Chances EA (international)

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Chicago ✅
1

<p>I already posted in the main Chances forum, but I thought maybe I could get a little more specific advice here. I'm an international student planning to apply EA to U. Chicago. What would my chances be? </p>

<p>GPA: Not used, I'm an A-Levels student. In my IGCSE I got 5 A* and 2 A, and the AS Level scores I've received are also straight A's (4 subjects taken so far, A* aren't available at AS Level, only after completion of A2 which I will be giving this November). </p>

<p>SAT: 2260 (790 math, 730 reading, 740 writing - 11/12 essay)
SAT II's : Math Level II - 800, Taking Physics this October (haven't done physics since the 10th grade but I'm pretty strong in it, should get 720+)</p>

<p>TOEFL : 119/120</p>

<p>Rank : Overall first in my class every year in high school. About 100-110 total class size. </p>

<p>Courseload: Pretty hard, A levels requirement is 3 subjects, I have taken 5 (Math, Acc, Business, Economics, English)</p>

<p>Extracurriculars:
-Model United Nations: Huge personal interest for me ever since I discovered it in my Sophomore year. Have participated in school MUN's and been invited to be a part of organizing and admin teams as well (e.g. Crisis Committee). Also took part in the Harvard Model United Nations (India).
-Learned music for many many years, however I only do it because I love it and hence my personal interest, and so have no awards, etc. I could mention.
-Spelling Bee : Won at district, state, and national level. Made it to the International level but unfortunately could not attend due to date conflicts with my IGCSE board examinations.
Student Govt. : Student-Elected Head boy, twice. Stood every year I could (9th and 11th, Elected Head Boy both times. We are not allowed to stand in the 10th and 12th grade since our tenures would effectively be cut short by our board examinations)
-Active part of the Economics Club, lots of leadership roles in all its activities.
-Volunteer work. Many hours, 3 years of high school, teaching local deprived students at Municipal Schools. </p>

<p>Essays: I really love U. Chicago's essay topics. I've started and I think (hope) they're turning out to be pretty solid. I consider myself a pretty good writer and my writing generally tends to have a bit of humor mixed in with otherwise somewhat conversational seriousness. </p>

<p>Recs: From my A Levels English teacher who is also the A Levels co-ordinator and who I am close with. Also from my Economics Teacher (has taught me on & off since the 8th grade, knows me very well). Should be very good. </p>

<p>Summer/Work Experience:
-Worked for 2 years part time during school, and much more actively during the breaks assisting in marketing and product development for a local business. (Business was into food and beverages). Really good experience.
-Something I really focus on : Started a Business Venture with a friend in my Junior year. Small investments, but the business has been moderately successful (related to the share market, by moderately successful I mean we have consistently beat the Market Index, but again very small investments). While we may not be turning in thousands of dollars a year, I focus on this in my essays/apps because it has been a huge learning experience for me and really developed my love and passion for business and economics, and how to take risks (esp. when it's your own money).</p>

<p>Other :
- I was double promoted a year in middle school, after my teachers had a discussion with my parents that they felt I was too smart for my grade. I will hence be 17 when I start attending Uni. Fall next year. </p>

<p>Country : India
Gender : Male
Financial-Aid? Yes.
Income Bracket : Quite Low.
Intended Major : Economics</p>

<p>Any feedback would be really appreciated!</p>

2

<p>I think you would be an outstanding candidate. No specifics, I just got the feeling from the way you presented yourself and your accomplishments that you are an excellent candidate for UChicago. There’s a sense of genuineness in the way you presented your (excellent) accomplishments. I also get a sense of originality and no false modesty. Build off of what you presented above and I think you will submit an excellent application. My son starts at UChicago in a little over two weeks, and I would hope he would get to meet you when you start in 2014. Best of luck to you.</p>

3

<p>Thanks a lot for the kind words! Most people I know keep pushing me to go to one of the ivies, and while I will apply to them, I really want to apply to U Chicago EA as not only dos it have an exceptionally reputed Economics problem, but it also just seems like a nice fun university atmosphere to live for 4 years in.</p>

4

<p>Chicago is not need-blind for internationals, and I have never (as an upcoming 4th year here) met any international who was on financial aid.
Not that your accomplishments aren’t great, but the very fact that you are an international seeking financial aid puts you in an extremely competitive pool.</p>

5

<p>Meeting Aid is not the same thing as being need blind. What HonorsCentaur meant is that, because UChicago is NOT need blind and therefore knows whether the student will need aid or not, it is much more difficult for an international student who needs aid to get in as the school knows it will have to foot much of the bill. </p>

<p>Here’s from their site:
“In our admissions process, we must be “need-sensitive” for international candidates. This means that when reviewing international applications, UChicago takes into account whether or not an applicant has requested financial assistance.”
<a href=“https://collegeadmissions.uchicago.edu/costs/international.shtml[/url]”>https://collegeadmissions.uchicago.edu/costs/international.shtml&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

6

<p>uscamstudent: Yes, I understand. Aid is available to the international student, if admitted. It becomes harder to be admitted if you need aid, of course. </p>

<p>Here are the 6 colleges and universities in the U.S. which are fully need blind for international students:</p>

<p>Amherst College, Dartmouth College, Harvard University,MIT, Princeton University, and Yale University.</p>

<p>I still hope Vlad applies.</p>

7

<p>Thanks a lot guys. Yes of course, I am fully aware that U Chicago is not need blind, and that applying for financial aid will reduce my chances. Hence this chance thread, really. U Chicago is one of my absolute top choices, and I was hoping some of you could tell me just how much of a shot I really have keeping in mind that I am applying for financial aid (since my financial situation is something I can’t really change).</p>

8

<p>I’m an incoming international student who was admitted with a large aid grant. Just to say that it can and does happen. The guy who did my interview graduated in 2012 and he was an international student on aid.</p>

9

<p>peter1412</p>

<p>My knowledge is that for international student it is very hard to get FA, you maybe an exception or there might be a few more exceptions. But in general, it is next to impossible for Internationals to get FA. There might be a handful of you who receives FA, so don’t make it sounds like a wide spread benefit to all international students.</p>

10

<p>Thanks peter1412, that’s really motivating for me, knowing I could have a chance, and keep my hopes up for my dream school. I gotta ask though, what were you stats, EC’s? And how much better would you say they were than mine?
I just wanna get an idea of just how competitive this pool for intl. fin. aid applicants gets, and whether I’m aiming too high? (U Chicago is my definite top choice at this point)</p>

11

<p>I’m an international student and I know more than a few of my peers who received significant amounts of aid. It’s not nearly as rare as some of the posters above are making it sound</p>

12

<p>Thanks a lot Laches that’s pretty good to hear. So would you say I’m somewhere in the ballpark of the kind of intl. applicants who get in on aid?</p>

13

<p>You definitely sound like a great applicant to me! Admissions to schools at this level are are crapshot though, so you never really know. I do think you’re very strong academically and have great extracurriculars, def in the ballpark of the people I know.</p>