why is the university of chicago doing this to me?

That is so cruel. xD I’ve been experiencing the exact same thing.

Someone needs to tell UChicago to STOP sending t-shirts to any student who drops by for a tour. Bribing kids to apply is wrong, and it encourages them to think they have a better chance of acceptance than they really do. The whole “deferment” of EA applicants (did they actually reject anyone in that first round?) is equally cruel. I’m watching the heartbreak at close range and getting more and more angry about it.