Good Chance In Getting In?

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Chicago ✅
1

<p>Hello, I am almost sixteen and about to start my junior year of high school this August. I am interested in attending University of Chicago, but I do not know if I measure up to their standards? I am hoping that someone here can tell me if I have a good chance or not, and give me some advice.</p>

<p>I have currently a 3.5 GPA, it went down a bit in 10th grade. I had a 4.0 my freshman year, but if I get better grades I can bring it up to a 4.3. </p>

<p>I currently took one AP class, I took European History. I got a 4 on the AP test.</p>

<p>My extracurriculars are not that wonderful. I was an attendance helper and in French Club my freshman year, and in sophomore I was in French Club and Maine Historical Society. That is about it. I tried out for tennis freshman year, but did not make it and I presume I was a bit discouraged to join other sports, but perhaps I should consider more.</p>

<p>I think I would sort of fit in at this university. I am not looking for any type of "party-life" and I do not really think much of a social scene. I am interested mainly in the academics, and I want to go to a place where they are strong. From the information I derived, University of Chicago is one of these places, and I just really feel the need to go there. I heard that some people are quirky there, and I actually like those type of people. My friends, which are not many, are the type of friends who talk about philosophical ideas and we just enjoy talking about the unexplained and other such things. I think my family thinks I am bit odd, even my sister says so, but I just consider myself a person who likes thinking a lot about things to the extent that I get confused and I want to get more information. I like how classes can be small, and the whole atmosphere that is described.</p>

<p>I have not taken my ACT yet, but I have started studying for it this summer since I hope to do well.</p>

<p>Can anyone tell me if I have a good chance? Thank you if you do.</p>

2

<p>You will want to do your best on grades from here on in. Writing does not seem to come easily to you as yet - and you want it to by next year when you write your applications essays. May I suggest that you start keeping a journal? A certain amount of facility in writing comes from practice - and many of the world's best writers keep a journal. Putting your philosophy and ideas on paper (if virtual) will help you express and development them. </p>

<p>Other advice - don't fixate on one school. Chicago sounds like a good choice - but you don't have enough data for me to feel comfortable giving you a chances guestimate. There are many other excellent schools out there - try to visit various types in the coming year if you can.</p>

3

<p>what ohio_mom means to say is that there are indeed other excellent schools out there - just none as excellent as the University of Chicago!! heheh :-)</p>

<p>In all seriousness, her advice is extremely sound, and I have nothing to add but my own personal advertisement for my future alma mater!!!! man im so excited... O-week in exactly two months (- 1 day)!!!</p>

4

<p>Thank you for the replies. My writing perhaps isn't that great, but I do have a journal and I write some stories from time to time. I'm going to be taking AP English this junior year, and I think it emphasizes language and composition so I think it will help me improve. I will try extremely hard to improve my grades, and I have been thinking about other schools. Northwestern seems really nice, but I think it is really selective too. If all else fails perhaps I will go to UIC or some other place. I really hope I can get in to at least a semi-good school. </p>

<p>I talked to my dad about University of Chicago, and he said that Hyde Park which surrounds the school is a bit shabby. He said it was really nice in the past, but things changed. I don't think it is a big deal, especially if the school is wonderful, I just hope it isn't dangerous?</p>

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<p>apparently the neighborhood has actually gotten better over the last decade or so. Having said that, The University of Chicago has the second largest university police force in the country. </p>

<p>One thing you said caught my eye: "Northwestern seems really nice, but I think it is really selective too."</p>

<p>Northwestern, along with Chicago, is also one of the most selective schools in the country. Also, when it comes to selectivity, don't be fooled by Chicago's super-high admission rate. It does indeed accept almos half its applicants, yet, do understand that the entering class has an SAT average higher than half of the ivy league schools... thus the "self-selectivity" of the school. </p>

<p>Another point: Chicago and Northwestern are two of the best schools in the country, but they are vastly different. Northwester is very much of a pre-professional place, while Chicago is famous for graduating academics, bench scientists, and teachers/professors. The atmosphere at each of the schools also reflect that. I don't know if your college options are restrained to the Chicago area, but if they aren't, you should really look at all your schools very carefully. They may all be very good, but that doesn't mean that they aren't very different from each other.</p>

<p>--
Felipe</p>

6

<p>The reason I considered going to a Chicago school is because I live in a suburb by Chicago. </p>

<p>I want to become a teacher, because I suppose I'm not one of those people who want to become something big for success or money. I just want to learn and enjoy doing that and then teach it to other people. The reason I want to go to a university is just to learn, not because it is appropriate and not for reputation or money. </p>

<p>I guess I just want to be happy? Are there any other good universities in the Chicago area with a good atmosphere, and preferably smaller class sizes?</p>

7

<p>Wheaton - Conservative student body, intellectual
Loyola Chicago - Solid reputation in Chicago and upper midwest
Lake Forest - Small college in Chicago burbs</p>

