I’m a little confused. This is what Uchicago has on their website about the 6th option for prompts:
In the spirit of adventurous inquiry, pose your own question or choose one of our past prompts. Be original, creative, thought provoking. 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.
I wrote a scholarship essay for another essay, using a prompt that is kinda quirky like Uchicago essays. Would it be okay to use that essay for Uchicago?
Be original and with a purpose. A close friend of mine got in UC with a quirky essay - What is a Square… to express his love on Math, Geometry and Architecture. This particular prompt is great for those who want to be a standout, make it memorable, make it fun, make it interesting with a purpose to support the rest of the application. Good luck.
@BigflowerSusie I’m confused. Not sure if you answered my question…so are you saying Uchicago would not allow me to use a prompt from a scholarship I applied to?
I recall UC requires one mandatory essay, one from the extended optional prompt (like the create your own essay prompt). Is the scholarship prompt a separation from the general application? You may want to contact the school office on this for clarification. Good luck.
Yes, you can do it. I have no idea how the admissions officers will react if they somehow find out, but it will probably not be good, since the point of it is to EITHER use an old prompt or make your own up and you are doing neither.
I guess you could be nitpicky and argue that “pose your own question” doesn’t necessarily mean a question you wrote, and it means a question you chose to use yourself, but I’m pretty sure that’s against the spirit of question six.
But yes you could get probably get away with it if the prompt is weird enough.
I’ve decided to edit the prompt and base mine a little bit from the original