Loyola University of Chicago Class of 2013

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FutureERDoc said:
Congrats to all of you on your decision to attend Loyola!! It is going to be a fantastic 4 years. I am a graduating senior so let me know if you have any questions about med school, where to live, what to expect, etc. I am also going to be renting my spacious 2 bedroom Forest Park condo, hopefully to a fellow med student so please feel free to PM me if you are interested as well.

Good luck! Med school is tough but being at Loyola will make it that much easier.
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Hey that sounds pretty neat. What's the rent there? I finally decided on Loyola (wooo!!) so I'm in the process of looking for apts.
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ngkats said:
Thanks for the info.

Ahh yes, I forgot about the loan counseling. I'll do that tonight too. Have you applied through T.H.E. yet?

I'm not sure if you're loaning the total cost of attendance out (God knows I am) but I don't know whether to just go ahead with the GradPLUS loans or maybe think about private loans. Thought about this at all?
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Hey there! I spoke with THE the other day and did an application for a private loan to compare with GradPlus. I got a MUCH lower rate than 8.5%. My credit is good though. The downside is that it is variable so its uncertain how it will change. I also liked THE and am almost certain I'll go with them. A lot of other places (Access, edfinancial) don't even offer private loans right now.

I'm also looking at Forest Park and Oak Park area. I live in San Francisco and it's unlikely that I'll be able to make it out to Chicago to look at places. Does anyone have any specific recommendations for those areas (certain neighborhoods or streets) that are good to shoot for? Other than google maps im going a bit blind! Thanks and I'm so excited to meet everyone!
 
FutureERDoc said:
Congrats to all of you on your decision to attend Loyola!! It is going to be a fantastic 4 years. I am a graduating senior so let me know if you have any questions about med school, where to live, what to expect, etc. I am also going to be renting my spacious 2 bedroom Forest Park condo, hopefully to a fellow med student so please feel free to PM me if you are interested as well.

Good luck! Med school is tough but being at Loyola will make it that much easier.
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Hey, thanks for the help! My email is [email protected] if you want to chat about your place :) I'm still not 100% sure I will be living with a roomate (still havent actually found one!) but I'd definitely like to find out more :)
 
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I got accepted today to Loyola, but I already have an acceptance that I'm holding from UIC. Does anyone know what the tuition is looking like, for next year and on?

I know UIC increases tuition by 9 grand for the 2nd and 3rd years, due to summer semester. Is the same true at other schools? If not, Loyola is becoming more appealing.

Also, am I "allowed" to let go of my seat at UIC now that it's past May 15?
 
JewishMonkey5 said:
I got accepted today to Loyola, but I already have an acceptance that I'm holding from UIC. Does anyone know what the tuition is looking like, for next year and on?

I know UIC increases tuition by 9 grand for the 2nd and 3rd years, due to summer semester. Is the same true at other schools? If not, Loyola is becoming more appealing.

Also, am I "allowed" to let go of my seat at UIC now that it's past May 15?
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Congrats, and welcome to Loyola! :)

The total COA for Loyola for 2009-2010 is $60,734 for in-state students, and an additional $500 for out-of-staters.

This includes about $13,000 for housing/food, which is meant to cover 10 months (though it can easily cover 12). COA for year two is the same, and is based on a 10-month schedule. Third year is on a 12-month schedule, and that $13,000 for housing/food will be slightly increased (probaby to around $15,600) to cover those additional two months. Fourth year is on an 11-month schedule, so it'll have one extra month of housing/food.

When the financial aid lady told me all of this, she said that all the other costs, inculding tuition, would remain the same, so there won't be much of a difference between all four years.

She also told me tuition generally increases about 3% per year. I think it went up more than that this previous year though.

