2017-2018 Loyola University - Chicago (Stritch)

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Lucca

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1) Becoming a person for others is a core Jesuit value. What does this Jesuit ideal mean to you? (500 words max)


SSOM seeks students who are resourceful and lifelong learners who are both self-aware and adaptable.
2) Please describe a personal or professional challenge or conflict that you have experienced. How did you resolve it? What skills, resources and/or strategies did you employ? DO NOT write about the MCAT, a course, or an academic issue. (500 words max)

3) How will you contribute to the diversity of the Stritch student body and community? Specifically, what unique traits, identities, experiences, skills and perspectives will you contribute?

4) Please use this space to bring the information in your AMCAS application up-to-date. Please indicate additional grades earned, alterations in your proposed coursework or graduation date, address changes, additions to your list of activities, and anything else you feel we should know. If you have not been enrolled in coursework, please let us know what you have been doing since coursework ended.

5) Have you or any of your relatives attended or been employed by Loyola University Chicago or the Loyola Stritch School of Medicine?

6) Please use the space below to further explain anything in your application that may help us in our review of your candidacy-gaps or delays in education, academic missteps, or personal challenges not listed elsewhere, etc. (this response limited to 1500 characters)

7) Have you applied to Loyola Stritch School of Medicine prior to this application? If so, please list the years of your previous application submissions to Loyola SSOM.

8) Have you applied to any medical school prior to this year’s application? If so, please list the years of your previous application submissions to AMCAS. Please also tell us how your application has improved since your previous application.

Good luck to everyone applying!

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Members don't see this ad :)
Best of luck to all those applying. Rising M3 here. There are many of my colleagues on this board and we are happy to answer questions.
 
Best of luck to all those applying. Rising M3 here. There are many of my colleagues on this board and we are happy to answer questions.
Hi! What would say are some of the best advantages to attending Stritch? What about is different from your knowledge of other schools? I'm planning to apply and something I know is that Stritch has smaller classes which sounds great!
 
Best of luck to all those applying. Rising M3 here. There are many of my colleagues on this board and we are happy to answer questions.

How is this school's curriculum in terms of preparation for the board exams? Do most people feel adequately prepared?
 
I'm beyond nervous applying for Medical for a plethora of reasons, but I know that Loyola is where I want to be. I attended their Undergrad in Chicago and it was home for me. Good luck to all SSOM applicants!!
 
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I'm beyond nervous applying for Medical for a plethora of reasons, but I know that Loyola is where I want to be. I attended their Undergrad in Chicago and it was home for me. Good luck to all SSOM applicants!!

We're all in this together!
 
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We're all in this together!


upload_2017-6-11_17-2-35.png
 
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Does anyone know how strict the 2 science/1 non-science requirement is for Loyola? I have a science and a non-science, but the closest I have to a second science letter is from an MD who taught me in two interdiscplinary two courses and whom I shadowed. These three letters would be strong in my opinion, and although I have another letter from a micro professor, I don't plan on using it because the writer told me it would not be very personal at all, and I would rather have all strong letter.

It states on the "Letters of Recommendation are accepted through the AMCAS letter service. In order for your file to be reviewed by the Committee on Admissions at the Stritch School of Medicine (SSOM), letters of recommendation are required from the following sources: ... "

- Does this mean they won't even consider looking at my file at all the required letters in?
 
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Does anyone know how strict the 2 science/1 non-science requirement is for Loyola? I have a science and a non-science, but the closest I have to a second science letter is from an MD who taught me in two interdiscplinary two courses and whom I shadowed. These three letters would be strong in my opinion, and although I have another letter from a micro professor, I don't plan on using it because the writer told me it would not be very personal at all, and I would rather have all strong letter.

It states on the "Letters of Recommendation are accepted through the AMCAS letter service. In order for your file to be reviewed by the Committee on Admissions at the Stritch School of Medicine (SSOM), letters of recommendation are required from the following sources: ... "

- Does this mean they won't even consider looking at my file at all the required letters in?

