Menu Icon Search
Close Search

MD Applicants

  • fpo-profile-avatar
  • User #3606

  • Application cycles: 2005
  • Demographics: Male, Caucasian
  • Home state: Illinois
  • Brief Profile: After graduating from University of Illinois in 2003, I worked in the advertising industry for about a year before realizing just how much I really wanted to be a doctor (I dropped out of pre-med as a freshman due to bad grades and some horrible advice from my academic counselor). I joined a post-bac program near my home and continued to work while I completed my remaining pre-reqs and prepared for the MCAT. In that time, I also got married and worked a few part time jobs to help pay for classes before returning to the advertising industry to work in a freelance position while I finished my post-bac program.
  • // Applications //

    Application Cycle One: 2005

    • Undergraduate college: University of Illinois - Urbana
    • Undergraduate Area of study: English/Literature
    • Institution: Loyola University Chicago
    • Area of Study: Premedical Studies
    • Degree Obtained: PostBac
    • Total MCAT SCORE: 519
    • MCAT Section Scores: B/B 130, C/P 129, CARS 130  
    • Overall GPA: 3.28
    • Science GPA: 3.17

    Summary of Application Experience

    6-16-05:
    Submitted my application to AMCAS about 12 hours after MCAT scores came out...scary feeling hitting submit, but now it's done...relief is a good thing.

    6-20-05:
    AMCAS screwed up my GPA! They somehow didn't give me grades for 2 semesters worth of classes which made my post-bac gpa a 2.9 instead of a 3.5...AHHHHH!!!!
    Submitted an academic change request...very nervous now...

    6-29-05:
    AMCAS corrected the error on my GPA...everything is happy again...I can stop pulling my hair out :)
    Now it's on to the secondaries!

    7-18-05:
    Have heard from about 7 schools now about secondaries. 5 have been sent out already. Waiting for AMCAS was painful, but the secondaries have been surprisingly pleasant so far.

    7-27-05:
    Well, the first big wave is done. Got through 9 secondaries so far. Waiting on 6...3 of which are screeners. It's nice being all caught up, but I'd definitely prefer to be working on apps than waiting for them.

    7-31-05:
    Three more out the door. Waiting on the last three secondaries...the suspense is killing me...i hope it lasts :)

    8-9-05:
    Mailed Loyola yesterday. Still waiting on Wisconsin and Creighton...not sure what's up with those last two, but to be honest, this process hasn't been anywhere near as painful as everyone led me to believe it was. Aside from the waiting time, this has actually been kinda fun.

    9-6-05:
    Mailed Creighton off last Thursday...just waiting on a Wisconsin secondary now...oh, yeah...AND MAYBE A FREAKIN' INTERVIEW from SOMEONE!

    9-13-05:
    First interview invite today! And it's Pritzker no less! WOO-HOO!

    9-13-05 [part ii]:
    Holy crap monkey! Got home from work today and an invite from University of Illinois was waiting in the mailbox. This has been a hell of a day!

    9-19-05:
    Georgetown rejection in the mail today. Gotta love coming home from volunteering at the hospital to the nice thin envelope with the form letter assuring me that my application was given personal attention.

    9-23-05:
    On a non-application note, my one-year anniversary is this weekend...and I will be spending it preparing for my Pritzker interview next week (even my non-application thoughts somehow turn into application thoughts...this process is truly diabolical...)

    9-26-05:
    Came home today to a phone message from Loyola...my third interview has been scheduled for 10/7! Sweet :-)

    9-30-05:
    This comment is mainly for the benefit of family and friends who read this thing for updates...my UChicago interview went amazing. I loved everything about the school and can only hope they liked me just as much so they grant me an acceptance...keeping my fingers crossed! :)

    10-1-05:
    Finally got my rejection from UWisconsin...pleasant enough letter and I'm still riding high on my great time at Pritzker...so this one didn't sting too much.

    10-13-05:
    Well, done with all the interviews I've gotten so far...University of Chicago, Loyola and University of Illinois. None of them blew me away as much as Chicago, but they were actually all really cool, and I think I could be very happy at any one of the three. So, hopefully some acceptances start making there way to my mail box...maybe a few more interview invites too.

