A Little Chance at UChicago?

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Chicago ✅
1

<p>Hi everyone. UChicago is my dream school and I just want to see if others think I have a bit of a chance at getting in. I plan to apply EA.</p>

<p>Stats:
Female, Asian, MA</p>

<p>GPA:
3.56 (I'm not sure if this is unweighted or weighted; I do know that it's abysmal.)</p>

<p>Class Rank:
Our school does deciles and honestly, I have no idea where I stand. They don't tell us or anything. I'm guessing top 30%. It's pretty bad, I know.</p>

<p>SAT:
2130 (M 750, W 740, CR 640) I'm taking it again this October. I'm going for a 2300 to make up for my bad GPA.</p>

<p>SAT II:
Math II: not back yet but should be greater than 750
Literature: not back yet, many possibilities for scores</p>

<p>Recs:
Should be pretty good. Have one from Physics and English. I barely talk to the teacher in English so he said he'll mostly focus on my academics. I make a point to chat with my Physics teacher almost every single day after class this year. It's gone pretty well. </p>

<p>ECs:
I don't have any so I plan to join some during Senior year. Yearbook, newspaper, and such.</p>

<p>Volunteering:
(I don't know if this goes under ECs)
Tutor at Elementary School
Part of Connect and Commit (volunteering club)
Reader and TA for kid's summer reading program</p>

<p>Awards/Achievements:
National Merit Commended
National Latin Honor Society
2nd place in International Chinese Essay Writing Competition</p>

<p>Courseload:
Freshmen - All honors except for History
Sophomore - All honors
Junior - All honors + AP Comp Sci
Senior - AP Econ, AP Environmental, AP Latin, AP Calc AB, AP English, Video Production, Digital Photography</p>

<p>^ does anyone think my "fluff" classes senior year will affect my app? </p>

<p>Sports:
None, sadly. All the transportation doesn't fit my schedule.</p>

<p>So yeah. Personally, I think I have a really slim chance but I hope my essays will really shine. I love the essays and plan to spend tons of time on them. </p>

<p>Chance me? Please and thanks!</p>

2

<p>Your right the gpa is a bit low. I really don’t know that joining EC to get into a college (your senior year) is a good idea, your should do EC’s becuase they are your passion. Really try and kick up your volunteering, that seems to be your strength. College admissions will look at the whole record. Just try and improve your grades and really kick butt on the SATs that should give you the best shot. Good luck.</p>

3

<p>Top 10 colleges get most of their students from top 10% of the HS class, once you are beyond the 10%, unless you are from one of those feeder schools, the chances to be admitted are very low, U of C is one of those schools.</p>

4

<p>gpa’s gonna kill ya, get that up and… maybe</p>

5

<p>Thanks everyone for your opinions. Results of the subject tests just came out. It’s a 770 on Math and a 620 on Literature (I didn’t study at all) which I don’t plan to submit.</p>

6

<p>Sorry to break it to you, but your gpa and lack of extracurriculars will hurt you big time. :S
Best of luck to you writing ur essays!</p>

7

<p>I got deferred with a 22 ACT. I think you’re good. :)</p>

8

<p>^ is that true? well, 22 ain’t so bad I guess. OP, you have a 50-50 chance in my book.</p>

<p>Peace Out</p>

9

<p>Very very small chance. You have a very low GPA, an okay SAT (even if you got a 2300, thats still pretty average for UChicago), no EC’s, few awards. I’m sorry but you do not have a 50-50 chance.</p>

<p>rbouwens: deferral just means your app is moved onto the RD round, I was deferred for Yale. Having a 22, I’m very surprised you were deferred and remeber deferred admits have the same chances as everyone else to be accepted, so it’s not really any indication of approval from a school, just that you weren’t so bad to be rejected from the early group ( ie. thrown in the trash, rejections from EA is just weeding out the very worst applicants) and you must have had other credentials that made up for it that the OP likely doesn’t have.</p>

