UChicago Class of 2022 EA/EDI Results Only

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Chicago ✅
21

**Decision: Deferred EA **

Objective:

[ul]
[] SAT I (breakdown): 760 Reading, 740 writing
[] ACT (breakdown): 35 composite (I can’t remember the subscores)
[] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.00, 4.38 weighted
[] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 1
[] AP (place score in parentheses): BC Calculus (4), AB Calc Subscore (5), US Gov (5), World History (4)
[] IB (place score in parentheses): Philosophy (5), Biology SL (6), Math SL (6)
[] Senior Year Course Load: AP Statistics, IB Psychology, IB English Literature, IB French HL, IB Biology SL, IB Theory of Knowledge, Chamber Orchestra
[] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): National Merit Semifinalist, something else that I’m forgetting

[/ul]Subjective:

[ul]
[] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses): Debate (captain and coach), founded 2 organizations (one is for medical research fundraising via musical performances and the other provides free music lessons), Viola, state science fairs, university orchestra (2nd chair)
[] Job/Work Experience: Veterinary Assistant, wedding quartet gigs
[] Volunteer/Community service: Those 2 organizations I founded (described above), hospital volunteer
[] Summer Activities: NSLC in Medicine
[] Essays: I liked them, but they were some of the first I submitted, so they definitely could’ve been improved. My personal statement was on a recital that I bombed and my other essay was about the viola and its quirks. Maybe 8/10?
[] Teacher Recommendation: This is probably why I was deferred - apparently, UChicago has a policy that recommendations must be from academic teachers. I had one rec from my IB Biology teacher, but the other two didn’t quite follow that policy (one was from my orchestra teacher and the other from my debate coach). Even so, I think they were decent recommendations, but I don’t know how strict the guidelines are. Considering that, 6/10, but not considering the guidelines, 9/10
[] Counselor Rec: My counselor knows me pretty well, but it’s a big school so 8/10
[] Additional Rec: See teacher recommendation dilemma
[] Interview: Didn’t do one
[] Supplementary Material: I submitted an additional essay about my lisp and how it’s affected me. I wouldn’t have submitted it if I didn’t think it was worth submitting, so 9/10!

[/ul]Other

[ul]
[]Applied for Financial Aid?: I think I did, but did so knowing I wouldn’t receive any even if I was accepted.
[] State (if domestic applicant): VA
Country (if international applicant):
[] School Type: Large, public, and competitive
[] Ethnicity: White
[] Gender: F
[] Income Bracket(mention if FA candidate): not gonna get any aid even though I applied in the off chance
[li] Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): lol nah[/li]
[/ul]Reflection

[ul]
[] Strengths: Essays were good, I have a strong transcript and test scores. My extracurriculars are pretty good, too, but so are those of a lot of applicants to UChicago!
[] Weaknesses: Not many hooks for an upper-upper middle class kid in a good neighborhood with a pretty average life!
[] Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: The recommendation thing, almost for sure. I wasn’t going to apply when I first found out about it, but I later realized that I had an essay I could recycle and decided to go for it anyways. Didn’t regret it, I’m proud of myself for trying!
[] Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Still waiting to hear! But I’ve also applied to UVA, William & Mary, URichmond, WUSTL, Johns Hopkins, Rice, Harvard, Brown, and am considering applying to Yale.

[/ul]**General Comments: **
Congratulations to everyone who got in and to those who applied and are in the same boat as me! We’ve all worked hard and I’m so proud to be part of such a dedicated community!

22

**Decision: Deferred ED **

[ b]Objective:**
[ *] SAT I (breakdown): N/A
[ *] ACT (breakdown): 36C (36R,35M,36E,36S,12W)
[ *] SAT II: 800 Math II, 800 on a couple more I forgot
[ *] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.65
[ *] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): No rank
[ *] AP (place score in parentheses): English Lit, USH, CSA, Chinese, Calc BC, Physics C, Physics 1: 5
[ *] IB (place score in parentheses): N/A
[ *] Senior Year Course Load: AP Government, AP Spanish, AP Economics, AP Statistics, AP Biology, AP Literature, Research Seminar
[ *] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): 4 International/National ones (sorry, want to keep privacy), National AP Scholar

[ /list][ b]Subjective:**
[ *] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses): really strong!
[ *] Job/Work Experience: Didn’t list any on app
[ *] Volunteer/Community service: Lots of hours; bunched together in ECs
[ *] Summer Activities: Creative Writing Camp, Interning at a Business, YYGS
[ *] Essays:
8/10 Common App, 10/10 Why UChicago, 8/10 Extended Essay
[ *] Teacher Recommendation: Pretty sure they were all great! I’m super tight with my teachers and counselors. 10/10 AP English Language teacher (I love her and we exchange poetry recommendations on a daily basis!); 7/10 APUSH Teacher (He’s really really sweet and I excelled in his class, including pursuing independent social science research and winning prizes under his mentorship, but I didn’t really get to know him that well on a personal level, as I did with my AP English teacher)
[ *] Counselor Rec: 8/10 Counselor App (she talked a lot of my ECs I believe, which was awesome since UChicago had nowhere to expand on ECs except Common App Activities itself, and my ECs are (in my opinion) the strongest part of my app)
[ *] Additional Rec: N/A
[ *] Interview: It was ok! I overprepared and I didn’t walk away from the interview feeling like she would most definitely vouch for my acceptance, like I did with a few prior interviews (she worked in admissions prior and though didn’t say anything specific about my chances as my other interviewers had, she did suggest a few professors I look up on campus). She definitely caught gist of my extreme interest and research in UChicago (IDK if it came off creepy lol). I stuttered and was a little disheveled in a few of the questions, but this was definitely my toughest and most rewarding interview.
[ *] Supplementary Material: None

[ /list][ b]Other**
[ *]Applied for Financial Aid?: No
[ *] State (if domestic applicant): New Jersey
Country (if international applicant): USA
[ *] School Type: Private
[ *] Ethnicity: Not stated on app
[ *] Gender: F
[ *] Income Bracket(mention if FA candidate): Upper middle class (no FA)
[ *] Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): N/A

[ /list][ b]Reflection**
[ *] Strengths: ACT, Activities, Essays, Recs
[ *] Weaknesses: GPA
[ *] Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected:

  • A lot of peer boarding schools (Andover, Exeter) also have UChicago as one of the places their students matriculate to the most), and a lot of students from my BS applied there early too.
  • ED isn’t helpful, IMO. If you get deferred EA, just work on your RD apps and put your heart and soul into them.
  • UChicago is so competitive to get into (top 3 school), and it’s rapidly on the rise even more. Competition is so tough. It’s such a crapshoot, and no one expects to get in. I’ll be ok.
  • Time to work on RD apps!
    [ *] Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected:
    [ /list][ b]General Comments: **
    This process is so stressful and I’ve struggled deeply within it—there’s been so many late nights, early mornings, and mental (and physical) breakdowns. Senior year was seriously the hardest year of my life, but the challenge has been so fruitful; wherever I go, I’m so happy about the amount of effort I put into my applications. I wrote a letter to my future self before decisions came out that everything would be OKAY if I didn’t get admitted. AND IT’S TRUE!!! Wherever you go, you will make it work for YOU!!! Good luck!
23

**Decision: Deferred **

Objective:
• ACT (breakdown): 31 composite
• Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.7
• Senior Year Course Load: AP calc, AP literature, AP drawing and painting, space and planetary science, calculus, two hours of magazine journalism

Subjective:
• Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses): Editor-in-chief of a nationally recognized newspaper with a staff of 80+, Irish dance for 10+ years, Bee club
• Job/Work Experience: Teaching lessons at my dance studio
• Volunteer/Community service: Dance performances at nursing homes, hospitals, etc. Various activities with NHS. Presidential Service Award (3x)
• Summer Activities: Spent three weeks at Washu for art classes
• Essays: Personal 8/10, Why 7/10, extended 6/10
• Teacher Recommendation: Journalism adviser: haven’t read but probably 10/10 he is a great writer and has always been super supportive, Honors Bio teacher: I have no clue
• Counselor Rec: No clue
• Additional Rec: Professor from Washu: haven’t read but guessing 8/10
• Supplementary Material: Submitted an art portfolio which is decent?

