Official UChicago Class of 2017 RD Decisions Thread

Sitruss · March 15, 2013, 11:24pm

Decision: Accepted

Objective:[ul]
[] SAT I (breakdown): 2330 Single sitting: 800CR, 800M, 730W
[] SAT II: 780 Bio E, 800 Chemistry, 800 Math II
[] Weighted GPA (out of 5.0): 4.62
[] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 33
[] AP (place score in parenthesis): English Language (5), Chemistry (5)
[] Senior Year Course Load: 4APs, 1 Honors, Music
[] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): None
[/ul]Subjective:[ul]
[] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Student Council (Historian), Photography (President), Speech and Debate (Historian), Alto Saxophone
[] Volunteer/Community service: Korean School assistant teacher, Tutor
[] Summer Activities: 4 years of CTY, Travel
[] Essays: Irreverent, Unapologetic
[] Teacher Recommendation: AP English and AP Chemistry teachers
[] Counselor Rec: Most likely superficial
[] Interview: None
[/ul]Other[ul]
[] Applied for Financial Aid?: No
[] Intended Major: Chemistry
[] State (if domestic applicant): MA
[] School Type: Public high school
[] Ethnicity: Asian
[] Gender: Male
[] Income Bracket: Upper-middle
[] Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): None
[/ul]Reflection[list]
[] Strengths: Reading comprehension, writing style
[] Weaknesses:

jellyksong · March 15, 2013, 11:25pm

Decision: Accepted

Objective:[ul]
[] SAT I: 2400/12
[] SAT II: 800 M/Bio/Chem
[] Unweighted GPA: 3.953
[] Rank: Top 25%
[] AP: Chinese (5), Biology (5), Calc BC (5)
[] IB: Physics SL (6)
[] Courseload: IB Economics HL, IB English A1 HL, IB History of the Americas HL, IB Mathematics HL, Multivariate Calculus, IB Spanish B1 SL, Theory of Knowledge
[] Major Awards: Udacity High School Challenge Winner, Confucius Institute Scholar, USABO Semi-Finalist, PennApps Finalist, National Merit Finalist

[/ul]Subjective:[ul]
[] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): DECA (National Finalist); Flute (Principal Flutist: School, Regional Orchestra); Varsity Lacrosse & Winter Track; Competitive Triathlon; Taekwondo (Black Belt/Instructor); Columbia SHP; Building web applications.
[] Job/Work Experience: Worked at parents’ small business. Interned at hedge fund. Manager of school store (prob doesn’t count). Independent web developer.
[] Volunteer/Community service: Founded non-profit to provide free test prep to students in underprivileged communities. Volunteered at several local homeless shelters. Currently interning at American Red Cross.
[] Summer Activities: (This summer?) Interned at a hedge fund! NJ State Triathlon. Taught classes.
[] Essays: The long essay was probably the best essay I’ve ever written, though it was actually a personal essay for lit class, so I chose the pick-your-own topic.
[] Teacher Rec: Didn’t read any recs; both were new teachers when I was a freshman and have known me for 4 years though.
[] Counselor Rec: Hopefully awesome!
[] Interview: Surprisingly good, I’d give it a 8.5/10.

[/ul]Other[ul]
[] State (if domestic applicant): NJ
[] School Type: Public Magnet
[] Ethnicity: Chinese
[] Gender: M
[li] Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): None[/li]
[/ul]Reflection[ul]
[] Strengths: Pretty unique extracurriculars; good scores; courseload
[] Weaknesses: GPA; few major awards(; Asian)
[] Why you think you were accepted: Solid essays, good interview, with good scores to back it up.
[] Accepted: NYU Shanghai
[] Deferred: Harvard
[] Rejected: Oxford, MIT
[/ul]