    10-17-05:
    Mondays must be rejections from Wisconsin school days...oh well, 3 rejections, 3 interviews...i'm liking those odds here in mid-october.

    10-23-05:
    Heard from University of Chicago yesterday...placed into the alternate pool. Kinda stings... But, I'll be hearing from Loyola and UIC this week, so hopefully some good news will come my way.

    10-25-05:
    Only two days after getting waitlisted by Pritzker, a big fat envelope from UIC greeted me when I got home from work...MY FIRST ACCEPTANCE! :)

    10-27-05:
    Got an acceptance letter from Loyola today! I think this might be the one...couldn't be more pumped than I am right now! :)

    11-8-05:
    So, got my rejection e-mail from Boston over the weekend...i love how they felt it was necessary to tell me that they considered it their loss not interviewing me...uh, sure guys. The excitement from Loyola still hasn't worn off though...in fact, i'm getting more and more excited about starting there in July and can't really see myself going anywhere else!

    11-19-05:
    Got rejection letters from Dartmouth and Northwestern this week. All in all, I no longer care. I figure I paid all these schools for answers, so I'm not going to withdraw from anywhere, but I totally loved Loyola and that's where I'll be in the fall. It's nice to be done and no longer worry about any of this stuff!

    12-12-05:
    Part of me wants to withdraw from the schools I haven't heard from and just be done already, but the reality is that I paid for an answer and I'm going to make them all give me one. Even if I have no intention of going anywhere other than Loyola! But, it does feel nice heading into the holidays completely relaxed knowing I'll be a first year at Loyola at the end of the summer.

    1-8-06:
    First rejection of the new year...University of Iowa. Considering I've already made up my mind on Loyola, at this point the rejections are just helping it to all feel finalized...hope the rest come in soon.

    1-30-06:
    Got a rejection from Creighton today. Found it a little odd since I already got into Loyola, which is another Jesuit school that seems to actually have a better reputation...but of course, we all know it's a crap shoot in this process, and I certainly wasn't excited about the prospect of living in Omaha anyways. (i'm wearing a loyola t-shirt as i type this...) :)

    2-4-06:
    Got a rejection from Wash U today. Definitely the nicest letter i've gotten though. The only rejection letter i got that actually asks me to keep them in mind for a residency. Class act all the way down there...nice people :)

    3-21-06:
    Finally got a rejection from Tufts a few days ago. Almost forgot I'd applied there. More importantly, today I made my decision to attend Loyola official by withdrawing my acceptance from UIC. It's weird turning down an acceptance, but it feels really good to only hold the one acceptance I really want now. Can't wait til orientation in July!

    3-25-06:
    Well, it's finally officially over. Got a rejection from Rush today. Have to say, it's a little surprising considering the interest the rest of the Illinois schools showed in me, but I'm happier with Loyola anyways. It's been a crazy process, and I'd NEVER want to do it again, but I'm extremely happy with how things turned out. Loyola here I come!

    4-14-06:
    One last note...finally got a rejection from Hopkins today. Gotta say, the better schools have the nicest rejection letters. Both Hopkins and WashU had by far the nicest and most respectful letters. Both state that they're confident I'll be successful in medical school as opposed to the lesser schools that seem to think they've ruined your life by not letting you attend their school. Guess that's why they're the best...haha.

    Well, it's been a hell of a ride...Loyola starts in a few months...I'm out.

    Applied, Rejected

    University of Wisconsin

    Application Complete, Rejected

    Dartmouth College
    Tufts University
    Rush Medical College
    Northwestern University
    Creighton University
    Boston University
    Johns Hopkins University
    Washington University in St. Louis
    Medical College of Wisconsin
    University of Iowa
    Georgetown University

    Attended Interview, Waitlisted, Rejected

    University of Chicago

    Accepted

    Loyola University Chicago
    University of Illinois

    // Share //

    × Wait!

    Are you sure you want to delete this application cycle? This will remove all application data and cannot be undone.

    × Wait!

    Are you sure you want to delete this school? This will remove all application data and cannot be undone.