UIC Pharm School?

www.westernu.edu/pharmacy/
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Mine is Thursday, March 26 at 11:30 (so be there at 10:00).:nod:
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Silversun5 said:
nice! i'll be at my interview while ur walkin in! haha let me know how it goes! i'm super excited!!! andddddddddd unofficial this friday! gotta love life right now
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UNOFFICIAL!:zip::barf:
I'm prettttttty excited. Do you go to U of I?
 
Lance13 said:
UNOFFICIAL!:zip::barf:
I'm prettttttty excited. Do you go to U of I?
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yeah Lance13, i do! senior in the college of LAS getting a chem degree. you from U of I also? or just coming down to party haha
 
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Silversun5 said:
yeah Lance13, i do! senior in the college of LAS getting a chem degree. you from U of I also? or just coming down to party haha
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I go to ISU, just comin down to enjoy the wonderful party your school holds!
 
Mine is Tues March 24th at 11:30 am. I am super excited. Good luck everybody :thumbup:
 
I'll be there Tuesday the 24th! I didn't realize how many U of I kids are on here : )
 
Mine is on Monday, 3/23 at 2:30PM. Getting a little bit nervous:D
 
Silversun5 said:
yeah Lance13, i do! senior in the college of LAS getting a chem degree. you from U of I also? or just coming down to party haha
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I'll be coming down too, been looking forward to it for awhile

I'm assuming everyone else got the note about the interview being behavioral style? Thats different from every other pharm interview i've been to, but i've had job interviews like that, and it ****ing sucks
 
Silversun5 said:
any chem majors here?? if you're a chem major at U of I, i'm sure we've taken a class together
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...or any pre-pharm class really.

I had the privelege of being in the same physics discussion as this crazy mofo. :laugh:
 
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Silversun5 said:
any chem majors here?? if you're a chem major at U of I, i'm sure we've taken a class together
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Yeah, I'm a senior chem major. I'm not especially recognizable but I'm sure we've had some classes together.
 
That is Spring Break for UIC. There will be P1s-P3s available to answer questions. P-4s will be on campus on Friday.
 
From what I have seen here on SDN, it appears that the interview is given as a one on one -- do you think that is still the case?
 
mine is on friday march 27th at 9:30. anyone else gonna be there on friday....? ;)
 
mine is march 23 at 9:30am.

one slot per person? or are there multiple people being interview at the same time? who also has the 23rd?!!
 
Lance13 said:
I go to ISU, just comin down to enjoy the wonderful party your school holds!
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yo lance I go to ISU too.

I have my interview March 23rd at 9:30 AM as well ladyxyen. I guess I'll see you there :)
 
3/25 - 1:30

MCB/CHEM major at U of I so I'm sure I know a couple of you guys.

See you all (maybe) at unofficial ;)
 
DKSchrute6 said:
3/25 - 1:30

MCB/CHEM major at U of I so I'm sure I know a couple of you guys.

See you all (maybe) at unofficial ;)
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BOO YA! Headin down tomorrow night from ISU...ready to start early friday am:luck:
 
To those of you that already have acceptance at other schools, in the event that you were asked a question at the UIC interview such as - what is your backup plan if you don't get into pharmacy school, would you reveal that you were already accepted to another school or is that a no-no?

what do you guys think?
 
PreciousThings9 said:
To those of you that already have acceptance at other schools, in the event that you were asked a question at the UIC interview such as - what is your backup plan if you don't get into pharmacy school, would you reveal that you were already accepted to another school or is that a no-no?

what do you guys think?
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Grr, that same question has been on my mind for a while now. I'm hoping they just don't ask it...
 
honesty is the best policy??... man that's a tough one
 
I would just say something to the effect of, I'm lucky because I've already been accepted to other school(s) so I don't have to worry about that situation. Then I would say had I not been so fortunate ________ is what I would have done had I not gotten in anywhere.
 
PreciousThings9 said:
To those of you that already have acceptance at other schools, in the event that you were asked a question at the UIC interview such as - what is your backup plan if you don't get into pharmacy school, would you reveal that you were already accepted to another school or is that a no-no?

what do you guys think?
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According to what I read, each school can see which school you "accepted" the offer to, which probably means the ones you sent a deposit to. I'm not sure if they can see the schools that offered you an invitation to their program, but you may not have sent the deposit. They can't see the number of schools you applied to. So if you lie and say you're going to go back to school and improve your grades or something like that, then they may catch you in a lie.
 
