Would you give it a chance?

Colleges & Universities University of Chicago
1

<p>Okay. So I’ve pretty much concluded that U-Chicago is a huge, macho reach for me, and that I absolutely loathe these “chance me” threads.
The mere fact that I am ignoring both of these notions/sentiments should express how much I want to go to this school, and how nervous I am about getting rejected from it. </p>

<p>So, proceeding with the thread:</p>

<p>I am a rising senior from a Texas high school. Our school is extremely competitive, although it is relatively new.
I wasn’t always the most academically focused person throughout my high school years, but that changed after my junior year (kind of late, I know). I spent a lot of time writing (about…everything, really) and thinking, and reading fiction books. And yes, these things usually came before homework. I’m smart though, even if I hadn’t always believed it, and I really want to go to a school that will really challenge me.
Everything I’ve heard and learned about U-Chicago has convinced me that it is the perfect place for me to start over, to tap into my potential and love for learning - things I had not known about during my HS years. </p>

<p>If you would chance me (honestly), that would be great. </p>

<p>STATS:
SAT I: 740 (CR) 680 (M) 720 (W) <– I’m redoing this baby next October.
SAT II: 700 - US History, ??? - Literature
GPA: ~3.4 UW
RANK: ~25%</p>

<p>Okay, the depressing part is over…</p>

<p>EXTRACURRICULARS:
Academic Decathlon - 4th Place Scholastic - Regionasl (11), 8th Place Music - State Meet (11)
Future Business Leaders of America - Vice President of Socials (11, 12), 5th Place Intro. to Business (10)
UIL Journalism Team - 2nd Place Feature Writing - Regionals (11), State Qualifier<br>
Spanish Club - Secretary (10, 11), President? (12)
Choir - Secretary (11), Region Honor Choir (10)
Volunteer Club - > 150 Hours
Student of the Week Award
NHS, NSHS </p>

<p>WORK EXPERIENCE:
Kumon Learning Center, tutor (10, 11, 12)
DemiDec Resources, internship/writer - 11
(This is a significant experience for me - the company makes Academic Decathlon study materials, which was a huge deal seeing how AD convinced me to love learning. I was given tasks that were usually reserved for adults/coaches/peoplewithenglishdegrees, so this might express the level of my writing skills, maybe?)</p>

<p>TEACHER RECS:
MY AD coach will be writing my rec - I’m sure it will have a lot to do with potential, etc…
I will be getting my AP Biology teacher to write my other one. I haven’t met her yet, but I’m sure it will be good.</p>

<p>ESSAYS:
Well, it’s U-Chicago, can I really predict anything?
I would work in the topic of my little brother into my essay though. I have a younger brother who has had a profound impact on my life. He has autism, and this has affected how I look at people, and how I’m learning not to judge so easily because I know that sometimes people look at my little brother and the way he (mis)behaves, and they judge him as well…</p>

<p>Okay, this entire profile is still rather depressing, but hopefully U-Chicago will take a chance on me.</p>

2

<p>as a HS student myself, I don’t really lke to chance other people, but I’d just note that the little paragraph at the beginning about your newfound intellectual curiosity might make a really effective, sincere essay (option 5 every year is make your own prompt).</p>

3

<p>“I haven’t met her yet, but I’m sure it will be good.”</p>

<p>Banking on that might not be a good idea. A generic recomendation is very detrimental to your shot of getting in.</p>

4

<p>I agree. The new-found love for learning might make a good essay. You can also incorporate AD and that DemiDec thing. Your other essay sounds like a winner too!</p>

<p>The rec from your AD coach sounds proising, but I also agree that getting a rec from a techer you don’t know is kind of… risky. It’d be better to get a glowing rec from a teacher teaching a lower level class (like say reg Bio or Bio H), than getting a generic one from an AP or IB teacher.</p>

<p>Figuring that you’d have great essays, recs, and maybe a higher 2200+ SAT score, I’d say your chances might be good–despite a low GPA and scattered ECs.</p>

5

<p>“I would work in the topic of my little brother into my essay though. I have a younger brother who has had a profound impact on my life. He has autism, and this has affected how I look at people, and how I’m learning not to judge so easily because I know that sometimes people look at my little brother and the way he (mis)behaves, and they judge him as well…”</p>