Other
• Applied for Financial Aid?: yes
• State (if domestic applicant): Missouri
• School Type: Public
• Ethnicity: White
• Gender: Female
• Income Bracket(mention if FA candidate): about 75,000?
• Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): none

Reflection
• Strengths: Maybe portfolio, don’t really know how much they care about that though, EIC and adviser rec letter
• Weaknesses: Grades, math/science ACT, lack of AP classes/scores
• Why you think you were deferred: Not strong enough academically
• Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: accepted tulane, tulsa and mizzou, deferred Washu and Ohio State

**General Comments: **
I’m super shocked because I thought it would be a definite rejection. I have gotten three deferrals already though so kind of curious about that.

24

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

[ b]Objective:**

[ *] SAT I (breakdown): None
[ *] ACT (breakdown): 34, Superscored 35 (Highest: 36E, 36M, 33R, 33S, 11W)
[ *] SAT II: 800Chem, 790M2, 770US History
[ *] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.93
[ *] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): n/a
[ *] AP (place score in parentheses): Calc BC (5) Chem (5) Lang (4) Psychology (5) US History (5) not allowed to take fresh/soph
[ *] IB (place score in parentheses): n/a
[ *] Senior Year Course Load: AP Stats, AP Music Theory, AP Econ, AP Poli Sci, AP Lit and Comp, AP Physics 1/2, Band, Jazz Band
[ *] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): NHD finalist, Mock Trial finalist, Pres. Service Award, AP Scholar w/Distinction, 1st in international music festival thing

[ /list][ b]Subjective:**

[ *] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses):
Band Executive Council, raised about $25,000 for band (president)
Marching Band/Indoor Percussion (drumline captain)
Varsity Mock Trial Team (board member)
Nat League of Young Men (philanthropy chairman)
Pacific Symphony Youth Wind Ensemble (principal percussionist)
UCI Research Intern
Musical Theatre (supporting role)
[ *] Job/Work Experience:
two part time jobs: City Community Camps as an aide and cleaning/repairing instruments
[ *] Volunteer/Community service:
refer to earlier
[ *] Summer Activities:
worked part time jobs during summer, toured with symphony in Vienna, Austria @ festival, neurology intern
[ *] Essays:
Personal Statement (8/10) it’s not extremely unique or different, basically about my experience of creating and rehearsing a percussion program at my school
Uncommon Question (9/10) the imperfections prompt; talked about retro video games and my childhood.
Why Uchicago (8/10) pretty personal, specific experience i had with my family and the students on campus
[ *] Teacher Recommendation: Math (8/10) she liked me but she’s not the best writer I don’t think. Psych (8/10)
[ *] Counselor Rec: 9/10 i go to a big public school but she knew who I was and what I did so that was impressive
[ *] Additional Rec: band director (10/10) i’ve worked my ass off for that group and he knows it
[ *] Interview: good! her kids went to my high school
[ *] Supplementary Material: arts portfolio for percussion/musical theatre

[ /list][ b]Other**

[ *]Applied for Financial Aid?: Yes
[ *] State (if domestic applicant): CA
Country (if international applicant):
[ *] School Type: Public
[ *] Ethnicity: White
[ *] Gender: Male
[ *] Income Bracket(mention if FA candidate): 150,000-199,000
[ *] Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): nooope

[ /list][ b]Reflection**

[ *] Strengths: arts portfolio, letters of rec, decent test score/GPA, essays were ok
[ *] Weaknesses: there was nothing extremely unique I don’t think
[ *] Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: extremely selective school, and I don’t have perfect scores or grades nor a renowned essay
[ *] Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: pretty early in the process so only heard back from santa clara which I was accepted to with half-ride.

[ /list][ b]General Comments: **

Not too disappointed, sort of saw it coming, but it was a nice dream. Good luck to you all!

25

[ size=4]**Decision: Deferred **[/size]

Objective:
[] SAT I (breakdown): 1420 Reading: 760, Math: 660
[] ACT (breakdown): 34 Reading: 36, Math: 31, English: 36, Science: 35
[] SAT II: Biology (760) & Math 2 (660)
[] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0
[] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable):1 of 702 (unweighted) / 11 of 702 (weighted)
[] AP (place score in parentheses): World History (5), Calc AB (4), Calc BC (3), Chem (3), English Lang (5), APUSH (5), Biology (4)
[] IB (place score in parentheses): N/A
[] Senior Year Course Load: AP Stats, AP Gov, AP Macro, AP English Lit, Human Bio, Calc 3/Diff. Eq, Honors Science Research
[li] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): National Merit Scholar Semifinalist[/li]
[/list]Subjective:
[] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses): Endangered Animal Society (president), ACE, Science is Fun (Social Media Manager), NHS
[] Job/Work Experience: Waitress at small Chinese diner, have been working 55 hours a week for 45 weeks a year since freshmen year
[] Volunteer/Community service: NHS, Science is Fun (as a group, we go out and present to elementary schools fun science presentations), peer tutoring, Friends’ Boutique (helping out homeless individuals in the local area), Banner Health Hospital Summer Volunteer Program
[] Summer Activities: Work, work, and work lol
[] Essays: I think my essays were solid. I had a good feeling when I sent them off, but now I’m not sure lol…I did use an old prompt, and my Why UChicago essay really conveyed my personality (though maybe it was too playful, if that makes sense)
[] Teacher Recommendation: Honestly, IDK how people evaluate these because I never got to see mine. But I think my teachers really like me. One of the recommenders has known me for 3 years now.
[] Counselor Rec: New counselor this year, so I have no idea. Probably decent.
[] Additional Rec: N/A
[] Interview: Went really well! We joked, talked about life, and I was told that I would be getting a good eval.
[] Supplementary Material: N/A

[/list]Other
[]Applied for Financial Aid?: Yes
[] State (if domestic applicant): Arizona
Country (if international applicant):
[] School Type: Public
[] Ethnicity: Asian
[] Gender: Female
[] Income Bracket(mention if FA candidate): <$100,000
[li] Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): first generation, lots of work experience, minority(?)[/li]
[/list]Reflection
[] Strengths: To be honest, I’m surprised I wasn’t rejected when I think back on it! If I had to say anything, my essays were probably solid enough to get either a few laughs or weird looks (either way, I made an impression!). My scores were decent, SAT was a bit weak, but my ACT score probably pulled through. I also really emphasized how working at my family’s restaurant was a big part of my personal experience (this was no “Let me put this on my application so it looks good” kind of work, this was “I slaved my butt off for four years with no time off” kind of work).
[] Weaknesses: Extracurriculars & just standing out in general in the application pool. There’s nothing really special about me. I wrote over 11 different drafts for the Supplement essay for multiple prompts because I had a hard time coming up with a story that was uniquely me.
[] Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Maybe my essays and interview? I don’t know.
[] Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: U of A (accepted, full ride); have applied to Yale, WashU, Rice, UT Austin, Macalester

[/list]**General Comments: ** Congratulations to everyone who was accepted! I’m so happy for all of you!
Personally, I will definitely reapply EDII and try my luck again, maybe submit some supplemental material. I’m not sure to be honest. But I was given a 2nd chance and I’m definitely going to take it!

