Regret Withdrawing UChicago Application--Reapply During Gap Year or Transfer???

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Chicago ✅
1

I had applied Early Decision 1 to the University of Chicago, it being my top choice at the time. However, I ended up switching that application to Early Action just two weeks before decisions came out, and ended up getting deferred. I immediately withdrew my application when I received this decision. At first, I thought it was the right choice for me to withdraw, but as time went on, this decision started to seem worse, and I now regret completely withdrawing my application. I feel that the one major thing holding me back were my essays, which at the time I felt were strong but realized were terrible. If I had switched to ED2 and rewrote my essays, maybe I would’ve been able to get in. But that’s impossible now.

I know I don’t need to make a decision regarding this issue right now. I still have time, and most of my RD decisions haven’t even come out yet. But as of now, I have two options: commit to a university but take a gap year and reapply ED2, or go to college and transfer after my freshman year. Transfer rates @ UChicago are around 1-2% I believe, so it wouldn’t be likely for me to get in then. However, doing that would allow me to create a whole new application, with new extracurricular activities, new essays, and new relationships with professors to ask for LORs. If I take a gap year, my application will be almost exactly the same, with only the essays being different. Plus, I would need to do something amazing during a gap year to look impressive to the admissions committee.

So, would it be in my best interest to take a gap year or to transfer? There’s a big difference between the 1% transfer rate and the high acceptance rate of Early Decision, but I feel I’d be a stronger applicant as a transfer.

2

This should depend on where you get accepted RD. If it’s a comparably great institution, planning on a transfer is a wise idea. Who knows, you may like where you end up at. I’m sure anyone can be happy at a multitude of schools.

If you are disappointed with your results, a gap year gives you a second chance. Regardless, this decision will probably be easier to make by April.

3

^^Agree. No need to make any decisions now.

Just to give you some peace of mind, they wouldn’t have accepted the re-written essays (well, maybe they would have - who really knows what Admissions decides to look at!). They say they don’t want any additional or revised material coming in. While ED/EDII would have helped all else equal, there’s no use beating yourself up with “what ifs” - for all you know you made exactly the right decision and will see that in in about 10 months or so. You don’t yet know how everything will turn out.

4

If you need financial aid keep in mind that less budget is allocated for transfers.

5

@sgopal2 while no merit-based financial aid is given to transfers (except in very specific circumstances), the need-based aid is actually exactly the same (unless things have changed drastically in the past two years).

I’d agree with the others that waiting till after you can see all your options is a good way to go for now. I had to make the same decision of transfer/gap year, so I’d be happy to talk to you about it once you have all your decisions back. For now just try not to be anxious about it; you have plenty of time.