Do I have a chance at UChicago or Northwestern?

Applying to College
1

<p>Hi! I'm going to be a senior and have recently started my college search. I was just wondering if I had a chance of getting into Northwestern or University of Chicago. If not, it would be great if someone could steer me in the right direction of a school with a good premed program that I have a good chance at. I've been looking at the University of Kansas City Missouri because they have a 6 year BS/MD program like Northwestern. </p>

<p>I would prefer to go somewhere up North with colder weather because down in Kansas it has been scorching hot every day!</p>

<p>I'm an Asian American Male
State - Kansas
IB Diploma Candidate
GPA: 3.7ish (4.0 scale)
-4.0 freshmen year
-2 Bs per semester Sophomore year =(
-1 C in IB SL Calc and 1 B in Theory of Knowledge first semester of Junior Year but then I improved to only 1 B in Calc second semester.</p>

<p>Freshmen Schedule - PIB Spanish 2, PIB World History, Debate/Forensics 1, PIB Algebra 2, Orchestra, PIB Biology, PIB English 1.</p>

<p>Sophomore Schedule - PIB Spanish 3, PIB AP US History, IB Pre Calculus, Orchestra, PIB Chemistry, PIB English 2, Computer Programming.
+0 hour Debate/Forensics 2</p>

<p>Junior Schedule - IB Spanish 4 SL, IB Chemistry SL, IB Biology SL, IB English 3, Orchestra, Theory of Knowledge, IB SL AP Calculus.
+0 hour Debate/Forensics 3</p>

<p>Senior Schedule - IB Spanish 5 HL, AP Statistics, Orchestra, IB Chemistry HL, IB Biology HL, IB Psychology SL, IB World Lit HL
+0 hour Debate/Forensics 4</p>

<p>SAT - 1930 =(. I took it beginning of Junior year.
ACT - 30. Middle of Junior year.
I'm retaking the ACT. I am also taking two SAT subject tests (Thinkin' math and a science). I don't know if I would be able to take the SAT again this year.</p>

<p>AP Scores - 3 in AP US History (augh history). 5 in AP Calculus
IB Scores - 6 in SL Spanish. 6 in SL Calculus
Predicted IB scores - 5 in HL Chem, 6 in HL English, 7 in HL Bio, 6 in SL Psych</p>

<p>Accomplishments
- KSHAA State Qualifier in Prose Interp (Forensics) freshmen year
- KSHAA State Qualifier in Humorous Interp (Forensics) sophomore year
- KSHAA State Qualifier in Humorous Interp (Forensics) junior year
- NFL National Qualifier in Humorous Interp (Forensics) junior year.
- Orchestra performed at 2010 Midwest Clinic
- Member of 6-8 clubs each year including National Honor Society. President of 2 clubs (global awareness and recycling club) and Secretary of the National Forensics League.</p>

<p>I will also have accumulated over 200 hours of community service including the Red Cross and Bi-Weekly recycling.</p>

<p>Thank you so much for reading! I hope someone can relate and help me in my search because I feel that I have definitely started late.</p>

2

<p>My guess would be that the standardized test scores (one or the other) need to go up for you to be competitive at either school. I know a girl with a 32 ACT who was waitlisted at Northwestern with more EC’s. UChicago is even more rigorous.</p>

<p>Also, the summer weather in Chicago isn’t exactly cold. I live just North of there and it’s 87 degrees right now.</p>

3

<p>Yeah, Chicago can get pretty hot. In my opinion, the winter’s aren’t even that bad, it’s the snow that really gets to you…but then again, I’m clearly biased.</p>

<p>I agree with Wiscongene about the standardized tests; definitely get them up for Northwestern, as they place more weight on this than Chicago. Once that’s taken care of, I guess you have a so-so shot at Northwestern, but I’m not really seeing Chicago. However, if you’re really set on U of C, then show it by visiting, interviewing, and pouring your heart out into their essays. Chicago is looking for quirky, bright kids who ALSO share a passion for learning. Again, it will really come down to your essays, since your ECs aren’t outstanding.</p>

<p>It does look like you’ve taken a pretty rigorous courseload right from the get-go, so that should work in your favor. Your GPA is decent; it’s within the lower range for both schools, but it’s definitely there…the only concerning thing is the fact that you have a downward trend you’re working against. In other words, your grades have gotten worse as your high school career has progressed, rather than improved.</p>

