University of Illinois Class of 2013!!

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Markymark, Great idea...however, we are looking for family housing (wife + 1.5 kids). Since you've been to UIUC...could you tell us where NOT to live? Or give us suggestions? Been looking on craigslist and found a few but we don't know. It's hard to get into housing having never seen the city or the apt! But it's only one year then we'll be in Peoria so how bad could it be not seeing the place? ha ha ha

Is anyone else married? Anyone else have children?


I'd say definitely look for something in Urbana, not Champaign. With on campus housing in the Champaign half, you are partially paying for the convenience of being close to the bars and other nightlife. Urbana is more chill and the housing tends to be cheaper. Also, the Medical Science Building lies about at the C-U dividing line, so you are not really any better off being a little east of campus versus a little west.

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Books: What MarkyMark suggests applies mainly to campustown housing--so if you're not looking to be within walking distance of campus, you can look at Champaign also. Champaign is the larger of the two sister cities, so you might be able to find a place there.

Savoy (to the south of Champaign) is a popular place to live for those wanting to get away from campus proper; I've known several graduate students or graduates settling in the area find apartments or townhomes there. UIUC also has its own family housing, Orchard Downs (see here: http://www.housing.uiuc.edu/options/grad/orchard.htm )--which I believe is still open (there have been talks for years about re-developing the area). I can't vouch for it, but people do live there. If memory serves me correctly, it's in Urbana south of Florida, near the University Arboretum. It's in a pretty nice area.

If you are looking for places within walking distance of campus, Urbana is the place to go. The so-called "faculty ghetto" (named so because most faculty used to live in this area years ago) east of Lincoln Avenue on the 'state streets' (Illinois St, Indiana St, etc.) has many nice-looking historic homes amidst cobblestone streets; it's very quaint actually. However, as it is close to campus some college students live in this area (some of the houses have been officially divided into apartments, some landlords rent an entire house to 6-7 students)--so depending on what you want for your family you may want to get a few blocks further east of Lincoln.
 
Books: I forgot to mention that Chambana has a pretty good bus system (check out: www.cumtd.com ), which you get to ride free as a student. So if you and your family don't have a car, it is possible to get to campus even if you find housing further from where most students live.
 
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No problem, books. Let me know if you need any more information (I lived in C-U for 4 years as an undergrad and was there as recently as this past summer living there as I finished up some pre-reqs I didn't do before I graduated a few years back).

And, I now officially belong to this thread since I received my acceptance letter earlier today!
 
Hello,
Does anyone have any info on the urban medicine program? I am very interested in it but was wondering if anyone had any insights. Is it a lot of extra work? Does it limit your experience during rotations 3rd and 4th year? Also, how many people apply and how many do they take? I am interested in the idea of it but I'm wondering what it's all about. Thanks!
 
No problem, books. Let me know if you need any more information (I lived in C-U for 4 years as an undergrad and was there as recently as this past summer living there as I finished up some pre-reqs I didn't do before I graduated a few years back).

And, I now officially belong to this thread since I received my acceptance letter earlier today!

CONGRATS! Welcome! Let us know when you get your site assignment!
 
Hello,
Does anyone have any info on the urban medicine program? I am very interested in it but was wondering if anyone had any insights. Is it a lot of extra work? Does it limit your experience during rotations 3rd and 4th year? Also, how many people apply and how many do they take? I am interested in the idea of it but I'm wondering what it's all about. Thanks!

I remember them saying that most of the people in the urban med program also finish a MPH. Now while a MPH is not required to be in the program they said it was strongly recommended (borderline looked down upon if you don't finish one). With that being said, the MPH takes an extra year and most people did it in between 2nd and 3rd year.

My tour guide was in the Urban Med program and she said that it did not restrict your 3rd and 4th year rotations, but actually gave you first pick. I have no clue on how many apply/get accepted.

That is all I remember from my interview day.
 
I remember them saying that most of the people in the urban med program also finish a MPH. Now while a MPH is not required to be in the program they said it was strongly recommended (borderline looked down upon if you don't finish one). With that being said, the MPH takes an extra year and most people did it in between 2nd and 3rd year.

