Getting out of lease before moving in

Hi everyone. I’m from Chicago and recently signed a lease for an apartment because apartments were going really fast and I didn’t want to risk having nowhere to live. I paid about $2,000 total between the first month’s rent and the security deposit, and my move-in date is in August.

The reason I’m asking is because I was on the waitlist for a school in San Francisco. The first seat deposit deadline already passed and I was told there were no seats available, so I moved forward with my plans here and signed the lease. But after the second deposit deadline, I got an email saying seats are now available and that they may start pulling people from the waitlist.

I have no idea if I’ll actually get in, and I’m not planning on doing anything unless I do. But if I end up getting accepted and decide to move to San Francisco, what are my options for getting out of the lease before moving in? Could I lose just my deposit, or could I be responsible for the whole lease even if I never move in?

Any advice would be very appreciated!!! Thanks 😊

Location: Chicago