uchicago (rd) chances?

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Chicago ✅
1

hello!! oKAY SO I KNOW RD IS A MOONSHOT. NOT SAYING THAT EA ISN’T, BUT WOW I DIDN’T KNOW HOW LOW THE RD ACCEPTANCE RATE WAS >.<
(i would’ve applied ea!! i love uchi!! but i DIDN’T RESEARCH IT EARLY ENOUGH AND NOW I LOVE IT BUT IT IS ALSO TOO LATE FOR EA :frowning: i might apply ed2 though?)

anyway - here are my stats :slight_smile:

GPA: 4.31 W on a 4.0 scale, 4.0 UW GPA
SAT: 2360 (1 sitting - 800M, 800W/10 essay, 760CR)
SAT Subjects: World History: 800, Math II: 780, Chemistry: 770
AP Scores: Chemistry (4), US History (5), English Language (5), World History (5)
Senior Courses: AP Spanish Language, AP Literature, AP US Government, Leadership (student government! gotta have the class to be in it though), AP Physics 1, AP Calculus AB
College Courses: Took Fundamentals of Computer Science & Introduction to Human Development over the summer (A+s in both)
Ranking: 2/390
Ethnicity: Filipino, Chinese
Legacy: Nope! (parents both went to school in the PHP)
Awards: AP Scholar with Honor, National Merit Commended, Science Olympiad medals Regionals, NHS (?), couple of school academic/community service awards, Best Freshman Girl in cross country, couple of awards for stories in school-wide writing contests, Congressional Merit Award (award for seniors in 10th Congressional District in CA)

Specifics

Extracurriculars:

  • Science Olympiad (11-12): placed in regionals, part of first team. I learned Jmol and protein modeling for protein modeling and it is HANDS DOWN my favorite event! I’m so sad that it’s not a regional event for us this year.
  • Performed (Ensemble) in school performance of Aladdin (10). I wish I was in another musical lol - music is life!
  • Performing in talent show (11) + general music - Music Club member (10), write own songs + have active Soundcloud/Youtube channel, sang national anthem twice, performed at local festival, self-taught guitar, ukulele (9-12)
  • Cross Country/Track (9), continual recreational running, awards in local race (9-12) (I WAS LW VARSITY XC DURING FRESHMAN YEAR BUT I STOPPED RUNNING HAHAHA RIP)
  • Key Club - served as Secretary (12)/Treasurer (11) (10-12). First experience working in an officer team!
  • Help tutor students in HYPE (tutoring club); tutor (10-12) & VP (12); made a website, various advertising materials for club (10-12). I love this ahh! It’s helped me a lot with public speaking skills.
  • Served as freshman mentor (like a Link Crew leader) (11-12)
  • Commissioner in KHS Leadership, helped with rallies (esp backdrops, PLANNING - e.g. writing scripts, creating games, assigning jobs, etc.), posters, and promotion for the school; designed senior shirt (11-12). I love Leadership more than I can express, it’s probably the thing I’m most glad I joined in HS because it’s both brought me out of my shell and helped me learn organizational/leadership/time-management/socialization skills.
  • Babysitting sister (throughout HS, lol - I’ve helped teach her how to read/walk! Having a sister WAY younger is in turns insane and awesome and annoying)

Summer activities:

  • Interned last summer (11-12 summer) at my local newspaper! Super rad because I got to understand the workings of journalism, publish articles, interview people, and learn how to call adult coworkers who are decades older by their first names, lol. Also, I was exposed to the journalistic style of writing, which was pretty interesting, and it changed my entire view on my city.

Recommendations:

  • English teacher: Had him for Lang. Apparently he calls me “great” and talks about me a lot BUT HE’S TOTALLY OVERHYPING ME :’) He was super pumped to write me a letter, plus he serves as a sort of mentor to me.
  • Calc teacher: Had him for 2 years (Algebra 2 Pre-AP, AP Calc AB). He speaks really highly of me at parent-teacher conferences, according to my mom. Idk how personal it’ll be though?
  • Editor of local newspaper I interned at: Extra rec! 7-8/10? He said some pretty nice things about my traits but didn’t necessarily touch on my writing.
    -Counselor: I think it’d be okay, he’s talked to me a fair bit while I straightened out my schedule for this year.

Essays:

  • Common App: I FEEL LIKE IT’S BORING BUT WHATEVER IT’S HONESTLY THE MOST CANDID I COULD BE ABOUT MY INTERESTS?? wrote about my early love of reading & how that catalyzed my love for writing, then branched out about how I began to write on different subjects - from myself, to other people, and finally to science. I tie it into wanting to study genes/genetic engineering.
  • Extended: HAHHAHAHAH. Still figuring out what to do for this one, but I’ve written an initial draft using the square one prompt. AGAIN I FEEL LIKE I’M VERY MUNDANE AND BORING OOPS. I talked about choices, and beginnings, and choosing a peppermint mocha instead of a caramel macchiato at Starbucks.
    -Why UChi? OH BOY AHH. Haven’t written it yet, but will probably talk about the candid community at UChi that encourages discussion and how I feel that the school fosters individual thought in a way that other colleges I’ve looked at haven’t (wellll hopefully this sounds better in actual essay format than I’ve described it)
    -Favorite books/art/inspirational stuff: Talking about Fresh Off The Boat (the book), Chance the Rapper, Childish Gambino, The Godfather, Crime & Punishment, and Hamilton :slight_smile:

Prospective major:
I’m applying as molecular engineering (1st choice), polisci (2nd choice), & creative writing (3rd choice).

thanks for reading through this :slight_smile:

2

If you would turn down UChicago over any other school you applied to, apply ED2 to signal the sentiment you gave us in all caps in the start of your post. Otherwise your chances are, like everyone else in the RD pool, somewhere around 3 or 4%.

3

I mean, your stats are fantastic, but—as you’re acutely aware—most applicants’ stats are.
Unfortunately, “acing” the essays is the key to getting admitted. Write like you’re talking to your best friend. Be original. Be creative. Be the… student body.

Like, for your essays, be the “ALL CAPS” part of you. Don’t write in all caps, but “collect” that tone and disseminate it throughout your writing.

If that seems like a daunting task, perhaps UChicago isn’t necessarily the right fit for you. And that’s okay! If only stats were considered, you’d be able to attend any university in the nation.

Good luck!

4

However, just in general, be skeptical of these Chance Me’s: so much of the college admissions process just depends on how your achievements relate to the context of your school (which are written about in all-school letters, even if your school doesn’t have official class ratings). In terms of whether you should apply ED 2 or just RD, a lot depends on your school’s relationship with UChicago and if you think your college counselors could articulate your interest, which matters in a much larger pool.

5

Your stats are really good. If you were applying for ED, EA, you would have a fantastic chance. Just make sure your essays are great and I’m sure you will have a great shot!