Anonymous
Post 01/08/2025 07:49     Subject: University of Chicago ED rejection?
* out loving*
Anonymous
Post 01/08/2025 07:47     Subject: University of Chicago ED rejection?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Everyone is always quick to comment on the high stats, but I don't hear a lot about the essays. Chicago has a lot of supplemental essays and I do think they put more weight in these responses than other schools because they really do want a particular type of kid.

DD got a handwritten letter from the admissions officer commenting on how much he enjoyed reading her essays. When we met that officer at the admitted student's event several months later, he referenced something she'd said in the essay. Yes, she had great stats, recommendations, rigor, etc, but I do think those essays played a big role in her acceptance.
What a stupid admission standard.


I disagree with you 1,000%. Original thinking beats the heck out of contrived "passions" and fake non-profits, in my book. YMMV.

Original thinking in the age of AI, private writing tutors, and test optional is all BS. We replaced talent with well manicured fakers ever since Covid started.


Oh! I think the Chicago “uncommon essay” prompts aren’t something AI or a writing tutor can respond to well. They are very quirky, and the best essays show that the kids are intellectually playful. Go read some of the prompts and you’ll see.

The uncommon essay is what sold my DC on Chicago. They really got into a vortex of the silliest and nerdiest kind. Came put living the school that would ask those questions.
Anonymous
Post 01/08/2025 02:39     Subject: University of Chicago ED rejection?

HYPMS over UChicago - I get that. But is Brown over UChicago obvious?


Yes, no question. Two very different schools, though. Hard to imagine that being the option for someone, not to mention the fact that Chicago only accepts people through binding early applications.
Anonymous
Post 01/06/2025 16:26     Subject: University of Chicago ED rejection?
U Chicago has one the highest SAT scores from the accepted students.
Anonymous
Post 01/06/2025 15:30     Subject: University of Chicago ED rejection?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Everyone is always quick to comment on the high stats, but I don't hear a lot about the essays. Chicago has a lot of supplemental essays and I do think they put more weight in these responses than other schools because they really do want a particular type of kid.

DD got a handwritten letter from the admissions officer commenting on how much he enjoyed reading her essays. When we met that officer at the admitted student's event several months later, he referenced something she'd said in the essay. Yes, she had great stats, recommendations, rigor, etc, but I do think those essays played a big role in her acceptance.
What a stupid admission standard.


I disagree with you 1,000%. Original thinking beats the heck out of contrived "passions" and fake non-profits, in my book. YMMV.

Original thinking in the age of AI, private writing tutors, and test optional is all BS. We replaced talent with well manicured fakers ever since Covid started.


Unfortunately in this era of grade inflation, a 4.0 is almost meaningless too. The only "real" metric left is SAT scores.
Anonymous
Post 01/06/2025 14:38     Subject: University of Chicago ED rejection?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Everyone is always quick to comment on the high stats, but I don't hear a lot about the essays. Chicago has a lot of supplemental essays and I do think they put more weight in these responses than other schools because they really do want a particular type of kid.

DD got a handwritten letter from the admissions officer commenting on how much he enjoyed reading her essays. When we met that officer at the admitted student's event several months later, he referenced something she'd said in the essay. Yes, she had great stats, recommendations, rigor, etc, but I do think those essays played a big role in her acceptance.
What a stupid admission standard.


I disagree with you 1,000%. Original thinking beats the heck out of contrived "passions" and fake non-profits, in my book. YMMV.

Original thinking in the age of AI, private writing tutors, and test optional is all BS. We replaced talent with well manicured fakers ever since Covid started.
Anonymous
Post 01/06/2025 14:36     Subject: University of Chicago ED rejection?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Everyone is always quick to comment on the high stats, but I don't hear a lot about the essays. Chicago has a lot of supplemental essays and I do think they put more weight in these responses than other schools because they really do want a particular type of kid.

DD got a handwritten letter from the admissions officer commenting on how much he enjoyed reading her essays. When we met that officer at the admitted student's event several months later, he referenced something she'd said in the essay. Yes, she had great stats, recommendations, rigor, etc, but I do think those essays played a big role in her acceptance.
What a stupid admission standard.


I disagree with you 1,000%. Original thinking beats the heck out of contrived "passions" and fake non-profits, in my book. YMMV.
Anonymous
Post 01/06/2025 14:00     Subject: University of Chicago ED rejection?
Anonymous wrote:Everyone is always quick to comment on the high stats, but I don't hear a lot about the essays. Chicago has a lot of supplemental essays and I do think they put more weight in these responses than other schools because they really do want a particular type of kid.

