<p>im a junior from the west coast looking into applying to UChicago</p>
<p>GPA on a 4.0 scale: 3.6
SATs: will take them later (so what would be a good place to start for UChicago?)
APs:
ap enlgih
ap physics</p>
<p>Nxt year’s AP classes:
Biology
English
Calculus AB</p>
<p>EC:
Summer Congressional internship
student government for 3 years
School Treasurer
captain of mock trail team
will be in 4 drama productions when graduating
2 years of jazz, pep, and concert band
I also hold a weekend job in fast food (is this even worth putting?)</p>
<p>Awards
class treasurer for soph and jun. year
lettering in drama, music
member of NHS
member of nat. youth leadership forum (NYLF)</p>
<p>Im also a bilingual hispanic. lets assume also that I can write a good essay. I’ve heard and read plenty about UC’s very…um…unique essays.
the thing about the gpa is that early in hs i was screwing aroung and got way more Bs that i should have. this last year has seen a rise in my grade trend with more As in tougher classes. </p>
<p>oh, and i was also one of five at my school invited to attend summer symposium for high school students hosted by the oregon association for the humanities…I was wondering if that would help show that i enjoy taking a deep plunge into thinking.</p>
<p>AND…I might be able to attend a debate and public speaking program at Notre Dame over the summer…would this help?</p>
<p>it seems like a stretch, but what are the chances </p>
<p>OH and BTW…I put this exact post up earleir and I got like 1 reply out of like 3284734 (well, maybe like out of 100). Any comment would be great help…Thanks!</p>
<p>I like your chances. Your EC’s say you’re outgoing and like to be involved. Work hard to sustain the upward grade trend and take lots of SAT practice tests–and take at least two of the real thing. Taking the ACT is a good idea too, IMO, as some seem to do significantly better on one than the other–plus the ACT is the more usual test in the Midwest and you specify which ACT score is sent, whereas the College Board sends all SAT scores. I’m not sure if U of C requires subject tests–if they do, I’d suggest taking them as soon after you take the subject in HS if possible.</p>
<p>All that said, U of C is one of those schools that’s a stretch for everyone, but, with your stats and EC’s, a great essay, strong test scores, and your URMness, I think you’ve got a good, maybe great, shot at admission. </p>
<p><a href=“https://collegeadmissions.uchicago.edu/level3.asp?id=377[/url]”>https://collegeadmissions.uchicago.edu/level3.asp?id=377</a></p>
<p>“I also hold a weekend job in fast food (is this even worth putting?)”</p>
<p>Definitely. It shows that you know how to work and manage your time. </p>
<p>Chicago was a lot harder to predict this year than last. Your grades aren’t going to help you that much, but they certainly won’t put you out of the running, either. The fact that they are improving is VERY important - keep up the good work. </p>
<p>Have you taken either the PLAN or the PSAT yet?</p>
<p>for the record your ECs are much better than mine and I had a 3.5. Plus I’m asian and you’re hispanic. just write reallly, really good essays is all i can say.</p>
<p>food?? =/</p>
<p>Hey, I got in with a 3.72 UW GPA. Why? Upward grade trend!! Good job you are on your way! =D</p>
<p>And YES, absolutely put down your part-time job. The thing that will be running through their heads is not “Ew, he/she works at Mickey D’s and I only like Burger King and grease is gross I’m going to reject this kid” or other ridiculoso things like “only low lives work at fast food”…I believe my ability to manage all of my activities + work impressed them, and yes that included 3 years of working primarily at Wendy’s and as a restuarant cashier. </p>
<p>Apparently, Housing this year is going to have a riot trying to get rooms for all of the students since they enrolled way more students than they expected, and admissions dropped 10% from last year to 28% this year (and I think someone said 21% for RD? But I think that’s only hearsay), from a university that’s already considered highly “self-selective” (i.e. only nerds apply here or something like that). Your chances are not completely secure, but with a stellar essay and highly thought out application, you will not be rejected! I believe that a huge boost to your app includes showing an utterly ridiculous amount of enthusiasm for the school–well, not ridiculous, but yes a lot. They include a question 1 essay that asks “Why UChicago”, and you have to think real hard and draft out a really good response before pressing that submit button, because even if they only told you to write two paragraphs, they better be really, really really damn good paragraphs. </p>
<p>UChi is known to be a bit more arbitrary in their admissions than other schools. They are more forgiveable about bad scores/numbers if you make up for it in intellectualism and depth. Hopefully you have that, lol. </p>
<p>Judging from your EC’s you sound like a busy person with good character. I say there is a 60-80% chance depending on how much you screw up/don’t screw up the application</p>
<p>Ditto on the bad scores part. 3.42 UW here @_@</p>
<p>of course, this may just mean that they’re hoping to “shape us up, Core-style”. I am fully expecting them to beat the intellectual stuffing outta me (lol bad choice of words?). It’s a little funny, considering that other ultraselective schools that focus on higher numbers/scores have easier curriculum than the U of C, whereas the U of C admits on a higher rate than, say, Dartmouth/Duke/Harvard (er, don’t know if these are fair assessments, but I am definite about Duke and Dartmouth being easier).</p>