Overall, you have a great record, @WavesandPale! I am sorry Brown ED did not work out; I think you have a good chance at Chicago ED2 but it could go either way. 3.85UW is in the top 10% of the class at some schools, no doubt. However, it is also outside the top 20% at many private and public schools.
Half A(4.0) and Half A- (3.7)would lead to a 3.85 (as would your situation of occasional Bs(3.0) and the rest As(4.0), given total of 42 grades at the end of junior year–7 classes per semester x 6). However the 3.85 happened, the important factor is what does it mean relative to your school? None of us can tell you, but college admissions will be able to assess relative rank within your high school. At one school I know, the entire top 10% has all A (and A+, still counting that as 4.0)and the bottom of the second decile is where 2-3 semester Bs start coming in. Five years ago it was common for a B or two in the top 10%. Another private school has NO Bs in the top 20% most years. There are is a group of public schools in one system, not joking, where the average grade in the courses is always an A or A-, and Bs are given less frequently than A or A-, leading to a large majority of the top half of the entire graduating class having no Bs. A/B honor roll is awarded to 85% of the class in schools in this district. All A (or A-) honor roll is about 30-40%.
TLDR is no one on CC will be able to tell where you stand, making chancing impossible. You have great rigor and great scores and that will help a lot given that taking difficult courses matters more than a couple of Bs, especially at places like UChicago. Good luck!
I will respond to you just 1x. You are taking my email out of context and I do not think 2 b’s in Spanish (likely considered 1 by colleges) is misleading at all. I actually feel that the write-up was thorough and well done which is why I would have felt mislead if there were 10 B’s and a unique way of looking at unweighted.
I come from a world where people often mislead to get the answers they want to get. It is a lot easier for some than getting the truth, which they mostly know before they ask the question. I find top-end applicants are more well informed than people are implying. Also, my overall point was that a 3.85 is better than people perceive - not a blemish.
A reminder that College Confidential is not a debate society. Please make your point, defend once if necessary, then move on. PM is the more appropriate venue for 2 people to have an OT conversation.
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