<p>For the optional Chicago essay that deals with favorite book and interests, is it better to focus on my interests themselves or rather speak about my personality in conjunction with them?</p>
<p>Also, how long should each essay be? For the minor essays (why you want to attend and interest), is 2 double-spaced pages too long?</p>
<p>To the first question: probably a nice balance. Your favorite books, music, etc, will tell a lot about you. If you like Ayn Rand, you’re probably a conservative. If you enjoy listening to the Moldy Peaches and Rise Against, you might be on the other side of the spectrum. They will probably speak for themselves, however, don’t just list. Talk about yourself a little. If you’re a bookworm, talk about author/book/series. If you’re a film junkie, talk about your favorite director/actor/actress/movie. But if you can’t stand looking at art, don’t try to talk about Monet and Pollock. Or, give your reasons for not liking to look at art, it could be eye opening for the Adcom.</p>
<p>Second question: probably a bit long. But then again, there is no specified length so the Adcoms won’t be terribly shocked. I would keep it to two long paragraphs (1-1.5 pages). Unless you’ve got something earth-shattering, I wouldn’t make it any longer than that. :D</p>
<p>Should I mention things I also discussed in my interview?</p>
<p>Probably. Because the person who interviewed you (or at least who interviewed me) was a grad student who worked in the admissions office as a side job. So she doesn’t read applications. But she was AWESOME.</p>
<p>You have recently met an attractive person of the gender you are most attracted to. You and this person have started to hang out a little; you kind of like this person, and it seems reciprocated.</p>
<p>It’s way too early in the relationship to talk about your deepest hopes and fears, your relationship with your mom, your fears about sex. All of that would be inappropriate and intrusive, rude. It’s way too early in the relationship to beg or plead. It’s first or second date time, if “date” means anything in your world, or maybe even before that.</p>
<p>So you talk about things you like and can share without risking disease, maybe have already shared, but not together. Books, movies, music, plays. The point isn’t to promulgate your Philosophy of Art, or to show how many cultural notches you have on your belt. The point is “I’m nice! I’m interesting! Like me! Kiss me!”</p>
<p>That.</p>
<p>Lol @ jhs.</p>
<p>@ JHS: Saying this on a tour would probably drop about 60% of the jaws in the audience so while I probably will not use this analogy, you pretty much hit the nail on the head. =)</p>
<p>Making yourself interesting as opposed to snobby would be a good goal. Try to talk about your interests in a way that makes you an interesting person/student rather than a lecturer expounding the lesser points of Aristotelian metaphysics. Check.</p>
<p>What if I talked about just one of my favorite books, and discussed it thoroughly?</p>
<p>To the OP: I talked about my favorite magazine in conjunction with who I am.</p>
<p>HonorsCentaur: That should be fine.</p>
<p>You can pretty much talk about anything you want, it’s UChicago! I wrote about how much I hate Kindles. It kinda tied in with the prompt, I guess? But hey, worked for me!</p>