--- title: How to Use the University of Chicago Common Data Set description: The University of Chicago Common Data Set can help you craft your application. Here, we walk you through all the UChicago admissions data. image: https://admitreport.com/hubfs/University%20of%20Chicago%20CDS.jpg --- [Think you can get into a top-10 school? Take our chance-me calculator... if you dare. 🔥](https://uq2z800a22f.typeform.com/to/GSbIvdW0) [![](https://admitreport.com/hubfs/admit-report-logo-black.svg)](https://admitreport.com/) [College Essays](https://admitreport.com/college-essays) Personal Statement Supplemental Essays Writing Advice Example Essays Other Application Writing Sections Personal Statement Foundations [How to Write a Personal Statement](https://admitreport.com/blog/personal-statement-for-colleges) [Brainstorming a Personal Statement](https://admitreport.com/blog/college-essay-brainstorming-questions) [Personal Statement Mistakes](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-end-a-college-essay) [How to Revise a Personal Statement](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-write-a-college-essay#how-to-edit-a-common-app-essay) Personal Statement Strategy [Writing About Strengths](https://admitreport.com/blog/personal-statement-for-colleges) [Finding a Topic](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-write-a-college-essay#how-to-choose-a-college-essay-topic) [Tone & Theme](https://admitreport.com/blog/college-essay-requirements#college-essay-conventions) Common Application [Common Application Prompts](https://admitreport.com/blog/common-app-essay-examples#the-2022-2023-common-application-essay-prompts) [Common Application Requirements](https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/comments/owlhkp/my_giant_guide_to_to_the_common_app_what_is_it/) [How to Write a Common App Essay](https://admitreport.com/blog/personal-statement-for-colleges) [Common App Essay Examples](https://admitreport.com/blog/personal-statement-examples) Personal Statement Examples ["Great" Essay Examples](https://admitreport.com/blog/personal-statement-examples#the-best-personal-statement-examples) ["Good" Essay Examples](https://admitreport.com/blog/personal-statement-examples#good-personal-statement-examples) ["Bad" Essay Examples](https://admitreport.com/blog/personal-statement-examples#bad-personal-statement-examples) Types of Supplemental Essays [Why Us](https://admitreport.com/blog/why-this-college-essay) [Diversity Supplemental Essay](https://admitreport.com/blog/diversity-essay) [Community Supplemental Essay](https://admitreport.com/blog/community-essay-examples) [Academic Interest Supplemental Essay](https://admitreport.com/blog/academic-interest-essay) [Why This Major Supplemental Essay](https://admitreport.com/blog/why-this-major-essay-examples) [Challenge Supplemental Essay](https://admitreport.com/blog/personal-challenge-essay-examples) [Extracurricular Supplemental Essay](https://admitreport.com/blog/extracurricular-activities-essay) Supplemental Strategy [Writing About Strengths](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-write-a-college-essay#goal-1-write-persuasively-about-your-strengths) Our College Essay Philosophy [Creating a Cohesive Application Narrative](https://admitreport.com/blog/cohesive-application) [Writing Vulnerably](https://admitreport.com/blog/personal-statement-for-colleges) [Strengths-Based Writing](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-write-a-college-essay#goal-1-write-persuasively-about-your-strengths) Writing Techniques [Brainstorming a College Essay](https://admitreport.com/blog/college-essay-brainstorming-questions) [Drafting a College Essay](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-write-a-college-essay#how-to-draft-a-common-app-essay) [Revising a College Essay](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-write-a-college-essay#how-to-edit-a-common-app-essay) Personal Statement ["Great" Example Essays](https://admitreport.com/blog/personal-statement-examples#the-best-personal-statement-examples) ["Good" Example Essays](https://admitreport.com/blog/personal-statement-examples#good-personal-statement-examples) ["Bad" Example Essays](https://admitreport.com/blog/personal-statement-examples#bad-personal-statement-examples) Supplemental Essays [Why Us Examples](https://admitreport.com/blog/why-this-college-essay) [Diversity Supplemental Examples](https://admitreport.com/blog/diversity-essay) [Extracurricular Supplementals](https://admitreport.com/blog/extracurricular-activities-essay) [Academic Interest Supplementals](https://admitreport.com/blog/academic-interest-essay) [Community Supplementals](https://admitreport.com/blog/community-essay-examples) [Why this Major Supplementals](https://admitreport.com/blog/why-this-major-essay-examples) [Challenge