<p>From an admissions officer perspective, what and how do you think of an applicant with a good GPA (with lots of AP classes), but low AP scores in about two out of ten AP classes? Also, what do you think of an applicant who took the SAT twice already (with around score of 2000), and then on the third one, scored above 2200? --Is this necessarily a minus for the applicant?</p>
<p>Also, could you explain to me about the weather there? I’ve already heard from people who have lived in Chicago and attended UChicago, but I was wondering if this weather (extremely hot in summer and cold in winter) plays a negative factor in terms of living and studying there.</p>
<p>Basketball, the first question is a bit too close to chancing for my comfort so I will not be able to provide a response. </p>
<p>On weather: I am originally from a very cold area, but have found that, although we do have hot summers and cold winters, Chicago is by no means unbearable! It can be equally hot or cold in the winters at any of our comrades on the East coast, and just takes a bit of getting used to and knowledge of how to dress appropriately for the season. Students avoid most of Chicago’s warmest months with the setup of our quarter system, and buildings are well equipped to keep warm in the winters. With a pair of shorts in the summer and a good coat in the winter most students will find that the weather is not a problem.</p>
<p>How important do admission officers take into consideration of AP scores? I know that generally speaking, if a student gets an A or a B in an AP class, but does not pass the AP exam, people assume that the teacher must’ve been very ‘easy’. </p>
<p>And as for SAT I exams, if a student doesn’t do well his/her first or second time, but the score jumps to a very good score, do admission officers take that into consideration in a negative way?</p>
<p>We do not require students to submit AP scores, but students may submit them if they wish to. However, we would be a bit wary of a student’s preparation in a course area if the score were below passing. </p>
<p>For SAT I exams, we superscore, so we really only look at the highest subsections combined as the student’s ultimate score. A student would not be at a disadvantage for having subsequently higher scores because, ultimately, only the highest possible score would be the score considered in the admissions process.</p>
<p>So I am a prospective transfer student, and I wanted to get an idea as to how much UChicago weighs the SAT against other factors (such as College GPA, HS GPA, HS ECs, AP scores, College ECs, research/work experience, and TA/Professor letters of rec) in their decision to accept transfers. What are the most important parts of this whole picture, and how different is it from the freshman package?</p>
<p>I was also curious about the financial aid policies of UChicago with transfers. Does the university generally offer the same amount to a freshman applicant as they do to a transfer of similar economic standing (of course not taking merit aid int consideration).</p>
<p>So from an admissions perspective, with regard to letters of recommendation from teachers, would it be better to have a recommendation from a teacher whose class you excelled in but who may not know you very well or from a teacher whose class you struggled a bit in but who knows you well and understands your dynamic as a student better?</p>
<p>Casperslide, our transfer students are read similarly to our first-year applicants, with many factors being equally important. I would say that the only difference is that we do tend to weigh on the side of a student’s college grade record rather than their high school record, although we do consider the high school record as well. Financial aid is available to domestic transfer students, and the aid is granted in the same style as our first year applicants. We do not have the ability to provide any financial aid to international transfer students. </p>
<p>Buckeye-- I would say that we would hope to see letters from teachers who know you well and can speak to your strengths as a student.</p>
<p>If I want admissions officers to review my AP scores as part of my application, should I self-report the scores in the Common App or send an official score report?</p>
<p>bball-- you may self report the scores on the Common App. We do not need an official score report for APs unless you are admitted and decide to matriculate.</p>
<p>I just finished my supplemental essay question, but it is 1,008 words. I understand this sounds like too much, but it is exactly 1.5 pages single spaced. I have shown it to some people, and it is pretty light, easy reading and cutting it down seems like it would severely take away from it. Can I keep it? Based on its flowy nature, I really can’t picture an admissions officer dragging him/herself through it.</p>
<p>I would still encourage you to try to keep your essay closer to 500 words than 1,000 words. There is a lot of time before our EA application is due, so please don’t feel a need to rush to submit it!</p>
<p>This is a strange question to ask, but I was wondering how old are the adcoms, in general? Like are they recent graduates or alums who graduated in early 90s/80s/70s? I mean, would they scorn over modern cultural references or my teenage immaturity and my naive idealistic views, which most teenagers are prone to?</p>
<p>Okay, I know this sounds kinda strange, but I was just wondering and thought I’d put it out there.</p>
<p>Hahaha, excellent question. We’re a mix of ages, ranging from recent alums to Admissions veterans who have worked in the field for 10 to 15 years. We’re all pretty up to speed on most modern cultural references from Star Wars on up to now.</p>
<p>Does a students “level of interest” matter at all during the visit/app process? I was just curious… I tried to find it on your Common Data Set but UChicago doesn’t publish one… </p>
<p>I have just read all 79 pages and my eyes are swimming, but I don’t think I saw the answer to the question I have. If a student is a National Merit Finalist and does have financial need, is the $2000 scholarship used to meet need or EFC? Thanks!</p>
<p>NewHavenMom-- we hope that students will use the time on campus or at one of our presentations to learn more about the college (and thereby have a much better “Why Chicago” when it comes to writing that essay!) The act of visiting campus, or of attending any of our sessions, does not confer any particular advantage. </p>
<p>rrcjmcandless-- students admitted Early Action do have an advantage in our housing pool; housing decisions are made on a first-deposited, first-served basis, so students who are admitted early and decide to attend before regular decisions are announced do have an advantage in having likelier access to their first choice dormitory. </p>
<p>tokidoki-- of course! All of our students participate in the Core curriculum, which is a required exploration of 9 different academic (well, 8 academic and one physical education) areas that will, naturally, not all fall in to a student’s major. Beyond that, about a third of a student’s time in the College is reserved for elective classes; students may elect to take courses beyond what might be required for their major in their major area, but are otherwise welcome to use that time to take any courses they wish to take, including those outside of their major.</p>
<p>mommaof5-- the National Merit scholarship (and other UChicago-sponsored merit scholarships) decrease the family or student contribution.</p>
<p>Grace…regarding your reply on the National Merit money reducing the student/parent contribution…are you sure this info is correct? We were told that the $2,000 National Merit scholarship was sponsored by UChicago, therefore it came off of the universities portion. Can you clarify?</p>
<p>UChi mom: thanks for the need to clarify there, my apologies if this was unclear-- sometimes with so many questions I lose bits in the shuffle, so I appreciate the head’s up! In most cases any UChicago-sponsored merit aid (such as a University Scholarship, Police/Fire scholarship, etc) will decrease family and student contribution first. In some cases (depending on how much grant is being awarded) scholarships like National Merit may replace portions of the University grant. This can also depend on whether or not the scholarship is the UChicago-sponsored National Merit award, or if the student is receiving an outside scholarship through National Merit. Contacting the aid office (<a href=“mailto:college-aid@uchicago.edu”>college-aid@uchicago.edu</a>) is always the best bet for questions like these, especially to see what might be the case for an individual student or family.</p>