UIC Class of 2012!

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The Admissions Office told me that the White Coat Ceremony is on Friday this year.

I heard the same thing earlier and I remember reading the Friday post. I just got back from vacation and checked the Student Affairs website for updates and they had Aug 16th posted in the dates to remember section. So that must have been put up within the last two weeks.
 
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Hi there class of 2012. Sorry to stray off topic and interrupt your conversations about white coat ceremonies and orientation, but I was hoping you would share some of your knowledge. You've been through the process, you know what it takes to get accepted into UIC. Besides the usual stuff for approving one's chances, do you feel there are any specific suggestions or advice that could help one's chances of gaining acceptance to UIC?

Any particular trend you exhibited in your secondary responses? Any topics that you focused on during your interview?

Just a year ago, you were all in my shoes. Hopefully one year from now, I'll be able to give advice to an annoying pre-med in the "class of 2013" thread.

Thanks in advance for the help!
 
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Hi there class of 2012. Sorry to stray off topic and interrupt your conversations about white coat ceremonies and orientation, but I was hoping you would share some of your knowledge. You've been through the process, you know what it takes to get accepted into UIC. Besides the usual stuff for approving one's chances, do you feel there are any specific suggestions or advice that could help one's chances of gaining acceptance to UIC?

Any particular trend you exhibited in your secondary responses? Any topics that you focused on during your interview?

Just a year ago, you were all in my shoes. Hopefully one year from now, I'll be able to give advice to an annoying pre-med in the "class of 2013" thread.

Thanks in advance for the help!

I don't know if there's any trick, other than having good stats/ec's, to getting accepted. But here's some advice about the application process, and some of this is obvious, but I'll say it anyway:

- Send everything express or drop it off in person. Follow up on everything you've sent in, if its not on your status page within 5 days of submitting it, call and ask why.

-Keep checking your status page everyday from roughly August 25th to the time your status page changes to a bunch of interview slots. You never know when you'll get invited, and when you do, call and take the earliest slot possible.

-If you want a sure spot in the Chicago Campus, you must be accepted by new year's. After that, chances start to slip. This means you must be interviewed by mid -December, which means you must receive you invite by Thanksgiving, which means you need your application complete by August.

-At times, the admissions office can be a little frustrating to deal with, but on the whole they are friendly and helpful. Keep in mind they deal with 1000's of neurotic premeds.

Good luck.
 
ditto above, also make sure to know your public health stuff for the interview like how many people in the US are uninsured, what would you do to solve the health crisis, etc.

Shout out to newly minted NU graduates! 👍
 
-If you want a sure spot in the Chicago Campus, you must be accepted by new year's. After that, chances start to slip. This means you must be interviewed by mid -December, which means you must receive you invite by Thanksgiving, which means you need your application complete by August.


Good luck.


This might have been true in the past, but not anymore. I was accepted mid-december and got my 2nd campus choice (UPR). You should aim to get accepted before December 1 for an absolute sure spot.
 
Has anyone been able to gain any information on the petition requests for the Chicago track?
 
Hell yea I got switched from Rockford to Chicago last week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Has anyone been strait up denied a transfer to Chicago?
 
Hey future classmates!
Is anyone still looking for a roommate? I'm looking for a female roommate to share an apartment near the Chicago campus - I have an apartment already, its on S May street, which is 6 blocks east of Ashland. It's only a 10 min walk from campus and the apartment is really nice! Rent would be about $900/mo (but well worth it!). I have pictures if you are interested.
If anyone is interested, please contact me - [email protected]

And if anybody has any advice about where to look for roommates, I would greatly appreciate it!

I'm looking forward to meeting everybody soon 🙂
 
Anybody still having trouble getting their transcripts verified? It's hard to call the office while overseas...
 
Gunner here,
Just wondering what's up with the pre-payment plan thing. I've never (thankfully) had student loans before, so previously when I paid UIC tuition, I just used UI-pay. Can someone explain 1) how the pre-payment plan works, and what the advantages might be to pre-payment, and 2) how student aid works (i.e. how do we get the money)? Someone's gotta know...
 
