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The 7 UChicago Essay Prompts: How to Write Stellar Responses

College Essays

The University of Chicago is famous for its unique essay topics. They're some of the most creative and off-the-wall essay prompts you'll see when applying to colleges, and it can sometimes be confusing to know how to tackle them.

What should you write about in your UChicago essays? How can you show that you're intelligent, creative, and worthy of a place at their school? As someone who spent a long time on my UChicago essays (and who got into the school), I've figured out exactly what UChicago is looking for in these essays.

 Read on to learn all about the UChicago essays, what the admissions team expects to see in your responses, what topics you should write about, and which topics you should avoid. In this guide, we also suggest sample essay ideas for each of the 2022/2023 UChicago supplement essay prompts and analyze past University of Chicago essay samples so you can see what a great UChicago essay looks like.

What Are the UChicago Essays?

Before you can begin figuring out how you'll write your UChicago essays, you should know which prompts you'll be seeing and the rules for each one. You'll need to write two essays, and the UChicago essay prompts you must answer are commonly referred to as Question 1 and Question 2.

Question 1: Why UChicago?

The Question 1 prompt is the only UChicago supplement essay that stays the same each year, and it's also the only prompt that all applicants must answer (for Question 2 you'll have multiple prompts to choose from).

For this question, you'll need to write an essay that explains why you want to attend the University of Chicago and why you think the school is a good fit for you and your goals. UChicago doesn't have strict word limits for essays, but they suggest a response of 1-2 pages.

Here's the prompt:

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.

The nice part about this prompt is that it's a pretty standard "why this school" essay . And luckily for you, we have a complete guide that walks you through how to knock this type of essay out of the park.

Question 2: Extended Essay

For Question 2, you have a choice of six essay prompts, and you'll choose the one you want to respond to. The essay prompts for this question change every year, and while there are always around six prompts, some years there may be one more or one less to choose from.

These are the more unique and offbeat essay prompts that UChicago is known for. Many of them were created by UChicago alumni and current students. Again, UChicago asks you submit a response 1-2 pages long.

Below are the essay prompts for the 2022/2023 school year.

Essay Option 2: “Where have all the flowers gone?” – Pete Seeger. Pick a question from a song title or lyric and give it your best answer.

Essay Option 3: “Vlog,” “Labradoodle,” and “Fauxmage.” Language is filled with portmanteaus. Create a new portmanteau and explain why those two things are a “patch” (perfect match).

Essay Option 4: A jellyfish is not a fish. Cat burglars don’t burgle cats. Rhode Island is not an island. Write an essay about some other misnomer, and either come up with and defend a new name for it or explain why its inaccurate name should be kept.

Essay Option 5: Despite their origins in the Gupta Empire of India or Ancient Egypt, games like chess or bowling remain widely enjoyed today. What modern game do you believe will withstand the test of time, and why?

Essay Option 6: And, as always… the classic choose your own adventure option! In the spirit of adventurous inquiry, choose one of our past prompts (or create a question of your own). 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!

The world is your oyster when it comes to answering UChicago essay prompts.

How to Answer the University of Chicago Essay Prompts

In this section, we explain what UChicago wants to see in your essays, give ideas for topics to write about for each of the essays, and discuss topics you are better off avoiding.

For this University of Chicago supplement essay, UChicago wants to know why you want to attend their school, what you hope to get out of attending, and how University of Chicago will help you achieve their goals. Basically, they want to know why you think their school is a better fit for you than all the other schools out there. For more analysis of this essay, check out our in-depth guide to the Why UChicago essay .

What Do They Want to See in Your Response?

The "why our school?" is probably the most common essay prompt you'll see on college applications. Why do schools, including UChicago, ask this question?

UChicago wants to first see that you really want to go to their school. Students who love a school are more likely to accept an offer of admission and attend it, and they are more likely to be committed to their studies, participate in extracurriculars, and give back after they graduate. Your passion for UChicago should be shining through in this essay.

Next, UChicago wants to see that you've done your research on their school and have an idea of what opportunities you want to take advantage of while there. You can do this by mentioning specific things you like about UChicago or that you plan to take advantage of as a student there. Potential things to discuss include professors you admire or are interested in working with, specific classes you want to take, and extracurriculars you want to participate in.

Finally, UChicago wants to see that you are a good match for their school. Your essay should explain how you'll make the best use of what UChicago offers, how your strengths match the opportunities they provide, and how UChicago will help you reach your goals for the future.

Potential Topics to Write About

There are many ways you could approach this essay prompt; although since UChicago is best known for its academics (as opposed to killer sports teams, for example), most people will discuss the academic side for at least part of their response. Below is a list of possible topics; most people will discuss one to three topics in their essay.

• Majors or classes you're especially interested in
• UChicago's core curriculum
• Professors whose work you admire and whom you'd like to study with or conduct research with
• Unique events like Scav and Kuviasungnerk/Kangeiko
• Research opportunities you'd like to have
• University of Chicago students you've met who you admire
• Volunteer opportunities
• Financial aid opportunities UChicago offers that make it possible for you to attend

Topics to Avoid

The key here is to avoid generic topics that could apply to practically any school or any student. You want it to be clear in your response what opportunities the University of Chicago offers you that no other school does and how you're going to make use of them. Topics that won't show this include discussing:

• How pretty the campus is
• Chicago weather
• The food on campus
• Where UChicago places on college ranking lists
• Your future major and career path without connecting it back to what UChicago offers
• Bashing other schools

The extended essay is when you can get especially creative. These prompts require you to move outside your comfort zone of typical essay topics and answer in a way that gives readers insight into who you are and what you care about. Remember: Question 2 is required, but you have six different prompts to choose from for this essay response.

Your response to Question 1 is meant to show what you like about UChicago and how you’re going to make the most of the opportunities it offers. Question 2 is less about UChicago and more about you. The admissions team wants to see who you are and what's important to you. Three main things they'd like to see in your essay response are:

• Your personality
• Your thirst for knowledge

Who are you? What have been the important events in your life? What kind of person are you? What do you love learning about? These are the questions UChicago wants you to answer. They want to know what's important to you, what events from your past shaped you, what kind of person you are now, and what you want to accomplish in the future. 