DD got a handwritten letter from the admissions officer commenting on how much he enjoyed reading her essays. When we met that officer at the admitted student's event several months later, he referenced something she'd said in the essay. Yes, she had great stats, recommendations, rigor, etc, but I do think those essays played a big role in her acceptance.
What a stupid admission standard.
Anonymous
Post 01/06/2025 13:54     Subject: University of Chicago ED rejection?
Everyone is always quick to comment on the high stats, but I don't hear a lot about the essays. Chicago has a lot of supplemental essays and I do think they put more weight in these responses than other schools because they really do want a particular type of kid.

DD got a handwritten letter from the admissions officer commenting on how much he enjoyed reading her essays. When we met that officer at the admitted student's event several months later, he referenced something she'd said in the essay. Yes, she had great stats, recommendations, rigor, etc, but I do think those essays played a big role in her acceptance.
Anonymous
Post 01/06/2025 13:51     Subject: University of Chicago ED rejection?
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Few years ago my son got in EA, got rejected from Yale.
He got to Cornell on RD and picked U Chicago, and fit most part he is been very happy at the school.


Real talk: How does he/you feel about the safety of the campus? I really like the liberal arts core for my DS, but what I've googled about safety feels very concerning.

What else does he not like?

Hyde park? It’s very safe. It’s not like you’re accidentally stumbling into O block and no criminal walks in the direction of campus with 100 police officers. Chicago is nice and the crime is overstated/a reflection of pockets of poverty. Hyde park is not an impoverished area.


What about the recent-ish shootings? I keep reading things like "everyone gets mugged." My kid is fairly street smart being from NYC, but that also makes me hyper aware of potential risks.

People are hyperbolic. Would you not let your kid go to Columbia because it’s near Harlem? Anyone who has lived outside the wealthiest part of a city or wasn’t raised in a suburb will laugh about the danger stereotypes of Uchicago. I see whole families on bikes riding through Hyde park all the time. Things happen like every city, but it is incredibly rare.
Anonymous
Post 01/06/2025 13:45     Subject: University of Chicago ED rejection?



Thanks - noted re the south side. I don't love it - would rather DC get to enjoy the kind of freedom that an ultra safe campus brings. Those college years are so fleeting. But DC is really excited about the school. Will have to give this some thought.


There is no reason for him to be going to the South Side so as far as infringing on that freedom, there's not a lot lost on that end. My child goes places using public transportation and has really enjoyed the freedom that Chicago has to offer.
Anonymous
Post 01/06/2025 13:03     Subject: University of Chicago ED rejection?
Anonymous wrote:He said Hyde park is safe, but definitely you have to be careful around south side of the campus.
I did my training in Boston city hospital and U Penn. when I visited u Chicago , it felt a lot safer and lots of police presence on the campus than those 2 locations.
Unfortunately, crazy people are every where and I always worry if they end up in the wrong place at the wrong time .
[/quote

Thanks - noted re the south side. I don't love it - would rather DC get to enjoy the kind of freedom that an ultra safe campus brings. Those college years are so fleeting. But DC is really excited about the school. Will have to give this some thought.
Anonymous
Post 01/06/2025 12:43     Subject: University of Chicago ED rejection?
Anonymous wrote:A friend's kid was rejected. He was extremely high stats and wildly nice and accomplished. And a man. I guess the admission guy replied after a "WTF" query and said this year they had more applicants than last year, which was the most ever. The hating on UChicago on this board is legendary, and I guess it's because it's a school for actual smart kids, or something, but it is really, really hard to get in.


I said this before on another thread and I think it's because most people consider UChicago as a backup to "insert more exclusive school here" and get flabbergasted when their kids get denied admission. It's like thinking you are settling for the more unattractive potential partner and then get rejected.

"You weren't that good anyway" seems like the default cope.
Anonymous
Post 01/06/2025 11:57     Subject: University of Chicago ED rejection?
A friend's kid was rejected. He was extremely high stats and wildly nice and accomplished. And a man. I guess the admission guy replied after a "WTF" query and said this year they had more applicants than last year, which was the most ever. The hating on UChicago on this board is legendary, and I guess it's because it's a school for actual smart kids, or something, but it is really, really hard to get in.
Anonymous
Post 01/06/2025 10:29     Subject: University of Chicago ED rejection?
He said Hyde park is safe, but definitely you have to be careful around south side of the campus.
I did my training in Boston city hospital and U Penn. when I visited u Chicago , it felt a lot safer and lots of police presence on the campus than those 2 locations.
Unfortunately, crazy people are every where and I always worry if they end up in the wrong place at the wrong time .