<p>Currently a Junior, looking to go into Chemistry…</p>
<p>GPA: 3.9?
Rank: …somewhere between 2 and 8 out of 300
SAT- 750 CR 780 M 710 Writing
SAT II- Taking in June, Chem and Math II
All Honors/AP</p>
<p>Junior Year APs: Chemistry
Senior Year APs: English Lit, Calc AB, Physics B</p>
<p>Senior Year Schedule: AP English Lit, AP Calculus AB, AP Physics B, Latin IV Honors</p>
<p>ECs
-Began Destination Imagination Program at my High School, done it throughout
-2 Years Math Team, this year placed as #2 Junior in Tristate league
-National Honors Society
-1 Gold, 2 Silver National Latin Awards
-Tennis Team (Sophomore Year Only :-(, Scholar Athlete Award)
-Astronomy Club (Sophomore Year Only, Club ended due to funding)
-50+ Hours Community Service
-Tutored two kids in Chemistry
-Work in the Summer as a camp counselor, do miscellaneous things for my town’s Rec department throughout the rest of the year (chaperoning events, such as the Middle School’s back-to-school picnic)</p>
<p>You have a great rank and test really strongly, congratulations on your success! These two factors put you in the range of students admitted to Chicago.</p>
<p>A few more questions:</p>
<p>– How regularly does your school send students to “top 20” schools? “To top 50” schools? To “top 100” schools? If your school regularly sends a lot of students to top schools, it’s most likely a challenging school, and so rising to the top of that heap is a lot more meaningful than rising to the top of a so-so school.</p>
<p>– Why do you want to go to Chicago? The answer to that question isn’t self-evident from your profile; it’s something that should come through on your application, though.</p>
<p>A. Every year. Though, some years are more Top 20-Heavy than others. Like last year, we had a bunch including Harvard and Cornell. This year, we only have two: Northwestern and Columbia.</p>
<p>B. I want to go here because it is such a haven of research, where better to learn from? Also, because it is Ivy-quality, without that awkward snobbishness and with a more laid-back community (Scavenger Hunt sounds amazing!). How do I best display this?</p>
<p>When you write the “Why Chicago” essay you’ll be able to express how important Chicago is to you. I’m not sure how the new use of the common app will work next year but I can’t imagine that essay being dropped. I’ve also heard the the old style "uncommon " app may also run in parallel with the new option.</p>
<p>There is no college that’s not “within reach” for the OP, but of course lots of them are more or less risky. That’s the way things work nowadays.</p>