UChicago is particularly interested in students who love learning and have a lot of interests in different fields and topics. A mathematician who also does ballet? A creative writing major who started her own business? Bring it on! Make sure to show your love for learning in your essay.

Your passions and goals don't always need to be lofty though; in the second example essay below you can see how the writer took a quirky interest and managed to connect it to larger ideas. If you can connect one of your pet passions to an essay topic, do so!

The great thing about these UChicago essay prompts is you can write about almost anything you want to since they're so different from each other and give you lots of chances to be creative. And you can tackle it from any angle you want. On their website , UChicago states that "[This essay] can be approached with utter seriousness, complete fancy, or something in between." Just remember, you want this essay to give UChicago a good idea of the type of person you are and what's important to you.

Essay Option 1

Exponents and square roots, pencils and erasers, beta decay and electron capture. Name two things that undo each other and explain why both are necessary.

You're allowed to let your imagination run wild with this prompt. You should try to find a pair of objects that the admissions panel didn’t think of, something wholly original that only you would think of. For this prompt, they want to see how imaginative you can be, but the most important part of this essay is justifying why your pairing makes sense and why it matters . The pair you choose will show off your personality, creativity, and cultural experiences. 

Make your response as wacky and original as you like, but remember to tie it back to yourself and your interests a nd/or potential major. For instance, say you go with the idea of an art conservator and the passage of time. You could discuss how time degrades the materials of a work of art, and then an art conservationist revitalizes the work, only to have the passage of time wear it down again. This would be an excellent segue into writing about your interest in history, creative writing, or U Chicago’s Department of Art History Conservation Science Teaching Program . 

You could also write about how you developed an interest in these subjects, and what other interests you have could be applicable . Weaving your story into your essay will show UChicago that you’re creative and intellectually curious. This can include your niche interests, quirky hobbies, or pet projects.

Essay Option 2

“Where have all the flowers gone?” – Pete Seeger. Pick a question from a song title or lyric and give it your best answer.

This is a classic UChicago question that allows you to answer the question literally...or not. (The year I applied, the version of this question was "Describe your table.") So, if this exemple were your actual song lyric, you address, where have all the flowers gone? You could answer this literally and describe how, for instance, flowers are changing colors in response to climate change . Perhaps you could then discuss your interest in horticulture and what led you to pursue that field.

Or (as always with UChicago essays), you can take it in a totally unexpected direction. This prompt is a chance to put your interpretive and reasoning skills into action. In fact, you could almost think of it like a riddle, except that the answer is anything that you can come up with and justify:

“Where Do Broken Hearts Go?” A valid question in a world where loneliness has been declared a public health emergency and social isolation can increase the likelihood of heart disease by as much as 29% ! 

“Do You Remember Rock and Roll Radio?” Likely not, considering radio listening has been trending downward for years, especially amongst young listeners and Rock Music is at the lowest point in its popularity since about 1960 . Where does this leave you, a young would-be guitar player with an interest in U Chicago’s ethnomusicology program ?

“Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?” Perhaps you do, considering recent studies show a decline in empathy and corresponding rise in narcissism .

You get the idea. Whatever question you choose, don’t worry too much about having a great answer for it; the idea is to find a context for the question that is meaningful to you and relates to your interests , which will give UChicago insight into your values and personality, two things they want to see in these essays!

Essay Option 3

“Vlog,” “Labradoodle,” and “Fauxmage.” Language is filled with portmanteaus. Create a new portmanteau and explain why those two things are a “patch” (perfect match).

This prompt is a bit sillier, but you still have the chance to show U Chicago your personality and unique worldview. This prompt gives you a chance to play with language and create something that expresses a meaning that we don’t have a word for. The best way to go about this is to think of two areas that are important to you and find a pair of rhyming words related to each and combine them.

So, for instance, if you’re math-oriented but somewhat spiritual, you could take words from both mathematics and spirituality, and come up with something like “stamystics” (statistics+mystics). You could talk about how you became interested in math and how it relates to your spirituality, and so forth.

If you are more interested in sports than spirituality, you could come up with something like “mathleticism.” You could write about how you had to train your mind in order to grasp difficult or advanced mathematical concepts and, inversely, how your understanding of math deepens your appreciation of sports.

What U Chicago is looking for here is how you can connect two seemingly unrelated concepts and find a bridge between them. They’re looking for problem-solving in addition to insight into your personality.

Essay Option 4

A jellyfish is not a fish. Cat burglars don’t burgle cats. Rhode Island is not an island. Write an essay about some other misnomer, and either come up with and defend a new name for it or explain why its inaccurate name should be kept.

This prompt gives you an opportunity to think about familiar things in a new way. We probably don’t think much about peanuts not being nuts, but it’s obvious once you think about it that they are legumes. But, on the other hand, they are also closely related to peas–so the name has some validity. Even though they’re not actually nuts, they do taste like nuts…so is it wrong to call them nuts? Think about other examples that exist in your fields of interest.

And of course, be sure to let your experiences, interests, and values shape the way you rename or defend your misnomer . That way, UChicago will get a good idea of who you are and what’s meaningful to you!

Essay Option 5

Despite their origins in the Gupta Empire of India or Ancient Egypt, games like chess or bowling remain widely enjoyed today. What modern game do you believe will withstand the test of time, and why?

This prompt is your chance to be more overtly academic in your response . In writing about how this game will remain relevant in the future, you’ll be able to show your knowledge of history, culture, politics, economics, religion, scientific discovery…and so on! Choose a game that interests you in some way that you can tie into your personal history and academic interests. 

While brainstorming possible games will be really fun, the most important part of this essay is justifying why you think something that’s relevant today will continue to be relevant in the future. Think about what cultural, social, and political changes could be possible and what the implications of that could be for people today. As long as you’re creative, descriptive, and thorough, your response can range from serious to silly and meet the requirements for this prompt.

