Could chicago take high intellectual ability over high stats?

Colleges & Universities University of Chicago
1

<p>I really want to go to U of C more than anything. It is my absolute first choice, and I feel that it is right for me more than another other institution in the world. The only thing that is holding me back is my GPA (3.0 out of 4), and class rank (190 out of 349). (One of the top public high schools in the state, maybe #25). My recommendations explained all that I have had to go through during my high school years, such as having a terminally ill father and a mother who has been intstutionalized three times, and also a breast cancer survivor. This is on top of my own kidney disease that I have been born with.It has been hard generally thoughout my life with both households, except before high school I was a perfect student getting mostly A+'s and always getting the best grades in my class, but as I got to high school, things had gotten worse. It has been hard throughout high school, especially last year, because there would be times in which both households were not exactly the greatest for me to live in, so it was really a struggle. I had even applied to boarding school last year with the help from my cousin, because I had needed to get away. (I didn’t end up getting in, because they do not normally except seniors ever). </p>

<p>I have taken a total of 8 regular college preporatory courses, 17 honors, and one AP (World History). </p>

<p>I have excellent extracurricular activites, (Violin since third grade, part of string orchestra, pit orchesta for musicals, and full orchestra, also junior year I was member of the music honors society. I have also been a copy editor for the school paper in tenth grade, and contributing writer in 11th and 12 grades. Ever article I have written for the paper has been published, and our paper has won an Honorable Mention each of the last four years at the annual conference of the New England Scholastic Press Association. I am also president/creator of my high school STAND chapter, which is an antigenocide coalition) My volunteering hours have been about 220 altogether.</p>

<p>I show my mature and intellectual ability through my writing, and I hope the admissions officers can see this. My essays are in my opinion, outstanding, and very “chicago”. My interviewer read my extended essay and loved it. My essays are the strongest parts of my application. </p>

<p>My alumni interview went very well and he said he would write a “mind blowing” evaluation of me.</p>

<p>I have indicated that Chicago is my first choice in my essays, to my admissions counselor and to my interviewer.</p>

<p>I also wrote the U of C a letter with my mid-year report, basically saying how my transcript does not accurately reflect my intellectual abilitly, and that I feel that I am a very great match for chicago, and that although I may be perceived as “risky”, I know I am ready and will perform well at the university.</p>

<p>I am also a minority (on the common app I had indicated “black”, but I talked about being biracial in my personal statement)</p>

<p>I took the Feb ACT (On the practice tests I scored perfect on the science section, and 33 out of 36 on the math). I seem to do well on the act practice tests. Normally on standardized test practice I do the same on the practice as I do on the actual test. I will most likely be in the range of a composite score of somwhere around 31-33 out of 36. </p>

<p>My recommendations in general are very strong. I have my current Russian Lit teacher writing one, of whom I have one of the highest grades in his class, and my spanish teacher of whom I had for two years in high school. My Guidance counselor said she really advocated for me and wrote a very strong recommendation, and said that there is a lot of unmet potential that has been met during high school. She had written to the uchicago that I would do very well at the university.</p>

<p>On the special circumstances section of the common app, I had written a page and a little bit about what I had been through (sort of expanding I guess on what my guidance counselor had written). I did go into detail, but I hope this is not a bad thing.</p>

<p>All in all, I am wondering and hoping, if Chicago will clearly see my intellectual ability, and that I am a very good match for the college intellectually. I hope they can see my essays as an indicator of my ability, and not just superficial aspects such as my transcript. I hope they will accept me and take a chance on me instead of accepting someone with higher stats in my place. It is quite evident in my application that I am not “ignorant”, and that I believe that intellectually I am far above my peers at school, and clearly my grades do not reflect this, although they are explained.</p>

<p>(sorry for such the long post, I just have a lot to say)</p>

2

<p>While it is possible that an admissions officer has a sweet spot for you, step into an their shoes. If they think you are intellectually talented, that is great, but they do have one of the most rigorous education in the world. If they don’t think you can handle it, they will not admit you. You have only taken one AP class, while others have taken 17. It is difficult for you to be admitted over that student. A few years ago, I think they would have admitted you, but admissions is becoming tight. Good luck! Your intellectual passion will cause you to do well anywhere.</p>

<p>You are not even in the top 50% of your class, so I would be surprised if you got admitted.</p>

3

<p>My US and World Report says that 2 years ago, Chicago’s incoming class had 100% in the top 50% of their class. While there may have been an exception in there, they seem to want to preserve that record; but don’t lose hope, they may realize the dire situations which you have been in.</p>

4

<p>Though my only qualification is that I’m an EA admit, I’d say that, due to your low ranking, your chances of getting in are slim. Heck, even the valedictorian of my class was rejected EA this year. So, the admissions process is, as an earlier poster said, “becoming tight.”</p>

<p>I can tell by your writing that you’re super intelligent and have a lot of potential. However, college admissions seems to be a game that takes into account action more than potential in a lot of ways. That is, if you don’t have the numbers, it’s difficult to cash in on your potential alone. </p>

<p>Don’t completely give up, though. You really never know.</p>

5

<p>In the old days, Chicago seems to have been known as a school that would take a chance on a kid who showed intellectual promise, but didn’t quite fit the profile of the traditional applicant. I know two retired professors who were admitted that way. Neither of them even finished high school. In fact, one of them was kicked out of high school for punching out his basketball coach. He worked odd jobs for a while, then joined the army just after WWII. When he got out of the army, he met with a dean to make his case for admission. He was told he’d have to take some tests first. He did well enough to be admitted and went on for a PhD elsewhere. He clearly was a bright guy, though, with some intellectual interests as reflected in his reading and he taught himself Japanese while stationed in Japan during the occupation. I’ve heard similar stories about other people. While U Chicago seems to have that history, I don’t know that it still applies in this day and age.</p>