Supplementals](https://admitreport.com/blog/personal-challenge-essay-examples) School-Specific Supplementals [Harvard Supplementals](https://admitreport.com/blog/harvard-supplemental-essays) [Yale Supplementals](https://admitreport.com/blog/yale-supplemental-essays) [Stanford Supplementals](https://admitreport.com/blog/stanford-supplemental-essays) [USC Supplementals](https://admitreport.com/blog/usc-supplemental-essays) [Dartmouth Supplementals](https://admitreport.com/blog/dartmouth-supplemental-essays) [All Supplemental Essays](https://admitreport.com/blog/tag/supplementals) Activities Descriptions [Writing Activities Descriptions that Stand Out](https://admitreport.com/blog/extracurricular-activities-essay) Admissions Office Communications [Finding Your Admissions Officers](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-write-an-email-to-a-college-admissions-office-sample#contacting-your-admissions-counselor-vs-the-admissions-office) [Emailing an Admissions Office](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-write-an-email-to-a-college-admissions-office-sample) [Preparing to Apply](https://admitreport.com/how-to-apply-to-college) Preparation Pathways Extracurricular Activities Academic Basics Testing Admissions 101 Grade-Based Timelines [First-Year Timeline](https://admitreport.com/blog/first-year-timeline) [Sophomore Timeline](https://admitreport.com/blog/sophomore-timeline) [Junior Timeline](https://admitreport.com/blog/junior-timeline) [Senior Timeline](https://admitreport.com/blog/senior-timeline) International Students [How to Apply as an International Student](https://admitreport.com/blog/applying-to-college-as-an-international-student) Extracurriculars in Admissions [How Admissions Officers Evaluate Extracurriculars](https://admitreport.com/blog/extracurriculars-and-college-admissions) [How to Find Authentic Extracurriculars](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-organically-find-your-extracurricular-interests) [Basic Extracurricular Pathways](https://admitreport.com/blog/extracurricular-pathways) [Extracurricular Magnitude and Impact](https://admitreport.com/blog/extracurricular-magnitude-and-impact) [Leveling Up Your ECs](https://admitreport.com/blog/leveling-up-your-extracurriculars) [Crafting ECs by Combining Interests](https://admitreport.com/blog/craft-amazing-extracurriculars) [Passion Projects](https://admitreport.com/blog/passion-project-ideas) GPA [How Admissions Officers Evaluate Extracurriculars](https://admitreport.com/blog/extracurriculars-and-college-admissions) [Unweighted vs. Weighted GPA](https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/comments/15ehsq5/aos_dont_want_you_to_know_this_one_weird_fact/) [Assessing Your GPA & Admissions Chances](https://admitreport.com/blog/50-thousand-applications) [Class Rank](https://admitreport.com/blog/academics-gpa) Course Work [Course Rigor](https://admitreport.com/blog/do-colleges-care-about-ap-scores) SAT & ACT [How Admissions Officers Evaluate Standardized Test Scores](https://admitreport.com/blog/what-does-test-optional-mean#how-do-admissions-officers-evaluate-my-test-scores) [Test-Optional Admissions](https://admitreport.com/blog/what-does-test-optional-mean) AP & IB Tests [Do AP & IB Tests Matter in Admissions?](https://admitreport.com/blog/do-colleges-care-about-ap-scores) [When to Send Your Scores](https://admitreport.com/blog/senior-timeline) Types of Institutions [Liberal Arts College](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-make-a-college-list#liberal-arts-colleges) [Private University](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-make-a-college-list#highly-selective-private-institutions) [State University](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-make-a-college-list#large-state-schools) [Community Colleges](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-make-a-college-list#community-colleges) How Applications are Reviewed [How Applications are Reviewed](https://admitreport.com/blog/50-thousand-applications) [The Job of the Admissions Officer](https://admitreport.com/blog/reading-5k-essays-in-a-top-15-admissions-office) [What is the Committee?](https://admitreport.com/blog/50-thousand-applications#the-third-trial-committee-recommendations) [Your Application Strategy](https://admitreport.com/application-strategy) Navigating the application College Application Strategy College Research Building Your College List Application Materials Common Application Guide [How to Use the Common Application](https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/comments/owlhkp/my_giant_guide_to_to_the_common_app_what_is_it/) [Common Application Essay Prompts](https://admitreport.com/blog/common-app-essay-examples#the-2022-2023-common-application-essay-prompts) Applying to International Schools [A Guide to Applying as an International