<p>People here make Chicago’s grading out to be tougher than it is. Visit <a href=“http://www.gradeinflation.com%5B/url%5D”>www.gradeinflation.com</a> and you’ll see that the average GPA is only marginally lower than that of many other top schools.</p>
<p>There is definitely a fair amount of inflation there, and “it’s UChicago” is no excuse for a sub-3.25 GPA…while 3.25 may be the average, that means that there are many kids both above and below that number. Keep that in mind–having a GPA around the average makes you average. </p>
<p>From what I’ve heard and read, with a little hard work, it’s not anywhere near impossible to get a 3.5-3.7. The problem is that Chicago’s admissions process allows one to salvage his or her GPA with a stellar essay…but grades, not essays, are the best indicator of future college performance. So Chicago takes a chance on quite a few kids, and some of them just aren’t up to the workload.</p>