Anonymous wrote:Yet U Chicago is still test optional and requires massive amounts of self promotion and advertising. Not a day went by that our mailbox didn’t have a mailing from U Chicago and my kid didn’t even apply.

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Anonymous wrote:Yes, I know of 1 rejection last year and 2 this year. All very strong students.

Just to add that there were 2 acceptances this year too. Both kids in the top 10 percent of the class. Lower ranked kids (not top 10) were accepted to Dartmouth, Cornell, Columbia.

That just tells you that those 2 kids could have aimed higher. instead they settled for a school with a 40% ED accept rate.

For the love of Pete--perhaps they wanted to attend Chicago. 99% of the world outside of DCUM does not make their college decision on rank.

Maybe, but let's be for real. No one choose Chicago over an Ivy. Which is why Chicago has to play all these crazy games with admissions. It really is to their detriment and they should stop ASAP. But it sounds like they are absolutely desperate for $$.

My kid did (in RD after she got the Ivy offers). Her good friend was denied ED at Chicago and is at an Ivy. She has a transfer application into Chicago. I am sure the converse is also true.

Anonymous wrote:This thread is so crazy. I grew up in Chicago so I know the UChicago of 20+ years ago. Quirky intellectual kids. I passed it up for both undergrad and law school so I could leave the Midwest. But I wonder what it would’ve been like to go there.

I showed my junior DC the essay prompts the other day … she loved the prompts and wanted to start writing them. The only hesitation I have is the quarter system.

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Anonymous wrote:Yes, I know of 1 rejection last year and 2 this year. All very strong students.

Just to add that there were 2 acceptances this year too. Both kids in the top 10 percent of the class. Lower ranked kids (not top 10) were accepted to Dartmouth, Cornell, Columbia.

That just tells you that those 2 kids could have aimed higher. instead they settled for a school with a 40% ED accept rate.

For the love of Pete--perhaps they wanted to attend Chicago. 99% of the world outside of DCUM does not make their college decision on rank.

Maybe, but let's be for real. No one choose Chicago over an Ivy. Which is why Chicago has to play all these crazy games with admissions. It really is to their detriment and they should stop ASAP. But it sounds like they are absolutely desperate for $$.

I think the kid took the SATs a total of four times to finally get a somewhat decent score.

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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.

+100. My friend whose kid was totally aimless and lazy in H hired a very expensive, high-end college consultant in sophomore year to manufacture ECs. Also hired tutors to help bring up the SAT scores. I think the kid took the SATs a total of four times to finally get a somewhat decent score.
I’d take a cerebral kid who can write thoughtful essay any day!

? The kid you just described could totally get into uchicago though.

Exactly - essays are the most coachable part of the application, and the easiest to outright buy.

In sum: Chicago is filled with ChatGPT-using morons who schemed their way into a near-bankrupt institution via an 90% ED1 acceptance rate. Does this sound accurate?

For this forum, yes.

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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.

+100. My friend whose kid was totally aimless and lazy in H hired a very expensive, high-end college consultant in sophomore year to manufacture ECs. Also hired tutors to help bring up the SAT scores. I think the kid took the SATs a total of four times to finally get a somewhat decent score.
I’d take a cerebral kid who can write thoughtful essay any day!

? The kid you just described could totally get into uchicago though.

Exactly - essays are the most coachable part of the application, and the easiest to outright buy.

In sum: Chicago is filled with ChatGPT-using morons who schemed their way into a near-bankrupt institution via an 90% ED1 acceptance rate. Does this sound accurate?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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.

+100. My friend whose kid was totally aimless and lazy in H hired a very expensive, high-end college consultant in sophomore year to manufacture ECs. Also hired tutors to help bring up the SAT scores. I think the kid took the SATs a total of four times to finally get a somewhat decent score.
I’d take a cerebral kid who can write thoughtful essay any day!

? The kid you just described could totally get into uchicago though.

Exactly - essays are the most coachable part of the application, and the easiest to outright buy.

Anonymous wrote:

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.

+100. My friend whose kid was totally aimless and lazy in H hired a very expensive, high-end college consultant in sophomore year to manufacture ECs. Also hired tutors to help bring up the SAT scores. I think the kid took the SATs a total of four times to finally get a somewhat decent score.
I’d take a cerebral kid who can write thoughtful essay any day!

? The kid you just described could totally get into uchicago though.

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.

+100. My friend whose kid was totally aimless and lazy in H hired a very expensive, high-end college consultant in sophomore year to manufacture ECs. Also hired tutors to help bring up the SAT scores. I think the kid took the SATs a total of four times to finally get a somewhat decent score.
I’d take a cerebral kid who can write thoughtful essay any day!

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.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes, I know of 1 rejection last year and 2 this year. All very strong students.

Just to add that there were 2 acceptances this year too. Both kids in the top 10 percent of the class. Lower ranked kids (not top 10) were accepted to Dartmouth, Cornell, Columbia.

That just tells you that those 2 kids could have aimed higher. instead they settled for a school with a 40% ED accept rate.

For the love of Pete--perhaps they wanted to attend Chicago. 99% of the world outside of DCUM does not make their college decision on rank.

Maybe, but let's be for real. No one choose Chicago over an Ivy. Which is why Chicago has to play all these crazy games with admissions. It really is to their detriment and they should stop ASAP. But it sounds like they are absolutely desperate for $$.

Right? It's such a joyless place. The only reason people go there is because they don't have the confidence they'd get into Brown, but want the elite name.