Chance me Uchicago ED1

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Chicago ✅
1

Here’s something about me.
SAT: 780(reading+writing)+800(math) essay: 7+7+8
SAT II: MATH II 800, PHYSICS 800, CHEM760
GPA: 4.04 UW, 4.71 WEIGHTED
RANK: No.2 among 110 students of our class
AP: BC calc (5), stats(5), physics c mechanics(5), bio(4), apush (5)(we have limited AP courses allowed to take each year)
Senior Course load: Latin 3H, Differential Equations(college course), English 4, AP CS, AP CHEM, elite singing, possibly jazz band
Major Awards: None.
Regular Awards:
Bausch and Lomb Award for best student in Science(taking AP physics and Biology).
best student in mathematics for the past 3 years consecutively(with awards)
2* AIME maker, scored 7 during Junior year

Subjective:
EC:
JHU Engineering Summer camp
President of
-Matrix Club(9)
-Chess Club(9,10)
-Rubik’s Cube Club(11), founder
-AMC club(10,11)
Theater tech, stage manager, conducted over 3 shows in 2 years, Elite singers, performed at churches in NYC, Varsity Cross Country, Track, Tennis,
Research:
worked on an machine learning lab with an MIT professor, paper will be published in MIT (the paper is about heavy-ion collisions and best algorithm to predict energy levels)
conducted a survey on eyesight and behaviors that worsened it. No papers produced.
Community Service:
Nothing big, but I did serve for out wood-chopping society for 2 years with over 200 hours of service
Essays(believe me, I think my essays are my second strength next to grades/standardized tests):
common app: 9.5-9.8/10: wrote about my experience on theater for the past 2 years. had 3 teachers reading it and they absolutely loved.
WhyChicago:8.5- 9/10 pretty brilliantly written in my opinion, but nothing exceptional
Chicago uncommon essay: 9.2/10 wrote the one about __has lives? talked about my experience conducting research on CS and physics at MIT. I think it’s quite innovative.
Recommendation:
counselor: 8/10, he has a general idea of me being really good at maths and physics, but nothing much beyond that
Teacher Rec 1: 8.7-9.2/10 Mathematics/physics teacher, knows my hard work through the years(including getting cut from JV tennis during 9th to making Varsity this year). I think he appreciates my maths skills.
Teacher Rec 2: 8.5/10 English teacher, I think he likes my style of writing. Nothing unusual.
Interview: haven’t done it.

apply for FA: N/A
intended major: Math/physics
state: international, but I go to boarding school in CT
School type: private boarding
Ethnicity: Asian
Gender: Male
Income: well above average, but not on top
Hooks: none

I feel like my grades and test scores with my essays are my strong suits because I expressed very well my interests in pure academics, especially physics and maths, along with my experience at MIT and JHU. Yet my lack of major awards(nationals and stuff) sometimes makes me worry about whether I can get into a place like Uchicago. So help me, please!

2

I do not do chance me because I don’t believe anyone on CC can realistically determine your chance. But I strongly recommend the following:

  1. Spend more effort at your essays. There are another two months before ED1 deadline. You have plenty of time to refine your essay so that it is exceptional but also tells the AO that you fit into the UChicago type.
  2. If you are going to schools like Hotchkiss or Choate, go talk to your college counselors. Those schools send a fair amount of their seniors to UChicago and their college counselors will have some insider tips for you.
3

OP, why are you applying to Chicago ED?

4

I feel like Uchicago is probably one of the top schools that I have a legit shot at since

  1. I am definitely going into something mathematics/physics related, uchicago offers the best at either one.
  2. I thought about Early Action princeton or REA/SCEA some other place but my lack of major prizes in mathematics/physics and my racial/nationality background(being an asian male from China) pull me back from doing such “impossible” things. ED places like Northwestern or JHU does also give me a shot, but neither one has strong math departments(not as uChicago) that I would like pursue through
5

OP - What about ED at Cornell or Columbia (each of which has a respectable Math and Physics program)? Why UChicago specifically?

6

I thought about those 2 as well. However, I like the more “academically-concentrated” feel of UChicago than SEAS, which was more business and medically oriented. On the other hand, Cornell’s maths/ physics program doesn’t attract me as its engineering, yet it is much tougher to get into. Overall I basically found my involvement in theater/ singing with my maths/ physics involvement a better fit for UChicago’s rigorous academic environment than either Cornell or Columbia.

7

^ OK - got it. Thanks for providing the detail. Hard to chance anyone these days due to the acceptance rate being what it is, and paper odds for ED are probably not much better than the overall admit rate. However, if you can articulate what it is about UChicago that draws you to it - maybe turn that 8.5/10 essay into a 9.5/10 or 10/10 - you will distinguish yourself from other high-achieving ED applicants who are merely hoping to get into a top school that offers more favorable odds. The ED round is the perfect opportunity to demonstrate to the adcom that you understand what a UChicago education actually means.

8

Thanks. I was thinking about refining my essays. I will try to do that.

9

Have you visited UChicago? If not, you should - especially if applying ED. Make sure your essays aren’t just a rehash of all of your activities which will be listed elsewhere on the CommonApp. Agree to keep working on the essays. Sometimes it’s a good idea to set them aside for a week or two and then take a fresh look at them. See if you can find someone who doesn’t know you well to read them and give feedback. Imagine what an AO would say after reading your essays: OKCrockets is a kid that fill in the blank In other words, what’s the takeaway from the essays? Good luck. Keep us posted.

10

As others mention, you have a very strong profile. Being top 2 at a boarding school, along with top test scores make you an attractive candidate. Showing the adcom your personal side with creative essays will really make the difference here.

Are you planning on submitting an optional 2 min video?

11

@sgopal2
No, not really. I haven’t decided yet

12

Definitely submit the video. It will help show the personal side of your story. It will make a much greater impact than you think. Look on Youtube for examples.

13

Have your teachers written their LOR’s yet? I’m curious how you rate them. My advice on the LOR is that it should highlight the following equation “You” + “UChicago” = “World a better place.” I don’t think you want ones that say “OKCrockets” is a “hard working maths wizz.” I also don’t think you want them to say “OKCrockets” is “one of the best students I’ve ever taught.” The best LOR says something like “I know how UChicago values students who crave learning a subject and here are some examples how I watched “OKCrockets” do that.” Now, you can’t write the LOR for the teacher nor can you review it afterwards. But you can plant that idea in their mind. When my son applied he wrote a thank you note to his LOR writers. First thanking them for taking the extra time to write these and second to tell them that UChicago values the “Life of Mind” and that it would be really helpful if “you could include some examples of me doing that.”

Most of your competition are exceptional students. You need to show how you are an exceptional UChicago Student. You only get one ED1 chance, so you can really make sure your application goes all-out tailor made for UChicago.

I also agree you should do the optional video. It might not hurt you if you don’t, but it will help you if you do and it gives you one more venue to show the AO that you are a UChicago student.

14

Literally a copy of me?
Also thought of Princeton
Also applying to Uchicago EDI
Also for maths
Also international
Dunno man, chances are slim
Good luck to both of us

15

@Pylyrka Man, that is thr same for me too. What about your stats? I feel like mine are a bit weaker than others’

16

http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/university-chicago/2157879-chance-me-uchicago.html
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