Student](https://admitreport.com/blog/applying-to-college-as-an-international-student) Our Strategy Philosophy [Creating a Cohesive Narrative](https://admitreport.com/blog/cohesive-application) [How Admissions Offices Process Applications](https://admitreport.com/blog/50-thousand-applications) College-Specific Application Guides [Harvard](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-get-into-harvard) [Stanford](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-get-into-stanford) [Yale](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-get-into-yale) [MIT](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-get-into-mit) [USC](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-get-into-usc) [See the full list](https://admitreport.com/blog/tag/application-strategy) Tools & Resources [Demonstrated Interest](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-show-demonstrated-interest) [How to Use the Common Data Set](https://admitreport.com/blog/common-data-set) Visiting Colleges [When to Visit Colleges](https://admitreport.com/blog/touring-colleges#ways-to-visit-college-campuses) Resources [Common Data Set](https://admitreport.com/common-data-set) [Colleges That Change Lives](https://ctcl.org/) School List Basics [How to Build the Perfect School List](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-make-a-college-list) [Safety Schools](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-make-a-college-list#what-is-a-safety-school) [Target Schools](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-make-a-college-list#what-is-a-target-school) [Reach Schools](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-make-a-college-list#what-is-a-reach-school) Early Decision Strategy [Early Action vs Early Decision](https://admitreport.com/blog/early-action-vs-early-decision) [How to Pick Your ED](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-strategize-your-early-decision-application) [Early Decision II](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-strategize-your-early-decision-application#what-s-the-strategy-for-ed-ii-schools) Letters of Recommendation [Teacher Letters](https://admitreport.com/blog/letters-of-recommendation-for-college) [Counselor Letters](https://admitreport.com/blog/letters-of-recommendation-for-college) [How to Ask for a Letter of Recommendation](https://admitreport.com/blog/letters-of-recommendation-for-college#how-to-get-the-best-letters-of-recommendation-possible) School Report [What Is a School Report?](https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/comments/vz09mf/the_document_in_every_application_most_students/) [All Resources](https://admitreport.com/blog) [College Consulting](https://sierraadmissions.com/) [About Us](https://admitreport.com/about-us) [![](https://admitreport.com/hubfs/admit-report-logo-black.svg)](https://admitreport.com/) [College Essays](https://admitreport.com/college-essays) [Preparing to Apply](https://admitreport.com/how-to-apply-to-college) [Your Application Strategy](https://admitreport.com/application-strategy) [All Resources](https://admitreport.com/blog) [College Consulting](https://sierraadmissions.com/) [About Us](https://admitreport.com/about-us) ###### Contents Last updated February 9, 2024 Every piece we write is researched and vetted by a former admissions officer. Read about [our mission](https://admitreport.com/standards) to pull back the admissions curtain. [Blog](https://admitreport.com/blog) > [Common Data Set](https://admitreport.com/blog/tag/common-data-set), [Private University](https://admitreport.com/blog/tag/private-university) > How to Use the University of Chicago Common Data Set # How to Use the University of Chicago Common Data Set Admissions officer reviewed by [Ben Bousquet, M.Ed](https://admitreport.com/about-us) Former Vanderbilt University Written by [Alex McNeil, MA](https://admitreport.com/about-us) Admissions Consultant ###### Key Takeaway At the University of Chicago, your academic preparation should be a given. Admissions officers expect to see high levels of academic achievement. That's why it's so important to distinguish yourself through your essays, extracurriculars, and overall application narrative. Have you heard about the University of Chicago Common Data Set but aren’t quite sure how to use it? This post is for you. We break down all of the key data and explain how to use it to craft the most strategic application possible. Let’s get into it. ## How University of Chicago Evaluates Applicants — based on CDS data As you’d expect, the University of Chicago evaluates applicants based on pretty standard factors like rigor, essays, extracurriculars, and personal strengths. But their evaluation process is unique compared to many other institutions because class rank and even GPA fall under “considered” rather than one of the “important” categories. As