<p>because University of Chicago thinks its good so people automatically think its good.</p>
<p>I think its good too.</p>
<p>Short: This essay is ridiculous.</p>
<p>
And this kid is obviously not going to become a physicist.</p>
<p>This is a superbly written essay (barring the minor comma problems; but I suppose that one of the main points of a school like UChicago is to teach its students how to use semicolons). Maybe you could have âpredictedâ itâd be effective, but the reason you didnât write an essay like it is because you canât. Youâre nowhere near a good enough writer. This student will do far better in his UChicago English and Humanities courses than you would. I can tell you that just from reading your posts; youâre writing is fine but occasionally awkward, and you have trouble eliciting your major points.</p>
<p>Further, havenât you read any of UChicagoâs literature? You think they want kids who drink, hook up and watch movies with friends? College is 80% outside of the classroom and the academic resources you mention. UChicago shapes that time by trying broadly to admit a certain type of student. The kind of person that ironically name-drops Kierkegaard and a passage from the Psalms. And as ironic and meta as I am, Iâm not even sure that I could have written this.</p>
<p>I enjoyed it, found it witty, and the last sentence is cliche but brilliant! :)</p>
<p>Er.</p>
<p>I donât know how anyone can look at this essay and automatically conclude that Chicago only looks at âpersonalityâ or that one has to employ gimmicks like the one Rohan used in order to get in. I actually donât think his essay was particularly creativeâhe used a common conceitâbut it was cute, it was funny, it displayed a lot of wit and intelligence and knowledge of the school. He was asked to explain why he wanted to attend Chicago; he did so in a way that was suited to his personality and writing style. You can see a lot of who he is in the essayâplayful and fun, but not just an empty shell, either.</p>
<p>(You can of course disagree with my assessment. Subjectivity is a beautiful thing!)</p>
<p>This is, I believe, what colleges want. Not necessarily an essay thatâs cute and creative, or sober and straightforwardâan essay thatâs a vehicle for /you/, speaking in your own voice. Donât affect quirk or gimmicks if they donât come naturally, youâll just seem affected. Donât force yourself to be serious, theyâll sense your discomfort through your writing. Be confident in your own skin, and show them the intelligent, thoughtful, interesting person you are. (You will notice that the EA acceptance letter specifically names a âstrong voiceâ as one of the attributes that we successful applicants supposedly possess. Know yourself.)</p>
<p>I didnât write an essay anything like Rohanâs. I wouldnât have thought of it; I probably couldnât have even if I had. And I shouldnât have triedâI will never be the kind of person who charms charms charms or comes up with crazy, wacky, off-the-wall ideas. Everything I wrote for Chicago was very straightforward. Direct. Earnest and introspective and thoughtful. Willing to consider all sides of a situation, willing to look back and acknowledge mistakes. Thatâs who I am, thatâs what I tried to bring forward in my writing.</p>
<p>And you know, I think I have a lot of things to recommend me. Evidently Chicago thought so too.</p>
<p>/starry-eyed idealist</p>
<p>Ugh. This essay came across to me as cutesy bordering on smarmy. It was painful to read. That first sentence is just âŠawkward.</p>
<p>But many of you seem to like it and maybe the adcoms are bored by reading the same âperfectâ essay all the time. I still canât see that as reason enough to give this one rave reviews. </p>
<p>Maybe this is why more than one person (hopefully) looks over each application - to ensure that strong personal reactions donât unfairly harm or assist any applicant.</p>
<p>i love it! it was so nicely written!
