Founded in 1890, UChicago claims to be the best of both worlds, a liberal arts college situated under a much larger research university. UChicago is looking for an academically well-rounded student with an interesting perspective and extracurricular experience to view the world (ideally in seemingly unrelatable areas). The Office of Undergraduate Admission at the University of Chicago evaluates their applicants in three categories: Academics Extracurriculars Intellectual Fit The applicant with the highest academic rating would have these credentials: Top 5% of high school class Most challenging course load of AP courses SAT/ACT and SAT II scores in the 99th percentile (1540 / 34) An applicant with an academic rating of 3 out of 6 would have these credentials: Top 15% of high school class Some of the most challenging course load of AP courses in key content areas SAT/ACT and SAT II around 700 (per section) / 30 (per section) UChicago looks for students who are the best in one thing or students who are thoughtfully involved in a range of things. While the strongest students will have exemplary involvement and score the highest in this category, it isn’t uncommon for UChicago to take a student without exemplary extracurricular accolades so long as their involvement is thoughtful and thematic to their interests. UChicago’s Intellectual Vitality rating will be based on your recommendations as well as your supplements. The strongest teacher recommendations describe a student who’s interested in learning for its own sake, seeks to make the deeper connections between subjects, and those who are equally involved in their own as well as their classmate’s education. ​UChicago's 2022 Applicant Profile: According to the University of Chicago, the following represents their 2022 applicant’s high school involvement. 81% Community Service 53% Varsity Athletics 44% Music 31% Student Government 26% Editorial Involvement 17% Theater 12% of Religious Organizations