SIU is Deciding my Fate This Very Moment

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odelay

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The SIU adcom is meeting as I type this. And I was just thinking if there is any truth to the concept that if "a butterfly flaps its wings in my backyard, a typhoon could eventually result in Asia?"

I keep thinking that if I don't flap my arms, there's going to be a very thin envelope in my mailbox this week.

I'm a dork.
 
That's right, they are meeting today! When did you interview?? I was there on 1/6 and I know they are probably behind b/c of the holidays...man I hope I don't have to wait until they meet in March to find something out!! btw good luck to you and you are not a dork🙂
 
Hey folks. I interviewed there just this past Thursday (the 16th). My first interviewer told me I wasn't on the docket for today's meeting so I still have some waiting to do. What did you think of the school? I like the curriculum... seems to be ultra-PBL focused. The facilities leave a little to be desired, but I do like the small class size and faculty to student ratio. I'm interested to hear what you think about it.

By the way, where are you all from? Before interviewing I had heard that people from Cook County were rarely accepted, but my first interviewer claimed 27 of the 72 frosh this year are from Cook County.
 
i was there a little bit after you. when i called an admissions lady a few days after my interview just to make sure and double check that my application was totally complete, she kindly replied and told me that the next meeting was Tuesday, January 21st, and results from the meeting would be sent out very shortly afterwards.

i was looking at some US News and World Report numbers, and it said that last year about 190 people interviewed with SIU, and of those, 173 or so were accepted. so if i get rejected i'm gonna feel pretty lousy. of course, getting waitlisted will be just as torturous!

good luck to you!
 
odelay-

Hello. When did you interview? I was glad I decided to drive down the night before instead of waking up early and driving from Chicago because I woke up the morning of my interview to 4 inches of snow. I too have seen the "173 out of 190" stat. As much as I'd love to believe that, my friend applied there last year and this year, got interviews both years, and was rejected both times. He doesnt have the greatest numbers, but still...

I don't know if you know about their admitting process, but if you get in you will get two letters. The first says you are admitted when a seat becomes available. This is their pseudo-waitlist that they send to everyone. My interviewer told me that in the past five years, everyone who received that letter was eventually offered a spot.

What did you think of SIU? Where are you from?
Best of luck to you.
 
about that cook county thing -

i dunno. i'm from western/southern illinois, nowhere near chicago. it is clear that there is some sort of geographic bias (they freely admit to it in their catalog), but i'm not sure how much it actually has to do with much of anything this far down the line. i imagine they try to "weed out" some of the carbon-copy chicago suburb applicants in search of some downstate kids with a slightly different perspective (what's the point of running a school if nobody in the town can get accepted?). but after the interviews, i think somebody told me that they devise a little point system. and out of 4 points, being south of interstate 80 gives you a free point. that explanation sounds fishy to me, but that's what i hear.

i can understand the system they use, but admit it isn't entirely fair. of course, it was intended so that "urban" students wouldn't get in, ride through their school, and then leave to find work up north again. there is a SEVERE lack of physicians where i live and in most rural settings around me, and the idea is that a rural student is likely to end up working in a rural setting. and i suppose that pretty much describes me.

so that half of last year's accepted pool being from cook county could just be great students. or they may have indicated a passion for rural practice. or who knows. just my two cents.
 
Yeah, SIU is admittedly somewhat biased in their selection. I too am from Southern IL(southeast), on the Indiana border. However, I live in CA right now and they were a little suspicious of why I would ever want to return to IL, but since I genuinely do I had no problem explaining myself.
I was actually pretty impressed with SIU.....the facilities are lacking somewhat but the PBL and faculty/student ratio are wonderful. Also, the students seemed to be pretty happy. The only downside is that I can't stand Carbondale(but hey it's only a year) and then when I interviewed I found out that Springfield was much smaller than I had ever imagined. I'm only concerned b/c my husband will have to find a job that makes it worth the move!!

Odelay- I'm sorry I didn't follow if you interviewed after me?? If so that gives me hope that they will review my file today.😉 Good luck and keep me posted when you get your letter..mine will take longer to get all the way out here!!
 
