UChicago 2018 RD Decision Results

5oviet · March 15, 2014, 4:36am

Decision: Waitlisted
5oviet reporting for waitlist duty

Objective:[ list]
[] SAT I (breakdown): 2310 800w 750m 760cr single
[] SAT I superscore (breakdown): n/a
[] ACT (breakdown): n/a
[] SAT II: nahh
[] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0
[] Weighted GPA: 4.66
[] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): no clue, should be top 5%
[] AP (place score in parentheses): 5
[] IB (place score in parentheses):
[] Senior Year Course Load: AP Lang, AP Compsci, AP US, AP Calc AB, Honors Physics, Orchestra
[] Number of other EA applicants in your school: no clue
[] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.) won national science competition, US patent, debate state awards, etc, nothing that significant
[] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses):
generic stuff, research, orchestra, debate, sci oly, etc
[] Job/Work Experience: worked as a mechanic for 3 years
[] Volunteer/Community service:[/list] [ b]Writing (Write a brief description and Rate Quality on 1-10 Scale; 10 as Best):[ list]
[] Essays (Include Subjects):[ list] 7
[] Common App Main: 7
[] EC Short Answer: um uwotm8
[] Extended essay(which topic): apples2oranges, i liked it ?
[] Optional Essay: 7
[] Why Chicago: 5
[] Other:[/list][ ] Teacher Recommendation #1: waived
[] Teacher Recommendation #2: waived
[] Counselor Rec: waived
[] Additional Rec:
[] Interview: idk 3austere5me
[] Art Supplement:[/list] [ b]Other[ list] submitted research
[] Date Submitted App:
[] State (if domestic applicant):
[] Country (if international applicant): USA #1
[] School Type: top 200 in nation
[] Ethnicity: ch1nk
[] Gender: male
[] Income Bracket: 200k
[] Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.):[/list] [ b]Reflection**[ list] haha funny
[] Strengths: nothing
[] Weaknesses: everything
[] Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: i’m not wierd enough for chicago? idk i thought i had a solid chance
[] What would you have done differently?:[/list][/list][ b]Other Factors:** be a senior lol
General Comments/Congratulations/Venting/Commiserations, etc:

SeaSwallowed · March 15, 2014, 6:21am

Decision: Accepted (Deferred EA)

Objective:[ul]
[] SAT I superscore (breakdown): 1510/2240 (750CR, 750M, 730W)
[] SAT II: 790 US History, 750 Math II
[] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.96 or something
[] Weighted GPA: 4.33 I think
[] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): school doesn’t rank
[] AP (place score in parentheses): 5s - Psych, APUSH, Human Geography, Calc AB
[] Senior Year Course Load: Jazz Band, AP Music Theory, AP Gov, AP Econ, English 4, AP Calc BC, Wind Ensemble, AP Physics
[] Number of other EA applicants in your school: 1, at least 4 RD
[] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): haha nope[/ul] Subjective:[ul]
[] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses): Like four different music groups (section leader in all), Pep Band (leader/director), Cross Country (Varsity), Human Rights Club
[] Job/Work Experience: None that I listed.
[] Volunteer/Community service: Tutor at local middle school[/ul] Writing (Write a brief description and Rate Quality on 1-10 Scale; 10 as Best):[ul]
[] Essays (Include Subjects):[list]
[li] Common App Main: 7 - The place where perfectly content prompt, wrote about an online community. It was risky, but unique.[/li][] EC Short Answer: The what?
[] Extended essay(which topic): 10 - Joke prompt. A fish swims into a wall and says, “Dam.” Explained with fish puns.
[] Optional Essay: Wrote about my favorite TV shows and my involvement with the communities.
[] Why Chicago: 7 - Solid, but a bit boring.
[/ul][li] Teacher Recommendation #1: Probably good.[/li][] Teacher Recommendation #2: Also probably good.
[] Counselor Rec: I don’t really know my counselor personally, but it’s probably okay.
[] Additional Rec: Glowing (band teacher)
[] Interview: Yeah it was pretty awkward but it was okay.
[] Art Supplement: Trombone. Not my best playing, but better than nothing.[/list] Other[ul]
[] Date Submitted App: 11/3
[] State (if domestic applicant): California
[] School Type: Public
[] Ethnicity: Mixed race (Asian/White. Rather boring, I know.)
[] Gender: Female
[] Income Bracket: >$200,000
[] Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): Not really[/ul] Reflection[ul]
[] Strengths: My extended essay was solid. My ECs were also pretty consistent and demonstrated my passion for music.
[] Weaknesses: My other essays. Also, my letters of rec were probably rather bland.
[] Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: I honestly thought I would get waitlisted/rejected. In my letter of continued interest, I took some rather large risks, including changing my intended major. I think they deferred me EA because they wanted to see how I would hold up in my schedule first semester, since I’m taking more APs than I ever have. I got straight As, so that probably helped.
[li] What would you have done differently?: Well I got in, so I wouldn’t want to risk doing things differently.[/ul]Other Factors:[/li]General Comments/Congratulations/Venting/Commiserations, etc: Congrats to all those who got accepted, and to those who didn’t, remember that colleges see a very limited view of you, and they lack the ability to judge you as a real, whole, complex human being.

