Official University of Chicago RD Decisions Thread - Class of 2014

xrCalico23 · March 20, 2010, 4:43pm

Decision: Accepted!!!

Neon_Green · March 20, 2010, 4:53pm

Decision: Waitlisted

Objective:[ul]
[] SAT I (breakdown): 2330
[] ACT: n/a
[] SAT II (if submitted): math2 780, ush 770, chem 740
[] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.9ish
[] Grades in AP/IB/honors classes (if applicable) 9 honors, rest honors
[] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): n/a
[] AP (place score in parenthesis): 9 aps
[] IB (place score in parenthesis): n/a
[] Senior Year Course Load: 4 aps, rest honors
[] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.):

[/ul]Subjective:[ul]

[] Extracurriculars (place leadership and number of years participated in a certain activity in parenthesis): above average
[] Job/Work Experience: 2 years guarding
[] Volunteer/Community service: not much
[] EC short answer (subject and personal opinions on it): i don’t remember… i guess average
[] Common App Essay (subject and personal opinions on it): above average
[] Optional Favorite Things Essay (subject and personal opinions on it): i liked it
[] Why Chicago (details in the essay and personal opinions on it): average
[] Extended Chicago Essay (subject - if you want, include essay prompt if you did #5 - and personal opinions on it): i did #5, about music.
[] Teacher Recommendation (only if you saw it): did not see, but above average
[] Counselor Rec (only if you saw it): did not see, but above average
[] Additional Rec (only if you saw it): n/a
[] Interview: n/a

[/ul]Other[ul]
[] Three Areas of Interest Listed: econ
[] State (if domestic applicant): east coast
[] Country (if international applicant): usa
[] School Type: charter
[] Ethnicity: asian
[] Gender: male
[] Hooks (URM, first generation college, research, etc.): none
[/ul]Reflection[ul]
[] Strengths: upward trend, courseload, sat scores
[] Weaknesses: bad frosh year
[] Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: dunno… increased applications this year?
[/ul]General Comments: i accepted waitlist because there’s nothing to lose… i probably wouldn’t go if i got in though.

raincoat · March 20, 2010, 5:12pm

Decision: Rejected
Objective:

<pre><code>* SAT I (breakdown): 2380

ACT: n/a
SAT II (if submitted): Math II 800, Physics 790, Latin 780
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0
Grades in AP/IB/honors classes (if applicable) All AP classes Junior and Senior year
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): n/a
AP (place score in parenthesis): 15 AP classes. All 5s.
IB (place score in parenthesis): n/a
Senior Year Course Load: 7 APs
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.):Language and Math Team awards
</code></pre>

Subjective:

<pre><code>* Extracurriculars (place leadership and number of years participated in a certain activity in parenthesis): Editor of Newspaper, Quiz bowl, Math Team, French Team

Job/Work Experience: None
Volunteer/Community service: 500 hours
EC short answer (subject and personal opinions on it): Short but well-written
Common App Essay (subject and personal opinions on it): Good
Optional Favorite Things Essay (subject and personal opinions on it): 'twas fun.
Why Chicago (details in the essay and personal opinions on it): Alright
Extended Chicago Essay (subject - if you want, include essay prompt if you did #5 - and personal opinions on it): I thought mine was great, but the admissions office must not have thought the same.
Teacher Recommendation (only if you saw it): Excellent
Counselor Rec (only if you saw it): Probably decent. She’s not well-written.
Additional Rec (only if you saw it): n/a
Interview: n/a
</code></pre>

Other

<pre><code>* Three Areas of Interest Listed: Language, Physics, Undecided

State (if domestic applicant): Lower east coast
Country (if international applicant): USA
School Type: Private college prep
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Male
Hooks (URM, first generation college, research, etc.): none
</code></pre>

Reflection

<pre><code>* Strengths: Everything academic

Weaknesses: Not a MINORITY
Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Probably because I’m a white, middle-class family student. If I was Hispanic or Black with a 3.0 and 1000 I would’ve received some good news.
</code></pre>

General Comments: Oh well. Chicago is an ugly school.