we’ll see in the GPA data below, many of the first-year students who enrolled at UChicago had strong GPAs but not necessarily perfect ones. | Very important | Important | Considered | Not considered | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Rigor |   | Class rank | Interview | | Essay |   | GPA |   | | Recommendation(s) |   | Test scores |   | | Extracurriculars |   | First generation |   | | Talent/ability |   | Alumni/ae relation |   | | Character/personal qualities |   | Geographical residence |   | |   |   | State residency |   | |   |   | Religious affiliation |   | |   |   | Racial/ethnic status |   | |   |   | Volunteer work |   | |   |   | Work experience |   | |   |   | Level of applicant interest |   | ### Does University of Chicago track demonstrated interest? Yes. The University of Chicago tracks [demonstrated interest](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-show-demonstrated-interest) and ranks it as “considered” in the admissions process. Since admissions officers will consider whether you’ve engaged with the institution, it’s best to put some time and effort into information sessions, in-person and virtual visits, opening those marketing emails, and speaking with your admissions officer. ### Does University of Chicago care about test scores? Yes, the University of Chicago considers standardized test scores. Of all the enrolled first-year students this past year, 49% submitted an SAT score and 35% submitted an ACT score. ### Does University of Chicago care about essays? Yes. Essays are one of the most important factors in UChicago application evaluations. It’s worth spending extra time and attention on them—they can make or break your application. (Ready to get started on your UChicago essays? Check out our University of Chicago supplemental guide.) ### What GPA do I need to get into University of Chicago? The UChicago Common Data Set reports that 100% of enrolled first-year students were in the top quarter of their high school graduating classes, with 99% being in the top tenth of their class. Still, the GPA breakdown for those same students reveals that students without perfect 4.0 GPAs still find admissions success at the University of Chicago. | GPA | % of Enrolled Students | | --- | --- | | 4.0 | 62.45% | | 3.75-3.99 | 24.54% | | 3.25-3.49 | 9.41% | | 3.50-3.74 | 2.43% | | 3.00-3.24 | 0.81% | | 2.50-2.99 | 0.15% | | below 1.0 | 0.22% | If you’re one of those students who doesn’t fall in the 3.9+ GPA category, then it’s important that you go all-in on the other factors that UChicago ranks as “very important.” That means writing excellent essays and activities descriptions and paying special attention to how your character, strengths, and talents come across throughout your application. ## University of Chicago Acceptance Rate The Common Data Set reports that 37,974 students applied to UChicago. Only 2,460 were admitted. After some quick math, we can tell that the acceptance rate is just shy of 6.5%. That’s only 1.2% higher than [Yale](https://admitreport.com/blog/yale-common-data-set), so you’ve got your work cut out for you. Early reports for the class of 2026 indicate that that rate has reached [an even lower 5.4%](https://chicagomaroon.com/37350/news/class-of-2026-acceptance-rate-reaches-record-low-of-5-4-percent/). And with an enrollment of 2,053 students, students admitted to University Chicago are also fairly likely to attend. ### University of Chicago Early Decision Acceptance Rate University of Chicago offers Early Action, Early Decision I, Early Decision II, and Regular Decision application plans. The UChicago Common Data Set doesn’t report acceptance rates for their ED plans. ### What’s the right application option for you? The right application plan for you will depend on how closely your application strengths align with what UChicago looks for in applicants. Your choice will also depend on whether you’re willing to enter into the binding contract of an Early Decision Agreement. We have a whole post about [ED strategy](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-strategize-your-early-decision-application), so here, we’ll simply say this: in general, applying ED may slightly increase your chances of admission, but an ED application isn’t going to move mountains. Your application will still need to stack up. ## Most Popular Majors at University of Chicago We can use the University of Chicago Common Data Set to get a sense of what students most commonly major in. We do this by looking at the percentages of degrees awarded in each major academic discipline. Looking at the table below, we can see that 33.6% of students who graduated in 2020-2021 earned a degree in a social science field. The social sciences are therefore among the most popular majors at University of Chicago. Similarly, mathematics and