Is Chicago summer worth the money?

Anonymous
DC is deciding whether to do Chicago summer program. $9300 for three weeks, travel expense not included. Is early acceptance basically guaranteed if DC did their summer program? We are able to pay but still it's close to 10K.
Anonymous
I'm sure early acceptance is not basically guaranteed but if DC is really interested in Chicago and you want to boost chances, it would help. Ofc lots of kids get in ED without doing the summer program.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:DC is deciding whether to do Chicago summer program. $9300 for three weeks, travel expense not included. Is early acceptance basically guaranteed if DC did their summer program? We are able to pay but still it's close to 10K.


Of course, it’s not guaranteed. ED0 acceptances are heavily skewed towards the kids who do the one-week enrichment programs, which are much more competitive.

Anonymous
Go to Chicago summer for enrichment and experience, not for college acceptance. How do you know they will even like UChicago after they experience it?
Anonymous
Do a one week program instead?
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:Do a one week program instead?


I would bet the deadline for these passed already. But anyways my kid did the one week enrichment last summer (it was more like 5 days or something) and it was great. 2500 i think
Anonymous
God forbid. No, not for the purpose of ED0. It’d be crazy to think it’s worth it for the wrong reasons.
Anonymous
Yes if doing ED0
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:DC is deciding whether to do Chicago summer program. $9300 for three weeks, travel expense not included. Is early acceptance basically guaranteed if DC did their summer program? We are able to pay but still it's close to 10K.


Do you know how selective it is? with $9300 tag, probably one of most expensive.
Anonymous
i wish they would release ED0 acceptance rate data (or ED1 or ED2)
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:i wish they would release ED0 acceptance rate data (or ED1 or ED2)


As a parent of a UChicago ‘30, I agree. Transparency is attractive to prospective applicants, as there is no guessing-game to be had.
Anonymous
Consider it a 10k application fee for Chicago ED0.
Anonymous
John Locke is also around $10k. Pay for plays aren't worth it for an admissions bump- EXCEPT- signals to UChicago you require less aid so if you apply Early Decision 0, you will get in.
Anonymous
DD did the 1week program last summer. She had already toured Chicago and loved it. Wanted to see how she felt about safety.
Importantly, we also had run NPC and determined we’d get the necessary FA so that she could apply ED0 if she wanted.

She went - loved the program, said it was the first time where everyone is passionate about their interests. She came home fairly certain she’d apply ED0. I ran the NPC in August just to make sure again that we could afford it. Well, the calculus somehow changed and we would now be full pay (this was when Chicago was announcing its huge debt - so FA became much less generous). I called FA office explained we’d never have left DC do program under this new NPC scenario. Crickets.
So she’s going elsewhere.
Of her good friends there - 1 didn’t get in, and 2 others didn’t apply bc too $$$.

Also know kid who did full summer program who applied ED0 and did not get in. (Grades were fine but not too 20, SAT 1530)

My DC still talks wistfully about U Chicago. She’s going to a similar, much smaller school with an aid package that means we’re paying about 60% of what we’d be paying U Chicago.

If your kid would get in anyway (look at SCOIR) then ED0 allows kid to get in earlier. If kid wouldn’t get in or is borderline, do not count on the $$$ summer program to push kid over the finish line. Treat ED0 simply as an opportunity to know much sooner - not really an advantage.
Anonymous
Unsure how much it helps with acceptance, if at all, beyond the fact that if you ED0 but don't get in, you still have an opportunity to ED elsewhere, as you'll have the answer by Nov. 1.

Beyond that, it's not a bad way to test-drive the school and spend time on campus and around Hyde Park, albeit at a (in some cases significant) cost and during great-weather months (i.e. June/July is a lot different than Jan./Feb.) which can be deceptive.
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