Yes, the waiting is torture!! I interviewed there at the end of November and it has been a long couple of months waiting. I got the "accept when place available" letter, so hopefully I will be one of the 25 they send an acceptance letter to today. I guess we will find out by the end of the week probably. GOOD LUCK to all.
 
Hey all,

I interviewed there on Dec 17th and absolutely loved the school. While I agree that the teaching facilities could be better, the hospitals were OUTSTANDING. I couldn't think of a better place to do rotations and residency than Springfield (who has time to go out and have fun anyway?).

Now about that "south of I-80" thing... I live in Rock Island which is about 2 miles south of I-80 (on the border with Iowa). Do you think that counts? 😛


Good luck everyone, and above all...

Ham On
 
Well they draw the line somewhere. And if it is I-80, it sounds like you are south of it. So good luck. Did you get a letter in December?
 
i think the "I-80 Rule" is pretty much a rumor. but if it actually applies, i think it is just to limit the Chicago area applicant pool and its suburbs.
 
SIU doesn't just send out "acceptances" first run? i mean, i figured this week three things can happen:

1.) I get a rejection letter. Crap.

2.) I get the pseudo-waitlist letter. Uh oh.

3.) I get an acceptance letter. Woo-hoo!

But somebody mentioned above that they don't send acceptance letters like that? Or did I misread that?

This is going to be a LOOOOOOOOONG week. Sigh.
 
They dont send out a letter saying : "You have been accepted AND have a seat".

Those accepted get the "when a seat is available" letter.
No one in the past 5 years has gotten this letter and not been offered a seat... This is virtually an acceptance.

Your scenarios 2 and 3 are the same.
 
SIU accepts people in batches. November, January, and March. On the inbetween months the committe puts people in categories. ("accept when seat available, waitlist, reject) So if you got one of the letters like I did "accept when seat available" an acceptance letter may be on it's way this week. However if you interviewed between then and now you could still get accepted. The director of admissions said that they take everyone they are considering for acceptance, arrange them in order of "points" and take will send acceptance letters to the top 25 this time. Then in March they will attempt to fill the class. This is the way I understood it when I talked to her. Any other input?
 
I know this is stupid and completely unrelated, but its wierd hearing people from Il talking about I-80. I live practically 15 feet from that road. I've been woken up by car wrecks, i'm that close. I always think of I-80 as being a California road, even though theres a sign on it giving the miles to Maine, something over 3000 miles away. It makes the world seem that much smaller of a place.
 
yup. I-80 has more or less replaced the legacy of Route 66 (which ran close to my town when it was still around).

of course, once we have flying cars in a few years, none of it will matter.
 
Originally posted by futurdoc11
Well they draw the line somewhere. And if it is I-80, it sounds like you are south of it. So good luck. Did you get a letter in December?
Click to expand...


Nah, the board met on Dec 17th, the same day I interviewed, so I wasn't in that batch. How long from the board meeting date did it take for you to get your "Accept when seat available" letter?

HamOn
 
I got the letter on Dec. 21. So I guess it took about 4 days. However I do live at the very "bottom" of the state. So maybe I'll know something from this meeting by the end of this week.
 
could you guys please post your stats, if you wouldn't mind. i'm from so. IL too, but didn't apply this cycle due to sadly average MCAT scores... some told me to go ahead and apply others said not to - so i decided to retake the dreaded beast! anyway, i'm really interested in primary care, and i think SIU would be a good fit but i'd like to know GPA/MCAT ranges for those interviewing and accepted. thanks
 
i'm not giving out my stats so that you can size yourself up to me. no offense, but you'll find out if and only if i get accepted.

i love playing hard-to-get.

and long walks on the beach. and summer evenings.

sorry, i'm just really superstitious at this point.
 
thanks HamOnWholeWheat - i always wanted to fly! only took one lesson though... and it's good to know that the aug MCAT is a viable option.

odelay, sorry i didn't mean to offend or appear 'gunner-ish'. i'm just really nervous about the MCAT and i guess i've gotten into the annoying habit of asking what peoples' scores are.

