<p>I've been getting stuff from UChicago for a while, and I always send the reply postcard back with whatever thoughtful response I can think of to their mini-essay questions. Do they keep those things and look at them during the admissions process? And does demonstrated interest help? </p>
<p>I got a 40 page booklet from them in the mail today for the second time and was kinda surprised, it just seems like it's a waste of money to send out all that for nothing</p>
<p>University of Chicago is not a university known to care about demonstrated interest. There are other institutions that do, such as Washington University in St. Louis. However, even demonstrated interest sometimes is not good enough for WUSTL either. Your best bet is to really nail your essay!</p>
<p>I think what is important is a demonstrated understanding of what the University and the Core is about, and how one is a match.</p>
<p>Very few large universities with competitive admissions care about “demonstrated interest”. A few less competitive LACs do. The best known a few years ago was F&M. </p>
<p>Consider the case of UofC and its peers. They get thousands of applications. How are they going to track and evaluate this “interest”? It is hard to automate - you can’t just count emails (suppose you could but that would be pretty naive!). Then, think of the queries that pre-date applications, such as campus visits. Do you count those too? Add in a few more thousand. </p>
<p>As Idad suggested, the essays will tell the adcom far more about the student than emails, visits and phone calls. </p>
<p>This is one reason why some places have essays.</p>
<p>I am certain that their experience shows that if you are the kind of person who responds to their postcards, you are the kind of person on whom it is worthwhile to spend some marketing dollars. Chicago will definitely demonstrate some interest back to students who demonstrate interest in Chicago. In my experience, Chicago does a very good job of devising strategies that let it target its marketing to the students who are most likely to be receptive.</p>
<p>As to whether it affects admissions: Merely the fact that you demonstrated interest is unlikely to have any impact. Chicago does so little to boost its yield generally that it is hard to believe it uses this particular yield-boosting tool. However, I imagine that they do keep whatever responses you gave to the postcards in your file, and I also imagine that if you wind up on the bubble they can only help you.</p>
<p>Thanks guys.</p>
<p>So about the essay, I keep hearing how O’Neill comes up with some ridiculously eccentric essays. Can someone give me an example of past prompts? And what exactly constitutes nailing these prompts?</p>
<p>To the OP, there are some insider tips on the website below.</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-chicago/727204-important-information-class-2014-applicants.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-chicago/727204-important-information-class-2014-applicants.html</a></p>
<p>If you want an essay I wrote for Chicago, simply message me with your email attached. I will forward my essay to you. I find a lot of similarities between Chicago’s essays and International Baccalaureate’s (IB’s) Theory of Knowledge essays, so I am very familiar with what the admissions counselors are looking for. All I can say is, if you are simply answering the essay questions, the products will not be what the admissions counselors are looking for.</p>
<p>When you finish your essay, feel free to ask me to look over if you do not mind.</p>
<p>call your counselor and let her know you are very interested/uchicago is your #1 choice.</p>
<p>Examples of past prompts: <a href=“https://collegeadmissions.uchicago.edu/admissions/previous_essays.shtml[/url]”>https://collegeadmissions.uchicago.edu/admissions/previous_essays.shtml</a></p>
<p>
Divine Comedy, you work for admissions? If not, how do you have “insider” information?</p>
<p>Please excuse my questionable word choice.</p>
<p>newmassdad, a lot of what the University of Chicago is looking for is actually implied on its website (not on its admissions website). However, these facts require efforts and meticulous attention do divulge. For example, the University of Chicago teaches students who to analyze and utilize “original text”. This is critical in writing an essay based on the admissions essay prompt. That was why I said that if a student is simply answering the essay prompt, the product will not be successful.</p>
<p>squishy…</p>
<p>DC,</p>
<p>It is painful for me to see folks promoting a factor that really only matters at a small number of colleges, NOT including UofC. In fact, this factor has been promoted to urban legend status IMHO.</p>
<p>It is particularly sad because efforts to “demonstrate interest” can actually backfire on an applicant. Have you ever heard of the phrases “over-eager” or “over-selling”? (or maybe “pest”?) Then consider the poor adcom who gets bombarded with all sorts of emails from applicants who want to “show interest.” Or the poor faculty members who get asked for meetings so an applicant can “show interest” (yes, this strategy is commonly promoted by folks, especially parents.)</p>
<p>If you want to get an idea of what a college thinks about tracking contacts, just pay attention to how they handle campus visits. Do they ask you to sign in? Chicago did not when we visited. Rochester did. </p>
<p>I think part of the problem is that all too many folks think admissions is a “game” with hidden rules just waiting to be discovered (“However, these facts require efforts and meticulous attention do divulge.”). </p>
<p>Admissions is not a game. With a few curious exceptions, the rules are pretty clear. The exceptions are more relevant at places like Harvard and Yale, have to do with legacies and soft factors, and are beyond the scope of this discussion (but see Karabel’s book “The Chosen” for some background!)</p>
<p>You are of course welcome to think if it as a game. But please don’t mislead others into paths that will waste a lot of their time.</p>
<p>The University of Chicago now requires all students to sign in for campus tours and classes. However, be assured that the University does not track contacts in any way. It is solely for survey purposes. I can also assure you all that there are plenty of students in the Class of 2013 who were accepted without visits, including me.</p>
<p>I strongly agree with newmassdad when it comes to the essays. You must discuss certain aspects of the University that attract you. The Core is often a very good place to start.</p>