I believe the 2 science/1 non-science professor is pretty ubiquitous. I can't speak with any certainty that they won't look at your file at Loyola, but some schools you're applying to might care. This might be a question better served for a post in the general pre-med allo forum
 
Does anyone know how strict the 2 science/1 non-science requirement is for Loyola? I have a science and a non-science, but the closest I have to a second science letter is from an MD who taught me in two interdiscplinary two courses and whom I shadowed. These three letters would be strong in my opinion, and although I have another letter from a micro professor, I don't plan on using it because the writer told me it would not be very personal at all, and I would rather have all strong letter.

It states on the "Letters of Recommendation are accepted through the AMCAS letter service. In order for your file to be reviewed by the Committee on Admissions at the Stritch School of Medicine (SSOM), letters of recommendation are required from the following sources: ... "

- Does this mean they won't even consider looking at my file at all the required letters in?

I checked their website and it seems they have updated it recently: Application Timeline: Loyola University Chicago Health Sciences Division

"We appreciate hearing from individuals who know you well. We offer guidelines below, and we leave latitude for your judgment as to whom are the ideal persons to help us determine your candidacy for medicine."

  1. "7. We strongly recommend at least one letter from someone who has taught you in a science class. We suggest two science faculty letters and one non-science faculty letter."
 
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Thank you!
I checked their website and it seems they have updated it recently: Application Timeline: Loyola University Chicago Health Sciences Division

"We appreciate hearing from individuals who know you well. We offer guidelines below, and we leave latitude for your judgment as to whom are the ideal persons to help us determine your candidacy for medicine."

  1. "7. We strongly recommend at least one letter from someone who has taught you in a science class. We suggest two science faculty letters and one non-science faculty letter."
 
I checked their website and it seems they have updated it recently: Application Timeline: Loyola University Chicago Health Sciences Division

"We appreciate hearing from individuals who know you well. We offer guidelines below, and we leave latitude for your judgment as to whom are the ideal persons to help us determine your candidacy for medicine."

  1. "7. We strongly recommend at least one letter from someone who has taught you in a science class. We suggest two science faculty letters and one non-science faculty letter."

Thank you for clearing that up!
 
Hi! What would say are some of the best advantages to attending Stritch? What about is different from your knowledge of other schools? I'm planning to apply and something I know is that Stritch has smaller classes which sounds great!

The student body consists of like-minded individuals who want to grow as persons for others. Service is at the core of the school's mission and if that also coincides with your mission as a future healer, you will be very happy at the school. There are also a plethora of opportunities to get involved through the Honors programs and campus organizations. The students are very happy at the school and it is a great learning environment. If you get an interview, look how the school treats you as a prospective student on interview day and compare to the other interviews you go on - that experience really sold me on the school and lead me to ultimately accept over my other offers.
 
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How is this school's curriculum in terms of preparation for the board exams? Do most people feel adequately prepared?

I think the school does a great job in preparing for boards. Year 2 is when the majority of content for boards is taught and I think they do a fantastic job teaching and preparing us for boards. We have a program through ACE called Step 1 Stritch which is a peer guided boards prep outside of class and is also very well received. I felt very prepared for boards.
 
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Definitely one of my top three schools I want to attend. Would love to stay in Chicago for med school
 
Definitely one of my top choices after Dr. Nakae visited, fingers crossed they see something in me!


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I'm almost done pre-writing this schools secondary (anyone else think this one was a beast of a secondary?) and assuming the questions will be the same, would it be appropriate to discuss my low MCAT score in the following prompt:

Please use the space below to further explain anything in your application that may help us in our review of your candidacy-gaps or delays in education, academic missteps, or personal challenges not listed elsewhere, etc. (this is an optional response limited to 1500 characters)

Also, if I do choose to discuss a low MCAT score, does it sound OK to attribute it to situational factors if I honestly believe it to be the cause. I was scoring around a 507 and earned a 502 on test day. Got little to no sleep the night beofre because of nerves and over caffeinated to compensate. I'd of course describe this more eloquently lol, just curious. Any advice?
 
