<p>Hi, I'm a senior who will be applying RD to UChicago. I wanted to know if there are any current students or alumni who have any advice and/or tips on applying to UChicago?</p>
<p>A few specific questions:
- How much of an impact does the interview have?
- How much do essays matter? How do I show that I'm a good fit for UChicago?
- What exactly constitutes to being in the academically qualified range?
- Anything specific about UChicago's admissions process that I should know?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Hi! I am a first year student who applied EA and was admitted. This is just my experience with the admission process; I hope you find this helpful.</p>
<p>First off, interview. It really can’t hurt unless you say something about Northwestern being number one or how you are excited to be in their engineering program!
The essays are huge; it is a chance for the college to see you beyond your grades and test scores. Put some thought into them and write from your own perspective. Seriously, don’t write to please them. Show that you’re a good fit by writing an essay that is unique, detailed, and can express who you are and the way you think.
As far as being “academically qualified” chicago is a little more lenient about test scores: they only rank them as considered I believe. I am in the midwest so an act above a 30 for sure but probably want to be more in the 32-36. I don’t know about SAT though. GPA, higher the better, but showing a myriad of tough courses and good grades is probably what you need.
Really, most people that apply to Chicago are strong students; it comes down to what sets someone apart either through an interview, essays, activities, etc. Put a lot of time into your essays, schedule an interview, fill out the paperwork and relax. Good luck!</p>