randomazn14 · March 15, 2013, 11:38pm

Waitlisted

Objective:[ul]
[] SAT I (breakdown): 2380 (780M)
[] ACT:
[] SAT II: 800 MII, 730 Chem, 780 Chinese, 750 Lit
[] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0
[] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): school is weird, but highest possible?
[] AP (place score in parenthesis): only 3 APs, all 5s
[] IB (place score in parenthesis): -
[] Senior Year Course Load: Calc AB and BC, World History, US Gov, Music Composition, English Lit, Physics
[] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): 2 national awards for literary magazine, 1x AIME, reg. Scholastic gold keys, state piano wins, All-State Orchestra high seating, NMF, state tech competition wins, FIRST robotics reg. wins
[/ul]Subjective:[ul]
[] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): piano (freelancer, private tutor for 2 kids, competitions), MathCounts coach, award-winning lit-art magazine (editor-in-chief), award-winning robotics team (prez), organizer/head counselor at kids’ summer camp, columnist for regional newspaper, reg. youth orchestra (1st chair), volunteer at research lab, Mu Alpha Theta (founder/treasurer)
[] Job/Work Experience: piano, local art commissions, getting paid for the camp organizing
[] Volunteer/Community service: dat research lab. MathCounts, bunches of miscellaneous
[] Summer Activities: piano gigs, lab volunteering, arranging those kids’ camps, moar robotics
[] Essays: I beam with pride at my CommonApp essay. At the time, I thought my 2 supps were “thoughtful” and “orginal,” but now I cringe. So much cringe.
[] Teacher Recommendation: I don’t deserve their kind words!
[] Counselor Rec: She thinks I’m a charming and bright young woman, heh.
[] Additional Rec: nah
[] Interview: Wait, we’re supposed to seek them out? Total neglect.
[/ul]Other[ul]
[] Applied for Financial Aid?: jah, but past deadline.
[] Intended Major: CS lol
[] State (if domestic applicant): deeeeeep south
[] Country (if international applicant): -
[] School Type: mediocre but not terrible large public with dearth of APs
[] Ethnicity: Asian!
[] Gender: F
[] Income Bracket: 100-120K-ish
[] Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): geography?
[/ul]Reflection[ul]
[] Strengths: quantity of ECs and awards, CommonApp writing, maybe well-rounded
[] Weaknesses: dismal SATIIs, lack of APs (school sucks, but I suckishly didn’t self-study for any), lame choice of major for UChicago, awards aren’t major enough, ignored the interview, ECs maybe too scattered/diverse, feeble-witted supp essays. Gawd, the essays. Oh why.
[] Why you think you were accepted/deferred/denied: Trying-too-hard essays combined with interview disregard and obviously crap choice of major probably looked bad. Rest of application not strong enough to survive those blows.
[/ul]General Comments: didn’t apply early, Columbia (likely letter), UNC-Chapel Hill (finalist for full merit scholarship), waiting on HYPS, Rice, USC

You get what you put in. I don’t think I could’ve taken UChicago seriously if they admitted me after all my glitches, and this decision seems fitting, albeit disappointing.

These decision threads awed/inspired me so much as a freshman, so here I am, passing on the favor. Not holding out for Chicago’s waitlist because of Columbia/UNC/coming possibilities, but I’ll always have a fondness for this school. My best wishes to everyone who applied; you all deserve something special, be it UChicago or some other path! Good luck.

william95 · March 15, 2013, 11:44pm

Deferred first and then…
Decision: Rejected

Objective:[ul]
[] SAT I (breakdown): N/A
[] ACT: 32 (10 essay, 35 E + 29 M + 34 R + 31 S)
[] SAT II: 730 USH, 710 Math II
[] Unweighted GPA (out of 100): 95.82 (104.16 Weighted)
[] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 1/75
[] AP (place score in parenthesis): two 4s, two 2s
[] IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A
[] Senior Year Course Load: AP Calc AB, AP Lit, AP Bio, College-credit Poli Sci, Govt / Econ
[] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): School Awards for Community Service / Academics, American Legion Scholastic Award, American Legion Oratorical Contest 3rd Place (District Level)
[/ul][ b]Subjective:**[ul]
[] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):

Soccer (JV / Varsity) [4 years]
Lacrosse (JV / Varsity) [4 years]
JROTC (Officer) [4 years]
Academic Team (Co-Leader) [2 years]
Rifle Team [1 year]
JR Honor Society (President) [1 year]
NHS (hopefully President) [3 years]
[] Job/Work Experience: None
[] Volunteer/Community service: 70 Various Hours, Created own Service Project
[] Summer Activities: HOBY Ambassador
[] Essays: Why Chicago 6/10, Waldo Essay 9/10
[] Teacher Recommendation: Didn’t see either, probably average
[] Counselor Rec: Didn’t see, probably average
[] Additional Rec: N/A
[] Interview: Didn’t have one
[/ul][ b]Other**[ul]
[] Applied for Financial Aid?: Yes
[] Intended Major: Economics
[] State (if domestic applicant): NY
[] Country (if international applicant): USA
[] School Type: Private
[] Ethnicity: White
[] Gender: M
[] Income Bracket: $100,000-$120,000
[] Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): None and that is my downfall
[/ul][ b]Reflection**[ul]
[] Strengths: Class Rank / GPA
[] Weaknesses: Test Scores, Bland Applicant with no hooks
[] Why you think you were accepted/deferred/denied: ^
[/ul][ b]General Comments:** Congrats to everyone that was accepted!

