***UChicago 2020 RD Results***

[pnguon]

[ size=+2][ color=green][ b]Decision: Accepted**[/color][/size]
[ size=+2][ color=orange][ b]Decision: Waitlisted**[/color][/size]
[ size=+2][ color=red][ b]Decision: Rejected**[/color][/size]

[ b]Objective:[ list]
[ *] SAT I (breakdown):
[ *] SAT I superscore (breakdown):
[ *] ACT (breakdown):
[ *] ACT superscore (breakdown):
[ *] SAT II:
[ *] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0):
[ *] Weighted GPA:
[ *] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable):
[ *] AP (place score in parentheses):
[ *] IB (place score in parentheses):
[ *] Senior Year Course Load:
[ *] Number of other EA applicants in your school:
[ *] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.):[/list] [ b]Subjective:[ list]
[ *] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses):
[ *] Job/Work Experience:
[ *] 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]
[ *] Common App Main:
[ *] EC Short Answer:
[ *] Extended essay(which topic):
[ *] Optional Essay:
[ *] Why Chicago:
[ *] Other:[/list][ *] Teacher Recommendation #1:
[ *] Teacher Recommendation #2:
[ *] Counselor Rec:
[ *] Additional Rec:
[ ] Interview:
[ ] Art Supplement:[/list] [ b]Other[ list]
[ *] Date Submitted App:
[ *] State (if domestic applicant):
[ *] Country (if international applicant):
[ *] School Type:
[ *] Ethnicity:
[ *] Gender:
[ ] Income Bracket:
[ ] Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.):[/list] [ b]Reflection[ list]
[ ] Strengths:
[ ] Weaknesses:
[ ] Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected:
[ ] What would you have done differently?:[/list][/list][ b]Other Factors:
[ b]General Comments/Congratulations/Venting/Commiserations, etc:

MODERATOR’S NOTE
This thread is for decisions only. Non-decision comments will be deleted.

[NotVerySmart]

I just wanted to say good luck to everyone applying RD. Everything I’ve seen thus far suggests that the class of 2020 will make the U of C as proud as any class has thus far, and I’m glad for the chance to help make that happen. I’m looking forward to seeing a number of you join me in Hyde Park, make the next four years unforgettable, and use what you learn to make the world a better place over the next forty.

Many of the posters here seem like fine candidates at UChicago, and I have little doubt those of you who aren’t happily ensconced in Chicago next fall will be thriving at another first-rate university. The U of C has more qualified applicants than it can possibly accept, but each of those applicants will also have his/her pick of more outstanding colleges than (s)he can possibly attend.

At the end of the day, to borrow Frank Bruni’s turn of phrase, where you go is not who you’ll be. The exceptional school you’ll attend matters far less than what you make of it. Getting into college won’t put a spring in your step that wasn’t there before, and being rejected won’t rob you of what vitality you already have. The light and joy you find in life comes not from outside recognition, but from within yourself, and that well won’t run dry in this century or the next. So take heart.

[bythesea1]

Well the time is here! Ish…

[luckydoggy1234]

@NotVerySmart you shud add another section that says whether or not fafsa showed up on portal (if applied for) so we can help the next years crop lol

[spkang2020]

[ color=red]Decision: Rejected[/color]

[ b]Objective:**
SAT I and/or ACT (breakdown): 2260 SAT (760 Writing, 740 Math, 740 Reading)/34 ACT (35 English, 33 Math, 34 Science, 34 Reading, 27 Writing)
SAT II (place score in parentheses): 710 Math II, 730 World History, 700 Literature
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.5
Rank/Percentile: N/A
AP (place score in parentheses): Psychology 4, World History 5, Government 5, Language 5.
IB (place score in parentheses): N/A
Senior Year Course Load: AP Literature, AP Macro/Micro, AP Statistics, Honors Oceanography, Film Studies, Honors Spanish 4, Political Science
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): Nothing much

[ b]Subjective:**
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses): Model UN, debate, Young Democrats
Job/Work Experience: University of Maryland Internship, Firehouse Subs
Volunteer/Community Service: Lots of church stuff, nothing special
Summer Activities: Sleep
Essays: A+
Teacher Recommendations: No clue, haven’t read them
Counselor Rec: No clue, have not read
Additional Rec: N/A
Interview: No interview

[ b]Other**
Applied for Financial Aid? Yep
Projected Concentration: Public Policy/Political Science
State/Country: Virginia, USA
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: Asian
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: $20,000 annual income including Social Security
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): N/A

[ b]Reflection**
Strengths: Essay, definitely as well as SAT and ACT.
Weaknesses: GPA
Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Not really that strong of a student outside of tests and essays.
Where else you are applying or have already applied: Lots
General Comments/Advice/Hindsight: Heh.
FAFSA: I did see the FAFSA thing.

