<p>"As competitive as things are nowadays, some working families have to go with the best offer."</p>
<p>Not just working families. Some well to do parents will look at the price sticker and that's the end of the story. Off goes the kid to Full Ride U in the back of the parent's (new) Lexus. It is VERY important to determine, at an early stage of the game, some idea of how much your family is ABLE to spend, as well as how much they are WILLING to spend. It is fine to apply to some reach schools with big endowments (but single-digit acceptance rates), but you do need less competitve, <em>financial</em> safeties in the mix.</p>
<p>ohio_mom: yes i am a citizen and i will be applying for tons of financial aid. my family and i definetely qualify for many of the aid.</p>
<p>MBP: thanks! i'm sure that you have a very good chance of getting in also. and like many have said here before, this school focuses more on the person and if you show them how passionate you are about UofC im sure you can do it! :)</p>
<p>I will be applying a few Ivies and not so much for the name, but because I really am interested in attending. I love Yale! :) probably my top pick. I also like UPenn for business and Columbia because it's in NYC. As far as U of C goes, until I started getting their info in the mail, i didnt know much about it but now i fell like it is a place where i could definetely see myself studying at because it's a strong school academically, theyre very creative in their advertisement (which i think says a lot because if you want students to apply, then you have to put an effort in selling your school and i think they really do that) and also bacause of the types of kids that they admit. yes they consider numbers but they also go beyond that and look at the applicant as an individual and at what he/she can offer, not only academically, but socially and personally.</p>
<p>maria,
you seem to be on the right track - just make sure you consider schools with a range of competitiveness. You might want to look at Barnard - you would be taking classes with Columbia students, and admissions are not nearly as problematic.</p>
<p>Barnard is the women's college associated with Columbia University. Its admissions rate is two or three times that of Columbia (college). PLEASE look into it before you tell me you don't want an all-girls school!</p>
<p>hahaha ok I will look into it :) I went to an all-girls school when I was in guatemala and it's not that bad, but after so many years of coed I dont know if I could handle is lol</p>
<p>yes, you'll most likely get in. but be careful. i just got accepted this year, and after reading the data concerning the average sat score from two or three years ago, i felt i had a really good chance.<br>
early action rolled around and i was deferred, luckily i got in regular. the selectivity has spiked dramatically in the last couple of years. nothing is for certain. and my one recommendation to anyone applying to college is to apply to a lot of places. a couple of my friends applied to just the ivy league (or nearly as competitive) and just one safety (u. tennessee). all are now going to ut. they didn't utilize a second tier.<br>
being hispanic will also help. and you're ec's seem pretty good to me. just emphasize that you are really active, instead of just a "lister." and your sat scores will really matter. people say chicago's all cool about not being a stats school, but i think that's changing. you can't have mediocre grades, decent scores, and a kickass essay and get in.<br>
and i took six ap's this year, and i've been fine. i still have plenty of time for a social life. i wouldn't worry about overloading. it never bothered me, although others would beg to differ.</p>
<p>this goes for other colleges more than it does chicago.
most schools have you write an essay about what you enjoy outside of classes (EC's). Instead of taking it as an opportunity to restate everything that you do, take one of them that you're really dedicated to and talk about how it's changed you. there a really good thread about it somewhere on CC. I'll look it up and post a link here.</p>
<p>UCLA, okay, so I agree that you should apply to many different schools. However, with as many different colleges and universities as are out there, you shouldn't think that you have to apply to certain ones because you want to see what kind of money they offer. I don't care how much a school offers, if you don't like the fact that a school has a strong core, or you think the campus is butt ugly (or whatever reason you don't like it), then they could pay you to come and you still wouldn't get the most out of your college experience.
I'm currently at a university that I'm finishing my junior and senior years of high school at, and i'm on a full ride right now. however, that doesn't change the fact that I'm borderline miserable here (the only thing that makes it worth it is that my old high school was so crappy, and the education i'm getting here is so much better, but that's not the point).
my point is, apply to many different schools. however, apply to schools that you could see yourself being happy at, not schools that will give you a free education.</p>
<p>when I talk about my ec's and my interests, does it have to be about just high school activities or can it be things that I have been involved in since I was little and are recurring interests throughout my life?</p>
<p>I wouldn't include pre-HS accomplishments on your list of stuff / resume ... but you can certainly incorporate them into your essays, additional information, and so on.</p>
<p>ok because when I was in middle school, thats when I really discovered that I loved being part of the school and helping in the community. I was 1 of the 4 members that created the student council in my middle school, and since we only have one m.s. it was the first of its kind outside of the high school so I didnt know if listing this would show how passionate and serious I am about student council and other similar organizations.</p>
<p>or what I mean is not necessarily list them in your ec's but if I talk about it in my essays can I talk about those things in which I have been interested in since I was little? so not so much list them but use them to showcase my passions</p>
<p>"can I talk about those things in which I have been interested in since I was little?"</p>
<p>Absolutely. I wouldn't dwell on it, but you could use your early interests to set the stage for who you are now, and perhaps who you hope to become.</p>
<p>Whatever works its way into those essays is good, you'll see when you respond to the topics. I understand your dilemma, one of my guys caused a real shift in middle school policy and he had to lead the fight. The parts of him that made that happen came through in his essays although the episode was long left behind. Your passions and ways of thinking can be clear whether you reach into your younger self or not as you write.</p>
<p>so regarding my sat's again, what score would make me very competible for the school? and also what are my chances if nobody else applies to U. of C. or has attended this school? do they look at that sort of thing, or just at each individual?</p>
<p>"what are my chances if nobody else applies to U. of C. or has attended this school? do they look at that sort of thing, or just at each individual?"</p>
<p>I don't believe that it will hurt you - no one from my son's hs had ever applied to UChicago - or had done so in recent memory. </p>
<p>As far as your SAT's go - take a look at class statistics on the Chicago website and look for yourself. I really hesitate to give a number as it is only one component of your application.</p>