watson221 · March 15, 2013, 11:51pm

Decision: Deferred-> Accepted

Objective:[ul][] 
SAT I (breakdown M/CR/W/Essay): 710/770/790/10
[] SAT I superscore (breakdown M/CR/W/Essay): Same as above
[] ACT (breakdown): 36M 36R 35S 34E 35C
[] ACT superscore (breakdown): Same as above
[] SAT II (subject, score): Math II 750 Chem 790
[] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.7 (bad grades in high school classes taken in middle school)
[] Weighted GPA: 4.5
[] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): none. Probably like top 5%
[] AP (place score in parentheses): 8 5s 2 4s
[] IB (place score in parentheses):
[] Senior Year Course Load: Hardest possible. 5 APs 2 Advanced (on AP level w/o AP exam)
[] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel, etc.): Nothing major
[li] Common Awards (AP Scholar, honor roll, NM things, etc.): National AP Scholar, State Award for Outstanding Community Service, All State Academic Hockey Team, IDK if honor societies count [/ul][/li]
Subjective:[ul]
[] Extracurriculars (name, grade levels, leadership, description): Hockey, debate, MUN, clubs, honor societies
[] Job/Work Experience: High level job at tutoring company, camp counselor, lifeguard
[] Volunteer/Community Service: Zoo, hospital, local baseball team
[] Summer Experience: Summer Intern at NIH, others I listed above
[/ul]

Writing (Subject, 1-10 rating, details):[ul]
[] Essays:[list]
[li] UChicago Essay: Waldo- insight into the neuroscience and philosophy behind seeing Waldo /li
[] Other (teacher’s subject, 1-10 rating, details):[/ul]
[] Teacher Recommendation #1: Didnt see it, but teacher loved me. I really learned a lot from her. (AP Chemistry)
[] Teacher Recommendation #2: Didnt see it, but the teacher also really loved me. She was kinda a nerd so we discussed star wars. We have nicknames for eachother (AP English Lang)
[] Counselor Rec: I havent had a ton of interaction with my counselor, but the ones at my school usually write good recommendations
[] Additional Info/Rec: I got a rec from the head of the tutoring company I work for. He told me im gonna have to write you an awesome rec so hopefully its good. Really nice guy.
[] Interview: went really well. This was the interview where I found my footing (my first one, MIT, was really awkward). We discussed at history, medical policy, Greece, shrimp, Chicago history, and a bunch of other random topics. I felt like I had the true UChicago interview experience.
[] Art Supplement:
[/list]

Other[ul]
[] Date Submitted App: 11/9 (extended due to Sandy)
[] U.S. State/Territory or Country: Mid Atlantic
[] School Type: Public
[] Ethnicity: White
[] Gender: Male
[] Income Bracket Range: High
[li] Hooks (URM, first generation, recruited athelete, development): I wish Ive been talking with the hockey coach but thats a club sport[/li][/ul]

Reflection[ul]
[] Strengths: Essays, standardized tests, recs
[] Weaknesses: Low GPA, dont really stand out
[] Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: I really have no idea After my deferral I forgot to send them an email reiterating my interest, so I thought I was pretty much done.
[] What would you have done differently?: I would have worked longer on my common app essay. I liked my UChicago essays but I felt my common app was lacking. I would have also thought harder about what could distinguish me from other applicants
[/ul]

Other Factors:

General Comments & Advice:
I really was not expecting to get in. When I first got the email I didnt even check because I was sure it was a rejection. It was an exciting surprise, and makes me seriously reconsider where Im going next year.
Future applicants: If youre deferred, dont give up hope. You can be pleasantly surprised.
Waitlisted/Rejected applicants: The process is so random, dont feel that this reflects on you. I was waitlisted at WashU and rejected from MIT before I heard from Chicago. No matter what happens, next year is going to be so much fun.

