<p>Okay, so basically this thread is kind of random, but I’m making it because I wish there had been one like it that I could have read a few moths back.</p>
<p>Misconception 1: If you get flat-out rejected from an Ivy early action, it’s unlikely that you’ll get accepted by another Ivy later on. </p>
<p>Okay, okay, I know that many people are rational and aware of this, but people on CC tend to be high-stress. After I was rejected from Yale early action, SO MANY people, both on this site and in real life, told me that as long as you have very high scores (I had a 2310 and a 4.0 unweighted) and substantial extracurriculars, you are usually deferred from the ivies, not flat-out rejected. I mean I know that Ivy admissions are incrediblyy selective and could be arbitrary, but you just don’t hear that when you’re in the middle of the admissions process. Plus, I had people telling me constantly that there must have been something wrong with my essays or my recommendations for me to get rejected, and I shouldn’t expect too much come “Ivy Day” in March. And I believed them, not seeing anyone on CC that had been rejected EA from an Ivy and later accepted to another. And then I ended up getting a likely letter from Columbia. So if you are in that situation – breathe, relax. You’ll be fine.</p>
<p>Misconception 2: To get accepted to the University of Chicago, your essays MUST be quirky. A standard paragraph-response to “Why UChicago” won’t get you in; you have to make it into a math equation or a rap or a symphony.</p>
<p>So I realize that this doesn’t have anything to do with the first one, but it’s something that had me very worried about getting into Chicago. I even tried to force a quirky/original/inspired essay out of myself, and it just did not work. So, I wrote three standard essays. Don’t get me wrong, they were well-written and funny (sometimes) and showcased my personality, but they weren’t anything an admissions officer hasn’t seen before. So a little cliche (but totally relevant and important) advice? BE YOURSELF. If you’re not the kind of person who writes with humor, don’t try it here. If you always go by the books, don’t try to think out of the box now. I’m living proof you can be accepted to UChicago without having essays that radiate uniqueness.</p>
<p>Again, this thread is slightly random and no one will probably read it, and if they do, they might say “duh”, but I wish something like it had existed at the beginning of the year to put my mind at ease.</p>