab or Genetics 340 with lab to fullfill that requirement? the courses I listed are not specfically mentioned on the secondary.

also, my school is on a quarter system, so three semesters of social science translates to four and a half quarter?! should I include only four or might as well include five.

I made my own table to include the extra classes I took under the quarter system.

I know I should be calling them with my questions; but I posted here in case you good people already know the answers.

 

[Scooby Doo]

What exactly is a "behavioral science"????
anyone???
I don't think I have taken ANYTHING that would constitute as that...

 

[Atlas]

What is the screening criteria for a secondary at UIC?

 

[Hopkins2010]

I wasnt aware that UIC was screening. They do seem to be pretty picky about their course requirements.

Hard to fit in all those extra classes beyond the basic premed reqs when you are an engineering major.

 

[bubbaap]

rxfudd,

Did you send UIC a printed AMCAS app or was your application transmitted?

 

[rxfudd]

My app was neither sent nor transmitted - UIC screens based on GPA/MCAT scores (I think it's around 25 MCAT and 3.4-3.5GPA, roughly - but I know they use an equation, so it's hard to say).

Since I go to UIC, I think I have an idea of why they have this behavioral science requirement. It appears that this requirement is the same that undergrads in Liberal Arts and Sciences are subject to. It's a little different for undergrads, though: 3 semesters of social science with no more than two courses in the same department.

UIC med wants three semesters of social science courses with an emphasis in behavioral science with at least two in the same department. This can be psych, sociology, political science, communications - basically social science courses. But you have to take two in the same department, so this would be comparable to psych 101 and, say statistics. You get the idea.

This is relatively new - my 2000-2002 undergrad handbook reflects the change, but my 1998-2000 handbook has no reference to it.

 

[moo]

This is getting to be a bothersome trend. ALl these schools asking for so stringent requirements is basically making us tailor our undergraduate curriculum to meet all the premed reqs. This is absolutely ridiculous. UIC isn't the only school though. USC requires 30 credits of humanities/social sciences/behavioral sciences in addition to your basic sciences plus an additional upper level molecular biology course. I have only 24 credits of humanities but if I am accepted to USC and I decide to go there, I will have to do summer school next year before I matriculate taking 6 BORING credits of behavioral science. I really feel like telling these schools off. But then, what can I do? I'm just a lowly premed.

 

[Atlas]

How can the GPA cutoffs be 3.5/3.4 if those are the same numbers for last year's entering class? There must be some folks with ~3.2s or 3.3s getting secondaries, but I've been wrong before. But if the averages for the class are around 3.4 or 3.5, doesn't that mean people got in with lower than those numbers? Please explain if I'm missing the boat here.

 

[rxfudd]

Yeah, I'm just estimating - I figure that with a 3.4 or so, someone would have to have around a 30 MCAT to get a secondary. Or with a 3.7 GPA, someone can have a 25 MCAT. I'm pretty much making these numbers up, they might be totally different, but I know that they use a strictly GPA-MCAT style equation to screen. It could be as low as 3.0/23 - I have no idea. Sorry for the confusion.

I have a 3.8/26 and the adcom said I "clearly beat the screening" when I talked to him in July, so that might give you an idea.

 

[imtiaz]

Last year I got a secondary with a 2.65 and a 31. Go figure.

 

[sandflea]

i don't believe UIC has GPA/MCAT cut-offs. as rxfudd mentioned, they have some kind of equation. then to determine who gets interviews, they use a different equation that takes a bunch of things into account: GPA, MCAT, # of extracurricular activities, publications (although they only 'count' them if you are third author or higher), etc. and after that, there is supposedly a third equation that takes into account both your interview 'scores' and numbers and they accept you based on that. it's not a very subjective process at UIC, it seems.

i got a secondary a couple of years ago and my GPA is significantly lower than rxfudd but my MCATs are higher--i'm also an IL resident. actually i've never heard of anyone *not* getting a secondary.

i really wouldn't sweat the course requirements. i would just count anything 'social science' as a behavioral science course.

 

[rxfudd]

Originally posted by sandflea:
•i don't believe UIC has GPA/MCAT cut-offs. as rxfudd mentioned, they have some kind of equation. •

Don't mean to be nit-picky, but that's what I said (that they have an equation, that is). I was just speculating about what combination of gpa/mcat will get someone an interview.