bluewatermelon · March 20, 2010, 5:16pm

Decision: Accepted

Objective:[ul]
[] SAT I (breakdown): 2390 Superscored
[] ACT: Didn’t take
[] SAT II (if submitted): 800 750 730 720 700
[] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0
[] Grades in AP/IB/honors classes (if applicable): A’s
[] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 3/502
[] AP (place score in parenthesis): 55555555544433
[] IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A
[] Senior Year Course Load: tough
[] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): National Merit Finalist, National AP Scholar
[/ul]Subjective:[ul]
[] Extracurriculars (place leadership and number of years participated in a certain activity in parenthesis): Yearbook (Editor in Chief), Honor Society (Secretary), Mu Alpha Theta Club, Science Bowl, JV Volleyball, Track
[] Job/Work Experience: Tutoring, babysitting
[] Volunteer/Community service: Hospital
[] EC short answer (subject and personal opinions on it): Good - don’t feel like going into details
[] Common App Essay (subject and personal opinions on it): Good - don’t feel like going into details
[] Optional Favorite Things Essay (subject and personal opinions on it): Music - Classical
[] Why Chicago (details in the essay and personal opinions on it): Okay - don’t feel like going into details
[] Extended Chicago Essay (subject - if you want, include essay prompt if you did #5 - and personal opinions on it): It was creative - but I don’t feel like going into details
[] Teacher Recommendation (only if you saw it): Okay, but I didn’t see them
[] Counselor Rec (only if you saw it): Okay, but I didn’t see it
[] Additional Rec (only if you saw it): Nope
[] Interview: Good!
[/ul]Other[ul]
[] Three Areas of Interest Listed: Economics, Math, History
[] State (if domestic applicant): CA
[] Country (if international applicant):
[] School Type: Public, competitive
[] Ethnicity: Korean
[] Gender: Female
[] Hooks (URM, first generation college, research, etc.): None
[/ul]Reflection[ul]
[] Strengths: Test scores?
[] Weaknesses: EC’s
[] Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: I don’t know
[/ul]General Comments: Soo happy!

smellifer · March 20, 2010, 5:24pm

Decision: Waitlisted

Objective:[ul]
[] SAT I (breakdown): 730 Reading, 740 Math, 760 Writing
[] ACT:
[] SAT II (if submitted): 790 Math II, 730 Lit, 730 Chem
[] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 97.974 on 100-point scale
[] Grades in AP/IB/honors classes (if applicable) All 90+
[] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): Top 3% out of 326
[] AP (place score in parenthesis): Lang (5), USH (5), Chem (3)
[] IB (place score in parenthesis):
[] Senior Year Course Load: AP Bio, AP Lit, AP French, AP Calc BC
[] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): AP Scholar, National Merit Commended, blah blah typical.
[/ul]Subjective:[ul]
[] Extracurriculars (place leadership and number of years participated in a certain activity in parenthesis): Piano (10 years & sent in the arts supplement), table tennis (4 years), tutoring (2 years), not a big in-school person.
[] Job/Work Experience: Summer intern at NIH, taught English in Shanghai.
[] Volunteer/Community service: Not really besides tutoring, Model WHO, and local stuff here and there, now and then.
[] EC short answer (subject and personal opinions on it): About table tennis.
[] Common App Essay (subject and personal opinions on it): Asian eyes, probably my best piece of writing ever and “good enough to be published in The New Yorker” (not sure about that one).
[] Optional Favorite Things Essay (subject and personal opinions on it): About Sviatoslav Richter.
[] Why Chicago (details in the essay and personal opinions on it): Pretty weak. I think I may have insulted UChicago in it… something about arriving on campus and being put off by the frigid weather and everyone scurrying about, looking at their feet. I behaved well by the end, though.
[] Extended Chicago Essay (subject - if you want, include essay prompt if you did #5 - and personal opinions on it): The prompt about outgrowing something. About my piano teacher.
[] Teacher Recommendation (only if you saw it): Waived rights.
[] Counselor Rec (only if you saw it): Waived rights.
[] Additional Rec (only if you saw it): No.
[] Interview: Didn’t schedule one.
[/ul]Other[ul]
[] Three Areas of Interest Listed: Don’t remember. Journalism and psychiatry, prob.
[] State (if domestic applicant): New Jersey.
[] Country (if international applicant):
[] School Type: Public.
[] Ethnicity: Chinese.
[] Gender: Female.
[] Hooks (URM, first generation college, research, etc.): No.
[/ul]Reflection[ul]
[] Strengths: Essays, excluding the UChicago supplement LOL.
[] Weaknesses: I don’t really think I had any debilitating weaknesses. Just a relatively qualified applicant like everyone else.
[] Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Was surprised. I guess I don’t really have the UChicago personality that I had observed in many of its students. The supplement was well-written, but uninspired. Didn’t put much effort into it, as was the approach to UChicago in general: didn’t bother getting to know much about it, wasn’t one of those many super passionate applicants. I suppose I did well for not giving a damn.
[/ul]General Comments: I certainly liked UChicago, and am of course disappointed. My major concern is about the Ivies I applied to. If I can’t get in here, regardless of the 40% increase in applicants, then I’m expecting Rutgers, a state school, this fall. Congratulations acceptees.

