sunshowers23

Decision: ACCEPTED

Stats:

• SAT I (by section): 800CR 720MT 760 WR (10 essay) = 2280
• SAT IIs: 770 World History; 760 French w/o Listening; 740 Math II
• ACT: 34
• APs: 5 English Language & Comp; 5 US History; 3 French Language
• IBs: n/a
• GPA: 99 (weighted)
• Rank: 2 out of 110
• Other stats/Awards: National Merit Finalist, Wellesly College Book Award winner

Subjective:

• ECs listed on app: Fashion Magazine creator/editor in chief; director of the spring drama, plus a good deal of theatre beyond that; Leader of the Office of Community Outreach in Peer Ministry; Forensics for 2 years; French Club, Cheerleading on a whim last year, track
• Job/Work Experience: Lifeguard at an inner-city pool for three years
• Essays (subject and responses):
  Common App Essay:It was about light pollution. More specifically, it was about how something as bad as light pollution actually looked beautiful in my eyes, and how sometimes we must find the beauty in modern society.
  Chicago Essay: This was the "You must live the question" quote. I wrote about waking up in the morning, and how it was something we all complained about yet nobody did anything about it.
  Optional Essay: I wrote about finding a bunch of pre-19th century film on Youtube, and how that turned into a fascination with what those filmmakers produced when film was a new artistic medium.
• Teacher Recs: Presumably really good. One was from my AP English Lang. teacher. Let's just say that she never gives out hundreds, and I had a 100 average one semester in her class. The other was from my AP French teacher. Honestly, my knowledge is French isn't that great (see my AP score... only passable) But I worked my butt off in that class last year and truly enjoyed learning the language.
• Counselor Rec: Also presumably awesome. She's the nicest person, and is proud of what I've done at the school. She sent me a birthday card the other day, so you know you have to be on her good side.
• Interview: I added this because it went exceptionally well. I was interviewed by a professor from a local university and we had a great conversation.
• Applied on: 12/13, I believe?
• Hook (if any): None. Unless creativity counts?

[ b]Location/Person:[/b]

• State or Country: Upstate NY
• School Type, Average Stats of School (if available): Small Private. We send a handful of kids to selective schools, but a hell of a lot more to crappy ones.
• Ethnicity: White
• Gender: Female

General Comments/Congratulations/Venting/Commiserations,etc: Not sure if I'm going, but I'm soo happy to be admitted. I have to wait on 3 more schools, but this is seriously one of the best I've gotten into. Honestly, it was a last minute decision to apply to this school, and I am so happy I did. As the wait has gone on I've just come to love the school more and more.

Congrats to everybody who made it, and to those who were rejected, I hope you aren't terribly depressed and you find a school that fits you perfectly.

hookem168

looks like we've got some serious voluntary response issues here...all the happy acceptees are dutifully posting stats, and only a couple of rejected kids are doing the same...

Oh, well. Congratulations to all those who got in!!!

whizkid12

[size=+2][color=green][ b]Decision: ACCEPTED [ /b][ /color][ /size]

[ b]Stats:[ /b][ list]
[ *] SAT I (by section): Math 720, W 620, CR 610
[ *] SAT IIs: phy 650, Math 1 680
[ *] ACT:
[ *] APs:
[ *] IBs: C.S, PHY, ECONOMICS HL ENG, SPANISH AB INITIO, MATH SL
[ *] GPA:
[ *] Rank: 2 of 320
[ *] Other stats:
[ /list][ b]Subjective:[ /b][ list]
[ *] ECs listed on app: VP of earth club, mock trialian, key clubber...
[ *] Job/Work Experience: Secretary for insurance consulting business, piano teacher, ecology center intern
[ *] Essays (subject and responses): How would my room describe me? Pretty original essay.
[ *] Teacher Recs: Excellent
[ *] Counselor Rec: Fine, I suppose.
[ *] Applied on:
[ *] Hook (if any):
[ /list][ b]Location/Person:[ /b][ list]
[ *] State or Country: CA
[ *] School Type, Average Stats of School (if available): Public, most high achieving students end up at UC's.
[ *] Ethnicity: White
[ *] Gender: Male
[ /list]

whizkid12

^ SORRY THERE WAS A PROBLEM

[size=+2][color=green][ b]Decision: ACCEPTED [ /b][ /color][ /size]