The way I understand it (and I'm not in this situation, at least not yet, so I don't fully understand it) is I believe you are allowed, and expected, to let go of one of your seats within two weeks or so. Since it's after May 15th, you're only allowed to hold one acceptance, and when you are offered an additional acceptance, you're supposed to have about two weeks to decide to accept (and withdraw from your old choice) or decline. But the school (Loyola in this case) has to make your financial aid award available, otherwise you get more time--I think.

Once again--congrats!
 
Siverhideo1985 said:
Of course this happens the day after I sign up with them.

I guess I'll be calling financial aid later today. I'll let you guys know if I find out anything of importance.
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lol. that's actually kind of funny. Regardless, I was going to sign up with them today or sometime later this week, so my plans were frustrated too.

Anyway, we just got an email about this and it seems ok. Though one trend that I have noticed from other schools (and something that Donnie insinuated might happen with Loyola maybe?) is direct loans directly from the government. This might make things easier (not having to deal with a lender). Maybe Loyola will go this way next year.

We just got an email about orientation too, btw.
 
ngkats said:
lol. that's actually kind of funny. Regardless, I was going to sign up with them today or sometime later this week, so my plans were frustrated too.

Anyway, we just got an email about this and it seems ok. Though one trend that I have noticed from other schools (and something that Donnie insinuated might happen with Loyola maybe?) is direct loans directly from the government. This might make things easier (not having to deal with a lender). Maybe Loyola will go this way next year.

We just got an email about orientation too, btw.
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yep, got both of those...I called access group and they seem to have the same conditions and i didn't have to wait at all for someone to help me out and they were really nice about it. Might go with them then.
 
I'm happy to see the orientation packet. It's nice to be able to begin working on the details.
 
Siverhideo1985 said:
yep, got both of those...I called access group and they seem to have the same conditions and i didn't have to wait at all for someone to help me out and they were really nice about it. Might go with them then.
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That's a bummer about THE--I already filled out all my applications. But I agree that Access Group seemed to be almost just as great--I think we wait through a slightly longer phone menu than THE, but I also didn't have to be put on hold at all.

I'll probably be going with them, though I'll take a look at the fees of Discover and maybe Wells Fargo.

Glad to receive the matriculation info--maybe now I can buy my books! :)

I'm starting to get pretty nervous now :oops:. We're only two months away!
 
ngkats said:
lol. that's actually kind of funny. Regardless, I was going to sign up with them today or sometime later this week, so my plans were frustrated too.

Anyway, we just got an email about this and it seems ok. Though one trend that I have noticed from other schools (and something that Donnie insinuated might happen with Loyola maybe?) is direct loans directly from the government. This might make things easier (not having to deal with a lender). Maybe Loyola will go this way next year.
We just got an email about orientation too, btw.
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I think overall financially this would be better for us. But if Loyola does offer the direct program next year, I'll have one loan with AES, two with Wells Fargo, one with whoever I go with this year (probably Access) and then the rest with the Department of Education (direct loans).

Ack!!! Too many lenders! Can't wait till consolidation time!

But it does feel good that sooooo many people have enough confidence in me to give me so much money (a bit over a quarter of a million dollars). :D

Maybe I should just take the money and run to Mexico... :laugh:
 
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I'm have not been accepted, but I do have my fingers crossed to get off of that infernal waitlist. Sounds like everyone got some more information. Could someone tell me when orientation begins?
 
09medstudent13 said:
I'm have not been accepted, but I do have my fingers crossed to get off of that infernal waitlist. Sounds like everyone got some more information. Could someone tell me when orientation begins?
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Monday, July 27th, and classes start the following monday, August 3rd.

Hope you get off the waitlist. Good Luck:xf:
 
ngkats said:
Two months is soon:scared: I need to find a place to live, quick.
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I found a place that becomes available June 1st, but I don't need to move into one until around July 1st. The landlord is cutting me a deal and prorating the month of June (probably only about three days) since I'm a medical student and may stay at this same apartment for four years.

Some landlords are nicer than others, but with the current market having someone who is possibly staying four years, and is trusted enough that they'll someday be treating or operating on people--hopefully that's enough to bargain a little bit.

