Ask away- it's UChicagoPSAC! - Page 3

ponder · 10-12-2009, 05:20 PM

Does sending in the application early help in any way? Conversely does sending in the app relatively late (I'm talking 10/31 for EA) hurt in any way? Thank you so much in advance for answering!

*UChicagoPSAC* · 10-12-2009, 05:41 PM

On interviews (for the general questions that have been asked about them):

- You can request an alumni interview in your area once you create a Chicago Account, which you will be prompted to do after you submit the common app to Chicago or the Chicago supplement. You may only request an alumni interview through this account.

-Your chances of admission are in NO WAY (not at all!!!) harmed if you do not opt for an interview. We realize that not everyone can make it to campus, or has an alumni interviewer in their area, and this is totally fine. It may help you to have one, but it certainly will not be detrimental not to have one.

*UChicagoPSAC* · 10-12-2009, 05:43 PM

CollageOfun- in this case you should ask your regional counselor what the best option is for your recommendation- you may just wind up submitting it as a letter with the supplement form.

*UChicagoPSAC* · 10-12-2009, 05:49 PM

On EA and deferral:

PaperChaserPop: you can submit some additional material if you are deferred (your midyear transcript, and perhaps a letter stating your interest in Chicago) but not more- it's much better to wait for RD if you feel like your essays aren't polished enough than to apply EA, get deferred, and wished you could change them.

Cacciato: Chicago uses a holistic admissions process (meaning every aspect of the application, not just scores and GPA, are considered equally in admissions) so I can't give a real report on that. Being deferred EA basically means that you are treated almost as if you were an RD applicant, and you will be read in the context of other RD applicants- so, if you weren't the strongest in EA but they want to see you up against RD, they will defer you rather than deny you, and you might be accepted or you might be denied. Students who are denied EA may not reapply in the RD cycle.

*UChicagoPSAC* · 10-12-2009, 05:51 PM

ponder- there's no benefit or detriment to sending in the application closer to/further away from the deadline, as long as it's in by the predetermined correct time.

CountingDown · 10-12-2009, 11:39 PM

Is Baker Island time in effect this year?

PaperChaserPop · 10-13-2009, 10:54 AM

What does your office do with a transcript that arrives prior to the common app and chicago supplement?

*UChicagoPSAC* · 10-13-2009, 06:29 PM

CountingDown- haha, no, sorry- with the introduction of the Common App last year, the hard and fast time deadline in your own time zone is now in place, so no luck submitting an application in Baker Island time anymore.

PaperChaserPop- whatever comes first to the office will be the beginning of the applicant's "folder" of information, so no worries if that portion is sent before the electronic Common App portion is finished.

taypi31 · 10-14-2009, 09:30 AM

On the 2008 parent tax returns we have to send in for financial aid... Is it ok if we black out our parents social security numbers? My parents insisted on doing it... Perhaps they're a bit paranoid, but I suppose if someone tampered with the mail, that wouldn't be good. They couldn't imagine what admissions would want with their social security number... Anyway, will it be ok if we do black out the social security numbers?

qwt2 · 10-14-2009, 03:37 PM

concerning financial aid.

i know for some schools, you must have submitted your application before receiving that schools' financial aid supplement. does chicago have such a thing? and when is financial aid forms due for the EA round? perhaps you could direct me to a link? thanks a lot!

*UChicagoPSAC* · 10-14-2009, 04:44 PM

Financial aid questions should be directed toward you regional admissions counselor or to the Office of College Aid (actually separate from our office: Office of College Aid)

Cacciato · 10-14-2009, 05:45 PM

are teacher reqs now from any two teachers I choose or are they still from a math/science and a english/history teacher

Philosopher-King · 10-14-2009, 07:26 PM

I know most schools use a 4.0 grading system; what are the typical grades of accepted candidates whose schools grade out of 100 (unweighted)?

ponder · 10-14-2009, 09:25 PM

In addition to philosopher-kings question, usually what has more weight, the unweighted GPA, weighted GPA, or class rank?

*UChicagoPSAC* · 10-14-2009, 10:45 PM

Philosopher- since so many schools use different grading systems (4.0, 5.0, weighted, unweighted, percentages, 100, class rank, no rank, smiley faces instead of A's...) UChicago does not keep statistics for average GPA for any category.

Ponder- going along with the above, since so many schools use different systems, no grading method carries more weight in terms of importance- you'll be evaluated on your whole application holistically, not purely on one subsection of it. Concurrently, it is unreasonable to expect that one can place more weight on a certain portion of an application when the same portion may be so different among different schools or portions of the world- a 4.0 can mean very different things between a public school student, a private school student, and a student from a selective charter school, for example, or you may have a 13-way tie for 1st in class rank in one area while a student with a 4.0 GPA might be at #36 in another area. So, don't worry about these things. While they will be looked at, none carries more weight than another, and above everything the story told by your transcript (what kinds of classes you took, and how you did in them), your recommendations and your essays are of more importance than anything else.