<p>Let me just fill you guys in quickly: last year, I applied EA to UChicago. I was deferred and ultimately accepted. However, I asked for a deferral of matriculation, telling them I wanted to finish my pre-university studies (I'm from Quebec, and applied in grade 12 of 13). They said I couldn't defer, and had to either go last year or reapply this year. This November came around and I applied EA to Chicago and ED to the University of Pennsylvania. I was accepted at both; of course, I have to go to Penn under the ED plan.</p>
<p>So I get an envelope in the mail today from Chicago, containing a calendar AND A HANDWRITTEN LETTER from my admissions officer, saying she was aware of my situation from last year and praised my "decision-making skills and maturity", saying I'd be a great fit for Chicago. I feel so bad now, and I want advice on how to write a proper letter turning them down.</p>
<p>Go where you really want to go. Call Chicago and explain if you really want to go there, since they screwed you - they can fix it with Penn if necessary. It is not like they are going to shoot you if you change and you go through UC.</p>
<p>he never said he wanted to go to chicago, he in fact said he wants to know what to write as a proper way of "turning them down"</p>
<p>jpps1, chicago is fully well aware that ppl are applying early decision as well EA to chicago. I did this last year, and i got into chicago (after being deferred actually by both schools, UPenn and Chicago). I got into Chicago in the end, but not UPenn. If Chicago didn't want to lose students to ED schools, they would create a SCEA policy or an early action policy like Georgetown's that prohibits students from applying to early decision schools. You can just say that you always considered Chicago to be a great fit for you, and that is why you applied two years in a row. After a year of growing up, you realized that you would be better served by UPenn, but still consider Chicago to be an unbelievable school and will definetely consider it for graduate studies. That would be my letter, done. Good luck at Penn!</p>
<p>tell chicago though its a great school you have changed your mind because you prefer to study with certain teachers at penn. then name some. that sounds like a good story to me.</p>
<p>or you can tell them the truth. and im not sure what that is. so why not share why you totally changed your mind</p>
<p>It's interesting that so many posters have the Penn/Chicago dilemma. S was accepted ED to Penn and EA to Chicago and is a recruited athlete. He had to call or email all the coaches who were recruiting him after he got the Penn acceptance. He told the Chicago coach how much he liked the school and the program and the coach sent a really gracious reply.</p>
<p>You hate to disappoint the kind and undoubtedly correct person in the Chicago admissions office by saying "no thanks." Both of my sons had a person whom they met along the admissions process about whom they felt the same way (the situation was not the same as yours, just the feeling). Each son wrote a note to the admissions person involved that said that while they had developed a very positive feeling for school X, they would be attending Y- but they had very much appreciated the time and interest taken by this person. In each case the person involved wrote back and said they were 'disappointed but not surprised by the decision, and happy to have the personal contact AND that if it didn't work out at Y, to keep X in mind!!'</p>
<p>Letters of this nature keep relationships positive and open. They are evidence of maturity in being able to handle a relatively sticky situation. Just another reason why the schools wanted you in the first place!</p>
<p>The whole ED/EA 'game' is played on both sides of the aisle. If Chicago wanted to 'secure' applicants, they could make themselves ED- or they could have given you a deferral!</p>