Craigslist seems to have a lot of available places (that's how I found my place). OakParkApartments.com also has a lot available, but they're generally all in larger buildings, so if you're looking for more of a duplex/flat/house, you might have more luck with craigslist.

Oak Park apartments are BIG--in terms of rooms at least. It seems most come with an actual dining room. When I lived in Berkeley I didn't even have a dining area--we had to eat on our couch.
 
I will be traveling during most of July so I would like to get my apartment situation resolved well in advance of orientation. Loyola's roommate wanted list won't be out until after June 8th so I thought that I would post my addition to expedite the process. If enough people complete the form here we should be able to find roommates a little faster.



Gender?: Male
Smoker?: No
Already have an apartment in the area?: No
Like to exercise?: Yes
Have a car?: Yes
Have a pet?: No
Stay up late?: Normally go to sleep between 11:30 and 12:30
Like loud music?: Yes, but I have no problem using headphones
Watch TV (Favorite Shows)?: Yes, but mainly with a DVR (Lost, House, Office, Chicago Bears games)
Religious requirements (ex: keep kosher)?: No
Dating habits?: Steady girlfriend
Cleanliness?: Respect common areas but my room can get messy
Comments: Would prefer to live nearby Loyola. Also, if needed, I have pretty much everything to furnish an apartment including large couch, chair, coffee table, kitchen table with 2 chairs, TV, spare refrigerator, and kitchen utensils.
 
When is everyone planning on moving to town? Our lease starts on June 15th, so we could theoretically move in a couple of weeks, but we may hold off until July.
 
Brent8927 said:
I found a place that becomes available June 1st, but I don't need to move into one until around July 1st. The landlord is cutting me a deal and prorating the month of June (probably only about three days) since I'm a medical student and may stay at this same apartment for four years.

Some landlords are nicer than others, but with the current market having someone who is possibly staying four years, and is trusted enough that they'll someday be treating or operating on people--hopefully that's enough to bargain a little bit.

Craigslist seems to have a lot of available places (that's how I found my place). OakParkApartments.com also has a lot available, but they're generally all in larger buildings, so if you're looking for more of a duplex/flat/house, you might have more luck with craigslist.

Oak Park apartments are BIG--in terms of rooms at least. It seems most come with an actual dining room. When I lived in Berkeley I didn't even have a dining area--we had to eat on our couch.
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Sounds good. Thanks a lot for the info. I'm doing some preliminary searching now, but will need to start looking at a place probably sometime next week. Can't wait for the 27th!:thumbup:
 
menotyou7 said:
When is everyone planning on moving to town? Our lease starts on June 15th, so we could theoretically move in a couple of weeks, but we may hold off until July.
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I'll be moving almost all of my furniture and belongings (and girlfriend's belongings) at the end of June/beginning of July, but then I'll be returning back to CA. I probably won't fully settle in in Chicago until the week before orientation.

This might sound a bit silly, but I'm pretty much flat broke, and my Dad can help me move (and pay for the move!) if we do it at the end of June/beginning of July. We also get a fun road-trip together :). I thought about just renting a storage unit to save a bit on rent, but it just seems so much easier to move straight into the unit since my Dad and I can lift furniture and objects much easier than my 5'1 girlfriend and I can.

I hope two road-trips to Chicago in less than a month won't be too tiring :sleep:.
 
runeofmajesty said:
Hey that sounds pretty neat. What's the rent there? I finally decided on Loyola (wooo!!) so I'm in the process of looking for apts.
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The rent for the apt is $950 per month. It's for a 2 bedroom newly renovated apt in Forest Park, a 10 min drive from school and 5-10 min walking distance to both the Oak Park and Forest Park restaurants, shopping and bars. The $950 includes all utilities except electricity (which is about $30 per month). If anyone wants the full description, PM me and I will send the full listing and details about the apt.
 