GR3 · March 20, 2010, 5:50pm

Waitlisted

SAT-I 2380 (one time)
SAT-II 800/800/790
GPA 4.0(unweighted) 5.16/5.25 (Unweighted)
12 AP all 5 or A(taken in U) by Junior year.
Well, life moves on.

madhukar92 · March 20, 2010, 6:04pm

@Maxxwell, im not bitter. the girl who got in is actually one of my good friends and im VERYYY happy for her. i would just much rather get passed on for a more legit reason…

SierraBravo · March 20, 2010, 6:18pm

Waitlisted

Asian american (Thai)
SAT: 2290, taken twice
SAT II: 660 Math 690 French 750 English
APs: two 5s, a 4, a 3, and a 2
GPA: I have a 93-94, weighted
Essays: common app I’m proud of, probably the best I’ve ever written, U Chicago ones were kind of stupid
Extracurriculars: decent, nothing great. mostly generic stuff
Class rank: I don’t know. definitely top 25%.

In summary, I’m screwed come April 1st. This was one of my easiest and one of my top choices. I hope one of my hail marys will pay off.

qui sera, sera. At least I wasn’t rejected outright. I still love you chicago.

Badgerz · March 20, 2010, 6:37pm

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

[ b]Objective:[ /b][ list] ACCEPTED !!!
[ *] SAT I (breakdown): didnt take
[ *] ACT: 34
[ *] SAT II (if submitted):800 on bio, math 2, chem
[ *] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0):3.9
[ *] Grades in AP/IB/honors classes (if applicable) 5 APs and senior courses all at local university
[ *] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable):no rank. top 10%
[ *] AP (place score in parenthesis):lang 3 (emo face), chem 5, calc bc 5, bio 4 (self studied)
[ *] IB (place score in parenthesis):
[ *] Senior Year Course Load:all courses (ochem, advanced bio, calc 3…)
[ *] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): some random school awards and some 1st place state wide club awards
[ /list][ b]Subjective:[ /b][ list]
[ *] Extracurriculars (place leadership and number of years participated in a certain activity in parenthesis): lots of leadership roles, i would list but privacy is nice =p
[ *] Job/Work Experience:18 hours a week of lab research, 2 years
[ *] Volunteer/Community service: 100 + hours volunteering at hospital
[ *] EC short answer (subject and personal opinions on it):i wrote a very good response (exactly 200 words beat that =p) i discussed my research
[ *] Common App Essay (subject and personal opinions on it):not bad, could have been better
[ *] Optional Favorite Things Essay (subject and personal opinions on it):very personal, i really had fun with it. i talked about lots of books and songs, how they made me feel, when i would listen to them, etc.
[ *] Why Chicago (details in the essay and personal opinions on it):standard but with a touch of personality
[ *] Extended Chicago Essay (subject - if you want, include essay prompt if you did #5 - and personal opinions on it):very good essay. ironically it was better than my comman app essay.
[ *] Teacher Recommendation (only if you saw it): very good
[ *] Counselor Rec (only if you saw it):no idea
[ *] Additional Rec (only if you saw it):my boss. no idea
[ *] Interview:amazing, we really hit it off
[ /list][ b]Other[ /b][ list]
[ *] Three Areas of Interest Listed:biology, literature, chemistry
[ *] State (if domestic applicant):
[ *] Country (if international applicant):
[ *] School Type:public
[ *] Ethnicity:white
[ *] Gender:male
[ *] Hooks (URM, first generation college, research, etc.):none
[ /list][ b]Reflection[ /b][ list]
[ *] Strengths: good extracurriculars, very unique application, i put alot of effort into the supplement essays 
[ *] Weaknesses:GPA, common app essay could have been improved
[ *] Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: the magic 8 ball said yes =D
[ /list][ b]General Comments:[ /b] I am so excited! I will be waiting to hear from other schools, but seriously, i will choose u chicago over half the schools i applied to, so this is certainly a relief (brown, cornell, duke… ) Good luck to everyone!

Maxxwell · March 20, 2010, 6:44pm

madhukar, don’t worry too much about AA. Make the most of opportunities you get. I am sure you will do well wherever you go. Good luck!

