<p>I was accepted w/o hooks. I had a 2220 and 750-740.
but I think it’s important when considering stats to take into consideration GPA as well. I had a 4.0 UW.</p>
<p>If we go by these stats (im using your original post), the mean SAT (i only used the ones that gave a score out of 2400) is 2313.846. Not even havard has that high of a mean…Its probly closer to 2100 something. The 25th % would be 2280 and the 75th would be 2370. I wouldnt look too far into this stuff.</p>
<p>Look at Collegeboard’s SAT scores for Chicago. Now look at Harvard’s.</p>
<p>Chicago’s SAT scores are higher than Harvard’s. Clearly, Chicago puts a very high priority on SAT scores, regardless of what its admissions team says. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be that high, plain and simple.</p>
<p>That being said, there are enough applicants with super-high scores that Chicago can take those with better essays. In other words, it is usually a condition that you must have high test scores, but essays serve as the differentiation between acceptances and non-acceptances within this class. People get confused because they think the fact that essays really matter for Chicago implies that SAT scores are less important, which isn’t the case at all.</p>
<p>Oh, they must’ve updated Harvard’s data in the past month. Before the update, Chicago’s were actually slightly higher, although Chicago’s 1600-SAT is still only 20 points lower after the update. If you would like, replace Harvard with Stanford, and replay my statement.</p>
<p>The logic stands: if Chicago really emphasized essays over SATs, then its SATs wouldn’t be higher than those of other elite institutions, and they certainly wouldn’t be only 20 points below Harvard’s.</p>
<p>I think it’s a pretty obvious statement, especially considering that Chicago’s 1600-score average has jumped like 60 points in the past 3 years. Just 3 years ago, Chicago’s SAT M was 650-760 and CR was 670-770.</p>
<p>^You don’t think that says more about the 50%+ increase in applications over that same period of time than it does about a change in the admissions policy?</p>
<p>As someone with a 36 act who’s on the waiting list, I would say that they care more about essays and where you’d fit in their college community.</p>
<p>I think the argument is that SAT scores are a more important prerequisite. It is a necessary but not sufficient condition for admission, while stunning essays are neither necessary nor sufficient: someone with great scores can get by with decent essays.</p>