Chances of Getting into UChicago?

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Chicago ✅
1

I’ve never done one of these, so let me know if I need to include more info. I’m not a legacy, and I was not recruited for sports.

GPA-
UW: 3.98
W: 7.42 (8.20 after this semester is finished)
Rank: 1/530
***When I graduate high school, I will also be graduating from the local college with my AA degree. I feel this is very important to note.

Test Scores-
ACT: 34 (E:36, M:34, R:32, S:33)
AP: Human Geo (4), World History (4), Biology (4), US History (5), Calc AB (5), Physics 1 (3)
Also, I’ve taken 14 dual enrollment courses thus far. I am taking 3 more in the spring semester to complete my AA.

Senior Class Schedule-
AP: Calc BC, Physics C: Mechanics, Physics C: E&M, Psych
Dual Enrollment: Astronomy, Nutrition, Developmental Psych, Abnormal Psych, Computer Science, Capstone

Demographics-
State: FL
Race: White
Gender: Female
Religious affiliation: none

EC’s-
American Sign Language Club - 12th (founder, president)
National Honor Society - 11th-12th (special projects coordinator, founded our chapter’s tutoring program)
Math Honor Society - 10th-12th (secretary, pre-calc and calc competitor at regionals and states)
National Science Honor Society - 11th
Competitive Cheerleading - 7th-11th, 10hrs/wk 50wks/yr (co-captain 10th, 11th)
Tutoring - 9th-12th (paid and unpaid)
Local Hospital Volunteer - 10th-12th, 6hrs/wk 10wks/yr
Football Concession Stands - 9th-12th, 5hrs/wk 5wks/yr
Doggie Rescue Volunteer - 10th-12th, 3hrs/wk 4wks/yr
Meditation Club - 9th

Essays-
Common App: Trump protest in June, highlights importance of diversity and having my voice heard
Extended UChi: Find x… don’t want to post details
Why UChi: Big Problems program, University Community Service Center, House system
Optional Favorites: music I love, highlights my favorite song and why it’s important to me

2

Intended Majors/Program of Study-
Math, Global Studies, Pre-med

Recommendations-
Counselor: close relationship, sponsors the sign language club
Physics Teacher: 11th-12th, close relationship, my school dad, thinks I’m going to “change the world”
Calculus Teacher: 11th-12th, close relationship, thinks I’m one of his best calc students ever. I tried getting a perfect score on the AP Calc AB exam, and, when I didn’t do it, he said I would’ve with a better calc teacher. (It’s not true because he’s the absolute best, but I think that’s something he’d include in the letter.)

3

Great chances, I think you’ll get in. Know that UChi is very tough to get in anyway though, so apply to other good schools and don’t get your hopes up.

Chance me: http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1946391-emory-emory-oxford-wake-forest-davidson-nyu-holy-cross-gw.html#latest

4

Essay is the most important aspect. You may ask olireg02 about how to write a good essay. She got in through questbridge applications and her essay was chosen as sample essay immediately.

5

If you can improve your ACT scores you will have a better chance. 34 ACT is a boarder line score. Obviously, a Killer essay is very important too.

6

@artloversplus the mid 50% range is 32-35 so 34 is NOT borderline.

Advice about the killer essay spot on. There will be many with great stats who won’t get in due solely to the essay.

7

To a non-hooked applicant, a 34 is boarder line. I know, my D was at that level and she got in by got off wait list. The year was 2010 at that time UChicago was at 14% admit rate, now it is at 8%.

8

I was deferred :frowning:

9

Sorry to hear. Did you apply EA or ED?

10

I’m sorry you were deferred. UChicago though really would not be an optimal choice for you with so many DE credits. UChicago is extremely picky about what they accept for transfer credit and you would probably not get any credit for those classes. My son had 6 DE credits none of which resulted in any credit from UChicago.

11

wait… how was your GPA an 8.2…? No offense, but that seems impossible. Isn’t a 5.0 the cap, and that’s if you take all AP classes throughout your high school.

12

Admissions is very idiosyncratic. My niece was accepted ED and her “hook” appears to have been her international study and internships and the fact that she surmounted some significant obstacles. If you would believe many people posting her, she didn’t stand a chance as she has a 3.65 GPA (unweighted) and 1950 SAT composite. Yet she got in ED.

13

If you don’t see essays and recs, you can’t tell why someone gets in (or doesn’t). They’re a lot more variable/revealing than test scores and GPAs at this level.

14

There are a lot of factors from GPA, rank, course rigor, race, geography, hooks, poverty, wealth, standardized tests, EC’s, rec letters, essays, awards etc etc etc. You can do it all right and still miss it. Fortunately, there are lots of good colleges out there which aren’t lottery based.

15

Lottery-based is a misnomer. It’s not random selection. ITA that there are great schools where admission are much more predictable.

16

I use lottery based as if you are URM,athlete, legacy or from Alaska, from a small rural or poor urban school then you get way more entries than a middle class white suburban kid.

17

But they really are making deliberate choices among candidates – not just pulling tickets out of a jar. We’re not talking random selection, even from a weighted sample.

18

Anyone who thinks recommendations and essays don’t matter a ton should take a look at @exlibris97 's niece’s profile. 1240 SATs (1600-scale), 28 ACT composite (which is completely consistent with the SATs), low A- unweighted GPA, nonminority. But, apparently, a great story, that got told effectively by herself and her teachers.

I’m happy to see an admissions decision like that, and really interested to see it ED for a student who will likely qualify for substantial financial aid. A reminder that there are still people reading things in the admissions office, not simply plugging numbers into algorithms.

19

There are exceptions to the rule I am sure, @exlibris97 's niece’s must have a real story to tell and she must had a hook. For some middle income family, no hook, ordinary High School student will not be that lucky to get in without a higher than average stats and a “good” essay.

20

@hebegebe I did EA.
@bubblepop12444 my county calculates GPA’s in an odd way. You add .04 for each semester of an honors course and .08 for each semester of an AP/DE course to your unweighted GPA.