[ b]Stats:[ /b][ list]
[ *] SAT I (by section): Math 720, W 620, CR 610
[ *] SAT IIs: phy 650, Math 1 680
[ *] ACT:
[ *] APs:
[ *] IBs: C.S, PHY, ECONOMICS HL ENG, SPANISH AB INITIO, MATH SL
[ *] GPA: dont do
[ *] Rank: dont do
[ *] Other stats:
[ /list][ b]Subjective:[ /b][ list]
[ *] ECs listed on app: ,club presidents
[ *] Job/Work Experience:
[ *] Essays (subject and responses): A slum street
[ *] Teacher Recs: Excellent
[ *] Counselor Rec: Fine, I suppose.
[ *] Applied on:
[ *] Hook (if any):
[ /list][ b]Location/Person:[ /b][ list]
[ *] State or Country: Africa
[ *] School Type, Average Stats of School (if available): Private
[ *] Ethnicity: Black
[ *] Gender: Male
[ /list]

GanDhIizRiPpiN

WAITLISTED




[ *] SAT I (by section): 710 writing 640 reading 670 math
[ *] SAT IIs:690 chem 590 math I
[ *] ACT:
[ *] APs: cal bc, cal ab, art history, chemistry, english literature, english language, macroeconomics, microeconomics, world history, human geography, us history, government, biology, psychology. all aps from 9th to present
[ *] IBs:
[ *] GPA:5.06 weighted
[ *] Rank:3/365
[ *] Other stats: 1st generation, 5 pages of extracurriculars!!!!!!!!!!
[ /list][ b]Subjective:[ /b][ list]
[ *] ECs listed on app:5 pages; vice prez of business club, won 4 regional awards 1 state going for nationals in may, vice prez of medical club, vice prez of chess club, secretary ecology, secretary math club, secretary crime watch, NHS, etc.

plus more projects!!!!!!!
[ *] Job/Work Experience:1 job at a chinese place
[ *] Essays (subject and responses): wrote passionate why chicago essays.
[ *] Teacher Recs:
[ *] Counselor Rec:
[ *] Applied on:
[ *] Hook (if any): 1st gen
[ /list][ b]Location/Person:[ /b][ list]
[ *] State or Country:
[ *] School Type, Average Stats of School (if available):
[ *] Ethnicity:asian indian
[ *] Gender:male
[ /list][ b]General Comments/Congratulations/Venting/Commiserations,etc:[ /b]



WOW I AM REALLY BUMMED. I LOVE U CHICAGO SO MUCH AND REALLY WISHED I COULD HAVE GOTTEN IN. BUT HEY WAITLISTED IS NOT SO BAD!pray for me guys.

lightsup98

Decision: ACCEPTED!!!!!

Stats:

• SAT I (by section): Math 710, W 780, CR 740
• SAT IIs: USH 780, MATH1 740, (LIT 670)
• ACT: N/A
• APs: English Lit 5, USH 5, USGOV 5, Taking Euro, Calc AB, Stat, English Lang this year.
• IBs: N/A
• GPA: 3.8/4
• Rank: Doesn't Rank, but at least top 20%
• Other stats:

Subjective:

• ECs listed on app: President of Drama Company, (Set Designer, Stage Manager, Lighting Designer, Programmer, Set Construction...biiiig EC Committment, won a regional award for stage management), Weeklong intense service trip to Philadelphia slums (participants selected by application within my HighSchool), Creative Writing Club, Comedy Improv Club
• Job/Work Experience: Tennis Instructor for kids ranging 4/5 to 15
• Essays (subject and responses): Common App: wrote about how my disabled twin brother has influenced meee. Loooooved the UC essays. Road Essay, created a historical fiction story of a road near my house, starting from pre-European settlement, did some historical research for it, too. Fun essay to write.
  Short Essays: Why U of C?: referenced the Columbus Day Open house and my very positive experience in the small core Colonizations I Class. Third Essay: Wrote about a painting called "The Duel After the Masquerade" and Langston Hughes' poem "Mother to Son"
• Teacher Recs: One was most likely extremely good, the other was probably good, too, given the acceptance!!!
• Counselor Rec: Probably ok
• Applied on: EA
• Hook (if any): Mid-Atlantic, possibly?