Essay Option 6

And, as always… the classic choose your own adventure option! In the spirit of adventurous inquiry, choose one of our past prompts (or create a question of your own). 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!

If you aren't feeling any of the other five optional prompts, you can respond to this one, which asks you to choose and respond to a past UChicago optional essay prompt, or write and respond to your own prompt. With either option, you'll want to consider your identity, interests, strengths, and goals, and let those factors inform which prompt you choose, how you write your own prompt, and how you craft your response.

You may not feel up to the task of writing your own prompt, but you might like the idea of tracking down an old prompt that catches your eye. Read through the past prompts and consider which one will allow you to play to your strengths . If there's a particular experience or skill that you want to showcase in your response, select a prompt that is conducive to that.

Alternatively, if there's a specific experience you want to write about, you can write your own prompt and respond to it. To write your prompt, use the tone and structure of the existing UChicago prompts as a guide. It'll probably come as no surprise that your original prompt should fit right in with the ones provided on the application. This means you might have to be a little goofy, cryptic, or risky...and that's a good thing!

Though this option allows you to write your own prompt if you so choose, it's important to remember that your response to the prompt should still focus on showcasing who you are , what strengths you will bring to UChicago as a student, and why UChicago is the perfect place for you. Don't get too carried away trying to impress admissions with punny phrases or cryptic logic; be authentic, be bold, and be you.

Some people shy away from this prompt because they feel like it's "cheating" or less impressive to not follow one of the specific prompts that UChicago gives. However, this isn't true! As long as you write a compelling essay that gives readers a better insight into who you are, your essay will strengthen your application. For what it's worth, when I applied to UChicago, this is the prompt I chose, and I was still accepted to the school.

UChicago wants you to be creative here, so there aren't many topics that are off limits. However, you're trying to convince them that you'd be a great and interesting student to add to their school, so make sure you use your essay to show who you are and why UChicago would want to admit you.

This means you should avoid responses that don't give readers a good idea of who you are. For example, if you choose essay option 1, don't just state that “taco cat” is funny because it reminds you of your favorite meme. Instead, tie it back to yourself and your life by explaining its relevance, like making tacos with your abuela and fending off the family cat’s attempts to steal tacos. 

Because these prompts are creative, it can be easy to run away with them, but always remember to answer the prompt completely and give UChicago better insight into who you are.

Additionally, don't feel that certain University of Chicago essay prompts are "better" or more impressive than others . UChicago wouldn't have chosen these essay topics if they didn't think applicants could write outstanding responses to them, so please choose the prompt that you feel you can write the best essay for.

University of Chicago Essay Examples

In this section are two University of Chicago essay examples, each written by an accepted applicant.

Below each UChicago supplement essay we discuss what makes the essay work so well.

Dear University of Chicago,

And now you inquire as to my wishes? They're simple, accept me for who I am! Why can't you just love and not ask why? Not ask about my assets or my past? I'm living in the now, I'm waiting for you to catch up, but you're too caught up in my past, I offer us a future together, not a past to dwell upon. Whenever I'm around you, I just get that tingle deep inside me that tells me you're the one; you have that air of brilliance and ingenuity that I crave in a person, you're so mature and sophisticated, originality is really your strongest and most admirable trait. I wish we could be together, I still think in my heart of hearts we were meant to be, but you have to meet me halfway, dear. I'm on one knee here with tears welling up in my eyes, the fireworks are timed and ready to light up the night sky for you, just say 'I accept...you.'

Why Does This Essay Work?

• Creative take on a standard prompt: The writer chose a very unique angle for this essay: comparing the University of Chicago to a lover. He's probably the first applicant to answer the essay prompt this way, which definitely makes this a memorable essay. In fact, UChicago loved this essay so much that they mailed it out to thousands of potential applicants (which actually got them a bit of backlash ). You absolutely don't have to take as unique an approach to this essay as the above writer did, but doing so can definitely help your essay stand out.
• It answers the entire prompt: Even though this is an unusual essay, the writer still manages to answer everything the prompt asks for. He mentions his goal for the future (to become a lawyer), mentions varied interests he has (the Gothic era, the philosopher Kierkegaard), and explains what he likes about UChicago (the brilliance, ingenuity, and originality the school offers). He even manages to mention that he visited campus three times, which shows a serious interest in the school. If you choose to write an especially offbeat essay, it's key to do what this essay did and still answer the prompt while being creative.

This essay is from several years ago, so it doesn't use a current prompt, but it's still helpful to read and analyze.

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.

Now let's take a look at the successful essay:

The Illuminati changed my life. Three years ago, I found my first ambigram in one of my favorite novels, Angels and Demons by Dan Brown. I turned the page, and there it was: the word "Illuminati" printed into the exact center of the book. It was styled like a newspaper masthead, exquisite and complex, yet oddly symmetric. Curious, I rotated the book upside-down.

Impossibly, the inverted word was still "Illuminati." Gazing closer, I realized that the letters, I-L-L-U-M, actually shaped into a flipped I-N-A-T-I. Suddenly, I was reading it in both directions. My eyes waltzed along the broad curves and sharp twists of the calligraphy, striking poses in a glamorous font against a sheet of creamy whiteness, sliding between the dense vertical strokes, peering at the edge of the defined serif as it angled away, then bent boldly toward me. Every line was deliberate, every flourish smiling with purpose, and the whole word balanced on the delicate cord that joined two letters into one. It was unforgettable.

Ambigrams are words that can be read from different directions. Actually, "ambigram" is an umbrella term that encompasses dozens of distinct types of visual wordplay. The most popular ones are rotational, mirror image, and-my personal favorites-symbiotic ambigrams, which can spell two different things when viewed normally and upside-down.

