What We Learned from a UChicago “Alumni and Admissions” Call:
We tuned into a call for “Alumni” on admissions during the upcoming season (and beyond) for UChicago. It was a panel of Deans of Admissions from across the school, including their undergraduate, law, and business schools. We are happy to report that there was not an abundance of *new* information shared (read: we know it all! Just kidding, but at least we know some things), but there were a few points made by Jim Nondorf, the Dean of Undergraduate Admissions, that we thought would be worth sharing with you. Although there’s a lot of information out there right now, it’s always helpful to hear some points framed and reframed by different players in this big game we call college admissions.
Vibe check: the call itself was relatively relaxed, given that it was marketed towards alumni, likely many of whom have children who will be applying to UChicago in the next 0-4 years. It definitely could have been less chill than it was. So take a breath. Permission for you to exhale.
Onwards. We’re going to group the main points by topic.
Testing
U Chicago is, and has been, test-optional. This is not a new thing that they are doing due to COVID-19. They went test-optional in June of 2018. Despite all of this, it’s important to note that Mr. Nondorf was happy to report that their average SAT score went up by 15 points. He repeated the following multiple times: “If you didn’t get a chance to test and you want to test, it will be online this fall. Don’t worry. I am 100% sure of this.” While we don’t have the confidence or surety that Mr. Nondorf has in this claim (we wish we did!), this is important because this means that allegedly UChicago still looks at and values testing!
We’ve written about this before, but it is worth repeating that not all test-optional schools are created equal. UChicago is an example of a test-optional school that uses their status as a tactic to attract more applicants. And within this pool of applicants, many still do report their test scores because they are competitive. And then UChicago uses that data, which means their application is bolstered. It can be a vicious cycle. Bottomline: testing does matter. Test-optional can be a trap.
Demonstrated Interest
UChicago “got rid of demonstrated interest years ago,” Nondorf said. We searched high and low to verify this, but we couldn’t quite figure out *when* the school officially stopped tracking interest. We do know that they claim to not track interest and that interest isn’t listed anywhere in their Common Data Set that is released. So...who knows.
If true, though, this means that “demonstrated interest” isn’t in that pie chart of admissions that we love so much. He did say that most universities have gone virtual with their tours and that you can now have “more or better information than you would have before.” We agree that virtual tours are more accessible to everyone. Mr. Nondorf also said that UChicago now has classes you can sit in on, and he encouraged prospective students to do so.
This made us feel a bit confused. Nondorf basically said that even though whether or not you engaged in virtual tours, info sessions, or online classes “won’t matter” when your application is reviewed (which we can debate because if they’re choosing between two identical candidates, with one having taken a virtual tour, attended a virtual class, and contacted a professor via email and one having not done any of those things...WE WONDER WHO THEY WILL CHOOSE?!), we think it’s still good data for your consideration.
Grades
Grades remain the most important factor. Nondorf said that the letter from the guidance counselor about the state of grades in your respective school during the COVID-19 remote learning time period will be important, though that is out of the applicants’ control.
Extracurricular Activities
Mr. Nondorf said that they are looking for “passionate students.” He also said, and this is a direct quote from him: “Newton invented calculus and Shakespeare wrote King Lear when they were in isolation. We don’t expect you to do those things but we do expect you to be productive.” So that’s probably how you should calibrate yourself in terms of productivity—which we’ve said before!--you don’t need to invent math but you need to be productive.
We know that it’s challenging right now to motivate and that it’s particularly problematic to expect students to be “productive in the right way,” but if you want to gain admission to a top tier university, these are the conversations (and expectations) happening at the top. We don’t necessarily agree, but we think that you deserve to know what’s on the table. Again, we’ve been saying these things for weeks. So start doing.
The Essay
Mr. Dean of Admissions himself, Jim Nondorf, said, and we quote: “THE ESSAYS MAKE YOU STAND OUT. IT’S HOW WE GET TO KNOW YOU.” And that’s the really good news because we’ve been waxing on about this point for *literally* years! If you’ve ever read any of our blog posts about college applications, you know this! The formula exists. And it’s weighed heavily by your essay. Mr. Nondorf also said 60% of kids who have perfect scores get rejected and that the essays show the admissions team who you really are which, again, we have been saying for years.
*BOW*
So, while we didn’t necessarily learn that much new information, Mr. Nondorf reaffirmed what we have been telling our clients and readers for months: develop your passions, keep your grades up, and write the best essay ~of your life~.
Let us know by giving us a call or sending us an email if you have any questions because that’s why we’re here.