<p>“Getting into any of these schools will be a challenge, so you may want to think soon about some less selective alternatives.” If you don’t require financial aid, getting into these schools should be as easy/easier for you compared to for citizens/permanent residents. If you do require financial aid, being an international student from China places you into the lottery pool with other applicants requiring financial aid from China, in which case, the strategy would be to apply to as many schools as you can and hope that you get into some before comparing them. So don’t ignore UChicago simply because they admit few from your country, it depends mostly on whether you need financial aid given that you are a qualified applicant.</p>