<p>In case someone is interested, here is my stats:
High school GPA: 3.99 unweighted, took 11 APs, national AP scholar
College (UCLA): GPA: 3.97
SAT: 1450 (really my weakness and I have no idea why I was chosen)
ECs:
Orchestra for 8 years, concertmaster for 2 years.
Some volunteers but nothing spectacular.</p>
<p>Recs: I think my recommendation might be one of my strength. For one of my math classes, i was the only freshman and i was the high score in both midterms and final. and thankfully I had a lot of communication with that professor, so i guess her recommendation might have helped me.</p>
<p>Good luck to all of you! I am sure I’m probably not even average among those who applied, and college application process is just a crapshoot, it by no means measures a person’s quality. Whether you get in or not, I am sure you all will be wonderful regardless of where you are at.</p>
<p>My stats, for those interested (finally got to a computer!):</p>
<p>Current School: University of Alabama
Entering as: Junior
High School GPA: 3.97
College GPA: 4.0 (this is with weighted A+s; if they weren’t weighted, it would be about 3.95 or so)
SAT/ACT Scores: 2320 Cumulative
750 Critical Reading
770 Math
800 Writing
SAT II Scores: 800 US History; 780 Literature; 750 Math I
Significant ECs: President of Alabama Atheists and Agnostics; finalist in national and international writing contests; various poetry publications; four internships in various fields
Hooks: None, really.
US/Intl: US.
Race: Asian American
Essays: the CommonApp one wasn’t very strong; I started out talking about my heritage and identity, and segued into discussing my interests. Probably if I were to do it over again, I would have taken a different route. My UChicago extended essay felt very good; however, I rushed on the “Why UChicago.” I’d be happy to let anyone read them; PM me.
Recs: I read one, and it was very good. Unsure about the other ones, but one was done by my adviser and the other was done by a teacher I’d had for two semesters.</p>
<p>Final remarks: Obviously, with UChicago’s admit rate, anyone who has gotten in or is even waitlisted should be very proud of themselves! One of the things I wasn’t sure about was the fact that I’m already considered a junior in terms of academic standing at UA, which means I can technically graduate next year if I wanted to. My course load was also not very challenging–I did a lot of independent studies, which doesn’t tell the college what you’re doing, so it’s fairly hit or miss. I don’t think there was much that hurt me in terms of admission–just things that weren’t as good as they could have been, and that matters a lot when you’re competing for so few slots. Congrats to everyone who had the courage to apply–it was by far one of the more challenging applications I’d completed.</p>
<p>I’ve been reading this thread a bit b/c I regret not applying for UoC. I got into UIC with a full scholarship, but I’m wondering if I’ll really like it there. So I’m looking at transfer requirements for UoC as a backup because this is the only Ivy League I could actually see myself—not to mention that I know a few people who got in/are going next year. What should I keep in mind about grades/involvement as a prospective transfer? Is it worth it if I have a full ride somewhere else? All of a sudden, I’m so anxious about this whole college thing…</p>