EconnisA · March 16, 2013, 12:22am

Decision:Waitlisted

Objective:[ul]
[] SAT I (breakdown): Didn’t submit
[] ACT: 32 Individual (29E, 31M, 33R, 35S), 32-33 Superscore (31 English, 31 Math, 33 Reading, 35 Science)
[] SAT II: Didn’t take
[] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.71
[] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): Top 10%
[] AP (place score in parenthesis): World (5), Lang (3), Psych (3), MacroEconomics (4)
[] IB (place score in parenthesis): None
[] Senior Year Course Load: 5 AP First Semester, 4 Second Semester
AP MicroEconomics/Office Education, Calculus II, AP Literature, AP Statistics, AP American/Comparative Government, Tennis.
[] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): AP Scholar, Principal’s Honor Roll, Superintendent’s Honor Roll, Junior High State Tennis Champion, 3-Time Grade State Chess Champion
[/ul]Subjective:[ul]
[] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Tennis (1 Varsity Letter), Chess, Piano, (STUCO), Key Club, National Honor Society, History International Club Officer, Model United Nations Officer
[] Job/Work Experience: Worked since November, Average 12 hours work per week
[] Volunteer/Community service: Didn’t List
[] Summer Activities: Blank
[] Essays:
CommonApp Essay: Created an essay based on time, with the theme of stocks and investments
UChicago Essay: Arch-Nemesis Essay. Talked about how my plastic and cheap piano pedal failed to work with my as I practiced for the talent show.
[] Teacher Recommendation:
Recommendation 1: World History Teacher Junior Year: Unsure of how good my letter was. I was semi-quiet in his class, but I managed to make him laugh a bit.
Recommendation 2: Government Teacher Senior Year: Went to him out of desperation, as I didn’t build enough relationships with other teachers my previous years. Probably one of my best teachers so far, and has a lot of experience writing recs. Also unsure of how decent my letter was.
[] Counselor Rec: Again unsure. I didn’t talk to my counselor much until Senior Year, so she did not know me too well personally.
[] Additional Rec: Did not do.
[] Interview: None, sadly
[/ul]Other[ul]
[] Applied for Financial Aid?: Yes
[] Intended Major: Economics
[] State (if domestic applicant): Oklahoma
[] Country (if international applicant):
[] School Type: Public
[] Ethnicity: Asian
[] Gender: Male
[] Income Bracket:
[] Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): Immigrant parents, first Generation born here.
[/ul]Reflection[ul]
[] Strengths: Essays, Heavy Courseload
[] Weaknesses: Rec Letters, Grades
[] Why you think you were accepted/deferred/denied: I get the feeling my grades weren’t stellar, and my essays were a bit rushed. I feel like my recommendation letters probably failed me the most
[/ul]General Comments:
I think if I applied EA, I may have gotten accepted. I wrote my essays way too late, as I had writer’s block for ages, causing them to be reduced in quality. Really sad I wasn’t accepted, since this is my dream school, but whatever. Probably going to try and transfer in next year, since the acceptance rate for Waitlisted and Transfer students is probably about the same

brucehzhang · March 16, 2013, 12:23am

Decision: Waitlisted

Objective:[ul]
[] SAT I (breakdown): 720 CR 800 Math 730 Writing 11 Essay 2250 Total
[] ACT: lol i didn’t take it
[] SAT II: 790 Chinese with listening 800 Math Level II 800 Chemistry
[] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.87
[] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): School doesn’t rank
[] AP (place score in parenthesis): 5s on Chinese, USH, Calc BC, Language and Comp, Chemistry
[] IB (place score in parenthesis): lol i didn’t have any of these
[] Senior Year Course Load: AP Gov, AP Bio, AP Lit, AP Stats, 3D Design 1
[] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): AP Scholar with Distinction, National Merit Commended
[/ul]Subjective:[ul]
[] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Red Cross Club (Treasurer), CSF Club, Blue Pearl Jazz Dance Committee (Committee Head), Track and Field (Varisty Throwing Captain), Cross Country, Student Legislative Council Representative
[] Job/Work Experience: French Tutor, Physical Trainer for youth ice skaters
[] Volunteer/Community service: Volunteer through Red Cross and CSF, Friends of Children with Special Needs, Lead Guitarist for Student-Run Band
[] Summer Activities: Stanford EXPLORE Lecture series, Red Cross Leadership Development Camp, Relay For Life
[] Essays: I found this part really fun for my entire application process. I would say that my essays were PRETTY good.
[] Teacher Recommendation: I was close with my teachers, so these should be good.
[] Counselor Rec: Might be a bit eh, though it might help that I was her aide in freshman year
[] Additional Rec: wat.
[] Interview: My interview felt a bit more professional since it was with a MD/PHD, but he was overall pretty chill after we got through the nitty gritty details of the interview. We started talking about Harold’s Chicken LOL. I’d assume his write up was pretty good.
[/ul]Other[ul]
[] Applied for Financial Aid?: yep
[] Intended Major: Biology gg
[] State (if domestic applicant): CA
[] Country (if international applicant):
[] School Type: Nationally Ranked Public School
[] Ethnicity: Asian
[] Gender: I am a manly man… I think.
[] Income Bracket: $120,000, though with a sister in college right now
[] Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): nope :x
[/ul]Reflection[ul]
[] Strengths: I think the courses I took and my overall scores were good. I also firmly believe that my essays were quite interesting for them to read and are strong points in my application.
[] Weaknesses: My extra curriculars could use some more unique things, or at least some more explanation that those little Common App boxes My GPA also isn’t necessarily the strongest contender, probably more like average for Chicago to see.
[] Why you think you were accepted/deferred/denied: Well, I think I was one of the average applicants to UChicago that they appreciated but could not take all of. It’s understandable that I was waitlisted
[] Accepted: UC Davis
[] Rejected: UPenn (ED) WUSTL
[li] Waitlist: this college lulz.[/li][/ul]General Comments:
Hoping that I can get in through the waitlist My interviewer told me to contact him if I got waitlisted and he’d see if he could help somehow. Nonetheless I accept the decision of UChicago, just means I have to eagerly await more news from UChicago and the rest of the colleges that I applied to (hardly got anything back yet D: so nervous)! GL to everyone else!