lawdocsk8 · March 15, 2014, 1:09pm

Decision: Accepted (Writing for my son)
SAT I (breakdown):720 CR, 680 Math, 650 Writing (quite irate that this is now going to be eliminated!)
SAT I superscore:2100
ACT (breakdown):32:
SAT II:English Lit, 710; Math Level 2, 620
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): School doesn’t give GPAs, but has one B in four years of high school (AP Physics). Average is 96.4
Rank: Neither available
AP: English Lit and Comp, 4; Human Geography, 4
Senior Year Course Load:AP Physics, AP Calc AB, Honors French, AP Comparative Govt.,AP English
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses):Varsity hockey (captain), newspaper, mock trial, NHS, Student Ambassador, synagogue youth group, 3 years band, sailing club, 1 year JV golf
Job/Work Experience: None
Volunteer/Community service:Volunteered at local university preparing for camps, volunteered some individual events
Essays:Comparison of Vonnegut and Kanye West
Why Chicago: Family ties to school–grandfather teaches there, family members have attended, parents married on campus
Recommendations: Excellent
Interview:Excellent
Date Submitted App:12/20/13
State (if domestic applicant):ME
School Type:College prep subsidized by towns
Ethnicity:white male
Gender:male
Income Bracket:upper middle class
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.):Lives in the freaking middle of nowhere
Strengths:Quirky essays, excellent grades in conjunction with a time-eating varsity sport, good people skills
Weaknesses:Test scores
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: Strengths listed above, and clearly interested in the school–we also did a campus information session and tour
What would you have done differently?: I’m writing for my kid so I’m not sure–he wished his test scores were higher.

General Comments/Congratulations/Venting/Commiserations, etc: We are thrilled that high test scores are not the only thing U of C looks at–they did tell us this at the info session but we didn’t really believe it.

thenewofglen · March 15, 2014, 4:27pm

Decision: Accepted

Objective:[ul]
[] SAT I (breakdown): 710 CR, 770 M, 710 W = 2190
[] SAT II: Biology M (700), English Lit (710), Math II (720)
[] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.58
[] Weighted GPA: 4.0
[] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): N/A
[] AP (place score in parentheses): Chemistry (3), English Lit (5), Biology (5)
[] Senior Year Course Load: AB Calc, AP Physics, Graphic Design, Women’s Lit, Memoir, Honors Spanish 4, 1968, Environmental History
[] Number of other EA applicants in your school: >3 including me (deferred)
[li] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): N/A [/ul] [/li]
Subjective:[ul]
[] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses): Yearbook (senior editor), Women’s Affinity Group (president), Asia Club (president), All-School Student Council (treasurer, 2 years), Senior Prefect, Varsity Volleyball
[] Job/Work Experience: Chem & Bio Lab Tech, Waitress, Intern for the Institute for Applied Learning, Volleyball Coach/Camp Manager
[li] Volunteer/Community service: Tutor for a school program, Heads Up, for underprivileged kids at Oakland public schools [/ul] [/li]
Writing (Write a brief description and Rate Quality on 1-10 Scale; 10 as Best):[ul]
[] Essays (Include Subjects):[list]
[li] Common App Main: On Waitressing - an essay about growing up. 9/10[/li][] EC Short Answer:
[] Extended essay(which topic): I am me and my… blankey. - an essay about the two toughest moments of my life and how my blankey has always been there for me. 10/10
[] Optional Essay: My love of music. And of Kanye West. And Lorde. And my appreciation of any song that mentions the Bay Area. (10/10)
[] Why Chicago: Incredible courses that are just a step above all my favorite classes in high school, and the usual - ScavHunt and Housing, etc… Impossibly generic. 5/10
[] Other: My deferral reply email was a much better Why Chicago essay, since I wasn’t limited to 250 words. I wrote a better explanation of what love of learning for learning’s sake means to me, and I told my rep all about the political activism I’ve been up to at school, with women’s rights and all. (Go feminism!) [/ul]
[] Teacher Recommendation #1: Pre-Calc Teacher - I never read these, but my guess is it was good, but not fantastic. 8/10
[] Teacher Recommendation #2: 1968 History Teacher - I love this woman. Definitely 10/10.
[] Counselor Rec: The college counselors and I are besties. 10/10
[] Additional Rec: Bio Teacher/Work Employer - 10/10 because she asked if she could write me a rec.
[] Interview: 10/10. My interviewer and I chatted in Peet’s for 2 hours about everything from art to Plato’s cave.
[] Art Supplement: N/A [/list]

Other[ul]
[] Date Submitted App: 11/8/13
[] State (if domestic applicant): California
[] School Type: Independent
[] Ethnicity: Asian
[] Gender: Female
[] Income Bracket: 100k>
[li] Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): Don’t think I have anything. [/ul] [/li]
Reflection[ul]
[] Strengths: Essays and Recs. Super large amounts of leadership at my school. Maybe test scores, but after seeing the other applicants, I would almost call those weaknesses.
[] Weaknesses: Grades. GPA.
[] Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: Perhaps the Admissions crew was having a wonky day and felt like doing something different for a change and decided to take me because YOLO? I think my essays and recs carried me so much further than I thought they ever would.
[] What would you have done differently?: Tried harder in school, probably. But I guess it worked out for me. [/ul]

Other Factors:
General Comments/Congratulations/Venting/Commiserations, etc: I started bawling when I opened up my admissions decisions because I had been prepping myself all week for rejection. I was pretty sure I had no chance of getting into a school this selective with a 3.5. This was my #1, complete reach, dream school, and I can’t even process my feelings today, because never in a million years would I have expected this. I’m so sorry to the people more qualified than me who are reading this with tons of frustration, because I’m sure you’ve worked much harder and deserve this more than I do. I feel like Cinderella, and I’m so in love with Chicago for seeing what I have to offer outside of numbers. Life is ridiculous.

TheHistoryHacker · March 15, 2014, 5:00pm

Decision: WAITLISTED. I’m seeing a lot of other waitlists. Huh…

I live in California, and I’m Desi. WOOOO! So yeah, no hooks :P

As for essays…

Essays (Include Subjects):

Common App Main: Libraries. How I literally worship libraries. I showed it to a few family members/friends, and they said that it did have a fairly original spin so maybe… 7/10 or 8/10?

