<p>Well, I'm a U of C hopeful. Im a junior this year and will apply come this fall. U of C seems Sooooooo awesome, and I love it, however, my stats are not so good. I have yet to take the SAT's ( i actually took them in March, but because i was in a play that week I was really lacking in sleep, did horribly, and canceled my scores). Though, I did take an SAT prep course, and my average score was around 1900. Anyway, My GPA by that point should be around 3.80ish weighted and 3.4ish not weighted. I'm worried that this will hold me back tremendously with U of Chicago. .... </p>
<p>... Is there anyone here, or does anyone here know of somebody who got accepted to Chicago with average stats like mine? is there hope for me?</p>
<p>I was waitlisted with average-to-slightly-above-average stats (3.6ish unweighted, 3.8ish weighted, 32 ACT), but I do believe I would've gotten in if: 1) the UofC wasn't experimenting with its admit numbers that year (mutter -- the things you learn /after/ the fact) and 2) I had shown more interest.</p>
<p>I truly believe that it's possible to get into UofC with your stats if you show them why you would be an asset to the campus: tell them why you think UofC is so great and why it's a perfect match for you, tell them why you're passionate about learning, tell them why you're such an awesome person and deserve to be there. </p>
<p>What's good way to express interest. I know that sounds silly, but really, Should i contact some professors that teach subjects I'm interested in? Should I email the admissions office with questions if I have them?</p>
<p>Email is about the only way i can do this.. I live in CA, so calling would be expensive and there's very little chance I can visit.</p>
<p>Also, visit every corner of their website. There is a question in the essay section of the application that asks why the University of Chicago (the way you know it at the time of writing the application) fits your idea of a good place to go to college. </p>
<p>There is also a question on the application that asks if you've contacted any alumni, faculty, etc. at UofC (whom and when). </p>
<p>More specifically, seek out the department webpage for the department you're most interested in (humanities, even down to specifics like 'English') and look for faculty profiles. There's usually a page somewhere which outlines how long the faculty member has been there and what their specialty is (but not always).</p>
<p>Masha, I was deferred in the EA round and accepted RD with relatively subpar stats/essays (87% UW in all-honours, 1420 SAT, average ECs and essay). I made sure to email my adcom twice after the deferral, once in December to ask what I can do to improve my chances, and a second time in February to subtly indicate I was still very interested (without sounding too creepy or desperate)...I think showing interest is the most important thing after hard numbers and essays, though there may be other factors (I'm an international but DIDN'T apply for FA, so...).</p>
<p>By the way, as I said in previous posts--I'm considering a deferral in order to finish my province's 13-year pre-university program before leaving for Chicago for the Class of 2010...does anyone think it's an ******* thing to do after showing so much interest? I'll still be attending, just not this year...</p>
<p>umm.. my gpa was a 3.0 unweighted and 3.7 or something weighted (including hella college courses) and i got waitlisted..my sat scores were ok though- 1410, 750,740,720 and my essay was pretty good , and i had good ec's- i just needed to emphasize them more. but, yah, i did just get waitlisted, not in, so i dont know if that helps you as much..good luck though =)</p>
<p>I am a junior in the same situation. I am an absolute UC fanatic and have been following these threads like crazy for the past few months (yes... it worries me as well). I have gleaned the following information:</p>
<ol>
<li>Your essays will make or break you</li>
<li>Make sure your SATs break at least 2100 (the approximate of a 1400)... It is better to look like a slacker than an idiot... thankfully we have time</li>
<li>There better be an upward trend in your GPA or else you are screwed (not for everyone but if your transcript has any "ifs"...)</li>
<li>Hard course load... but obviously you are already doing that</li>
<li>Most importantly: MAKE SURE THEY KNOW YOU CARE</li>
</ol>
<p>Just wanted to clarify... I know the SAT is not a test of intelligence but for someone with bad grades (myself and whoever else had the misfortune of not taking high school seriously...) you need something that will have a positive reflection. For example a 3.2 and a 1560 spells out a very different story than a 3.2 and a 1020.</p>
<p>People here may tell you that EA decreases your chances if you are not a stellar candidate but I dont believe that so much. Even if you get deffered EA, you are reconsidered again from the start in the RD round and then they see that you went out of your way to finish your application excessively early for UChicago and that shows interest.</p>
<p>My advice would be to Apply EA (and fill out and return every little "teaser" document they send you) and then make sure to do a campus visit in october with an interview. This will show a sincere interest in the school and even if you have less than stellar stats, you should be better off. </p>
<p>As a note, this is what I did (though I wasnt thinking this way when I did it) and I was accepted EA with stats that I dont think are THAT stellar. When I applied, I was barely grasping at top 10% (now that is gone forever I think because so many people dropped out) and had a 1400 SAT (old style...but my writing section would have been ok). My ACT was stronger and my GPA is pretty good, (and I had a special letter of recomendation...) but I really think that showing interest through the visit/ea/why chicago/etc. was a big help.</p>
<p>I agree with ottothecow... I visited and one of the admissions persons told me that while the chances of being deffered are much greater if your stats are not great, the reason they don't reccomended is because so many people give up after the defferal. So if you take the defferal as a likely and continue to show interest I think that you come off as more dedicated. That at least is what I plan to do...</p>