To everyone who was rejected, be proud of yourselves for applying! Honestly, the selectivity for UChicago is insane. Sometimes, it’s not you. It’s just so many good applicants, and the school can’t take them all.

26

**Decision: Deferred **

Objective:
[] SAT I (breakdown): NA
[] ACT (breakdown):
-35 Comp (36 English, 35 Reading, 35 Science, 33 Math) (1 try)
[] SAT II:
-Math II (780)
-US History (770)
[] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.86/4.0
[] Rank: 3/230
[] AP (place score in parentheses):
-Physics 1 (4)
-Art History (5)
-US History (5)
[] IB (place score in parentheses): NA
[] Senior Year Course Load: AP Spanish, AP Calc AB, AP Chem, AP Lit, American Gov, Anatomy.
[li] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): NA[/li]
[/list]Subjective:
[] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses) (I just combined summer and volunteering, this is how it appears in my Common App):

  1. Summer Research- At Ohio Northern University in the pharmacy department, researching substances which disrupt the cell cycle and how to induce apoptosis in melanoma cells without affecting surrounding healthy cells. I was told I would receive a $300 stipend, as well as an award from ONU. I ended up getting a $250 award from ONU.
  2. Supervisor at Summer Camp- For kids ages 5-9, teach self-defense, public/animal/home/gun safety (125 Hours). Unpaid position.
  3. Soccer- Varsity Letter sophomore year (JV freshman year) (14 hours a week for 22 weeks per year)
  4. Science Olympiad- CoCaptain, all 4 years of high school, advanced to state and won various medals at the regional level
  5. Volunteer Club- Secretary, 3 years of high school; fundraise and organize community events
  6. TEAMS- 3 years of high school, unsure of exact results but always 1st or 2nd at regional level
  7. Chess League- 3 years of high school, Supervisor/Coach, volunteer to teach chess to kids first Saturday of every month for 3 hours at a time
  8. Cross-Country- 2 years (CoCaptain Senior Year), team has won districts every year, 2 Varsity Letters
  9. Career-Oriented- Volunteered at a hospital over the summer, just this year unfortunately, for a total of 20 hours. Worked with slides and shadowed pathologists and histotechs.
  10. Spanish Club- 3 years, Secretary, organized Operation Christmas Child and the Pulsera Project
    [    ] Academic Honors:
    -[Hometown] Optimist Club Student of Achievement and Honor (Regional recognition, based on character and grades)
    -[Regional] All Academic Team (Junior Year; received for having a 3.5+ GPA and 2+ Varsity Letters (varsity letters must be athletic, thus does not include things like band or quizbowl)) (Regional Recognition, 6/220 kids in my grade achieved this)
    -National Honors Society (President) (School Recognition, about 25/220 kids in my grade achieved this)
    -National Merit Scholar Commended (Junior Year; I had an index of 218, the cut off last year for Semi-Finalist in OH was 217 but this year it was 219 so I’m just commended) (State Recognition)
    -AP Scholar (Junior Year) (National Recognition)
    [] Essays:
    -Personal Statement:
    Very personal, about my experiences helping at the community camp for kids. Not super specific to me but I do like it, as did both my AP teachers which I had read it.
    -Why Chicago:
    Honestly Mediocre. Looking back I was not as woke as I’d like to have been. This was one of the first I wrote, and I reread some of my other early ones and they were pretty generic or at least not outstanding.
    -So, where really is Waldo?
    I wrote this from the perspective of a black and white detective novel/show, and it was certainly very interesting and my AP English teacher said the writing itself was well done. About twice the suggested length, which I realize now must be a pain, but they told me to “write a page or two” and I did.
    [    ] Teacher Recommendation: Fine, both by science teachers who I’ve had multiple years and who liked me, but nothing that would set me apart from others I’m sure.
    [] Counselor Rec: If I get rejected from all the top tier schools I applied to, I’ll likely blame this. Probably poor, while my counselor is fond of me, she focuses on sending students to state schools, and if my common app rec was anything like on of the scholarship recs that she read to an assembly, it most likely included her favorite phrases like “___ is a very well rounded individual” and “___ is truly a jack of ALL trades.” Emphasis is on well rounded individual instead of completing a well rounded class :confused:
    [    ] Additional Rec: NA
    [] Interview: NA
    [    ] Supplementary Material: NA

[/list]Other
[]Applied for Financial Aid?: Yes
[] State (if domestic applicant): Ohio
[] School Type: Public
[] Ethnicity: Mixed (Chinese-American)
[] Gender: Male
[] Income Bracket (mention if FA candidate): 150K+
[li] Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): NA[/li]
[/list]Reflection
[] Strengths:
-Research, which I had to travel quite far for so I hope this shows my willingness and determination to make the most of any resources presented to me.
[] Weaknesses:
-Uncommon Essay was trippy, there was no posted word limit and I LOVE writing long essays (every other schools 150 word essays have been killing me), but my “Uncommon Essay” was 1300 words, I didn’t see the 650 suggested till after submitting
-As previously stated, I don’t think my well-intentioned guidance counselor is doing any favors
-Live in a small town (40K), which may not seem small, but we’re the largest town around for about 120 miles in any direction. I think my town has high expectations due to the fact a number of kids (due to family or sports or something else) drive down to Columbus (OH Capital) every weekend and have activities there that aren’t open to others who cannot afford to drive every weekend
-Possibility of bad school reputation with Ivies and MIT and Chicago?? Two years ago there were 6 kids with 35s or higher on their ACTs,all of whom applied to MIT, and none were accepted (or deferred). As far as I know there wasn’t any singular reason, and one ended up going to Harvey-Mudd and another to Vanderbilt.
[] Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected:
-See weaknesses for deferred/rejected
-I think if I were to be accepted, it would be due to me using every resource I have available (I self-teach piano, I’ve taught myself subjects not offered in my school via Khan, etc) despite living in a small town. I aspire to be a biomedical engineer, as this would ultimately provide me with a sense of purpose, and I have spent LOTS of time focusing on teaching kids skills (chess, safety, soccer), so that they can get out of the small town where I’m from. Our growth rate is negative and businesses have been closing for years, so I’ve tried to help in all the ways that I could so that younger kids can find a route to get out.
[] Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected:
-None. I hear back from Case Western tomorrow, and OSU soon. Other safety schools I’ve applied to I won’t hear back from till January 30th, and the rest of my schools are all much later (Columbia, Yale, Vanderbilt, WashU)