Compelled by the striking art, I could not help but try my own hand at designing ambigrams, and slowly I felt the pitiful stick-figure artist inside me shrink away as my inner energetic graphic designer sprang up. Before early volleyball tournaments, I work myself up by filling up pages and pages of experimental letter combinations, gleefully satisfied at the way that a rounded lowercase "a" was a perfect upside-down lowercase "e." In my AP Literature class, I drew "She's a witch!" which revealed, when flipped, "Communist" to reflect Arthur Miller's contemporary motives for writing The Crucible. On a challenge from a friend, I even drew an ambigram of "Jay-Z" and "Beyonce" on a bumpy bus ride back from a leadership retreat.

In the last few months, I have also practiced drawing ambigrams as fast as I can. I dream about the day when I can effortlessly write out a message saying "Hi, how are you today?" normally and "The password is cherry268" upside-down, without pausing or rotating the paper. I imagine a world in which everyone had this ability, and could literally write two things at once. How would that change communication? Encryption? Trust? My legs swing comfortably from this innovative edge, excited to take a stab at the answers.

The best part about the ambigram is that it refuses to define itself as just one thing. It is a linguistic passion, a cryptographic endeavor, an artistic design, and an ironic illusion. I relish the fact that ambigrams force both the artist and the audience to reject first glances and embrace secret identities.

This may just be a nerdy obsession, but ambigrams have taught me far more than how to sketch fancy words. Their multidimensional truth implies that my hobbies of both writing Italian sonnets and solving logical riddles are not opposing functions of my left and right brains, but rather, a perfect conglomeration of my passion for creating and solving puzzles. The beauty of the most surprising combinations reminds me to take bold risks in both my life and my designs.

Above all else, ambigrams have taught me that I can create the impossible. I can make true and false the same word depending on something as simple as a 180-degree head turn. Victory can be defeat. Open can be closed. Am amateur piano player with an obsession for cryptology can learn how to program iPhone apps and get the game-winning kill at the varsity volleyball championship. A girl with divorced parents can make time for both families, and an inspired teenager from California can write her name into world history--both normally and upside-down.

- Samantha M.

Why This Essay Works

• Shows passion: This essay focuses on a pretty unusual and specific topic: ambigrams. While many people may not even know what an ambigram is, the writer is clearly passionate about them. She discusses how much time she spends trying to create different ambigrams, what her goals for ambigram creating are, and some of her favorite ambigrams she's created. UChicago loves people who are passionate about something, even if it's an unusual or offbeat interest. It makes UChicago believe those students will bring that passion with them onto campus.
• Gives insight into the writer's personality: The majority of this essay is about the author's interest in ambigrams, but she also manages to cleverly slip in multiple other references to her personality and interests. From her essay, we learn that she's a volleyball player, writes Italian sonnets, and loves solving puzzles. Adding these details gives UChicago a fuller look at what makes her tick.
• Connects it to a bigger picture: The writer chose to write about a very specific topic—ambigrams—but was still able to connect that to bigger concepts, such as communication, truth, and how she's able to balance her different interests. She's able to take a quirky topic and show how it influences her worldview.

Final Advice: UChicago Essays

When answering the University of Chicago essay prompts, keep in mind that the main reason UChicago is reading these essays is to find out who you are as a person and if you'd be a good fit at their school.

The University of Chicago wants students who are passionate about learning, creative, are excited to make the most of their time on campus, and have big dreams for themselves, and the UChicago supplement questions are designed to help you show these sides of yourself to the school.

For the "Why UChicago?" prompt, you'll want to show the school why you want to go there, why you think you're a good fit for the school, and how UChicago will help you achieve your goals during college and beyond.

For the extended essay, you can (and should) be more creative. These UChicago essays are more "out there," and in your response, you should show your personality and passion for learning.

For both University of Chicago essays, remember to show who you are and what you're passionate about, include details about yourself and the school to help you stand out from other essays, and mention your plans and goals for the future.

What's Next?

If you want a more in-depth look how to write about Question 1, check out our guide to the Why UChicago Essay , which includes an additional sample essay along with analysis of how to answer this prompt.

Are you working on the Common App essay ? Read our breakdown of the Common App prompts and our guide to picking the best prompt for you.

If you're planning to take the SAT or ACT one last time , try out some of our famous test prep guides, like "How to Get a Perfect Score on the SAT" and "15 Key ACT Test Day Tips."

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Christine graduated from Michigan State University with degrees in Environmental Biology and Geography and received her Master's from Duke University. In high school she scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT and was named a National Merit Finalist. She has taught English and biology in several countries.

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How to Write the University of Chicago Essays 2022-2023

UChicago is a rigorous, top-tier research university located in beautiful Hyde Park, Chicago. It’s famed for its outstanding academic programs, neo-gothic architecture, and prestigious school of economics. If you’re interested in delving deep into theory, bookishness, and the most hardcore of academic materials, UChicago might be just right for you. 

You can complete your UChicago application through the Coalition Application or Common Application. The essay questions for this season are on the UChicago website , and listed below. The first question, which boils down to “Why UChicago?,” is required yearly. The second question, a one-to-two page essay, is also required, but applicants can choose from a menagerie of exciting prompts that offer boundless opportunities for creativity and reflection. 

Read this UChicago essay example to inspire your writing and watch our video where we interviewed UChicago students about their essay topics.

Before You Begin Writing  

The University of Chicago’s prompts are famous (infamous? both?) for being different, quirky, and sometimes downright weird. Have you ever seen the word cheese or pie in a college essay prompt before? I’m guessing not. But don’t get discouraged or overwhelmed—the weirdness of the UChicago prompts makes them ripe with opportunity to explore your passions, interests, and personal oddities. 

You know that subject you avoid in casual conversation, because it turns you into a gushing ball of enthusiasm that could talk for hours ? UChicago wants to hear about it. Whether it’s feminist literature of Southeast Asia, modern perception of African art, or your job at Colonial Williamsburg, UChicago has happily passed you the mic. 

