<p>Hi.
So I go to a really good private school in nyc which is recognized as being like extremely hard and such. Like this year, out of a class of 102, we sent like 21 kids to HYPS. People in the middle(B - B+) of that class got sent to like Duke(rarely), Hopkins, Emory etc. And everybody got into college.
And I just got back my jr year grades, and my gpa(we dont actually have GPAs but i calculated it) was a 3.57. It had been a little bit lower freshman and sophomore years(like a B/B+).</p>
<p>My sats were 2210 - 750 CR, 720 W, 740 M.
Sat IIs - 710Math I, 750 US history.</p>
<p>The highlights of my extras are
1.) 3 sport varsity athlete
Baseball, varsity since freshman year.
Cross Country - 1 year varsity.
Indoor track - 2 years varsity.
2.) Newspaper sectional editor.
3.) Paid internship with a neurologist.
4.) Alumni Affiars club co-president (legit club that makes money for the school)
and a good amount of community service and such.</p>
<p>Also, I will have good recs.</p>
<p>So with all this, do I have a shot at uchicago?</p>
<p>There is one important aspect of your application that you haven’t mentioned: your essays. In my experience with Chicago (admitted, 2013), this aspect of the Uncommon Application has a heavy-handed position. Double the determination of your draft process and pump out a pristine essay worthy of your other qualifications (which are, in many respects, better than mine were).</p>
<p>Coming from a wonderful high school without much prestige or academic reputation, I would say that, based on my college app experience, the type of school you attend doesn’t matter as much as you might think. Your SATs and ECs are all set, but how does your GPA rank you in the context of your school? It all depends on how much you have achieved COMPARED to other students attending the same school. </p>
<p>And, like what others have said, essays count for perhaps half of your whole app at uchicago. So make sure to let your originality shine through your words, and avoid pretentiousness. For example, I wouldn’t say vocab is my strongest point, but I made sure to spend a lot of thought and energy on the essays. Good luck!</p>
<p>If there is one thing that can’t be said enough from everyone about U of C is that U of C’s essays are pretty much the key to your acceptance. The essay is really what makes or breaks your application. They like to see creativity, intelligence and abstractness in your essay. They essays are extremely unique and that is for a reason. They want you to THINK like philosophically think (ok maybe not totally). But you have to put effort into them, don’t just say it doesn’t matter, it does. A lot. </p>