Chicago's reputation for uncommon essays and a really funny essay story

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Chicago ✅
1

<p>We went to an information session given by one of the DC schools to gather advance information for our HS Jr S2.</p>

<p>Funny, the admission officer said, "as for the essays, please be creative in coming up with the subject matter. We are tired of reading the same essays over and over again 10 hours a day. If you can't come up with creative essay subjects, go to the U Chicago web site and check out their essay prompts. They are great. Please feel free to use one of them. I love them all"</p>

<p>Meanwhile, a little funny story. She (adcom) was giving various tips on essays: make it about yourself, make sure to do the spell check etc. But be careful when the spell checker suggests alternatives (read the options before just taking the first one that is suggested).</p>

<p>She has one essay from a female applicant who made an unfortunate mistake of taking whatever alternative spell checker provided first. So, she had a paragraph like this</p>

<p>"So, I was a volunteer candy stripper at a local hospital. All summer long, I candy-stripped for the patients and staff 8 hours a day, 5 days a week"</p>

<p>The adcom framed that essay, hung it on the wall, and every time she is down or feeling bored reading the same essays over and over again during the admission season, she reads that candy stripper essay for fun. </p>

<p>(BTW: the candy stripper was admitted).</p>

<p>P.S. S1 did not use any of the uncommon essay prompts. Perhaps he should have done it, it would have been fun, but he got in any way :)</p>

2

<p>The essay prompts and the extended flexibility on essay length are so liberating! For all of the applications that allow me to attach supplements I decided that I’m going to send them in an essay I wrote about some random academic subject…you know to lighten things up for them :). Or maybe bore them even more lol. I attached a short essay against hedonism (using a nifty little thought experiment) for my UMichigan application.</p>

<p>Too bad I don’t think I can do it for Chicago :frowning: (don’t see anywhere to post up a supplemental essay).</p>

3

<p>Essay Option 5</p>

<p>In the spirit of adventurous inquiry, pose a question of your own. If your prompt is original and thoughtful then you should have little trouble writing a great essay. Draw on your best qualities as a writer, thinker, visionary, social critic, sage, citizen of the world, or future citizen of the University of Chicago; take a little risk and have fun.</p>

4

<p>I know, but I want to answer the game one too (in fact, I already did).</p>