Do you guys plan on living around UIC if you decide to go there? According to my friend, the West Campus can be a bit scary, especially if you're not accustomed to living in the city. Are there on-campus apartments or dorms that perhaps offer more security? What is your experience with the neighborhood around UIC?
 
lepamplemousse said:
Do you guys plan on living around UIC if you decide to go there? According to my friend, the West Campus can be a bit scary, especially if you're not accustomed to living in the city. Are there on-campus apartments or dorms that perhaps offer more security? What is your experience with the neighborhood around UIC?
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Yeah it's not the nicest area... and i've actually had a few friends gotten mugged by that area but then again i'm not trying to scare anyone. I wouldnt consider it the worst area in the world, but i'd def take precation (mase n what not). But i have a few friends in the pharm school right now. some live in the dorms that they have for grad students and some live in their own places. So far everyone agrees that they would rather NOT live in the dorms. I hear they're not too nice and most people at this age wouldnt mind living on their own. Dont get me wrong, im sure there are others who like the convinence of the dorms esp cause it's so close to campus so it's tough call. If i get accepted to UIC i think i'll def get an apartment and not dorm.
 
Silversun5 said:
Yeah it's not the nicest area... and i've actually had a few friends gotten mugged by that area but then again i'm not trying to scare anyone. I wouldnt consider it the worst area in the world, but i'd def take precation (mase n what not). But i have a few friends in the pharm school right now. some live in the dorms that they have for grad students and some live in their own places. So far everyone agrees that they would rather NOT live in the dorms. I hear they're not too nice and most people at this age wouldnt mind living on their own. Dont get me wrong, im sure there are others who like the convinence of the dorms esp cause it's so close to campus so it's tough call. If i get accepted to UIC i think i'll def get an apartment and not dorm.
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My friend who used to go there had to carry pepper spray around with her. But I agree, I would rather find an apartment... there doesn't seem to be many nice apartments around there though. The one my friend lives in is supposedly one of the better ones, but I found it to be old and dingy.
 
The area around UIC is urban, so it takes some getting used to if you're not from the city. I've lived in the city all my life and lived in Hyde Park (south side for those who are familiar) for 4 years, so this is nothing new for me. You just need to be a aware of your surroundings and obviously don't put yourself in compromising situations.

I'd actually prefer to live around UIC than Midwestern (too isolated and too suburban). Anywhere you are, you need to be aware of your surroundings.
 
micko said:
The area around UIC is urban, so it takes some getting used to if you're not from the city. I've lived in the city all my life and lived in Hyde Park (south side for those who are familiar) for 4 years, so this is nothing new for me. You just need to be a aware of your surroundings and obviously don't put yourself in compromising situations.

I'd actually prefer to live around UIC than Midwestern (too isolated and too suburban). Anywhere you are, you need to be aware of your surroundings.
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I'm so use to walking everywhere at my current institution...sometimes really late at night. And I remember visiting a friend of mine who attends UIC and we were going to visit the pharm school which was seriously like 10-15mins away (and this was like at noon). She absolutely refused to walk and said we had to take the bus. It's really not that bad though, from my observations. But this is the city, and like at any city, you need to take precautions.

And whatever you do, don't take any candy from strangers...
 
My interview is 03/25 at 10:30 in the am. I'm not too happy about the earliness. I'm half excited, half nervous. I'm usually really good one-on-one, however, we shall see. Congrats to those who got the interview. To those who didn't: keep trying and don't give up
 
ah the week of UIC interviews is upon us! goodluck to all those who are interviewing first and let us know how it is! anyone in the first batch? (i'm assuming its monday or tuesday)
 
So does anyone who has interviewed so far have any words of wisdom to share? What did you guys think?

Also, I'm not at all familiar with Chicago and the directions I have say it should take about 2.5 hours to get there from where I live. How much time should I add for traffic (I'll be coming in on I-94/90) if I plan on getting in to the Chicago area around 9am?
 
homeslice said:
So does anyone who has interviewed so far have any words of wisdom to share? What did you guys think?

