<p>I know that University of Chicago does not solely look on a student's test grades and amount of extra-curricular activities to determine acceptance, but sometimes I am very surprised I got in at all. If any one feels they were rather "under-qualified" in some aspect of their application, I feel it'd be interesting to see exactly what kind of students UChicago feels are a good fit for their school. </p>
<p>Here is a sample of my application (not the whole thing)</p>
<p>Sat 1 score: 1370 (700 reading, 670 math)
Sat 2 scores: 700 math 2, 680 physics</p>
<p>ECs:
-Volunteer job at California Science Center, but only had around 18 hours of experience at the time I wrote application.
-Varsity Captain XC
-Brown Belt in Judo (participated all 4 years of high school)</p>
<p>Honors: I put the ap scholars award, honor roll, and top student in AP physics class. nothing interesting here at all.</p>
<p>Class rank was 20 of 618 at a very noncompetitive school.</p>
<p>I feel that my ACT score (33) and essays (especially where's waldo) were some strong points but honestly, Im very surprised I got in. Any one else with seemingly under-qualified applications that got in?</p>
<p>I feel very under-qualified, but in retrospect, I guess I’m not that really. I mean, my GPA and rank are awesome (3.94/4.79, 6/609) but only because my school is a failing school and it is easy to take 5 APs and still not do a shred of home work. My SAT scores are meh for the school (1480: 760,720) and my extra curriculars are, in my opinion, crap. I do think I wrote a killer Why Chicago essay though.</p>
<p>Don’t sell yourself short. Adcoms saw something special in you, embrace it and be confident.</p>
<p>I had been out of college more than twenty years when I realized I was the egregious admissions error in my class. </p>
<p>There probably is somebody in your class who really doesn’t belong at Chicago, but trust me, he or she probably has no idea and isn’t worried in the least!</p>
<p>To be fair it was last year’s admission cycle and it wasn’t quite this low when I was accepted, but I ended up graduating ~90/320 at a non competitive public school and I wasn’t an athlete/ URM/ legacy. They really mean it when they say they look at more than just the numbers. For a while after getting accepted I felt like I wasn’t good enough for the school before realizing the admissions committee is pro at determining who’s awesome so I decided to trust them on it.</p>
<p>idk i feel the same way. </p>
<p>Uchicago was and still is my dream school… but it was for a lot of other kids at my school too.</p>
<p>I mean. i have what, a 3.5 GPA and i got in over kids who had 4.0s. and idk. I guess getting in felt SO great at first, but now all I feel is extremely guilty. i mean. i dunno. i feel like the only reason i got in was because I wanted it more and I showed it, not because i actually deserve it… asdf;lj i dunno.</p>
<p>Dont be so down on yourself, mcandless. Determination is a big part in it all because what we write in applications is really only a snapshot, and an incomplete one at that, of our current achievements and growth. Personally, I feel like the learning and growing that I am to do at a university will be greater than all that ive achieved up until now. I also kind of like proving that UChicago looks at more than just test grades.</p>
<p>Don’t feel guilty. I had a 3.5 unweighted and less than 2200 SAT… Now I’m better than most students here (in my opinion…). If they let you in, it’s because they know high school doesn’t matter for ****. Once you’re in here its all about your drive to succeed</p>