<p>Hello, I'm currently a high school junior who's really interested in applying EA to the University of Chicago. What are my chances? I'm also interested in Columbia, Johns Hopkins, Brown, and Wesleyan.
Intended major: English or Creative Writing with a possible second major in Film Studies
GPA: 4.29 w, 3.68 uw (I should add that my private school is super competitive and there's only around 95 girls in my grade. I think I fall within at least the top 1/3 of the grade). I expect that by the end of this semester it will be somewhere between 4.36 to 4.39.
Ranking: none
SAT Score: 2240 (780 reading, 800 writing, 660 math) (probably will retake for math score)
Subject test: 760 US, and I'm currently studying for the Spanish and English Lit tests
APs: 5 on APUSH
Schedule: three honors ninth grade, two honors and one AP (US) tenth grade, three APs (Spanish, English, and World) and two honors this year, and I'm planning on taking one AP and four honors senior year
also, I'm the only person in my grade to have pursued a research class program for both my junior and senior year. This year I studied 1950s American cinema in Cold War context and next year I'll be studying religious subtext in the works of Samuel Beckett.
Extracurriculars:
-reporter and editor on my school newspaper since tenth grade, a columnist this year, and will be Head Copy Editor next year.
-on the staff of the school literary magazine since ninth grade and may be Editor-in-Chief next year/some sort of head editor
-intern and writer at Ms. Magazine, the feminist publication founded by Gloria Steinem
-Editor of the newsletter for a nonprofit literary organization
-Secretary of a nonprofit club at my school that assists children with cancer
-avid writer on my own time (I've written five book manuscripts, a few novellas, three screenplays, and multiple short stories)
-in ninth grade worked with a production company and International Creative Management on developing a young adult series of books in the vein of Nancy Drew
-tutored underprivileged children in the local elementary school during tenth grade
-took an improv class at the Groundlings, a famed theatre troupe
Awards:
-two silver keys from the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards
-multiples honors from the Center of Talented Youth
-regional spelling bee participant in middle school
-given entry into and presented at a local literary conference in which only 1/3 of applicants were accepted
Summers:
-attended CTY for five years
-took a six-week Advanced Screenwriting class at USC School of Cinematic Arts as the only high schooler among college and graduate students
-Kenyon Review Young Writers Workshop
-Barnard Young Women's Leadership Institute</p>
<p>I think you have a great chance! You don’t have many APs but your ECs make up for that. You’re obviously a great writer so the UChicago essays should be a piece of cake. CTY will definitely help at Johns Hopkins as long as you emphasize how your experience shows how you fit in on the campus. Good luck!</p>
<p>UofC, Brown, and Columbia are reaches by default (but reachable for you). JHU is easier, and I think you’ll get in there. </p>
<p>Thanks so much for the responses! And @enigmaticmind I would have loved to take more APs, but my school doesn’t offer that many, and the average people take is four :)</p>
<p>If you want, you can take courses at your local community college to show extra initiative, but that’s not necessary if you’re already higher than average.</p>
<p>Great Hooks for your intended major! I look forward to watching your films (y)</p>
<p>Agreed. Columbia, UofC and Brown are your reachiest schools. JHU and Wesleyan are easier, I think. </p>
<p>Thanks, everyone! Does anyone know if because I’m more humanities-oriented it will be easier for me to get into JHU or if that’s a myth?</p>
<p>Wondering why you aren’t looking at NYU film school. Way better for you than UChicago</p>
<p>@Jewishboy1975 I’m not really interested in film school for undergrad, especially since I’m not 100% I want to work in the film industry (I want to do something writing-related, but that can be several different fields). UChicago and schools like it will, I hope, expand my mind and give me something to write about rather than simply teach me about craft (which is equally important, but not for me; I learn more by doing). Plus, NYU is wayyy too big for me!</p>
<p>What about USC?</p>
<p>You should understand that UChicago… is… well, EXTREMELY competitive. I have a friend at the school who loves it, but constantly has her head in a book.</p>
<p>I think your activities are actually very cool.</p>
<p>Scores are all good.</p>
<p>Still, your GPA is low. Top third is not good enough; you’ll need to be in the top 10% to even have a shot. If you are, these schools are reachable. If you’re not, it’s a pretty long shot.</p>
<p>@noel597 I live so close to USC and want to leave California desperately. Also, four people from my school are going to UChicago and none of them are in the top 10% (and only one’s even in the top 20%).</p>
<p>Seriously? Then UChicago must like your school! hahahaha. From what I know, top 10% is a must, but if that is the situation at your school, then you definitely have a shot. I got into UChicago this year, so if you have any questions, let me know!</p>
<p>@noel597 Yeah! I guess it’s because my school is like a mini UChicago in terms of academics (hence the little bit of grade deflation) so nobody wanted to go there for awhile. And thanks, I’ll definitely message you if I have any questions :)</p>
<p>bump</p>