While your creative opportunity has few bounds, there are some key strategies to conquering the UChicago essays. Keep this checklist of things in mind as you write: 

Unconventional topics often require unconventional styles. 

UChicago essays should definitely be viewed as a piece of creative writing, rather than a dry analysis. When you are in college, you will be asked to write thesis-driven essays, but that’s not what the UChicago essays are asking for. You need to have a clear focus, but you should be comfortable disrupting the familiar rhythms of essay prose. This can mean vivid (and I mean vivid ) imagery, addressing the reader directly, sentence fragments, CAPS, lists, and anything else! Toss in some wild jargon from your field, phrases from another language, anything you’ve got—as long as you explain them. You should try to be imaginative, engaging, and colorful while maintaining an authentic voice and staying focused with your subject matter.

Communicate who you are as an academic.

The point of your essay is still to tell admissions officers about yourself. Give them an image of how you will perform in and contribute to an academic environment. You can’t just gush about your topic—you have to prove that you can engage with it at a highly intellectual level. Explain research protocol, cite specific books you’ve read, mention your AP and IB classes, or give examples of how you’ve collaborated with others to produce results. 

UChicago admissions don’t want a student who says “I love physics”; they want a student who says “I love physics so much that I stayed up until 4 am reading Cosmos by Carl Sagan, and I use meatballs to diagram the moons of Jupiter to my friends, and I took Calc III because I plan on studying mechanical engineering with a focus on aerospace materials.” Be detailed about your studies; be explicit in your interests. 

Marry yourself to your topic.

Be sure to include the first person; you are the main character here, not whatever subject you’re writing about. The subject is an avenue to tell admissions officers about you. You aren’t trying to get your latest film, your famous lasagna, or your community service project into the university— you are trying to get in . Don’t be afraid to center yourself. How do these objects from your past illuminate facets of your personality? What do your interests say about you ?

And, as always, answer the prompt!

Print out the prompt, circle key words, hang it on your mirror. Read it, then read it again, and again . Sit with the prompt, get some (probably crazy!) ideas, then repeat the process! Many UChicago prompts are dense in their weirdness. Some of them take time to even understand. Many prompts will reveal themselves to you in your everyday life (after you’ve read them over and over again). Some of them just take deep thought. The key is to keep thinking and focus on what the prompt is asking. You’ve got this!

All the UChicago Essay Prompts

Prompt 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., prompt 2: extended essay (required; choose one).

Option 1: Was it a cat I saw? Yo-no-na-ka, ho-ka-ho-ka na-no-yo (Japanese for “the world is a warm place”). Może jutro ta dama da tortu jeżom (Polish for “maybe tomorrow that lady will give a cake to the hedgehogs”). Share a palindrome in any language, and give it a backstory.

– Inspired by Leah Beach, Class of 2026, Lib Gray SB ’12, and Agnes Mazur AB ‘09

Option 2: What advice would a wisdom tooth have?

–Inspired by Melody Dias, Class of 2025

Option 3: You are on an expedition to found a colony on Mars, when from a nearby crater, a group of Martians suddenly emerges. They seem eager to communicate, but they’re the impatient kind and demand you represent the human race in one song, image, memory, proof, or other idea. What do you share with them to show that humanity is worth their time?

—Inspired by Alexander Hastings, Class of 2023, and Olivia Okun-Dubitsky, Class of 2026

Option 4: UChicago has been affiliated with over 90 Nobel laureates. But, why should economics, physics, and peace get all the glory? You are tasked with creating a new category for the Nobel Prize. Explain what it would be, why you chose your specific category, and the criteria necessary to achieve this accomplishment.

—Inspired by Isabel Alvarez, Class of 2026

Option 5: Genghis Khan with an F1 racecar. George Washington with a SuperSoaker. Emperor Nero with a toaster. Leonardo da Vinci with a Furby. If you could give any historical figure any piece of technology, who and what would it be, and why do you think they’d work so well together?

-Inspired by Braden Hajer, Class of 2025

Option 6: And, as always… the classic choose your own adventure option! In the spirit of adventurous inquiry, choose one of our past prompts (or create a question of your own). 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!

Prompt 1 (Required)

The pressure’s on to be unique here, since EVERY SINGLE APPLICANT to UChicago will be answering this required question. Here’s what you need to do:

Provide a tangible connection to UChicago. 

This is composed of specific elements of the university that appeal to you, and UChicago’s website is a great place to delve into these. Be sure to be “particular,” as they stipulate, and give them the “specificity” they’re asking for. Examples include research opportunities at Argonne Labs, the marketing classes in the Business School, or an internship offered through the Creative Writing program. 

Don’t write about UChicago’s general attributes, like fame, prestige, or “intellectual rigor.” And please don’t try to be clever and refute the old canard that UChicago is the place “Where Fun Goes to Die.” Application readers have seen this hundreds, if not thousands of times. And besides, why talk about a tired UChicago stereotype when you can talk about something cool? 

Describe your intangible connection as well. 

How is UChicago a place that aligns with your values, dreams, and goals? How do you vibe with it? For example, if I wanted to write about the Creative Writing internship, I would state explicitly how it draws me in: 

“ I want to attend a college that values the innovative nature of indie comics publishing as much as I do. So, I’m impressed by UChicago’s commitment to providing internships in comics writing through Bult Publishing and The Artifice magazine. One of my goals as a writer is to gain firsthand experience in comics publishing, specifically small houses, and the Creative Writing program at UChicago hits the mark, resoundingly. ”

Engage with faculty and students, if possible. 

This is a perfect place to talk about specific interactions, like sitting in on an inspiring seminar during a campus visit, hearing a professor speak, or seeing how UChicago has prepared a friend for his career. 

However, always be sure to tie these experiences into your own goals and interests! For example, don’t just name-drop a certain Professor Smith. Instead, take the opportunity to find a personal connection to Smith’s research and how great UChicago is for supporting people like her. Your format should be

        Program/Individual/Major – UChicago’s Values – My values

If you want to learn more about a specific professor or their subject, don’t be afraid to politely email them or contact their department. Many love to talk about their work and their interests, or would love to put you in touch with current students. This will better inform you about the school and give you a great edge for this prompt. And, more importantly, you’ll probably get great advice for your higher education journey. Note: the earlier you prepare for this, the better!

