Chance a son of a refugee please!

Colleges & Universities University of Chicago
1

<p>Hi, my parents were refugees from Afghanistan and moved to the USA with no money and understanding of English 18 years ago. Neither of them finished high school back home, so I will be the first in my family to finish high school (and hopefully) go to college.</p>

<p>UChicago is by far my 1st choice, so specific feedback on that will be much appreciated. </p>

<p>Personal Stats:
Junior
First Generation
Able to speak 3 languages.
Gender: M
Ethincity: Afghan
State: Florida</p>

<p>Academics:
GPA UW 3.75 W: 4.6
SAT: 1350/1920 (CR: 760. M:590, W:560 Essay: 11/12…I know I suck at the multiple choice of the writing) –> 1st time taken and did not study, plan to retake 2 more times.</p>

<p>Courses:
8th Grade: Algebra 1 Honors
Freshmen year: Geometry Honors, World History Honors, English 1 Honors, Biology Honors, Spanish 1, Sport Medicine, Business Technology
Sophomore Year: Algebra II Honors, English II Honors, Chemistry Honors, Spanish 2 Honors, Leadership Skills, AP Art History
Junior Year: PreCalc, AP English Lang., Spanish 4 Honors, AP Chemistry, AP US History, Philosophy Honors
Senior Year: AP Calc AB, AP English Lit, AP US & Comp. Government, AP Psych, Self-Study in Human Rights, Physics Honors</p>

<p>Total AP Courses: 8</p>

<p>EC:
Founding member and President of local chapter of a non-profit (Jr-Senior year) –> It’s Called Love Letters: Random Cards of Kindness. We make hand made insprational cards to sick kids in hospitals all around the country. We work with Base Camp and Give Kids theWorld and our local chapter goes to children hospital to hand deliver the cards. I started my area’s local chapter, I organize and plan meetings, teach people how to make cards, check cards to see if they’re appropriate, etc etc (This is my most time consuming EC)
Cross Country (10-12) JV:10 V:11-12 Captain my senior year
Sophomore Class Vice President—>rewrote the school’s Consitution, various fund raisers, organized class visits to nursing home etc
Varsity Track and Field: 10th
Freshmen Class Rep
Jr Class Senator
Sr Class Senator
Spanish Club Membe (very active)r: 9-12
Operation Smile member (very active): 10-12
Math Club: 9-12
Math competition Team: 9th-11 (don’t make fun of me)
Spanish Honor Society: 10-12
NHS: 11-12
-About 250 Hours of Communitry service</p>

<p>Award & Honors:
-Bank of America Student Leader–>I get a paid internship to work with the Boys & Girls Club of American over this summer and spend a week in DC for leadership
-Chosen to represent my school for Hugh O’ Brian Youth Leadership my sophomore year
-Chosen for Florida Boy’s State by my school
-Math Comp Team Awards–>In Geometry, Alg 2, and PreCalc
-In Rollins College Talent Search Program since 6th grade (it’s a federal funded trio program for high achieving first generation/low income students)
-UCF (local university) High school leadership award</p>

<p>Misc Info:
-Worked for Pacsun for Summer of 2007
-My family was on welfare while I was a kid. (Luckily now, we’re doing pretty good financially)
-I was seriously ill the first semester of junior year and it lowered my GPA a little (was gonna be a 3.85 UW)
-I have teachers who I am very close to so I know RECs will be pretty good.
-I’ve been in pretty constant contact with UChicago’s admission office and after my recent visit most of them know me by first name the last day! So I am hoping this will help with the “Demostrated Interest”</p>

2

<p>Don’t worry about the writing portion of the SAT for U of C, they disregard it. No one here will make fun of your math team ec!</p>

3

<p>You are a US citizen?</p>

4

<p>i’d say write solid essays and you are in.</p>

5

<p>Yes, I am US citizen…I got naturalized when I was around 7 or 8.</p>

6

<p>Good, I’m glad you are a citizen. I am very hesitant to guess chances for Chicago for next year - that will be the first year on the common application, and who knows what the admissions rates are going to look like.</p>

<p>That said, you’ve generally got a strong profile, and have a plan to strengthen the weaker parts of it. Stick to your plan and apply to a good range of schools (including financial safeties) and you should come out with excellent options. Your folks must be very proud of you!</p>

7

<p>I think you really need to improve that SAT score considering the potentially huge number of applicants.</p>

8

<p>Haha, thanks you guys for the positive feedback. My parents are pretty proud, albeit, they had no idea about UChicago untill our recent visit…they just thought it was a random state school.</p>

<p>I know I do need the SAT score up…any idea on a pretty good range to aim for? I have a 760 on CR so I doubt that would get much higher but my math is lacking…it’s only a 590. So, should I probably aim for around 690+ for the math, correct?</p>

9

<p>yea a 700 would put you in good running. Higher is better. Plus, the math SAT is easy ifyou practice alot.</p>

10

<p>Don’t worry about CR - that may go up on its own, anyway. As for the math, I think you want to aim at upper 600’s / ideally breaking 700. That means you can use a bit of strategy and not worry about every question. If you look at the SAT forum on CC they will have some good ideas.</p>

<p>You can probably improve your write mc score a good bit - maybe work on it over the summer. Not important for Chicago, but might be for your other schools. One of my great-grandmothers was from your neck of the woods (she was a Tadjic) so I am rooting for you!</p>

11

<p>My son J., who was accepted at the University of Chicago and will be attending in the fall, also got a 590 in math on the SAT the first time he took it (along with an 800 in CR and a 730 in writing). The second time, after studying and practicing a lot more, he went up 80 points in math, to a 670 (along with another 800 in CR and a 760 in writing). So, it’s certainly possible to get in without getting over 700 in math, especially if you do really well in the others.</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

12

<p>Congrat’s to your son on his acceptance, DonnaL. My son was also admitted with a math 670.</p>

13

<p>Thanks! He’s very excited.</p>