<p>Admissions rates are high because this school has a narrower appeal than most. Chicago appeals to students who are more than just smart-- it appeals to students who really put academics as a priority. That means that the prospect of going to Chicago is nirvana for some (i.e. yours truly) and hell for most high school seniors.</p>
<p>Chicago is highly selective-- it’s probably not as selective as most of the Ivy League (most, if not all of the Ivies have many more students to choose from than Chicago), but if the “official decisions threads” are anything to go by, it seems like there are a lot of highly qualified, academically strong applicants who don’t get in. I don’t like the idea that my university is turning down students who want to attend and have shown themselves capable of doing the work, but I guess that’s life.</p>