<p>^^Wow!! If you have that kind of attitude about the people living around Hyde Park…I’d be very careful what you say…because it usually can manifest in your essays and the teachers’ recommendations (truth will come out) about YOU…because people can FIGURE you out! Then why are you applying to Yale which is in a similar neighborhood?? My kids go to two of the schools you are applying to…I really hope they don’t have you as a fellow student…</p>
<p>Uhm that’s pretty harsh gravitas2… It’s of course not ALL the people but there’s nothing wrong with trying to avoid crime. I recently moved from a small Iowa town where many people from Chicago had moved to escape the madness they had gone through, trying to get their children away from the place that caused the death of a family member (if I remember correctly it was drive by shootings). I agree that if you’re avoiding Chicago you should avoid other similar cities.</p>
<p>I think you have an amazing shot at all of these schools. Your SAT and ACT scores corroborate excellence. I don’t think you’re too specific with your ECs or show too much demonstrated interest in the field of your choice, but I think you stand an amazing chance. UIUC is a safety for sure. Northwestern is a match and the rest are reaches but low reaches. Good luck getting in to your schools :)</p>
<p>Chance me! 
I am also into the same schools.
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1533620-chance-me-princeton-wharton-upenn-dartmouth-cornell-harvard-mit.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1533620-chance-me-princeton-wharton-upenn-dartmouth-cornell-harvard-mit.html</a></p>
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<p>Where do you get this erroneous information from? I don’t see that the “500 homicides” is related to Hyde Park or the University of Chicago? Or, do you just have a fear about “certain” people? We are in the 21st century…</p>
<p>I don’t think there was any implied racism
Crime is real and cities aren’t right for everyone… Although I thought they had a lot of security on campus (might be wrong…)</p>
<p>You’d be fine for Illinois, but I might add another school not hyper-selective to apply to just in case.</p>