and with SIU i hear such different things. those in the 30 range barely getting in, albeit with late apps, and then those with relatively lower scores getting in.

a person from medprep told me they interview people who have 8-8-8. but if they did that, it seems there would be way too many. and the 173 out of 190 thing would be off right? maybe they were confused and were referring to medprep applicants.

ok, so my stats obsession aside, good luck to all those still waiting for a decision!
 
the dynamics of accepting 200% too many people (if US News is correct) doesn't make sense.

but i bet that SIU gets overlooked by many multiple-acceptance students, and that extreme condescending attitude of the downstate area and the school is readily apparent in the other "IL Schools" threads. that could be why so many are "accepted" - that pseudo-waiting list must have some kick to it!

anyway, i'm caving in:

my stats are very, very similar to HamonWholeWheat, sans the MCAT, where I fall closer into that 8-8-8 category. so you can imagine my excitement and nervousness after actually making it this far along!

here's to a good week for all of us!
 
i suppose i'm not a pilot, though.

in any case, i've been rolling that idea around for a few hours now: why do they allow such "average" MCAT scores? i'm not complaining, of course - but is that the standard?

i felt the entire time that i was the bottom of the barrel, and that i was given some miracle opportunity for an interview. haha, like the adcom was "slumming" with me just for kicks. my 24S MCAT was, to quote my advisor, "awful." and my 3.1 GPA in Bioengineering lacked merit. i'm a very active EMT also, and have a little bit of research experience. i suppose i have more passion than brains, really.

which is why i'm so curious to see how the drama folds out this week.
 
Well their average is 9-9-9. So if those with 30 MCAT get in then some of those applicants with sub-average scores must get in also.
 
i just called the admissions office. they aren't sending the "results" of the adcom meeting on January 21st until next week!

the humanity!!
 
Well, at least I know I have a bit of a wait so I won't be running to the mailbox everyday! That still s*cks though.....
 
To be honest, I doubt grades matter that much to SIU. I got the distinct impression that my EMS and flying experiences were more important to them.

My first interviewer just asked me questions about flying and the state of the industry for the whole hour, while the second interviewer asked me about EMS calls I've been on. I don't remember even discussing grades, "why you want to be a doctor", or any of the obvious questions you would expect. So if you even get an interview, it has to mean they like you on paper and want to get to know you further from there. So I wouldn't sweat it if the grades or MCAT aren't the best.

Good luck everyone,

HamOn
 
Well, I'm not surprised about waiting until next week to send out letters. Since it is a split campus, I was told that everything they decide in Springfield is mailed to the Carbondale campus and "cleared" there and vice versa. Another week of waiting😡
 
do all of you plan to enroll if accepted? any other acceptances? i haven't received a single notice from any other illinois school. not a rejection, no letter, not even a postcard - nothing.
 
bumpy mcbumperson
 
Odelay-
I wish I could say that I would attend SIU even if I had multiple acceptances...that's how much I really like the school. But, the fact is I've had other interviews and if I am accepted at a Chicago school I will end up there. If I wasn't getting married this summer and wouldn't have a husband who needed a job then I would go to SIU in a heartbeat. As is though this is a team effort and we have to do what is best for the both of us.🙂 I think SIU is great though and hey, maybe I will get lucky and some amazing jobs will open up in Springfield!!😕
 
so you've gotten in already? or you just think you'll head elsewhere if accepted? i can certainly understand choosing a Chicago school over SIU, but to imagine the very capacity to make a decision like that is still all but a faraway dream to me! haha.

my thinking, however, is a little different. Woody Allen once said, "I would never want to belong to a club that would have me for a member." in effect, i'd have to be the slightest bit suspicious to any medical school that would let a weirdo like me in. but grateful, nonetheless! haha.

here's to you.
 
Odelay-
No, I haven't been accepted yet. I actually just did my first 4 interviews in the past two weeks! I just meant that if I were granted multiple acceptances(including SIU) then I would have to go elsewhere. 😉 You have a very interesting perspective on things, I am sure that SIU won't be able to pass you by. Good luck!!
 
don't forget to post on this thread once somebody hears something!

i don't trust my mailman. i caught him reading one of my magazines on the steps by my apartment's mailboxes!
 
nothing for anyone in the mail yet? hmmm. i know they said Monday, but i'm peeing in my pants.
 