Just wanted to let you folks know that our class schedule is officially posted. Seems like things are really moving along. I really can't wait to meet all of you; you all seem like a great bunch of people--even the gunners among us! (sarcasm should be noted!!!)

peace
 
Hey guys.. I have this:

Pre Enrollment Requirements
Regular Offer Accepted Y Accepted On 04/28/2008
Hepatitis B Form Received Y Received On 06/18/2008
Transcript Received Y Received On 05/13/2008
Deposit Received Y Received On 04/28/2008

Current Status
Acceptance and Deposit Received, Pre-Enrollment requirements not yet complete (Please see above)

If everything is in, why aren't the pre-enrollment requirements complete? Does anyone have anything similar?
 
Hey everyone, I'm going to be an M1 at UIC School of Medicine in the fall. I'm looking for a roommate(s) to find an apartment with in the Wicker Park/Bucktown area, which is a fairly easy commute to UIC. If anyone is even somewhat interested, feel free to email me back on here and we can chat and see if we are compatible / looking for the same type of thing.
 
I have turned in all the requisites and even called the office asking why it still says "Pre-enrollment requisites not yet complete" but no one seems to know why. They say I have turned in all the reqs but they don't know why the message is there. Can anyone shed some light in the matter?

PS: Looking forward to meeting you all in August
 
Hey everyone,

Every time I deal with the admissions office, I become increasingly convinced of their incompetence. I'm curious as to what the experience has been of others as to how the admissions office contacts applicants to notify them that they have selected for an interview? Back when I applied, I discovered that I was invited for an interview by checking my status online. I never received an e-mail or letter, which is rather infuriating for obvious reasons. What was your experience?
 
Every time I deal with the admissions office, I become increasingly convinced of their incompetence. I'm curious as to what the experience has been of others as to how the admissions office contacts applicants to notify them that they have selected for an interview? Back when I applied, I discovered that I was invited for an interview by checking my status online. I never received an e-mail or letter, which is rather infuriating for obvious reasons. What was your experience?

They do this to most people. It appears that some people received a snail mail letter, but by no means did we all. It's up to us as applicants to stay on top of the status pages; that's why they exist. Definitely a bummer, but there's nothing 'nice' about this process.
 
I've got the exact same thing (still). I called Garie a few weeks ago, and he basically told me not too worry about it after I verbally reviewed the courses I'd taken for the academic pre-requisites.
 
They do this to most people. It appears that some people received a snail mail letter, but by no means did we all. It's up to us as applicants to stay on top of the status pages; that's why they exist. Definitely a bummer, but there's nothing 'nice' about this process.

That's ridiculous, zipmedic. When an applicant pays $75 or however much the UIC secondary costs, I think as a matter of respect that UIC has an obligation to contact the applicant and notify them of their decision. No other school that I received an interview at required me to check my status online, and there is nothing in the secondary that states that it is up to the applicant to monitor their status online. What do others think?
 
That's ridiculous, zipmedic. When an applicant pays $75 or however much the UIC secondary costs, I think as a matter of respect that UIC has an obligation to contact the applicant and notify them of their decision. No other school that I received an interview at required me to check my status online, and there is nothing in the secondary that states that it is up to the applicant to monitor their status online. What do others think?

Admittedly, UIC's process didn't seem to work as well as some of the other schools, but UIC also has a fairly large class size and corresponding workload to handle all of the incoming applications. Just like so many other things in life, their process could definately use improvement. Fortunately for us, we are done with this stage and can move forward with concentrating on more important things.

Or in the words of Jack Handy, "Don't sweat the petty stuff. And don't pet the sweaty stuff". :laugh:
 
Hi everyone!

I'm excited to meet you all in August. I'm coming from out of state and I have a few questions about housing for you all out there!

Are any of you looking for a roommate??

Know of any areas/apartments that you would recommend?

