Official Waitlist Discussion 2015

<p>It is evident that a large number of qualified applicants have been waitlisted. Some say that it is because UChic is suffering from a deadly disease called **Tufts syndrome<a href="lol">/b</a> and some say that UChic is following WUSTL's footsteps. What do you think can be the reason of this?</p>

<p>You may use this thread to express your disappointment.</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Were you expecting a rejection or an acceptance?</p></li>
<li><p>Give a reason why you think you were waitlisted?</p></li>
<li><p>Planning to stay "officially" on the waitlist?</p></li>
<li><p>Which other colleges have you been already accepted to/ got likely?</p></li>
<li><p>Applied for FA? If yes, what's your EFC?</p></li>
</ol>

<p>Let me start, </p>

<ol>
<li><p>Acceptance</p></li>
<li><p>Full FA, average SAT</p></li>
<li><p>Yes</p></li>
<li><p>Brown likely</p></li>
<li><p>Yes. EFC = 0</p></li>
</ol>

<ol>
<li><p>I was absolutely certain I’d be rejected.</p></li>
<li><p>Given that my transcript is riddled with Cs and Ds (3.3 GPA), I’m an international seeking financial aid, and I’ve never done a single remarkable thing in my life, I have to conclude they liked my essays. There’s no other explanation.</p></li>
<li><p>Yes, totally. UChicago is my first choice.</p></li>
<li><p>Was just accepted to Mount Holyoke.</p></li>
<li><p>Yes. Mount Holyoke is giving me 54k/year, so I guess my EFC is close to zero.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>Your Mount Holyoke package is awesome. Congrats for that and best of luck for UChic.</p>

<ol>
<li>Definitely not an acceptance. Going into this, I knew that the acceptance rate was low, but I didn’t know the percentage waitlisted vs. flat out rejected, but if I had to lean towards one or the other as a prediction, I probably would have predicted a rejection.</li>
<li>Didn’t show interest. Also, as someone in the chance threads pointed out, with some exceptions, it seems like most of those with higher scores got accepted, throwing most of us south of 2300 or 35 on the waitlist (2280 and 34… sucks for me =P). On the other hand, if I didn’t see the green/yellow/red text at the top of each post on the Wash U chance thread, I probably would not be able to differentiate between who was WL vs. accepted vs. rejected with any kind of accuracy, so while I definitely think Tuft’s syndrome is present there (I definitely don’t think it’s the reason for my WL, but most likely the reason for that of some of my fellow applicants with amazing stats), I’m not sure about UChicago.</li>
<li>Not 100% sure yet, but unlikely.</li>
<li>Emory (13k/yr merit scholarship, not sure about FA yet), UTK (my safety); WL at WashU; rejected at Yale SCEA; still waiting to hear back from 6 more, but I’ll most likely be at Emory next year.</li>
<li>Yes; not sure.</li>
</ol>

<p>Thanks, IMClearAdmitCase! Good luck to you too! Would you rather go to UChicago than Brown?</p>

<p>I want to go to either Princeton or Stanford, but if not, I am fine with Brown.</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Acceptance? Because I was offered an interview even though I am Romanian and the interview went greeeeat. I discussed with an American lady who was very nice and told me I had clearly put a lot of thought into my answers (as opposed to the regular interviewee who answers vaguely or smth like that) and that I would fit perfectly into UChicago.</p></li>
<li><p>I applied online. Yes I know this sounds strange but UChicago was one of the few universities to which I did not send a large application folder that included photos of me, works of art, poems I had written, a portfolio describing my activity as a Scout and a caver etc (you get the idea; this is how most of the students from my high school who are now studying in the US sent their application and it seems to work for us even though universities insist that we only send what is required).</p></li>
<li><p>I’m not sure. Probably yes.</p></li>
<li><p>Skidmore (55.6 k a year) and Duke (I am currently a University Scholars Program finalist which means that I will probably receive full financial aid here too as my family’s income is very very small)</p></li>
<li><p>I applied yes and my EFC is probably 0.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>I am almost sure I will go to Duke as this school is perfect for me but I will probably accept a place on the waitlist because I want to keep my options open. I don’t have, as of today, an official paper stating my financial aid package at Duke so I’d rather not risk losing the scholarship and then not receiving all the money I hope to receive.</p>

<ol>
<li>Were you expecting a rejection or an acceptance?
I tried hard to stay pessimistic, but my friends kept telling me, “you’ll get in for sure!”</li>
<li>Give a reason why you think you were waitlisted?
Showed no interest, lack of ECs/awards, lack of community service</li>
<li>Planning to stay “officially” on the waitlist?
Probably not. I’ll wait to hear back from my other schools first.</li>
<li>Which other colleges have you been already accepted to/ got likely?
Hahahahaha. This has been my only college news.</li>
<li>Applied for FA? If yes, what’s your EFC?
No.</li>
</ol>

