Anonymous
Post 04/12/2026 23:16     Subject: 12 and counting to U Chicago this year from Sidwell
Anonymous wrote:someone listed the gpa chart for harvard-westake? and the gp's were lower than most ivies and even schools like northwestern. it was a very revealing set of hard data published by the school, so no self reporting shenanigans


Weird dig. Notwithstanding HYP, Northwestern is on par or better than the lower Ivies.
Anonymous
Post 04/12/2026 23:10     Subject: 12 and counting to U Chicago this year from Sidwell
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I wonder if these kids are the children of academics, because honestly, most people on the east coast do not know that University of Chicago has an historical, elite reputation. Most kids know about the Ivies and are all clamoring to get into those, but most think Chicago is some random public school in the midwest.


I think word is out at the East Coast privates, and has been for some time. I recall reading a post over a decade ago from a college counselor commenting that the quirky UChicago nerds were being supplanted by the preppy, country club set.


All the matters is what the kids know about the grads from their private school who are currently at that college (and with social media they all know and they all keep up with each other). They think, "well, X, Y, and Z are cool and they're happy there so I can go there too." It doesn't take much.


Disagree. This is a strategic partnership between UChicago and specific east coast privates. Not simply student choice.


Sidwell parent here - nobody is steered towards Chicago unless the student is the first person to identify Chicago as a school of interest. Typically the kids who are steered by their parents or a private CC don’t get in. 🤷‍♀️


How would anyone ever know this?? Did you independently survey all the kids, their parents and their private CCs? All made up
Anonymous
Post 04/12/2026 22:26     Subject: Re:12 and counting to U Chicago this year from Sidwell
Anonymous wrote:If I have to hear one more “at our SF area private“ or “our Bay Area private“ i’m going to jump out the friggin window. I can understand, sort of, getting on this website and asking questions about colleges but to be participating in this thread is weird AF.

This is a national and even international site now.
Anonymous
Post 04/12/2026 21:58     Subject: 12 and counting to U Chicago this year from Sidwell
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:someone listed the gpa chart for harvard-westake? and the gp's were lower than most ivies and even schools like northwestern. it was a very revealing set of hard data published by the school, so no self reporting shenanigans


76% of the Chicago admits were in the top GPA tier (3.8 or above), which was slightly better than Cornell and slightly lower than Columbia.

Very revealing that they get smart kids, I guess.


This is the same post every two weeks from someone obsessed with UChicago and HW/Sidwell. Agree with everyone that it's tiresome and that there seems to be a very odd need to post, it's concerning. Some in prior posts alluded to someone trying to get clickbait against UChicago for some bizarre reason. What's the deal. The kids and school are amazing, seen first hand. Let it be.
Anonymous
Post 04/12/2026 21:52     Subject: 12 and counting to U Chicago this year from Sidwell
Anonymous wrote:someone listed the gpa chart for harvard-westake? and the gp's were lower than most ivies and even schools like northwestern. it was a very revealing set of hard data published by the school, so no self reporting shenanigans


76% of the Chicago admits were in the top GPA tier (3.8 or above), which was slightly better than Cornell and slightly lower than Columbia.

Very revealing that they get smart kids, I guess.
Anonymous
Post 04/12/2026 21:51     Subject: 12 and counting to U Chicago this year from Sidwell
Anonymous wrote:The few kids who got into UChicago from our public school in recent years were known to be extremely smart. Per Naviance, it looks like they don’t take under a 3.97uw or 1520.


If UChicago only took Sidwell students with a >3.97 cumulative GPA, then almost no students would ever get in. In the past 4 years, only two Sidwell students have graduated with a 4.0 GPA.
Anonymous
Post 04/12/2026 21:45     Subject: 12 and counting to U Chicago this year from Sidwell
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:I wonder if these kids are the children of academics, because honestly, most people on the east coast do not know that University of Chicago has an historical, elite reputation. Most kids know about the Ivies and are all clamoring to get into those, but most think Chicago is some random public school in the midwest.


I think word is out at the East Coast privates, and has been for some time. I recall reading a post over a decade ago from a college counselor commenting that the quirky UChicago nerds were being supplanted by the preppy, country club set.


All the matters is what the kids know about the grads from their private school who are currently at that college (and with social media they all know and they all keep up with each other). They think, "well, X, Y, and Z are cool and they're happy there so I can go there too." It doesn't take much.


So true.

Anonymous
Post 04/12/2026 21:37     Subject: 12 and counting to U Chicago this year from Sidwell
This is the most tiresome thread that never seems to die.
Anonymous
Post 04/12/2026 21:27     Subject: 12 and counting to U Chicago this year from Sidwell
The few kids who got into UChicago from our public school in recent years were known to be extremely smart. Per Naviance, it looks like they don’t take under a 3.97uw or 1520.
Anonymous
Post 04/12/2026 21:18     Subject: 12 and counting to U Chicago this year from Sidwell
Anonymous wrote:UChicago has found a niche by taking "strong, but not top" students from elite private schools and boarding schools. These students are highly-prepared and would likely be top 5-10% at a regular public school.

Any kid that graduates in the top half of an elite private school can easily handle a T10 college. Elite colleges have stopped taking many students from top private schools for "equity" reasons and have given preference to low-income students from underperforming public schools.

UChicago will benefit in 20 years when these smart, connected kids become insanely successful and donate back to their alma mater.


Exactly this. Chicago is seeking the kids who would have gone to Penn 30 yrs ago, when top privates like Horace Mann sent dozens to Penn every yr. I think it’s a good strategy.
Anonymous
Post 04/12/2026 21:14     Subject: 12 and counting to U Chicago this year from Sidwell
someone listed the gpa chart for harvard-westake? and the gp's were lower than most ivies and even schools like northwestern. it was a very revealing set of hard data published by the school, so no self reporting shenanigans
Anonymous
Post 04/12/2026 21:10     Subject: Re:12 and counting to U Chicago this year from Sidwell
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:If I have to hear one more “at our SF area private“ or “our Bay Area private“ i’m going to jump out the friggin window. I can understand, sort of, getting on this website and asking questions about colleges but to be participating in this thread is weird AF.


You are funny. I am from another area but not in CA. I came to this site for the laughs initially (something a mom told her teenage daughter about her pubes sticking out was the first post I read…lol) but stayed for the intelligent and mostly kind people.


Fine. Then what are you doing on THIS thread? Why on earth do you give a shit where some kids from some high school not from your area are going to college? Why is that of any interest to you? It’s weird.
Anonymous
Post 04/12/2026 21:07     Subject: 12 and counting to U Chicago this year from Sidwell
I cannot imagine getting on a SF area website and saying “at our Washington DC private . . .”

Who the F cares?
Anonymous
Post 04/12/2026 20:42     Subject: 12 and counting to U Chicago this year from Sidwell
SF striver parents ruined college admissions. They all think having a one in a million nonprofit or start-up is the bare minimum. I’m also convinced they’re the people on this forum saying that 1580 is the minimum score they’ll accept from their kids.
Anonymous
Post 04/12/2026 20:38     Subject: Re:12 and counting to U Chicago this year from Sidwell
Anonymous wrote:If I have to hear one more “at our SF area private“ or “our Bay Area private“ i’m going to jump out the friggin window. I can understand, sort of, getting on this website and asking questions about colleges but to be participating in this thread is weird AF.


+1000