It’s worth noting that there is no recommended essay length, but sticking to around 500 words should do the trick. It’s long enough to share the reasons you’ll thrive at UChicago, but not too long that the admissions officers will start to get bored.

Prompt 2: Extended Essay (Required, Choose One)

Choose one of the six extended essay options and upload a one- or two-page response. Please include the prompt at the top of the page.

Prompt 2, Option 1

Was it a cat i saw yo-no-na-ka, ho-ka-ho-ka na-no-yo (japanese for “the world is a warm place”). może jutro ta dama da tortu jeżom (polish for “maybe tomorrow that lady will give a cake to the hedgehogs”). share a palindrome in any language, and give it a backstory..

If you love linguistics and creative writing, this is a good choice for you. You have the freedom to pick any palindrome—a word or phase that says the same thing when read forward and back—and get as creative as you like. If you speak another language or have a unique cultural background, picking a palindrome in that language would be a great way to tie in your background.

Let’s look at a few examples of how you can turn a phrase into a story:

Draw, O coward!

Bring a moment from one of your extracurricular activities to life: Little beads of sweat rolled down from my temple to my chin, carrying the stage makeup caked on my face with them. My sweaty palms fumbled by my side to grab my plastic prop sword. My scene partner’s words fell on deaf ears as my director’s voice coursed through my head. Don’t forget to hit the O, she would say. My brain lagged behind the rest of my body. Before I could process what had happened, my sword was tightly gripped in my outstretched hand and my booming voice declared “Draw, O coward!”

Si Nummi immunis (Latin for “Give me my fee, and I warrant you free”)

Discuss a social issue you deeply care about: In the DA’s office, interns don’t do much—I was your standard coffee-getter and errand-runner. The one exception: looking at bail records. Every day, I could peek at who posted bail and for how much. While I originally approached it with a child-like curiosity, it quickly became disheartening. Looking at record after record of affluent offenders who paid their fee and went about their days made my heart ache for those who couldn’t afford bail, through no fault of their own. Every morning, on my trip to the coffee shop, a little voice in my head kept telling me: Nothing will change unless you take action.

दामाद (Dāmād, Hindi for “son in law”)

Tell a story of your family: No one dares to get in between a mother and her daughter. Especially my nani and mom. So, the day my dad marched up to my nani’s door and declared he was going to marry her daughter didn’t go as anticipated to say the least. “You will never be my dāmād. She is too good for you.” Was it his goofy smile or his naan baking skills that finally won her over? Whatever it was, he carries the title of dāmād as a badge of honor now.

Prompt 2, Option 2

What advice would a wisdom tooth have.

This is the shortest option of the bunch, making it one of the most open-ended prompts. You can interpret this question from several different angles, and here are some potential ideas:

The play on words angle

Wisdom teeth are named as such because they erupt later in life, when you typically have more wisdom. Your wisdom teeth might advise you that this is true, and you could share the life lessons you’ve learned as you’ve grown older, opening each paragraph with an age and an anecdote.

The foodie angle 

If you’re a big foodie or chef, your wisdom teeth might advise you on their favorite dishes they’ve seen/chewed. You could share those dishes and the stories behind them. For example, maybe all your favorite recipes are gathered from cooking with others, and you could share the story of how your family hosted an exchange student from Portugal and how they taught you to make pastéis de nata, and how your grandmother taught you how to make her pierogies while sharing life advice with you.

The “stuck inside” angle

Many people’s wisdom teeth never see the light of day and remain impacted in their gums. This could be a segue into telling a story of how you stayed engaged when quarantined or stuck indoors during a rainy day. For example, maybe you picked up sewing during the pandemic because you couldn’t go outside and now you make historical period gowns. Your wisdom teeth might advise you that sometimes boredom or idleness can help you find new inspiration.

The relevancy angle

While wisdom teeth aren’t very useful in the modern world, It’s believed that they helped our prehistoric ancestors quite a bit. Back then, humans needed to grind raw meat, nuts, and leaves, so these extra molars made it easier to break down food. Beyond that, dental hygiene probably wasn’t the best, so humans may have lost adult teeth, which the wisdom teeth would then replace. 

If you like fiction writing, you could imagine wisdom teeth in a room with other things that were once relevant, but are now obsolete, such as floppy disks, dinosaurs, sundials, etc. What would they say to each other? What are they all doing together?

The medical angle

Wisdom teeth are actually not routinely removed in countries outside of the US. As a result, some people interpret the industry as a ploy to make money from unsuspecting patients. If you’re going into the medical or dental field, you could use this prompt as a chance to comment on the state of medicine and why you feel healthcare needs to be reformed. 

Some argue that removing wisdom teeth still reduces the chances of complications down the line, while others think the surgery is riskier than leaving the wisdom teeth in. You could use this debate as a chance to share a time you did a cost-benefit analysis on an area of your life, such as the time you were deciding whether to work at a brand-new local jewelry shop that paid less but had more opportunities for growth, or to work at a grocery chain.

Prompt 2, Option 3

You are on an expedition to found a colony on mars, when from a nearby crater, a group of martians suddenly emerges. they seem eager to communicate, but they’re the impatient kind and demand you represent the human race in one song, image, memory, proof, or other idea. what do you share with them to show that humanity is worth their time.

Like all the others, this prompt is another way to showcase your creativity, but it also gives you the opportunity to reveal what you value. If you love art and history, you could show the Martians Botticelli’s Birth of Venus. If you’re an avid music fan, maybe you want to teach the aliens the iconic Thriller dance. Inexplicably fascinated by science? Show your new friends the benefits of penicillin. 

