<p>So here's a question I have about the school. Everytime I bring up the fact that I want to go to this school, people always respond with a gasp and a "OMG that's such a hard school to get into". When I looked at the Naviance program for my school, I noticed that 1/17 got in, however the one person that got in had a 4.07 W GPA and the rest that were rejected had about 3.something weighted averages, whereas other schools (that people don't seem to consider to be as difficult to get into as Chicago) have accepted students with 4.3 or 4.5 W GPAs. The acceptance rates also show that it is not as difficult as HYP and its MW "rivals" (NW, WU, etc). So why is Chicago considered such a hard school to get into?</p>
<p>BTW, I am not implying that Chicago is necessarily an easy school to get into. I was just wondering what makes it so difficult and why some people make it seem like Chicago is harder to get into than WU and NW.</p>
<p>A lot of your post has to do with your particular school and isn't necessarily universally true. Chicago admits may or may not have higher SAT socres or GPAs than admits for other top schools. More than most schools, I think, Chicago tries to look for a particular brand of student who truly wants to attend the University of Chicago in particular. If your school has a number of students applying to a large number of top schools, students will likely see it as difficult to get into because many of those students wouldn't have communicated in their application why they would be a good fit at the school.</p>
<p>Yeah, I figured it was difficult because Chicago seems to look for students who are sincerely interested in the school and "fit" the whole quirky image that they have there. And also, I meant that people (from other towns, states, etcetc) generally say that it is a difficult school to get into.</p>
<p>Any school with an admit rate below 40% (38% in Chicago's case, likely 35% or lower this year) and a very high quality student pool is difficult it get into. Individual circumstances will dictate just how difficult it really will be for each person.</p>
<p>Chicago has a relatively high acceptance rate (38.5% last year), a result of yield (34.3%). Chicago also has a lower % of students in the 10% than peer institutions (80%). SAT scores fall between those of Cornell and Dartmouth. </p>
<p>The reason for this is that Libby has said that SAT scores and rank are not considered as important as strength of curriculum, essays, and grades. In that sense it can be difficult to get into Chicago unless you have that "something" they're looking for. I know of a CC poster who was DYING to get into Chicago, was rejected EA, and is now at Stanford.</p>
<p>Yield also reflects a type of self-selectiion and often, financial considerations. Many Chicago students are accepted at fine LAC's that also provide substantial merit awards. This is very difficult to turn down. In a survey I saw of why not Chicago, the #1 reason for not attending was money. Combine that with students who apply and are accepted to a top Ivy and have to decide between greater name recognition and the likely (at least by reputation) more demanding work load, it is not surprising that the yield is what it is. Those that do come often, as in the case of my S do so in spite of those things, which is another reason for its self-selecting reputation. Ultimately, students know what they're getting into.</p>
<p>I go to a high school that's ranked 17 in Illinois. It's not anything to brag about (though Hillary Clinton is an alum ...lol) and our school doesn't send too many kids to the elites. In fact, a huge majority of the kids at my school end up at U of I-Urbana Champaign. </p>
<p>Anyways, I was looking at the naviance scattergram for my school as well, and all the kids I know that got into UChicago graduated at the top 1% of their class (roughly around 700 kids/class).</p>
<p>But, I mean, like what the others have already said, it takes more than just solid test scores & a strong GPA to get in. And just because some people get in w/ substandard scores/gpa doesn't mean it's any easier to get into.</p>
<p>After reading that article, I also wonder how I got in XD It just had to be my essay about a tarot card that kept me out of the 3B box. It would be terrifying to be in the room while the committee scrutinizes my file, and I am glad that it is an impossibility. I would probably go sit in a corner and cry.</p>
<p>Nevertheless, interesting insight into the workings of admissions.</p>