Gender?: Male
Smoker?: No
Already have an apartment in the area?: No
Like to exercise?: Yes, biking & basketball
Have a car?: Yes
Have a pet?: No
Stay up late?: Yeah, but 830am classes will break this habit
Like loud music?: Probably not if it's exceedingly loud, but depends on time and day.
Watch TV (Favorite Shows)?: Yes, but also use a DVR (How I met Your Mother, Office, Breaking Bad, Bulls games)
Religious requirements (ex: keep kosher)?: No
Dating habits?: Steady girlfriend
Cleanliness?: Prefer general areas to be clean, but my own room gets a bit dirty.
Comments: I live on the northside of Chicago now, about 30 minutes from Loyola, so I could scope out some apartments if anyone else is from far away. Would prefer to live anywhere between Loyola and the city that's not too far from public transit. I'm pretty laid back and even-keeled.

Feel free to contact me.
 
Hi there future classmates! I posted this on the housing board, but thought I would post it here to increase exposure. :) I went out to chicago a few weeks ago and found a nice little 3 bedroom house near the school, and I need to find another student who wants to rent out the whole basement for $400/month. Anywhere, here is the info! Can't wait to meet everyone!

---------------

Hello All!

My name is Michael and I am an incoming M1 this fall. I have rented a 3 bedroom house near the school with my girlfriend and need 1 more male or female who would like to rent out the basement!

About the room: It is large for a bedroom (about 750 square feet). It has its own kitchen along one wall with a full sized fridge, stove, sink, counter, and outlets for kitchen type gadgets. It is very clean, but totally retro-earth tones throughout. There is a separate laundry room in the basement with another sink and a nice newly installed tiled shower. There are several closets for storage. It has plenty of outlets and is wired for cable. And it’s definitely affordable at $400/month.

About the house: It is 3.5 miles west of the school. About a ten minute drive straight down Cermak (and that is during busy hours). 2 miles from the Metra, a few hundred feet from a bus stop. 2 miles from a nice commercial area with a Super target/home depot/etc... 2 miles from downtown La Grange with its nice mini-downtown charming atmosphere. The house has a 2 car garage with a driveway, a yard (wonderfully maintained by a lawn care company which is paid for by the landlord), the upstairs has the main kitchen and a full bathroom, a living room, a dining room, and two other bedrooms. Walking distance to a golf course. Just over a mile from a series of forest preserves with many miles of very scenic trails for biking/walking/running/longboarding/etc. There is a nice new washer and dryer downstairs in the laundry room, a new water heater, and central air conditioning. The house is on a nice quiet street, with very nice neighbors (one works in admissions at Loyola School of Medicine).

About your possible future room mates: I (Michael) am from colorado. I went to Colorado State University for a BS in Biology and a MS in Neuroscience. In between the two I traveled to many countries and worked for a non-profit with at-risk kids in Hawaii for 18 months. I like music, play the guitar, traveling, xbox, tennis, cooking, outdoorsy things like hiking, running, camping, and lake things like sailing/boating/kite surfing. I like to read and watch movies and hang out and all that stuff. I have a VERY friendly and very well behaved 2 year old female golden retriever.

Jenee is also from Colorado, also went to Colorado State University and double majored in Journalism and Zoology. She is a Videographer and runs camera and edits film for many things, including sporting events, weddings, animal science documentaries, etc. She likes animals, traveling, outdoorsy things, reading, Forensic Files, movies, and many other things. She has a 5 year old VERY sweet and well behaved female black lab/shepard mix.

So if anyone would like to have a big basement room with their own kitchen, likes dogs (but it would be easy to keep them out of the basement), and wants to live in a house on a nice street with a nice yard that you don't have to take care of, all for $400/month, let me know!

Feel free to email me (Michael) if you have any questions or would like to talk.
[email protected]
 
I was accepted today from the alternate list. I can't wait to join you all this fall (well, July isn't really fall - but you get it right?)!
 
