<p>So I got my Deferral today from UChicago. I'll admit that my essays, especially the "Why Chicago" one, was quite mundane and generic. The other supplemental essay, I thought was decent, but I guess it also could have been applied to many other applicants. </p>
<p>I had planned on applying to Princeton, Columbia, Stanford and Penn. Should I just give up on these based on this result? Though Chicago wasn't even in my top 4 colleges, this completely killed my motivations. Thanks in advance for your input.</p>
<p>No. Figure out what could be made stronger in your application and improve it. Colleges look for different kinds of applicants, Chicago is known for placing great emphasis on essays. If your Chicago essays were only decent, generic, and mundane as you describe that might have been it. You were only deferred, not rejected, so they can still accept you.</p>
<p>You’ve worked for four years of high school and it all culminates in college admissions. Do you want your work to go to waste by not applying to dream schools? You really only get one chance (applying as a transfer applicant/nontrad/whatever won’t be the same).</p>
<p>Thank you both so much (: !!
@ shravas, I just remembered how my friend got rejected/deferred from Chicago Grad and accepted into Harvard Law. I won’t go that far, but now I feel a new surge of hope.
Thanks again!!</p>