You're right about the rest of the process - they continually all of your extracurrics, awards, etc. that is added to the number you get from GPA/MCAT and give you an interview based on that. They then rate your interview, add that to the total, and if you are above their cutoff number, you get accepted. Not sure how waitlists work (there must be a waitlist range of some sort).

 

[Atlas]

The process seems mostly rendom at UIC after the inital screening. That sucks! Luckily, I have statistics on my side. According to the US News web site, about one half of Illinois residents who apply are interviewed. That is to say "statistically". I've got about a 3.6 GPA and haven't taken the MCAT, but I feel semi-confident I'll receive a secondary because the school heavily favors state residents. I mean, the odds are on my side.

 

[sandflea]

right, rxfudd--i totally acknowledged that that was what you had already said. BUT, if there is an equation, and unless you are totally sure that GPA and MCAT are the *only* things that factor into this equation (without anything else), then there is no use speculating what combination of GPA and MCAT will get someone a secondary if there are other factors involved that may compensate for a low GPA/MCAT or pull down the effect of a high GPA/MCAT. there is *especially* no use speculating what combination will get someone an interview, since we've already acknowledged that there are many other elements involved and none of us know exactly how, meaning, none of us know what the equation is. that's all i was trying to say. i do know that UIC ranks their waitlist but i forget how they do this, whether it's by quartile or into thirds or what, and that they can give you an idea of what your chances of being pulled off the waitlist are after mid-may.

i'm not trying to show you up, rxfudd--you're the UIC undergrad and thus the expert here. i was just sharing what i knew and sorry if i was repeating what was already stated here.

 

[rxfudd]

Originally posted by sandflea:
•right, rxfudd--i totally acknowledged that that was what you had already said. BUT, if there is an equation, and unless you are totally sure that GPA and MCAT are the *only* things that factor into this equation (without anything else), then there is no use speculating what combination of GPA and MCAT will get someone a secondary if there are other factors involved that may compensate for a low GPA/MCAT or pull down the effect of a high GPA/MCAT. there is *especially* no use speculating what combination will get someone an interview, since we've already acknowledged that there are many other elements involved and none of us know exactly how, meaning, none of us know what the equation is. that's all i was trying to say. i do know that UIC ranks their waitlist but i forget how they do this, whether it's by quartile or into thirds or what, and that they can give you an idea of what your chances of being pulled off the waitlist are after mid-may.

i'm not trying to show you up, rxfudd--you're the UIC undergrad and thus the expert here. i was just sharing what i knew and sorry if i was repeating what was already stated here.•

Hey, all is well - we're both right - I was just speculating to give others an example of how they do things.

For the record, here is what is considered at each stage of the process, officially, from the mouth of the dean of admissions himself (I even sat there as he crunched my numbers to see if I'd get a secondary):

To get a secondary: GPA/MCAT only

To get an interview: Essays, extracurrics, awards, experiences, etc. These are given numeric scores and added to the previous number (the "to get a secondary" number).

To get accepted: Interview - this is given a numeric score and added to the previous number (the "to get an interview" number).

Your numeric score at this point is compared to their cut-off score for acceptance.

Yes, UIC does rank waitlisters, but when I talked to the adcom in July, he told me that hardly any people get off the waitlist. He basically told me that it is a bad place to be. In fact, they admitted 40 people more than they could handle last year because their final cut-off score was low enough that too many people ended up with acceptance-level scores, so you can imagine just how bad being on the waitlist was.

This year, they are increasing their final numeric cut-off score for acceptance ever so slightly so that the same problem does not occur. He told me that since the increase is made according to last years numbers, they may inadvertantly increase too much, in which case being on a waitlist this year gives everyone a much better prognosis than in previous years. However, the fact that they are increasing their magic number means that we all have to be a little bit more qualified this year than in previous years.

 

[Hopkins2010]

Anybody completed the UIC secondary yet?

Their course section leaves a lot to be desired. I can hardly get any info in those tiny blanks they left.

My course names are far too long to put there, in fact even with strong abbreviation it wont fit in there.

What did you guys do? Just type the first few words until they get cut off? Or did you try to modify the file as HTML or something?