Gender?: Male
Smoker?: No
Already have an apartment in the area?: No
Like to exercise?: Yes, mostly running (trying to get into basketball)
Have a car?: Not yet, but will be getting one soon!!!
Have a pet?: No
Stay up late?: Usually not past midnight...that WILL change to early
thanks to the early class time though!
Like loud music?: Not usually...I keep my music to a moderate level when it
is on. I do have an acoustic guitar though and I like to
play it on occasion, though I am very mindful of others as
to when I do it.
Watch TV (Favorite Shows)?: Yes--I have a 40" HD TV and a Blu-Ray
player, so I'm quite fond of movies and T.V.
shows (Simpsons, Family Guy, etc.)
Religious requirements (ex: keep kosher)?: No
Dating habits?: Living the single life--and no, I don't invite random chicks
over!
Cleanliness?: I'm a pretty clean guy
Comments: I live in a southwest suburb of Chicago. I've looked around at a
few apts in the Forest Park and Oak Park areas and found a
few nice doubles that I'd like to check out. I'm very easy to
get along with and I love meeting new people. Feel free to
contact me if you think we can work something out!
 
monkeygirl09 said:
I was accepted today from the alternate list. I can't wait to join you all this fall (well, July isn't really fall - but you get it right?)!
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Congratulations!!!! Can't wait to meet you in...less than 2 months!!! ha ha
 
For anyone who was waiting for the free iPod special to buy a new Mac it is now active. Looks like you can get a new 8 GB iPod Touch this year.

www.apple.com/backtoschool
 
Has anyone decided which lender to go with yet? I've been leaning towards Discover because they have no fees and a lower interest rate for the Grad PLUS loan. I'm not sure what their interest capitalization policy is yet--I'll probably give them a call today or tomorrow.

Does anyone currently have loans with Discover, and if so, are you satisfied with them?
 
Brent8927 said:
Has anyone decided which lender to go with yet? I've been leaning towards Discover because they have no fees and a lower interest rate for the Grad PLUS loan. I'm not sure what their interest capitalization policy is yet--I'll probably give them a call today or tomorrow.

Does anyone currently have loans with Discover, and if so, are you satisfied with them?
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I went with Access Group...its seemed that quite a few students took their loans from them and they have very similar (if not the same) conditions as THE used to have. I also really liked their customer support when I called (no wait, friendly, patient, etc.). From what I can gather, discover is the new kid on the block and no one really knows how they will work out...but then again, I might be totally off on all of this....the whole process is a bit puzzling.

I did find out that access group capitalizes interest at repayment like THE
 
Siverhideo1985 said:
I went with Access Group...its seemed that quite a few students took their loans from them and they have very similar (if not the same) conditions as THE used to have. I also really liked their customer support when I called (no wait, friendly, patient, etc.). From what I can gather, discover is the new kid on the block and no one really knows how they will work out...but then again, I might be totally off on all of this....the whole process is a bit puzzling.

I did find out that access group capitalizes interest at repayment like THE
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That's what I liked about Access Group too--they've been around and people like them.

I just called Discover and they also capitalize interest upon repayment, which is good. I also didn't have a wait to talk with a representative, so the only negative is they've only been around for two years. But I guess that might not be as much of an issue since the government backs the loans anyway...

I'm still a little hesitant to go with Discover, but I'm thinking ultimately I'll go with them.
 
Just curious, but is anyone set on living alone? (I kind of always thought I would but now I'm questioning it...)
 
ngkats said:
Just curious, but is anyone set on living alone? (I kind of always thought I would but now I'm questioning it...)
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Hi, I was going back and forth as well. Currently I'm looking for 1 bedrooms because I haven't figured out a roomie situation (and im leaving for a 2 week trip to panama on june 12th so my timing is super limited) but it definitely is more expensive and you dont get as much for your money as a 2 bdrm. What have you run into?
 