[chancethisanon]

**Decision: Rejected **

Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): 2150 (700 R / 780 M / 670 W)
ACT (breakdown): 34 C (32 E 34 R 35 M 36 S) + 36 W
SAT II (place score in parentheses): None taken
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.6
Rank/Percentile: 97/550
AP (place score in parentheses): None submitted
IB (place score in parentheses): None submitted
AP + IB Courseload: 12 by the end of this year
Senior Year Course Load: AP Calculus BC, AP German, AP Microeconomics, AP Physics II, IB Computer Science, Honors English, Honors US History
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): AP Scholar w/ Distinction

Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses): Few student organizations for tech, service, hobbies
Job/Work Experience: None
Volunteer/Community Service: 6 years w/ same organization
Summer Activities: Service
Essays: Common App (6/10), Why Chicago (7/10), Uncommon(9/10), Optional (10/10)
Teacher Recommendations: Excellent recommendations from Comp Sci/Economics teachers
Counselor Rec: I imagine my counselor recommendation was quite decent.
Additional Rec: None
Interview: Absolutely terrible interview. Fifteen minutes, it was so short the interviewer “felt bad.” I had questions prepared but the interviewer seemed to be in a massive hurry.

Other
Applied for Financial Aid? Yes
Projected Concentration: Economics
State/Country: USA
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: 250,000
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): None

Reflection
Strengths: Recommendations, decent ACT, good commit to my Community service, decent essays
Weaknesses: GPA/rank, activities, SAT score, ACT score could be improved, essays could be improved, interview could have been a lot better
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: GPA/rank are abysmal for a top 10 school
Where else you are applying or have already applied: Safety + UNC, ND, Duke, NW
General Comments/Advice/Hindsight: Congratulations to all who got in! I expected this outcome and I am not particularly disappointed. My only hope is that the people who got in truly deserved it.

[waddups]

.

[chancethisanon]

Half an hour and 2 responses, what a bloodbath.

[pnguon]

