I was waitlisted at UChi during the latest round of college admissions (EA deferral --> waitlist). However, I am taking a gap year–something I’ve been planning for almost two years, and it really ties into what I want to do in the future. Would it be worth it to reapply? All my stats/GPA are within the realm of UChi acceptances. Provided I really kick ass on my essays, do you think the gap year will give me enough of an advantage to be accepted?
It is absolutely worth reapplying. I know several students who either took a gap year or went to another school for their freshman year and then reapplied with success. Good luck!
Do you have a good GC? I would have them call now assuming you have not been rejected. They may take you now for 2020, UChicago is big on gap years. Also, there may have been a reason that you are not aware of. Did you talk about the core and indicate interest? They are big on the core.
If you were already rejected I would still have your GC call your regional rep and talk about your plans. They can indicate that you intend to reapply and how interested you are. If your GC is not available you may want to call them directly.
If you are in UChicago’s range then you probably got into a top 30 school. Most of those require a deferral agreement saying you will not apply to another school during your deferral. Did you sign something like that
Hey there! I applied to UChicago this year as well and was waitlisted exactly like you. My regional rep told me that due to a high applicant yield rate and because I come from a competitive region, that I had little to no chance of being taken off the waitlist, but that the committee decided to admit me for Class of 2020. I decided to take their offer and am currently planning my gap year with activities I know I want to accomplish prior to entry into college. A gap year had been something I was considering throughout the college application process, but never really acted on, so when I got this offer, I took it as a sign that yes, I should take a year to pursue things I’ve dreamed of doing even though it’s an unconventional path.
Were you rejected off of the waitlist? If not, I’d contact your regional rep to see if they are still looking for candidates for 2020. My rep had called me the day prior to a committee meeting solely for that purpose to make sure I was still interested should I get the offer. Try emailing your rep to tell him/her that you would be willing to take an interim year. My rep had also contacted my college counselor to see if I was the type of student to be interested in taking a year. Honestly, emailing your rep is not a bad idea!
If you were already rejected, I’d say yes, of course try again! You were in their range, you would talk about experiences you’re going through and risks you’re taking and maybe they’ll see you as a more mature, adequate fit for UChi! Unfortunately, you’d have to pull your offer out of the school you are currently enrolled in, and then take the risk of applying during your gap year all over again. This would mean you should apply to UChicago as well as a couple safety schools because, as you must have learned during this year’s application round, the college process is somewhat of a blind shot made. You never know how it’ll end up, so while you might apply to UChicago again and seem like the strongest applicant ever, there’s a chance you still won’t be admitted.
Take the risk you wish. But definitely email your admissions rep first and even have your college counselor throw in a good word for you about how you’re committed should you be accepted into Class of 2020. No harm done by contacting them and letting them know your interest in the school persists.
I don’t know if this helps you in your decision making, but for me, when UChicago offered me 2020 instead of 2019, I had to make a decently big decision because I had a pretty sweet offer at my state school. In the end, the quote that kept coming to mind was from the famous poem by Robert Frost:
“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.”
And with that, I wish you the best of luck!
Feel free to message me if you have anymore questions! I hope to see you in the Class of 2020!!
Multiple people in this year’s class posted that they were rejected the last time around, took a gap year, and then got in.
@Barbie4 Thanks for replying! That’s definitely comforting to know 
I think my main concern was that I would reapply and then be rejected. I’m reapplying to a few more schools next year, and one of my top choices is an ED school, which would boost my chances significantly. I just can’t seem to give up on UChicago though, so maybe it will pay off!
@SaphireNY I was unfortunately rejected from the waitlist pool (not surprising given I’m in a highly competitive region, damn NYC area). I was a worried about reapplying because I did let my AO know that I fully intend to take a gap year, after I was waitlisted. I had heard that UChi views gap years favorably and even offers delayed admissions to some students to take gap years. If they still rejected from the waitlist pool while knowing that I was taking a gap year, is that a bad sign?
I think I’ll ask my GC to call tomorrow. I had asked her before. She said it’s best coming from a student, but I really think my AO would give a more accurate account of my chances to my GC than me. I’ll keep this thread updated!
@adrenalinegirl That’s awesome! Congratulations! I’m actually thinking about starting a gap year thread in the non-traditional students forum. There was one last year and I found it really helpful while I was planning mine. Would you be interested in doing that with me?
