Anonymous
Post 02/04/2026 13:58     Subject: Ending you Chicago haters once and for all
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:UChicago’s stats are “sky high” in part due to their test-optional policy.


That’s actually false. The proportion of students submitting SAT/ACT (despite TO policy) is similar to other top schools.


It's the AMOUNT of TO acceptances at Chicago that is the problem, combined with EDI and EDII and ED0. All four are done to drive up yield. It's well known it has a marketing team trying to figure out how to get its yield above 88%. That's Chicago's real problem and it knows it, so is spending wildly on marketing and other programs. And is now $6 billion in debt because of it.


The AMOUNT of TO acceptances is not particularly different than at other top schools. It’s a little lower than some and a little higher than others, but well within the range of other T10s.
Anonymous
Post 02/04/2026 13:56     Subject: Ending you Chicago haters once and for all
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:UChicago’s stats are “sky high” in part due to their test-optional policy.


That’s actually false. The proportion of students submitting SAT/ACT (despite TO policy) is similar to other top schools.


So it's 100% of Chicago applicants like it is at Brown, Dartmouth, Harvard, Yale, Penn, and Cornell?





None of those schools have a CDS that reports 100% reported test scores. It’s almost like you don’t know anything at all.

Anonymous
Post 02/04/2026 13:55     Subject: Ending you Chicago haters once and for all
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:UChicago’s stats are “sky high” in part due to their test-optional policy.


That’s actually false. The proportion of students submitting SAT/ACT (despite TO policy) is similar to other top schools.


It's the AMOUNT of TO acceptances at Chicago that is the problem, combined with EDI and EDII and ED0. All four are done to drive up yield. It's well known it has a marketing team trying to figure out how to get its yield above 88%. That's Chicago's real problem and it knows it, so is spending wildly on marketing and other programs. And is now $6 billion in debt because of it.
Anonymous
Post 02/04/2026 13:51     Subject: Ending you Chicago haters once and for all
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Chicago is not going to lose this reputation until they stop taking private school kids who are not top students.
Period.

Anyone with connection to a top private school views Chicago as the ED2 choice for kids who didn't get into their Ivy SCEA or ED1 OR the school where kids who aren't near the top of the class but want prestige go.

Until Chicago changes this practice (and they're the only top15 school that does it) these posts will persist.


+1 It is definitely due to their EDII. Clearly opportunistic and it shows that Chicago completely understands it isn't the first choice of many top students but they do pick up some really kids being the only one in the Ivy+ group that does so. You just can't have it both ways literally every student who is a serious contender for these schools knows this and therefore looks down a bit on Chicago for it.


My kids applied UChicago ED2. I actually wish that there is no ED2 option and everyone is on the same footing and doesn't need to worry about strategic behavior. Now that there is this ED2 option, it just feels too silly to not try when the Ivies + top 20 RDs are so random. Perhaps the best is the UC system: everyone OOS only has one chance and no signaling or strategic behavior.


I agree! It definitely adds to the pressure and forces students to make the "strategic" choice (understandably). It also why people have such strong feelings about Chicago, which frankly I think is unquestionably a great university. It is just that by being the only one of this caliber that totally abandons the whole "ED is only it is your first choice and you want to go here above all others" ruse they expose themselves to unique criticism.
Anonymous
Post 02/04/2026 13:33     Subject: Ending you Chicago haters once and for all
Anonymous wrote:Thank you, OP. Unfortunately, your mistake was thinking that presenting actual numbers would end the argument, when in reality it just opened up another thread for people to crap on Chi.

So much time spent here arguing about the admissions process vs a discussion re: caliber of education.


I have never seen more people be die hard Chicago haters
Anonymous
Post 02/04/2026 13:18     Subject: Ending you Chicago haters once and for all
Anonymous wrote:UChicago’s stats are “sky high” in part due to their test-optional policy.


In a thread posted a few days ago, we saw a 1320 SAT kid from Great Neck South (NY public) got in Chicago.
Anonymous
Post 02/04/2026 13:16     Subject: Ending you Chicago haters once and for all
Anonymous wrote:Most Penn/ Brown/ Dartmouth kids will flunk at Uchicago, their inflated High School grades and curated SAT scores notwithstanding. These arguments are useless.


Chicago mom, you are starting to panic and you sound nuts. Time to step away from the keyboard.