I wish they would have sent out letters this week. I am dying to know something. Well if letters go out Monday, I probably won't hear anything until Wednesday or Thursday. MAN, that SUCKS!! Oh well, what's another week or so.
 
i got something in the mail today, but its positively indecipherable. it is either a padded-down rejection, or something went wrong with my application file.

i'll post more when i know what the heck is going on.

doesn't look good for me, though.
 
i had it sent to my permanent address (i'm not there right now) and so my Pops is faxing it now, but over the phone he read it and it said something like:

"We have reviewed your application file post-interview and have defined your status as RE-APPLICATION INVITEE"

or something like that. i'll write it word for word once i get the fax. knowing my Pops, this could take a while, haha.

basically, i think it is saying, "try again next year," as it was a pretty short letter.

but the wording is strange. so maybe i left something out? this is silly.
 
I've never heard of anything like that before.
I'd think that if you left something out in your application that they would have caught it pre-interview but who knows. Maybe you won't have taken all their pre-requisite classes before this fall???
 
nevermind, i just called, its a padded rejection.

oh well.

good luck everyone.

bye forever.
 
Originally posted by odelay
nevermind, i just called, its a padded rejection.

oh well.

good luck everyone.

bye forever.
Click to expand...


Hey dude, I got rejected too. Don't sweat these little things man. It doesn't mean ****. You'll get the last laugh, just apply again.

HamOn
 
Ham-

Im sorry to hear about your rejection. Now I am worried... you seem to be alot of what medical schools are supposedly looking for. I didnt interview until January 16th so I bet I'm not in this batch of applicants recently reviewed.

Good luck in getting in somewhere else.
 
Originally posted by odelay
nevermind, i just called, its a padded rejection.

oh well.

good luck everyone.

bye forever.
Click to expand...

Sorry to hear that. So what did they actually say when you called?? and what exactly did the letter say?? I haven't got anything yet, but it's probably because I'm down south pretty far. Where are you guys located at in Illinois??
 
I am trying to figure out what exactly happens after you interview because I am on Jan. 30th. From what I am gathering I won't know anything until March?? Also, when I do recieve something it will be an:
A) accept when seat available
B)Waitlist
C)Padded Rejection
Any help would be Appreciated.
Zerb
 
The answer to both your questions is yes. I interviewed on the 16th and I was told I would not hear until March.

As far as what letter you will get, I know people that have gotten all three types. Let's all hope for type A...
 
i'm from southern illinois, and i got the padded rejection. so i thought i'd have a little advantage with geography, but apparently not, as Ham got nipped, too.

i guess that figure about half of the class being from Cook County has some oomph behind it.

good luck everyone. i'm kind of relieved for this to all be over with, anyway. and in a sense, i feel like i have more freedom without locking myself into medical school. either way, it was worth trying.

later
 
sorry about the rejection odelay, was that the last school u were waiting to hear from, u said "goodbye forever", anyway am sorry and good luck if u plan on reapplying or whatever u plan to do.
 
Actually, to clarify, I got put on the waitlist. As far as I'm concerned though, that's as good as a rejection. I figure if they don't like me well enough to offer a slot to, then the hell with it. I'm not holding my breath on squeaking in because someone they liked more decides not to go there.

Basically, its like this. I consider it a pretty low-integrity move to interview somewhere AFTER you've been accepted somewhere else. I figure if you interview, you better be ready to go there, otherwise you're lying to them and yourself. So its my policy to go to the first school I get in to, no matter what. I don't care if Harvard offered me a slot afterward. Once I get that letter, I'm done.

I would expect as much in return from a med-school. If I'm not what they're looking for, then I should get a rejection letter. If I were eventually offered a spot off the waitlist, that tells me that they're not the kind of school I'd want to go to anyway. I'm not down with the low-integrity, wishy-washy bull-****.

Just my opinion. Good luck to everyone else! Oh BTW, I got an acceptance from another school this morning, so that's that.

HamOn
 
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