Decision: Waitlisted

Objective:[ul]
[] SAT I (breakdown): Didn’t take
[] SAT I superscore (breakdown): Didn’t take
[ ] ACT (breakdown): E: 29, M: 34, S: 33
[ *] ACT superscore (breakdown): C: 32
[ *] SAT II: Math: 740, Chemistry: 740
[ *] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): ~3.96
[ *] Weighted GPA: School doesn’t do weighted
[ *] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 2
[ *] AP (place score in parentheses): Chemistry (4) ComSci (4) – School offers really limited AP courses
[ *] IB (place score in parentheses): School doesn’t do IB
[ *] Senior Year Course Load: AP Economics, AP Calc AB, AP Statistics, Philosophy, Instrumental Music, British Literature, Physical Education, Physics
[ *] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): nothing big… National Level Science & Engineering fair, TedX speaker
Subjective:
[] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):
-Student Council (3 years): Freshman rep, Junior- head of StuCo, Senior- rep
-Soccer: Varsity 3 years, city champs (2015) - expected captain
-Volleyball: 2 years, co-captain
-Piano: 5 years, performed in local concerts + competitions
[] Job/Work Experience:
-Worked with EdUSA: assisted kids with apps
-Interned at FTSS lab: wrote a research paper
[] Volunteer/Community service: around 300+ hours
-Worked at CCF: taught a course on human rights, civil law…etc
-Volunteered at a local university: assisted environmental science lab
-Peer mentoring
[] Summer Activities:
-Worked (mentioned above)
[] Essays: Common App (9/10) Loved to write this one… i think it showed my compassion, Princeton Supplement (8/10)- although was good, probably didn’t transmit messages clearly, Princeton Engineering (8/10)- a little too generic?
[ *] Essays (Include Subjects): [list]
[ *] Common App Main: I spent like 4 months on this, slowly changing things, loved it!
[ *] EC Short Answer: I think did a pretty decent job in showing the ad counsellors how and where I would fit in on campus
[ *] Extended essay(which topic): “Why here and not somewhere else?”
[ *] Optional Essay: I did one about books I think
[ *] Why Chicago: answered above ^
[ *] Other:[/ul][ *] Teacher Recommendation #1: AP Chem - didn’t see
[ *] Teacher Recommendation #2: World Lit - didn’t see
[ *] Counselor Rec: Didn’t see, but most likely good, because I’ve helped him out a lot and he’s awesome!
[ *] Additional Rec: An environmental professor I assisted;
[ ] Interview: Didn’t get one, although requested
[ ] Art Supplement:[/list] [ b]Other[ list]
[ *] Date Submitted App: –
[ *] State (if domestic applicant): –
[ *] Country (if international applicant): Cambodia
[ *] School Type: Small, Christian Int’l school
[ *] Ethnicity: Khmer
[ *] Gender: F
[ ] Income Bracket: <$50000 per year (needs a lot of aid)
[ ] Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.):[/list] [ b]Reflection[ list]
[ ] Strengths: Essays, Personal character
[ ] Weaknesses: Test scores
[ ] Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: why I was waitlisted? I have no idea. But I think there is a high chance that my “Why UChicago” saved me.
[ ] What would you have done differently?:[/list][/list][ b]Other Factors: None. I am happy with what I have so far accomplished.
[ b]General Comments/Congratulations/Venting/Commiserations, etc:
Congrats to those accepted! But whether you are accepted, rejected or waitlisted… you all are awesome people. You will go far in life, regardless. So keep your heads up high! Don’t let this define you. Take a moment, realize it… and start moving on. There are be better opportunities coming your way and you don’t want to miss that!!

[Nedcone]

**Decision: Waitlisted **

Objective:
SAT I and/or ACT (breakdown): 34 ACT (34E, 33M, 34R, 35S) 2040 SAT
)

SAT II (place score in parentheses): N/A
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.88-3.91 (School weights)
Rank/Percentile: 6/290
AP (place score in parentheses): WHAP (5), APUSH(4), ENGLANG(5), CHEM(4), Phys I (3)
IB (place score in parentheses):
Senior Year Course Load: Biology AP, Physics C AP, Calc BC AP, Englist Lit AP, Spanish AP, Micro-Macro Econ AP
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): Nothing of relevance

Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses): Theater technicians, SciOly, History Club, Forensics.
Job/Work Experience:
Volunteer/Community Service: Volunteer through my school at soup kitchens and for the homeless. Also library.
Summer Activities:
Essays:
Teacher Recommendations:
Counselor Rec:
Additional Rec:
Interview:

Other
Applied for Financial Aid?: Yes
Projected Concentration: Biological Sciences/
State/Country: IL
School Type: Private
Ethnicity: African American
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: ~=200k
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): URM

** Reflection**
Strengths: Test score, APs, perhaps essays.
Weaknesses: Test scores, early GPA, extracurriculars, perhaps essays.
Why you think you were waitlisted: Did not list full EC list, left out prior religious work. Weak first two years of school.
Where else you are applying or have already applied: Accepted Howard (full ride), UMich, SLU, and UIUC (80,000 dollars in scholarships).
General Comments/Advice/Hindsight: I’m not lamenting a waitlist although I won’t try to get off of it. It shows I am decently competitive. Such is the roll of the die at times. I did promise I would post regardless of decision, so here I am.
Advice for those reading this in 2016, 2017, 2018 etc. Polish is key and something I felt I lacked. Best of luck to those accepted, waitlisted, rejected, or future applicants!

