University of Chicago

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

I am a high school senior and in the middle of completing the college application process. UofChicago is my first choice and I’m finishing up my last essay. My problem is that I have become a bit discouraged due to the fact that my sat scores are not at all impressive. It’s not terrible, but I’m below the UofChicago’s average range and I’m honestly out of mind worried. I’m taking all AP classes
AP Calc BC
AP Statistics
AP Biology
AP Economy/Government
And my Spanish and English classes are both college level courses and I have an A in all my classes but a A- in AP biology. I do various extracurriculars such as orchestra, international club, National Honor, Debate, Academic Superbowl, I volunteer at my local library, and I tutor.

I have a high gpa( I understand that it varies from place to place) and in the top 10% in a class of over 1000 students. I have to face the reality that my sat score isn’t great, and I don’t think I’ll live the result when I get back my admission decision (I’m applying EA). I was wondering will my sat score dominant what the university looks at when it comes to admitting students? (By average I mean about 550 in every category. I am just extremely worried)

Thank you so much in advance to everyone who answers

2

Is your SAT score in the 1650-1700 range?

3

Look up the CDS for UChicago and it will give you the % that they take from each range. For example, 80% from SAT 700-800 etc…

4

Or if using the more up to date SAT ranges–1100-1200?

5

It’s grim news- CR 700-800 85%; CR 600-699 14%. M 700-800 84%; M 600-699 15%. UChicago looks at CR + M only.

6

Ok, I going to have to be specific I scored a composite of 1590. I think they do superscore and mine would be 1640

7

I believe that I’m going to have to lower my expectations :-). I understand my chances are low compared to students who have higher scores, but all I can do now is give my all in the extended essay

8

I think you know that your chances are very very low. But if you don’t apply will you always wonder if you might have gotten in? My understanding is that admissions does question whether a student can handle the tough academics at a school like UChicago with average SAT scores. But they do stress that they are holistic in their admission process. Do you already have your app completed? Do you have a hook? Have you considered test optional schools?

9

So while they have admitted students with those scores, they are at the bottom 10% of accepted student ranges. This segment usually is represented by folks with legitimate hooks and recruited athletes…wish I had better news.

10

Oh, I’m still going to apply. Apart from my sat scores I’ve had a pretty successful high school career and do many things outside of school. (So have the people with higher sat scores). I’m very realistic about my results. Yes, I have applied to many other test optional schools, of course. UofChicago is just my #1 choice. Do you mind explaining what you mean by hook, I’m sorry English is not my first language.

11

I understand, being realistic is better than stretching the truth for the sake of my feelings. Thank you for your honest feedback, I do appreciate it.

12

URM underrepresented minorities, unique and recognized talents (e.g. Actresses like Emily Watson) world class cello player, award winning playwright, or father is a 8 figure donor to the school, survived genocide…those kinds of things.

13

boolaHI: How do you know that UChicago has admitted URM, unique and unrecognized talents, etc., with those scores?

Additionally, looking at the OP’s attendant classroom scores and ECs, there seems room for an examination of why there is such a disparity in the strong skill sets the OP seems to have, the rigor he/she is clearly able to be subjected to, and the off-kilter SAT scores. If the school is one familiar to UChicago, and there is no question of the integrity of said school’s grading system, colleges and universities claim they will put calls in to determine if the student truly is who the rest of the profile presents. This is if they are interested, and can have some concerns allayed when speaking with counselors, etc.

14

It’s pretty consistent with the lower 20th percentile for all Ivy plus schools, but you can have a sample tracking of such data going back several years–see:http://www.collegedata.com/cs/admissions/admissions_tracker_result.jhtml?method=selectCollegeWithDefaultYear&schoolId=327&classYear=2020&profilesCount=642

While not entirely definitive, you can cull some basic qualitative results…

15

For UChicago, a lot depends on those essays. You are right that no one knows for sure the applicant pool who gets in with the lower end scores and what they may have to offer. But I think we can safely bet that it’s some type of hook.

I’m glad OP that you are applying and being very realistic of your chances.

My D will also be in the EA applicant pool. She attended an overnight and went to their Columbus Day open house. You are right. It is a very special school.

Good luck OP!!

16

GirlChild: Again sorry, my English skills. But from what i am understanding you are saying that my high school may be unfairly grading or boosting up my grades, which is why I have good grades in them, and that’s the reason they contradict with my SAT scores.

I know I cannot prove anything, my high school AP teachers are fairly strict about assignments and are I would half of them are qualified to be college professors. I understand why it seems off that I am able to obtain these grades in difficult classes yet perform poorly on my SAT. I’m even wondering that myself. I do not get why they don’t go hand in hand, but I can assure all the information I have given is true.

17

@goingnutsmom:

To reframe the idea of who a hook may be, check out this conversation I was having tonight, and the link:

@GirlChild A development admit can be someone who is referred by a big donor. It can also be someone who comes from a very wealthy family that has the potential to donate a lot of money, even if the parents did not previously have a connection to the university.

http://online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/Polk_Rich_Applicants.htm

18

CamaraK: Granted you may have inferred that, but actually I was saying that as long as the admissions officers at UChicago can determine through their own longterm relationship with the school, and the prior submitted school profiles and admitted students, that the grading system (not you/not your integrity) is one which is solid and unassailable, then that could give them another reason to look into why such a solid classroom student, such a solid member of the school community, does less than par on the SAT.

Now that you have mentioned a language concern, that leads me to think that could be one issue that UChicago might want to know about. You could highlight the transition of the thought process from your native language to English, and how this happens during everyday conversation, during times when you back-translate music into your first language, or the comfort you find in the solace of sleep, when your mind gets to rest and the high-alert work of translating is laid to rest for 8 hours.

Seems to me you may have a reason that a test, portions of which are sometimes written in a dense, semantic yet unnatural manner, may cause you more work than most.

19

Not much a chance at University of Chicago unless your SATs are stellar. The extra boost stuff is kind of not going to make that much of a difference. btw: University of Chicago is not known to be a ‘legacy’ school like Harvard or Yale. Also being top 10% of your class is not stand out either. In terms of minority status, they’ve got plenty of those in affluent neighborhood to make the numbers look good. There really aren’t legitimate ‘hooks’.