Also, I'm not at all familiar with Chicago and the directions I have say it should take about 2.5 hours to get there from where I live. How much time should I add for traffic (I'll be coming in on I-94/90) if I plan on getting in to the Chicago area around 9am?
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For traffic, see here: http://www.gcmtravel.com/gcm/maps_chicago.jsp

Go to "Reports", "Travel Times" to see average travel times. You should be able to find graphs that show average travel time as a function of time of day.

As for advice, play the interviewer, not the interview. Like poker :)
 
homeslice said:
So does anyone who has interviewed so far have any words of wisdom to share? What did you guys think?

Also, I'm not at all familiar with Chicago and the directions I have say it should take about 2.5 hours to get there from where I live. How much time should I add for traffic (I'll be coming in on I-94/90) if I plan on getting in to the Chicago area around 9am?
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You should give yourself plenty of time. You'll be hitting Chicago at rush hour. I would personally leave in the neighborhood of 5am-5:30am.
 
Has anyone interviewed yet? How did it go? How was the day laid out? Do you have any words of wisdom for the rest of us?
 
its relatively straight forward, go there, write an essay, then you have a single one on one interview. Then you get a tour and go home
 
I was a little discouraged by how informal the interview was. I do realize that the interview is only a portion of their decision for candidates - but I just think we should be given a chance to give a clear picture of who we are and what are accomplishment are. The women who interviewed me was nice and fairly easy to talk to, but she seemed a little disorganized. She kind of just didn't seem like she knew what to ask me or how to conduct an interview. It was a little aggravating to be honest.

I got there and the fire alarm was going off but everyone was still just walking around. Then we were told we were going to get a tour, then they didn't know if we were going to get a tour, then I was told I was free to go - and they kind of looked at me like whaaaat - when I asked if they were going to do a tour. So, I just figured forget it and left.

I was certainly impressed by the school with their reputation and the opportunities available to students - I just wish that they would realize that this is a HUGE part of lives and the biggest decision of our academic career. If they could be a little more organized and respectful of that, it would be nice.
 
PreciousThings9 said:
I was a little discouraged by how informal the interview was. I do realize that the interview is only a portion of their decision for candidates - but I just think we should be given a chance to give a clear picture of who we are and what are accomplishment are. The women who interviewed me was nice and fairly easy to talk to, but she seemed a little disorganized. She kind of just didn't seem like she knew what to ask me or how to conduct an interview. It was a little aggravating to be honest.

I got there and the fire alarm was going off but everyone was still just walking around. Then we were told we were going to get a tour, then they didn't know if we were going to get a tour, then I was told I was free to go - and they kind of looked at me like whaaaat - when I asked if they were going to do a tour. So, I just figured forget it and left.

I was certainly impressed by the school with their reputation and the opportunities available to students - I just wish that they would realize that this is a HUGE part of lives and the biggest decision of our academic career. If they could be a little more organized and respectful of that, it would be nice.
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I thought the interview was nice how it was rather informal. What better way to get to know someone than an informal setting. Do you act more like your self in a completely formal setting? I doubt it! The people doing the interviews aren't Human Resources professionals, they are faculty of the college. They don't know anything about you (other than your name) prior to the interview so it's not like they're going to have the perfect questions to ask you!

As for the lack of a tour, I'm assuming I was in the group right after you because the student ambassador's told us that someone had mistakenly told your group there would be a tour after your interviews were over. They were talking about how they felt bad that your group all waited for like 15-20 minutes thinking you were going to get a tour. UIC gives their tour during the orientation day.
 
There was a planned test of the fire alarm system. They e-mailed everyone and told them there was no need to leave the uilding.
Of course it is disorganized, it is UIC. If you come here, you'll learn the UIC way.
 
genesis09 said:
Of course it is disorganized, it is UIC. If you come here, you'll learn the UIC way.
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Word. On the bright side, it is organized enough to not drive you completely mad.
 
PreciousThings9 said:
I was a little discouraged by how informal the interview was. I do realize that the interview is only a portion of their decision for candidates - but I just think we should be given a chance to give a clear picture of who we are and what are accomplishment are. The women who interviewed me was nice and fairly easy to talk to, but she seemed a little disorganized. She kind of just didn't seem like she knew what to ask me or how to conduct an interview. It was a little aggravating to be honest.

