<p>My son will be applying for Fall 2010. He loves U of C. I think he's got what it takes to get in for the most part. He has several strengths, but a possible weakness I'm a little concerned about:</p>
<p>STANDARDIZED TESTS: His biggest strength. SAT=800/760/780. ACT=35. PSAT=237. No SAT Subject Tests yet, but will take 3 and ought to have very high scores. (He does very well on any standardized test.)</p>
<p>AP TESTS: Will have four AP exams when he applies: Spanish (5), AmHist (4), Calc AB (just took it, expecting at least 4), Physics C (just took it, expecting 3 or 4). Will be taking AP Stats, Chem, and equivalent of Calc BC as a Senior.</p>
<p>CLASS RANK: About 15-20 out of 120 students in a residential math-and-science magnet school.</p>
<p>GPA: 3.5</p>
<p>RESEARCH: Doing Summer research in nanotechnology at a local (decent, not great) university. This will become his ISEF project for next year.</p>
<p>EXTRACURRICULARS: Founded local environmental organization that lasted only one year. Male lead in two plays including one musical. Dance club. Martial arts club. Fight club (just kidding). Will be Community Leader (sort of like an RA/RM) as a Senior.</p>
<p>I guess the one thing I'm worried about is GPA. Will U of C recognize that a kid with a 3.5 at a math-and-science magnet schools works much harder and has probably learned more than a kid with, say, a 3.8 from a typical public high school? Am I worried about nothing?</p>
<p>By the way, I know his essays will be a big part of whether he gets into U of C. But if you could comment on the rest, I would really appreciate it! Thank you.</p>
<p>I really think it is likely to come down to his essays. Yes, he’d have a better chance with a 3.7 and a top 10% class rank, but he’s close enough to be competitive with those test scores. By the way, is that GPA unweighted? I’m sure you probably know but Chicago doesn’t recalculate GPA in the admissions process so what you’ve got on the transcript is what the admissions staff will be looking at.</p>
<p>It’s unweighted because all classes at his schools are honors-level or above. (I forgot to mention that many of them are concurrent-credit classes with the local university. He’ll have about 30 college credits when he graduates in addition to whatever AP credit he’s awarded.)</p>
<p>So…does the lack of weighting work for or against the student? I mean, surely a 3.5 unweighted is better than some 4.0’s that are weighted, right? Do I understand this correctly? Sorry, I went to a much different kind of school in a different time.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t worry too much about the weighting issue. I suppose in theory that a student who is applying from a school that builds the weighting into the transcript grade might look better at first glance, but remember that admissions officers are looking at how your son performed within the context of HIS school, not that other school. I’m sure your magnet school will stress its highly competitive nature and rigorous nature and the college credits will speak for themselves. My nephew was admitted to Chicago with a slightly higher GPA and top 5% rank but with considerably lower test scores. Very similar ECs to your son’s. When he graduated in 2007 he left as one of the top 30 students in his class and with a Fulbright scholarship in hand. He always felt it was his essays and the relationship he established with his admissions officer that got him in.</p>
<p>I’m pretty sure UChicago would think your son’s school’s calibre into consideration. Like hudsonvalley said, it will likely come down to the essay. As a way to familiarize UChicago with your son’s school, perhaps you could get a school official to add a separate note detailing the achievements of the school. An official can explain that a 3.5 at your son’s school equates to a GPA of at least 3.8 at another school.</p>
<p>That is reassuring, hudson, thank you. Thanks for your knowledgeable and encouraging reply.</p>
<p>If I may continue this line of questioning: Would my son face the same considerations when applying to other schools beside U of C? The reason I ask is that most students are similar to your own nephew compared to my son (higher grades but lower test scores). I wonder if being strong in test scores but a bit weak in grades could be so unusual that it hurts his chances slightly at most colleges. Or maybe it helps?</p>
<p>So, my follow-up question is really this: If he doesn’t get into U of C, what are some good bets for backup schools that will reward his high test scores and maybe not ding him for less-than-stellar grades?</p>
<p>lincoln, that’s a good idea. I should ask my son’s counselor what they provide to colleges to explain the nature of this school, their grading system, etc. Thanks.</p>