I'm almost done pre-writing this schools secondary (anyone else think this one was a beast of a secondary?) and assuming the questions will be the same, would it be appropriate to discuss my low MCAT score in the following prompt:

Please use the space below to further explain anything in your application that may help us in our review of your candidacy-gaps or delays in education, academic missteps, or personal challenges not listed elsewhere, etc. (this is an optional response limited to 1500 characters)

Also, if I do choose to discuss a low MCAT score, does it sound OK to attribute it to situational factors if I honestly believe it to be the cause. I was scoring around a 507 and earned a 502 on test day. Got little to no sleep the night beofre because of nerves and over caffeinated to compensate. I'd of course describe this more eloquently lol, just curious. Any advice?

I think it would be a good idea to address the lower mcat, but be careful when placing blame on external factors. If granted an interview they will probably ask why you decided not to retake the mcat if it is brought up at all
 
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Anyone know if it would be ok if we don't fill out the optional essay question (provided its the same prompts as last year)?
 
Also, if I do choose to discuss a low MCAT score, does it sound OK to attribute it to situational factors if I honestly believe it to be the cause. I was scoring around a 507 and earned a 502 on test day. Got little to no sleep the night beofre because of nerves and over caffeinated to compensate. I'd of course describe this more eloquently lol, just curious. Any advice?

This comment/reply is prefaced with an apology for being a downer.

Personally, I would not talk about a low MCAT score unless something tragic happened during your exam (in which case you should retake). There are an enormous number of applicants who feel the same as you about their experience, even the ones who scored well. I don't think the ad com would view your situation as extraordinary or poignant, which is the only capacity in which I would mention an MCAT score. (I would certainly not bring up practice scores at any cost -- meaningless to the ad com.) Even more to the point, the MCAT tests your ability under pressure. I'm not sure you want to go out of your way to tell ad coms that you struggled under pressure. Med school, residency, and your career will have tremendous pressure at times, so you need to paint a picture of resiliency!

Gotta own that MCAT or get a better score. I think those are really the only two options.

Best of luck!!!
 
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This comment/reply is prefaced with an apology for being a downer.

Personally, I would not talk about a low MCAT score unless something tragic happened during your exam (in which case you should retake). There are an enormous number of applicants who feel the same as you about their experience, even the ones who scored well. I don't think the ad com would view your situation as extraordinary or poignant, which is the only capacity in which I would mention an MCAT score. (I would certainly not bring up practice scores at any cost -- meaningless to the ad com.) Even more to the point, the MCAT tests your ability under pressure. I'm not sure you want to go out of your way to tell ad coms that you struggled under pressure. Med school, residency, and your career will have tremendous pressure at times, so you need to paint a picture of resiliency!

Gotta own that MCAT or get a better score. I think those are really the only two options.

Best of luck!!!
Appreciate the advice! I definitely see your point
 
Secondary received!
 
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@Lucca Prompts:


1) Becoming a person for others is a core Jesuit value. What does this Jesuit ideal mean to you? (500 words max)


SSOM seeks students who are resourceful and lifelong learners who are both self-aware and adaptable.
2) Please describe a personal or professional challenge or conflict that you have experienced. How did you resolve it? What skills, resources and/or strategies did you employ? DO NOT write about the MCAT, a course, or an academic issue. (500 words max)

3) How will you contribute to the diversity of the Stritch student body and community? Specifically, what unique traits, identities, experiences, skills and perspectives will you contribute?

4) Please use this space to bring the information in your AMCAS application up-to-date. Please indicate additional grades earned, alterations in your proposed coursework or graduation date, address changes, additions to your list of activities, and anything else you feel we should know. If you have not been enrolled in coursework, please let us know what you have been doing since coursework ended.

5) Have you or any of your relatives attended or been employed by Loyola University Chicago or the Loyola Stritch School of Medicine?

