<p>newenglandparent, my son’s school does have relationships with a few good colleges, but I don’t think Chicago is one of them. Yale, Carnegie Mellon, and Case Western Reserve seem to be especially receptive. But my son grew up in Chicago, loves the campus, and has the quirky, intellectual personality they seem to try to cultivate in their students, so hopefully his passion for the school will come through in his application.</p>
<p>One college his high school has a great relationship with is the honors program at our flagship state university. The school sends several students there every year (out of a graduating class of 120 or so), most on full scholarships. We visited recently and were impressed, so that would probably be a fine backup in case U of C doesn’t work out.</p>