<p>Ok, i really don't think i have that great chances but let me know what you guys think</p>
<p>GPA: 4.2 w, school doens't rank
SAT: 1370
SAT II: 780, 750, 740 for Writing, Bio, US History
AP Tests: 5, 5, 4 on Euro, US, Eng Lang
4 AP classes this year</p>
<p>probably really good essays. i'm really good at creative writing stuff.</p>
<p>extracuriculars:
4 yrs model UN, our team wins lots of national competitions and i was best delegate twice
2 yrs lincoln douglas debate
work experience over the summer: camp counselor, worked at supermarket
started own underground school newspaper with a friend</p>
<p>i guess my best accomplishment is the underground paper i started, i mean a lot of kids can say they are the editor but not so many can say they are the founder. i've put in tons of work into the thing and all the intellectuals in the school love the paper, we're a million times better than the regular school paper. instead of stupid school news we publish interesting and sometimes controversial political things. but they don't really give me anyplace to stress this.</p>
<p>what do you guys think? i think its a real tossup. my gpa is pretty lousy. but how much do the essays count, really? because i think i mine are really good, i show a unique personality. i really want to go to this school but i have a bad feeling.</p>
<p>I don't understand why the users of this sight don't recognize the u of c's admissions pattern. I was just admitted today and had lower SAT scores than the majority of the users on this site. In the end admissions comes down to a decision of personal preference by the admissions office. Extra curricular acitivities have little to no weight with most admissions offices and this holds true at chicago.</p>
<p>so it depends mostly on the essays then, you think?</p>
<p>I disagree with Strongbad. It is about your qualifications combined with the enthusiasm you show for the school and sympathy for its aims as well. Schedule an interview, preferably on campus, as you'll get an admissions officer most likely. Send your admissions officers emails. Tell your guidance counselor how much you want to go. And send supplementary info! Recommendations, art work, music, essays, photographs, love letters...whatever!</p>
<p>I agree with Sarah about the enthusiasm; I'm confident that was what got me in. Keep calling, keep asking questions to show that you love their school. They don't just want great students in their school, but great students who will love being there, and you have to show that.</p>
<p>ok, so lets say i show great enthusiasm, right killer essays, etc. will someone else who does the same thing but with higher gpa get in over me? also, how much do my stats help/hurt me assuming i do this stuff?</p>
<p>also, what kind of supplements are good? a friend and i created our own school newspaper so i'll probably send a copy of that, and i might have the mom of a kid i tutor send a rec. but i'm not a musician or artist or anything like that, what else would be good? one of my friends suggested i send an outline of my own unique political philosophy. i had already written a skeleton outline of it before admissions but i would flesh it out if i sent it in. do you think that would seem like a dumb attempt to look better, or would it be appreciated?</p>
<p>Well, my sats weren't 1600. Remember, it isn't a simple decision between just a few people--there are many. So if you get one score and someone with better scores also applies, and you both show interest, yes, if we're thinking in a binary fashion, the other person would get in. But you will experience this phenomenon at any school you apply to. There will ALWAYS be a better qualified person. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't give it a shot with again, a lot of enthusiasm!</p>
<p>If your newspaper is edgy and caters to the "intellectuals," it'd be a great supplement to send.</p>
<p>From experience, I can say that extracurriculars are the least important thing to UChicago. Grades are probably the most important, then standardized test scores but a strikingly-witty and/or original essay can be the ultimate equalizer. Think of it this way: a superb essay--one that was a delight to the reader and unmatched by most of the other applicants--will affect your applicaton like minority status does (only an uncanny writing ability isn't impertinent to your application like skin color is): it can influence the committee to give you some leeway in the areas in which you lack. ;)</p>
<p>I remember discussing this with my interviewer. I don't have perfect SAT scores, but I showed much enthusiasm about the school. She told me that Uchicago does not look as closely to SAT scores as other top universities due to the "small" applicant pool. Therefore, they spend more time evaluating the personality of the applicant and how much they want to go to this school. I also remember her saying that the SAT scores are extrememly important at other schools, like Harvard and Columbia. These schools determine acceptance on the basis of those scores, whereas Chicago has the time and the opportunity to look through each application, especially taking a closer look at the essays.
It also helps if you have some summer study background at Uchicago or any other top university.</p>
<p>ok here's another thing: in the latest issue of my newspaper, i have an editorial about the reaction one of my articles in a previous issue caused. i had previously published an article relating to homosexuality in schools, and i essentially said that i don't like homosexuality and i'm proud of it. my school is very liberal so there was a huge controversy over it; the letter in this issue is basically about free speech as it relates to this kind of stuff. i think its very good, but it might make me seem like a controversial thinker. is this a good or bad thing? i'd think they'd like to have more conservative thinkers for diversity, since most people at college are very liberal. i also talk about some unpopular and controversial philosophers in my 2nd essay, specificaly, julius evola. (italian thinker associated with the facist movement) is this good or bad?</p>
<p>It depends on the type of person who is reading and reviewing your supplements. There will always be biased people in the world, but I beleive that the admissions people at chicago are open enough to accept any ideas. Not neccesarily agree, but they may be able to applaud you on your bravery. But there may be some who will be openly opposed to your ideas.
I personally beleive that Chicago wants you to speak your mind, to think, and not be afraid of the consequences. If you speak your mind and beleive in it, I don't think they can hold that against you.
But be warned, most people I have met and know at Uchicago are very liberal, including the faculty.</p>