6) Please use the space below to further explain anything in your application that may help us in our review of your candidacy-gaps or delays in education, academic missteps, or personal challenges not listed elsewhere, etc. (this response limited to 1500 characters)

7) Have you applied to Loyola Stritch School of Medicine prior to this application? If so, please list the years of your previous application submissions to Loyola SSOM.

8) Have you applied to any medical school prior to this year’s application? If so, please list the years of your previous application submissions to AMCAS. Please also tell us how your application has improved since your previous application.

--edit: thanks to @bengirlxD for pointing out the ones I missed
 
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Got the secondary!! Really excited!
 
@Lucca Prompts:


1) Becoming a person for others is a core Jesuit value. What does this Jesuit ideal mean to you? (500 words max)


SSOM seeks students who are resourceful and lifelong learners who are both self-aware and adaptable.
2) Please describe a personal or professional challenge or conflict that you have experienced. How did you resolve it? What skills, resources and/or strategies did you employ? DO NOT write about the MCAT, a course, or an academic issue. (500 words max)

3. How will you contribute to the diversity of the Stritch student body and community? Specifically, what unique traits, identities, experiences, skills and perspectives will you contribute?

4) Please use this space to bring the information in your AMCAS application up-to-date. Please indicate additional grades earned, alterations in your proposed coursework or graduation date, address changes, additions to your list of activities, and anything else you feel we should know. If you have not been enrolled in coursework, please let us know what you have been doing since coursework ended.

5) Have you or any of your relatives attended or been employed by Loyola University Chicago or the Loyola Stritch School of Medicine?

6) Please use the space below to further explain anything in your application that may help us in our review of your candidacy-gaps or delays in education, academic missteps, or personal challenges not listed elsewhere, etc. (this response limited to 1500 characters)

7) Have you applied to Loyola Stritch School of Medicine prior to this application? If so, please list the years of your previous application submissions to Loyola SSOM.

8) Have you applied to any medical school prior to this year’s application? If so, please list the years of your previous application submissions to AMCAS. Please also tell us how your application has improved since your previous application.
 
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Received it today, one of my top 3's!
 
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Received and submitted 07/06/2017
 
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Is #4 a place for non-traditionals to talk about what they have been doing since school has ended? I graduated over two years ago. I'm just a tad bit confused by the wording of that question.

I was also confused with the wording, but I interpreted it such that you can use that as your standard "what are you doing this year if not enrolled" prompt.
 
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For anyone doing #8 (as a SSOM re-applicant), did you notice that if you click "print application," the entire #8 is not shown?
 
Does anyone know the character count limit for #8? Thanks
 
Can anyone clarify #4? I already mentioned my summer activities in AMCAS. Not too sure what to put.
 
I said something along the lines of "currently there is nothing else I would like to add to my AMCAS."
 
I said something along the lines of "currently there is nothing else I would like to add to my AMCAS."
Seems like we should always add something haha but I'm right there with you. No updates at this time.
 
Loyola prescreens for secondaries, right? Does anyone know what they look for?

Edit: Hmm never mind. There seems to be conflicting information. MSAR indicates screening, but the Stritch website seems to indicate that all applicants receive a secondary.
 
Seems like we should always add something haha but I'm right there with you. No updates at this time.
I think it's also important to remember that if you compose an essay that is filled with hot gas, they will not look upon you favorably. Besides, much less reading for them if you decide to write a sentence saying you have no updates.

That's my thought process at least.
 
Is anyone else having a hard time logging in?
 
So why is the word limit 500 words but then they ask to only have two paragraphs for each response? My answers are quite lengthy, squeezing them all together will be quite awkward
 
So why is the word limit 500 words but then they ask to only have two paragraphs for each response? My answers are quite lengthy, squeezing them all together will be quite awkward
I thought this was odd as well. I went with what was on the prompts (500 words)
 
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Best of luck to all those applying. Rising M3 here. There are many of my colleagues on this board and we are happy to answer questions.
Is being of Jewish faith going to be difficult at this school?
 
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