<p>Hi Grace,
I have another question about applying to UChicago. For the “Why UChicago” and optional essays, the instructions say you’re looking for a 1-2 paragraph response. Is it okay if my essays are 3 paragraphs long (one is about 490 words and the other is about 510)?</p>
<p>Hi everybody!
I’m an international student planning to apply to U Chicago.
I was wondering if applying Regular action might affect your chances of being accepted.</p>
<p>And something else - is U Chicago only accepting international students who are medalists? I know UChicago is not need-blind for internationals, so is it possible for international students applying for financial aid to get into the university if they have good test results and interesting extracurriculars, participation in youth programs , exchange programs, etc ? Or only the ones who are medalists have a chance?</p>
<p>@ivanevtimov, I tried to contact you, but I still can’t send PMs, so check your profile for visitor comments:)</p>
<p>Hi Grace-</p>
<p>More of a general question but one I’m hoping you can answer. How well known is the Congressional Award? Do you recommend my child explain what earning the CA Gold Medal entails in the addition information section or would admissions counselors already be well aware of it?</p>
<p>Hi Grace,</p>
<p>Can you give guidance about rec. letters? My daughter was mostly online-schooled last year, 11th grade, though she did take French and band at the local high school.She is back to full-time at high school this year. She can ask her French teacher for a letter. Not sure what to do about the other letter. She wants to apply EA, but doesn’t know her 12th grade teachers very well yet. They would write letters, but couldn’t say a whole lot about her. She could ask teachers from 10th grade, but I don’t know if that is acceptable. Asking a French teacher is already a sub-optimal choice. I wonder if the letters we get aren’t ‘good’ enough, and she ends up deferred, if we could add letters later in the year for RD, when her teachers know her better. She has 4.0, lots of good AP tests, good ACT/SAT scores, ECs, awards, etc. How likely would she be to be rejected completely based on insufficiently good letters if other parts of app looked good?</p>
<p>Hi Grace,</p>
<p>My extended essay is roughly 800 words. I read your earlier post about the essay being 500 words, and now I’m really concerned. Due to the style/idea of my essay, I’m unable to significantly shorten it to conform to your suggestions.</p>
<p>Is this a problem?</p>
<p>Hi Grace!</p>
<p>I just posted this in another thread but I am posting it here also in case you can help me out:</p>
<p>Hi! I am an International Junior hopping to attend college in 2014. My college counselor suggested I should try to apply to schools that offer Merit Based Scholarships because my parents have a tight budget which they can afford for my education abroad (between $15 to $20K a year). I know that there are a lot of options around that budget, but my expectations are to get the highest quality education available, and the University of Chicago is my top choice right now. My counselor tells me I have a lot of advantages that would make me eligible for a potential scholarship (if I manage to stay in the path that I am without lowering my grades etc…):</p>
<ul>
<li>Minority (Latino/Hispanic) from a third world country</li>
<li>100% bilingual (English/Spanish)</li>
<li>Female</li>
<li>First generation to attend college</li>
<li>Top 10% of my class with very good grades (Distingueshed Honor Roll at school). I attend a well recognized American School certified by various American Associations. Not sure of my GPA but my grades average 96%</li>
<li>Various AP classes, and several academic awards</li>
<li>Member of the local chapter National Honors Society</li>
<li>Dale Carnegie Youth Leadership Certification</li>
<li>Member of an International Volunteer association, and quite active in community service</li>
<li>Involved in sports
etc…</li>
</ul>
<p>I still have not taken my SATs but I am working hard to do well (above 2000). Plus, I love to write, which makes me very exited about the challenge of writing my essays!</p>
<p>Considering the University of Chicago is not listed as Need Blind for International students, my questions are:</p>
<p>If I were admitted, would I be eligible for a full Merit Scholarship?
If I were admitted, and I were awarded a scholarship but it does not cover my full tuition, could I still apply to some type of financial aid deducting what my parents can afford to pay? Or does this need to be done during the application process?
Should this situation be mentioned in my application papers?
