Hey guys. So this might get a little personal but this is anon so whatever. Here are my stats:
Gpa: 3.8 Weighted
SATs 2010
I will make this easy: if there’s something I don’t have to worry about when applying it is extra curriculars… I also do 2 varsity sports.
Getting to the personal part. I have a learning disability. It is a rare but mild form of autism that I’ve had since birth. My essay is about overcoming this and my speech impediment to become a public speaker. I don’t want special treatment, but do any of you think I have a shot at either of these schools…? Thanks guys.
Given that your GPA is weighted, SAT is low, and you have provided no info on a hook, I think U of Chicago is a non-starter. Brown is less predictable.
Yes, stats are quite low. You say you don’t have to worry about extracurriculars, but we don’t know what that means. If you’re a traditionally-published author, an ISEF grand prize winner, or something among those lines, then yes, your chances are still good despite your numbers. Anything short of that, it’s not likely for either of these schools.
Okay I’ll clarify…
Editor in chief newspaper
Sec-Gen and head delegate MUN (I’ve gone to a bunch of conferences and I have never not won an award)
President of investment club
Captain of mock trial
Captain tennis team
Varsity alpine skiing
I also am an official intern at the UN (I know someone who knows the Venezuelen Ambassador and they gave me the gig)
AP Classes:
AP Lang and Comp (4), AP Euro (4), APUSH (5), AP Chem (1)
I wouldn’t say that Brown and UChicago are out of the question for you. You have done quite a bit, and for someone with mild autism you seem to have excelled in things that require social interaction (MUN, mock trial, editor in chief of newspaper, etc.). You have the potential for a compelling personal-interest angle if you play it right. It would help to get your SAT up a bit, as you are currently at or below the 25th percentile for both of those schools. What is your unweighted GPA? It’s quite possible that the combination of your GPA and test scores will raise significant questions about your ability to handle the course load at the next level. You will need to overcome that impression.
Thanks for the advice! I do not have knowledge of unweighted gpa… I’d have to guess 3.3-3.4 (around a B+)
That would be quite low. Your ECs and your personal interest angle are your strong points, so I would focus on showing a positive grade trend this semester and getting your test scores up. Those may preclude applying early.
I’m thinking ED brown and EA UChicago
I don’t think you are a strong enough applicant to get into either one early. Your grades and test scores will most likely result in deferral or worse. ED/EA is great for strong applicants. Schools load up on them and fill their class. But they have little incentive to give away precious admission slots to applicants with significant question marks, such as yours. In most cases they will defer those applicants for consideration in the RD round, or reject them outright.
It’s possible that your story and ECs could be compelling enough to get you in, but I doubt it. On the other hand, if you get strong grades this semester and raise your test score to around the 50% mark (around 2150+ for Brown and 2200+ for UChicago) then I think you would have a much better chance.
How bout schools like bc or wake forest…
I would think you would be matches at those schools. You should have some safeties as well.
Obvi i have a bunch of safeties (thankfully I like them too). By the way I would like to ask a follow up question about one of your replies: UChicago rarely ever denies EA applicants, so why shouldn’t I take the chance? Id be expecting a deferral and my app gets reviewed again.
If that’s the case, then by all means go ahead and give it a shot. I don’t know enough about Chicago’s admissions process to say whether there would be any downside in this situation. But be realistic.