[ /list][ b]General Comments: **

I’ve taken the most rigorous course possible at my school.
As for GPA, I don’t know of anyone at my school who has ever graduated with a 4.0 unweighted, my class valedictorian is sitting at about 3.93, which is about the usual GPA of the valedictorian. 4.0 UW isn’t something that happens at my school and I’m aware that lots of college look for 4.0s.
To compensate for my low ACT writing, I’m enrolling in an online class to help improve my writing (that ACT is from the beginning of junior year, and my writing also improved over the course of my junior year)

27

Decision: Deferred ED

Objective:
[] SAT I (breakdown): 1540 (790 math, 750 writing/reading)
[] ACT (breakdown): didn’t take
[] SAT II: 690 chem
[] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 89.521/100 unweighted and 93.7 weighted. 3.45 uw, I believe
[] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): doesn’t rank, at least top 30%
[] AP (place score in parentheses): 5 - APUSH, 4 - language and composition, statistics, 3 - chem, 2 - ap physics 1. [9 APs total]
[] IB (place score in parentheses): nope
[] Senior Year Course Load: AP Gov, AP Bio, AP Literature, AP Calculus AB, 2 science electives
[li] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): National Merit Commended Scholar, AP Scholar w/ honor… nothing else really.[/li]
Subjective:
[] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses):
arts and crafts club (president/founder)
volleyball 4 years
diversity council
hospital volunteering
acupuncture clinic
newspaper club
[] Job/Work Experience: local aftercare program, minimum wage
[] Volunteer/Community service: 300+ hours, most of it’s from a hospital program.
[] Summer Activities: Summer work, lots of volunteering.
[] Essays: 5/10 absolute trash. I wrote it the night before and finished it the day of. I think it had a good topic, but I just didn’t have enough time to refine it. The Why UChicago was also pretty bad 6/10, super bland.
[] Teacher Recommendation: 7/10 chem teacher. I did so bad in his class, but I always asked him questions and he knew I tried. 8.5/10 calc teacher. I had her for 2 years and significantly improved, which she probably likes. She’s a great person, but kinda bad teacher.
[] Counselor Rec: 7/10 I ask her a lot of questions and I have the feeling she gets annoyed. But at least I have initiative?
[] Additional Rec: 9/10 Family friend that’s a professor at UPenn, but she wrote it in an hour so idk.
[] Interview: nope
[] Supplementary Material: nope

Other
[]Applied for Financial Aid?:
[] State (if domestic applicant): NJ
Country (if international applicant): USA
[] School Type: small public
[] Ethnicity: Asian
[] Gender: F
[] Income Bracket(mention if FA candidate): uhh 120k?
[li] Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): nope[/li]
Reflection
[] Strengths: SAT score, course rigor, volunteer hours
[] Weaknesses: essays written the night of, no sat 2, low gpa, no hooks, downward trend (junior year was 3.2)… a lot of weaknesses, basically.
[] Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: maybe the additional letter of recommendation?
[] Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: accepted at UPitt, no decisions from other colleges yet.

**General Comments: **
I’m shocked I didn’t get rejected. My stats are so far below the average and nothing really sticks out. Like really, do you see anything extraordinary? So I just wanna say that you never know! My senior year grades are much better (3.8/3.9) so I’m hoping for maybe a waitilist during regular.

28

Decision: Deferred

Objective:
[] SAT I (breakdown): 1260 (720 R) (540M) Only took once and did not submit
[] ACT (breakdown): 31 (35R, 35E, 26M, 26S)
[] SAT II: n/a
[] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.2
[] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 10/81
[] AP (place score in parentheses): U.S. History (5) Language and Composition (5)
[] IB (place score in parentheses): n/a
[] Senior Year Course Load: AP Calculus, AP Gov, AP Lit, AP Bio, AP Art History, Current Events, 21st Century Geopolitics, Physics
[li] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): Speech and Debate Awards, Perfect score and Gold medals on National Latin Exams, Art show award[/li]
[ /list][ b]Subjective:**
[ *] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses): Speech and Debate, Latin Club (President and state senator), National Honor Society, Latin Nationa Honor Society (President), Key Club, Tour Guide at the Parthenon Museum, Destination Imagination, art/painting
[ *] Job/Work Experience: United States Senate Page (2017 spring Semester ; full time in Washington, D.C.)
[ *] Volunteer/Community service: Key Club Projects, Volenteered at Archeological Center, intern for Luther Strange’s campain for Senate
[ *] Summer Activities: Volenteered at Archeological Center, intern for Luther Strange’s campain for Senate
[ *] Essays: Common App essay was about my time as a page (9/10) Why UChicago (8/10) Extended Essay (8/10)
[ *] Teacher Recommendation: My APUSH and Speech and Debate Coach. I am really close with her (10/10)
My former world history and AP Gov teacher. I have a good relationship with her (10/10)
[ *] Counselor Rec: 10/10 She is really nice and have I have a good relationship with her
[ *] Additional Rec: n/a
[ *] Interview: n/a
[ *] Supplementary Material: n/a

[/list]Other
[ ]Applied for Financial Aid?: yes
[] State (if domestic applicant): Alabama
Country (if international applicant):
[] School Type: small, private Christian school
[] Ethnicity: white
[] Gender: female
[] Income Bracket(mention if FA candidate):
[li] Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): n/a[/li]
[/list][ b]Reflection**
[] Strengths: GPA, extracurriculars
[] Weaknesses: ACT score
[] Why you think you were accepted/deffered/rejected: I honestly thought I was going to be rejected with my test scores. I think I was deffered becuase I showed a passion for the school and had good extracurriculars.
[] Where else were you accepted/deffered/rejected: Accepted at University of Alabama (safety school), applied RD at Columbia, Barnard, William and Mary, Boston University, Vanderbilt, and UPenn

[/list]**General Comments: ** I posted this to show that test scores do not matter as much as you think. Don’t let low scores discourage you from applying to your dream schools. I took the December ACT and I think I raised my score which will help in the RD pool. But seriously, there are so many factors in college admissions and DO NOT let a score define you!

29

**Decision: Deferred EA **

Objective:

  • [] SAT I (breakdown): Did not take
    [    ] ACT (breakdown): 35C (35E, 34R, 36M, 36S)
    [] SAT II: Did not take
    [    ] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0 unweighted
    [] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): Non-Ranking School
    [    ] AP (place score in parentheses): Physics 1 (3)
    [] Senior Year Course Load: AP Calculus AB, AP English Lit, Honors Chem, Honors Earth Science, Honors World History, Theater IV
    [    ] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): Nothing major, just some regional Science Fair wins

Subjective:

  • [] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses): VERY active in theater, both in and out of school. Over a dozen major productions during high school, with lead roles in most. Plus, Student Council officer every year (VP this year).

    [    ] Job/Work Experience: Grocery Store Job-- 20 hours/week during the school year, 40 hours/week during summer.

