How much of a reach is Chicago?

Colleges & Universities University of Chicago
1

<p>Okay, I have finished my junior year, and I have been coming up with a list of schools for like the last 2-3 months. I love the list of schools I have (Vanderbilt, Wake, Emory, just to name a few), but I realized I have shyed away from extreme reach schools as in the Ivies. Now, I don’t need an Ivy League education to made me feel good, but to me Chicago is just as good as any Ivy school. I am interested in Chicago and I think I would like a rigorous academic atmosphere, but I want to make sure I have somewhat of a chance, like at least a 30% chance before I spend my summer crafting creative and interesting essays for Chicago’s famous “Uncommon Application”. Anyways, here are my stats: </p>

<p>GPA: Okay, my GPA is not stellar, because I made the mistake of taking hard APs at my school. Anyways I have a 4.70-4.75 weighted GPA and a 96 unweighted GPA.
Rank: My school is private doesn’t rank, but they will say I’m in the top 10%, there’s only 38 students in my class, so top 3.
APs: My school only offers 11.
Soph: AP Bio
Junior: AP Stats,AP History, AP Chem
Senior: AP Lit, AP Calc, AP French, AP Gov’t
I realize people take like 9-11 APs, and I will only graduate with 8, but so far I have taken the more challenging courses in my class in terms of both honors and APs, and I can’t take the other APs offered because they are like AP Spanish (I’m taking AP French), Studio Art (I suck at drawing), and AP Physics (I hate science and I’m bad at it). I think I will graduate with the highest number of APs though if that means anything to colleges.
Standardized tests: Okay these suck
first time: 600 m, 600 v, 740 writing
second time: 650 m, 650 v, didn’t break 700 for writing
Do you guys think they will take my 650, 650, and 740 for a 2040 (which is a 1360 on the old scale)? I will be taking SAT IIs in Oct and ACT in Sept.
Extracurriculars: Varsity Tennis (6th-12th) Captain (11th, 12th) Played number 1 for school (11th) MVP (11th)
Yearbook (9th-12th) Assistant Editor (11th) Senior Editor (12th)
I have some other clubs like Student council and NHS
I have solid community service, but I don’t have anything like major, I just volunteer at the hospital every week for the last two summers.
Awards: I have about 5 academic awards over 3 years and I got the Wake Forest University Book Award (11th) </p>

<p>Other info/Perhaps Advantages?: I am Asian, doubt this will help, I’m sure there are a ton of minorites at Chicago. However I live in South Carolina, and I don’t know of many people interested in Chicago, so maybe this is a geographical advantage. I will have one great rec, and the others should be above average (i’m just being safe here), and I can write creatively if i spend some time and give the essays a lot of thought. </p>

<p>Please be honest, I’d love ANY opinions as to whether my chances are good or bad. Also, if you could give some sort of percentage, like I think you have a 25% chance, that would be helpful. And sorry for the length. </p>

<p>Thanks so much</p>

2

<p>Anyone who gives you a percentage chance doesn’t know what they’re talking about. No one really knows how adcoms make their decisions, and UChi is more quirky than most. My D’s year, I saw a NM finalist with great class rank, EA admit to Stanford get rejected by Chicago RA.</p>

<p>I also know of current classmates at Chi that have stats at your level. Are you a strong candidate? You probably already have a sense.</p>

3

<p>I agree with the above poster–my hs record was not nearly as great as yours–though my college record was very good…I was accepted as an EA transfer. Anyway, you should learn more about Chicago and reflect on why you want to attend (other than prestige, etc). In my experience this is something hs students typically don’t do–but it will make you stand out as that much more mature–and you will learn more about yourself, regardless of what school you end up attending.</p>

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<p>You may want to read this: <a href=“Loading...”>Loading...;

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<p>i think youll do well there. like im sure youve read if youve been on this forum for a while, the essays will make or break you. so if, however you can achieve this, you write great essays, id be very surprised if you didnt get in. with good essays, id still say a very good probability. after that, with above average and below essays, probably not. so make sure to spend time on them and, above all, at least offer them something unique in your essays.</p>

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<p>idad–that article is fearsome–I’m glad I didn’t read it when I was applying!</p>

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<p>Thank you all for responding so quickly! That was a great article by the way. Oh and reasons I would like to attend Chicago? I haven’t visited yet, but I think it has a very very very wonderful academic atmosphere. Fortunately for me, Chicago loses a lot of top applicants to the Ivies. I think Chicago is an Ivy all on its own. I also live on Hilton head, which is a small resort island, and I would very much like to be in a big city. Something different. I also think the professors their would be top of the line. I haven’t visited so I don’t know much about the social atmosphere. Anyways, if you guys would like to update me on that, and if anybody would like to give more opinions on my chances, then please respond! </p>

<p>Thanks</p>

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<p>I know many have read it, but here is another great article I believe all UChicago prospies should read: <a href=“http://magazine.uchicago.edu/0310/features/zen.shtml[/url]”>http://magazine.uchicago.edu/0310/features/zen.shtml&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>i got accepted, but ultimately, didn’t really visit ( i did briefly when i visited northwestern), but just didn’t think the atmosphere was for me. I just felt the students would be too quircky, which really isn’t for me.</p>

10

<p>thank you profusely for the article-it renewed my ethusiasm for the College…though I doubt most Chicago profs. have Abbott’s convictions about education, it is teachers like him that made Chicago the place I want to experience–I will definitely seek out a class with Professor Abbott during my time here.</p>