I already emailed my AO a couple times. I told him about my plans for a gap year, and that I would love to attend UChi. I guess the committee decided not to extend an offer to me, but what can you do? I still have an awesome year ahead of me, and the opportunity to reapply to UChicago, so I think it’s a win-win situation 
Unfortunately I was rejected from the waitlist pool, which I took as a bad sign. Hence, why I started this thread. For some reason I feel like I was pity rejected, so I don’t really know what to think about my chances. I’m going to ask my GC to call tomorrow, as my AO hasn’t responded to my email about reapplying, which I sent two weeks ago.
I am currently enrolled at my safety school which is a top fifty school. I don’t think I was required to sign anything about not reapplying during my gap year. I just basically “applied” to take a gap year, and they approved it. I’ll talk to my school to see if reapplying would be possible. My GC said it’s probably ok; the school is a really large public, they probably have a few students who enroll and end up not coming for a variety of reasons. If it was a small LAC I think me reapplying would be a different situation, but as for UW-Madison, I don’t think they’ll mind much.
I had a similar decision to make. I got basically a full ride at my state school, but they wouldn’t let me defer any of the scholarships if I took a gap year. To me, as someone who has dreamed of living abroad for years, the chance to see the world before I commit myself to an education is invaluable. I decided the gap year, and potential acceptances from schools I didn’t apply to last year, was well worth the loss. I am reapplying to the state school anyway, so I’ll be even more attractive for scholarships after the gap year!
Your perspective on the gap year really resonates with me; so many of my friends are afraid of interrupting their planned lives, and a gap year is not traditional and therefore scary. But I believe the experience promises to be life-changing. Who knows? I may find myself in Argentina and discover UChicago is not the place for me.
Absolute best of luck this year! I hope to stay in contact with you over the year. I’d love to hear about your experiences! I do hope we’ll see each other at Chicago, but if not, I wish you success there, whatever that may mean. (For most students it’s passing O-Chem )
Also thank you so much for typing out that long, inspirational response. It gave me a sense of solidarity with a fellow gap yearer
@puzzled123 Thanks, for posting! That definitely makes me feel better about my odds! I’m trying to come up with an awesome supplement. (UChicago’s really letting applicants go creatively crazy this year. Five new prompts AND the option of doing older ones. I may do the one from the year my mom applied lol) I think my biggest weakness was that I went for quirky in ALL of my essays. I didn’t really get super serious in my Why Chicago essay, and made a lot of jokes to their comparison to Hogwarts. I think I have a much better understanding of what I want to say to them, and the type of student they’re looking for. Personally, I think I am that type of student, so hopefully I just have to convince them with some great puns and allusions to Harry Potter fanfiction. What could go wrong?
Definitely have your GC call, they will call back and they will be honest with her as to what is missing if anything. They would much rather hear from her I think. A good GC builds a relationship with the school personnel.
Many gap year programs recommend that you get in before sharing your gap year plans (for class of 2019). I know UChicago claim they do not care and really are great when you ask to defer but if they are focused on building a class for now.
The gap year agreement is usually a specific thing or an email or something approving your gap year which lists what the conditions are. UChicago has one that students deferring have to sign and it includes not reapplying to other schools. Your school may not have one.
If you are reapplying to other schools, I would definitely have a gap plan that you can outline in your essays. I would consider doing EA or ED if there are schools you are interested in. If at all possible apply to different top schools.
Also I honestly would not focus on the Hogwarts thing. You are going to college not a movie set. While it is cute, not everyone is into Harry Potter, I have not read the books. I did not realize about the whole HP thing until well after I applied and I have relatives who went there (pre HP). Plus I doubt it will make you stand out from the other 5000 people who applied because of HP. However I could be wrong. Do focus on the core, they want to know that you want to learn that, especially if you already happen to be interested in a fairly specialized area. For example, if you wanted to be a math or science major, they may wonder how well you will do with the liberal arts in the core.
@doubledamn, It was really no trouble at all! Thank you for reading that long post!