    [] Volunteer/Community service: 250+ hours volunteering with children’s theater programs
    [    ] Summer Activities: Working +Theater Productions
    [] Essays: Strong. Sort of quirky with lots of personality (made a lot of people laugh)
    [    ] Teacher Recommendation: Strong
    [] Counselor Rec: Strong
    [    ] Additional Rec: Strong
    [] Interview: Did not request one
    [    ] Supplementary Material: n/a

Other

[ul]
[]Applied for Financial Aid?: Yes, plus need-based fee waiver
[] State (if domestic applicant): TX
[] School Type: Small Private School
[] Ethnicity: White
[] Gender: Male
[] Income Bracket(mention if FA candidate): 50K/year
[li] Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): None[/li][/ul]

Reflection

  • [] Strengths: High ACT score; EC’s and essays showed a strong commitment to theater
    [    ] Weaknesses: Lack of AP’s (Did not take very many AP classes because they interfered with theater commitments)
    [] Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Lack of demonstrated interest (did not request interview, did not tour campus, or any other interaction with UC)
    [    ] Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Accepted ED to Rice University!
30

**Decision: Accepted

Objective:
[] SAT I (breakdown): did not submit
[] ACT (breakdown): 31C (35R, 28M, 34E, 28S)
[] SAT II: 730 lit, 660 ush, 620 wh
[] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.69
[] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 24/635 (top 4%)
[] AP (place score in parentheses): World 5, Lang 5, APUSH 5
[] IB (place score in parentheses):
[] Senior Year Course Load: AP Calc, AP Bio, APES, AP Gov/econ, Debate, AP lang
[li] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): Princeton book prize nominee[/li]
[/list][ b]Subjective:**
[] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses): founded a charity organization where we crochet hats/scarves to donate to homeless shelters; Debate (pres), Leo Club (pres) and charter member of two years, MUN (founder) we didn’t have a program at my school so I help set one up, Senate race volunteer, Texas Girls State (elected to county and precinct chair), swam for club six years and varsity two years (lettered both freshman and sophomore year), LINK chapter founder, NHS historian
[] Job/Work Experience: lifeguard for two summers
[] Volunteer/Community service: always worked for teachers during summers, crochet for a cause,
[] Summer Activities: swimming, lifeguarding, UT debate camp in 2016
[] Essays: the why uchicago essay was really good, i wrote about how my mom was a teacher and using political science to better education. The prompt I used was the sharknado one and i wrote about loving the 80s lol. my common app essay was about a rivalry i had with a girl who drove me to compete better
[] Teacher Recommendation: one from an AP physics teacher, a really good reference. My english teacher’s was phenomenal.
[] Counselor Rec: not good
[] Additional Rec:
[] Interview: not very official, just basically me asking if she liked the school
[] Supplementary Material:

[/list][ b]Other**
[]Applied for Financial Aid?: yes
[] State (if domestic applicant): TX
Country (if international applicant):
[] School Type: public
[] Ethnicity: hispanic
[] Gender: F
[] Income Bracket(mention if FA candidate): <70k
[li] Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): hispanic and single mom, i don’t know if these count[/li]
[/list][ b]Reflection**
[] Strengths: my essays i felt really showed who i am as a person as well as a student
[] Weaknesses: probably test scores and general grades, junior yr was the only yr i got all a’s
[] Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: honestly i think it’s a pretty random process or they just really look for strong personality
[] Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: deferred both yale and georgetown

[/list][ b]General Comments: ** i honestly can’t believe it this is so shocking, congrats to everyone accepted! and for those who are waiting never lose hope!! there’s a place you’re meant to be.

31

[ size=4][ color=green][ b]Decision: Accepted ED1 [/color][/size]

[ b]Objective:**
[ *] SAT I (breakdown): Did not take
[ *] ACT (breakdown): Composite 33: 36 Reading 35 English 34 Science 27 Math
[ *] SAT II: Did not submit
[ *] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.899
[ *] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): doesn’t rank but probably around 25th
[ *] AP (place score in parentheses): none, school doesn’t offer
[ *] IB (place score in parentheses): none school doesn’t offer
[ *] Senior Year Course Load: Honors Physics, Honors British Literature, Honors Psychology, Honors Biology 2, Spanish and some required classes
[ *] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): 1st Place FBLA regional, Badger Girls State representative, Nobel Conference Delegate

[ /list][ b]Subjective:**
[ *] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses): Future Business Leaders of America (VP 2016, President 2017, founder), NHS, Student Council (Secretary), 8-9 plays/musicals (student directed most recent one)
[ *] Job/Work Experience: Old Navy lol
[ *] Volunteer/Community service: I started and ran a charity that sent over 1,000 Christmas presents to Houston, and raised thousands of dollars to send to Puerto Rico and I was a tutor
[ *] Summer Activities: I spent a summer at The College of William and Mary and took a college class, received an A
[ *] Essays: Uncommon: 10/10 (I think it really helped me showcase my passion for learning and knowledge, which UChi really cares about, Common app: (7/10) Why UChi: (8/10)
[ *] Teacher Recommendation: 1: 10/10 (He is brilliant and I think this really helped) 2: 8/10
[ *] Counselor Rec: 5/10 (They did not know me at all)
[ *] Additional Rec: 10/10 (She and I were really close and she really helped my application I think)
[ *] Interview: I had one, and I was really sloppy, she was really nice though and we had a really great conversation about my interests, overall though I don’t know how much it helped my application.)
[ *] Supplementary Material:

[ /list][ b]Other**
[ *]Applied for Financial Aid?: Yes
[ *] State (if domestic applicant): Wisconsin
Country (if international applicant):
[ *] School Type: Private (Religious)
[ *] Ethnicity: White
[ *] Gender: Female
[ *] Income Bracket(mention if FA candidate): >>>40,000
[ *] Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): low income with tons of siblings?

[ /list][ b]Reflection**
[ *] Strengths: I really think my recommendation letters and my essays helped get me in. I tried to show them how much I love the school and I think that I was what they were looking for in terms of someone who loves learning and thinking. My uncommon essay is probably what got me in tbh, it was probably the best essay I have ever written. My school prides itself on its “anti-AP classes” mentality. They don’t teach to the test, they are very discussion and research-based.
[ *] Weaknesses: I attend a religious school that doesn’t offer any AP classes, and I had a C on my transcript in Pre-Calculus.
[ *] Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: I already said that in strengths section kind of, but it was my essays and recs I’m pretty sure!
[ *] Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: I didn’t apply anywhere else yet.

[ /list][ b]General Comments: **
I feel like I don’t deserve this, but I am incredibly ecstatic and I am so blessed to be a part of 2022!!! Congrats to everyone and to those next year, find something to write your essays about that no one else would think of!

32

Decision: Deferred

Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): 1540
ACT (breakdown): n/a
SAT II: 800 USH, 780 Math II, 690 Lit
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.98
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 4 / 350ish
AP (place score in parenthesis): APUSH (5), Calc BC (5), Lang (5), Comp Sci (3), Physics (didn’t take)
IB (place score in parenthesis): n/a
Senior Year Course Load: AP Calc BC, AP Euro, AP Lit, AP Econ, AP Stat, AP Art History, Forensics, Phys Ed
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): National Merit Semifinalist, Eisenhower Leadership Award, AP Scholar with Honor, NHS

Subjective:

Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis): Academic Team (co-president), TSA (secretary), Math Team, NHS, Science National Honor Society
Job/Work Experience: Camp counselor, YouTube content creator (monetized w/ 26K subscribers)
Volunteer/Community service: Red Cross (ran clothing drives, etc.), Assistant camp counselor
Summer Activities: see above
Essays (rating 1-10, details):
CommonApp - 9/10 (This one probably had more personality in it and I put more effort into proofreading it)
Supplement #1 - 7/10 (Talked about my fascination w/ Milton Friedman, was kinda nice looking back)
Supplement #2 - 7/10 (This was the prompt about loving something for its imperfections: I talked about the Beach Boys’ unreleased SMiLE album, which I’ve had an interest in for a while)
Recommendations (rating 1-10, details): I couldn’t read any of them but…