Extended essay (which topic): Apples and oranges! I wrote a two-page Horatian satire in the form of a play, in which I mocked the college admissions process. Risky… but totally worth it, man 9/10

Optional Essay: My favorite hobby… TIME TRAVEL!! Basically, about how I read so many history books and listen to so much historical music (96 Civil War songs FTW, man) that I feel like I’m traveling back in time 10/10

Why Chicago: Talked about the opportunities attending UChicago would offer me, and discussed my visit to campus last summer (oh man, I met a researcher in the Oriental Institute and spent literally forty minutes discussing the evolution of social classes with him… it was great) 10/10

Why I think I got waitlisted: GPA, man. I have a pretty decent SAT (2300 superscored), decent SAT IIs (800, 800, 750, 730), and pretty good extracurriculars… but my UW GPA was somewhat lower than the average UChicago GPA.

Or maybe they got offended by my play… :-SS

VeryUndecided · March 15, 2014, 5:15pm

[ size=+2][ color=green][ b]Decision: Accepted**[/color][/size]

with University Scholar merit award!!!
[ b]Objective:**[ list]
SAT I (breakdown): 800M, 780W, 730R
SAT I superscore (breakdown): 2310
ACT (breakdown): 36M, 36S, 35W, 35R
ACT superscore (breakdown): 36
SAT II: 800 MathII, 770 BioM, 710 USHistory
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): ~3.89 (school doesn’t have this)
Weighted GPA: 4.29
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): Top 10%
AP (place score in parentheses): three 5’s and three 4’s
Senior Year Course Load: Chem, BC Calc, Psych, Lit, French all APs and Studio 3D
Number of other EA applicants in your school: There was 1 EA and I think a few other RD
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): Book awards, small speech awards, AP scholars w distinction, local math league, governor’s cup small awards, presidential scholars candidate
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses): Cancer Center Summer Research Internship Program, Quick Recall, 9-12, JV Team Captain 9, 10; Varsity Team Captain 12, Math Team, Ghana Club President, Speech and Debate Team, Lacrosse 10-12
Job/Work Experience: Yum! Brands Paid Internship

Essays (Include Subjects): All pretty good. I wrote a lot about how I’ve learned from the things around me, very self reflective. The mantis shrimp essay was my favorite.
Teacher Recommendations: All pretty good. Additional Rec from my lab mentor.
Interview: Never got one but emailed rep about it.
State (if domestic applicant): South/midwest
School Type: private
Ethnicity: Asian
Gender: Female
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): None really.
Strengths: I really think my essays helped. I tried to spin them around so they were all focused on how I work/learn/act, even the Mantis shrimp ended up being about my passion in research. ACT scores didn’t hurt either.
Weaknesses: No big national awards other than pres scholars.
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: I was so shocked because a lot of people have been telling me that being Asian is a real turnoff. Another girl got in early and usually UChicago only accepts 1 person or none at all. Big surprise really.
What would you have done differently?: Nothing at all.
General Comments: I feel like I can finally destress. The past few months have left me exhausted. This was my first big acceptance and after getting wait-listed by WashU, I wasn’t up for a rejection.

bunniesarecute · March 15, 2014, 7:02pm

Decision: Waitlisted

Objective:

SAT I (breakdown): 2250 (CR: 760 Math: 740 Writing: 750)
ACT: Didn’t take
SAT II: 770 Math II 800 chem
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.87

Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable):
AP (place score in parenthesis):

APUSH (4), AP Chem (5), Ap Spanish lit (5), AP spanish Lang (4),

IB (place score in parenthesis):
Senior Year Course Load: AP BC, AP Physics C
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): Ballroom competitions placing, reensler polytechnic medalist, some math/science competitions.

Subjective:

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): I have a lot dont feell like writing

Volunteer/Community service: Tutor

Summer Activities: NIH intern

Essays: Common App 10/10 My best written essay

Teacher Recommendation: #1 Did not read but both teaches love me and we had great relationships

<h1>2 AP Government:</h1>

besides his recommendation neither hurt nor helped my app
Counselor Rec: #3 GC: did not read

Additional Rec: N/A

Interview:None

Other

State (if domestic applicant): DC
Country (if international applicant): USA
School Type: Private

Ethnicity: White
Gender: Female
Income Bracket: ~100,000
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): Nothing huge, maybe some small

Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: My chicago essays were not as well written as i would have liked them to be, I am not a terrific writer.

Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Accepted WASH U and Umiami have not heard from anywhere else

General Comments:
Wish i had gotten it because it was top 6 of my list but waitlist is not the worst result. Check back with me after I hear from all my other schools! Congrats to those accepted!

Nihilus · March 15, 2014, 8:09pm

Decision: Accepted (w/Likely Letter)

Objective:

SAT I (breakdown M/CR/W/Essay): 2400
SAT I superscore (breakdown M/CR/W/Essay):
ACT (breakdown): 36, 36, 35, 36 —> 36 composite
ACT superscore (breakdown):
SAT II (subject, score): 800 Math II, 800 Chem, 790 Physics, 780 Bio M
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.9
Weighted GPA: 4.65
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): N/A
AP (place score in parentheses): 5s in Calc BC, Chem, US History, Psychology, Microeconomics, and English Language. 4 in Macroecon
IB (place score in parentheses):
Senior Year Course Load: Multivariable Calc, AP Physics, AP Bio, AP English Lit, AP Spanish Language, Politics Elective
Number of other EA applicants in your school:
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel, etc.):
Common Awards (AP Scholar, honor roll, NM things, etc.): NMSF, President’s Scholar Candidate

Subjective:

Extracurriculars (name, grade levels, leadership, description): Huffington Post teen blogger, Editor-in-Chief of online political journal, Quiz Bowl (President), Model Congress (Head delegate), Science Olympiad, Model UN,
Job/Work Experience: Tutoring
Volunteer/Community Service: Library Assistant
Summer Experience: SAAST at UPenn