Patently untrue. Will an MPH complement the UMed program? Sure. Is it necessary? Absolutely not. The only differences between the standard and UMed program are a few seminars and projects that the UMed people have to go to.
 
I stand corrected. Looks like I got some bad info during my interview day. Sorry!
 
when does school/orientation start?

I doubt the exact day has been decided for next year yet. Admissions worries about the current applicants before they worry much about working with OSA on setting up orientation. To give you a rough idea, this year's M1 class started orientation on Monday, August 11. The White Coat Ceremony was on Saturday, 8/16, and classes began on Monday, 8/18.

Also, when do we start getting more information from the school?

Not for awhile, really. Over the summer you'll start getting e-mails from the Office of Student Affairs (OSA) about pre-matriculation tasks you can get out of the way (fingerprinting, getting your photo ID, etc.) if you want to. Fill out your 2009-2010 FAFSA so you can get a financial aid award letter (which also won't come until summertime). If you want to come back for a second look tour, call admissions. We have people come pretty much every day there are interviews.

Other than that, chill out and enjoy your last semester of college and the summer!
 
Hey guys, just wanted to say I was born and raised in the area and practically grew up on campus so if theres anything you wanna know I can tell ya. And it is very true that the closer you are to the nightlife, the more expensive. Everyone wants to be on Green Street in between First St. and Lincoln Ave. Our transportation system is great and its free for students so even if you live 5 miles away from campus, getting to class is no biggie. Something every student should look at is Savoy. If your familliar with the area, we have three connected cities, Champaign, Urbana and Savoy. A lot of campus is right on the edge of Savoy and there is EXTREMELY cheap NICE housing there. While Savoy has a lot of business it still has the small town feel to it, and tons of great schools and daycare for children. We also have Child Resources (i'm not sure about other universities) and based on how much you make, go to school, and your family size they help you pay for child care. Just to give an idea, me and my boyfriend bring in about 1200 a month, and i'm a full-time student and I work about 10 hours a week. Instead of paying 300 dollars a week in daycare, with the assistance of the state, we pay about 4 bucks a week. Its a HUGE help. SO, with that said- if you need anything, gimme a holler. :D
 
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so the all important question--is there sweet UIC med gear?:) the medical bookstores website is pretty sparse
 
so the all important question--is there sweet UIC med gear?:) the medical bookstores website is pretty sparse

There's plenty in the bookstore. I'd say almost everyone has a hoodie or a t-shirt or something.
 
Zipmedic,

Can you tell us anything more about the immunization forms we need to turn in? I mailed mine in about a week and a half ago and they have still not been posted on my status page. Is this normal or cause for concern?

Has anyone else already turned in his/her immunization documents?

Thanks!
 
Tons of awesome stuff.. theres a million stores on campus, and even the wal-marts in the area are loaded with Illini gear.
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I have these =] .. they also make a matching cap, stethoscope cover, and lab coat. The scrubs are 50 bucks online but I got them here at Troy Uniforms on sale for 30.. and they've got new ones coming in.
 
Don't wear school-logo scrubs. Seriously. Just get a cheap set from the bookstore for anatomy and be done with it. You'll throw them away afterward, anyway.

Ispahan, immunization form processing is one of the lowest priorities at the moment. I'm sure they'll get to it. If you're missing something, you'll get an e-mail from Admissions sometime over the summer. If you're not, it'll show on your status page when they get to it. They give you have until July to turn it in, so don't sweat a few week delay in them acknowledging receipt. If 3-4 weeks go by, call them; it's possible you're missing a titer or something.
 
Zipmedic,

Can you tell us anything more about the immunization forms we need to turn in? I mailed mine in about a week and a half ago and they have still not been posted on my status page. Is this normal or cause for concern?

Has anyone else already turned in his/her immunization documents?

Thanks!

I just turned in mine last week. I'm still waiting too.

They did update that they got my transcript today. That took them about a couple of months. :) Don't sweat it dude.
 