<p>Close by Chicago (within a five hour drive)</p>

<p>Grinnell - Really small classes, intellectual, rather liberal
Beloit - in extreme southern Wiscousin
Kalamazoo - in Western Michigan</p>

<p>Edit: All of these with the exception of Loyola Chicago are colleges, not universities. But definitely do have small classes and good atmospheres.</p>

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<p>I was also wondering, where is it better to get an education from - a university or a college?</p>

9

<p>It really depends on what you want. I, for one, decided that I wanted to attend Chicago partially because of the graduate school presence; I think it "steps up" a school. Universities also offer more courses in not-so-common fields, such as one of my loves, ancient Greek. Since I already have taken two years of Greek through the U. of C., I decided that I wanted to attend a school that offered Greek courses beyond that.</p>

<p>Perhaps you should visit a few colleges and universities of interest to see what fits you the best. The decision depends on where you feel comfortable and what you are looking for.</p>

10

<p>Mikos,</p>

<p>I have to agree that it will definitely be to your advantage to visit both LACs and Universities to see what sort of feel you prefer as they are quite different. Interestingly enough, I know quite a bit about both as my younger brother goes to Grinnell College (about 4.5 hours away from Chicago), my younger sister goes to Univeristy of Chicago, and I go to MIT.</p>

<p>Judging by your descriptions of yourself and your personality, I actually think that Grinnell might be one of those colleges that you might want to look closely at. It is a very liberal place (I can attest to this as I've visited three times now) that seems to attract students who love to interact and learn for the love of learning and not because they are driven by external motives (i.e., parents and wealth). When I was there, I discussed Kant and biochemistry on two separate nights with the same group of people at a level that was worthy of a great discussion group here at MIT. I was quite impressed and caught off-guard, but I have begun to reason that Grinnellians (as they like to call themselves) are extremely versed because they just take whatever classes please them (though they must eventually focus on their major, their curriculum is quite flexible). I don't really know why, but I just have a strong feeling you'd fit in there. Well, that is, if you don't mind rural Iowa---it's actually quite pretty and very quaint. (But they do bring in many forms of entertainment with their $1.5 billion endownment, which is one of the highest in the nation/capita and the highest outright out of any of the other LACs in the nation, so it's quite nice there really.)</p>

<p>University of Chicago was quite a different experience when I visited. The students there were undoubtedly smart, too. They worked hard and had fun too. The difference that I perceived was more in the size of classes and the actual structure of the school in general. The classes, in general, were larger than the ones at Grinnell, and the students did not seem to have as much of a personal connection with most of their professors as at Grinnell. I felt much more emphasis and care given to the graduate students (who constitute a much larger population at UofC than the undergrads), though I admit that I only visited there twice, too. </p>

<p>Really, good LACs and good universities are extremely comparable in their training. Here at MIT, I have met grad students from both great LACs (like Grinnell, Carleton, Amherst, Swarthmore, Williams, Pomona, Reed, etc.) and great universities (UofC, Northwestern, WashU, Caltech, Harvard, JHU, Stanford, Yale, Princeton, Cornell, etc.). The level at which both groups of students are able to grasp and analyze knowledge is not so different. The LAC students are always just as proud of their institution as a good university student is, and rightfully so. </p>

<p>I suppose that, in retrospect, I would have chosen to go to a top-tier liberal arts college instead of a large university because of its more prominent name. Don't get me wrong, I love MIT, too! Anyway, I say this because I just think that I would have fit in better at a LAC, and these LAC students gain entrance to top graduate programs just as easily as university students. </p>

<p>Definitely look into both types of schooling, and don't just focus on University of Chicago. It's a great school, no doubt, but so are many others that are in/near/fairly close Chicago: Northwestern, Carleton, Grinnell, WashU.</p>

<p>I would argue that any one of these above schools is equal to or better than UIC or UIUC, which I believe you said you'd go to as a safety. </p>

<p>Best luck in your college searching endeavors!</p>

11

<p>I agree, it depends on what you want. If, as you say, you are academically oriented, the sources of future PhDs is one measure which may be of interest. For PhDs earned in 2003, here are the top-ten undergraduate institutions, by percentage (not by total number) in all fields:</p>

<p>CalTech
Reed
Swarthmore
MIT
Harvey Mudd
Williams
Pomona
Hendrix
Carleton
Harvard</p>

<p>Three universities, seven LACs, all excellent. Perhaps desired environment (large or small) would be the most obvious differentiator.</p>

12

<p>Mikos -
"I'm going to be taking AP English this junior year, and I think it emphasizes language and composition so I think it will help me improve."</p>

<p>Good - that will help you to be more sure of your construction and usage. Reading will help you become a better writer - as Terry Prachett says, once enough words go in, they start coming out. </p>

<p>I also like Grinnell as a suggestion. You might also look at Case, CMU College of A&S, College of Wooster, and Lawrence University.</p>