shubhijain · March 16, 2013, 12:30am

Decision: Accepted

Objective:[ul]
[] SAT I (breakdown): Didn’t take
[] ACT: 35 Composite, 35 English, 35 Math, 36 Reading, 34 Science
[] SAT II: 790 Chemistry, 790 Math Level II, 760 U.S. History, 750 Biology M
[] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.94
[] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): Top 10%, Rank is not given
[] AP (place score in parenthesis): 5’s on all. AP Calculus BC, AP Computer Science A, AP Biology, AP U.S. History
[] IB (place score in parenthesis):
[] Senior Year Course Load: AP Literature, AP Chemistry, AP Physics B, Spanish 4H, AP Statistics, AP Econ/U.S. Government
[li] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): MFP Disability Leadership Award[/li][/ul]

Subjective:[ul]
[] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Founder and President of a global non-profit organization, Former Founder and CEO of a local company, Co-President of School Chapter of United Nations Association, COSMOS participant for Bioengineering, Unpaid tutor, NHS/CSF member, Mock Trial Team Witness, Varsity Cross Country (4 years), Varsity Track and Field (3 years), Varsity Soccer (2 years), AYSO VIP Soccer Volunteer, Blog writer for two local newspapers
[] Job/Work Experience: Mentioned above.
[] Volunteer/Community service: Mentioned above.
[] Summer Activities: Mentioned above.
[] Essays: I thought they were all pretty solid; 7s and 8s on all.
[] Teacher Recommendation: I think they were both pretty personal. They both knew me quite well and loved me as a student.
[] Counselor Rec: Pretty generic I think.
[] Additional Rec: Didn’t send one.
[li] Interview: I loved talking to my interviewer. I wish I could have spent more time with him. He was a cool guy.[/li][/ul]

Other[ul]
[] Applied for Financial Aid?: Yes.
[] Intended Major: Computer Engineering
[] State (if domestic applicant): CA
[] Country (if international applicant): United States
[] School Type: Public High School
[] Ethnicity: Indian
[] Gender: Male
[] Income Bracket: > $150,000
[li] Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): None really.[/li][/ul]

Reflection[ul]
[] Strengths: Scores? Extra-curriculars. Essays?
[] Weaknesses: Grades?
[li] Why you think you were accepted/deferred/denied: The world may never know.[/li][/ul]
General Comments:
Congrats to all who got accepted!

luv2dance1995 · March 16, 2013, 12:44am

Decision: Accepted

Objective:

<ul>
<li>SAT I (breakdown): 2390 (800 M 800 CR 790 W)</li>
<li>ACT: 36 (35 science)</li>
<li>SAT II: 800 US History, 800 Math 2</li>
<li>Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.97</li>
<li>Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 32/about 900</li>
<li>AP (place score in parenthesis): Psych, Calc BC, US History, English Lang/Comp all 5s</li>
<li>IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A</li>
<li>Senior Year Course Load: AP Micro/Macro, Spanish, Chem, Bio, Honors English electives</li>
<li>Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): National Merit Finalist, AP Scholar with Honor, Cum Laude, Science/Spanish honors society, selected to attend an Argonne National Laboratory Women in Science conference, Illinois State Scholar, Presidential Scholar applicant</li>
</ul>

Subjective:

<ul>
<li>Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):
Dance 10+ hours/week, perform with local company, sent in art supplement
Piano since age 5, School newspaper staff writer (11th), news editor (12th), Founder/co-president of South Asian cultural club this year, Model UN, JV tennis 9th-11th grade</li>
<li>Job/Work Experience: Paid dance teaching assistant (5th-9th grade), research internship at UChicago science lab (last summer)</li>
<li>Volunteer/Community service: school service club, local food pantry since July 2012</li>
<li>Summer Activities: dance, tennis, babysitting, dance festival tour summer 2010 in Austria, research last summer</li>
<li>Essays: I think my Where’s Waldo was really unique and I liked the rest.</li>
<li>Teacher Recommendation: sophomore year English teacher (current newspaper advisor) and junior year APUSH teacher, should both have been good</li>
<li>Counselor Rec: huge school so maybe generic but she thinks I’m smart</li>
<li>Additional Rec: One from the professor I did research under and one from the head of my dance studio</li>
<li>Interview: Yes, on campus with a current student</li>
</ul>

Other

<ul>
<li>State (if domestic applicant): IL</li>
<li>Country (if international applicant):</li>
<li>School Type: large, decent public (3000+ students)</li>
<li>Ethnicity: Indian</li>
<li>Gender: Female</li>
<li>Income Bracket: not sure but didn’t apply for FA</li>
<li>Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): Dad is a professor there, researched with another professor last summer there</li>
</ul>