Other:

U.S. State/Territory or Country: NJ
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: South Asian
Gender: Male
Income Bracket Range: 150-200k
Hooks (URM, first generation, recruited athelete, development): Nah

Other Factors: Published author

General Comments & Advice: The likely letter, University Scholar merit award, and generous financial aid were all pretty great. It was a good pi day

flyinglizard · March 15, 2014, 11:55pm

Decision: Waitlisted

Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): 2190 (750M/750WR/690CR)
ACT:
SAT II: 790 Math II, 760 Chem
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0):3.8
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): School doesn’t rank but top decile
AP (place score in parenthesis): Calc BC (5) Chem(5) Bio(3) Stat(3) Lang+Comp(3)
IB (place score in parenthesis):
Senior Year Course Load: AP Environmental, AP Lit, AP Euro, Honors physics
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): I wish
Subjective: passion for math
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):Math research (nothing published just freelance) ,Computer Science, Physics
Job/Work Experience:
Essays (rating 1-10, details): I think I did well on my essays but not sure (7-8)
Recommendations (rating 1-10, details):
Teacher Rec #1: Didn’t read but I’m guessing 7-8
Teacher Rec #2: Didn’t read but I’m guessing 7-8
Counselor Rec: Didn’t read but I’m guessing 7-8, my councilor likes me
Additional Rec:
Interview: Borderline terrible, it was a phone interview and I mistakenly gave my interviewer my cell phone number resulting in a bad connection on my end
Other
State (if domestic applicant): CA
Country (if international applicant):
School Type: Medium-sized public school
Ethnicity: Indian
Gender: male
Income Bracket:
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.):
Strengths: Passion for math, physics, computer science, and compelling background story
Weaknesses: grades, numbers, few extracurriculars
Why you think you were rejected: See above
Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Rejected from Stanford REA and MIT yesterday
General Comments & Advice: Good luck, hopefully we’ll get in later

doozypapa · March 16, 2014, 2:17am

Decision: Accepted

Objective:[ul]
[] SAT I (breakdown): 2270, WR 700/CR 800/MTH 770
[] SAT II: Eng Literature: 740, US History: 740, Math II: 740
[]AP: Eng Lit (4) US History (5) AP Phys (3) AP Chem (3) AP Studio Art (3)
[] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.94
[] Weighted GPA: dunno, but i got two B’s in one AP Chem class both semesters
[] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 14
[] Senior Year Course Load: AP Gov, AP Lang, AP Calc, AP Psych, Jazz Band, Orchestra, Spnish 3
[] Number of other EA applicants in your school: none
[li] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): National Merit Scholar, Jeffersons Public Service Award, AP Scholar with Distinction. nothing special. lol [/ul][/li]
Subjective:[ul]
[] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses): (Volunteer) for Central American Refugee Committee, went to El Salvador for volunteer mission, (Commissioner) for Youth Advisory Committee for my city, (Mentor) for Science Alliance, (Editor-in-Chief and Founder) of school newspaper and journalism club, (President and VP) of Debate Club, (President) of Transportation and Engineering Academy,so much music…lead trumpet in jazz band and marching band, 1st chair cello, ABRSM level 8 piano
[] Job/Work Experience: Intern at CA Board of Equalization, jr. reporter at local newspaper
[li] Volunteer/Community service: (English Teacher) for Guangzhou Social Welfare Institute, (Volunteer) for Central American Refugee Committee, went to El Salvador for volunteer mission–oh my god it was an affecting trip, Youth Advisory Committee volunteer stuff… uhhh quality, 10/10…wow i feel so vain giving myself these ratings. [/ul][/li]
Writing (Write a brief description and Rate Quality on 1-10 Scale; 10 as Best):[ul] 
[/ul]
[] Essays (Include Subjects):[ul]
[li] Common App Main: bout my dad, it was awesome, worked really hard on it[/li][] Extended essay(which topic): 9/10 “what is history not telling us?” i wrote something about how history textbooks are always omitting groups like women and african americans from american history, leaving the impression that the only ones involved in american history are rich white protestants.
[] Why Chicago: 10/10 i said i liked uchicago’s value system and how they are super rigor-academic-this-is-where-fun-dies and how i *loved it and that i liked its political activism and the jazz culture…which was altogether not untrue which is probably why i was able to write it well. [/ul][ul]

[]Other:[list][ *] Teacher Recommendation #1: from ap lit teacher, sterling 10/10. we get along really well.
[] Teacher Recommendation #2: apush teacher, prob sterling too 9/10. im a history geek so i was just crazy “i-love-learning-and-i-love-you” in her class
[] Counselor Rec: awesome. 9/10 we knew each other and actually talked
[] Date Submitted App: dec. 26
[] State (if domestic applicant): CA
[] Country (if international applicant): USA
[] School Type: med. public school thats not high ranked. kinda avg.
[] Ethnicity: chinese
[] Gender: female
[] Income Bracket: >100k
[] Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.):[/ul]
Reflection[ list]
[] Strengths: prob my ec’s and essays. i really grinded myself into that why chicago essay
[] Weaknesses: my grades and my income
[] Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: ec’s and essays.
[li] What would you have done differently?: nothing! i’m awesome![/list][/li]
General Comments/Congratulations/Venting/Commiserations, etc:
I’m happy.