What’s important about this essay is not what you pick, but how you demonstrate its importance . Forget about writing a college application essay for a minute; you are tasked with saving the entire human race. That’s a lot of pressure. Anyone could show the Martians a picture of the pyramids of Egypt, but it’s all in the story you tell that will make them appreciate this is the greatest accomplishment of humans and the true test of their capabilities.

Let’s take the example of the student who writes about penicillin. What they shouldn’t do is write “ I would show the Martians penicillin because it was one of the biggest medical advancements that allowed for humanity to conquer infections that used to be deadly, allowing people to live longer and healthier lives.” While what they wrote is true, it reveals nothing about them. The item you choose will undoubtedly be important to not just humanity, but you, so your response needs to establish a personal connection.

So what should this student do? They could start their essay by telling a story of how they plan to find a sick Martian suffering from an infection and will inject them with penicillin to show the aliens its magical healing properties. Then, this student should go into what penicillin means to them. Did they volunteer at a hospital where they witnessed people recover from infections that could be deadly because of this medicine? Maybe penicillin saved their life and allowed them to pursue their research that could be the next scientific breakthrough. 

You can get creative and playful with the story you tell about the item you chose, but if you go with this option, you’ll want to spend more of your essay focused on how that choice made a difference, not just for humanity, but in your life. 

Prompt 2, Option 4

Uchicago has been affiliated with over 90 nobel laureates. but, why should economics, physics, and peace get all the glory you are tasked with creating a new category for the nobel prize. explain what it would be, why you chose your specific category, and the criteria necessary to achieve this accomplishment..

The Nobel Prize is awarded to those who have “conferred the greatest benefit to mankind” in the categories of Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, and Peace. Through this prompt, UChicago wants to know what matters to you, and they want to see your analytical and creative side shine through your selection process.

You can take a more straightforward angle or a more unconventional one with this prompt. A straightforward angle would involve selecting a “serious” category that fits neatly into the existing ones, such as Sustainability, Education, Technology, or Music. 

The unconventional angle would mean coming up with, well, something more unusual. Maybe you think there should be a Nobel Prize in Cooking, Hiking, Crocheting, or Speed Reading.

The category itself doesn’t matter as much as your connection to it, as you’ll need to explain why you chose it. Make sure your essay touches on both the personal significance of the category as well as its implications for mankind. For example, maybe you chose cooking because it’s soothing for you as a home chef, but it also has the power to improve the mood of those eating the meal. Food has also brought people from different backgrounds and cultures together throughout millenia. 

Continuing this cooking example, your selection criteria could involve a competition where cooks from around the world are asked to create dishes in three categories: one from their own culture, one from another culture, and a meal for ten that costs no more than $1/plate. This competition would highlight the cultural aspects of cooking, but also raise awareness of food insecurity and the challenge of creating nutritious meals at a low cost.

In addition to the criteria you need to receive the accolade, you could include examples of previous winners or people you would like to nominate for the prize.

UChicago prides itself on the accomplishments of its alumni, but the school gives every student the opportunity to excel within their own right. They want you to be a future Nobel Prize winner, so if you don’t feel like you fit into the traditional categories, here’s your chance to show them how you will succeed and change the world for the better.

Prompt 2, Option 5

Genghis khan with an f1 racecar. george washington with a supersoaker. emperor nero with a toaster. leonardo da vinci with a furby. if you could give any historical figure any piece of technology, who and what would it be, and why do you think they’d work so well together.

There’s three important things your response to this prompt needs to incorporate: what wacky pairing you choose, what their interaction would look like, and why the world absolutely needs to witness this combo.

Let’s take a look at a sample pairing a student might choose:

Who and What?

While you could choose any random figure and item, this essay will be most successful if you choose either someone or something that has personal significance to you (although it will be strongest if both your person and technology relate to you!). So for example, if a student loves graphic design, they might choose to give Walt Disney an iPad and Apple Pencil. 

This might not be the wackiest combo they could choose, but notice how both relate to the student and their passion. Growing up on Disney animation was what prompted this student to start doodling when they were younger, which eventually led to an interest in graphic design. Their iPad is their sketchbook, home to thousands of designs that they can create at their fingertips. This student wants to see what their inspirational figure would do with the piece of technology they cherish the most.

How do they interact?

This is where you can infuse more creativity into your essay. What will separate an okay response from a good or great one is how well you can show the interaction between these two unlikely players. Using the example of Walt Disney, this student could describe some of the tools they have used and apply it to a drawing of Mickey Mouse. Maybe they think Disney would have made a new movie every week if he had that advanced technology at his fingertips and the student shares the concept behind his latest character design. 

Whatever you choose to do, the interaction of a historical figure with modern technology would be ridiculous and hilarious. If you’ve taken anything away from UChicago based on their prompts, it should be the value they place on creativity, so don’t throw away this opportunity to inject some creativity into your response.

Why should we care?

The last thing you’ll want to make sure of in your essay is to pull back from the absurdity of the moment and reflect on why this odd combination is important. Even if it only has a deeper significance to you, we still want to know why you chose this pairing over every other.

Our student would probably elaborate on what Disney animation meant to them growing up at this point in the essay. They might explain that if they were influenced by the stories and visuals Walt Disney created, they can only imagine how many more kids all over the world would have had the same experience if he was able to use modern technology to develop his projects. 

You don’t have to follow this exact model in your response, but keep these different aspects of the prompt in mind as you write. As long as you can tell an engaging story of the item and historical figure interacting, and find a personal connection, you can really pick any person and item.

Prompt 2, Option 6

In the spirit of adventurous inquiry (and with the encouragement of one of our current students) choose one of our past prompts (or create a question of your own). 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.

Again, this prompt is, on the surface, granting you a lot of leeway. UChicago even ends it with an exclamation point! But you should always remember: they expect a disciplined, thorough, rigorous essay. Don’t let your sense of fun and frolic drown out your serious intellectual ideas.

Pick a prompt that inspires you to write, and connects with your academic interests. If a prompt jumps out at you, and you’re immediately filled with ideas, it’s probably a good fit. Just take it slowly, jot your thoughts down, and get to work. 

