<p>Hello ccnewbie1, yes, you may do so, just select essay option #5 (“create your own prompt”) and let us know which past essay question you wish to respond to (best if you indicate this at the top of your essay).</p>
<p>Hello AJB1993, three short paragraphs would be appropriate if you wish; anywhere between 250-500 words is a target length for your Why Chicago and Favorite Things essay, while your extended essay should be around 500 words (a little longer, but not hundreds of words longer, is just fine).</p>
<p>Hello Dukedad, yes, we do provide EA applicants an estimated aid package. If you submit your financial aid documents before the EA financial aid deadline (CSS profile and 2010 tax forms on or before Nov. 1), you should receive an estimate with acceptance. If the forms are late, an estimate should arrive within one week of an admissions decision.</p>
<p>Hi Grace, </p>
<p>So about financial aid, I just submit my CSS Profile/2010 tax forms by Nov. 1? So the CSS goes via the internet, and the tax forms can just go in through normal mail?</p>
<p>And also, Odyssey is something separate you apply for? I checked off need-based financial aid on my app, so does that cover me? And one last question, is it really a scholarship to ‘get’, or do you receive it automatically upon acceptance and meeting the income requirements?</p>
<p>EDIT: And one more question! What does Chicago require in the way of midyear/end of year reports?</p>
<p>Hello Grace, you mentioned earlier in a reply that if the financial aid forms for EA are submitted late, EA applicants still get an estimate within a week of decisions. How late can the financial aid forms be turned in?</p>
<p>Hi, Grace.</p>
<p>I’m a US citizen but was born and raised in Mexico, meaning Spanish is my first language. I’m at a Mexican school, so I haven’t had the chance to take AP classes nor have I been able to take 4 years of English. My first question is: should I take the TOEFL if I got 650 and 710 on the CR and W parts of the SAT, respectively? (I wouldn’t question it if it wasn’t such an expensive test.) Secondly: I know applications are reviewed holistically, but I’m still a bit nervous about my lack of AP classes. Will this hurt me in any way?</p>
<p>Thank you!</p>
<p>I’m taking the IB Diploma program. To what extent are predicted scores important and approximately what range of scores is the department looking for.</p>
<p>Also, if my GPA is unusually low due to 3 Cs in gym and one in calculus (which my teacher can explain in rec. + a 5 on the exam), how significant of a problem would that be. In general can you give any specific advice to students applying with lower than usual GPAs.</p>
<p>Edit: Don’t want this to read like “how can a low GPA get in”. Just it’s an unusual circumstance for a Chicago applicant and I was curious if you had any particular tips, if nothing else. </p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>hahahaha
Challenged - I love how you just used a “to what extent” question. So IB :P</p>
<p>Hello Grace,</p>
<p>If an essay happens to be over the word limit (lets say around 1.5X the desired amount, or 750ish words), does the reader just stop reading at one point? Will the word limit affect their opinion of the essay, regardless of the quality? </p>
<p>I looked at several essays on the “Post your Essay” thread, and despite many essays were way over the word limit, many were still accepted (and incredible essays nonetheless). Is the 500 word limit relatively new (or just more recently enforced) or does quality>quantity?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Hi jawbreaker81, yes, you can submit CSS online and mail in the tax forms. Odyssey funding is put in to the financial aid package of income-qualifying admitted students; it is a need-based award, not merit-based. We will ask for a transcript at midyear for EA admitted students and RN applicants, as well as a final transcript for all admitted students.</p>
<p>Hello classof12, it would be best if you e-mailed <a href=“mailto:college-aid@uchicago.edu”>college-aid@uchicago.edu</a> to discuss your particular situation.</p>
<p>Hello drinkyoupretty, see here for the guidelines on who does and who does not need to submit TOEFL scores: <a href=“https://collegeadmissions.uchicago.edu/apply/applicants/international/#englishtest[/url]”>https://collegeadmissions.uchicago.edu/apply/applicants/international/#englishtest</a></p>
<p>Since you are a US citizen it may not be necessary, although could be a good idea, to submit a TOEFL score.</p>
<p>Hello challenged, projected IB scores are not a required part of the admissions process. We will be much more interested in the grades you have received in your IB coursework. Since we employ a holistic review process, it is difficult for me to say how a lower than average GPA will factor in to your admissions decision; suffice to say we do not have a cutoff for GPA, and consider all portions of your application, especially course rigor, as important.</p>
<p>Hi Grace–Quick question here. My son is applying EA and is freaking out because he took a college-level enrichment class last summer and forgot to request a transcript until tonight. He’s worried that the transcript won’t be there by Tuesday’s deadline. Will it affect his application if that transcript comes in a couple of days past the deadline? Thanks for your help!</p>
<p>Hello quizbowl, we will certainly read an essay that is over the suggested limit; just be cautious, as although we will not stop reading an overly long essay, it is important to realize that a lengthy essay could lose the reader’s interest if not all words or ideas are truly necessary to include.</p>
<p>Hello walkingruby, tell your son not to freak out! 
We often receive materials past the deadline, especially if coming from outside organizations or schools. We do not in any way have the ability to read everyone’s application on Nov. 1, and do wait for a student’s application to be complete (students: this does not mean you can submit YOUR materials after Nov. 1, just that we realize your teachers and schools might!) before we begin to review it.</p>
<p>Thanks so much for the quick reply! Now maybe we can both relax a little!</p>
<p>Ah jeez, just when I thought I had all my questions answered, I came up with one more. :P</p>
<p>Even though my ACT score appears on my transcript, it looks like I should order a report sent anyway. If I ordered that tonight, it wouldn’t make it there by the Nov. 1 deadline, but it would (ideally) be postmarked by that date. Is that alright?</p>
<p>@jawbreaker81: it will suffice to have the scores simply requested before Nov. 1.</p>