<p>@intparent I’m a pretty good writer but the essays I churn out will be the hardest thing I ever work on.</p>
<p>@Seinfeldfan1 - correct, it’s not helping you, but if you gun the essays, you have a shot. Chicago places great emphasis on the essays, and I’ve seen gruesomely underqualified kids get in because their essays hit UChi’s “sweet spot” (nerdy/quirky/voluble/creative/intellectual/fearless/circumspect, imo).</p>
<p>Don’t bother.</p>
<p>@mnm111 you’re an idiot. Explanations are what make people credible on this site.</p>
<p>@marvin100 what were the stats of the people you consider unqualified?</p>
<p>Why do you need an explanation when you already answered your question for yourself? Your GPA and SAT scores are well below the standards for UChicago. You have a nice excuse for your low GPA (lousy freshman grades), but what’s your excuse for your SAT score which is also well below average for that school? Excuses don’t cut it.</p>
<p>You simply don’t have the scores or grades to get in. Why waste the money?</p>
<p>“Should I bother?”</p>
<p>No.</p>
<p>I agree with the others…finish the other apps and then do the UChicago so you won’t look back and say “if i had only applied”</p>
<p>@intparent I know. I have read all the prompts. I wish all schools had prompts like that. They all give you just enough of a topic to know what to write about, with more than enough freedom to be unique and creative and really express yourself. If i had to pick between the UChicago prompts that make your mind shoot off a million unique and stimulating thoughts, or the stale bread that is “Why Boston University”, I would pick UChicago. Lol</p>
<p>Sure, but you made it sound simple because they are on the Common App And it isn’t…</p>
<p>@mnm111 maybe I shouldn’t have asked then. And BTW test scores are not weighted much, even less than GPA is. I appreciate you thinking I shouldn’t bother but I’m going to take everyone’s lead and bother. Lol I answered my own question. But they did make me realize that I should definitely focus on strengthening every other application before I look at UChicago.</p>
<p>@SeinfeldFan1 - One example: 3.3 unweighted, just in the top 40 in a graduating class of 110, good SATs, though (2260). Another: 3.85 unweighted, 1950 SAT (590 reading). Now both these kids had amazing essays and were <em>interesting</em> applicants, but they were both ORMs and they were definitely long shots. If you can put together a great app and have an interesting point of view, I don’t think it’s a total waste to apply.</p>