i donât see why you object to it, either.</p>
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</p>
<p>This is exactly why I did not like this essay. At the end of it, the only thing I really wanted to do was punch the author in the mouth.</p>
<p>Iâm going to cry now. I just found this thread, andâŠmy Why Chicago essay, for RD, is pretty damn similar. Itâs written more as a vignette than a letter, but it has me on one knee, saying, âAccept meâ. **** this. It was one of my favourite essays.</p>
<p>I have no choice now but to change it completely right?</p>
<p>wow, i canât believe some of you donât like this essay. Iâm a guy and i have read this essay over and over again because iâm in âloveâ with it. I love the âdonât dwell on my pastâ part. So clever!</p>
<p>âThis is exactly why I did not like this essay. At the end of it, the only thing I really wanted to do was punch the author in the mouth.â</p>
<p>Thatâs clear evidence that U Chicago is not the school for you. Face it: Their admissions dean loves the essay so much that he mailed it to prospective applicants. If you disagree, youâd be happier at a school thatâs much different than is Chicago.</p>
<p>Iâm sure that there are many schools where their admissions administrators and staff would hate this essay. Those are the kind of schools where youâd fit in and that would welcome you.</p>
<p>As a 17 year old maleâŠ</p>
<p>Thatâs really not something acceptable to send out. If you begin your collegeâs admissions letter with a description of your semen, itâs gone way too far.</p>
<p>Seriously.</p>
<p>Well, I liked the essay very much. I read this essay in the morning and at night. It is an excellent essay, refreshing and artistic. </p>
<p>Donât read the first or the last sentence; you have to read the complete essay every time. I can imagine Rohanâs letters addressed to âradiokvvetchâ (Allegedly Rohanâs girlfriend, who posted in this thread), probably they are even greater than the one addressed to the UC.</p>
<p>However, my biggest concern was for the Dean to send the essay to other kidsâŠit is an intimate and provocative âWork of ArtââŠjust only for the UC to enjoy!</p>
<p>At the end of the day, I will keep that essay foreverâŠthere are something in those words that disturb me, but at the same time I cannot avoid thinking in the majestic and splendid of UC. One day I hope to visit the place! I will suggest to the Dean to place the poem in a âPlaqueâ at the entrance of the University âA dedication to UC!</p>
<p>Not to mention that it isnât a private schoolâŠ</p>
<p>IMO being private would give you some more room to send out a racy letter like that.</p>
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</p>
<p>itâs pretty obnoxious. i rolled my eyes at the part where he name-dropped a couple of academic ideas. he never says anything worthwhileâjust more and more words describing his love for himself. maybe this is the type of student that uchicago wants, i donât know.</p>
<p>âŠI agree with Northstarmom, the essay reaffirmed my belief that Chicago is not the place for me</p>
<p>^^ iâm no expert (iâm an engineering student haha), but i bet becoming seriously involved with academics isnât all about jerking off about how clever you are and so on. uchicago students and faculty canât be that pompous.</p>
<p>I loved it! After I got past the " âgooey sapâŠlate at nightâ did he just say that??" thought, I couldnât stop cracking up.</p>
<p>Letâs be honest: writing is (or should be) art. And art is subjective. Not everyoneâs going to like this piece - some are going to think its stupid and schmucky which is how I feel about those paintings that sell for a million dollars and are just a bunch of colored boxes or look like someone spilled paint on a canvas. But the artistsâ piece has to work for the buyer/collector; and it did in this case.</p>
<p>I think its a good creative piece of writing. The adcom liked it because they felt it gave them a good idea as to who this person was, outside of the numbers. Some people have all the perfect stats in the world, but canât explain who they are and what drives them.</p>
<p>
Wrong. If you like your essay, if itâs âyouâ, then send it. They will see that itâs your personality, not Rohanâs. They can spot a phony; if yours isnât, then keep it as is.</p>
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</p>
<p>University of Chicago IS a private school.</p>
<p>âuchicago students and faculty canât be that pompous.â
As a mom whose son went to Chicago for a short time, I wouldnât be so sure about that⊠Chicago professors have a reputation for being unforgiving of intellectual weaklings or those who show a lack of passion of intellectual pursuitsâŠThe College at Chicago is often referred to as âgradâ school for undergraduates. And, at Chicago, conversation is often referred to as âcombat sportâ. That should give you an idea of the type of student who thrives at Chicago.</p>