Chance another anxious high school senior for EA

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Chicago ✅
1

SAT: 2360 (800 M, 800 CR, 760 W) SAT II: 800 M2, 760 Physics

GPA: 3.9ish, unweighted. 4.6ish weighted (note that something like a 5.0 isn’t attainable, bunch of classes like religion, languages, etc. pollute the weighted gpa). 4 of my 5 B’s are from 7th and 8th grade, but show up on my transcript. Other one is from 9th.

Classes of note: WHAP (5), APUSH (5), Calc BC (5), Physics 1 (4), AP Lit (5). Everything else was honors. Im in Ap Lit,
physics 2, and U.S. gov right now. Taking calc 3 at local uni because school doesn’t actually go past calc ab. Hardest possible schedule, and in case of math, even harder.

EC’s: currently: Math Club president, book club president (2nd year in a row), chess club president (3 years) and Science Club president last year. I’m also a member of the science research team but there are no officer positions. And of course, national honors society. 100 hours of community service. Few other clubs, but no major positions.

Essays: I put a lot of work into them, and frankly I think they’re good, and show that I am a thinker. But that’s subjective, so I can’t really say.

Awards: national merit semi-finalist, and I got first place overall in two statewide math competitions in calculus with hundreds of competitors (Mu alpha theta state convention and LSU state rally). Several other small time awards in clubs. Harvard Book Award.

Recommendations: can’t read them, but I had very close relationships with the teachers, and one of my teachers keeps bragging about how good his was.

Info: white male, Louisiana, 150-200k bracket. No work experience.

Hooks: legacy, but my dad hasn’t really donated anything.

Well let me know your thoughts!

2

How did you do on the AMCs?

3

I had never heard of the Olympiad type tests until recently. Never offered at my school, and nobody else knows about them. I won first place in state in mu alpha theta for calculus, and first place in my state university’s state rally. The state rally works like this: every school in each district sends their top two students in each subject to district rally, and top 3 from district go to state. And I won state for calculus.
I also won some regional tournaments that I put down, and won my school’s Harvard Book Award prize.

4

I don’t think the Harvard Book Award is really influential in admissions.

5

What state do you live in?

6

I’m a current 1st year at UChicago. I had similar grades to yours so that’s not a huge deal. The quality of the essays is definitely the deciding factor in my opinion. If they’re outside of the box in a good way, you stand a fair chance!

7

I thought my essays were well-written and thoughtful, and showed my personality in a conversational, not too quirky way. But they weren’t too outside the box.

Yeah I don’t think I actually put Harvard book on my application. I might have. I mean it can’t hurt, for them to see that my school thinks that about me.

And I live in Louisiana. So I’m at the top, I guess, of a sorta weak state. But where else can you be?

8

I am not an expert, but the fact that UChicago has been marketing itself to underrepresented states like Louisiana might help.

9

That’s good!