Would it affect the Admissions Committee decision my financial situation?</p>
<p>I appreciate your honesty because I’d rather know beforehand if I should apply or not.</p>
<p>Thank you for your help!</p>
<p>Hello Grace,</p>
<p>I’m wondering whether the extended essay is supposed to shed any light on my character, or whether it’s supposed to show off my creativity and how I think. As my essay is (I’ve invented a past for a present), it doesn’t reveal much at all about me, but it is quite creative. Should I shoot for a balance, or choose another topic that would reveal more about me?</p>
<p>Thank you.</p>
<p>Hello Grace, </p>
<p>I have a strange situation, and am not sure as to how I should proceed. I completed A Levels this June from my school (12th year), but instead of taking a gap year, I am now doing a 13th year at school, i.e. classes and quizzes and so on. And I will be giving two more A Levels in May/June 2013. </p>
<p>In my school report does my counselor write that my graduation year is 2012 or does he say that it is 2013?</p>
<p>I’m already explaining the situation in the additional info. part of the common app.</p>
<p>Hello all, sorry for my delay in response, I have been traveling (and a big hello to everyone I have met in the Maryland/DC area in the past week!) Let’s get started with questions!</p>
<p>writingchkkk-- we consider your highest possible score, and you are welcome to submit October scores for EA consideration; if those scores are lower than previous scores, we will just consider your higher scores.</p>
<p>ivan: please see here for detailed information about the ISFAA forms and other aid forms for international students; if you have further questions, please email our international team at <a href=“mailto:internationaladmissions@uchicago.edu”>internationaladmissions@uchicago.edu</a>. <a href=“https://collegeadmissions.uchicago.edu/costs/international.shtml[/url]”>https://collegeadmissions.uchicago.edu/costs/international.shtml</a></p>
<p>bball, that is an appropriate length, no worries.</p>
<p>incarnation, students are welcome to apply either regular decision or early action; we accept similarly qualified students in either round. There is no requirement that an international student is a medalist or has received a significant award for acceptance. You can learn more about our aid process for international students at the link I provided for Ivan above.</p>
<p>Sue22, we suggest that students provide a brief explanation of the nature of any significant awards, as beyond things like National Merit our familiarity with awards in particular regions can vary. </p>
<p>Celesteroberts, your daughter should select two teachers that she feels know her well to the best of her ability; in her situation she may wish to reach out to 10th grade teachers or work with a 12th grade teacher who she has worked with this year even if they have not known her a long time. We consider many things in a student’s application, and she is also welcome to attach additional information explaining this situation. While recommendations are a part of a student’s application, we realize some schooling situations may preclude a student providing recommendations from teachers who know them very personally well, and so will certainly also consider them as a part of the application package and in context of a student’s situation.</p>
<p>hamlinkin, please do make an effort to keep your essay closer to 500 words; students are not admitted or denied on the basis of the length of their essays, certainly, but we do hope to see an essay that is relatively concise and close to our guidelines. If after reviewing your essay with teachers you determine it would be impossible to make the same points with less than 800 words, then your essay, I am sure, will be fine.</p>
<p>off2college: I am not able to estimate your likelihood of acceptance or receipt of scholarship, but can say that we do fund students who require aid but are not US citizens; we can consider the request of aid as part of our admissions decision, but do admit and provide aid (still guaranteeing to meet 100% of need, so we would not admit a student who required aid but then not provide the aid they would need) every year to international students who require support. It is unlikely that a student would receive a merit based scholarship in the full amount that you would require to attend; therefore, if UChicago is a top choice for you, please do apply for need-based financial aid at the time you apply for admission. You can learn more about our international aid process here: <a href=“https://collegeadmissions.uchicago.edu/costs/international.shtml[/url]”>https://collegeadmissions.uchicago.edu/costs/international.shtml</a></p>
<p>suluclacdna, your essay can take whatever form you choose; we do not require that extended essays take any specific form or shed light on any specific topic. You are welcome to write about whatever seems of greatest interest to you as you explore the prompt. </p>
<p>theunforgiven: since you will not be finished with your pre-college education until this year, I would say that your high school graduation date should be listed as 2013.</p>
<p>thanks for answering my last question, Grace!</p>
<p>I’m still confused about the community college transcripts, however. Where do we send those? Office of Admissions?</p>
<p>Grace --</p>
<p>My daughter is planning her schedule for next year and was considering whether to participate in our high school’s study abroad program. Holding all else equal, how would a junior year abroad compare with a domestic year with 4-5 APs in terms of admission chances ?</p>
<p>tjdad2011-
I’m a high school senior in the process of applying to UChicago. I studied abroad my sophomore year, and just want to advise you about it. Make sure you know about the potential adverse affects of studying abroad, like how it may affect class rank (my school calculates class rank based on gpa times credits, so since I’m missing those credits my class rank is impressively bad for my gpa). Talk to her school’s counselor about those affects that don’t really come to light until post-study abroad. But, if she does end up studying abroad, let her know that it’s a wonderful experience that (I hope) UChicago will look at and see the initiative and dedication to learning that they want from students. If you have any questions about studying abroad from an actual high school student that did it, feel free to message me.