Sophie1295 · March 16, 2014, 3:25am

Decision: Waitlisted

Objective:[ul]
[] SAT I (breakdown): 800 M 780 CR 800 W
[] SAT I superscore (breakdown): (same) 2380
[] ACT (breakdown): not taken
[] ACT superscore (breakdown):
[] SAT II: 790 Physics 790 M2 780 Chemistry
[] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): complicated school system but topped my grade
[] Weighted GPA: see above
[] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 1/300
[] AP (place score in parentheses): not offered
[] IB (place score in parentheses): NA
[] Senior Year Course Load: physics , chemistry , mathematics , economics ( rigid subject combinations so couldn’t have taken on more subjects)
[] Number of other EA applicants in your school: 1 RD - many ~6

[] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses): Western Classical piano (6 years)-earned a grade level 5 certificate from Trinity College London , Student council Vice President , physics and environment clubs( representative), inter school competitions (math, debate, quizzes with many wins), school theater productions
[] Job/Work Experience: internship in the aviation industry( IATA) , completed a research on the growth of the aviation sector.
[] Volunteer/Community service -heavily involved in an NGO working towards tiger conservation, 100+ hours of community service
: [/ul] Writing (Write a brief description and Rate Quality on 1-10 Scale; 10 as Best):[ul]
[] Essays (Include Subjects):[list]
[] Common App Main: based on opportunities 9/10
[] EC Short Answer: why UChicago- based it on its economics program 10/10
[] Extended essay(which topic): a few of my favorite things 9/10
[] Optional Essay: based it on my musical pursuits 11/10
[] Why Chicago: economics program, flexibility, ECs 9/10
[] Other:[list][] Teacher Recommendation #1: Chem teacher (I’m one of her favorites) I haven’t read it so I assume 9/10
[] Teacher Recommendation #2: English teacher ( I’m her absolute favorite) 10/10
[] Counselor Rec: I haven’t read it- should be generic but decent 8/10
[] Additional Rec: from my tiger conservation NGO head 10/10
[] Interview: asked for one but did not get it, no one from my school did
[] Art Supplement:[/ul] Other[ list] NA
[] Date Submitted App: 10/28/2013 ( I didn’t apply early though)
[] State (if domestic applicant):
[] Country (if international applicant): India
[] School Type: private
[] Ethnicity: Asian
[] Gender: F
[] Income Bracket: upper middle class- applied for aid but withdrew later
[] Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.) more like anti hooks! ORM
:[/list] Reflection - I honestly expected to have been accepted. My academic and ECs record was at least as good as the people from my school who are now at UChicago. NONE of the highly qualified applicants from my school got accepted! It was thus highly disappointing![ul]
[] Strengths: test scores, ECs, recommendations, essays
[] Weaknesses: should have participated in Model UN- a big thing at my school
[] Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: I don’t know!
[] What would you have done differently?:[/ul] don’t want to be cocky but I loved my application. I put in a lot of time and effort in its nuances. My counselor is baffled about my decision! [/list]**Other Factors: well, I got accepted to Vanderbilt ( Cornelius Vanderbilt scholar) , Emory , Wuslt. Even if I had been accepted I would have gone to Vanderbilt **
**General Comments/Congratulations/Venting/Commiserations, etc: congratulations to all those accepted! As for those of us who got wait listed or rejected , hang on cause 27th march will be crazy ! **

dragonx9 · March 16, 2014, 3:57pm

Accepted as University Scholar (top 1% of applicants, $10,000 a year)
GPA: 3.78 or something
SAT: 2380
non-legacy; asian-american
Good EC’s.
Amazing rec’s
Good essays
Moral of the story, GPA isn’t everything. As long as you do well in everything else, you’ll be golden :)

Indiankid96 · March 16, 2014, 5:05pm

[ size=+2][ color=orange][ b]Decision: Waitlisted**[/color][/size]

[ b]Objective:[ list]
[ *] SAT I (breakdown): 2320 (800 CR, 800 M, 720 W)
[ *] SAT I superscore (breakdown): only took once
[ *] ACT (breakdown): N/A
[ *] ACT superscore (breakdown): N/A
[ *] SAT II: Bio 760, Chem 780, Physics 790, Math II 800
[ *] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.7
[ *] Weighted GPA: 4.0
[ *] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 19/120
[ *] AP (place score in parentheses): Bio 5, Chem 5, Lang 5, US 4, Comp Sci 4
[ *] IB (place score in parentheses):N/A
[ *] Senior Year Course Load:AP Physics C, AP Calc BC, AP Lit and Comp, AP French, AP Euro
[ *] Number of other EA applicants in your school: Like 1 I think 2 of us applied RD
[ *] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.):State medals at Science Olympiad and Math Team, NYS State Archives Student Research Award Runner Up, NMSF
[/list] [ b]Subjective:[ list]
[ *] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses):Math Team Captain, Science Olympiad, Columbia Science Honors Program (it was p hard to get in, like 18% acceptance rate), NHS, regular stuff
[ *] Job/Work Experience:N/A
[ *] Volunteer/Community service: 2000 hours of volunteering at lunchboxes and soup kitchens since I was 6 years old, and 500+ hours of an internship with a cardiologist
[/list] [ b]Writing (Write a brief description and Rate Quality on 1-10 Scale; 10 as Best):[ list]
[ *] Essays (Include Subjects):[ list]
[ *] Common App Main: about 10 years of service at the lunchbox and how i’m content serving
[ *] EC Short Answer: Is this the one about the movies,poems, and books you like? I just listed my favorites.
[ *] Extended essay(which topic):Compared apples and oranges. Wrote all my essays 3-4 hours before the deadline because I applied on the spur of the moment. I thought this essay was quite good, and had been considering this problem myself for years simply out of curiosity.
[ *] Optional Essay: wat
[ *] Why Chicago: Wrote about the ASRS in the library bc it is pretty cool and then wrote about their OP biological chemistry program.
[ *] Other:[/list][ *] Teacher Recommendation #1: p good i think never read
[ *] Teacher Recommendation #2: same
[ *] Counselor Rec: gud
[ *] Additional Rec: none
[ ] Interview: nope
[ ] Art Supplement: lol
[/list] [ b]Other[ list]
[ *] Date Submitted App: minutes before deadline
[ *] State (if domestic applicant): NY
[ *] Country (if international applicant):
[ *] School Type: Public
[ *] Ethnicity: Indian
[ *] Gender: Male
[ ] Income Bracket: 110k+
[ ] Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.):
[/list] [ b]Reflection[ list]
[ *] Strengths: test scores, ec’s
[ *] Weaknesses: GPA
[ ] Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: I don’t know
[ ] What would you have done differently?: get a higher GPA
[/list][/list][ b]Other Factors:
[ b]General Comments/Congratulations/Venting/Commiserations, etc: Expected to be outright rejected but got waitlisted instead. I knew I had no chance at UChic but if they acknowledged me with a waitlist then I’m more optimistic towards my other schools.