FYI: Talked to Urbana last Friday and they aren't sure how many days orientation is going to be but tentatively set for Aug 18 (tues-fri) (but might only be 2 days?) then school will start that next Monday. And activities and such HAVE NOT been planned yet. Also, when looking for housing I've noticed that a lot of leases don't start until Aug 20 but Urbana said most housing places will allow early move-in with documentation from UIC that you are starting school earlier than the lease starts. The following website will be updated when necessary--great info for UPR students.

https://www-s.med.uiuc.edu/sa/Incoming/

Our white coat ceremony isn't until M2! And parents do not attend the orienatation for M1 but are welcome for M2. More info on the site above.

Any further questions, don't hesitate to call them. They were SO nice and VERY helpful in answering all my questions!
 
Take the class advice in there with a grain of salt. The student-to-student guide is a tradition at UIC COM, but the fact is that courses (and course directors) are always changing. What works one year may not work in subsequent years. :)
 
Have any of you worked on your FAFSA yet? There's a section that asks about the parents' taxes and I'm wondering if we really need to give that info on our parents if we're independent.
 
Have any of you worked on your FAFSA yet? There's a section that asks about the parents' taxes and I'm wondering if we really need to give that info on our parents if we're independent.

You need to provide you parents info if you want to be considered for need based scholarships.
 
How much money have you guys planned on spending on rent?
 
Since we need a 2-3 bedroom place we were thinking between $0-$800 but nothing more! But we are only in Urbana for about 8-9 months then we move again.
 
Just made my NetID and Enterprise ID.....soooo many passwords.

Yay, I feel a part of the clan now!
 
Just made my NetID and Enterprise ID.....soooo many passwords.

Yay, I feel a part of the clan now!

How did you make your NetID? Don't you need some UIC ID for that? Where did you get it from?
 
I got an email from the financial aid department that lead me to get the ID. There's also a link where you can look up your University of Illinois ID.

http://connect.osss.uic.edu/

Try that.
 
I got that same email this morning. I just found both my netID and UIC number by searching a little more throughly through the links. Thanks!
 
My netID is lame. they gave me: athomp32

Comeon, are there really 32 people with the same last name and first name?
 
haha, same with me. its like half my last name then a random number.
 
Still can't get mine. Is your application complete (Immunization, etc.)? How did you get your UIN #? Mine was NOT on the acceptance letter (like it says it will be)?
 
Still can't get mine. Is your application complete (Immunization, etc.)? How did you get your UIN #? Mine was NOT on the acceptance letter (like it says it will be)?

1) Go to https://ossswebcs.admin.uillinois.edu/PORTAL_UIC/p_login.asp
2) Click on Activate on left side (need SSN, UIN, and DOB)
3) To get your UIN#, go to https://www.icard.uillinois.edu/secure/act_tellme.cfm#online_form

PS, I've sent in all of my information, but they haven't marked that my immunization form has arrived yet on my status page.
 
  1. Everyone's netID's are like that. It's rare you have someone with a "normal" one. Welcome to the largest medical school in the United States.
  2. The UIN is never in the acceptance material like they say. Remember that when you're counseling incoming M1's next year. ;)
 
Hey hey, congrats again M1s that are UIUC bound. I'll be taking some courses with you guys (I decompressed).

If you have questions about med school, please let me know!
 
For my UIN # I get this reject: We cannot match the SSN and birthdate you entered.
I guess I'll call the # provided to get it? Thanks for your help, Heston.
 
So come to find out on the UIN #'s---the site says put in EITHER/OR on the SS# OR Birthday but if you put in both (like we did....you get an UIN #)....however, NOT TRUE....after a couple of calls to the UIN people, we received a RUDE message back---they ended up adding us in the system so we could get it. BUT WHEN IT SAYS "OR" JUST DO BOTH!!! Moral to "their" story! Glad the med staff hasn't been rude like them!
 
So, out of curiosity, I looked up my UIN and netid--and to my surprise, they were the same ones I had as an undergrad in Champaign. I thought I had left those behind...three years ago...

I guess the extremely odd truncation of my last name will follow me to UIC (telling people, 'oh my email is my entire last name except for second to last letter is [email protected]' is going to get tiresome again). Oh well.
 
when does school/orientation start?

Orientation for your class, pending approval, will be a three day event in early/mid August. We are currently restructuring how orientation goes for your class to make it more beneficial and fun. Hopefully I will have more information for you all in the upcoming weeks.