[banchan]

[ size=4][ color=orange][ b]Decision: Waitlisted **[/color][/size]

[ b]Objective:**
SAT I and/or ACT (breakdown): 800 CR, 780 M, 670 WR
SAT II (place score in parentheses): Math II (770) Literature (720)
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): They only tell us weighted: 4.23
Rank/Percentile: 6/200
AP (place score in parentheses): humiliating. 3s on physics 1 and apush
IB (place score in parentheses): n/a
Senior Year Course Load: AP: Lit, Gov, Calc, Physics 2, Stats. Also Band
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): n/a

[ b]Subjective:**
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses): band (section leader)
Job/Work Experience: editing papers for mother
Volunteer/Community Service: painting a mural, organizing a caroling group
Summer Activities: band camp
Essays: not fantastic
Teacher Recommendations: they love me at least
Counselor Rec: I barely know my counselor
Additional Rec: n/a
Interview:n/a

[ b]Other**
Projected Concentration: physics and English
State/Country: NJ
School Type:
Ethnicity: very asian
Gender: f
Income Bracket: pretty high
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.):

[ b]Reflection**
Strengths: I’m very honest
Weaknesses: Everything else
Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: I procrasinated too much
Where else you are applying or have already applied:
General Comments/Advice/Hindsight: Don’t procrastinate?

[tau628]

Choose One:
[ size=4][ color=red][ b]Decision:Rejected **[/color][/size]

[ b]Objective:**
SAT I and/or ACT (breakdown): 2260 (750 M, 750 E, 760 CR)
SAT II (place score in parentheses): Biology M (800)
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0
Rank/Percentile: 1/ ~600 at highly ranked high school in my state
AP (place score in parentheses): World History (5), US History (5), English Literature (5), Psychology (5), Biology (5), Chemistry (4)
Senior Year Course Load: AP Calc BC, AP Physics C, AP English Composition, Advanced Spanish (college course), Tutoring, Personal Finance (senior requirement), Economics and Government @ CC
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): Intel STS Semi-Finalist, Intel ISEF, pharmaceutical company recognition, Chemistry Olympiad, National Merit Finalist, AP Scholar with Distinction, Top Research awards at state level, Top music awards at state level, Regional Gold Portfolio Scholastic, Regional American Voice Scholastic

[ b]Subjective:**
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses): NHS, Orchestra (section leader), Religious Organization (lead vocalist/accompanist, ran children activities), Science Research, few school clubs (service coordinator), Academic Teams (captain), on my own learned a lot of different instruments
Volunteer/Community Service: Volunteer in a women’s shelter (~48 hrs per semester), Create care packages for homeless in city (30 min/ week)
Summer Activities: Study abroad program to South America sponsored by my school, pilgrimage during important religious observance, research, gave a couple of concerts, lots of exercise (biking, running, etc.), probably some other stuff…this is for all three years of high school

Essays: All my essays would be at least 9-10. Spent a lot of time.
Teacher Recommendations: Didn’t read them but should have been good!
Counselor Rec: Didn’t read, either.

[ b]Other**
Applied for Financial Aid? Yes
Projected Concentration: Biology and Spanish
State/Country: USA (state would identify me too easily)
School Type: Large Public High School
Ethnicity: Asian
Gender: Female
Income Bracket: prefer not to say
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): Not really a hook, but a lot of personal situations, in terms of a mix of crises and illnesses of people important to me.

[ b]Reflection**
Strengths: Strong research awards (national), solid but not perfect test scores, good recommendations (probably ), enough service hours and community involvement, trilingual and counting!,
Weaknesses: Not perfect test scores, my essays reflected a lot of religious values which might have not rubbed a liberal school very well (please, don’t be politically correct or get all offended; lot of people who share my religious beliefs are under scrutiny nowadays by many), AND MOSTLY, there are so many super smart candidates.
Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Hard to say really. Different year, different committee review, I could have been accepted maybe. Maybe you guys can help me figure it out?
Where else you are applying or have already applied: My State schools, National Merit Finalist Full-Rides, a few Ivies that will probably be too expensive
General Comments/Advice/Hindsight:
Don’t get bummed out if you didn’t make it. Certainly their loss, not yours.
Congrats to anyone else who did make it

[matildak6]

Decision: Rejected
Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): 2150 (750 R / 680 M / 720 W)
ACT (breakdown):
SAT II (place score in parentheses): Lit (790), Math II (730), US History (740)
Weighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.27
Rank/Percentile: N/A
AP (place score in parentheses): US History (5)
IB (place score in parentheses):
AP Courseload: 4 by the end of this year
Senior Year Course Load: AP Calculus AB, AP Environmental, AP English Lit, AP US History
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): National Merit Scholarship Commended, high rank on National French Exam

Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses): school newspaper (editor-in-chief), Model Congress (president), varsity softball (captain), varsity field hockey (captain), student council, concert choir, auditioned all-female choir, student representative on Board of Education
Job/Work Experience: None
Volunteer/Community Service: costumes for school musical
Summer Activities: Travel softball, traveling
Essays: Common App (8/10), Why Chicago (7/10), Uncommon (9/10)
Teacher Recommendations: good but not great
Counselor Rec: pretty normal
Additional Rec: Good, from my newspaper adviser
Interview: couldn’t get one

Other
Applied for Financial Aid? Yes
Projected Concentration: Prep for Journalism
State/Country: CT
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Female
Income Bracket: > 250,000
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): None

Reflection
Strengths: extracurriculars, GPA, Uncommon essay, sent a magazine I created as a supplement, travelled a long way to visit
Weaknesses: SAT score, recommendations could be improved, no interview, not a lot of APs
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: SAT not impressive, nothing about my application really stood out
Where else you are applying or have already applied: accepted to McGill, UConn, Villanova; still have to hear from Northwestern, Harvard, Yale, Brown, Columbia, Georgetown, George Washington, Tufts, Boston University
General Comments/Advice/Hindsight: I expected this and I’m not super disappointed, it wasn’t my favorite school or anything. I hope this means karmically that I’ll get in somewhere else I really love. Congrats to everyone!

[tutututututuru]

**Decision: Accepted **

Objective:
SAT I and/or ACT (breakdown): 800 M, 800 CR, 760 W (2360)
SAT II (place score in parentheses): 800 Math 2, 760 Physics
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.95 ~, 4.65 weighted
Rank/Percentile: 7
AP (place score in parentheses): 5s on Calc BC, Lang, APUSH, WHAP, and a 4 on Physics 1.
IB (place score in parentheses):
Senior Year Course Load: Linear Algebra at LSU, Multivariable Calc at LSU, Religion, AP Lit, AP U.S. Gov., AP Physics 2, Fine Arts Survey, Health/P.E.
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): Won a few state math tournaments in Calculus, a few more regional tournaments in Calculus and Pre-Calc, Presidential Scholar, NMF

Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses): Mu Alpha Theta (President), Science Club (President), Chess Club (President), Book Club (President), Research Team, National Honors Society, Academic Games
Job/Work Experience: Nothing
Volunteer/Community Service: 110 hours over the four years, I think I only talked about one experience – rebuilding houses for people who lost their homes in Katrina (40 hours).
Summer Activities: Reading?
Essays: Common App: 7/10, Un-Common Essay: 8/10 (though maybe my thesis was insensitive/wrong, as evidenced by Donald Trump), Why UChicago: 9/10, Optional Essay: 9/10
Teacher Recommendations: Two of my favorite teachers and we have really good relationships, so I’m sure they were good.
Counselor Rec: Good I think?
Additional Rec: None.
Interview: None.

Other
Applied for Financial Aid? yes
Projected Concentration: Math
State/Country: LA
School Type: Private
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: High 100s? Low 200s? I don’t know.
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): Legacy

Reflection
Strengths: Legacy, SAT, math victories and higher-level courses.
Weaknesses: No work experience, not like, too interesting of a person?
Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Rejected: MIT & Caltech. Haven’t heard back from anywhere else.
Where else you are applying or have already applied: Waiting on: Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Vanderbilt, Harvey Mudd, and Rice.
General Comments/Advice/Hindsight: Thunderstruck right now! Or, I was 55 minutes ago. Still, really happy and I can’t believe it! I was really down after 2 rejections from MIT & Caltech. Don’t Lose Your Way.

[toddsmith14]

Decision: Waitlisted

Objective:[ul]
[] SAT I (breakdown): 690 (CR) 800 (M) 780 (W)
[] SAT I superscore (breakdown): above
[] ACT (breakdown): 34 Composite 35 (English) 36 (Math) 34 (Reading) 31 (Science) 32 (Writing)
[ *] ACT superscore (breakdown): only took once
[] SAT II: 780 (Math II) 720 (US History) 700 (Chemistry)
[] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0
[] Weighted GPA: 4.82
[] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 1/462
[] AP (place score in parentheses): Calculus AB (5), Chemistry (4), Eng Lang (4), US History (4), Spanish Language (4)
[] IB (place score in parentheses):
[] Senior Year Course Load: AP Calculus BC, AP Lit, AP Physics 1, AP Government, AP Microeconomics, AP Biology, Girl’s Golf
[] Number of other EA applicants in your school: 1
[] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): Siemens Semifinalist, Coca Cola Scholarship Semifinalist, National Music Teacher’s Association Special Recognition Award, few national debate awards