whsperson · March 16, 2014, 5:19pm

Decision: Accepted

Objective:[ul]
[] SAT I (breakdown): 2270 (760 CR, 800 M, 710 W) 7 on the essay :’) did not send.
[] SAT I superscore (breakdown): above
[] ACT (breakdown): 35 (36 E, 33 R, 35 M, 36 S) I got a 8 on the essay haha
[] ACT superscore (breakdown): only took it once
[] SAT II: 790 Math II, 760 US History
[] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0
[] Weighted GPA: 4.707
[] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 7/447
[] AP (place score in parentheses): Calculus BC (5), AB Subscore (5), US History (5), Biology (5), Statistics (5), Psychology (5), World History (4), Lang (3), Human Geography (3) did not send??? Idk if that is a thing
[] IB (place score in parentheses): N/A ain’t about that life
[] Senior Year Course Load: Georgia Tech Calc II, AP Econ, Adv Research, Adv Internship, Georgia Tech Calc III, AP Lit, AP US Gov, AP Comp Gov, Post-AP Robotics (calc is through this distance learning program aka webcamming in class)
[] Number of other EA applicants in your school: I applied RD, haha. I know of at least one girl who applied EA though. Approx. 10-14 people applied but I don’t know who is RD and who is EA.
[] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): uhhhh I don’t think I have any? I mean I am a National Merit Finalist, AP Scholar w/ Distinction, and once I was varsity champ & speaker at a local policy debate tournament but that’s about it[/ul]
Subjective:[ul]
[] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses): National Honor Society (President), Model UN, Junior Class VP, Student Council (Executive Board), Magnet Advisory Board (Climate/Mural Executive), policy debate, math team, Leadership Club (Membership/Communications officer), Relay for Life, Helping Hands
[] Job/Work Experience: intern at IAG Forensics (forensic accounting company), currently interning at a local floral artistry company
[] Volunteer/Community service: 300+ documented service hours for stuff in community like local elementary feeder schools, volunteer at these summer camps. One is a STEM camp for elementary school girls and the other is also a STEM camp but for middle schoolers, regardless of gender. I tutor sometimes? [/ul]

Writing (Write a brief description and Rate Quality on 1-10 Scale; 10 as Best):[ul]
[] Essays (Include Subjects):[list]
[li] Common App Main: Failure prompt that was kind of unintentional bc I had actually originally written it for my National Merit app and just didn’t want to write another. It was about an embarrassing performing arts experience (I have absolutely no musical talent). I’d say 8/10?[/li][] EC Short Answer: I don’t know what this is referring to
[] Extended essay(which topic): Mantis Shrimp – I wrote a children’s story that rhymed haha. It was cute. I will read it to my future children. It was also the last college essay I wrote haha. 9/10
[] Optional Essay: Okay I was under the impression that this wasn’t an essay so I just listed approx. 6 things of each category that I liked and wrote like three sentences for each category explaining my general tastes. But apparently other people wrote essays??? 5/10???
[] Why Chicago: So mediocre you don’t even know. I just talked about what I liked about the school and how I pictured myself there, i.e. what I want to participate in, etc. 6/10
[] Other:[/ul]
[] Teacher Recommendation #1: Research teacher. Did not have her until first semester senior year, but she was my freshman homeroom teacher, and I worked closely with her because of two of my extracurriculars. I think she likes me a lot probably haha. Waived FERPA so I can’t really say for sure 9/10?
[] Teacher Recommendation #2: Calc teacher. I had her two semesters in a row because I was lucky enough to have her for AB and BC and she is also the proctor for my GT calc classes. I know for sure she really liked me during AB because she nominated me for this class award that I totally was not expecting, but I’m not like super close with her or anything. 8/10?
[] Counselor Rec: She doesn’t really know me as a person. Like she knows who I am and we say hi to each other but I’ve never really sat down and talked with her. She did make us fill out these questionnaires at the end of junior year, and they were all very open ended long questions so I guess she gleaned some information about my personality from my answers. 7/10
[] Additional Rec: Nah, ain’t about that life either.
[] Interview: Uh my interview was more like an informational interview so it was more me asking my interview questions about UChic. She attended the law school instead of undergrad though, so it was kind of weird. It went well I suppose. We had a good time.
[] Art Supplement: no way [/list]
Other[ul]
[] Date Submitted App: I submitted CA on 12/31 and writing supplements on 1/3
[] State (if domestic applicant): GA
[] Country (if international applicant):
[] School Type: Magnet (STEM)
[] Ethnicity: Asian
[] Gender: Female
[] Income Bracket: a little below $100K
[] Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): nope[/ul]
Reflection[ul]
[] Strengths: My “unusual” essay??? I definitely think that was the best part of my application. Also a lot of dedication in community service activities.
[] Weaknesses: My other essays? I’m not a great writer and the only essay that I had people proof for me was my common app. Also I guess my race?
[] Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: Yeah I definitely think it was my essay because they were probs expecting some kinda science-y thing or maybe something philosophical but then I was WOW NOPE here’s a children’s story that rhymes. Well the story did kind of have a deeper meaning to it.
[] What would you have done differently?: NOT PROCRASTINATE and probably start my essays earlier than the few days before the deadline[/ul]
Other Factors: what does this even mean
General Comments/Congratulations/Venting/Commiserations, etc: Congratulations everybody!!! I can’t believe I actually got in – this is so surreal. I’m dead. This is my first private school acceptance (possibly only :’) )

