What is the Average SAT Score at University of Chicago?
While many overachieving high school students set their sights on applying to schools in the Ivy League like Harvard University, Princeton University and Yale University, many other students look to a school that stands alone in the city of Chicago.
Of course, we are talking about the highly prestigious and selective University of Chicago. And if you are curious about what it takes to get into this historical and influential school, you may be asking the question, “What is the average SAT score at University of Chicago?”
Without a doubt, the University of Chicago is up there in terms of prestige and selectiveness right along with the Ivy League schools (it’s far harder to get into than some Ivies), as well as the other top private schools in the country such as MIT and Stanford University.
So, if you are a high school student that is curious about what it takes to get into this school, you are going to want to do quite a lot of research leading up to your application year so that you are as prepared as possible for the expectations that you will face as a first-year applicant.
That is where AdmissionSight comes in for many students. At AdmissionSight, we make it our number one priority to help high schoolers learn what must be done in order to improve their chances of getting into the top schools in the United States.
That is just part of the reason why we are so proud of our track record of helping 75 percent of the students that we work with get into schools in the Ivy League like Columbia or UPenn, or other top-10 schools not in the Ivy League such as UChicago or Stanford.
So, if you are interested in one day attending the University of Chicago and want to know about the University of Chicago average SAT, the University of Chicago requirements or the University of Chicago acceptance rate, then you have absolutely come to the right place!
Let’s break everything that you need to know about this aspect of applying to UChicago and more so that when the time comes for you to begin your application to the school, you will be ready!
Let’s get started.
What is the average SAT score at University of Chicago?
We could make you sift through a lot of information before getting into the meat of the article first thing, but that would be a waste of your time and energy. For that reason, we want to quickly break down the most important answer that you are looking for. That is, of course, what University of Chicago typical SAT scores are.
When it comes to the average SAT score of students who get into UChicago, that score is an incredibly high 1520 out of the perfect score of 1600.The 25th percentile score for accepted students is a 1470 and the 75th percentile score for accepted students is a remarkable 1570! In other words, earning a 1470 or below is going to place you below the average, while earning a 1570 or above is going to put you in very good standing in this portion of your application.
When it comes to the SAT’s role, and the role of standardized tests in general for schools in the United States, it is really important that we bring up the current landscape that has remained consistent over the past couple of years.
If you are currently on any of the major announcements regarding college admissions in the United States, then you probably already know what we are talking about.
We’re talking about the fact that many schools across the country, including the University of Chicago, have adopted a standardized test optional policy. While many schools first adopted this policy as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the University of Chicago actually first adopted their own policy back in June 2018.
Here is what the school itself have to say about its ongoing test optional policy:
“Your transcript shows your academic record in the context of your school, but, since one school can be very different from another, it is useful to see evidence of academic achievement that exists outside of the context of your school,” the school says. “This is why some colleges ask applicants to submit an SAT or ACT score. For many applicants, an SAT or ACT score can reflect their academic preparedness in this broader context.
“Some applicants may feel that an SAT or ACT score does not fully reflect their academic preparedness or potential. If this is the case for you, you may select UChicago’s test-optional method of application and not supply SAT or ACT scores with your application. We welcome any student regardless of testing plan to submit additional materials (detailed in the Supplements section) that they feel best highlights their skills, talents, and potential contributions to UChicago.
“The SAT, ACT, and other standard measures can continue to be an important part of the University of Chicago’s holistic admission process for students electing to send scores and are a required part of the application process at many other highly selective schools.
These tests can provide valuable information about a student which we and other colleges will consider alongside the other elements in a student’s application. We encourage students to take standardized tests like the SAT and ACT, and to share your scores with us if you think that they are reflective of your ability and potential. Given that many of our peers do require testing, we anticipate that the vast majority of students will continue to take tests and may still submit their test scores to UChicago.”
From this message, it is abundantly clear that while the school’s admission committee does not require SAT or ACT scores to be sent in, that a great score sent in as part of an otherwise similarly impressive application can absolutely help a student beat the odds and get into the school.
This fact remains true even as the COVID-19 pandemic has led many students to opt to not take either the SAT or ACT. To be clear: If taking either the SAT or ACT puts your health – or the health of someone in your family at risk – then you absolutely should take advantage of the school’s test optional policy and not take either exam.
However, if you feel comfortable that you can take the exam safely, and that the score you receive will help you make your case to get into the school, then you absolutely should consider taking whichever exam you feel most confident taking.
After all, consider the fact that approximately 2 million students took either the ACT or SAT in 2021 despite the fact that the vast majority of the top schools in the United States have adopted a test optional policy.
It stands to reason that many of the students that did take either exam did so because they planned on applying to one or more of the most competitive schools in the country. If you plan on doing that, you should absolutely consider taking either the SAT or ACT to help bolster your application profile.
What is the University of Chicago acceptance rate?
Now that you have a solid understanding of the University of Chicago typical SAT scores, there’s little doubt that you can already ascertain that the University of Chicago acceptance rate is quite low.
That is absolutely the truth, but at AdmissionSight we believe that students have to know precisely what they are up against when it comes to applying to some of the country’s best schools. That definitely includes knowing the recent acceptance rates at the schools that they plan on applying to.
So what is the UChicago acceptance rate? The simple answer is 6.5 percent. The total number of students that applied to the school in 2021 was 37,977. That means that approximately 2,468 students were offered a spot at UChicago.
From this number alone, it is clear just how competitive UChicago is. What is not included in that number is the fact that nearly all of those applicants from last year were likely near or at the very top of their high school classes in terms of grades, extracurricular achievements and more.
When it comes to the students that apply to UChicago and similarly prestigious schools, the admissions committee knows that it could likely make several fully deserving graduating classes out of the pool of applicants. It is an incredibly tough position to be in.
That is where you can come in to make the admissions officers’ jobs that much easier. It’s all about making yourself as attractive an applicant as possible so that they can happily offer you a spot in the class of students accepted to the school.
So what are some tips to do just that? You’ve come to the right place to find out. Let’s get into it!
Tips to improve your chances of getting into the University of Chicago
While earning a great grade on the SAT or ACT can certainly help you improve your chances of getting into a school like UChicago, it is not going to be nearly enough on its own.
Without a doubt, students in high school who have the goal of attending a top college or university spend a lot of their time and energy figuring out ways that they can separate themselves from the pack and improve their chances of getting into the schools of their dreams.
So, whether you are just starting out high school, are already in the middle of you high school education, or are gearing up to start sending in your applications to schools like UChicago, continue reading to find out if any of these top tips to improve your chances of getting into great schools apply to you!
Earn a fantastic high school grade point average
This tip may not seem like much of a tip at all, as anyone applying to college knows that their grade point average is going to play a very strong role in your ability to get into schools. However, we thought that it would be important to mention simply because grades are so exceptionally important.
Truth be told, if you are interested in getting into a top school like UChicago, Harvard or Stanford, you are going to have to make sure that you are as close to the top of your high school class in terms of GPA as possible.
Even if you achieve that lofty goal, it may not be enough! On top of that, students who want to get into UChicago need to not only get fantastic grades, but also get fantastic grades in advanced courses such as AP courses.
The primary reasons why admissions officers at top schools love to see students that have taken a lot of advanced courses on their high school course list is because advanced courses like AP and IB are because these classes are modeled after introductory college courses both in terms of subject matter and difficulty.
If a student is able to succeed in classes like these, admissions officers feel much more confident that they will also be able to succeed within the rigorous and competitive academic spirit at UChicago.
Get involved in academic competitions
Extracurriculars are important, and while schools make it clear that students can invest in whatever they are passionate about outside of the classroom, admissions committees at top schools do love seeing that applicants pursue their academic passions and interests outside of the classroom as well.
One of the very best ways to prove that you want to do just that is to commit at least some of your time outside of the classroom to getting involved in some kind of academic competition.
Whether you are interested in history, language, writing, math, science, business and more, you will be able to find a national academic competition that offers students the chance to meet incredible fellow students, potential mentors, and gain access to really exciting competitions and experiences along the way!
Here are some of the top academic competitions that admissions officers love to see on a student’s application:
- Academic Decathlon
- Conrad Spirit of Innovation Challenge
- Davidson Fellows
- Destination ImagiNation
- Math Olympiad
- National Academic Championship – Questions Unlimited
- National Academic League
- Odyssey of the Mind
- Quiz Bowl Tournament of Champions
- Science Olympiad
- Stemanities Research Competition
- University Interscholastic League
This is a good jumping off point, but remember, these are far from the only great academic competitions that exist. Depending on what your interests and academic passions are, do some research and see which academic competitions might interest you.
Earn great letters of recommendation
Just as is the case for applications to other top colleges and universities, one of the University of Chicago requirements for applicants are letters of recommendation. For UChicago specifically, students must send in two letters of recommendation from two different members of their high school faculty.
The school makes it clear that teachers should be teaching, or should have taught the applying student in subjects including mathematics, social studies, history, science, English or literature, foreign language and other courses in which the student is doing a lot of reading, writing and class discussion.
For students to try to get the most out of these teacher recommendations, they should make sure to speak to their teachers who they want to write the letters to early on.
In fact, it is thought that students should ask as early as the end of their junior year or at the very beginning of their senior year of high school. This will give the teachers enough time to think about and effectively craft a letter of recommendation that will be as impressive and positive as possible.
Send in inspiring personal essays
Every student that applies to UChicago has to answer a number of personal essay questions that are used to help the school get to know the student better at a deeper and more personal level.
While some may believe that these personal essays are not all that crucial, they are actually one of the most important aspects of the application process. That is especially true given the ongoing changes of how admissions committees weigh standardized test scores. Now, the personal essay section of the application process is thought to be the second-most important aspect of the application behind a student’s GPA.
So, students should make sure to give themselves the adequate time that they need in order to craft the most effective essays possible.
This means spending time coming up with a topic that really speaks to who the student is as a person as well as topics that fully and effectively answer the questions that the school is asking.
Going with the very first option that you come up with probably won’t render the best option. On top of that, make sure that you give yourself the time that you need to read, edit and improve the essays that you have written once you have actually crafted them.
We can help you beat the Cornell University SAT score
If you are planning on taking the SAT and would like some help to improve your score to get into the University of Chicago, AdmissionSight can help. Contact us today to learn about our tutoring program and to get a free consultation on how we approach the important job of getting you into the school of your dreams!