Madhu means sweet nectar or honey.
Madhukar - one who gives sweetness. You can’t be bitter. :)

SierraBravo · March 20, 2010, 6:45pm

I mean *que sera. Embarrassing, haha.

litlove · March 20, 2010, 9:32pm

Decision: Accepted

Objective:

<pre><code>* SAT I (breakdown): 2200

ACT: 30
SAT II: 710 Lit 730 USH
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0
UC Weighted GPA: 4.48
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 1/405
AP (place score in parenthesis): World (5) US (5) Psych (5) Chem (2)
IB (place score in parenthesis):
Senior Year Course Load: AP Stats, Econ, English, and Bio. Journalism 4 and Peer Teaching
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): National Merit, various Journalism and Essay contest awards.
</code></pre>

Subjective:

<pre><code>* Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Science Olympiad (President), National Honor Society (President), Amnesty International (Founder/President), Key Club (Secretary), Theater, Journalism (Copy Editor)

Job/Work Experience: Cashier in a pharmacy
Volunteer/Community service: Went to Ecuador and delivered shoes to underprivileged children through Amnesty, worked with disabled children at a horseback therapy clinic, hospital and senior home volunteer.
Essays: One about acting and how taking on different roles has allowed me to see the world in a broader view, and one about my historical fiction writing. I also sent in a 3-page sample of my writing as supplemental material.
</code></pre>

Other

<pre><code>* Applied for Financial Aid?: Yes

Intended Major: Sociology/Art History
State (if domestic applicant): CA
Country (if international applicant):
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Female
Income Bracket: under $100,000
Hooks (URM, first generation college, research, etc.):
</code></pre>

Reflection

<pre><code>* Strengths: GPA and ECs

Weaknesses: AP Chem test
Why you think you were accepted/rejected: Could be anything, who knows.
</code></pre>

General Comments: Congrats to everyone else who got in!

ksarmand · March 20, 2010, 9:58pm

Decision: Accepted

Objective:[ul]
[] SAT I (breakdown):2270 (800 CR; 710 M; 700 W)
[] ACT: N/A
[] SAT II (if submitted): 800 US; 790 LIT; 700 Math II (did not submit)
[] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 97.6% (101.1%W; school has crappy weighting system)
[] Grades in AP/IB/honors classes (if applicable): 99% in WH; 99% in USH; 95% in Eng (the teacher screwed me up big time here); 97% in Env.
[] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 3/245
[] AP (place score in parenthesis): World History (5) U.S. History (5) English Language & Comp (5) Environmental Science (5)
[] IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A
[] Senior Year Course Load: AP Art History; AP Spanish Language; AP English Literature & Comp; AP Government; AP Calculus AB; AP Biology;
[] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): none. National Achievement Scholar (but I never updated UChicago, so they wouldn’t have known). National Merit Commended.

[/ul]Subjective:[ul]
[] Extracurriculars (place leadership and number of years participated in a certain activity in parenthesis):
NHS - President - 4
Math Club - President - 4
XC - Captain - 4
T&F - Captain - 4
Pit Orch. - Section Leader (violin) - 3
Student Council - Secretary - 4
Newspaper - Editor-in-Chief - 4
Mock Trial - President - 3
Others (less significant): Science Olympiad, Model U.N. (2 Best Delegate awards @ some of the bigger conferences), Jazz Band Pianist, and that’s all I can remember for now. (pm me if you really must have the complete list).
[] Job/Work Experience: Work at summer camp in Harlem for below minimum wage in the hot summer sun; brutal hours (6 a.m. to 6 p.m.); great fun (and even better stories :D)
[li] Volunteer/Community service: ESL teacher at local church; classes held for both elderly and the youth who’d like to learn English; my role switched from doing the Advanced English lessons to doing history lessons for a group of high schoolers who recently immigrated here from Haitian. The class is for Haitian Kreyol speakers.[/li]
[] EC short answer (subject and personal opinions on it): I wrote about a working at a program I had attended some years prior, and how meeting those bright kids helped draw me out of my shell and transform the rest of my high school career. It was pretty much about how being shy wasn’t an option when you were in a classroom full of 7 and 8 year olds expecting you to take the lead, and how this had translated into gaining lots of life skills I applied in school and in my ECs.
[] Common App Essay (subject and personal opinions on it): It was 262 words. (or something like that.) Essentially, it was an extended metaphor from which I derived my personal philosophy, which I stated in the final line. 
[] Optional Favorite Things Essay (subject and personal opinions on it): This was really short. I talked about Bach’s 48th Fugue, Boccioni’s Unique Forms of Continuity in Space, and Glenn Gould. Now that I re-read it, I wonder at my sanity.
[] Why Chicago (details in the essay and personal opinions on it): Super-short. Nothing spectacular.
[] Extended Chicago Essay (subject - if you want, include essay prompt if you did #5 - and personal opinions on it): I did the whole “What is Human Personality?” It came out as the crazed rambling of a terrified teenager who had just dislocated her knee while ice skating. But hey, I guess it worked.
[] Teacher Recommendation (only if you saw it): They weren’t super-specific. But you could feel the conviction of the words shining through the paper: the sheets practically glowed.
[] Counselor Rec (only if you saw it): Three lines. :mad: And I made her brownies so that she’d do a good job, too. What a waste.
[] Additional Rec (only if you saw it): n/a
[] Interview: Really informational and all. It occurred in the latter half of January.
[/ul]Other[ul]
[] Three Areas of Interest Listed: Political Science, Economics, and Philosophy (I think??)
[] State (if domestic applicant): NY
[] Country (if international applicant):
[] School Type: Public (in the upper percentage of bad schools)
[] Ethnicity: Haitian (yes, the I-still-have-my-green-card-and-the-INS-is-taking-forever-to-process-my-application-for-citizenship kind)
[] Gender: Female
[] Hooks (URM, first generation college, research, etc.): URM???
[/ul]Reflection[ul]
[] Strengths: I have a lot of ECs. And they’re quite diverse. Some are just for fun, and I made that clear. But in all of the ones I plan on continuing in college, I’ve won awards, even if they weren’t national level.
[] Weaknesses: My essay was not good, and I know it. It gave off the whole “trying too hard to impress” vibe. Also, although while I was writing my short essay responses I thought they were the bomb, they actually weren’t (well, not when I saw the others on CC).
[li] Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: There are so many people more numerically qualified than I on this list who got waitlisted/rejected from UChicago. So it’s definitely not because I was numerically stronger than all the other applicants. However, I had a strong mix of ECs, leadership positions, strong recommendations (except from my dratted counselor who was of no help), and decent writing. This combination is, in my opinion, what really helped. Maybe the fact that I’m the only person who applied from my school helped too. :)[/li][/ul]General Comments: You don’t have to be superhuman to get in. But you must be sincere and let that shine through your application. Throughout my entire application process, I made sure that my work was mine alone; no one re-read or rewrote parts of my application. I handed in what I knew was material that was true to myself. Don’t let anyone tell you what you should write about. Search in yourself and you’ll find it. But don’t start late (like 2 days before the deadline…), otherwise your head will explode in stress (or you’ll happily dislocate a knee). There are some rather saturnine comments from other posters on this thread. Please disregard them. If you distinguish yourself and get involved in a variety of activities, you’ll be fine. And once you travel into the top 1% of schools, it’s a crapshoot anyway. Enjoy the process of undergraduate college applications and take your time writing about the truth within you–the opportunity to ramble to complete strangers en masse only comes once (well, for most of us).
Good Luck!!