FeralCat · March 16, 2014, 6:16pm

[ b]Objective:**[ list]
[ *] SAT I (breakdown): 730M, 720W, 670CR
[ *] SAT I superscore (breakdown): 2120
[ *] ACT (breakdown): x
[ *] ACT superscore (breakdown): x
[ *] SAT II: 660 Math 2, 610 U.S History
[ *] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.500
[ *] Weighted GPA: 4.17
[ *] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): Top 10% (44/495)
[ *] AP (place score in parentheses): 3 on AP Calc AB, 3 on U.S History (got 2 on euro, English, chem)
[ *] IB (place score in parentheses): x
[ *] Senior Year Course Load: 5 AP classes included Calc BC, only regular class is Band & Marching band
[ *] Number of other applicants in your school: No one applies from here
[ *] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): 3rd place in State WorldQuest, National Economics Award, Pretty big State Piano Award
[ *] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses): Trap and release feral cats (wrote essay on this, started local program). 11 years classical piano. Some academic stuff
[ *] Job/Work Experience: None
[ *] Volunteer/Community service:[/list] A lot (big part of my life) I have ~2500 hours of service.
[ *] Essays (Include Subjects):[ list] Wrote about my love of cats. Also wrote about my recent cardio-thoracic surgery that made me realize how valuable life is
[ *] Extended essay(which topic): Yo soy yo…
[ *] Other:[/list][ *] Teacher Recommendation #1: 10/10
[ *] Teacher Recommendation #2: general so like 7/10
[ *] Counselor Rec: 9/10
[ *] Additional Rec: 10/10 (got from the CEO of the hospital I volunteer at, I had cool leadership positions there on the Board of Directors)
[ ] Interview: Not my best one… (phone interview)
[ ] Art Supplement:[/list] [ b]Other[ list] Meant to send in a piano supplement but the surgery changed that…
[ *] State (if domestic applicant): CA
[ *] School Type: Decent, kids don’t really go to Top 10 schools here though
[ *] Ethnicity: Hispanic (Mexican-American)
[ *] Gender: Male
[ *] Income Bracket: Dunno how it’s calculated (parents separated… so either $55k or $110k)
[ *] Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): 1st gen, URM (Hispanic), U.S Dual Citizen (Mexico-U.S)
[ ] Strengths: SATs are below average here but I worked hard for them and am very proud of them (Highest score in my school by over 100 points, and avg here is 1350). My EC, essays, and volunteer work.
[ ] Weaknesses: GPA. GPA. GPA. I’m lucky I barely made it into top 10%, only reason I still stood a chance
[ ] Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: Many applicants who are stronger!
[ ] What would you have done differently?:[/list][/list][ b]Other Factors: Nothing It would be nice to have a higher GPA, but that was a choice I made Freshman year. I decided to spend a lot of time with stray cats and have since helped over 2000 cats with my TNR program. No regrets But I know my GPA is my weakest point lol
[ b]General Comments/Congratulations/Venting/Commiserations, etc: I don’t see too much Hispanic representation on here so I thought I would post my stats and decision to offer insight to fellow Hispanics looking for stats :] Congrats to all who got in! Fingers crossed for Columbia >.<

FeralCat · March 16, 2014, 6:17pm

Forgot to add that I was waitlisted…

romeonachos · March 16, 2014, 9:26pm

found it useful during my application process, so hopefully this will help future applicants!

[ size=+2][ color=orange][ b]Decision: Waitlisted**[/color][/size]

[ b]Objective:**[ list]
[ *] SAT I : 2000
[ *] ACT (breakdown): 33
[ *] SAT II: 790 Math II, 710 USH, 700 Physics
[ *] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.97
[ *] Weighted GPA: 4.83
[ *] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 6
[ *] AP (place score in parentheses):Calculus BC (4, subscore 5), Language (4), Physics C: Mech (4), USH (4)
[ *] Senior Year Course Load: AP Spanish Literature, AP English Literature, AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP US Government, AP Macroeconomics
[ *] Number of other EA applicants in your school:unknown, guessing close to none
[ *] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): nothing grand, most awards were regional and school level
[ *] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses): NHS (President 11-12, Treasurer 10), ASB (Class VP 10-11, School VP (12), Science Olympiad Captain (11-12), Judo (Sensei 12, Senpai 9-11)
[ *] Job/Work Experience: Part Time job at father’s business (10-12)
[ *] Volunteer/Community service: Hospital Volunteer (11-12), HOBY (10-12), 300+ hours for various projects
[ *] Essays (Include Subjects):[ list]
[ *] Common App Main:taking risks, a literal leap of faith
[ *] EC Short Answer:principles of judo incorporated into daily life
[ *] Extended essay(which topic):joke essay, a sudden realization after walking into a bar (and saying ouch)
[ *] Optional Essay: talked about movies, books, and music
[ *] Why Chicago: Harlem Shake video. nuff said.
[ *] Other:[/list][ *] Teacher Recommendation #1: hopefully strong, NHS advisor and bio/chem teacher of two years
[ *] Teacher Recommendation #2:not as strong as #1, but hopefully good comments as well
[ *] Counselor Rec:hopefully good, noted one of the best students she’s had in her 10 years of counseling
[ *] Additional Rec: didn’t want to bombard them with another one
[ ] Interview: okay, i feel. Originally meant to be on skype but was changed to on the phone, accidentally ended call and didn’t feel I expressed my passion for the school enough
[ ] Art Supplement:[/list] [ b]Other[ list]
[ *] Date Submitted App: didn’t submit
[ *] State (if domestic applicant):CA
[ *] Country (if international applicant):
[ *] School Type:Public (3400 students)
[ *] Ethnicity:Asian
[ *] Gender:Male
[ ] Income Bracket:~$100,000
[ ] Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.):[/list] [ b]Reflection[ list] didn’t really have one
[ *] Strengths: essays, recs, grades, activities
[ *] Weaknesses: Test scores unfortunately
[ ] Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected:surprised I was even waitlisted, expected rejection
[ ] What would you have done differently?: really focused less on ECs and a little more on test scores
[ b]General Comments/Congratulations/Venting/Commiserations, etc: congrats to those accepted, I will continue to stay on the waitlist since this is the second school I have heard from. hope for the best!

excuse my lack of knowledge in making this decision best presentable.

