<p>Does the entity of "recruited athlete" exist in the U of Chicago admission process? Does being an accomplished athlete represent a "tip" or a "hook" as it does at HYP, etc? Or, because the U of Chicago leans so prominently to the academic, are the only "hooks" urm and legacy status and being son or daughter of a celebrity or politician? Am I mistaken in having the impression that it is an institution even more academically rigorous than the HYP's of the world?</p>
<p>As near as anyone can tell, there are no “hooks” at UofC. </p>
<p>Being a legacy saved us the application fee when my D applied a few years back, but that was as far as it went.</p>
<p>You only need look at the size of UofC’s endowment to know how alums are treated! (just kidding…)</p>
<p>No Hooks that I am aware of, though donating a building MIGHT have some effect. As for athletics, 47% of the students body has been involved in HS varsity level athletics.</p>
<p>^ What did they do with the other 53% of their bodies?</p>
<p>I gotta say, having spent a fair amount of time hanging out around UChicago students over the past few years: That 47% number seems awfully suspect to me. If it’s really true, then a good number of them were “involved” as managers, or maybe blocking dummies. It’s not like there are no athletes there – of course there are athletes, some of them quite good, and some of them even involved in sports that get played on a varsity level in most high schools (as opposed to, say, ultimate frisbee or fencing). But half the student body? Hard to believe.</p>
<p>(I knew 11 UChicago students in the classes of 2008-2011 when they were in high school. One legitimately played a varsity sport.)</p>
<p>Here is the link from the Admissions webpage: <a href=“https://collegeadmissions.uchicago.edu/admissions/classprofile.shtml[/url]”>https://collegeadmissions.uchicago.edu/admissions/classprofile.shtml</a></p>
<p>57% were involved in music, or so it says.</p>
<p>JHS, those 47% of the incoming class may not all be professional athletes. I am involved in swimming, but not good enough to be a professional athlete. I do not know whether Chicago will even accept me for Div III swimmer.</p>
<p>To the OP, Chicago does not have many hooks, although every year there are a few anomalies and a couple of students who illegitimately receive admissions. This happens at every institution. However, this is much rarer at Chicago than at some other more prestigious institutions.</p>
<p>So I take it from these responses that the only two “hooks” at U of C are urm status and development potential. That seems quite different than at all the Ivies. With the latter, you also throw in legacy and recruited athlete. Also, divinecomedy suggests that the process at U of C is more sacrosanct than at the Ivies.</p>
<p>U Chicago does have recruited athletes. My daughter was one. My sense is that at U Chicago it is more a “tip” than a “hook.” Interest from a coach can help in demonstrating that a prospective student will find her or his niche in the community, and will contribute in some way in addition to the academic life of the school. So if admissions is considering two equally strong candidates, interest by the coach can help tip the balance. </p>
<p>But I do not think it rises to the level of a “hook.” I only know the running program. But judging from my daughter’s team mates, several of whom have been tackling honors level science courses at U Chicago, and the fact that they as a group generally have GPAs higher than the university average, I dont think any of the runners has won admissions based on athletic talent over academic talent. Cannot speak to other sports, but the evidence reported by Bowen et al in his writings on athletics at colleges argues that within the UAA athletic conference there are few athletic hooks.</p>
<p>From what I have read, team GPAs are about the same, and in some cases higher than average student GPAs. I think characterizing recruitment as a tip is a good way of putting it.</p>
<p>I think being first gen was definitely a hook for me.</p>