6

<p>Can’t guarantee anything. It’s certainly possible, but have you considered that many of the people with high stats are just as intellectually capable as you?</p>

<p>One thing you do have going for you is the fact that UChicago is your first choice. I would say that’s more valuable than having high stats (given that you’re a good fit for the school), but that’s possibly just my opinion. </p>

<p>It’s a cliche, but don’t put all your eggs in one basket. There are probably a lot of schools out there that you could fall in love with.</p>

7

<p>I think it’s possible. I got in EA with a merit scholarship with stats that I thought were only alright. I had only taken 2 APs until senior year and I have pretty awful math scores. While my stats may be a little better, I also haven’t had the life experiences that make you a more interesting applicant. I wrote a really fantastic essay and I think thats what got me in. So if your essays and recs are really that good, I’d say you have a decent shot. They seem to care a lot more about that. Also don’t worry. Stressing yourself out isn’t worth it after the applications are in.</p>

8

<p>Also for univeristy afiliation, I had put that my cousin goes to lab (although I’m not sure that helped anything). For my “why chicago” I did kind of make it long, but I just had so much to say about how much I love the university, and how I have never felt the same about any other institution of higher learning in the world. I had also mentioned my specific trip to uchicago and I made that very very descriptive.</p>

9

<p>I agree with the poster who thought a few years ago that admissions would take a chance. After 07’ there has been a significant change. That was also the last year before the common ap was adopted.</p>

10

<p>tl;dr, sorry i’m a bit busy, but after reading the first few sentences I have something to say. No one school is perfect for you. Please please don’t go overboard like I did and think that only one institution is perfect for you, and make it literally your ‘dream’. Sure, love UChicago but please realize there are a lot of other colleges/unis out there in which you’d do just as well (in any terms). Just my two cents, I will come back and comment on your application/ try to help. (ea '15er here).</p>

11

<p>bumppppppppp</p>

12

<p>^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^</p>

13

<p>What do you want to hear? There is only so much we can tell you–none of us are adcoms, none of us know what really goes on in that admissions office–and I think it has been amply covered.</p>

<p>There are plenty of kids who have both high intellectual ability and high stats in Chicago’s applicant pool.</p>

14

<p>I agree with pretty much what everyone said. It will be tough, and the odds are not in your favor, but I sincerely do hope you get admitted.</p>

15

<p>I agree with everyone here also: the statistics aren’t looking good. I know some people from other high schools who have much better stats than you and is in the third best public high school in the US (International High School in Bellevue) who have been rejected by UChicago. Best of luck!</p>

16

<p>I disagree with everyone. Go read the “Chances mean nothing,” or something like that, thread on the Chicago forum. The guy explains that he thinks chances mean nothing because he has a 3.5 or something GPA, no extracurriculars, no awards, no sports, ranked 100 or something out of 400, bad SATs, no special hook, and nothing like that. The only reason he felt he got in was because of his essays. The good thing about Chicago is that they value essays and recs more than the other stuff so if you write a stellar essay, you are in for sure.</p>

<p>I even know people with perfect everything and who got into a bunch of Ivy Leagues with pretty much full merit-based scholarship, but was rejected from Chicago. </p>

<p>(ps. I am only assuming this based on all the stuff I have heard, and it seems likeley that this is the case. I mean, the Chicago website itself says that ECs dont matter that much since they don’t think you’ll do the same stuff in college anyway).</p>

17

<p>^So your saying I could apply with a 13 ACT, a 2.4 GPA, no ec’s, no awards but my essay is stellar and I would get in OVER a kid with 2400 SAT’s, 4.0 GPA, AMAZING EC’s but crappy essay?</p>

18

<p>I’m under the impression that if you have excellent stats, you’re already halfway through the door. The only reason you might be rejected then is if your essays raise a red flag and flat-out give the admission officers an excuse to reject you. At that point, the essays are used more to assess fit than to push actively for an acceptance. For instance, I’d expect the 2400 SAT, 4.0 GPA student with amazing ECs and a crappy essay to be rejected if the essay is truly crappy, but if you change “crappy” to “mediocre but demonstrates a decent amount of fit,” I’d expect the student to receive a nice, fat envelope when decisions roll around.</p>

<p>It’s different if your stats are on the low end, though. (Obviously.) Your example’s a little extreme, StanfordCS, but if you move the stats more towards the middle, then yes, an excellent essay can certainly bump a person into the acceptance pile.</p>

<p>shadowzoid, you’re misrepresenting the OP of that particular thread. She has a 31 ACT (not bad by any means), is 50% African-American, and does not in fact know her rank. I’m not saying this to belittle her by any means - I am sure she will excel here - but she did have a few things going for her in addition to a great essay.</p>

19

<p>a friend of mine had a 3.3 (unweighted) gpa and a 2100-2200 (forgot the exact number) sat score and got waitlisted. essays were amazing.</p>

<p>similarly, i know two people who got flat out rejected with 3.9-something unweighted gpas. bland personalities.</p>

<p>im not sure what you can extrapolate from that, but one thing is a given. you have to at least be interesting/intellectually passionate to get in. but then again you have to be like that to get into any top college (top 15 at least…dont know what i can say about cornell and the UCs)…so moral of the story: i have no idea what the hell i’m talking about and i’m unnecessarily rambling…just thought i’d throw out those two (i guess three) cases for you </p>

<p>

</p>

<p>huh?! what does it say/where does it say that?</p>

20

<p>

</p>

<p>I agree with you.</p>