I would appreciate any info you can offer! Thanks ahead of time! =)
 
One reason the pre-enrollment requirements might not be fulfilled is because of the criminal background check. I know this is an Illinois state law, so I do not know why they would not list it with their other requirements. I think it is also the reason that the out-of-staters and those not able to schedule an appointment with the back ground check company have to complete the initial paperwork on the 11th of August. I believe this day is otherwise reserved for AP testing, not registration or orientation. Just an idea though.

Also, I was just switched from Peoria to Chicago and a week before I asked them how long it would take before they knew whether or not I was switched. The response almost convinced me to rescind my petition because the lady told me that they could end up informing you right up until the first day of classes; that kind of uncertainty I could not handle past July.
 
Pre Enrollment Requirements Completed

Current Status
Admissions Process Complete - Orientation Processing Pending

I have that now. Did anyone else whose stuff was delayed get a change too? I'm thinking they have to go in and manually do it. Either way, everything's good. Looking forward to meeting many of you!
 
Random MS, my GradPlus loan status still says offered even though I already filled the promisory note. When I called they said that until the beginning of July they wouldn't start processing those.
 
They do in fact update the information on Grad Plus Loan status. My financial aid status page on enterprise reads "accepted" on all lines.


Just to give you all a heads up.
 
Hi there!

Does anyone know when the orientation website will be up and running? I have been checking it since Mon (7/1) when it was supposed to go live but it still says "Under construction". Does anyone know when it will actually go live?

Thx,

JV
 
I do not know when the website will go live. However, I did get two letters in the mail last week. One was to schedule a fingerprinting appointment (I also received an e-mail) and the other was about administrative tasks that should be done before orientation week (ID, white coat fitting, and to look out for information on registration).
 
I do not know when the website will go live. However, I did get two letters in the mail last week. One was to schedule a fingerprinting appointment (I also received an e-mail) and the other was about administrative tasks that should be done before orientation week (ID, white coat fitting, and to look out for information on registration).

I got these as well. 👍
 
Hey everyone,

What exactly is the UIC UHP Summer Pre-matriculation program? I know it already started but can anyone give me more details on what it was? Is it worth it?


JV
 
It's primarily for minority medical students. They start studying the same stuff they'll be studying during medical school. They have programs like this to improve the probability that affirmative action students will graduate from med school.
 
I know everyone in the RMED program was offered the program. It's not just for minority students. It's for anyone who wants to review the courses offered.
 
hey everyone, so i need some advice. i am placed on the UPR track, on the pseudo waitlist for UMed, and also sent an appeal along with numerous phone calls for Chicago. how long do i wait before getting an apt in urbana? this is probably a long shot but do you think there is anything i can do to find out sooner? any advice would be much appreciated!
 
hey everyone, so i need some advice. i am placed on the UPR track, on the pseudo waitlist for UMed, and also sent an appeal along with numerous phone calls for Chicago. how long do i wait before getting an apt in urbana? this is probably a long shot but do you think there is anything i can do to find out sooner? any advice would be much appreciated!

You could probably find something the last week of July until classes in Urbana, however your selection might be limited.

I found my place on Craigslist in May and it worked out well and I've seen plenty of listings still. It all depends on how strict your criteria is I guess.
 
ya, i am thinking about waiting until late july. hopefully that won't be too late for a decent apt!
 
ya, i am thinking about waiting until late july. hopefully that won't be too late for a decent apt!


I went to Champaign for undergrad. Late July will be alright if you're just looking for a one or two bed and don't mind having to take the bus (which is free and punctual) or drive to class.

Do yourselves a favor and live in Urbana or west of 3rd street in Champaign. Between the quad and 4th street is where the (undergrad) party's at.
 
Hi Everyone, I'll be starting my 2nd year at UIC-COM, i m in the chicago M1-M4 track. If anyone has any Q's please feel free to ask me. U'll soon realize that ure seniors are your best source of information.