Reflection

<ul>
<li>Strengths: test scores, well-rounded ECs, essays, rec from UChicago professor</li>
<li>Weaknesses: ORM for sure!</li>
<li>Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: strong stats and well-roundedness? Like I said, my essay was creative</li>
<li>Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: got a likely from UPenn, deferred SCEA from Harvard, waitlisted by WashU, accepted to UMiami. Waiting on NU, Harvard, Princeton, Columbia</li>
</ul>

General Comments: this was an extremely tough admissions year. congrats to everyone accepted, and good luck to those waitlisted/rejected for your other schools! go maroons!

scrubble · March 16, 2013, 12:53am

Pick one:
Decision: Accepted

Objective:[ul]
[] SAT I (breakdown): 1530 (770cr + 760m) / 2260
[] ACT:
[] SAT II: 760 chem / 740 french
[] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.76 (Calculated in a weird way by the system. Not the same as a US school GPA)
[] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 5/365
[] AP (place score in parenthesis):
[] IB (place score in parenthesis): 7 SL Chemistry; Predicted 45/45
[] Senior Year Course Load: Full IB; HL Econ, HL English, HL History, SL French, SL Math, TOK
[li] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): nada (maybe a national chemistry contest? top 3%?)[/li]
[/ul]Subjective:[ul]
[] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Treasurer of: Student Council + Social Justice; Environment club; Election campaigns; Row Crew (2 summers)
[] Job/Work Experience: 2 summers
[] Volunteer/Community service: nothing fancy, ~200 hours
[] Summer Activities: 2 summers of extra credit summer school; 2 summers of rowing; 2 working
[] Essays: pretty good I guess
[] Teacher Recommendation: 10/10 for both…and that’s likely an understatement
[] Counselor Rec: good? I guess?
[] Additional Rec:
[li] Interview: fun, comfortable[/li]
[/ul]Other[ul]
[] Applied for Financial Aid?: yup
[] Intended Major: Philosophy
[] State (if domestic applicant): ON
[] Country (if international applicant): Canada
[] School Type: lovely
[] Ethnicity: white
[] Gender: m
[] Income Bracket:
[li] Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): nada[/li]
[/ul]Reflection[ul]
[] Strengths: essays, recs, junior + senior year grades
[] Weaknesses: freshman + sophomore year grades, ecs?
[li] Why you think you were accepted/deferred/denied: Essays and recs . . . probably gave off that UChicago vibe[/li][/ul]General Comments:

ealdi94 · March 16, 2013, 12:57am

Decision:Waitlisted

Nothing to be ashamed about.

nerdoldnerdith · March 16, 2013, 12:59am

Vegeta, what does The University of Chicago say about its waitlist level?

“It’s over nine thousand!!!”

WHAT?!?!! OVER NINE THOUSAND?!?!!

strugglinguser · March 16, 2013, 1:01am

Decision: Rejected

b ]Objective:
[* ] SAT I (breakdown)780 CR:800 W:740 E:12 (2320)
[* ] ACT:
[* ] SAT II: 800 Math II, 770 USH
[* ] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.6-3.7 (Bad Freshman Year, Strong Upward Trend)
[* ] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable):N/A
[* ] AP : USH 5 Lang 5 Env 4 Chem 3
[* ] IB (place score in parenthesis):
[* ] Senior Year Course Load: AP; Physics C, Macro/Mirco Econ, Statistics, Calc BC, Lit, (Self-Study): Gov. and Politics, Computer Science A
[* ] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.):AP Scholar w/ Honor, 4th in AMC…that’s it
[* ] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): President of Peer Leadership, Chairmen of DECA, Co-Captain of Math Team, Captain of Indoor Track…and more but the most important for me was completing research at Yale and Cornell (I sent in my abstract with my app) and helping create a Mosque in Bangladesh
[* ] Job/Work Experience: Tutor, Gas Station
[* ] Volunteer/Community service: Fusion Mentoring, Charity and Community service at Bangladesh
[* ] Summer Activities: Research and Foreign Work
[* ] Essays: Common App: 9; I worked incredibly hard on it and talked about a topic that is probably just not attempted by most applicants. Supplement: 7,8; I think they were both very informative and showed my passion and humor (I think)
[* ] Teacher Recommendation: They both were awesome, can’t thank them enough. 9
[* ] Counselor Rec: Were chill, but still. Probably good, but not amazing
[* ] Additional Rec:
[* ] Interview: Didn’t have one
[* ] State (if domestic applicant): CT
[* ] Country (if international applicant): USA
[* ] School Type: Public (Very Competitive)
[* ] Ethnicity: Bengali-American
[* ] Gender: M
[* ] Income Bracket: ~$80,000-$90,000
[* ] Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.):I’m brown and like math and business: Anti-Hook
[* ] Strengths: Extracurriculars by far, SAT scores
[* ] Weaknesses: GPA. I got all ** my freshmen year. So upsetting
[* ] Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: My GPA
[* ] Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: So far only Michigan.

