<p>Finals are January 22 for me…but I have tons of papers and projects due before Christmas break -________-</p>
<p>No one mentioned why they chose UChicago.</p>
<p>@omar OK I will: My whole life has been a “life of the mind”. As most of you know, I’m disabled so my main strength is learning and using my mind. I’m in love with learning and I love having intellectual conversations. I want the chance to connect with scholars all over the world and share knowledge.</p>
<p>For me, I see UChicago as my first home. I never really belong anywhere because I see the world in a controversial manner. I always ask myself why do the world works a certain way. I truly believe that at UChicago I will be able to find others with the same “mind” as me.</p>
<p>because this is the single closest place where I can see myself happy 
For the intellectualism, for the interdisciplinary approach to humanities, for its social justice push, for its quirky sense of humor, for a sense of community that is not the “exclusive athletic culture”(while still giving students the opportunity to stay fit, as I myself am an athlete), and for everything else that the institution stands for.</p>
<p>I want to go to Chicago because of my experiences in quiz bowl. At my school, it’s kind of like an after-hours sort of academic free time. We’re all smart there, but there’s no competition between us. It’s not a high-stress cutthroat monstrosity like I feel high school is, but more of a “we’re all smart here so let’s not go for the jugular” kind of thing. Plus I contrasted it with my high school’s “we love football and cheerleading and that’s it” demeanor. It’s different than, say, Michigan or Ohio State, which are hugely athletic juggernauts.</p>
<p>I really like that Chicago’s a DIII school. I said something like “The debate captain might also be the starting point guard, or the cheerleader who has to leave practice early to chair a UN committee meeting.”</p>
<p>@brayden seconded! i’d be on my knees if they could bend</p>
<p>@ironchariot Haha thanks! The essay wasn’t as eloquent as I’d liked it to be, but hopefully I got the message across. I really do hope they’re as holistic in their admissions decisions as they say. If I get in, I hope to see you there! From reading your posts on here, I think you’re exactly the type of person I want to surround myself with.</p>
<p>@brayden aww thanks! everyone here is so sweet and awesome. really hope to see all of you there if I’m in. i’m a bit worried about my essay too. i took a serious approach that wasn’t very quirky so i don’t know if they’ll think i’m too conventional.</p>
<p>@ironchariot My essays are like that as well. I just feel like some people go too over the top with their creativity and it sounds a little forced. I think I’m a serious person, and although the topics aren’t exactly serious, my writing takes a thoughtful tone. I came out a little bit with my writing with a lighthearted tone, but nothing too out of the ordinary. I’d love to read your essays, if you’d like to share them :)</p>
<p>Wow, these all are wonderful reasons to attend UChicago! I love UChicago because they are intellectual without being snobby, because their student body appreciated humor and curiosity and were, quite frankly, the best I’ve been around. </p>
<p>Also, I hope every single one of you is accepted - I’m starting to get attached to the little hopeful community we’be formed!</p>
<p>@brayden i’ll share mine once decisions are out if accepted or rejected. if deferred i will wait till march, don’t want to chance anyone stealing
@angel your hope is mutual :)</p>
<p>@ironchariot You’re right, my bad. But what from I can tell, your situation isn’t exactly one that a lot of people can steal without being noticed haha.</p>
<p>@angel Exactly. All the prestige of HYPS without the snooty hyper-competitiveness that usually comes along with it.</p>
<p>So what, a week and a half, now?</p>
<p>@brayden haha right, but my uchicago extended essay didn’t really focus on my disability, that was for my commonaapp. i wrote the history prompt</p>
<p>For my essay, I definitely took a serious tone. There was a moment at the beginning intended for humorous effect, but besides that, it was serious. I was creative in the way that I looked at the prompt, but I certainly wasn’t over the top. To be over the top would be contrary to how I think, so I just couldn’t do it.</p>
<p>@debater same. i tried being goofy, showed it to my teacher who said “who wrote this and what the heck did they do with ironchariot?”, decided seriousness was more me, at least in my writing.</p>
<p>I took a serious tone as well. That is, the main intention of mine wasn’t to make the reader laugh, although there were some slightly humorous parts. I wrote about my bookcase.</p>
<p>My teacher said something similar. I tried a more goofy/ lighthearted approach, which is not how I write. It seemed forced and fake. I rewrote a different prompt with more serious, and the result is good, and shall hopefully yield success.</p>
<p>@Brayden - Yes, I have to say, there are some real gems when it comes to the holier than thou nature of some of the Ivy League schools (not naming names but we all know what I’m talking about)</p>
<p>Ah, all my essays had some playful, quirky element to them - if nothing else, the admissions counselors will get a good laugh out of it. Although I hope they’ve seen Pulp Fiction… there might be a few references, though I made them very obvious. My extended essay was about the mantis shrimp, kind of tongue in cheek at the beginning and more serious/reflective towards the end. I hope they understand my humor ha ha or else I come off as some crazy film noir obsessed chick with a penchant for puns…</p>
<p>@angel i actually mentioned in my why uchicago how i love puns, so if you and i get in, you won’t be the only crazy pun chick :)</p>