

Many prompts will reveal themselves to you in your everyday life (after you’ve read them over and over again). Some of them take time to even understand. Sit with the prompt, get some (probably crazy!) ideas, then repeat the process! Many UChicago prompts are dense in their weirdness. Print out the prompt, circle key words, hang it on your mirror. How do these objects from your past illuminate facets of your personality? What do your interests say about you ? You aren’t trying to get your latest film, your famous lasagna, or your community service project into the university- you are trying to get in. The subject is an avenue to tell admissions officers about you. UChicago admissions don’t want a student who says “I love physics” they want a student who says “I love physics so much that I stayed up until 4 am reading Cosmos by Carl Sagan, and I use meatballs to diagram the moons of Jupiter to my friends, and I took Calc III because I plan on studying mechanical engineering with a focus on aerospace materials.” Be detailed about your studies be explicit in your interests.īe sure to include the first person you are the main character here, not whatever subject you’re writing about. Explain research protocol, cite specific books you’ve read, mention your AP and IB classes, or give examples of how you’ve collaborated with others to produce results. You can’t just gush about your topic-you have to prove that you can engage with it at a highly intellectual level. Give them an image of how you will perform in and contribute to an academic environment. The point of your essay is still to tell admissions officers about yourself. You should try to be imaginative, engaging, and colorful while maintaining an authentic voice and staying focused with your subject matter. This can mean vivid (and I mean vivid ) imagery, addressing the reader directly, sentence fragments, CAPS, lists, and anything else! Toss in some wild jargon from your field, phrases from another language, anything you’ve got-as long as you explain them.

You need to have a clear focus, but you should be comfortable disrupting the familiar rhythms of essay prose.

When you are in college, you will be asked to write thesis-driven essays, but that’s not what the UChicago essays are asking for. UChicago essays should definitely be viewed as a piece of creative writing, rather than a dry analysis. Unconventional topics often require unconventional styles. Keep this checklist of things in mind as you write: While your creative opportunity has few bounds, there are some key strategies to conquering the UChicago essays. Whether it’s feminist literature of Southeast Asia, modern perception of African art, or your job at Colonial Williamsburg, UChicago has happily passed you the mic. You know that subject you avoid in casual conversation, because it turns you into a gushing ball of enthusiasm that could talk for hours ? UChicago wants to hear about it. But don’t get discouraged or overwhelmed-the weirdness of the UChicago prompts makes them ripe with opportunity to explore your passions, interests, and personal oddities. Have you ever seen the word cheese or pie in a college essay prompt before? I’m guessing not. The University of Chicago’s prompts are famous (infamous? both?) for being different, quirky, and sometimes downright weird. Read this UChicago essay example to inspire your writing and watch our video where we interviewed UChicago students about their essay topics. The second question, a one-to-two page essay, is also required, but applicants can choose from a menagerie of exciting prompts that offer boundless opportunities for creativity and reflection.

The first question, which boils down to “Why UChicago?,” is required yearly. The essay questions for this season are on the UChicago website, and listed below. You can complete your UChicago application through the Coalition Application or Common Application. If you’re interested in delving deep into theory, bookishness, and the most hardcore of academic materials, UChicago might be just right for you. It’s famed for its outstanding academic programs, neo-gothic architecture, and prestigious school of economics. UChicago is a rigorous, top-tier research university located in beautiful Hyde Park, Chicago.