Teacher Rec #1: APUSH Teacher - 10/10 (I was top of her class and she likes me so)
Teacher Rec #2: AP Calc Teacher - 7/10 (I was good at her class but she’s a little dry)
Counselor Rec: 5/10 (she’s out on maternity leave half the year and probably just used a generic format)
Additional Rec:

Other

Applied for Financial Aid?: Yes
Intended Major: Economics
State (if domestic applicant): NJ
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: White
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: > $100,000
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): nothing

Reflection

Strengths: Test scores, GPA, some of my rec letters
Weaknesses: ECs were alright, but not extraordinary. Some of my essays were kind of weak.
Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Essays, EC
Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Accepted NJIT, Deferred Dartmouth ED, haven’t heard elsewhere

General Comments:
I’m kinda shocked I wasn’t rejected, since this school is harder to get into than Dartmouth just by acceptance rate (especially in the early rounds). Count me pleasantly surprised. Congrats to all who got in (and to those that didn’t, we’ll go somewhere perfectly fine in the end hopefully)!

33

Decision: Accepted

Objective:
SAT I: 1550 (760/790)
GPA: 3.6 UW / 3.85 W
Major Awards: Run Small Rare Coin Business, Classics Quiz Bowl State Champion, CSPA Crown Finalist, National Hispanic Recognition Award

Subjective:

Extracurriculars:
Operates Rare Coin Business / Expert in Numismatics and Coin Grading
School Skeptics Club Founder / President
School Junior Classical League Delegation President
Classics Quiz Bowl State Champion
School Chess Club Founder / President
Youth and Government officer and Moot Court award winner
Also planned numerous major school events relating to these activities

Job/Work Experience: Some in 10th Grade, but I don’t think I mentioned it
Volunteer/Community service: Volunteered at my synagogue for several years
Summer Activities: Couldn’t do many activities do to my family’s situation, so I basically read tons of books and wrote a lot, Earned an A in an Economics course

Essays:
Personal Statement: How discovering Snapple bottle cap facts were made up encouraged me to become a Skeptic and embrace intellectual inquiry (10/10)
Uncommon App: Illustrated my involvement with numismatics, explained numismatic grading, and showed why I loved numismatics. Included a gallery (10/10)
Why UChicago: I talked about specific Professors and classes and people and why UChicago represented a unique place where “the unusual was embraced” (9/10)

Recommendations: (I haven’t read any, so this is conjecture)
Counselor Rec: I’ve known my counselor for 4 years and she’s seen me grow. (10/10)
Teacher Rec: Latin teacher (10/10)
Teacher Rec: History teacher (8/10)
Additional Rec: History teacher (10/10)

Interview:
My interviewer(s), it was a husband and wife duo, both UChicago grads, said they would give me full marks and advocate for me. I loved them both. (10/10)

Other:
Applied for Financial Aid
State: California
School Type: Private arts, tends to send a couple kids to UChicago each year
Ethnicity: Eastern European / Hispanic
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: ~70,000
Hooks: I am very weird

Reflection:
Strengths: Strong commitment to unusual extracurriculars, I slaved over my essays and getting my SAT up. I think I was also a good ‘fit’ for the school.
Weaknesses: My GPA without a doubt. I have the lowest GPA of any student to be accepted to UChicago.
Why you think you were accepted: I’m honestly still in shock! I think if any factor was decisive, it was my essays. I think they did a really good job of conveying who I am and in what ways I am unique and fit UChicago.

General Comments:
I thought for sure I was going to be rejected. I am incredibly happy to be going to school with such accomplished peers!

34

Decision: Deferred (Applied EA)

Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): 1520, 790 math, 730 ERW
ACT: did not send
SAT II: 800 math II, 740 US History
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.9/4.0
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 8/277
AP (place score in parenthesis): Statistics (5), US History (5)
IB (place score in parenthesis):
Senior Year Course Load: AP Calc, AP Econ, AP Lit, AP Chem, AP Spanish, Digital Photography, Gym, Lunch
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): no major award just general awards: national merit commended scholar and some honor societies

Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):
Varsity Basketball three year starter, all conference (co-captain for two years)
DECA w some state/regional awards (Chapter VP)
Peer Leadership, organize freshmen orientation and field day, serve as tour guide (Co-Pres)
JSA, attended some conferences (Chapter VP)
FBLA, placed nationally
AAU basketball for three years

Job/Work Experience:
paid management consulting intern in summer
bball camp counselor for two summers

Volunteer/Community service:
organized fundraiser for underprivileged children raising $15k by myself
volunteer in kitchen of rehab/homeless center since 7th grade

Summer Activities:
went to enrichment program for two summers
summer college at an Ivy for business course
internship mentioned above
camp counselor mentioned above

Essays: Personal statement was really personal/intriguing (9/10); supplementals pretty solid too (9/10)
Teacher Recommendation: Decent, one from stat teacher and other from english teacher, both liked me a lot (8/10)
Counselor Rec: good, he writes a lot of them but likes me (8/10)
Additional Rec: very strong from my boss at internship, loved me (10/10)
Interview: very strong (9/10)

Other
State (if domestic applicant): NJ
Country (if international applicant):
Intended major(s): Econ
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: Asian (other)
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: very high
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): none

Reflection
Strengths: extracurriculars and essays
Weaknesses: sat, gpa, asian male
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: I think I was deferred because I don’t have anything too outstanding about me.

General Comments:
I expected to be deferred, but hopefully I can get some acceptances this month. Good luck to everyone!

35

[ color=green]**Decision: Accepted EA [/color]

Objective:
[] SAT I (breakdown): did not send
[] ACT (breakdown): 35C (36E, 36M, 35R, 32S
[] SAT II: Did not take
[] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4
[] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): No ranking
[] AP (place score in parentheses): Did not send but Physics 1 (4), Physics 2 (5), Calc BC (5), APUSH (5), Lang (5), APHuGe (5), AP Psych (5)
[] IB (place score in parentheses): N/A
[] Senior Year Course Load: AP Physics C, AP Chemistry, AP Biology, AP Lit, AP Stats
[li] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): National Hispanic Recognition Scholar, AP Scholar with Distinction, Illinois State Scholar[/li]
[/list]Subjective:
[] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses): NHS Pres, Community Service Club Pres, Worldwide Youth in Science and Engineering (State Qualifier), Science Bowl, Scholastic Bowl, After-School Volunteer Tutor, Science Department Intern
[] Job/Work Experience: N/A
[] Volunteer/Community service: See above
[] Summer Activities: N/A
[] Essays: Phenomenal. My AP Lit teacher called them some of the best she had ever read. I’m a wonderful creative writer and so UChicago’s prompts were perfect for me! I managed to make my Why UChicago essay about my lactose-intolerance and my creative one about a field I’m passionate about, but it was completely satirical.
[] Teacher Recommendation:

  • AP Biology teacher, WYSE/Science Bowl Coach, Freshman Year Softball Coach - 10/10, this lady has known me since freshman year of high school and runs my internship with the science department. Love her to death, she’s like my second mom. Her writing abilities are crazy good too.
  • APUSH teacher, sophomore year softball coach - 10/10, loved his class and did extremely well in it. He straight-up told me he missed having me in class and I go catch up with him all the time. He’s also the department chair and a wonderful writer, so I have no doubt this was a great rec.
  • Freshman year biology teacher, runs my tutoring program - 8/10. Love her and I’m super close to her, but I’m not sure her writing abilities were amazing.
    [] Counselor Rec: 6/10, my counselor is a good writer but this was my first year having her, so I didn’t know her well. She basically wrote that she cannot be a good judge of my character since she hasn’t known me a while, which is why I submitted the extra letter above.
    [    ] Interview: Did not do
    [li] Supplementary Material: None[/li]
    [/list]Other
    []Applied for Financial Aid?: Yes
    [    ] State (if domestic applicant): IL
    Country (if international applicant): USA
    [] School Type: Public
    [    ] Ethnicity: Hispanic
    [] Gender: Female
    [    ] Income Bracket(mention if FA candidate): around $100-150k I believe
    [li] Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): I’m half-Hispanic? Idk[/li]
    [/list]Reflection
    [] Strengths: Letters of rec, essays, involvement in science department at my high school
    [    ] Weaknesses: No interview/SAT subject test scores, nothing that made me stand out EC/award wise
    [] Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: I think it was my essays, honestly! I think they stuck out and showed who I was beyond the serious academic my application projects.
    [    ] Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Accepted at UW-Madison, University of Illinois, haven’t heard back yet from: Vanderbilt, Northwestern, Michigan, Duke, Pennsylvania, Tulane, WashU, or Yale

[/list]**General Comments: ** This was a great surprise! I knew my essays and recs were good, but I didn’t think they were good enough to overcome my weaknesses. I’m extremely pleased.

36

**Decision: Accepted

Applied ED1

Objective:
SAT I (breakdown M/ERBW):
ACT: 34 (33E, 36M, 32R, 35S)
SAT II (subject, score): 790 Math 2, 790 Chem, 740 Bio M
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.97
Weighted GPA: 4.56
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 2/370 (unofficially as of junior year)
AP (place score in parentheses): Chemistry (5); Macroeconomics (5); Statistics (5); US History (5); English Lang and Comp (5); Calculus BC (5); Biology (4); Physics 1 (4)
IB (place score in parentheses): NA
Senior Year Course Load: AP Physics 2, AP Spanish, AP US Gov’t, AP CS, MV Calculus, Honors English IV
Number of other EA applicants in your school: don’t know
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel, etc.): USNCO 2x Semifinalist (top 1000 Nat’l); USABO Semifinalist (top 600 Nat’l); UToronto Bio Competition Ranked 87/1257 Int’l, Coca-Cola Scholars Semifinalist
Common Awards (AP Scholar, honor roll, NM things, etc.): Columbia University Book Award, National AP Scholar, Debate Awards, Eagle Scout

Subjective:

Extracurriculars: Science Bowl Team Captain (6th place in NE Regional Competition in 2017); Debate Team Captain, Math Team Captain, Founder and President of Science National Honors Society, Boy Scouts – earned Eagle Scout
Job/Work Experience: worked at KUMON from 9th to 11th grade
Volunteer/Community Service: 800+ w/ Boy Scouts + Tutoring kids in Math and Science + Hospital Volunteering
Summer Experience: Took Organic Chemistry I and II w/ lab, did research internship at local university –chemical/bioengineering project

Writing (Subject, 1-10 rating, details):
Essays:
Common App: 8/10 – talked about performing card magic at school and how I learned to deal wih unexpected situations/hecklers during performance
Uncommon Essay: 9/10 – made up a really vivid and strange story about personified chemicals

Other (teacher’s subject, 1-10 rating, details):
Teacher Recommendation #1: didn’t read, but prob (9/10) - from my AP Chem teacher from soph year and my Organic Chemistry independent study advisor; worked on a lot of Chem Olympiad stuff with her and she was my advisor for Science Honors Society; overall, I was prob one of her best students
Teacher Recommendation #2: didn’t read, but prob (8/10) – from my junior year AP Lang class; did well in class but consistently submitted stuff late; heard he writes good letters but not sure how much he liked me
Teacher Recommendation #3: didn’t read, but prob (9/10) – from my AP Bio teacher who helped me succeed in USABO – liked me for pursuing bio outside classroom
Counselor Rec: didn’t read; prob generic (7/10)
Additional Info/Rec: additional rec from my boy scout troop leader prob really good – most likely talked about leadership and stuff (9/10)
Research Supplement: N/A
Interview: 7/10 – average; the guy was impressed with me, but we didn’t really click that well

Other:

Date Submitted App:
U.S. State/Territory or Country: CT
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: Indian
Intended Major: Molecular Engineering
Gender: Male
Income Bracket Range: 120-140k
Hooks (URM, first generation, recruited athlete, development): lol nope

Reflection

Strengths: Olympiad stuff, EC leadership, not much
Weaknesses: typical math-science kid
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: emphasized my spike in chemistry and biology and expressed interest in studying Molecular Engineering which is brand new at UChicago
What would you have done differently?: done better on the ACT, not sure what else I could have done honestly, I did my best
Where else did you apply? MIT EA – defer; UMich EA, Ga Tech EA, Northeastern EA, Tulane EA, Vanderbilt RD; cancelling all apps

37

Decision: Deferred (Applied EA)

Objective:
SAT I (breakdown): 1410, 740 math, 670 ERW (at the time I submitted my app)
ACT: did not send
SAT II: N/A
Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.8/4.0
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): N/A
AP (place score in parenthesis): Psychology (5), Lang (4), World History (3), Biology (3)
IB (place score in parenthesis): N/A
Senior Year Course Load: AP Calc, AP Econ, AP Lit, AP Gov, AP Statistics, Leadership (ASB Class), PE/Track
Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): Eagle Scout?

Subjective:
Extracurriculars (place leadership in parenthesis):
Varsity 4-year track member (co-captain of hurdles team at HS for 2 years)
Boy Scouts (Asst. Scoutmaster/Eagle Scout)
Peer Listeners, 4-year “mini-psychologist” for my high school
Environmental Club (club president for 3 years)
ASB Treasurer

Job/Work Experience:
internship for a congressional campaign

Volunteer/Community service:
Volunteer at a hospital for 2 years
Volunteer at my local church for 3 years

Summer Activities:
Nothing much? Work on college apps…

Essays: Put a lot of time on my common app about a personal struggle (9.5/10); wrote about an under-discussed topic and my time visiting at UChicago.

Teacher Recommendation: Asked two of my teachers (AP Lang and AP Bio teacher)… I haven’t read them yet so (x/10)
Counselor Rec: he was my track coach for 3 years and now a counselor. Told me he wrote a lot about my leadership and active role in my high school. (10/10)
Additional Rec: Scoutmaster and my hospital volunteer coordinator (8/10)
Interview: interviewed at campus and thought the interviewer liked me (10/10)

Other
State (if domestic applicant): CA
Country (if international applicant):
Intended major(s): Econ
School Type: Public
Ethnicity: Half white and half Filipino
Gender: Male
Income Bracket: <75k
Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): sister currently goes to UChicago

Reflection
Strengths: extracurriculars/interview
Weaknesses: definitely my sat score and gpa… (no doubt)
Why you think you were accepted/deferred/rejected: I don’t know how I didn’t get rejected… I think the admissions officers liked my essays and impact in my community but unsure because of my academic achievements…

General Comments:
Congrats to everyone accepted! Hope to have the same luck in the future but can’t wait to see where everyone is going soon. I got accepted at Fordham but rejected from Northwestern ED.