[/ul]Subjective:[ul]
[] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses): Relay for Life (VP), Science Club (President), Mu Alpha Theta (President), Debate team (Representative), Youth Symphony 4x Concertmaster, All State Co-Concertmaster for 7 years, Music Outreach Club (Founder and President), Golf Team (Captain and MVP), Research, Piano - state and national winner
[] Job/Work Experience: Research internship, taught piano lessons
[li] Volunteer/Community service: Hospital Volunteer, Relay for Life, Piano Teacher[/li]
[/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: 10/10, wrote about Relay for Life and how it changed me and my perception of science and research[/li][] Extended essay(which topic): I did the order in disorder, 9/10, wrote about my identity as a melting pot
[] Why Chicago: 8/10, was a lot more technical than my other two essays
[] Other: did an eclectic mix of favorite books, music, movies, etc

[/ul]

[] Teacher Recommendation #1: 9/10, been my teacher for 3 years and absolutely love her
[] Teacher Recommendation #2: 6/10, he has good days and bad days, who knows if he wrote a good one. overall didn’t stand out academically in his class but socially stood out
[] Counselor Rec: 10/10, from the beginning of the year I was the only one who consistently went to his office
[] Additional Rec: 10/10, violin teacher wrote about my transition from childhood to adulthood and about how much I really cared about music
[] Interview: did not have one
[] Art Supplement: none

[/list]Other[ul]
[] Date Submitted App: 12/30
[] State (if domestic applicant): South
[] Country (if international applicant): USA
[] School Type: public school
[] Ethnicity: Asian
[] Gender: Female
[] Income Bracket: >200k
[] Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): not many hooks, lots of activities and all done very well

[/ul]Reflection[ul]
[] Strengths: very good at all my extracurriculars
[] Weaknesses: not very good academically
[] Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: not good enough academically
[] What would you have done differently?:

[/ul]Other Factors:
General Comments/Congratulations/Venting/Commiserations, etc: Ended up accepting the waitlist offer, still confused about why I got waitlisted but that’s ok. Waitlisted at WUSTL, rejected MIT, deferred Harvard, can’t wait for Ivy Day!

[Pernix]

**Decision: Waitlisted **

Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): 2300 (730R, 770W, 800M)
ACT (breakdown): 35 (36M, 35R, 36E, 36S)
SAT II (place score in parentheses): Bio 800, Math II 770, Chem 780, Phys 790
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.00, weighted 4.75.
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): School does not officially rank
AP (place score in parentheses): Bio (5), Euro (5), USH (4), Calc (5), Psych (5), Chem (4), Bio (5), Phys B (5), Stats (5), Comp (4), APES (5), Compsci (5)
IB (place score in parentheses):
Senior Year Course Load: Calc III, AP Phys C, AP Lit, Data Structures and Algorithms, DSII, AP Micro, AP Macro,
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): Second place grand award for Biomedical/Health Sciences at Intel ISEF, National History Day Group Documentary National Finalist, National AP scholar, National Merit Semifinalist, bunch of other science fair awards that I didn’t put down.

Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses): National History Day Club President (4 yrs), ISEF Club President (2 yrs), National Honor Society (2 yrs), Math club (3 yrs), Lab volunteer (3 yrs), Chinese Club Exec Board (2 yrs), JV Tennis (2 yrs)/Varsity Reserve Tennis (1 yrs).

Job/Work Experience: Paid internship, Medical College of Wisconsin. (Summer 2015)
Volunteer/Community Service: 200+ at research labs, 50+ through NHS
Summer Activities: Internship and presented research in Sweden.
Essays: Common app 8/10, everything else around that. I was pretty proud of my “Order from Disorder” essay but I don’t think it stood out too much.
Teacher Recommendations: Both 8/10ish
Counselor Rec: Probably very good.
Additional Rec: 9/10.
Interview: 9/10, it was a really good and pleasant one

Other
Applied for Financial Aid? Yep! :3
Projected Major: Biology
State (if domestic applicant): Wisconsin
Country (if international applicant): U.S.
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: Asian
Gender: XY
Income Bracket: $100,000-$150,000
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): awards?