doesitmatter · March 20, 2010, 10:48pm

Decision: Accepted

Objective:[ul]

[] SAT I (breakdown): 2210 (750R/660M/800W) and 2200 (750R/680M/780W)
[] ACT: 31 not submitted
[] SAT II (if submitted): 750Math1/680math2/760lit/590spanish/740UShist
[] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0 before first semester transcript, 3.96 after
[] Grades in AP/IB/honors classes (if applicable): As in everything except AP Calc AB
[] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 1/367 before first semester transcript
[] AP (place score in parenthesis): 5(AP English Lit, AP English Lang), 4(AP European History, AP US History)
[] IB (place score in parenthesis): nope
[] Senior Year Course Load: heavy…AP Statistics, AP Calculus AB, AP Latin Vergil, AP Government, Honors Spanish 4, Science Research (application required), Symphonic Band
[] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): National Merit Finalist, NCTE Achievement Award in Writing, National Latin Exam Summa Cum Laude two times, NLE Maxima Cum Laude, Latin National Honor Society then some awards in state ecology competition and latin convention, and school department honors

[/ul]Subjective:[ul]

[] Extracurriculars (place leadership and number of years participated in a certain activity in parenthesis):
-English Hunt Seat Horseback Riding (11 years) : multiple champion and reserve champion titles in rated shows; help train horses and provide medical attention
-Writing Club (3 years, president and founded school writing competition)
-Scholar’s Bowl Team (2 years, captain)
-Environmental Club (3 years, leader in ecology competitions+rediscovered threatened species)
-Marching Band/General Music (lots of years :), principal piccolo and in higher level band)
[] Job/Work Experience: none…horses take up too much time
[] Volunteer/Community service:
-volunteer at therapeutic riding stable for mentally/physically disabled people
-volunteer on herpetological species surveys for nature society
-volunteer on archeological dig as a part of eventually reintroducing bison to prairie
-mentored freshmen at school, helping them to set goals and connect with the school
[] EC short answer (subject and personal opinions on it): about the writing contest i started; short, to the point, and not all that interesting, but it did its job
[] Common App Essay (subject and personal opinions on it): about how i dont have one specific item that i can define myself by, but how four things (my love of writing, horses, ecology, and latin) are so important to me and how they influence my life–each got a hefty paragraph and was well treated. really, really long (3 single spaced pages), but it was freakishly awesome…probably the best thing i have ever written, and i write A LOT.
[] Optional Favorite Things Essay (subject and personal opinions on it): hahaha basically i was sick, sick, sick of writing essays so i did a mock favorite things, with Seuss as a favorite poet for rhyming ‘fish’ with ‘fish’, “Dogs Playing Poker” as fav. art because its ‘classy’, and opera-rapping as my favorite music, all in a very bloated, overly-scholarly style/overly verbose. it was funny, but super super risky…
[] Why Chicago (details in the essay and personal opinions on it): played up the ivy-league academics, ivy-league dedication, but not ivy-league stuffiness of chicago and how i like it. its not a bad essay, but pretty run of the mill/nothing special
[] Extended Chicago Essay (subject - if you want, include essay prompt if you did #5 - and personal opinions on it): #5 (talk about who has influenced you)-talked about parents, teachers, and handicapped riders at therapeutic riding. it was good, and emotional…with the little hints of humor that are always excellent
[] Teacher Recommendation (only if you saw it): from my AP English Lang teacher, because i was the first student in district to skip a grade in english, so i was a sophomore in a junior class…it was very very good.
[] Counselor Rec (only if you saw it) : (didn’t see) probably pretty good
[] Additional Rec (only if you saw it) : (didn’t see) from science research teacher, probably good
