I recently switched to EDII after being deferred from EA. I thought I was in good shape at least not being out right rejected. However, after looking around discussions on applications Im not sure mine is as up to par as I thought.
One thing that worries me is that I’ve taken only 4 AP classes total (and one class with a local college this year) and my highest ACT score is a 30. However for my high school this is not at all the average.
Ive gone to a public arts school since 4th grade, Ive been in a fairly rigorous youth ballet company with that school since freshman year. Last year because I wanted to take AP Chemistry I arrived a full hour earlier than the rest of the high school, meaning I’d be at school by 7:15am, have a full day of classes, begin dance at 1:30 and rehearse until 6pm most days, 8-10pm during the week of a show. While I did not score 5’s on my AP tests the fact I managed to pass both with my study time consisting of a 42 minute lunch and evenings starting around 7pm, is fairly impressive for my school. I have no doubt Id be able to handle rigorous coursework and frankly love the idea of being in a community of students who all share a drive to learn, but I’m worried my profile wont show that. After being deferred I did email my regional counselor offering more background on my application but it might have been too little too late.
Perhaps I’m simply getting impatient and there’s probably not much to do but wait, but UChicago is a dream school to me.
Hmm… I’m in the same exact boat. I hope to get into UChicago (I applied Regular, though 
). I scored a 31 in a High School in Mississippi where the average score is ~15/16. I wish you luck and I hope to see you this fall at UChicago!
OP, you ACT score is pretty low for UChicago. But what can you do now? I assume you’ve applied to affordable matches & safeties you would like to attend. I’d just focus on other things and not worry about it until decisions come out.
Please don’t fret whether you will get in to what is considered a top-tier college or not. Sometimes, comparing yourself to colleagues is very disheartening, especially when viewing those qualifications on paper. ‘Elite’ schools admit so few people, that large numbers of qualified applicants who were not admitted can probably fill up stadiums. Most of the kids going to top tier schools are not geniuses, and if you get in, you’ll be able to handle the rigor. If you don’t get admitted, that you even applied demonstrates your ambitions, and you’ll always have those qualities to carry you toward your pursuits.
Good luck to all of you and hope you’ll love your college experience no matter where you decide to go.
Your schedule is equivalent to a HS varsity athlete and plenty of those have gotten into elite colleges with a 30 ACT! Keep in mind that UChicago superscores the ACT as well as SAT so if your superscore is higher than 30 that’s even better.
Your experience also distinguishes you from a whole lot of other applicants. If you were able to convey your achievements and work ethic similarly to UChicago in your application, you probably stand a decent chance, esp. given the switch to EDII. Showing them that you feel up to the challenge and doing everything to maximize your chances because this is your first choice - well, there’s not much more you can do. You still might not get in, because it’s very tough to be admitted. But you did your best. BTW, four AP’s and one college class are fine.
Good luck and keep us posted!