<p>This has possibilities. The thing about Chicago essays is that you can extend a simple, personal narrative into the world of ideas. </p>

<p>I am curious, though, as to why you are going to use a teacher that has never taught you write your math / science rec.</p>

6

<p>If I were you, I would confine my “this is the school for me” plea to the “Why Chicago” question. You want to give a narrative to your grades, sure, but you also want to show that you’re over it now and that you love working and academia (your AD involvement helps spell that out-- make sure it’s clear on your application what exactly you did-- use the extra space thing if you need to).</p>

<p>Chicago is also known for making very surprising decisions. From what I’ve seen, they would prefer somebody with a colored past who obviously has potential to do better and a love for the topic at hand that will carry them through the core than somebody who has sailed through high school but hasn’t demonstrated initiative independent of what the school has offered. </p>

<p>This is my way to explain why I have friends who are attending Columbia and Yale right now who did not get into Chicago, and I have friends who were rejected at almost every other “top” school and were accepted at Chicago: my Columbia and Yale friends performed excellently in school, my Chicago friends didn’t, and, come to think of it, neither did I relative to my cohorts. What’s important, when it comes down to it, is how you approach learning, how you connect ideas, and whether you’re going to not like the academic experience here for being stuffy and intense or whether you are going to embrace it even if you don’t completely understand what you’re learning.</p>

7

<p>Thanks for all of your input so far!</p>

<p>Well, about the teacher rec thing, it seemed like a good idea at first. You see, my GPA mostly plummeted due to my math/science grades (I really do not like these subjects, for reasons I won’t bring up). Biology, however, is the only hard science course I would be interested in at college. I actually really like Bio, and was hoping I could let my new teacher see that. And I would make sure my grades in that class were pretty high. </p>

<p>I don’t know. It seemed like a good idea before. For AD, our science topic this year is Infectious Diseases, so I was hoping to bring up little tidbits of new information into the classroom. I’m thinking that would give her a good impression of me. The teacher will also be close with my Bio I instructor, and he likes me a lot, so maybe words and smiles will exchange? </p>

<p>Anyway. I’m visiting Chicago in a couple of weeks, and I’m really excited! I’ve heard so many good things about this school.</p>

8

<p>To unalove - </p>

<p>Ugh, thank you so much for posting that. This is why Chicago is at the top of my list - their approach to learning. So many people try to put intelligence on a number scale, but UChicago seems to take it to the next level. I am currently in an environment where grades are used to define how smart a person is, not how much effort and hours they put into their schoolwork. UChicago seems to note the importance of grades, but goes further than that to treasure the whole learning experience more than the quantitative data.</p>

9

<p>Talk to your AD or GC coach about the math / science rec: he or she may have an idea as to who might write a good one. When you do ask for the rec, do it in terms such as “Do you feel that you know be well enough to write a positive recommendation for me for my college applications”. This gives the teacher a graceful out if the rec would not be good.</p>

10

<p>That’s a good idea!</p>

<p>Would anybody be willing to read my first-draft essay for the “Why Chicago” topic? It’s a really pathetic piece, so I need all the help I can get.</p>

11

<p>RisenLilith:</p>

<p>Whatever you decide about Chicago, you owe it to yourself to read two books about autistic family members: “The Boy Who Loved Windows” by Patricia Stacey, and “The Ride Together: A Brother and Sister’s Memoir of Autism in the Family” by Paul and Judy Karasik. If you write your essay about what you have learned from your little brother, perhaps you can gain some additional insights from these books. (Just be sure to give due credit!)</p>

12

<p>im in a similar situation as you are in… would u mind PMing ur essay to me? im also interested in chicago…</p>

13

<p>Are we allowed to send supplementary materials? How about recommendations from employers?</p>

14

<p>Hey Risen,</p>

<p>PM me your Why Chicago to me, ill take a look. But ill be out of town for a day or two so might be late with a response.</p>

15

<p>Yes, employer recs are allowed… I had my supervisor from my summer job send one. It probably depends on the employment whether it’s worth it or not, though… mine was more academic (teaching German at an immersion summer camp), but if it’s McDonald’s or babysitting I’d doubt that that would be of any real help to you to have it sent.</p>