Unversity Scholar Stats

MaxSch333
Mon, 11 Jul 2011 02:03:48 +0000

I received $10,000/year and come from a decently large public school (about 550 in my graduating class) in Southern Illinois but certainly not a private school that boasts a boat-load of AP courses.

I had a 4.0 UW GPA and took 7 AP Classes over my junior/senior year. 35 ACT. 800 in Math II, 800 in Chem, and 760 in US History SAT Subject Tests. Got a 5 on 3 AP exams(Calc, Chem, US History) after my Junior year, so that was on the application as well.

I had a good deal of extracurriculars, but I didn’t excel on a national/international level in any of them, so that certainly was not the reason.

I think that one can’t really pinpoint the specific reason of why these scholarships are given. However, I would say that essays and the personality that you display within those essays is hugely important. If there are indeed university professors that decide upon the merit scholarships, be creative and think outside of the box. Professors are much more likely to be impressed by your decision to take on a challenge in your essay. UChicago is the one school where you need not fear being too original for the admissions board.