The applicant pool was just ridiculous this year. Its surprising how hard admissions into this school is becoming. To those who got in, congrats! And now I wait for the others…

bonsoir · March 16, 2013, 1:03am

Pick one:

Decision: Waitlisted

Objective:[ul]
[] SAT I (breakdown): didn’t submit
[] ACT: 31
[] SAT II: didn’t submit
[] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.93
[ ] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 5/320
[] AP (place score in parenthesis): AP Stats (5), AP Lang (4), AP Bio (4), APUSH (3)
[] IB (place score in parenthesis):
[] Senior Year Course Load: French III, AP Lit, Honors Physics, AP Calc, AP Psych, AP Gov, AP Macro
[] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): AP Scholar (l o l I’m pathetic)
[/ul]Subjective:[ul]
[] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Student Government, CSF President, FBLA Treasurer, French Club President, EAOP, AcaDeca, APIC, Buddhist youth group
[] Job/Work Experience: Private tutor and I’ve worked at KFC/A&W for the past year
[] Volunteer/Community service: 100+ hours with my temple and youth group
[] Summer Activities: Work
[] Essays: Don’t remember my “why UChicago” essay. Chose the prompt of creating a past for a present and infused a lot of my culture into it. It was interesting but rushed though since I wrote it the night of the deadline.
[] Teacher Recommendation: I’m sure it was beyond fantastic because my teacher loves me to death.
[] Counselor Rec: ^same
[] Additional Rec:
[] Interview: didn’t know they offered any, oops
[/ul] Other[ul]
[] Applied for Financial Aid?: Yes
[] Intended Major: Cell Biology (pre-med)
[] State (if domestic applicant):CA
[] Country (if international applicant):
[] School Type: Public
[] Ethnicity: Asian
[] Gender: Female
[] Income Bracket: $90,000
[] Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): first generation college
[/ul]Reflection[ul]
[] Strengths: maybe my GPA. That’s about it.
[] Weaknesses: pretty much everything
[] Why you think you were accepted/deferred/denied: I suck.
[/ul]General Comments:
I’m kind of sad. I really loved UChicago and I know that the odds of being accepted from the waitlist are close to nothing. UChicago was my third choice behind Columbia and Cornell. And unfortunately, Columbia has rejected on me. Waiting on Cornell now, fingers crossed.

lexeetee · March 16, 2013, 1:13am

[ size=+2][ color=green][ b]Decision: Accepted**[/color][/size]

[ b]Objective:[list]
[ * ] SAT I (breakdown): 2300, 800 Critical reading 770 Math 730 Writing
[ *] ACT: 32
[ *] SAT II: Literature 770, Math 2 670
[ *] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0
[ *] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): Messed up ranks but should be 1/205
[ *] AP (place score in parenthesis): Euro 3, APUSH 3, Lang/Comp 4, taking 5 this year
[ *] IB (place score in parenthesis): none
[ *] Senior Year Course Load: 5 AP classes, 2 drama classes, speech and debate
[ *] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): Merit Scholar commendation
[ /list][ b]Subjective:[list]
[ *] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Drama club (president), ASB (president), Speech and Debate (treasurer), Model UN (vice president)
[ *] Job/Work Experience: none
[ *] Volunteer/Community service: over 400 hours a year
[ *] Summer Activities: laziness
[ *] Essays: Commonapp essay was the non dramatic creative kind, did essay question about seeing something unexpected (used the TARDIS)
[ *] Teacher Recommendation: glowing
[ *] Counselor Rec: who knows
[ ] Additional Rec: none
[ ] Interview: none
[ /list][ b]Other[list]
[ *] Applied for Financial Aid?: Of course
[ *] Intended Major: Theatre
[ *] State (if domestic applicant): California
[ *] Country (if international applicant):
[ *] School Type: Public
[ *] Ethnicity: White
[ *] Gender: Female
[ ] Income Bracket: Definitely not rich
[ ] Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): none really, except my charming personality
[ /list][ b]Reflection[list]
[ *] Strengths: extracurriculars, community service
[ ] Weaknesses: AP tests, only 2 years language
[ ] Why you think you were accepted/deferred/denied: No clue really, I did submit an arts supplement, that could have helped. Also my community service gives me a slight edge.
[ /list][ b]General Comments:
Really excited :)