A couple things i want to say for u guys as u get ready to start skool (orientation) in one month. Orientation week can feel really overwhelming u are meeting all ure classmates and basically put on a happy smiley face from like 8:30am til like 1 or 2 in the morning (if u go to the bars and night activities). But everyone is really anxious and trying to make friends can seem very tedious. Please be assured that as the year goes on u'll make great relationships with people mainly because u'll be with them soooooooo much. U practically live and breathe with ure classmates during the day, and through labs and other such activities u'll truly build bonds. So if u dont have a blast at orientation, don't worry because every1 is really stressed out and anxious at that time anyway. Things will get better in he social realm as time goes on. Also, dress in layers, the orientation rooms were FREEZING last year to the point that many of us (including myself) got a cold from it. Bring a pull over or something. Temperature control at the Chicago site is awful!

2ndly, classes wise, be prepared to really work hard. Personally speaking (not to scare any1), I felt like i was thrown in a moshpit and had to fight my way out. Creepy analogy yes i know, but not every1 will have this same experience. All pre-meds who have gotten in are great students who work hard. Realize that you may at times have to push ureself past what you have in undergrad. It isn't always that the material is difficult it is the sheer volume thrown at you which can be overwhelming. People will consistently tell u to keep up with lecture. This is sometimes very difficult to do. Just do ure best and realize that no matter what 1)u will never know it all and 2) u'll get through it just fine. One class that it's almost integral to stay on top of is Gross Anatomy. Our professor is one of the best and he really wants us to know the in's and out's of the human body. He is allocated two hours to lecture but never finishes before 3 hrs each day, and after lecture we head to lab for the dissections. Advice: Attend lab and lecture! Take good notes in lecture, prepare for lab by reading the manual and having an understanding of where things will be, and review each lecture+lab before the next. The amt of info in this class is insane, and you really should do ure best to stay upto date. Every1 falls behind here n there, yes, but just make sure u are not learning EVERYTHING 2 weeks before the test. Yes 2 weeks to learn everytn without having seen it before in anatomy is NOT enuf. This is generally the tuffest class 1st sem for M1's.

If going to certain classes seems useless DON'T go. It's a waste of time if u arent getting anything out of it and ure better off learning it on ure own. Pick and choose which classes are useful to attend and which are not for u. It's ok to not attend class. I hardly ever skipped class in undergrad, but in med skool, i really had to pick n choose because there is not time for everythin.

And last but not least, DONT STUDY ALL THE TIME! Yes I said it. You must make time to relax and do things u enjoy. Med skool is draining, competitive, and monotonous, but do not lose ure mind. Med skool is the main purpose of ure existence for the next 4 yrs, but its not the ONLY purpose. Take time to go out to eat, spend time with friends/family/bfs/gfs, movies, etc.

Attending UIC has been great! I love the clinical exposure and the fact that no1 holds our hands. We end up being great on the wards and wonderful physicians. Only drawback...the administration is not the most efficient. My experience as with other students has been not the easiest with any of the admin offices. U need to stay on their tail, and take copies of everytn u turn in b/c the chances that they'll lose it and u might need to re-show them stuff is somewhat high!

Hope this helped, again feel free to contact me with any Q's/comments/concerns!

Congrats and I'll meet you all in about a month!
 
Oh you lucky ducks! We in the UPR track have to wait until next year for white coat 😳

I do admit though, I'm excited about going to Rockford. I must be the only one 😳 LOL the small town girl in me!

Question though - some schools allow a close family member or mentor to participate in the white coat ceremony (parent, sibling, etc) if they are an MD. Does UIC allow this? Curious....
 
I have checked it and it still says under construction.
 
Can you post the exact web address to look it up? I don't know why I am not able to see it yet

Thanks, JV
 
i'm sure this has been asked... but any recommendations on books? are there any required books for UIC/UIUC?
 
I've been told to wait until orientation to buy anything because there are books that are "recommended" but you will never use.

I've talked to some now 2nd years at Urbana and they gave great insight into class structure/notes/books and said wait until orientation - you can either buy what you need from upperclassmen or at the very least find out what you *really* need and don't need.

However, all I've talked to said get First Aid for Step I so I'll probably be getting that as soon as I can just in case.
 
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