Help! U Chicago, WashU, Cornell

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Here it goes:</p>

<p>GPA: 3.9/4.0 uw
ACT: 31 (11 in writing)
Class Rank: 6/40 (ugh, should deff. go up by first quarter next year)
Curriculum: I'm from a very small school (under 150 total), but I've taken the hardest courses I can (my school offers no AP's, Honors, etc.)
Jr. Year
English III: A+
German II: B+
Alg III: A-
Botany: A+
Zoology: A
American Hist.: A
Band: A
Speech: A
World Hist.:A</p>

<p>Sr. Year
Psychology
Sociology
Trig/PreCalc
Band
Journalism
English IV
German III
Accounting II</p>

<p>I'll have had three years of lab science by the time I graduate.</p>

<p>EC's: Jazz Band (I play the soprano Sax), Drama Club Pres, Major role every year in spring musical, 4-H (club tres for 4 years and sec for 2, with MAJOR community service work (park rebuild, highway clean-up, food pantry)), Work at a local lib. mentoring 6th graders, Marching Band, NHS Pres., State Public Speaking Contest Superior Winner, Am. Legion Essay contest 3rd in state, numerous school awards.</p>

<p>I'm looking at:
UChicago
Washington in St. Louis(ED)
Vanderbilt
Butler
Cornell
Brown</p>

<p>Would applying Early Action to Chicago give me a better advantage than applying early desicion to WashU (becuase in all reality, I would be thrilled to go to either one of thsoe schools)?</p>

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<p>please....!</p>

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<p>Have you/are you going to take SATII's? I'm not sure if they're required for the schools you're looking at. You should check on that.</p>

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<p>Well I applied to two of the schools you mention (UChicago and WashU.) I applied EA to UChicago, was deferred, then waitlisted, then summer waitlisted (~50 student waitlist,) then ultimately released from the waiting list. I will be attending WashU next year. </p>

<p>If they are truly equal in your eyes (UChicago and WashU,) then definitely apply ED to WashU -- it will give you an immense advantage (at least I think so.) UChicago EA gives very little to no advantage over RD applicants. </p>

<p>Good Luck</p>

<p>The Individual</p>

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<p>I am also from a small school so I can kind of sympathize with you celt50. I have heard that Vanderbilt is really hard to get into, but I think if you can take advantage if your situation you might be able to get in. I don't really know about the others, but have you thought about any UC schools? Hope this helps!</p>

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<p>Thanks, guys!</p>

<p>llpitch: Cornell does require the SATII's, which I am dreading immensely. I'm planning on taking Biology E, Lit., and maybe US Hist in Oct. Initially, I'll probably only send those scores to Cornell, none of the others require them (and I hate expose a weak point). But, who knows maybe I'll get triple 800's! Ha!</p>

<p>Individual: Were your scores anywhere around mine? What did you think about WashU finaid? Was Chicago your top choice? That sounds extremely frustrating...</p>

<p>sts_9191: Ah! We must be the only two on CC who go to schools w/o three tracks, 25 AP classes, and a swimming pool. Seriously though, my school constantly touts: "The Small School Advantage". Pshaw ...ever since I've started college searching, the "advantage" seems to have lost all its luster. I was hoping Vandy would be one of the less difficult ones on my list...but apparently not. I went for a visit a few weeks ago, and they said their middle 50% for ACT was 31-34! It just seems unreal to me that 25% of their entering class scored 35's and 36's! And why Vanderbilt? They have lecture classes and TA's and all the things I'm trying to avoid by going to a school with a sticker price over 50k. To each their own, I suppose.</p>

<p>Anyone know anything about Brown? I know it'll be a reach, I just wondered how far of one...</p>

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<p>yeah, same with my school. I was also shocked to hear that Vandy is heard to get into. but we will see.</p>

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<p>bump bump bump</p>

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<p>U CHICAGO!!! Woot!</p>

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<p>Cornell CALS does not require subject tests, other schools do.</p>

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<p>U CHICAGO WOOT as in "yay, you're definitely in!"?</p>

<p>Unfortunatley I'd be applying in Arts and Sciences, so Cornell does require them for me (tear).</p>

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<p>Well, both Uchicago and WashU did not (and probably still do not) count writing scores (thank god for me!)</p>

<p>My scores were as follows:
SAT I
1470
Math: 730
Critical Reading: 740</p>

<p>SAT II
Math 2: 720 (I misgridded the last 5 questions, and was subsequently terrified to receive my scores)
Chem: 710</p>

<p>APs:
Chem: 5
US History: 4
Calc AB: 5
English Language: 4</p>

<p>GPA:
3.784 UW
4.430 W (Wherever possible I took honors/AP courses, which is why there is large disparity between weighted and unweighted)</p>

<p>That being said, I do believe it was my ECs that put me over the edge for the schools I was accepted to (Northwestern and WashU.) I actually received a likely letter to WashU about a week and a half before RD decisions came out. They offered an all-expenses-paid trip to WashU, which I thought was pretty nice. </p>

<p>What I truly regret about my UChicago application was my essay. I believe (maybe foolishly) that if I had put more effort into them, I would have ultimately been accepted (be it EA, RD, or from the waitlist.)</p>

<p>I did not apply for Financial Aid, and thus am no help to you there. </p>

<p>As for a first choice school, I guess I truly never had one. I would have been more than content to matriculate to any of the 5 schools I applied to (WashU, UChicago, Northwestern, Johns Hopkins, and Rutgers Honors.)</p>

<p>If you have any other questions, feel free to PM me. </p>

<p>Good Luck!</p>

<p>The Individual</p>

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<p>Thanks!
Anyone else?</p>

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<p>Just out of curiosity, why haven't you also taken the SAT to see how you'd do? Probably too late now (since you need to take the SAT IIs), but it seems kind of odd to me. I'll count the 31 ACT as about a 2040 SAT (1360 without writing)</p>

<p>As far as schools, I totally agree with "the Individual" that an ED to WUSL makes much more sense than to the Univ of Chicago.</p>

<p>So presuming you do that, then chances are as follows (without knowing your SAT IIs, other than that you dread taking them):</p>

<p>WUSL (ED)--Slight Reach
UChicago--Slight Reach
Cornell--Match
Brown--Slight Reach
Vanderbilt--Match (barely)
Butler--Safety to Safe Match</p>

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<p>The Individual, are you a URM?</p>

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<p>Actually, I did take the SAT (which is very strange for someone in IL to do, as EVERYONE in the state must take the ACT, actually I was the first person to take the SAT from my HS in almost 15 years). My results weren't bad, 2020; however when you take my writing score out of that, it's only a 1220 ( I bombed math with a 500). So I didn't report my SAT to anywhere I was seriously considering, except UIUC.</p>

<p>So, what's a URM?</p>

<p>Wow, I've got better chances at Cornell than Vandy?! </p>

<p>Thanks for your responses!</p>

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<p>bump bump bump</p>

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<p>anymore thougts?</p>

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<p>come on now...</p>

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<p>bump bump bump</p>