UIC Visit

[sk332]

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I just wanted to know who else is going to UIC's visit day. I got into the comprehensive program for epidemiology (MPH) and I'm pretty excited about the school but I do't know much about the actual city.

There doesn't seem to be much mentioning of UIC on this board and I just wanted opinions about city life and etc.

 

[jaya88]

Hi,
I haven't decided yet, but I am leaning towards UIC for financial reasons and it is a good school. I won't be at the visit day though. What types of questions do you have and I can see if I can answer them (although I know very little about the epi program). I am from Chicago and will most likely work at Rush on a research project if I attend. If you don't have a RA or TA award, Rush is a good option as they are always looking for RAs. You do want to be careful if you chose to live very near campus. Like most big citites, safety is hit or miss only streets apart, but there are plenty of other neighborhoods on the L. My guess is the university will be very upfront about the safety issue and provide suggestions. The area has improved immensely over the last five years.
Enjoy your visit! Hopefully it will be sunny.
Jaya

 

[enyp]

Hey,

I'll be at UIC's visit day. I'm not sure what to expect, but it seems like they have a lot planned for the day. The financial aspect does make UIC a top choice for me (more so since I will be paying in-state tuition) but I agree that UIC is not discussed much in this forum, so I'm really hoping I could get a good grasp of the school and the program during the visit. See you there!

 

[uicacmp]

I will be there 🙂 i've already decided... can't beat the in-state tuition. I left Illinois for undergrad so i'm excited to go back to Chicago.

 

[jaya88]

If anyone has time, I would love to hear an update!

 

[sk332]

I just got back from the UIC preview day and it was pretty solid. I can't speak about the other departments but I felt epi/biostats had a very intimate feeling. The professors collaborate with each other and are very accessible. A couple of professors came by to highlight what sort of work they do and to answer any questions. There were a some current students there as well. Overall they were all friendly and receptive. I got to chat with many of them and they only had pleasant things to say about the school.

I'm still a little iffy about the financial aid at UIC. They pretty much could not guarantee any sort of assistantships for MPH students. But the message I got was, it's your responsibility, look hard enough and you'll find something.

There was a very interesting presentation from an organization called ceasefire. They take a public health model and treat street/gang violence as an epidemic. One of the main guys is an epidemiologist and the organization has been pretty successful in reducing violence in Chicago and other cities.

Overall the preview day wasn't that illuminating. There wasn't much new information however it did give me a chance to get a feel for the school and department. Which is making me lean more towards UIC than previously.

I did have a question and if someone from Chicago could answer it, that would be great. What is the best housing option(s) for UIC? Generally consensus from current students was that the graduate dorm (SSR) isn't that great. I need to scope out the area but I would appreciate opinions from people who have personal experience living /or who have lived there.

 

[Drink Water]

Could anyone tell me more about SSR in depth? I was at the Open House and asked around, but no one really had any contructive info. What are pros and cons of living there? SSR seems like an easy commute by walk. I wouldn't mind doing the walk even in the cold windy weather. It appears to me that SSR is not that hard to get in and even has open rooms available during the academic year, which tells me that it's not a popular option among graduate students. This gives me qualms about living at SSR.

 

[thefauzzie]

@Drink Water: I dont know too much about living on campus in the SSR, but have you considered living a little ways off campus and taking the train into campus. Chicago's train system is very good especially in the city and its outskirts.

Does anyone know if UIC's visit day was for Master's students only or was it for PhDs as well? Thanks.

 

[enyp]

I believe it was for both because I had a PhD candidate in my division group. We also had a couple of current PhD students on the panel.

 

[thefauzzie]

I believe it was for both because I had a PhD candidate in my division group. We also had a couple of current PhD students on the panel.

Thanks enyp. I was just curious because I applied to the PhD program and have yet to hear back.