UChicago Class of 2020 Applicant Thread

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Chicago ✅
1

Hey everyone! Since application season is beginning, I feel that now would be the best time to start up a thread for anyone who is considering to apply to UChicago in the fall.

As for me, I am still undecided on whether I want to apply here through the early action program or just regular decision. However, I did go to a UChicago informational session a few days ago, and from the stories that the admissions counselor told me, the university will still remain at the top of my college list regardless of whether or not I choose to apply early. Maybe this is a good discussion starter for anyone applying EA: What draws you to UChicago? What makes this university stand out from the rest? For me, the unique housing system, the intellectual drive of the student body, and the strong economics program are three aspects that lure me toward this school.

In addition, the UChicago essay supplements have been released (as summer is a great time to get started on essays). On top of the standard six essay options, the university is allowing us to use any past essay topic to commemorate its 125th anniversary:

2015-16 UChicago Supplement:
Question 1 (Required). How does the University of Chicago, as you know it now, satisfy your desire for a particular kind of learning, community, and future? Please address with some specificity your own wishes and how they relate to UChicago.

Question 2 (Optional). Share with us a few of your favorite books, poems, authors, films, plays, pieces of music, musicians, performers, paintings, artists, blogs, magazines, or newspapers. Feel free to touch on one, some, or all of the categories listed, or add a category of your own.

Extended Essay Questions (choose one):
Essay Option 1.
Orange is the new black, fifty’s the new thirty, comedy is the new rock ‘n’ roll, ____ is the new ____. What’s in, what’s out, and why is it being replaced?
—Inspired by Payton Weidenbacher, Class of 2015

Essay Option 2.
“I learned to make my mind large, as the universe is large, so that there is room for paradoxes.” –Maxine Hong Kingston. What paradoxes do you live with?
—Inspired by Danna Shen, Class of 2019

Essay Option 3.
Joan of Arkansas. Queen Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Babe Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Mash up a historical figure with a new time period, environment, location, or occupation, and tell us their story.
—Inspired by Drew Donaldson, Class of 2016

Essay Option 4.
“Art is either plagiarism or revolution.” –Paul Gauguin. What is your “art”? Is it plagiarism or revolution?
—Inspired by Kaitlyn Shen, Class of 2018.

Essay Option 5.
Rerhceseras say it’s siltl plisbsoe to raed txet wtih olny the frist and lsat ltteres in palce. This is beaucse the hamun mnid can fnid oderr in dorsdier. Give us your best example of finding order in disorder. (For your reader’s sake, please use full sentences with conventional spelling).
—Also inspired by Payton Weidenbacher, Class of 2015. Payton is extra-inspirational this year!

Essay Option 6.
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.

Essay Option 7.
In the spirit of historically adventurous inquiry, to celebrate the University of Chicago’s 125th anniversary, please feel free to select from any of our past essay questions.

Past essay questions can be found here: https://collegeadmissions.uchicago.edu/apply/essay/past-essay-questions

2

Hey there! I haven’t had the opportunity to visit the University of Chicago, but based off extensive research and after a lengthy discussion at a recent college fair, I know it’s the place for me! I doubt I’ll apply for Early Action, since I’m going to need some time to fix my GPA (Algebra 2 killed it, tbh), but expect to see me applying at the regular time. I was wondering, do you want this to become a chance like thread, or…?

3

@PunsPunsPuns This is a discussion thread for UChicago applicants in the fall. You can put your chances here, but there is a separate “What Are My Chances?” forum on this site for chance threads: http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/ :slight_smile:

Also, here is the thread from last year if you want an idea: http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-chicago/1707026-uchicago-ea-applicants-2019.html

4

Alright, good to know! Have you found yourself leaning towards any of the prompts for the Extended Essay? I’ve already started working on Prompt 1.

5

I started working on Option 7 a few days back. The fact that we get a choice this year is pretty awesome.

6

I’ve got two decent essays so far on 1 and 5. Leaning towards using my idea for prompt 5 more, as it’s more indicative of my personality…or so I feel

7

Just wondering out of curiosity, but in the scenario that one is deferred after applying for an early action, could that same person apply for a regular decision and still have a chance of making it in? Sorry, I’m just getting used to the college admissions process.

8

I’ve always wondered the same thing, EssayAddict! Here’s to someone helping us out!

9

If you are deferred you are automatically put in the RA applicant pool. So no need to re-apply. Your EA application becomes the RA application.

10

I’ve noticed that not all of the previous essay questions for Uchicago are on that link. Does anyone know of a place where all of them are listed? I’ve scoured the internet to find the past few years’ but that’s all I’ve found so far.

11

@kaukauna In which case if I don’t make it in the first time, I would just have to wait until they reconsider?

12

^Yes. Other than perhaps communicating significant developments (e.g. a major science competition award), you just wait.

Full disclosure: My son is a UChicago admit and he’s attending now, but he applied RD.

13

I don’t think all the questions from all years are listed in the same place. Perhaps you could review the posts here on CC and you can back track those questions in the tread.

14

Alright, thanks for the advice! I’ll try that then.

15

Okay, so I found an intriguing prompt from a few years back for option number 7:

“Modern improvisational comedy had its start with the Compass Players, a group of University of Chicago students who later formed the Second City comedy troupe. Here is a chance to play along. Improvise a story, essay, or script that meets all of the following requirements:
It must include the line “And yes I said yes I will Yes” (Ulysses, by James Joyce). Its characters may not have superpowers.
Your work has to mention the University of Chicago, but please, no accounts of a high school student applying to the University—this is fiction, not autobiography.
Your work must include at least four of the following elements: a paper airplane, a transformation, a shoe, the invisible hand, two doors, pointillism, a fanciful explanation of the Pythagorean Theorem, a ventriloquist or ventriloquism, the periodic table of the elements, the concept of jeong, number two pencils.”
(2007–2008)

I think that I might have a really good idea for a story to write here, but I don’t know how long to make it. I know this is kind of subjective, but I really just want a basic understanding on whether they’re looking for a quick anecdote or something like War and Peace (but not really…maybe just something beyond one or two pages). Any info helps. Thanks!

16

Two double spaced typewritten pages would be about 500 words. That would be good. The admissions person who comments here has noted that the Adcom’s won’t stop reading if you go beyond a couple of pages. I think it’s a judgement thing. What’s appropriate for a college application? In particular what’s appropriate for your college application? If most of your answers have been short, maybe you make this one a little longer. 7-10 typewritten double spaced pages is probably more than you want to do in any event. It might even hurt you a little because the Adcom is wondering how good you are with context. Best of luck to you. The prompt does indeed sound like a fascinating and enjoyably challenging one.

17

I got deferred early action, wait listed regular decision, and finally got in off the wait list about a month after regular decision was released. Although it’s unlikely, it does happen

18

You can find out the length of those optional essay requirements here:

http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-chicago/1181310-uchicago-questions-ask-an-admissions-counselor.html#latest

It is been answered many many times by the Admissions Officer, Grace.

19

Howdy all! I applied last year and will be taking a gap year prior to matriculating to UChi…which means I’m part of the class of 2020!

Feel free to ask me questions you have about the process in general or particular to UChicago. I’m more than happy to help out.

I wish you all the best of luck and hope to see some of you around when fall 2016 comes!

20

Hey guys, I’m considering UChicago pretty seriously for next year. Do you guys think there’s any significant advantage to applying EA, even if it’s nonbinding? Thanks!