[] Interview: ugh not-so-hot. interviewer really wouldn’t talk at all…no questions, no real interest in talking about anything i said. he was nice, and the interview wasn’t terrible, but it should have been a lot stronger if i wasn’t left hanging like that!

[/ul]Other[ul]
[] Three Areas of Interest Listed: Environmental Studies and Natural Resources/English Language and Literature/Foreign Language and Literature
[] State (if domestic applicant) : kansas
[] Country (if international applicant):
[] School Type: public. crazy competitive…crazy.
[] Ethnicity: white…but i didn’t list it, because race shouldn’t be a factor in an application…at least not in my humble opinion
[] Gender: female
[li] Hooks (URM, first generation college, research, etc.): well i was born in hong kong, so in combination with not listing race and having a super white kid name, im a bit of a race enigma on the application…i also sent in a writing supplement if that would go under hooks[/li]
[/ul]Reflection[ul]
[] Strengths: essays and writing in general, the fact that my GPA and rank were perfect until the first semester transcript (got lucky!), maybe that all my awards and extracurriculars are cohesive and related to my major passions…i dunno
[] Weaknesses: not much volunteering, and compared to people on CC, low test scores (but haha i don’t care, they’re just tests)
[li] Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: i was very passionate in all aspects of the application.[/li][/ul]General Comments: Congrats to everyone else who got in!! Woo i’m excited and happy about this :P

Anarch · March 21, 2010, 12:23am

Decision: Accepted

Objective:[ul]
[] SAT I (breakdown): 2400 single sitting
[] ACT: 36 single sitting
[] SAT II (if submitted): 800 Chem, Physics, Math II; 780 US Hist
[] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.87
[] Grades in AP/IB/honors classes (if applicable): A in US Hist, Euro, Phys C, Chem, Stats, Calc BC; self-studied Macroecon, Microecon, CS AB
[] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 24/521
[] AP (place score in parenthesis): 5 in US Hist, Euro, Macroecon, Microecon, Phys C EM, Phys C Mech, Chem, Calc BC, CS AB, Stats
[] Senior Year Course Load: AP US Gov, AP Bio, AP Japanese, AP Psych, Band, Advanced Topics in Computer Science (post-AP), British Lit Honors
[] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): nothing national; various state-level awards in math
[/ul]Subjective:[ul]
[] Extracurriculars (place leadership and number of years participated in a certain activity in parenthesis): Math Club (9-12; president 11-12), Academic Quizbowl team (9-12; captain 11-12), Science Bowl/Olympiad (10-12; Scibowl captain 12), Asian Club (10-12; VP 12), various band things (9-12)
[] Job/Work Experience: none
[] Volunteer/Community service: none
[] EC short answer (subject and personal opinions on it): quizbowl team; it was decent
[] Common App Essay (subject and personal opinions on it): math; it was awful
[] Optional Favorite Things Essay (subject and personal opinions on it): listed various things; it was pretty good, fwiw
[] Why Chicago (details in the essay and personal opinions on it): I mostly whined about anti-intellectualism; it was horrible, I thought
[] Extended Chicago Essay (subject - if you want, include essay prompt if you did #5 - and personal opinions on it): I wrote about the thing I had outgrown. That thing was Pokemon. It was honestly not bad, but it was about Pokemon. I don’t see how I got in.
[] Teacher Recommendation (only if you saw it): Didn’t see it, but I think both were pretty good
[] Interview: none
[/ul]Other[ul]
[] Three Areas of Interest Listed: Physics, Math/Statistics, Engineering
[] State (if domestic applicant): OH
[] School Type: Public
[] Ethnicity: Brown
[] Gender: XY
[] Hooks (URM, first generation college, research, etc.): none
[/ul]Reflection[ul]
[] Strengths: “on-paper stats”, such as test scores
[] Weaknesses: Essays were god-awful
[] Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: I got lucky, I think.
[/ul]General Comments: I prove that college admissions at selective places are a crapshoot.