<p>Why Columbia or Yale? Do those schools tend to overlook less-than-perfect grades in favor of other factors? (My son’s not interested in Columbia, but Yale would be a great choice. Like Chicago, I know several Yale alumni who are wonderful people and loved it there.)</p>
<p>S1 was admitted ranked 185/405 and with a GPA of 3.46, his test scores were quite good as well as his ECs. He took a very rigorous curriculum including courses at universities. But, we believe it was his essays that put him over the top. We assume this because he was contacted and asked if the University could have his permission to archive and possibly publish his essay as an example of the kind of essays UofC is after. To my knowledge they did not publish a compilation, but it may have been included in a presentation at a professional admissions conference or some such thing.</p>
<p>He clearly identified his love for, and understanding of the University’s culture. He had UofC written all over him.</p>
<p>My child’s school did not have a class rank, but her cum ( not sure if weighted or unweighted, but it is what school reported) was around a 3.5 with a mixture of of level 3 and level 4 classes, with 4 being the highest. College boards averaged around 1400 without writing. I think extracurriculars made the difference ( very active and strong in various musical and choral groups) as well as her demonstrated and intense interest in the school. Also had a great interview.</p>
<p>What I neglected to address in my earlier post, is your son’s high school’s relationship with U of Chicago. My child’s school was a large public suburban high school which generally has 2 or three students a year accepted to Chicago. I was told by a Chicago admissions officer at an on campus parent’s weekend reception that the students from her high school have done exceptionally well at Chicago and therefore they have a lot of respect for the quality of the education at her high school and will therefore give more respect to a 3.5 from there than maybe somewhere else. So do make sure that Chicago is getting a true picture of the quality of your son’s school and the rigor of the courses there. Also, do you know if any students have attended Chicago in the past and how they have done there, or are perceived of at the school?</p>
<p>I am so glad to hear that U of C puts a lot of weight on essays. I really think my son is U of C material, both intellectually and personally, and I guess the essay is his big opportunity to show it!</p>
<p>I’ll bet that 3.5 GPA students from whatever school newenglandparent’s daughter came from are still getting serious attention at Chicago. There’s one heck of a track record there.</p>
<p>newenglandparent, my son’s school does have relationships with a few good colleges, but I don’t think Chicago is one of them. Yale, Carnegie Mellon, and Case Western Reserve seem to be especially receptive. But my son grew up in Chicago, loves the campus, and has the quirky, intellectual personality they seem to try to cultivate in their students, so hopefully his passion for the school will come through in his application.</p>
<p>One college his high school has a great relationship with is the honors program at our flagship state university. The school sends several students there every year (out of a graduating class of 120 or so), most on full scholarships. We visited recently and were impressed, so that would probably be a fine backup in case U of C doesn’t work out.</p>
<p>mantori.suzuki,
I was just accepted at the U of C and I have very similar stats to your son, so I would definitely encourage him to apply. At the time of my application, I had about a 3.56 gpa and 2320 on the SAT (I didn’t take the ACT), so, as you can see, my strength also lies in the standardized testing. It was the essay that really made the difference for me…I must have gone through about 4 drafts of it and I had everyone I know read it…
They put a LOT of weight on their essays and they especially look for creative responses, so if that is a strength of your son, he should definitely be competitive for admissions.
I was waitlisted at first, but I was taken off the waitlist the first day because Chicago was clearly my first choice and my grades for senior year showed an upward trend. It is more the trend of the grades that matter, and as long as your son improves them in senior year, the low gpa won’t matter that much.</p>
<p>What I’m hearing is that U of C is meticulous about finding the students that fit the mold rather than overemphasizing any one aspect of the application. That is wonderful to hear. We’re feeling really good about his chances at U of C now!</p>