Chances at Chicago and others

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Hello. I am very interested in the University of Chicago, although I would need to receive substantial financial aid/scholarships, especially because my mom is a Catholic grammar school teacher and makes nothing. Here are my stats:</p>

<p>Junior
School: small, Catholic, all girl's
GPA: 4.72 weighted (5.0 scale), 4.0 unweighted (4.0 scale)
ACT: 34 (35 English, 35 reading, 35 science, 29 math - essay=10)
Class rank: most likely 1 of 91 (school does not rank us until winter of senior year)
SAT (not as good): 2170 (760 English, 720 critical reading, 690 math, 10 essay)
Classes:</p>

<p>IB Diploma candidate, therefore:
HL English (A)
HL History of the Americas (A+)
HL Biology (A-)
SL Information Technology in a Global Society (A)
SL Math (A)
SL Spanish (A)
TOK
CAS (420+ hours)
Extended Essay (not a class but required component anyway)</p>

<p>ECs:
National Honor Society
Spanish Honor Society
International Thespian Society (treasurer)
Quill and Scroll
Newspaper (either Editor-in-Chief or assistant editor next year)
Yearbook (assistant editor)
Scholastic Bowl (captain)
Math mentors--math tutoring club (executive board member)
Science mentors
Tutoring (every morning)
Chamber choir
Liturgical choir
Musical/play (two per year)
Church choir
Church handbell choir
Church cantor (I also train in new cantors)
Volunteer at animal shelter (every other weekend, go for about the entire day on Saturdays during the summer)</p>

<p>Significant awards:
Archdiocese of Chicago youth leadership award
Premier Dominican award (school scholarship, but given to highest scorer on entrance exam)
Sr. Joel Award (also school-wide, but given to student for writing history essay--mine was on WWII and Vietnam)
English departmental awards
President's Award for academic excellence
IHSA award for academics (for being on scholastic bowl)
Lettered (for scholastic bowl)--this is my personal favorite
Bausch and Lomb honorary science award (I'm not sure if this is only for Rochester, but I think they're the ones that recognize it)
Also, I'm not sure what this qualifies as, but I got the thing for sending your name to two schools after the PSAT--I'm not sure if that makes me a National Merit Scholarship Commended Student or Finalist or what</p>

<p>So, based on these statistics, can somebody give me the chances for the following: University of Chicago, Loyola University (Chicago), Lawrence University, and Knox College? Also, can anyone recommend any other schools that I might be interested in looking at? I want to apply to about eight schools. My parents really want me to stay local (Chicago-area), but the schools they want me to look at I'm not really interested in. Can anybody suggest anyplace else? What schools would be most likely to give me both good financial and/or merit aid?</p>

<p>Another question: how good are my ECs? I know they're not the best, but I'm not sure what else to do. Can anybody think of any other type of ECs I can take up without loading myself down with way too much?</p>

<p>One final question (sorry this is so long, but I have so much I want to know): what would be the best for me, because my parents do not want to spend tons of money for me to take tests, they'd rather put that money into college applications--should I retake the ACT, retake the SAT, or take AP tests? What would both look the best for me and help me most in the application process? </p>

<p>Thanks so much anyone who takes the time to read this!</p>

2

<p>You have a very good chance at the schools you've listed (although the only one I know much about is UChicago). I'd send the ACT score, though, if I were you. Your awards... all right, but for the most part, schoolwide. The President's Award (I'm assuming this isn't the one for the SATs) isn't a big one if it's what I think it is -- is it the white certificate with a gold seal sort of thing on it? </p>

<p>If you're a NMS commended student, you will get a letter saying exactly that. Same with the semi-finalist stage. You won't get a letter until next school year about being a finalist, and you won't find out about if you're a scholar until March. I don't really remember... the whole scholarship thing was so stretched out.</p>

<p>Your ECs are good, I think. Some leadership, variation... yeah.</p>

<p>Your ACT score is fine. Unless if you want to try for a 36 (kind of pointless, since a 34 is good enough), keep it. AP tests will only get you credit later on. I'd take them, since there is a space for them on applications, but...</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>