<p>I have started looking into the UIC GPPA Medicine program and have not found much information about it. If anyone has attended or is attending this program... what is it like? and exactly how competitive is the program compared to other programs such as the Northwestern HPMD and others.</p>
<p>GPPA Program Basics for Prospective Students:</p>
<p>The GPPA program is designed for academically motivated students who want the security of guaranteed admission to graduate or professional school while pursuing their undergraduate degree.</p>
<p>Admission to the GPPA program is competitive, and there are a limited number of spaces available per year. Medicine, Pharmacy and Dentistry have traditionally been our most competitive programs. Please click on the Degrees link to the left to see a full listing of available programs.</p>
<p>Applicants must meet the following minimum requirements:
- a minimum ACT composite score of 28 or SAT score of 1240
- rank in the top 15% of the high school class
- be a U.S. citizen/permanent resident for Medicine, Dentistry and Public Health
- be a resident of Illinois for Medicine, Dentistry and Public Health programs. </p>
<p>*please note that not all students meeting the minimum requirements for the GPPA program are admitted. Admission is competitive and space in many programs is limited each year.</p>
<p>Please click on the FAQ link to the left for some commonly asked questions about the program.</p>
<p>Applications:</p>
<p>Prospective students can request an application by calling (312) 996-8365 between late August and January. Applications are not currently available online. There is no early-decision program for GPPA. Admissions decisions for GPPA are announced in late March each year. </p>
<p>Students may apply to more than one GPPA program, but they must submit a separate and complete application for each program. Students who appy to GPPA do not need to submit a regular UIC application.</p>
<p>Please make note of the following application deadlines:</p>
<p>Pre-medicine program deadline: December, 15, 2005
All other GPPA programs deadline: January 15, 2006 </p>
<p>The GPPA Experience:</p>
<p>GPPA students participate in regular undergraduate coursework with other UIC students. Students are expected to follow the "Conditions of Acceptance" that are in place when they enter the program. These conditions outline coursework, a minimum GPA and other activities that are required of students during their time in the program. Frequently, GPPA students are offered special access to faculty, staff and advisors in their future graduate or professional college. GPPA students also have opportunities to network with one another at special gatherings.</p>
<p>Most GPPA students are required to apply to and participate in the Honors College at UIC. The Honors College offers may special services and facilities to its membership including: private computer lab and study lounge space, personalized advising, research and scholarship opportunities, and the faculty fellow program.</p>
<p>At this time, GPPA students do not receive preferential treatment for registration or housing.</p>
<p>Please note that starting for fall 2006 admission, the GPPA pre-pharmacy program will require that students complete a BS or BA degree prior to beginning the PHARMD program. This requirement is only for GPPA students and does not apply to traditional applicants to the PHARMD program. </p>
<p>Visiting Campus:</p>
<p>We strongly recommend that you visit the UIC campus and learn more about what we have to offer. The best way to do this is to attend a Fall Preview Day, sponsored by the Office of Admissions and Records. The dates for 2005 are:</p>
<p>Monday, October 10, 2005 (Columbus Day)</p>
<p>Saturday, October 22, 2005- almost full</p>
<p>Saturday, October 29, 2005 - sorry, full</p>
<p>Monday, November 11, 2005 (Veteran's Day)</p>
<p>Monday, November 21, 2005 (Health Sciences Preview Day)</p>
<p>To sign up or receive further information, please contact the Office of Admissions and Records at UIC at (312) 996-4350. A GPPA presentation is offered at each preview day.</p>
<p>Housing:</p>
<p>UIC offers on-campus housing options for incoming freshmen. Honors housing is also available on a first-come, first-served basis.</p>
<p>Applicants interested in on-campus housing are encouraged to apply immediately upon receiving housing information. In most years, campus housing is full by late March.</p>
<p>Scholarships:</p>
<p>The GPPA program offers a limited number of scholarships for incoming freshmen. You may download a GPPA scholarship application by clicking here. More information is available by clicking the Financial Aid link to the left. GPPA students are encouraged to participate in the annual scholarship competition offered by the Honors College.</p>
<p>I hope this helps
Also--I am an alum of UIC so if you have any questions, please feel free to ask
jenrik</p>
<p>Thanks. How competitive is it to get into the program would u say? Would it be harder to get into a college like Northwestern or the GPPA program?</p>
<p>Kids who got into GPPA from my sons' school were solid students, probably competitive at Northwestern if you mean Northwestern's regular college admissions. Northwestern's 7 year med program is much more competitive, one of the most competitve programs out there.</p>
<p>The biggest difference between the kids I know at NU and UIC GPPA would be financial. UIC in general is a working-class college, with lots of commuters and first-in-family college students. It has a very high percentage of minorities attending. While the undergrad education is not the greatest, the medical schools are top notch.</p>
<p>I did attend UIC and had a positive experience. Yes, UIC is a commuter school, but you have the whole city to experience. UIC is close to the L train that goes downtown. Also, UIC is diverse as said in the previous post, but is that necessarily a bad thing...Yes it serves many middle and working class families, again, that is not a bad thing as the previous poster suggested.
UIC will save your wallet tens of thousands of dollars. </p>
<p>While I think Northwestern's program is more competitive, the Medical school from UIC is not to shabby. UIC's medical district is surrounded by 4 hospitals (Rush, The VA hospital, Cook County and UIC hospital) </p>
<p>It is your ultimate decision, in my opinion, you will have a better experience at UIC in terms of people and the enviroment.</p>
<p>UIC's GPPA is probably a top choice of mine because of the financial aspects and the fact that it is located in the city appeal to me. I am ranked in the top 3 percent of my school and have a 32 on my ACT. I'm in several school clubs and sports, but i realize that the GPPA being a competitive program will need more. What would you reccomend? Volunteering at hospitals? Job shadowing? Anything that you specifically know would appeal to the GPPA admissions?</p>
<p>I think you are in. Here are the requirements:
Applicants must meet the following minimum requirements:
- a minimum ACT composite score of 28 or SAT score of 1240
- rank in the top 15% of the high school class
- be a U.S. citizen/permanent resident for Medicine, Dentistry and Public Health
- be a resident of Illinois for Medicine, Dentistry and Public Health programs. </p>
<p>However the deadlines are as follows:
Please make note of the following application deadlines:</p>
<p>Pre-medicine program deadline: December, 15, 2005
All other GPPA programs deadline: January 15, 2006 </p>
<p>You can volunteer at hospitals if you like to increase your chances or a low income clinic. </p>
<p>You can have fun at UIC even though it is a commuter school. I was a greek there, even though they don't have houses, we always had places to hang out. Some greeks throw parties at clubs on the northside of Chicago. They also have pre-med clubs or whatever club that suites you.</p>
<p>Thanks for your help. The social aspect of the school doesn't bother me, I live close to the city, so the idea of a commuter school is appealing. Just to clarify things, you attended UIC, but not the GPPA program?</p>
<p>I don't think the GPPA program started when I was at UIC. I think it started when I was a junior or senior at UIC. I graduated UIC 5 years ago.</p>
<p>I understand the requirements are a 28 and top 15 percent of class, but what does it REALLY take to get in? What is the admissions board really looking for, and if anyone has been accepted, what did you do to get yourself in?</p>