statistics, biological and life sciences, physical sciences, and computer and information sciences also rank in the top six. Compared to many of UChicago’s counterparts, UChicago has a fairly high number of students who graduated with degrees in foreign language, literatures, and linguistics. | Major | Percent of Degrees Conferred | | --- | --- | | Social Sciences | 33.6 | | Mathematics and Statistics | 10.6 | | Biological/Life Sciences | 7.9 | | Physical Sciences | 7.5 | | Computer and Information Sciences | 6 | | Psychology | 5.7 | | Public Administration and Social Services | 4.9 | | Foreign Language, Literatures, and Linguistics | 4.5 | | English | 4.1 | | Visual and Performing Arts | 3.8 | With this information in hand, you can get a sense of what UChicago is most well-known for. The more popular a major, the more generally recognized a school is for that program. So let this data inform your school list curation. If you’re interested in one of the more popular programs, then the University of Chicago likely has great offerings. But the more popular a major is, the trickier it is to earn admission. More applicants = more competition, so you’ll need to up your application strategy. ## What should you do with all this information? As you can probably guess if you’ve looked at the University of Chicago supplemental essay prompts, UChicago takes a slightly different approach to college admissions. While you’ll still need to have near-perfect grades, course rigor, and extracurriculars, University of Chicago admissions officers want to see more. There’s a reason class rank, GPA, and standardized test scores are ranked as “considered” rather than “important.” To some extent, this decision is likely because a solid academic background is a given for most University of Chicago applicants. It doesn’t need to be “very important” because most applicants already bring high grades and course rigor to the admissions table. But that’s not the only reason. University of Chicago isn’t just looking for stellar students who can do assignments and get good grades. They want vibrant academic and campus community members. That’s why factors like talent and character rank higher than GPA on their evaluation scale. So if you want to increase your chances of admission to the University of Chicago, then your application should highlight your strengths. If you’re ready to get going on your application, hop on over to our How to Get into University of Chicago guide, where we show you how to do exactly that.     ###### Liked that? Try this next. ###### [![post preview thumbnail](https://admitreport.com/hubfs/siora-photography-hgFY1mZY-Y0-unsplash.jpg) How A Selective Admissions Office Reads 50k Applications In A Season](https://admitreport.com/blog/50-thousand-applications) ###### [![post preview thumbnail](https://admitreport.com/hubfs/20%20College%20Essay%20Examples-1.jpg) How to Write Supplemental Essays that Will Impress Admissions Officers](https://admitreport.com/blog/how-to-write-supplemental-essays) ###### [![post preview thumbnail](https://admitreport.com/hubfs/12%20Common%20App%20Examples.jpg) 12 Common App Essay Examples (Graded by Former Admissions Officers)](https://admitreport.com/blog/common-app-essay-examples) ###### [![post preview thumbnail](https://admitreport.com/hubfs/Power%20of%20a%20Cohesive%20College%20Application.jpg) The Incredible Power of a Cohesive College Application](https://admitreport.com/blog/cohesive-application) ### Upgrade your college journey ###### Content [Admissions Guides](https://admitreport.com/admissions-guides) [Categories](https://admitreport.com) ###### Legal [Privacy Policy](https://admitreport.com/privacy) [Terms of Use](https://admitreport.com/terms) K&S Canon, PLLC 1200 5TH Ave Ste 1950, Seattle, WA, 98101-1183, United States Copyright © 2026 McNeil Admissions ### "The only actually useful chance calculator I’ve seen—plus a crash course on the application review process." Irena Smith, Former Stanford Admissions Officer We built the best admissions chancer in the world. How is it the best? It draws from our experience in top-10 admissions offices to show you how selective admissions actually works. [Get Chanced (We Dare You)](https://uq2z800a22f.typeform.com/to/GSbIvdW0) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Alex McNeil, MA", "url" : "https://admitreport.com/blog/author/alex-mcneil-2" }, "dateModified" : "2024-02-09T20:38:32.272Z", "datePublished" : "2023-03-24T17:00:00.000Z", "headline" : "How to Use the University of Chicago Common Data Set", "image" : [ "https://admitreport.com/hubfs/University%20of%20Chicago%20CDS.jpg" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://admitreport.com/blog/university-of-chicago-common-data-set", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject" }, "name" : "McNeil Admissions LLC" } } ```