fantasyly · March 21, 2010, 12:43am

Decision: Deferred–>Accepted

Objective:[ul]
[] SAT I (breakdown): didn’t submit
[] ACT: 32
[] SAT II (if submitted): Chinese (800)
[] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.90
[] Grades in AP/IB/honors classes (if applicable) 8As 2Bs
[] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): Not ranked (only started this yr, before the top 5% of our school were all 4.0s)
[] AP (place score in parenthesis): AP World History(5), AP Psychology(4), AP Microeconomics(4), AP Chinese (5), AP Biology (5), AP English Language(5)
[] IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A
[] Senior Year Course Load: AP English Lit, AP Chemistry, AP Spanish, Anatomy and Physiology, Calculus, AP Macroeconomics, GYM T_T
[] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): None really, AP scholar with distinction
[/ul]Subjective:[ul]
[] Extracurriculars: Forensics (4yrs), Debate (3yrs), JOOI (4yrs), JV/V Math team (3yrs, team captain), Piano (10yrs), Violin (7yrs)
[] Job/Work Experience: Retirement Home Dietary Aide (fancy way of saying “waitress”)
[] Volunteer/Community service: 60+hrs at local library, 50+ hrs at local television station, helped organize run/walk for local community center for three years in a row, and a little bit of other things here and there…
[] EC short answer (subject and personal opinions on it): Me and the Piano and how it has changed me.
[] Common App Essay (subject and personal opinions on it): My trip to my dad’s childhood home in rural China and the power of education, written very truthfully.
[] Optional Favorite Things Essay (subject and personal opinions on it): My obsession with Chinese dramas, all I can say is–I must’ve been crazy.
[] Why Chicago (details in the essay and personal opinions on it): Opportunities, challenges, inspiration. Pretty basic essay imo.
[] Extended Chicago Essay (subject - if you want, include essay prompt if you did #5 - and personal opinions on it): The game prompt, I wrote about monopoly and how games have the ability to bring people closer together. Imo, it was pretty mundane, but i was truthful.
[] Teacher Recommendation (only if you saw it): didn’t see it.
[] Counselor Rec (only if you saw it): didn’t see it
[] Additional Rec (only if you saw it): nope.
[] Interview: Campus interview, the counselor was very very kind
[/ul]Other[ul]
[] Three Areas of Interest Listed: I honestly don’t remember, biochemistry, economics and foreign languages?
[] State (if domestic applicant): WI
[] Country (if international applicant):
[] School Type: Public
[] Ethnicity: Asian
[] Gender: Female
[] Hooks (URM, first generation college, research, etc.): Nope
[/ul]Reflection[ul]
[] Strengths: I would say my essays and the interview.
[] Weaknesses: No outstanding test scores or awards.
[] Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected:
[/ul]General Comments: It’s a beautiful school, going to visit and make my final decision :)

terroristlatino · March 21, 2010, 6:15am

Decision: Rejected

Objective
–SAT I (breakdown):2140, 790CR, 600M, 750WR
ACT:
–SAT II (if submitted):700 Bio E, 700 English Lit, 760 Spanish
–Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0):3.75ish? it’s liek A/A-, i’ve gone to three HS so its weird…
Grades in AP/IB/honors classes (if applicable): AP Pol and Gov (A+), AP English Comp (A+), AP Enviornmental Science (A+), AP English Lit (A), AP European History(A), AP Statistics(A), AP US History(A), Hindi IV(b+)
–Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable):idk…probs around 25% or so
–AP (place score in parenthesis): COmp Pol and Gov (5), English Language (5)
IB (place score in parenthesis):
–Senior Year Course Load: AP Stats, AP Evs, AP English Lit, AP Euro and AP US, musicmusicmuisc (band, orchestra, jazz band), and Hindi IV (highest hindi level after two years of classes–not sure anyone has done this at my school b4) GPA was 3.83/4 first sem
–Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.):

