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On basic decision: The U. of C. admissions committee is one of the best
in existence. Ted O'Neill, the Dean of Admissions, and his crew do their
jobs well; you can trust them. Whatever their final decision is, you
will probably be a happier person for it.
On selectivity: Do not be fooled by the relatively high admissions rate
or lower ranking on U.S. News. U. of C. can afford to have such a high
rate because their applicants are generally self-selected and are
therefore more qualified for higher education as a whole. This means
that places with much lower admissions rates, like say Harvard, has to
go through a higher portion of their entire pool of applicants to come
up with the same number of potential underclassmen. I am sure I do not
have to go into a lengthy debate about the questionable nature of the
U.S. News methodology since I am addressing the intelligent readers of
Vault.
Essay: Each year, many potential applicants, even high qualified ones,
hesitate to apply because of the famously outrageous essay topics
offered by the esteemed committee. Do not take offense; it is just
another way to weed out the applicants who enjoy a challenge from the
ones cannot deal with something out of the ordinary. Those essay
questions constitute a vital part of Chicago's identity amongst future
undergraduates. Do not fear, but relish them.
On interview: Be punctual, clean, comfortable, and above all, passionate
about the school and what it can do for you. Unless you are a world-
class actor, your person will show that you do not really wish to attend
Chicago. In short, do not waste your time or your interviewers trying to
act. Brevity and candor are you best friends.
On getting in: Check out www.collegeconfidential.com, college
discussion, individual schools, and finally, the University of Chicago.
A wealth of information is to be had there. And to quote from what the
Dean of Admissions said in a past article, "We say we seek rigor, but
what we're really looking for is love." Basically, you've got to be a
passionate person. A certain intensity must accompany all that you do in
life. It is a subtle, difficult quality to capture in a human being, but
somehow Chicago manages. I hope this helped.
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