I would love to start a thread with you for gap-yearers! I was in the same position: full-ride to my state school in the honors college in my first choice program with a lot of things handed to me/promised to me personally due to some accomplishments I had made!! But again, the road less travelled and UChicago and the fact that I want to study economics and that I’m actually supposed to be in the grade below (aka applying for Class of 2020 because of my age) made me take a leap and jump straight out of my comfort zone knowing that I have a spot waiting for me at one of my first choice schools.
I myself am feeling rather lonely as I begin to plan my year, and was actually going to contact UChicago to see if any other people are doing the same this year and whether they’d like to get in contact, but this sounds awesome too! I’m someone who hadn’t fully been for the idea of a gap year in the beginning (in my household, it was the opposite – my parents wanted me to take one because my school is ultra competitive and high-pressure, but I was adamant on going straight into college) but now I see the positives and the lessons gained from taking one might actually be worth it. Nonetheless, I’d be lying if I said I feel confident and totally in control of this idea and that I have no regrets whatsoever, but it would definitely be awesome to have a community of people doing the same thing, taking the same risk, and going against the norm.
I’m sorry you got rejected off of the waitlist! I understand what you mean, and the whole thing is, as I said previously, a blind shot. Once you have the numbers and the quantitative marks, it takes a bit of luck for what they are looking for in an applicant on the qualitative side. Go for it though, if you’re taking a gap year already, no harm in reapplying and trying your best!
As far as the “Why Chicago” essay, I actually didn’t mention HP at all (…maybe because I read part of the first book and couldn’t manage to get through the rest since I’m not one for fantasy tales. I know, I know, I haven’t seen the movies or read all the books. //runs to hide in the woods before being trampled) and I went out on a limb and talked about the “where fun goes to die” motto, haha. I had to be careful with what I said, and when I go back to read it now I think that it was very disjointed, eccentric, and weirdly intellectual – sounds kind of like me, haha. For my main essay, it’d been a strange short story digging through Alice and Wonderland, and it sort of sounds like I’m on something – although that isn’t true haha. But anyways, when you rewrite your essays, make sure they sound like you, and don’t do HP because you think it’ll get you in, blah blah you know the spiel since you’ve been through it once! I only feel bad that you have to go through the college process yet again, but this time, I hope you’ll be at UChicago in 2020 :3
Definitely keep in touch with me; maybe we’ll pass by each other at some point! I’d be very interested to hear about what you’re doing!! And yes, let’s start the gap-yearers thread!
Thanks for your best wishes, and right back at you! You sound so much surer that you want to do this gap year and it makes me feel better knowing that there are people that are very committed to this idea which I’m still getting used to! I really hope to see you at UChicago next year or maybe on some trip during our gap year
Edit: lo siento, another long post for you to read! Can’t seem to stop writing when I start!
@adrenalinegirl what about doing a program. Studying abroad through a college program, volunteer or specific gap year program. Learn a skill like being an EMT, There are tons of programs in different countries, from Europe to Israel to China and Austrailia. I have heard of people teaching English in China and Japan and traveling. You regional rep would be the one to approve the program. Or if you have specific skill or interest. For example being a ski or surf instructor or working in a town with access to those as a waitress to earn money to ski. Think of this as your chance to go anywhere in the world for part of a year. Work on a cruise ship or at a resort in Hawaii. That is incredible the choices. Especially, since the application process is over for you. All you have to do is show up in September 2016. When do you turn 18? In the fall or later? Even that might not be a huge limitation. Have fun with this. Google gap year programs.
@SaphireNY haha don’t worry about me! I’ve got almost everything set up and I’m going to pursue some things I’ve always wanted to do. Yeah, taking a gap year hadn’t been my first choice option, but in the end it might just be worth it! I’m younger than most, but it won’t actually affect my gap year plans You sound pretty into a gap year, haha, why don’t you take one?
Anywho, let me know/message me if you want to start that gap year thread, @doubledamn, or if you want to keep in touch! I hope everything goes well with you!
Okay so my GC called my AO yesterday, and he said I should reapply! My GPA/stats are all strong. according to him, and I just need to write awesome essays. He gave me some advice, which I am definitely going to take, and I’ll be spending the summer working on them. I have a clearer idea of what they want after going through the process and also hearing the advice.