JNL84 said:
Hi, I was going back and forth as well. Currently I'm looking for 1 bedrooms because I haven't figured out a roomie situation (and im leaving for a 2 week trip to panama on june 12th so my timing is super limited) but it definitely is more expensive and you dont get as much for your money as a 2 bdrm. What have you run into?
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Yeah, I'm kind of in a similar situation myself. Traveling for work has limited my time to find a place to live. I'm looking for 1br and studios at the moment (and some 2br incase i have a roommate). Some studios are affordable but extremely small.

I'm actually taking the day off work and heading out the door right now to view some apartments (I live in Chicago currently). We'll see how it goes...
 
I just spoke with Donna Sobie in financial aid regarding lenders. Most of you may have already chosen who to go with, but in case you haven't, I just thought I'd share what I learned from her.

Discover's Grad PLUS rate of 8.25% can technically be changed at anytime, up to the 8.5% cap the government sets. So it isn't necessarily guaranteed. Also, students who go with Discover get calls about Discover credit cards, which may or may not be annoying to some.

She told me the Rush has used Discover for a bit longer than Loyola, and they've been happy with them.

Additionally, Access Plus's loans have no default fee, due to the guarantor (sp?) used by Loyola. This means the only additional fee when comparing the two is the 1% origination fee that Access assesses for their Stafford loan.

Personally, I was feeling uneasy regarding Discover, but was attracted due to the interest rate and the low fees. It sounds like the former isn't guaranteed, and the latter isn't as much of a benefit now compared to Access, which has been around a while, is trusted, and seemed to have the more friendly and knowledgeable staff.

So, I'll be signing up with Access today :).
 
It's good that I did, too then...haha...this whole process is a bit mysterious for me...my past loans have been less complicated, or at least I just didn't care as much...haha.
 
Siverhideo1985 said:
It's good that I did, too then...haha...this whole process is a bit mysterious for me...my past loans have been less complicated, or at least I just didn't care as much...haha.
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Yeah... for my past loans I just went with Wells Fargo because I had a bank account with them. I didn't even know different lenders might have different fees/incentives or interest rates.

Ahh... Sometimes I sure miss being more ignorant---it can sure save a lot of stress.
 
Brent8927 said:
Yeah... for my past loans I just went with Wells Fargo because I had a bank account with them. I didn't even know different lenders might have different fees/incentives or interest rates.

Ahh... Sometimes I sure miss being more ignorant---it can sure save a lot of stress.
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My thoughts exactly...
 
hi! i'm starting at loyola this late summer, too!

i moved to oak park on june 1 and am loving it! i'm living in a one-bedroom at oak park place. it's pricey, but i signed my lease at a good time when they were offering two months free rent. trader joe's is in the building. trouble, trouble...

anyway, i've volunteered and worked at loyola and hines for years and years, so if anyone needs any help getting around during orientation, i'm your lady. also, on a sidenote, my brother graduated from loyola, my dad works there, and a good friend is a resident there. so...basically, it's my second home.
 
Just got accepted today. What a relief!

Like everybody and their mother, need to find an apartment and get this financial aid business taken care of.

Look me up at www.facebook.com/dzukunft. My cell will be listed.

Gender?: Male
Smoker?: No
Already have an apartment in the area?: No
Like to exercise?: Addicted
Have a car?: Yes
Have a pet?: No
Stay up late?: Normally go to sleep between 11:30 and 12:30
Like loud music?: Yes, but I have no problem using headphones
Watch TV (Favorite Shows)?: Yes, but mainly with a DVR (Lost, House, Office, Wipeout, et. al)
Religious requirements (ex: keep kosher)?: No
Dating habits?: I love the ladies
Cleanliness?: Respect common areas; personally, a neat freak
Comments: Forest Park or Oak Park. I have a an apartment's worth of Pottery Barn. It's a sickness, I know.
 
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