Anyone who has a top private high school student or connection personally knows multiple kids who went to Chicago and were middle-of-the-class in high school and who do just fine at Chicago. They have graduated and continue to graduate. Your DCUM posts are not going to undue years and years of private school parents seeing this play out.
Anonymous
Post 02/04/2026 13:10     Subject: Ending you Chicago haters once and for all
Most Penn/ Brown/ Dartmouth kids will flunk at Uchicago, their inflated High School grades and curated SAT scores notwithstanding. These arguments are useless.
Anonymous
Post 02/04/2026 13:10     Subject: Ending you Chicago haters once and for all
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:UChicago’s stats are “sky high” in part due to their test-optional policy.


That’s actually false. The proportion of students submitting SAT/ACT (despite TO policy) is similar to other top schools.


So it's 100% of Chicago applicants like it is at Brown, Dartmouth, Harvard, Yale, Penn, and Cornell?



Anonymous
Post 02/04/2026 13:08     Subject: Ending you Chicago haters once and for all
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Chicago is not going to lose this reputation until they stop taking private school kids who are not top students.
Period.

Anyone with connection to a top private school views Chicago as the ED2 choice for kids who didn't get into their Ivy SCEA or ED1 OR the school where kids who aren't near the top of the class but want prestige go.

Until Chicago changes this practice (and they're the only top15 school that does it) these posts will persist.


+1 It is definitely due to their EDII. Clearly opportunistic and it shows that Chicago completely understands it isn't the first choice of many top students but they do pick up some really kids being the only one in the Ivy+ group that does so. You just can't have it both ways literally every student who is a serious contender for these schools knows this and therefore looks down a bit on Chicago for it.


My kids applied UChicago ED2. I actually wish that there is no ED2 option and everyone is on the same footing and doesn't need to worry about strategic behavior. Now that there is this ED2 option, it just feels too silly to not try when the Ivies + top 20 RDs are so random. Perhaps the best is the UC system: everyone OOS only has one chance and no signaling or strategic behavior.
Anonymous
Post 02/04/2026 12:47     Subject: Ending you Chicago haters once and for all
Anonymous wrote:UChicago’s stats are “sky high” in part due to their test-optional policy.


That’s actually false. The proportion of students submitting SAT/ACT (despite TO policy) is similar to other top schools.
Anonymous
Post 02/04/2026 12:44     Subject: Ending you Chicago haters once and for all
Anonymous wrote:Thank you, OP. Unfortunately, your mistake was thinking that presenting actual numbers would end the argument, when in reality it just opened up another thread for people to crap on Chi.

So much time spent here arguing about the admissions process vs a discussion re: caliber of education.


That’s because the vacuous people here couldn’t have a discussion about the caliber of education if their life depended on it.
Anonymous
Post 02/04/2026 12:34     Subject: Ending you Chicago haters once and for all
Anonymous wrote:Chicago is not going to lose this reputation until they stop taking private school kids who are not top students.
Period.

Anyone with connection to a top private school views Chicago as the ED2 choice for kids who didn't get into their Ivy SCEA or ED1 OR the school where kids who aren't near the top of the class but want prestige go.

Until Chicago changes this practice (and they're the only top15 school that does it) these posts will persist.


+1 It is definitely due to their EDII. Clearly opportunistic and it shows that Chicago completely understands it isn't the first choice of many top students but they do pick up some really kids being the only one in the Ivy+ group that does so. You just can't have it both ways literally every student who is a serious contender for these schools knows this and therefore looks down a bit on Chicago for it.
Anonymous
Post 02/04/2026 12:26     Subject: Ending you Chicago haters once and for all
UChicago’s stats are “sky high” in part due to their test-optional policy.
Anonymous
Post 02/04/2026 12:20     Subject: Ending you Chicago haters once and for all
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:From our school the Chicago admits were overall stronger students than the HYP kids, most of whom had either non-academic hooks or curated resumes.

Rightly or wrongly, such is holistic admissions and a big part of selectivity. In terms of selectivity, Chicago is the easiest admit in the top 20, and several 20-something schools (Emory, Georgetown, USC) are tougher admits than Chicago if applying to Chicago ED.


I think there is a self-selected set of kids who apply to Chicago given its reputation (not sure it's true) for rigor. Even with a high ED admit rate Chicago's stats are sky high and the same or higher than most of the Ivies.