38

Decision: Accepted

Applied ED1

Objective:
SAT I : 1580 M: 800 V: 780
ACT: 36
SAT II (subject, score): Math 2: 800, Chem: 800
Weighted GPA: 99.85 / 100
Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): 1 or 2 /300
AP completed (place score in parentheses): Chemistry (5); Physics (5); US History (5); English (5); Calculus BC (5);
Number of other EA applicants in your school: none
Major Awards:
Common Awards: Harvard Book Award, AP Scholar, National Merit Semi-Finalist

Subjective:

Extracurricular: State Math League Team Captain/qualified for State 9-11 grade, Concertmaster of School Orchestra, Area All-State Violin
Job/Work Experience: quant / computer programmer intern at fintech startup
Volunteer/Community Service: Tutoring middle school students in Math and Science
Summer Experience: Johns Hopkins CTY for 5 summers. Courses in Math and Computer Science
Research: Game Theory. Worked with professor at NYU

Teacher Recommendation #1: didn’t read, probably good
Teacher Recommendation #2: didn’t read, probably good
Counselor Rec: didn’t read; probably good

Interview: On campus during summer

Other:

U.S. State/Territory or Country: NY
School Type: Public / Suburban
Ethnicity: Asian American
Intended Major: Math / Computer Science
Gender: Male
Income Bracket Range: 300k+
Hooks (URM, first generation, recruited athlete, development): Legacy: parents attended as undergraduates

Reflection

Strengths: Deep dive into Math and Science. Maintained good grades and studied ahead in math and science classes.
Weaknesses: lacking significant “good citizen” leadership activities
Why you think you were accepted: I think my personality is a perfect fit for the College.
What would you have done differently? None
Where else did you apply? Ga Tech EA, SUNY Binghamton -Accepted; cancelling all apps

39

**Decision: Accepted EA

Objective:
[] SAT I (breakdown): 1540 (800 RW and 740 M, 17/24 essay)
[] ACT (breakdown): N/A
[] SAT II: 800 French, 740 Math 2, 710 Physics
[] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 4.0
[] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): Not reported, but top of class
[] AP (place score in parentheses): Psychology (5)
[] IB (place score in parentheses): English Lit. HL (TBD)
[] Senior Year Course Load: French Baccalaureate Science Track with International Option
[li] Major Awards (USAMO, Intel etc.): nothing major, but some regional MUN awards and school-wide writing and sports awards, National Merit Commended[/li]
Subjective:
[] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses): Varsity XC/Track and Field (Captain, MVP); School newspaper (editor); music (solo violin study, string quartet, school orchestra concertmaster); school bilingual theater troupe (stage manager twice, directing winter show this year); Model UN (committee chair); independent research project about piezoelectricity
[] Job/Work Experience: barista on weekends since August, some tutoring
[] Volunteer/Community service: volunteered full-time for local education non-profit over the summer
[] Summer Activities: see above, plus travel/linguistic exchange/music camp
[] Essays: I was honestly really proud of them
[] Teacher Recommendation: Math probably 10/10, he and I have a great relationship and he’s known me for a long time, History probably 9/10 cause I’m the only person who participates in his class lol
[] Counselor Rec: Likely very good, I’m recognized as a standout student at my school and am generally involved and well-liked within the school community, plus my counselor knows me well
[] Additional Rec: none
[] Interview: 6/10 did not go very well
[] Supplementary Material: none

Other
[]Applied for Financial Aid?: no
[] State (if domestic applicant): CA
Country (if international applicant): USA
[] School Type: small private
[] Ethnicity: white
[] Gender: female
[] Income Bracket(mention if FA candidate): upper middle class
[li] Hooks (URM, first generation college, etc.): none[/li]
Reflection
[] Strengths: Essays, recommendations, French Baccalaureate, extracurriculars
[] Weaknesses: Interview, Physics SAT II, lack of major awards
[] Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: see strengths
[] Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected: Deferred at MIT, still waiting on BU, Northeastern, UCs, Princeton, Harvard, Columbia

**General Comments: ** So surprised and happy to have gotten in, especially after being deferred by MIT last week :slight_smile:

40

**Decision: Accepted

[list]Objective
[] SAT I: 1380 (750 Reading, 630 Math)
[] ACT: 32 (35 English, 33 Reading, 33 Science, 26 Math)
[] SAT II: Literature 740
[] Unweighted GPA (out of 4.0): 3.5
[] Rank (percentile if rank is unavailable): not reported at my school
[] AP’s: English Language & Composition 4, United States History 5
[] IB: none
[] Senior Year Course Load: (CL = college Level, formerly AP) CL Latin, AB Calculus, CL History Seminar: American Mosaic: Deconstructing, CL History Seminar: American Mosaic: US Immigration/Ethnicity, Developmental Psychology, Social Psychology, Advanced Physics 1, CL English IV: Contemporary Literature, CL English IV: Creative Writing, CL English IV: Satire, Dance Company 1
[li] Major Awards: National Latin Exam Summa (x2) Maxima (x1) Cum Laude Certificate, School Distinction for excellence in English, Science, History/ Social Science, and Prize for Excellence in community[/li]

[list]Subjective]
[] Extracurriculars (place leadership in parentheses): Student Council (President), Multiculturalism Organization (President), Dorm Prefect, Dorm Residential Assistant, School Spirit Organization (Founder, President), Environmental Stewardship Organization (Communications Director), Football (Earned “Coaches Award”), Track and Field (Captain), Dance (Choreographer and Dancer), Band (First Chair)
[] Job/Work Experience: No actual job, only side enterprises
[] Volunteer/Community service: Founder of School sponsored community outreach athletic program, 50 hours annually in various regular community service
[] Summer Activities: SCUBA Program which resulted in 5 certifications, Marine biology, international relations, and comparative political systems programs for credit, football preseasons, and RA/Prefect training
[] Essays: I chose the “it’s so bad it good” prompt and wrote on how boarding school molded me into an adaptable problem solver. And for the satisfy desire question I listed many of the lesser known resources (such as the ArtsPass and Chicago transportation pass) that I would use to reach my goal of becoming an all-around academic.
[] Teacher Recommendation: Junior English and current advisor who is the head of school (I am her only advisee because I am the Student council president, so it was written quite well)
[] Counselor Rec: Explained significance of my extracurriculars and spoke on my reputation around school. Also explained that my school is one of the most rigorous in the country.
[] Additional Rec: none
[] Interview: Solid content was covered in a very solid conversation. Technical difficulties left me feeling quite uncertain as to what was actually, heard, though.
[] Supplementary Material: n/a

[list]Other
[]Applied for Financial Aid?: Yes
[] State (if domestic applicant): Nevada
[] School Type: Private, Boarding, Prep
[] Ethnicity: African-American
[] Gender: Male
[] Hooks: All of my teachers and myself writing about my love and passion for learning

[list]Reflection]
[] Strengths: Well rounded, take advantage of every opportunity, strong voice
[] Weaknesses: Not exceptionally strong in any one academic subject
[] Why you think you were accepted/waitlisted/rejected: I don’t know to be honest.
[] Where else were you accepted/waitlisted/rejected:I was deferred from Georgetown and accepted to SMU with a 20,000 annual scholarship.