The University of Chicago is a private research university in, you guessed it, Chicago, Illinois. It is most famous for its quirky student body and rigorous academics. In many ways, it is an “anti-party” school and is a favorite amongst students who are looking for deep learning and lively debate in the heart of a major city.
U Chicago has only become more challenging to get into over the years. Currently, they have around a 4.7% acceptance rate, making them one of the nation's most competitive schools to get into. Because it is so competitive, we wanted to break down what it takes to get into U Chicago.
What is U Chicago looking for?
U Chicago uses a holistic review, meaning they look at multiple factors when assessing an application. They catalog these factors as part of a document called the Common Data Set.
You should pay close attention to the factors marked “very important.” But honestly, you should try to slay in every category that they look at.
Academics and Rigor
U Chicago wants students who push themselves academically. Full stop. Period. If you want to get in, your transcript should be as rigorous as possible. You need to make sure you are taking accelerated classes. This might mean AP, IB, Honors, or dual enrollment, depending on what your school offers. The school also strongly suggests the students take:
4 years of English
3–4 years of math
3–4 years of laboratory sciences
3 or more years of social sciences
Foreign language study (2–3 years recommended)
We recommend going for all four years in math and science… because, c’mon. You also want to follow your academic passions outside of class. Taking Calc BC is great, but if you are trying to study Math at U Chicago, you should push yourself outside of class, too. Can you take courses at a local college or in a summer program? Are you on the Mathletes? Do you tutor others in math? It should be obvious what you hope to study just by looking at your classes and resume.
While U Chicago says they only “consider” GPA and class rank, don’t let that fool you. They need to be high. And we can see that just from their data. When it comes to GPA, the average accepted GPA was 4.33. This is extremely high. On top of that, most applicants had a 4.0 unweighted.
TL;DR: you want your GPA to be as high as possible. The same goes for class rank. Not all high schools rank their students (only 48% of applicants did in this case), but you should strive for a top spot if yours does.
Even if your school doesn’t rank, you should push yourself to be a top student. Take hard classes and maintain an excellent GPA.
A Quick Note on Scores
U Chicago has a “No Harm Testing” policy. This means “In addition to being test-optional, UChicago practices a ‘No Harm’ policy for application review when considering SAT or ACT scores. Any SAT or ACT score submitted will only be used in review if it will positively affect an applicant’s chance of admission. Test scores that may negatively impact an admission decision will not be considered in review.”
So, should you submit scores? Well, ideally, you should submit scores that will help you. However, that is a slight oversimplification. 84% of admitted students submitted scores. So, while they are test optional… most people chose the option “yes.” If you look at the data from these scores, over 98% of students sent in SAT scores between 1400 and 1600 or ACT scores between 30 and 36. More specifically, you should try to submit scores that align with their usually accepted range aka above the 25th percentile.
With testing, it’s kind of “the higher, the better,” but note that some of the 75th Percentiles above are perfect scores. This means over 25% of students submitted perfect scores. This is who you are up against.
Extracurriculars
Extracurriculars are doubly important. They add flavor and interest to your application and showcase some of your talents/abilities. U Chicago really cares about extracurriculars and even publishes a breakdown of what incoming students did in high school.
Note that these numbers total to way over 100%, meaning most people do multiple things. Additionally, you want to show leadership and commitment. U Chicago isn’t going to be impressed with a one-hour-a-week commitment. You want to pursue your interests as much as you can and really commit to your passions.
We also mentioned earlier that some of your extracurricular passions should be connected to what you hope to major in at U Chicago. They especially recommend academic preparation over the summers. They write, “Summer is a great time to continue or deepen your academic-year pursuits or to explore new ones. As with activities during the school year, continue to engage with whatever is interesting or meaningful to you. Some possible summer opportunities include College Summer Programs, Volunteering, Camps, and Internships….”
Make sure your resume is impressive and that you are using your time outside of school wisely.
Essays and Recommendations
To get into U Chicago, you will need great recommendations from your teachers and counselor. Hopefully, you have teachers who love you and have good stories to tell about you…. And if you don’t start working on those relationships. You can’t really control what is in your recommendations, but ask teachers who know you well, take time filling out any brag sheets they give you, and ask them early if you can (they will appreciate you respecting their time.)
What you can control fully is what you write about yourself. Chicago cares about writing, and you need to write a Common App essay that absolutely eats. We have a ton of blogs about how to write a great Common App essay, and we think this one is especially helpful. However, if that is a little too TLDR, your Common App essay needs to do a few things. It should:
Tell an engaging and interesting story.
Showcase a couple of your positive personal qualities and characteristics.
Be presented in a well-written and creative way.
This might not sound like a lot… but it’s harder than it seems when you’re confined to 650 words. Give yourself time to really flesh it out. On top of that, U Chicago has a very unique supplement. The first question is about why you hope to attend U Chicago, but the second is an extended creative essay. They give you multiple options on what to write about. However, all of them are fairly offbeat and designed to showcase your thinking skills and creativity. We have a blog all about it, but it is one of the harder supplementals, so make sure you give yourself enough time to tackle it.
It’s not easy to get into U Chicago. They are looking for high-achieving, interesting students with great resumes and a lot of drive. You want to stand out because they can afford to be choosey. Take some risks and show off where you can. If this all sounds like too much, we can help!
Need help applying? We have you covered. Reach out here.