Location/Person:

• State or Country: MD
• School Type, Average Stats of School (if available): Private, Parochial, 2 or 3 kids end up at Ivies based on academics; most kids end up in top 30 or 40 colleges based on US News Rankings, many also go to state schools
• Ethnicity: White
• Gender: Male

Comments: DID NOT think I would get in here at alllllllllll. Dream school! Soooo happy!

hamburgler2

Decision: REJECTED

Stats:

• SAT I (by section): N/A
• SAT IIs: 800 m2, 800 physics, 770 ush, 800 chem, 790 french
• ACT: 35
• APs: calc bc, ush, comp, lit, macro/micro, world history, french, spanish, french, biology, gov, chem = all 5's
• IBs: N/A
• GPA: 4.0 uw, 4.4 w
• Rank: 1/794
• Other stats: Taken Linear Algebra, Diffy Q, Calc 3, o-chem, and cryptography at local university = all A's

Subjective:

• ECs listed on app: AIME, AMC 12, USAMO, USABO, President of math club/robotics club, 6+ years of jazz band, 400+ hours volunteering at local hospital
• Job/Work Experience: Internship at electronics corp. doing engineering work
• Essays (subject and responses): Eh, I only did the required ones and even those weren't that good. This is probably what hurt me most.
• Teacher Recs: One from math teacher and another from english teacher. Both were probably ok. My math teacher kinda hated me.
• Counselor Rec: Yes.
• Applied on: RD
• Hook (if any): None...

Location/Person:

• State or Country: SoCal
• School Type, Average Stats of School (if available): Public, not very good.
• Ethnicity: White
• Gender: M

General Comments/Congratulations/Venting/Commiserations,etc: I don't know why I applied here... NO ENGINEERING MAJOR!

fivewinks

Decision: REJECTED

Stats:

• SAT I (by section): 2130
• SAT IIs: math ii 780, us hist 730, chem 580 what a joke
• ACT: n/a
• APs: 5, 4, 4, 4, 3, 3, 3, 2
• IBs: n/a
• GPA: 99 weighted
• Rank: top 5%
• Other stats: state art contest, distinguished ap scholar

Subjective:

• ECs listed on app: art, tennis, xc, MUN
• Job/Work Experience: cashier, japanese tutoring
• Essays (subject and responses): i thought they were the best essays i've written and really hoped that they could get me in. they were real/honest/reflexive. so i advice against the normal "common app" essays. write a creative one! mine was not creative, but more like a chapter taken out of a autobiography/novel. i did all the essays and the optional ones.
• Teacher Recs: good
• Counselor Rec: average
• Applied on: 1/1
• Hook (if any): n/a

Location/Person:

• State or Country: TX but international from China
• School Type, Average Stats of School (if available): large public
• Ethnicity: chinese
• Gender: F

General Comments/Congratulations/Venting/Commiserations,etc:
Chicago was my dream school and I'm sad that I didn't even get waitlisted. I showed a lot of interest through interview, essays, emailing, but no visit. I think the main reason that I didn't get in was that I had low SAT scores and that I was a international seeking for FA, as one of the previous posters stated. Congratulations to all of you who was accepted!!! I am very jealous of you all

andy_college09

Decision: ACCEPTED


[ *] SAT I (by section): 800M, 730CR, 710W
[ *] SAT IIs: 760 Math I, 750 Math II, 750 US Hist
[ *] ACT: 33
[ *] APs: Calc AB-5, US Hist-5
[ *] IBs:
[ *] GPA: 4.259
[ *] Rank: 2 of 168
[ *] Other stats: Took college courses and rocked them, 1st kid in school history to ace Math SAT I and AP Calc test
[ *] ECs listed on app: Track/CC (3 sport captain), Eagle Scout, President of Political Action Club
[ *] Job/Work Experience: Summers
[ *] Essays (subject and responses): Great, best of my schools
[ *] Teacher Recs: par
[ *] Counselor Rec: assumed par
[ *] Applied on: last day 1/1/09
[ *] Hook (if any): Math
[ *] State or Country: CT
[ *] School Type, Average Stats of School (if available): Parochial, average to below average for area
[ *] Ethnicity: White
[ *] Gender: Male
[ /list][ b]General Comments/Congratulations/Venting/Commiserations,etc: To all who got in congradulations on a job well done. Hopefully I will see you there. To all who got rejected, best of luck in the process. Many outstanding kids were rejected this year so hold your head up. BEST OF LUCK TO ALL!!!![ /b]

ilovepeople712

Accepted =]

Stats:
SAT I: Math-750 Verb-700 Writ-680 (2130)
SAT IIs: US History: 720 Math II: 780
ACT: None
GPA: 3.98 UW/School does not weight; but taken highest number of AP courses in the entire grade.
Rank: Top 10%/125
Other stats: I'm President/Leader of three school organizations and Editor In Chief of my School's Yearbook. I've been hosting charity dinners for four summers now. I worked as an intern at the Obama Campaign and made art for them. I invited a political artist to come create environmental art at my school. Winner of a Statewide Humanitarian award.

