UChicago and Rice Chances

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

Please chance my hypothetical app a year from now (I am a Junior this year)

UW GPA: 3.91
W GPA: 4.33
SAT I: 1550 - 800 Math + 750 Verbal
ACT: 35
SAT II: Math 2: 800 Physics: 800

AP’s:
Calc AB (5) - taken Freshman year, Calc BC (5) -taken sophomore year, Lang (5), World History (4), US History (5), Chemistry (4), Statistics (5), Computer Science A (5), Physics I (5),

Senior year I plan on taking AP Macro/Micro Econ, AP US/Comparative Gov, AP Lit, Physics C (both) and probably courses at a University (I’ve taken most AP’s at my school)

ECs:
Math Club - Team Member (5 years)
NHS - VP (1 year)
Film Club (2 years member, 1 year president)
FRC Team - Programmer (2 years)
Vex Robotics Team - Programmer (3 years)
Academic Decathlon - (10th grade only. Youngest member and the teacher left after)
CIT at a summer camp (Summer before 11th grade)
7 week research internship at the University of Arizona (Summer before 12th grade)

I’m play the drums in a band and also paint sometimes (maybe supplement). I jumped up in math along with a friend in Freshman year (looks good?) and also I’m planning on self-studying multivar calc and linear algebra. I’ve also taken online courses in math, game theory, and philosophy.

I know 2 teachers that will give me great letters of recommendation (math and history) but I don’t really know my college counselor yet.

My only potential hook is that my parents are both South African immigrants (still white) and I talk with an accent at home. I can flip between American and South African but I was thinking of doing interviews in South African.

Chicago is definitely my top choice and I’m willing to apply ED.

Is there anything I can do to improve my chances?

2

@FriendlyBuddy good chances if you do ED. Chicago gives a very big boost on ED applicants (reportedly about 60%+ of the class was admitted ED last year) so if it is your first choice, ED is the way to go.

3

Senior applying to both of those. Your profile looks really solid all around.

It seems like you’re pretty interested in math, if so make sure you highlight that in essays. Also try to meet with your counselor, even if it’s just small talk. If you write decent essays and make sure that your counselor can at least give you an acceptable rec, you should have a good shot at uChi ED.

More likely than not, you should get into at least one of those two.

4

@futbolista Thanks!
I work as a Craiglist math tutor so that should give me some good math related essay material and as far as my counselor goes my school is small so she at least knows me a little bit and my “reputation” as kind of a nerd (but like the smart kind).

5

I am going to recommend you ED to Rice rather than UChicago.

While your stats are fine for UChicago, I don’t see any superlative EC that would differentiate you from the majority of other UChicago applicants with similar stats. I think your chances of admission at Rice are considerably higher.

However, if you are from a feeder school to UChicago, feel free to ignore my advice in favor of what your counselor suggests.

6

@FriendlyBuddy I too recommend you ED at Rice. Your profile is in line to make you a good candidate for both schools. Good luck!

7

As you mentioned, you have hypothetical data. Have you taken any standardized tests yet? Can’t really chance you accurately unless you have actual stats.

I think that finding an adcom/alumnus that can conduct an interview in Afrikaans might be hard to do as well. It may not necessarily make much of a difference in the app, but are you a US citizen/permanent resident?

8

@Hamurtle I don’t mean doing the interview in Afrikaans just in a South African accent (it sounds British) and I am US citizen. These stats are very achievable for me so I’m asking- if this next year goes well for me- what my chances are in a year from now are.

9

The interviewer wouldn’t care about the accent. It might actually serve as an ice breaker-I would assume that not that many interviewers would have an opportunity to speak to somebody with South African origins. It would be a good opportunity to make a good impression.

Assuming that you achieve the standardized test scores that you expect, Chicago and Rice would still be reaches given their acceptance rates. Your profile would be better suited to Rice IMO. Remember to include safety/match schools as well as strange things do happen.

10

Rice historically has not admitted as large a percentage of its class ED as U Chicago. Last year U Chicago had EA/ED and ED2. Very few students were admitted in the RD round. You could ED1 at U Chicago and if you are denied or deferred RD at Rice.