Reflection
Strengths: Awards. GPA and test scores were probably competitive
Weaknesses: Lack of individuality, and not enough stuff.
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: There were better, more holistic applicants.
Where else you are applying or have already applied: Accepted Minnesota Twin Cities/Madison. Applied to: Yale, Princeton, MIT, Uchicago, Columbia, Stanford.
General Comments/Advice/Hindsight: Very competitive year, and lots of people who deserved a spot more than me got waitlisted too. Don’t feel bad if you got waitlisted/rejected, there’s nothing wrong with your app. I regret nothing in terms of how I performed throughout high school, and you shouldn’t either.

Good luck, everyone!

[noah16]

Choose One:
**Decision: Waitlisted **

Objective:
SAT I and/or ACT (breakdown): 2210 (CR 680, Math 800, Writing 730)
SAT II (place score in parentheses): Biology M-630, Math Level 2-710
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.87
Rank/Percentile: 8/104 [according to May 2015 grades, not December 2015]
Senior Year Course Load: AP Biology, AP Calculus, AP Comparative Gov’t and Politics AP English Language, Adv. Spanish, Ethics & Morality, Italian IV
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): Some Puerto Rican standardized test prizes, Hispanic Scholar, National Merit Scholarship Finalist

Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses): Math Club (President 12, VP 11, and Treasurer 10), Model United Nations, National Honor Society, Science Club, Jr. Society of Hispanic Engineers, Journalism Club
Volunteer/Community Service: In addition to the school requirements of 30 hours before graduation, weekly tutoring sessions to middle school students since 10th grade
Summer Activities: Volunteered to go on a school missionary trip to Nicaragua last summer
Essays: Common App (8/10), Why UChicago (6/10), Uncommon (I wrote a story instead of an essay, so if they like creativity – 9.5/10), Optional (8/10)
Teacher Recommendations: I never read them, but I trust both my teachers wrote excellent letters. Plus, their letters have helped previous students get into Ivies and other selective schools.
Counselor Rec: It should be nice, considering she knows the good stuff about me.
Interview: Didn’t get one

Other
Applied for Financial Aid?: How else I am going to pay for this school?
Projected Concentration: Statistics
State/Country: Puerto Rico
School Type: Private/Catholic
Ethnicity: White latino
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: 200,000+
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): Is Puerto Rican a hooK?

Reflection
Strengths: Essays and recommendations, I had at least 8 people check my CommonApp essay, including two teachers, and my Uncommon essay/story was amazing, in my opinion. My curriculum is pretty strong too: I took the most challenging courses my school has to offer
Weaknesses: A lack of continuous community service, much of what I wrote is required by the school, so it isn’t exactly voluntary; although the missionary trip might have helped in that aspect. My UW GPA isn’t that impressive either, compared to the amount of people who have 4.0 GPAs even with 8-10 APs in their curriculum.
Why you think you were waitlisted: I think that, although I do have a relatively strong application, it was lacking in some aspects that a lot of other students are able to fulfill. This year’s applicant pool is probably even more competitive than in years past, making it additionally hard for an application like mine to get accepted from the first try.
Where else you are applying or have already applied: Columbia, Northwestern, and Boston University (relying on BU to pull through, because I am not taking a gap year)
General Comments/Advice/Hindsight: I should’ve probably done more community service, and maybe focused less on having many extracurriculars and more on having leadership roles in those extracurriculars.

[emilyskates]

**Decision: Waitlisted **

Objective:
SAT I and/or ACT (breakdown): 35 Composite (35 E/35 M/35 R/36 S)
SAT II (place score in parentheses): 800 Math II, 800 USH, 740 Bio E
Unweighted GPA: 96/100
Rank/Percentile: Top 10%
AP (place score in parentheses): APUSH (5), AP English Lit, AP French, AP Government, AP Biology, AP Calculus BC, AP Statistics
Senior Year Course Load:
AP Statistics
AP Calculus BC
AP Biology
AP English Lit
AP French
AP Government
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): None

Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses): figure skating and some small stuff, no leadership roles lmao
Volunteer/Community Service: Volunteered at the library and nursing home
Summer Activities: skating, volunteering, and Netflix
Essays:
Common App (9/10) I liked it lol
Why UChicago (7/10) Points off for saying I’d start a club that already exists there
Uncommon (6/10) even though I wrote it on December 30th, I thought it was pretty good, until I caught a swear word I never edited out two weeks ago
Teacher Recommendations: Idk
Counselor Rec: Generic at best
Interview: None

Other
Applied for Financial Aid? Yes
Projected Concentration: Economics
State/Country: NY
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: Asian
Gender: Female
Income Bracket: 200,000
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): I’m Asian and I live in NY. Safe to say I don’t really have anything going for me.

