Where else should I apply to prepare for UC Hicago rejecting me?
So basically, I assumed that I would just kind of walk into UW Madison without much worry, and that would be that. But I toured UChicago and actually fell in love with it, (Architecture, the atmosphere, academic rigor, class size, study abroad, etc).
Problem: that is impossible for me.
Second problem: I'm delusional, and I'm gonna try and make it happen anyways. Can you guys reddit some sense into me and point me in a direction to a school that attracts a similar student body and has a similar academic culture so I don't have to go to Madison (aka chud university)?
Roughest rough draft of an app just to get a sense of what I got going on:
Odds of getting in ED1: 0.1%, if I write the best essay of all time then .7%.
White, small public high school--BUT I'm 6' 4" so take the good with the bad or wtv
Grades:
3.9 unweighted GPA overall
32 ACT (Retaking, probably a 34-35 unless I fuck it up, 32 was no studying, so not worried)
Probably around 50-60 volunteer hours
Highschool AP’s:
AP Human Geo (4)
AP U.S. (5)
AP Gov (Pending)
AP Comp Gov (Senior Year, self study)
AP Bio (Senior Year)
AP Precalc (Pending)
AP Calc AB (Senior Year)
AP English (Senior Year)
AP Physics (Pending)
Gateway Technical College Classes:
Accounting Principles (A)
Developmental Psych (A)
QuickBooks introduction (A)
Computers for Professionals (A)
Personal Finance (A)
Business Law (Senior Year)
Corporate Accounting (Senior Year)
English Comp. 2 (Senior Year)
(3 more classes senior spring semester)
+Gothic Literature through UW- Oshkosh (Senior Year)
Notable EC’s
Socratic Circle- Philosophy book club led by Mathew Konig, PhD Philosophy Professor at Brown, read and engage in socratic dialogue weekly with a small group of other eager learners (on zoom). Recent readings include Aristotle's Ethics, Plato's Dialogues, Tao Te Ching, Meaning In Life and Why It Matters. Wrote articles in the school paper on Epictetus’s Dichotomy of Control as well as Plato’s Theory of the Tripartite Soul. Really praying I can get some sort of rec letter from Dr. Konig.
Volunteering at Alderman's office)- Help the office by writing reports on the Community and Economic Development Committee meetings, in order to help the Alderman have a clear idea of all the items that committee wants to pass when the entire common council meets. Also survey the district on foot when legislation proposed might affect them in order to get a sense of what the people actually want to see their legislators enact.
Volunteering for a gubernatorial candidate- set up phone banking within the volunteer base to mobilize people, and attend those phonebanks every Monday night to make calls for 2 hours about the upcoming events that week. Also attended those events such as canvassing, which entailed me having to drive around an hour every saturday to the city, then I had to knock doors, hand out literature, and energize people around the campaign.
Band (Trombone)- Wake up early for jazz band every morning, taking on solos and involved parts since ninth grade. Perform at state Solo Ensemble every year since sophomore year in a duo with another student. Also participated in the pit band for school musicals on the bass guitar, practicing, rehearsing and annotating music on own time.
Boxing/Lifting - Boxed at local gym for last two years, sparred against and trained with other members before it unfortunately closed this spring. Consistently lifting since 8th grade. Neither through the school since neither are offered through a school program but I am very self-driven with both of these pursuits.
Misc. I got a handful of other EC’s that I have some awards from but none are national, and none of those clubs I was very involved in.