Dave_N · March 17, 2014, 2:55am

Decision: Waitlisted

Objective:[ul]
[] SAT I (breakdown):
[] SAT I superscore (breakdown):
[] ACT (breakdown): 35 (36M 36R 36S 32E, 10 Essay)
[] ACT superscore (breakdown): 36 (36M 36R 36S 34E)
[] SAT II: Math 2 790; Physics 740
[] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0
[] Weighted GPA: 4.73
[] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): Psuedorank Top 1-2% of 950
[] AP (place score in parentheses): Euro (5), Physics B(5), Calc BC(5), AP Lang(5), APUSH(5), Bio(5), Calc BC(5), Span Lang(5)
[] IB (place score in parentheses): None
[] Senior Year Course Load: AP Chem, AP Lit, AP Macro, AP Gov, AP Psych, AP Stats
[] Number of other EA applicants in your school: 10 -15
[] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): None[/ul] Subjective:[ul]
[] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses): 4 years football, Founded ultimate frisbee
[] Job/Work Experience:
[] Volunteer/Community service:[/ul] Writing (Write a brief description and Rate Quality on 1-10 Scale; 10 as Best):[ul]
[] Essays (Include Subjects):[list]
[li] Common App Main: Perseverance[/li][] EC Short Answer:
[] Extended essay(which topic): Explain a joke, Swift’s “A Modest Proposal”
[] Optional Essay:
[] Why Chicago: 7 Quality of classmates, core, challenge
[] Other:[/ul][] Teacher Recommendation #1: 7 AP English teacher
[] Teacher Recommendation #2: 7 Good, AP Calc teacher
[] Counselor Rec: 6 Average, counselor’s have 100+ each
[] Additional Rec: N/A
[] Interview: N/A
[] Art Supplement:[/list] Other[ul]
[] Date Submitted App: 12/30
[] State (if domestic applicant): IL
[] School Type: Public
[] Ethnicity: White
[] Gender: M
[] Income Bracket:
[] Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): None[/ul] Reflection[ul]
[] Strengths: Scores, GPA
[] Weaknesses: Essays, EC leadership
[] Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: Lack of leadership, Essays?
[li] What would you have done differently?:[/ul]Other Factors:[/li]General Comments/Congratulations/Venting/Commiserations, etc: Congratulations to all accepted! This was for DS. Probably, wouldn’t have been affordable without large merit. Will forgo the waiting list spot

dangerdmoney · March 17, 2014, 3:24am

Honestly, I’m going to save my full breakdown here, because I’m just so disappointed. From the looks of it, who even does make it? I had a 2290 SAT (single sitting), National Merit Finalist, a 4.54 GPA out of 4.0 that I slaved over, a handful of leaderships, and what I thought were really good recommendations. I wrote my essays starting in August, revised them, and really put my heart into it. I visited and interviewed. I did everything I could to show I was interested. I applied EA, and was deferred. I’m not going to lie, this breaks my heart. This was far and away my top choice. I can’t even figure out what I did wrong. I had so many ECs going on I literally wouldn’t have time for anything else. I know that it’s crazy competitive, and I know they can only take the best applicants. But it just feels like the expectations for applications are unrealistic. If you’re not a robot, you can’t make it here. It makes me really wish we were back in the days when simply being a driven, straight-A student was enough for colleges.

arrhenius · March 17, 2014, 7:27am

@dangerdmoney

I’m really sorry that you didn’t get accepted to UChicago. I sympathize with you greatly, although I can only imagine what it feels like to be turned down from your top choice.

I think that the issue is that the cookie-cutter students have evolved from “driven, straight-A students” to those who not only have stellar GPA and scores, but also loads of ECs.

But therein lies the problem. Let’s place ourselves in UChicago’s seat for a moment, and ask ourselves, “what kind of students do we want to accept?” Now, this is merely speculation (although more, in my opinion), but it seems that the defining characteristic is intellectualism. Certainly, leadership and service and et cetera are factors, but merely secondary ones. You ask, “what is this ‘intellectualism’?” It is described, most aptly and most beautifully, by this: the endless desire to know. It is something that transcends scores, GPAs, and ECs. A student who embodies this ideal will almost surely have numbers equal to, or in many many cases, superior to, yours. But those are meaningless. Such a student recognizes the empty nature of tests, of scores, of so-called “extracurriculars.” He or she will obtain perfect scores and perfect GPAs effortlessly as a corollary of their intellectual character, recognizing the necessity for conforming to the system but nothing more. This student will think - although far from necessarily in academic areas - at the level of a professor. While the antithesis of this student will rush from swim practice to piano lesson to debate tournament, only to face several hours of calculus homework that just doesn’t seem to make sense (italicize the following), continually wondering “why?”, or more likely, not wondering at all, our ideal student will sit, and think. And if he only grasps one, only one, single idea - perhaps the odd stroke in that Achenbach oil, or eigenstate invariance in adiabatic quantum evolution - then he will be satisfied.

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