Reflection
Strengths: Test scores
Weaknesses: ECs, unedited essays, teacher recs
Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected:
Where else you are applying or have already applied: Accepted to UVa, UMich, Northeastern (Honors Program + 22,000 Dean’s Scholarship), Fordham (47,850 scholarship), Binghamton. Waiting on Cornell, Columbia, Dartmouth, Northwestern, NYU, BU, UCLA, UC Berkeley, Vanderbilt, and Wellesley. Rejected at UPenn.
General Comments/Advice/Hindsight:

Probably should’ve done some more ECs…started writing before December 30th…maybe edited my essays…

[MiniCHAMP]

**Decision: Waitlisted **

Objective:
SAT I and/or ACT (breakdown): 2330: 800CR, 800W, 730M
SAT II (place score in parentheses): Literature: 720
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.16 LOL
Rank/Percentile: N/A
AP (place score in parentheses): Lang: 5; Psychology: 4; Environmental: 4
IB (place score in parentheses):
Senior Year Course Load: AP Literature, AP Statistics, AP Spanish, AP Political Science, AP Economics, Advanced Journalism, AP Computer Science, Calculus I at a community college
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): none

Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses): On board of a few clubs, tutoring, teaching children of immigrant parents how to read, internship at a software developing business
Job/Work Experience: none
Volunteer/Community Service: 350+ hours
Summer Activities: summer school at high school and classes at community college
Essays:
Common App prompt explained how I slacked off in high school and that’s why I got bad grades. Very lame excuse but at the same time extremely well written… I’d say 6/10.
Why UChicago: 10/10, wrote it as a love letter
Favorite Things: 10/10
Teacher Recommendations: 10/10 amazing recommendations from psych and spanish teacher
Counselor Rec: Probably like 8/10, she knows me well but that’s only because I’ve been harassing her every week for 4 years
Additional Rec: Manager from internship, 10/10 she loves me xD
Interview: 10/10, we only stopped because she had to be somewhere

Other
Applied for Financial Aid? Yes
Projected Concentration: Computer Science
State/Country: California, USA
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: Asian
Gender: Female
Income Bracket: 200K+
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): None

Reflection
Strengths: SAT, essays, volunteer
Weaknesses: GPA!!!
Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: GPA!
General Comments/Advice/Hindsight:
Congratulations to everyone who got in! And for those on the waitlist - hang on fam, we’ll get there!!!

[OKPCree]

**Decision: Waitlisted **

Objective:
SAT I and/or ACT (breakdown): 1700 (1200 CR + M)
SAT II (place score in parentheses): Did not take
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.7
Rank/Percentile: 48/376 UW
AP (place score in parentheses): Literature and Comp, Language and Comp, Statistics, Physics, Chemistry, US History, US Government
IB (place score in parentheses): N/A
Senior Year Course Load: Accounting, Literature, Stats, Chem, US Gov, Art
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): N/A

Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses): Blogging of my art and drawing
Job/Work Experience: N/A
Volunteer/Community Service: 20+ hrs with nature organization
Summer Activities: Drawing and writing
Essays: 9.5/10, probably why I wasn’t outright rejected
Teacher Recommendations: Pretty good
Counselor Rec: I have no idea lol, I think it was good, I mean, it probably wasn’t bad
Additional Rec: N/A
Interview: Did not interview

Other
Applied for Financial Aid? Yes
Projected Concentration: Neuroscience
State/Country: Washington
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: Black, white Hispanic
Gender: Female
Income Bracket: <80,000
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): URM

Reflection
Strengths: Essays
Weaknesses: Stats, extracurricular
Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: My stats are pretty weak
Where else you are applying or have already applied: Baylor University, Rowan University… no where special
General Comments/Advice/Hindsight: