How to get into UChicago
What 215 admitted applicants actually had: their grades, test scores, activities, awards and intended majors, counted from 1,027 UChicago results that students posted for the 2016 to 2027 cycles. Every number below is counted, not estimated.
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UChicago admits by the numbers
Median unweighted GPA
3.97
Middle half 3.89 to 4.00
Median SAT
1,550
Middle half 1,520 to 1,570
Median ACT
34
Middle half 34 to 35
Median weighted GPA
4.52
Middle half 4.36 to 4.70
Results posted: 215 admitted, 505 rejected, 307 waitlisted. People who post results are a self-selected group, so this is not the UChicago acceptance rate; the official rate is in UChicago’s Common Data Set.
Admitted vs. rejected: grades are not the difference
| Median | Admitted | Rejected |
|---|---|---|
| Unweighted GPA | 3.97 | 3.95 |
| SAT | 1,550 | 1,530 |
| ACT | 34 | 35 |
When the rejected applicants’ numbers sit this close to the admitted ones, the decision was made somewhere else in the file: the activities, the essays and the letters. That is where the rest of this page looks.
What UChicago admits did outside class
Share of admitted applicants listing at least one activity of each type.
- Nonprofit/Service62%
- Athletics48%
- Tutoring/Teaching45%
- Research38%
- Work/Job34%
- STEM club/competition32%
- Debate/MUN/Speech31%
- Internship31%
Held a leadership role
88%
Founded something
46%
National or intl. award
69%
Did research
38%
Early vs. regular decision at UChicago
- Early (360 results)29%
- Regular (269 results)18%
Share of posters in each round who were admitted. Early applicants are a different group (often stronger and more certain), so read this as a description of these posts, not as odds.
Intended majors of UChicago admits
- Economics17%
- Computer Science8%
- Engineering7%
- Biology7%
- Math6%
- Political Science6%
Who got in
Of the admitted posters, 14% first-generation, 16% low income, 31% underrepresented minority, 10% legacy, 1% recruited athlete and 13% international. Of those who said where they enrolled, 37% chose UChicago.
Three recent UChicago admits
2027 cycle · RD · Political Science
Los Angeles applicant whose essay examined the inequality between his commute's two worlds.
GPA 3.98 UW · SAT 1520 · Original post
2027 cycle · RD
Rural-raised robotics club president who founded a science outreach program for rural schools.
GPA 4.00 UW · SAT 1570 · ACT 33 · Original post
2026 cycle · Physics
Physics student and visual-novel studio leader who publishes astrophysics research and exhibits digital art.
GPA 4.00 UW · SAT 1530 · Original post
Essays that worked for UChicago
“Weekends growing up were spent hitting tennis balls with my coach, sketching still lives at a local art studio and practicing the violin with my private teacher.”
Published by The New York Times
“I always assumed my father wished I had been born a boy. Now, please don’t assume that my father is some rampant rural sexist.”
Published by The New York Times
Two types of people: tomato lovers and tomato haters
“For centuries, one thing has divided the human population like no other: the tomato.”
Published by University of Chicago News
Where else UChicago admits got in
UChicago admissions questions
- What GPA do you need to get into UChicago?
- Among 215 applicants who posted a UChicago admission on r/collegeresults, the median unweighted GPA was 3.97 and the middle half reported 3.89 to 4.00 (157 reported a GPA). UChicago sets no minimum GPA; these are what admitted posters reported.
- What SAT score do you need for UChicago?
- Among 215 applicants who posted a UChicago admission on r/collegeresults, the median SAT was 1,550 and the middle half scored 1,520 to 1,570 (137 reported an SAT). The median ACT was 34.
- Does applying early help at UChicago?
- In these posts, 29% of early applicants who reported a result were admitted (104 of 360), against 18% in regular decision (49 of 269). Early pools differ in who applies, so this is a description, not a promise.
- What extracurriculars do UChicago admits have?
- The most common activity types among admitted posters were nonprofit/service (62%), athletics (48%), tutoring/teaching (45%), research (38%). 88% held at least one leadership role and 69% listed a national or international award.
- What is the UChicago acceptance rate?
- The official rate is published by UChicago in its Common Data Set. These pages do not compute one: people who post results are a self-selected group, so the share of admits among them is far higher than the real rate.
Applying to UChicago?
A Specialist who got into a school like UChicago can read your student’s file against these numbers and say where it stands out and where it doesn’t.
Source: self-reported results posts on r/collegeresults, each linked from our Database, counted across the 2016 to 2027 cycles with transfer applicants excluded. Aristo Scholars is not affiliated with UChicago. All colleges