<p>Just want to point out there are definitely more rejections on the UChicago thread than on the Wash U thread. I think U Chicago has remained more selective than Wash U.</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Were you expecting a rejection or an acceptance?
I wasn’t too invested in UChicago so I didn’t give the matter much thought.</p></li>
<li><p>Give a reason why you think you were waitlisted?
I wrote serious, not quirky essays so I’m probably not a good fit.</p></li>
<li><p>Planning to stay “officially” on the waitlist?
Yes!</p></li>
<li><p>Which other colleges have you been already accepted to/ got likely?
Wellesley,UCLA, Northeastern and American.</p></li>
<li><p>Applied for FA? If yes, what’s your EFC?
0</p></li>
</ol>

<ol>
<li><p>Were you expecting a rejection or an acceptance?
Although I was aware of the toughness of admissions, I thought I had a pretty good shot at being accepted. </p></li>
<li><p>Give a reason why you think you were waitlisted?
Mediocre ACT scores and probably the fact that I didn’t show enough interest</p></li>
<li><p>Planning to stay “officially” on the waitlist?
If I get into other schools then no. Somebody else probably needs that spot. </p></li>
<li><p>Which other colleges have you been already accepted to/ got likely?
UW Madison, U of M, Marquette…this was my first out of state, private decision. </p></li>
<li><p>Applied for FA? If yes, what’s your EFC?
EFC= 0</p></li>
</ol>

<p>Er I totally did not know UChicago had Tufts Syndrome… But even if it does, that’s probably not the reason I didn’t get accepted.</p>

<ol>
<li><p>I was totally expecting an acceptance, to be honest.</p></li>
<li><p>There are too many South Korean kids.</p></li>
<li><p>Already accepted waitlist offer.</p></li>
<li><p>Not looking too great… Georgia Tech, American University, and the University of St. Andrews</p></li>
<li><p>No, I would’ve been rejected right away if I applied for financial aid.</p></li>
</ol>

<ol>
<li><p>Were you expecting a rejection or an acceptance?
I was kinda expecting acceptance. Lots of people said I’d get in but idk, people I know seem to be really enthusiastic about my chances for…everything? I think I know too many optimists.</p></li>
<li><p>Give a reason why you think you were waitlisted?
Only 3 APs senior year in favor of more artistic classes. Also…those “why do you want to go to this college” essays were all really difficult for me.</p></li>
<li><p>Planning to stay “officially” on the waitlist?
Maybe, don’t know yet. I’ll wait to decide until I hear from my other colleges.</p></li>
<li><p>Which other colleges have you been already accepted to/ got likely?
Accepted to UCLA, UCSD.</p></li>
<li><p>Applied for FA? If yes, what’s your EFC?
Yes, but I dunno what my EFC is. Made my mom do that stuff.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>I don’t think it’s tufts syndrome. No such thing as being “overqualified” for UChicago</p>

<ol>
<li><p>Acceptance</p></li>
<li><p>Average SAT? (only 2250, but 35 ACT)</p></li>
<li><p>Yes, though UoC is pretty low on my list.</p></li>
<li><p>Deferred Yale SCEA, Cornell likely</p></li>
<li><p>No</p></li>
</ol>

<p>^A 35 ACT is definitely not why you were wl’ed.</p>

<ol>
<li>Wasn’t “expecting” anything but I did think I had a pretty good shot at acceptance (compared to ivies)</li>
<li>ECs are on the weak side, no real awards</li>
<li>Not sure. I don’t think I want that uncertainty though. Even if I didn’t get into any of my other top choices I’d still probably attend UCLA b/c I don’t like the idea of a waitlist. I want to know where I’m going!</li>
<li>Regents Scholarships at UCLA, UC San Diego, UC Santa Barbara. Rejected at MIT (did not want to go there at all) </li>
<li>Yes. EFC is like 45-50k… :(</li>
</ol>

<ol>
<li><p>Were you expecting a rejection or an acceptance?
Given the subjective element in college admission, I really wasn’t expecting anything. I knew that anything could happen.</p></li>
<li><p>Give a reason why you think you were waitlisted?
I blame the grammar mistakes and typos in my essays. I was on a trip during almost the whole of December and I guess the hurry made me overlook them. </p></li>
<li><p>Planning to stay “officially” on the waitlist?
I’ll wait to decide until I hear from my other colleges. I am on the waitlist for now though.</p></li>
<li><p>Which other colleges have you been already accepted to/ got likely?
Accepted to MIT, URochester</p></li>
<li><p>Applied for FA? If yes, what’s your EFC?
Yes, I think my EFC is 0.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>I personally don’t think that UChicago is practising Tuft’s syndrome. It just tends to look for a certain type of applicants who show interests to the school and who have a certain type of intellectual spark. Even though I feel I have that ‘spark’ (I genuinely love to learn for its own sake!), maybe that didn’t really come across to them.</p>

<ol>
<li><p>I honestly was expecting rejection because I knew that internationals didn’t have the chance at a need-blind admissions. I’ve lived and studied in the US for my entire life, but I had to apply as an international student.</p></li>
<li><p>As mentioned above, international applicant who needs financial aid.</p></li>
<li><p>Yes, UChicago was my first choice.</p></li>
<li><p>I’ve been accepted to: UC Davis and UCLA. Waiting on 6 more schools.</p></li>
<li><p>EFC = $10-$20k.</p></li>
</ol>