Subjective:
Essays: About an experience I had while painting, fascination with Van Gogh, the painting process; all in all, very passionate and expressed my desire to continue learning art. Not neccesarily unique; but well-written.
Teacher Recs: 1 really strong one (she adores me); 1 pretty good--not exceptional, though
Counselor Rec: Good, she knows me well and really likes me.
Hook (if any): Nothing really. My Art? Probably not.

Location/Person:
State or Country: FL
School Type: College Prep School (Independent)
Ethnicity: Asian (Indian)
Gender: Female

Perceived Strengths/Weaknesses: My grades, essay and by far extracurricular work and service. SATs were okay. I also sent in an art portfolio and art resume with a recommendation from a professor I had at the Art Institute of Chicago. He was great and really loved my art work.

Why you think you were accepted/deferred/denied: I don't know for sure why, but I tried my best to make my application as holistic as possible. I sent in whatever that could verbally/artistically enhance my application. Being an Asian, there is NO way I could have gotten in purely on scores. My leadership was incredibly strong also.

Other Factors: I sent in two newspaper articles noting service/art that I've contributed/organized in the community. Over 700 hours of community service.

General Comments/Congratulations/Venting/Commiserations,etc: I'm sincerely grateful. Not expecting this at all. What a beautiful acceptance letter too...

Jeap13

Decision: ACCEPTED


Stats:

• SAT I (by section): 800 R, 780 W, 690 M
• SAT IIs: Literature 790, French w/ Listening 770
• ACT: 35 Superscored. 33 Math, 34 Science, 35 Writing, 36 Reading
• APs: AP Human Geography 5, AP World History 5, AP Psychology 5, AP French Language 5, AP US History 5
• IBs:
• GPA: 4.00 UW
• Rank: School doesn't rank
• Other stats:

Subjective:

• ECs listed on app: French Scrabble, National French Honor Society President, Volunteer with the Refugee Ministries, Action for Africa, Environmental Club, Hospital volunteer, etc
• Job/Work Experience: Office work at an apartment complex
• Essays (subject and responses): I chose the perspective essay and made it into a short story
• Teacher Recs: Unknown
• Counselor Rec: Unknown
• Applied on:
• Hook (if any): None

Location/Person:

• State or Country: KY
• School Type, Average Stats of School (if available): Competitive Magnet Public
• Ethnicity: White
• Gender: Male

General Comments/Congratulations/Venting/Commiserations,etc: Congrats to everyone! Waiting on Financial Aid like most of you.

dtl42

Decision: ACCEPTED


Stats:

• SAT I (by section):800M, 760CR, 750WR E11 - 2310 Total
• SAT IIs:800 Math 2, 800 Math 1, 730 Physics
• ACT: N/A
• APs: Calc. BC (5)
• IBs: N/A
• GPA: 4.0 (96/100)
• Rank: No Rank
• Other stats: Finished math curriculum, physics curriculum, history curriculum at my school.

Subjective:

• ECs listed on app:Wrestling, Lacrosse, Math Team, Quiz Bowl, Physics Research
• Job/Work Experience: None really
• Essays (subject and responses): Particle one - okay, pretty UChicago, others - I don't remember
• Teacher Recs: Good
• Counselor Rec: Good
• Applied on: January 1st
• Hook (if any): None?

Location/Person:

• State or Country: NJ
• School Type, Average Stats of School (if available): Public Elite, Magnet school, several into UChicago each year.
• Ethnicity: Asian
• Gender: Male

General Comments/Congratulations/Venting/Commiserations,etc:
I'm pretty happy, I'm also only a junior.

Ealgian

Decision: Waitlisted
SAT CR: 800
SAT Math: 800
SAT Writing: 790
SAT Total: 2390
SAT II: Math I (740), Math II (780), Lit (720)
ACT: N/A
AP/IB taken/scores: Math/Calc SL (6), Philosophy SL (6), will take one HL in each of the subject areas this year for a total of five more
GPA weighted: N/A
GPA unweighted: 3.78 ish
Rank or % estimate: borderline top 5% weighted (mid-twenties/600)
Essays: Always wish I could have written them better, but I feel pretty solid about them.
Teacher Recs: Waived rights
Counselor Rec: Waived right (have never understood why other kids can read theirs...)
Interview: N/A
Hook (if any): Immigrant and former ESL student who later won numerous state and national writing awards? Then again, maybe none.
State or Country: WA
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: ORM - Chinese
Gender: F
Legacy: No
Recruited Athlete & Sport: No
Important ECs: international issues/community service clubs, Yearbook
Other Factors: Awards; teachers like me, talk about me apparently
General Comments/Congratulations/etc: Am disappointed but not devastated by the waitlist. Although my SAT scores are very high, National Merit and all that, my rank was probably not high enough to warrant an acceptance. Math/Sci were my Achilles heel. For future humanities applicants like me, do not lose hope; definitely apply to LACs (I received early writes from Grinnell and Wes).

Congrats to those who were accepted!

jiess

REJECTED

Location/Person:

• State or Country: Canada
• School Type, Average Stats of School (if available):
  - Jr/Sr: Private, Competitive (~10 kids to Ivies)
  - Fresh/Soph: Public, meh (~70% graduation rate)
• Ethnicity: Chinese-born Chinese who grew up in China.
• Gender: F

Stats:

• SAT I (by section): 1490 (M 770 CR 720)
• SAT IIs: I thought they weren't required?
• ACT: N/A
• APs: Not Offered
• IBs: Full diploma, 40/45 predicted.
• GPA: 92/100 (92/25 = 3.68 UW)
• Rank: 10
• Other stats:

Subjective:

• ECs listed on app:
  - Badminton (tournament standings, trained with a Chinese national coach, 1st seed, Sr. team captain, Jr. team coach), Cross-country, Volleyball team
  - Accordion (grade 8 diploma), Piano (grade 8 diploma, tons of regional awards, 1 scholarship)
  - Visual Art (subject awards x 2, internship, did not send portfolio but sent a mind-boggling art teacher rec.)
  - Community service: not typing them out, but lots.
• Job/Work Experience:
  - part-time jobs every summer, used savings to move out in the summer to train with aforementioned coach...
• Essays (subject and responses):
  - Supplement: I pretended to be Ayn Rand and discussed Cinderella's lack of ethical and inspirational merit.
  - Common App: honest but hard to read. complete hit-or-miss, no in-betweens. Worked liked a charm for Colgate (AMS!).
• Teacher Rec 1: waived
• Teacher Rec 2: waived
• Counselor Rec: waived
• Interview: average ("you're the first person who isn't applying to economics!")
• Applied on: 01/01/09
• Hook (if any):
• Anti-hooks: international seeking aid.
  

General Comments/Congratulations/Venting/Commiserations,etc:

Accepteds: CONGRATS!
Rejecteds: you're some amazing company, thanks.
Waitlisteds: ack! more limbo!?

I feel like crap, I really liked my essay, my counselor said I had an above average shot at Chicago, in conclusion I'm going to order sushi.

Indy500

Sorry I didnt bother with the appropriate text format...

Decision: REJECTED (after being deferred Early Action)
Type of School: Top Catholic High school in the state
GPA: 3.90/4.1 UW (my school does not weight GPAs)
SAT: Superscore: 630 CR, 700 M, 650 W
ACT: 33 (35 English, 34 Math, 33 CR, 29 Science, Essay 8)
SAT II's: Math Level 1: 630, 700; Latin: 660; Math Level II: 750; Chemistry: 700; Biology:740; US History: 690
Class Rank: Top 5%
Curriculum: Took hardest one can take at my school.
Senior Year Courses: BC Calc, AP English, AP Micro/Macro, Honors Physics (school doesn't offer AP), Theology, Advanced Latin 5 (School doesn't offer AP)
AP Scores: US History:5, Bio:5, Chemistry: 4
Essays: Common App was all right. Other essays were decent but I've seen better. Didn't do optional one
Interview: All right...not the greatest but not the worst

EC's:
Over 500 hundred hours of consistent community service to inner city medical clinic, Cheyenne River Reservation in South Dakota, urban schools, etc.
4 years of Tennis (1 JV, 2 Varsity Reserve, 1 Varsity (team is best in state))
2 years of Mock Trial
4 years Latin Club (junior year I was VP; senior year I was president); Summa Cum Laude for 3 years, Maxima Cum Laude for 1
4 years Math Club (participated in and placed in many state-wide contests)National Honors Society
Tutor in Academic Support of my high school for last 2 years
Lab Assistant in Radiation Oncology Lab at the Medical College of Wisconsin for the past two summers
Clinical Laboratory Science course at Marquette University
Attended Summer Session at Yale and Northwestern; received an "A" in Creative Writing at NU; received an "A-" in Comprehensive General Chemistry at Yale and "B+" in Comprehensive General Chemistry Lab.

Ethnicity: Asian-American (Indian)
State of Residence: Wisconsin
Gender: Male
Hooks: none
Strengths: Service?
Weaknesses: SAT's without a question and essays
Comments on decision: Don't care at all. I wasn't planning on going to U of C. Thought I'd at least get waitlisted...but whatever, I am not bothered by this at all. Congratulations to all who got in and good luck to those on the waitlist!