I got there and the fire alarm was going off but everyone was still just walking around. Then we were told we were going to get a tour, then they didn't know if we were going to get a tour, then I was told I was free to go - and they kind of looked at me like whaaaat - when I asked if they were going to do a tour. So, I just figured forget it and left.

I was certainly impressed by the school with their reputation and the opportunities available to students - I just wish that they would realize that this is a HUGE part of lives and the biggest decision of our academic career. If they could be a little more organized and respectful of that, it would be nice.
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Maybe they realized that interviews are just bull****ting contests anyways
 
athena09 said:
I'm so use to walking everywhere at my current institution...sometimes really late at night. And I remember visiting a friend of mine who attends UIC and we were going to visit the pharm school which was seriously like 10-15mins away (and this was like at noon). She absolutely refused to walk and said we had to take the bus. It's really not that bad though, from my observations. But this is the city, and like at any city, you need to take precautions.

And whatever you do, don't take any candy from strangers...
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Don't overreact to the city environment. I attend UIUC, and the crime rate on the UIC campus, downtown, in the loop, is consistently lower than it is in Champaign-Urbana. Just an interesting fact. You have to use common sense whereever you are!

I've always assumed I would attend UIC, but have gotten more and more frustrated with their lack of organization. It's too early to say I'd turn down an offer there, but it is something to consider...you're going to be working with these people for the next four years to hopefully shape the career you'll have the rest of your life!
 
So to those who interviewed with UIC, how did every1's interview went. What are your impressions on the SOP and how would you rank UIC on your list of pharmacy school that you aspire to attend.
 
Joe9100 said:
So to those who interviewed with UIC, how did every1's interview went. What are your impressions on the SOP and how would you rank UIC on your list of pharmacy school that you aspire to attend.
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The interview was very laid back. The interviewer told me straight up he didn't like asking any of the questions, he just wanted to get a feel for me as a person. He would say "I really liked that response a lot" after I answered a few, ha!

One thing I didn't like about the interview is that we didn't get to take a tour of the building. The part of the city the campus is in seemed to be fine, but I imagine some of the surrounding areas aren't the greatest. I live 45 mins from Chicago, and it took me around 2 hours to get to my interview, which SUCKED!

Anyways, if you are strongly considering going into a research related field when you graduate, UIC is definitely the school to be. My interviewer stressed that UIC takes pride in the amount of money they receive for research, as they are in the top 3 in the nation. Also, if you get a job working at one of the pharmacies on campus or another job within UIC, they pay for half of your tuition.

I am waiting to hear back from U Iowa, and I've sent my deposit to LECOM-B. There are things I like and dislike about each of these three schools, so it is going to be a tough decision.
 
Hey all, I just figured I'd share my impression of the interview as well.

I interviewed Wednesday at 1:30. I got there a half hour early and the student ambassadors they had talking to us were really nice and real. They really set a positive tone for me (When I think back upon it now, these people volunteered for it, so they were a very small sample, and it is quite unlikely that everyone else will be just as cool as these people). The writing exercise was lame but I really liked the person who interviewed me. She was really nice and was a pretty good people person and was really able to make keep the conversation going. I know someone else commented (Preciousthings9) about having a negative impression with the interviewer and I understand that... when I interviewed at Buffalo they had two interviewers that were 15 minutes late first and then sent me out in the hallway so they could talk for another 10, and then the interview as only 15 minutes long... so I try to not put too much stock in the interviewer.

I was also disappointed that there wasn't a tour but I ended up seeing a lot of the school anyways. When I got taken for my interview, we went through the tunnels (didn't realize they had) which connected to one of the hospitals and there were locker rooms and stuff down there too. I also got a glimpse of the lab that we would be working in and it looked alright, average or above average.

I went in with a really negative impression of the school and came out with a really positive one so I don't really know what to think right now. I really don't like how disorganized it is but I know that going there will mean being able to live in a great big city and also staying close to my friends at home. I guess I'm just going to wait to see if I get in and then decide where I want to go.

Good luck with all of your admissions decisions! :thumbup:
 
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