lexeetee · March 16, 2013, 1:15am

oops the formatting didn’t work…

AustroHungarian · March 16, 2013, 1:47am

Decision: Waitlisted

Objective:[ul]
[] SAT I (breakdown):2120 (740 CR, 670 M, 710 W)
[] ACT: 34 (35, 34, 34, 33)
[] SAT II: 800 USH, 800 World H
[] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.86
[] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 10%
[] AP (place score in parenthesis): Euro (5) World (5) USH (5) English Lang (5) Stats (4)
[] IB (place score in parenthesis):
[] Senior Year Course Load: AP latin, lit, calc AB, us govt, Envi Sci, Physics C
[] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): national latin exam silver (?)
[/ul]Subjective:[ul]
[] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Latin club (treasurer) band (section leader) NHS (VP) academic team
[] Job/Work Experience: little to none
[] Volunteer/Community service: good, nothing amazing
[] Summer Activities: good, nothing amazing
[] Essays: very good
[] Teacher Recommendation: great
[] Counselor Rec: dunno
[] Additional Rec: average
[] Interview: Didn’t get one
[/ul]Other[ul]
[] Applied for Financial Aid?: Y
[] Intended Major: undecided / history
[] State (if domestic applicant): OH
[] School Type: public
[] Ethnicity: white/asian
[] Gender: M
[] Income Bracket: <50,000
[] Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): none
[/ul]Reflection[ul]
[] Strengths: essays, 1st teacher rec
[] Weaknesses: nothing spectacular about me
[li] Why you think you were accepted/deferred/denied: I have no idea[/li][/ul]General Comments: Well, this is a bit sad. I’m not sure what I expected, but knowing that the waiting continues until almost certain rejection is almost worse.

Also, so many people waitlisted…?

calliet9 · March 16, 2013, 2:20am

waitlisted too. does anyone know how many people get waitlisted? im pretty sure the rate of getting accepted off the waitlist is even lower…

MRU93Raith · March 16, 2013, 2:42am

[ size=+2][ color=red][ b]Decision: Rejected**[/color][/size]

[ b]Objective:[list]
[ ] SAT I (breakdown): 2100 (M 770, CR 690, W 640, E 7) 2nd sitting
[ *] SAT II: MIIC 780, Phys 800, French 600
[ *] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): My school doesn’t have GPA and conversion isn’t accurate… but through the symbol conversion - 4.0
[ *] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): top 10% - top 4 in 40
[ ] A Level CIE (place score in parenthesis):
A2:
Math - A 97%
Physics - A 92%
Chemistry - A 88%
Further Maths - C 60% (1 of 4 who wrote it for the first time for South Africa ever)
[ *] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): None to speak of, never had the opportunity really.
[ /list][ b]Subjective:[list]
[ *] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):
Swimming:
Varsity Captain from Sophmore year
Victor Ludaurum throughout my high school career (apart from in SA)
4th 50m/100m backstroke in Mauritian nationals
top 8 50m/100m Butterfly in Mauritian nationals
top 12 50m/100m/200m Freestyle in Mauritian nationals
Club captain
Varsity team for school in South Africa
Half colours for swimming
Karate:
Brown belt 2nd cue
Kitesurfing
Waterpolo:
wing for 2nd and 3rd teams
PADI:
Open Water, Advanced Open Water and Rescue Diver certifications
Guitar:
Grade 6 Trinity Guildhall examinations for Classical
Trained in Classical, Acoustic and Electric
Took part in many inter house and inter school events (rugby, cricket, volleyball, basketball, hockey, rounders, debating, speech)
[ *] Job/Work Experience:
-Many hours working in my mum’s food store as front of house and waiter
-Working as an apprentice engineer at an aircraft company where we take apart, clean, repair, reassemble and replace into the aircraft. Very hands on.
[ *] Volunteer/Community service:
-First aid: 75+ hours at rugby games and hockey games
-Helped upgrade a small village’s community centre by repairing walls, furniture, laying down carpets etc
[ *] Summer Activities: Generally nothing apart from having fun with my ECs
[ *] Essays: Common App essays I think were pretty good, my sup essay probably wasn’t as good, but I still felt pretty confident about it.
[ *] Teacher Recommendation: Outstanding
[ *] Counselor Rec: Very Good
[ ] Additional Rec: Outstanding
[ ] Interview: Wasn’t granted one
[ /list][ b]Other[list]
[ *] Applied for Financial Aid?: Nope
[ *] Intended Major: Physics/Applied science
[ *] Country (if international applicant): Citizen of United Kingdom and South Africa, living in Mauritius
[ *] School Type: Private
[ *] Ethnicity: White
[ *] Gender: Male
[ ] Income Bracket: $120,000+?
[ ] Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): nothing unless my location counts
[ /list][ b]Reflection[list]
[ *] Strengths:EC’s, A Level grades and courseload, Recs
[ ] Weaknesses:SAT I’s, essays, lack of international awards (only school)
[ ] Why you think you were accepted/deferred/denied: Probably because I am not highly qualified enough and my essays weren’t well written enough?
[ /list][ b]General Comments: Not too bumbed as I plan on studying engineering, but I really did enjoy everything the uni had to offer (even the lack of engineering as their science department is outstanding). Feeling quite nervous as this is the 4th uni decision and my 3rd rejection…

creepingdeath666 · March 16, 2013, 4:29am

Does anybody know why some are rejected while some are Waitlistd?

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