 

[Hopkins2010]

Another question about the coursework:

My school has 1 semester of lab as a separate class for each intro bio course; the same way for general chem.

The secondary just states "2 intro level biology courses with lab" Does that mean I need 2 lab courses, 1 for each semester of intro bio? Theres a blank next to each bio class on the secondary asking for lab info.

Also, should I just leave the advanced bio spot blank since I havent taken anything yet, or should I put it in like its future coursework to be completed?

 

[MedPuck]

Anyone else not get a UIC secondary? I feel shunned by my alma mater! Although AMCAS has messed up my transcripts 3 times and my app will not be ready for awhile, I have been receiving secondaries from everywhere else, like you all have. Did they send all of you an email only or a letter/paper app.?

 

[Hopkins2010]

Originally posted by MedPuck:
•Anyone else not get a UIC secondary? I feel shunned by my alma mater! Although AMCAS has messed up my transcripts 3 times and my app will not be ready for awhile, I have been receiving secondaries from everywhere else, like you all have. Did they send all of you an email only or a letter/paper app.? •

They just sent me an email.

 

[sandflea]

yeah, i think it's all online this year, so be on the lookout for an email, medpuck. i just got it on monday.

baylor21, i finished the UIC secondary, although i have yet to mail it in. it's pretty identical to the secondary from years past, the only difference being that it's now online. my understanding is that yes, introductory bio, gen chem, and orgo all require labs for each lecture course, hence the blanks after each space for lecture. so you're all set to list the separate lab courses in the designated lab blanks. it sounds like you did indeed have a lab for each lecture (and not just one lab course to cover, say, an entire year of intro bio lecture) so i think you're okay.

as for the tiny spaces, the online app is definitely a disadvantage in this. i had a paper app the first time i applied and i just set my typewriter for a tiny pitch and crammed the whole course name in. this time around i just had to abbreviate. it's especially bad for my so-called 'behavioral science' courses, because i could only fit like 8 characters in the little space, so my extremely-abbreviated course title doesn't even begin to HINT at what the course is about. maybe that's a good thing, with the whole confusion over what constitutes behavioral science. but i'm pretty comfortable with abbreviating--i figure that they can always check my AMCAS app if they want a less-abbreviated course title, and since someone posted somewhere that they don't verify coursework until after they've accepted you, i would imagine that the adcom would make more of an effort to accommodate your coursework in light of their requirements, if they considered you to otherwise be qualified enough to admit. but i'm just speculating.

as for advanced bio coursework, personally i would just list a course i was planning on taking, since it seems that most secondaries ask you to indicate when you plan on taking the required courses during the upcoming year--the advanced bio course is just another prereq to UIC.

 

[rxfudd]

I sent my UIC secondary in yesterday. I talked to the adcom again this week and he told me that they will begin reviewing the first batch of applicants beginning after labor day and then every 2-3 weeks thereafter. If you can get the secondary and your rec letters in this week, you should be able to be in the first review block.

To fit more characters in the form spaces they provide, click "View" and then "Forms" in MS Word. This will allow you to change the number of characters that you can fit. Even then, I had to abbreviate. "Abnormal Psychology" became "Abnorm Psyc". You get the idea.

 

[MedPuck]

Do any of you whose AMCAS application hasn't been processed or does not have those red X's still have an unchecked (Certification/Transmission) box? I paid my money awhile ago, but want to make sure this isn't yet another error and that I don't need to re-submit! Sorry to break the flow of the thread.

 

[sc]

Thanks rxfudd,

I am sending in my UIC secondary this afternoon. I had so much trouble fitting info into their spaces such as county name, prereq courses (we are on a quarter system), and extracurriculars. With your suggestion, I was able to unlock the file, add extra spaces, and add extra rows in charts. I was planning on attaching extra sheets before this solution. Thanks a bunch!!

 

[rxfudd]

Originally posted by sc:
•Thanks rxfudd,

I am sending in my UIC secondary this afternoon. I had so much trouble fitting info into their spaces such as county name, prereq courses (we are on a quarter system), and extracurriculars. With your suggestion, I was able to unlock the file, add extra spaces, and add extra rows in charts. I was planning on attaching extra sheets before this solution. Thanks a bunch!! •

Glad I could be of service