Grace- If anything I said seemed wrong to you feel free to contradict me.</p>
<p>Hi Grace, on the common app, it says uchicago receives up to three teacher’s recommendation. Is the third one encouraged to have and does it have to be academic?
You also accept a supplementary recommendation letter. I am confused about how many letters you receive and of what types.
Thanks!</p>
<p>Hi, Grace!</p>
<p>Thanks for your answer. Unfortunately, the supporting documents still aren’t clear to me. I have found no answer on your website* and even though I emailed <a href=“mailto:internationaladmissions@uchicago.edu”>internationaladmissions@uchicago.edu</a> several weeks ago, I have still received no answer. I am getting worried because I am applying Early Action and there might not be enough time for me to procure those documents and have them translated by a certified agency. Do you have any suggestions? </p>
<p>Thank you very much! :)</p>
<p>*It tells me to scan the ISFAA and the supporting documents, but I have no idea which specific supporting documents are required.</p>
<p>Hi,</p>
<p>I’m a prospective student eager to apply EA and I have a question about sending “research”. I have spent a lot of time working on independent research on a mathematical thereom. It is informal in a way because I haven’t been supervised, but I believe that a paper sent by me could reveal a lot about my passion in ways that words simply cannot. Does supplemental research have to “formal” in nature? </p>
<p>Thank you!</p>
<p>Thank you for your answer! I will check out the link :)</p>
<p>I don’t know if someone has answered this but here goes:</p>
<p>Does UChicago consider SAT Subject Scores?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>writingchkkk: community college or other college/college summer program transcripts should be sent in an official fashion (either an official paper transcript delivered by mail or a secured copy delivered electronically) to the Office of College Admissions.</p>
<p>tjdad, I would encourage you and your daughter to consider the option that will be the most personally valuable to her and to discuss this option with her college guidance counselor; we encourage students to seek the option that they feel will provide them with the greatest rigor and academic challenge, but not knowing the strength of your daughter’s study abroad option, I am not able to provide a preference on either of the two options. There are certainly pros and cons to either option as Nebraskagal noted, but I would encourage her to discuss this option with someone who knows more specifically about the rigor of each option and what your daughter aims to learn from either option.</p>
<p>ivanevtimov, I am sorry, I am not an international admissions counselor and do not know more about the aid process beyond what is described on our website, which is quite thorough. i believe that all the supporting documents required are detailed on the ISFAA itself, so please explore the instructions on that document to see if it can clear up your remaining questions regarding the required supporting documents. If not, please hold on as I expect that the international admissions counselors will be back with you regarding your email shortly.</p>
<p>goodjobbro, if you feel that this research has been an important experience to you, you are welcome to send an example. We encourage students submitting research to send in a detailed, but still relatively concise, abstract of their work. </p>
<p>ishfromaus, we do not require students to submit SAT-II subject tests. We will consider them if a student submits them, but they are very rarely a strong factor in our decision making process.</p>
<p>I’m a University of Chicago PhD alum, and my high school sophomore son is interested in applying. I’m not asking about legacy admission advantages, but does the admissions office offer any perks to alumni children–such as a special informational/counseling session? My wife’s alma mater, Williams, offers such sessions where they discuss your chances there, as well as find other good fits. If Chicago doesn’t offer such a perk, in general, what kinds of informational opportunities does the admissions office provide?</p>
<p>We are thinking about visiting next summer. He’s interested in attending a math class, but I noticed the offerings tend to be introductory courses, and he’s already beyond that. He wants to be a math major and would likely be ready for Honors Analysis. How possible is it to meet with a faculty member during the summer?</p>
<p>And, does the university offer admission to any qualified high school juniors–allowing them to skip their senior year?</p>