<p>What are my chances for getting into uchicago? Now before you read my stats, you should know that the past four years have been extremely complicated for me, especially in my personal familial life that has effected my academics. I had just moved into the US from a country called Bangladesh when I was in 7th grade. My family is very poor and this has led to severe problems in the households. I don't know how much uchicago values experiences or character, but I would say I have a lot of it and I am definitely going to mention it in my essay.
GPA : 3.2
SAT: 2230
AP Classes: World History, US History, Comparative Government, Economics, Psychology
ECs:-Created Community class to teach english (for free)-2 years
-Created community class to help people pass the US Citizenship test-2 years
-Intern at the Yunus Centre (created by Dr.Muhammad Yunus, a Nobel Prize winner)-2 years
-Normal Job as a cashier at a gift shop to support family
Recs: Got two from my teacher, counselor is writing (hopefully) a great one, and also one from Dr.Yunus (a big plus?)
I should also mention that I wasn't a 3.2 GPA student. I used to go to this elite school in Bangladesh where I was consistently at the top of my class (not to get too cocky lol). It was just all the personal things that happened to me during my high school life that barred me from performing as best as I really could. Any feedback is appreciated, thanks</p>
<p>UChicago is really a holistic admissions process, and they’re definitely going to consider everything about your application. But as someone who’s been admitted, I wouldn’t recommend going on too much about your poverty in the essays, but instead write about your passions, interests, and show who you are etc. The common app extra info section is the best place to talk about your extenuating circumstances.
I really think the essays matter a lot, so be really creative and don’t be afraid to take risks. Be sure to just be honest and paint a picture of who you really are as a person, not who you think they’re looking for. Although your gpa isn’t exactly helpful, if you’re the right fit, you definitely have some chance. Good luck!</p>
<p>Thanks, really helps my confidence. Uofchicago strikes me as a unique school and I would love to go there. I just wish I could show them that the past 4 years isn’t a representative of what I can really do.</p>
<p>My stats were nothing special (in terms of the uchicago applicant pool, and my SAT is lower than yours), but I really put everything I had into the essays and I managed to get in.</p>
<p>I could have written about a whole slew of unfortunate events and how they affected my life, but instead my essays were more about how I think and view the world. I think that is the kind of thing that matters to the admissions people in Chicago; how will your mind contribute to their overall life of mind? </p>
<p>thanks. the environment of uchicago definitely seems like a place where i could thrive.Any tips on the essays?</p>
<p>tips on essays:
-don’t be afraid to take risks
-be creative; for my uncommon prompt, I threw out my first 3 essays, until I found a really imaginative idea that I’m sure impressed the officers. You’ll know when you get that “right” essay.
-show, don’t tell. Be super creative, while showing something about youself. </p>
<p>There’s a thread of essays that EA applicants (many of whom where admits) used, so you can start there to get a feel for the essays of admitted students.</p>
<p>I moved back to the U.S. from China after living there for ~7 years during my sophomore year, so I can relate to how hard it is adjusting to a new country. That was the subject for my commonapp essay. I work as well, so I can affirm that writing about something as simple as that can get you into an amazing school.</p>
<p>I also agree completely with what @crtexxx is saying: please don’t focus on poverty/disability for your essays, unless you can make it sound beautiful and genuine. Another applicant in my school is extremely poor, has a severe disability, and had a 35 ACT and a pretty stellar GPA. She wrote extensively about how terrible her life was, and was deferred. I honestly believe UChi views applications holistically and places a large emphasis on the essays. And perhaps your interview, if you do one.</p>
<p>That being said, good luck!</p>
<p>But your stats were probably a lot better than mine right?</p>