@SaphireNY Don’t worry! I don’t plan on doing Harry Potter again! I realized it was a mistake after I sent it, but at least I get a second opportunity to convince the admissions committee. I know what I want to focus my Why Chicago essay on now, and I’ll be talking about the Core and the three quarter system, which allows for study abroad flexibility. I plan on writing it soon. Would you be interested in reading it for me? It sounds like you have a really great idea of what UChicago is looking for, and although I believe I’m a great fit, I’m worried it won’t come across in my essays.
My gap year is easy to outline and even better, fits in with exactly I want to do at UChicago and career wise. I plan on writing my common app essay about my experiences abroad/how it fits in with what I want to do.
I have a bit of a predicament reapplying. UChicago is definitely my first choice, but Swarthmore is a close second. However, there a few things about Swarthmore that I find to be negatives. It’s too close to where I am now, and the student body is very small. Those are the only two reasons I’d rather go to UChicago, which is way I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place. Do I apply ED to Swarthmore, EA to UChicago, and potentially miss my chance at UChi? Or do I aim EA for UChicago? I know my chances for Swarthmore would drastically increase if I applied ED, but I don’t know if I can give up a shot at UChicago. As of right now, I only plan on applying to Rutgers EA and Wellsley EE.
@adrenalinegirl It seems we have a lot in common! I definitely want to keep up with you over the year! I’m actually going to start the gap year thread soon, so I’ll message you when it’s up.
Yeah, I really have a better idea of what UChicago is looking for, and I’m pretty excited for this year’s round of questions! Because it’s the 125th year, they’re letting applicants chose any past question, in addition to five new ones. I don’t know which one to chose because I have so many options haha
You’re one the east coast right? I’ll be taking a break on from traveling for a couple weeks in December. If we’re not too far away, maybe we can meet up and talk about our gap years? I’d love to met you, even if I don’t end up at UChicago. But I still really hope I can be in next year’s class
Don’t worry about your posts being too long–I enjoy reading them.
I’ll go make the gap year thread now!
Good Luck, just message me when it is available, I cannot promise it will help but I will try. Emphsizing the core is really important. Also if you google there is an article someplace comparing Columbia to UChicago. I think that might be helpful. I think it was written for one of the magaizines, either Columbia or UChicago.
Cannot help with Swarthmore, did not apply.
@doubledamn, I had a similar predicament when I was applying this year! It was ED to a school I really liked or EA to a school I really loved. I knew if I did ED and got in, I would never really know about the place I really loved. That’s why I went EA to a school I really loved and applied to the other school RD. I was rejected from the RD school, but in the end, I knew all my college decisions, which was something I think I would have regretted not knowing. My personal opinion, but in the end, think about which decision you would regret more. If you got into Swarthmore would you regret not knowing/being able to attend UChicago? If you got into UChicago but not Swarthmore would you regret not applying ED? There’s always a bit left up to chance, but go with your gut and do what’ll make you happiest. Sometimes that means leaving a bit more up to chance or a bit less, but I’m sure you’ll make the right decision for you!
And that’s awesome that you’re excited to apply! UChicago had intimidated me ever so slightly, but I had the most fun with their essays. (I may or may not be writing one or two of this years’ topics for fun…haha)
I am indeed on the East Coast! Yeah, that’d be awesome to meet up! I really want to know more people who’re doing the same thing as me, ya’know?
Thanks for messaging me, and I’ll respond more there so I’m not spamming up this thread I’m also up for helping you/giving you advice on essays if you want, or even just a grammar check because I’m a total grammar freak.
@SaphireNY Yeah, I really plan on focusing on the Core, because it’s one of the reasons Chicago is my top choice. I’ll probably message you later on in the summer if you don’t mind. Thank you.
@adrenalinegirl I was in a similar position last year too! I applied EA to Chicago and RD to the other school. I ended waitlisted at both 
and at first regretted not applying ED to the other school. But now I’m glad I didn’t because it turns out the major that I want to study isn’t very strong there. I don’t even think I’m going to reapply. As of right now I think I’m going to shoot for UChi and if that doesn’t work out I’ll be doing EDII to Swarthmore. We’ll see how it ends up!
I will definitely take you up on the offer to read my essays, thank you! haha we should probably stick to messaging/new thread from now on.
I’ll update this thread again when I get my final decision.
In my head HP = Hyde Park. This conversation is confusing to read.