<p>Will a straightforward (but still personal) explanation of why I like UofChicago hurt? Or should I just try and come up with something at least slightly creative?</p>
<p>Mine wasn’t creative at all, just a listing of the things specific to UChicago that make me want to attend. It worked!</p>
<p>Mine wasn’t really creative. I just spoke about certain activities/academic qualities that UChicago has that are similar to what I do in high school. Worked for me.</p>
<p>Don’t worry too much. Just be yourself.</p>
<p>PZC1234, don’t be misled by essays posted on CC.</p>
<p>My “Why” essay was rather formulaic, but I invested my creativity into the extended one. Worked for me. I think the “Why” one is just to make sure that you know why you want to go there, and you’re not just someone applying to every top 10 school “just because.”</p>
<p>DUde, the question is simple. Just answer the question. No tricks involved in it. Talk about your passion, your goals and interests and how it relates to Chicago, how Chicago is going to satiate your desire for something.</p>
<p>What TippuSultan said, CC’ers tend to be above-average applicants. Hence, the weird and out-there essays are shown. Really, if your style is straight forward, do it that way. All colleges want different personalities, you have just as good a shot as everyone else!</p>
<p>I got in a few days ago w/ a straightforward essay. To quote another CC’er: my essay was as interesting as boiled vegetables. It got the job done, so I wouldn’t worry.</p>
<p>My Why Chicago was incredibly straightforward and I got in. It was just really honest and talked about majors/other things specific to Chicago. =)</p>
<p>Yeah but Helen, your “Find X” response was perhaps the greatest essay my eyes have ever witnessed…</p>
<p>Mine was straightforward. Worked!</p>
<p>IMO, why essays should be fairly straightfoward. Don’t bury your point in fluff.</p>
<p>My Why Question was really straight forward… and really personal. I think the extended essay question is meant for ‘creativity’ 
don’t worry. [it worked for me btw]</p>
<p>Your other essays (extended essay, optional) are where you should be creative. The “Why Chicago” essay is a research question: they’re checking to make sure you went more than three clicks into their website. There’s no trick here other than referencing programs and classes exclusive to Chicago. Remember a lot of people are going to get stuck in vague aspects of Chicago like the “intellectual atmosphere” but they hear that in every single essay so steer clear and be incredibly specific. It worked for me!</p>
<p>Mine also wasn’t creative at all. I just said I wanted to go there because of their great econ department, and the core and described why for each.</p>
<p>How incredibly specific are we talking?</p>
<p>Just be specific enough that they know you didn’t take your “Why college x?” essay from another app and modify it slightly.</p>
<p>Mine was straightforward, which is fine to do as long as you don’t just focus around really general things like UChicago’s reputation, the size, or location…I focused mine around the econ department and different kinds of diversity at U of C!</p>
<p>my essay wasn’t incredibly creative, just very sincere. i discussed my passion for fun, and how learning provides me that fun. i talked about wikipedia and reading. it wasn’t creative at all, much worse than my other essays. just make sure the writing is good and not-too-serious, and as long as you’re sincere, you should be fine.</p>