<p>I am working on my college applications, but I am seriously doubting my chances at the schools to which I have been planning to apply, particularly the University of Chicago. My SAT scores came back suprisingly lower than anticipated and I am not sure how to factor that in. Also, as a firstborn homeschool student whose parents did not go to college, I am kind of going this alone and figuring things out for myself. I could use some sort of guidance here. Honestly, what are my chances at Chicago? Help?</p>
<p>School Type: Homeschool
Location: California
Race/Gender: Caucasian
Prospective Major: Art History
Unweighted GPA: 3.?
Weighted GPA: 4.5
Class rank: 16/315</p>
<p>SAT I Scores
SAT I Math: 600
SAT I Critical Reading: 780
SAT I Writing: 690</p>
<p>SAT II Scores
SAT II Literature: ? (Not too worried about this.)
SAT II U.S. History: ? (This either.)
SAT II Math IIC: ?</p>
<p>ECs
Church volunteering (PowerPoint) - Jr./Sr. Years, 2 hr/wk.
Church volunteering (Creating/managing website) - Sr. Year, 4 hr/wk.
Teacher's Assistant - Sr. Year, 10 hr/wk.
I'm not sure how this counts, but I spend most of my free time studying and reading and researching, especially in the areas of art history and literature, which are my loves. As an EC, its totally abstract, though. </p>
<p>Chicago is definitely my top choice. I love so much about this school, but am afraid that it is totally out of my reach. Thoughts?</p>
<p>I do not know if what I write can be considered with much weight as I do not even know if I can get into U of C myself. However, from what I have learned from this website and talking with others, I believe one's chances at Chicago are highly dependent upon essays and recommendations and not so much test scores. While it is easy to say this if one has near perfect scores, I really do believe Chicago will not accept/reject an applicant based on scores alone. The decision, I believe, would not rest on something so superficial, especially at a school such as Chicago. Also, the fact that you will be a first generation college student will certainly be considered (I have heard). As a closing thought, spend a lot of time on the essays! I hope this was helpful, good luck!</p>
<p>What kind of subjects have you studied? Who does your instruction? How are your GPA and class rank determined? Do you have any AP scores? Homeschoolers are in a special category because they're hard to measure.</p>
<p>As for classes, I have averaged seven to eight classes per semester since freshman year, including electives. For my first two years of high school, I have no honors classes because the charter school that I was with made it far too difficult to bother with the transcript titles, despite the fact that my classes should have been considered so. Since junior year, I have taken seven AP classes (Language, Literature, US History, European History, Art History, US Government, Psychology), but I have not taken the tests.</p>
<p>My parents have hired a teacher to take the role that the parent would usually have in homeschooling. In that, I kind of have the best of both worlds, because I have a certified teacher covering my education on a day to day basis, but that teacher has also been a family friend longer than I have been alive. Thus she has a personal investment in me and my education similar to a parent.</p>
<p>As far as GPA and rank, I have no idea other than that I suppose it to be somewhat typical. Though up until this year I have done only traditional homeschool, I have always been affiliated with a local charter school, so that is where that stuff comes from. Also, because of that, I have all the regularly official high school transcripts and whatnot.</p>
<p>Okay, I live and work at the University of Chicago and have degrees from here. I keep seeing posts that testing doesn't matter as much here as at other schools, which rumor I think got started because of the application essay questions being unique. In my opinion, this rumor just isn't true. Just look at the numbers.
In fact the University of Chicago stands out to me because it has admitted several people I know of with lackluster/erratic grades and impressive testing.
Katharos used to post here a lot on the homeschooling threads and University of Chicago threads and is a first year now. You could try PMing her. I know she took or audited courses here when she was home schooling and felt that helped her application.
Best.</p>