Subjective
–Extracurriculars (place leadership and number of years participated in a certain activity in parenthesis):newspaper (editor), spanish club (president), started community service organization to play music at local villages around my school
MUN, Debate (3 yrs), JSA, TONS OF THEATER, Music, writing club/center-help kids who aren’t that good at english, 3 sprots frosh year, nothing else since.
–Job/Work Experience: waiter during summers once
–Volunteer/Community service: over 100hrs, including Habitat for Humanity, Goodwill, etc.
–EC short answer (subject and personal opinions on it): idk what this is…
–Common App Essay (subject and personal opinions on it):
i think my essays were what didn’t get me into chicago. i wrote about how i raised $5,000 to go for a summer politics camp at georgetown for a month, about how i was the only mexican there, and about how much i loved it and felt intellectually challanged, etc.
–Optional Favorite Things Essay (subject and personal opinions on it): on books, i thought it was really good
–Why Chicago (details in the essay and personal opinions on it): also really good, was on how finding a college is like looking for barbies, and how chicago was that one barbie that came to life for me and was different and intellectual
–Extended Chicago Essay (subject - if you want, include essay prompt if you did #5 - and personal opinions on it): why did you get caught? super cliche, on how i want to change the world from the poverty and suffering i’ve seen in my childhood
–Teacher Recommendation (only if you saw it): realy good
–Counselor Rec (only if you saw it):same
–Additional Rec (only if you saw it):same
–Interview:none
Other

–Three Areas of Interest Listed: Hindi, Arabic, and Sanskrit (As foreign languages); politics, music
– State (if domestic applicant): from ohio, but i go to school in India. i’m an american citizen and a mexican citizen
–Country (if international applicant): mexico/india/us?
– School Type:private boarding
–Ethnicity: mexican-american
–Gender:M
–Hooks (URM, first generation college, research, etc.): URM: Mexican-American
]Reflection

–Strengths: i’m not sure…essays, workload, some essays
–Weaknesses: essays for sure
–Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: essays, perhaps? apart from that, i have no idea

General Comments
i feel super super depressed. chicago was my frist choice and i have NO IDEA apart from my essays why i was rejected. i’m MEXICAN WITH GOOD ECS AND GOOD GRADES/SAT SCORES WHAT ELSE DO THEY WANT!?!?!?!?!?! plus the girl from my school that got accepted is NO WAY near as good at life as me, and her grades and stuff aren’t that much better
THIS IS A MISTAKE!
■■■.
i hate chicago now. they’re missing out. i swear.

rainbowcandy · March 21, 2010, 7:18am

I got waitlisted too, but I for one know that the people who were accepted clearly have something to contribute to the school which I lacked. To everyone badmouthing Chicago, remember, you applied there. To everyone who says they were rejected/waitlisted because you are not a minority, I can easily see why you were turned away: you are both ignorant and arrogant. Test scores and some stats posted on a forum does not decide whether a person was a ‘better’ or ‘worse’ applicant than you, so grow up and know that you’ll be fine wherever you end up.

feathers.o_four · March 21, 2010, 8:43am

Decision: Accepted

Objective:[ul]
[] SAT I (breakdown): 2340 - M740 CR800 W800
[] ACT: n/a
[] SAT II (if submitted): Bio(M)-780 MathII-780 Chem-630 Physics-680 (both Chem&Physics I completely self-studied FROM SCRATCH in 2 WEEKS leading up to the SATs :D) Spanish(R only)-750 French(R only)-800
[] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): n/a
[] Grades in AP/IB/honors classes (if applicable): Was predicted 43 in the IB when I applied, then I received my actual Nov.09 exam results (44) and sent an update to the admissions office.
[] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 1/10 (we have a tiny IB class)
[] AP (place score in parenthesis): n/a
[] IB (place score in parenthesis): 44 – English A1 HL 7, French B HL 7, Biology HL 7, Maths HL 6, Economics SL 7, Spanish ab initio SL 7. EE – A; TOK – B
[] Senior Year Course Load: ^the above IB classes…
[] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): (not that major, but mentioned): some distinctions/high distinctions in national science/maths/English/creative writing competitions; school/music/selective science camp scholarships, French DALF issued by the French Ministry of Education
[/ul]Subjective:[list]
[] Extracurriculars (place leadership and number of years participated in a certain activity in parenthesis): Piano (~10 years, some exams/scholarships/minor recitals); extracurricular foreign language-learning (er… 4 years?); creative writing (~ 4 years); fencing (2 years, no competition results); swimming (2 years, no competition results); school magazine editing (1 year)
[] Job/Work Experience: private language tutor
[] Volunteer/Community service: visiting retirement home, childcare centre, and participation in school fundraisers etc… (all pretty minor)
[] EC short answer (subject and personal opinions on it): talked briefly about my interest in languages
[*] Common App Essay (subject and personal opinions on it): I wrote about my experiences living in many countries, and the cultures that have become part of me. A perhaps clich

ragnarjonsson · March 21, 2010, 9:16am

Congrats on your IB scores, especially Maths & English! (and acceptance, of course)

Note to future applicants: they reallllly like IB students.

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