So, out of curiosity, I looked up my UIN and netid--and to my surprise, they were the same ones I had as an undergrad in Champaign. I thought I had left those behind...three years ago...

I guess the extremely odd truncation of my last name will follow me to UIC (telling people, 'oh my email is my entire last name except for second to last letter is [email protected]' is going to get tiresome again). Oh well.

Yes, the netid as well as UIN is the same as your undergrad one because it applies to the entire U of I system. I did my undergrad at UIUC and nothing changed moving to the UIC campus. Just like you, I spent some time away from school and was surprised to find out that I didn't have to memorize a new identification number or anything. Pretty sweet.
 
So I called the housing office today and asked when SSR was going to be opening up [I will be living in SSR next year]. Here's what I got...

SSR opening date: August 26, 2009

However, M1 orientation starts August 10, 2009. Does anyone know what M1 students living in SSR would normally do with regards to housing between the start of orientation and the opening of SSR? In fact, I bet that by August 26, school has already started. WTF...The dorms open AFTER school starts???

The only logic I can think of with regards to the time difference between August 10 and August 26 is that students do not stay on campus during orientation. What I mean is that they go to orientation for a couple of days, then go back home for a few days, and they come back to campus in time for school to start. Although, I would have expected that the start of classes immediately proceeded orientation, so it would make sense that students signed up for SSR would stay in SSR during orientation.

Can anyone enlighten me?
 
So I called the housing office today and asked when SSR was going to be opening up [I will be living in SSR next year]. Here's what I got...

SSR opening date: August 26, 2009

However, M1 orientation starts August 10, 2009. Does anyone know what M1 students living in SSR would normally do with regards to housing between the start of orientation and the opening of SSR? In fact, I bet that by August 26, school has already started. WTF...The dorms open AFTER school starts???

The only logic I can think of with regards to the time difference between August 10 and August 26 is that students do not stay on campus during orientation. What I mean is that they go to orientation for a couple of days, then go back home for a few days, and they come back to campus in time for school to start. Although, I would have expected that the start of classes immediately proceeded orientation, so it would make sense that students signed up for SSR would stay in SSR during orientation.

Can anyone enlighten me?

Did you specifically ask if medical students can move in early? If you can't, you'll have to explore other options. While the final format for orientation hasn't been worked out yet, it was 5 days last year. Classes will start August 17th. There won't be an option to "come in for a few days, go home until classes start". I suggest you call the housing office back and specifically ask when med students can move in, just to be sure, before you start to worry.
 
So when do you think we'll be getting our award letter? I sent my FAFSA in at the beginning of February.
 
I have another question for you all, especially for those that have been going to the school.

I found a fairly decent apartment at 1657 S. California, Chicago. However, on Google Maps, it comes out about 1.9 miles from the school.

Would this, as your gut instinct, be too far? Does Ogden get really backed up in the mornings? I really don't want to commute, but this seem like a pretty good place.

Let me know! Thanks!
 
So when do you think we'll be getting our award letter? I sent my FAFSA in at the beginning of February.

I'm wondering the same. Also, do we need to submit any other information besides the FAFSA (tax forms, W2s, etc)?
 
I'm wondering the same. Also, do we need to submit any other information besides the FAFSA (tax forms, W2s, etc)?

I just called the financial aid department. They received my FAFSA February 9th, which meets the March 1st priority deadline. I asked if they needed anything further and she told me that I was complete.

I asked when the award letters might go out and she said the were looking at sending them out towards the end of this month or later.

Hope that helps.
 
So, anyone think 1.9 miles on ogden is too far to commute to school?
 
Hello, UIC m2 posting for the first time to let you know that you do NOT want to live at 1600 S. California, 2 miles from school.

That is a high crime area. It is also across the street from Mt Sinai Hospital, Chicago's busiest trauma center. It is probably not suitable for young, busy medical students who will be coming and going at different times of day/night.

Find a different apartment!
 
I just called the financial aid department. They received my FAFSA February 9th, which meets the March 1st priority deadline. I asked if they needed anything further and she told me that I was complete.

I asked when the award letters might go out and she said the were looking at sending them out towards the end of this month or later.

Hope that helps.

Very helpful, thanks Heston!
 
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