10

<p>nah bro, 2300 ain’t average anywhere except maybe HYPSM. It’s a great score, don’t mislead the kid. Can’t say the same about the GPA though.</p>

11

<p>Oh sorry, a 2300 (or average of 766 on each section, UChicago only looks at CR+M though) = 1533. And that is UChicago’s top end of the middle 50% of the Class of 2015. Scores for the Class of 2016 are probably slightly higher and so will next years scores be. So, considering that fact then a 2300 isn’t much of a leg up. It is above the average for admited students, but probably near the average for unhooked, ORM, average applicants.</p>

12

<p>There’s a threshold though bro, it’s not like the scores will just keep on increasing indiscriminately forever. By that logic, the class of 2020 at all top 10 schools will have 2400 SAT averages.</p>

13

<p>But that will never happen, due to the fact that lower scores will be always be admitted.</p>

14

<p>PAGRok, actually there were many qualified applicants who were rejected from UChicago during last year’s EA round. UChicago is holistic and they do look at the whole person. Why are you surprised, then, that I was deferred?</p>

<p>BTW, test scores are used solely for the purpose of determining one’s college-readiness. My Science ACT score was below the range of “readiness” - but does that mean that I will do poorly in an actual college science class?</p>

<p>OP, don’t lose faith. Apply and know that you will be thoroughly considered, test scores/GPA aside.</p>

15

<p>^you have no proof that many “qualified” applicants were rejected EA. Holistic means everything is taken into account, not that a test score can be overlooked if it is too low! And a 22 student has probably not been accepted at UChicago for years, because it shows an extreme lack of preparation for UChicago (why do you think UChicago’s middle 50 is the 31-34 range?), at least test wise. Of course admissions is holistic, but a 22 is like having a failing grade or more on your transcript, it is a very low score. It is not enough for you to have been rejected EA, which happens to only THE worst applicants, but I would neve expect someone with a 22 to be admitted. Stop saying that a deferral with a 22 is an indication that someone with low academic credentials still has a good chance of getting in because of holistic admissions. Academic ability is probably the greatest factor in admissions, at least in initially weeding out applicants. Yes there are no cutoffs for test scores or GPA, but if a reader feels a student is not academically ready for a UChicago education and will not be able to sustain sufficient grades, that student will not be admitted.</p>

16

<p>^ since when does having a low score suggest that someone is “academically unprepared?” I worked hard in hs and my GPA/class rank showed that! I ranked higher than kids whose scores were 10 points above mine! (And I did NOT have a slacker schedule!)</p>

<p>Chicago’s averages are that high because they can be. A school that has 20,000 applicants certainly can pick and choose who they want! In this case, they tend to choose those with high scores, no biggie. Or, maybe those with high scores were better applicants overall! I don’t know what sets apart a 22 from a 32! If my little school got 20,000 applicants, I surely would not have been admitted! There’s more competition! </p>

<p>And what I meant was that students with scores 10+ points higher than mine were rejected in the first set. I dunno why!</p>

<p>And if 20 is the nation’s average, then America must be failing epically in academics.</p>

17

<p>apart from relatively low gpa and sat score, your “620 on Literature” and being an asian area not helpful either. being an asian, you should not have any score below 700.</p>

18

<p>Unfortunately, itsme2 is right. I am an asian male, and i know for a fact that asians need the exta asian factor (maybe 100 points on the sat, 2 on the act) to even e considered on a equal playing field with whites, never mind other minorities. You still have a chance to improve those scores, so work your butt off senior year and maybe you will get in RD</p>

19

<p>UChicago, like many top schools takes a holistic approach; they look at everything! GPA and rank are ok, SAT is above average, E.C.s are non-existent, and courseload doesn’t look very challenging. It doesnt look like you have anything very unique, either. I can’t speak for Admissions, but I don’t know how likely your acceptance is, not to discourage you or make you feel bad. Still apply but don’t be upset if you don’t get a fat envelope in the mail.</p>