<p>I don’t know. I’d say apply, but don’t get your hopes up. I can, however, suggest some other great pre-med schools. Michigan - Ann Arbor, Wisconsin - Madison, and Illinois - Urbana-Champaign are all TERRIFIC public schools in this area. I even think that Wisconsin reserves a decent number of spots at its med school for its undergrads (don’t quote me on that, though). I’m sure you’d get in to U of I and Wisconsin, and you’d probably be fine at Michigan, too. Do some research, and see if any of them would appeal to you.</p>

<p>Good luck on the college application process!</p>

4

<p>Thanks so much both of you!
I was hoping it would be cold year long because when I visited for the Midwest Clinic it was winter and freeeezing all week but I guess I’m okay with 80s weather. It has been consistently 100 here so I’m okay with that change.</p>

<p>I have a few more questions.
Some representatives from the University of Chicago visited my local library so I went there and they gave me a LOT of information.</p>

<p>The really interesting thing is she said something where I interpreted as this:

  • UChicago takes ACT or SAT scores. They don’t require either and don’t require SAT subject tests at all and don’t even require optional writing segments from either test.</p>

<p>I know my SAT score was pretty mediocre so if I study hard and get 33-34 on my ACT would that help?</p>

<p>Also, do you guys think Northwestern places more weight on the SAT or ACT? </p>

<p>ALSO, do I have the option of sending them JUST my ACT scores?</p>

<p>I’m kind of disappointed in myself for letting my grades drop but the classes have been pretty stressful and challenging so I was hoping the level of the classes would overshadow the dropping of my grades.</p>

5

<p>Will:</p>

<p>(1) As far as Harvard is concerned, the saying pretty much goes that “the hardest part about Harvard is getting in.” This, of course, is a blow to their infamous grade inflation practices. Conversely, it is said that “the easiest part about the University of Chicago is getting in.” Ironically, admissions officers at the university where “fun goes to die” and “the only thing that goes down on you is your GPA” place an ENORMOUS amount of weight on the applicant’s personality, talents, and essays. If you haven’t taken a look at U of C’s essay prompts for this year, go ahead; you might laugh, you might cry, and you might even decide not to apply! Of course, getting your test scores up will help your chances of admission at any top college, but Chicago is more concerned with picking up quirky students who have a passion for learning. You can somewhat infer this from their standardized test policies. Ultimately, the key to admission at U of C is the supplemental essays with which you provide for them. Test scores and GPA will only take you so far in their application process.</p>

<p>(2) It honestly doesn’t matter. I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that NU gets more applicants from the Midwest; that being said, most of those applicants have taken the ACT, and thus if you submit the ACT, it might be easier–albeit probably not even to a significant degree–for the admissions officers to compare you to your peers. Of course, at such an elite school as Northwestern, sending an SAT in instead would NOT degrade your application at all. However, it sounds like you’re leaning toward the ACT, which is great. I say go for it. Again, in the end, the important thing is getting a solid score, not the test on which the solid score was achieved.</p>

<p>(3) Of course you can send only your ACT scores if you choose! That’s the luxury of being a student applying to colleges; we have the opportunity to present ourselves in the best possible light, and if that means excluding some nasty test scores, then so be it.</p>

<p>Hey, don’t worry about the grades. Again, while both universities will look at your transcript, the important thing is highlighting your strengths and passions, which probably lie outside the academic arena. Just try and paint an honest, intriguing, and unique picture of yourself through your application.</p>

<p>If you have any more questions, just ask!</p>

6

<p>I agree w/ everyone else. Try to get your SAT score up atleast 200 points or raise your ACT to atleast a 32. if you do this and have really good essays/recs, you would have a decent if not fairly good shot. but please, your class rank is important when determining your chances? do you have an idea as to where you rank? that would help us!</p>

7

<p>Wow thanks SO MUCH. This community is so great!</p>

<p>I’ve started studying now and I’m reaching for a 33 on the ACT.</p>

<p>I’m not entirely sure about my class rank but I’m in the top 30 out of about 250-300 students in my class or something. After my first semester of sophomore year (where I got 2 Bs) I was rank 9 which really surprised me but I guess that shows some of the classes are really challenging to get As in.</p>

<p>University of Chicago sounds like an even more great place now. From what little I’ve seen the campus looks beautiful. Now it also seems like the community they create at the university is colorful and beautiful as well. Even though it’s definitely a reach for me I’m gonna try hard to make myself appear worthy of attending!</p>

<p>I’m going to try to visit during the fall and get an interview there as well as Northwestern.</p>