Involve your personal connection to that prompt. If you’re not answering any of the 6 prompts UChicago has issued this year, the onus is on you to prove that you and the archival prompt you’ve picked are a match made in heaven. This means having a lot of knowledge and personal investment in your subject matter, and an angle/perspective totally unique to you. 

If making your own question, remember this: YOUR QUESTION IS YOUR HOOK. So make sure it’s not a question that could be found on a standard-issue application, like “When did I overcome a challenge?” or “What’s a place that feels like home?” These prompts are everywhere. They won’t get the job done, and they won’t make an unforgettable first impression. But “Why did I lock myself in the basement and watch The Bee Movie for eighteen hours?” That’s a different story. 

If you look at past UChicago prompts, they tend to be fond of certain things: numbered lists, fairy tales, common phrases, and items of pop culture that can be re-contextualized. They also like hearing your answers to famous questions, and you might have a unique answer to “Et tu, Brute?” or “Do you like pina coladas and getting caught in the rain?” Just remember that the novelty of the question, while the hook of your essay, is not its substance. If your biography and scholarly interests don’t involve pina coladas, or rain, you might just have to pick a different question to answer – as wonderful as that eternal question is.

UChicago essays take a lot of time and thought—but don’t overthink it. The university wants to hear what you have to say, in its full form. That’s why they give you a page limit, and not a word limit—no last minute cutting! Fully develop your ideas in a way that feels natural. If a paragraph needs to be a little thicker, or if you need to include a longer quote from your favorite author, don’t worry about it. These essays can be fun to write and extremely effective.

You can look up lots of examples of essays online, but try not to get intimidated. It’s the nature of the UChicago essays to encourage everyone to showcase their expertise—which is exactly what you should try to do! You may read sample essays and think, “Wow. I’ve never spent a month in Arizona digging up fossils. How can I ever compete?” Try to reframe the essays as a Giant Celebration of everyone’s achievements and interests not a Competition.

If you’ve written your UChicago essay and are looking for feedback, you might want to check out our free peer essay review and paid expert essay review . Since the UChicago essay prompts are weird, it’s important to get an extra set of eyes on them to make sure they are clear and engaging! You can also improve your own writing skills by editing other students’ essays.

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

University of Chicago Essay Prompts

• Why Us - Example 1
• Other - Example 2
• Dreamer - Example 3

Read our complete Application Guide for The University of Chicago

The University of Chicago requires two supplemental essays. One is a straightforward “Why Us” essay. The other is somewhat infamous, as UChicago asks strange questions for their second essay. The prompts are different every year and are submitted by current and former UChicago undergraduates.

These questions are difficult to answer. This is done on purpose, as the school is hoping applicants will self-select. If you are not the sort of person who enjoys thinking about and answering this prompt, you likely will not enjoy the overall experience at the school. Due to the nature of this prompt, it is difficult to give concrete advice about answering any specific question they ask. Instead, we will provide some examples of well-written answers and try to give general guidelines for answering these sorts of questions.

Why Us - Example

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.* (250-500)

Multispection (seeing from many angles) was never my strong suit. Instead, my innate desire to solve problems as efficiently as possible often gave me tunnel vision. It wasn’t until disaster struck my street during Hurricane Harvey that I learned the value of analyzing a subject from all sides.

I used the three weeks trapped in my house to wade into the muddy waters of public policy. It was only by scouring a vast array of disparate sources that I was able to painstakingly piece together the concrete consequences of decades-old decisions. How can we learn from disasters like Harvey to develop sustainable crisis response methods that prioritize personal safety?

UChicago’s emphasis on engaging with a wide range of perspectives from various disciplines when tackling pressing social issues will enable me to answer such questions. As a Public Policy Studies major, I am eager to dive into the dialectical relationship between economic pursuits and moral responsibility. While classes like  Modern Political Thought and Liberalism: Origins and Challenges will fuel my curiosity about how political systems can advocate for social justice, courses like Urban Economics and Industrial Organization will ground my lofty ideals in concrete data.

Hyde Park is more than just a group of English Gothic buildings filled with endless classrooms. Organizations like the Chicago Journal of Public Policy and Environmental Research Group will allow me to apply what I’ve learned in the classroom in a real-world urban setting. Furthermore, while engaging with Lean on Me and Camp Kesem, I will have the opportunity to add a little sweetness to The Windy City. I can’t wait to immerse myself in UChicago’s vibrant atmosphere as I munch on signature deep-dish pizza, stifling a laugh as I watch Off Off Campus’ latest set.

Why Us - Analysis

This is a straightforward question, especially compared to the other UChicago asks. Many schools want to know why you want to attend there in particular, and UChicago is no different. They do consider demonstrated interest, and this essay is one of the best places to demonstrate that you have considered the merits of the school, and show how they align with your interests. 

The goal of the essay is not just to discuss why you like the school, but to explain why its offerings make it the best possible place for you to go to college. All top schools have impressive academic offerings, but this does not mean that they are the same in all ways. Focus on what a school offers that you can’t find elsewhere. 

In the example above, the author does a good job by discussing why UChicago’s philosophy of learning appeals to them, along with more concrete academic and community offerings. While this is not necessary, it does show admissions officers that you are serious about the school, and that you will fit in with the kind of learning community they want to create. UChicago cares greatly about students’ intellectual vitality, and that they care about learning and discovering for their own sake. Showing how these aspects of UChicago appeal to you in this essay demonstrates your own love of learning.

The author also does a good job specifically describing what aspects of life both inside and outside the classroom appeal to them. The specificity is key, as it is with every why us essay. By being this specific, the author shows that they cared enough about the school to properly research it, and discover which elements spoke to them.

The author includes some aspects in this essay which read like a why major essay. This is entirely acceptable, as UChicago does not ask this question. The key is to frame your answer as why you want to study this major at UChicago specifically. While this isn’t necessary, if you are certain about what you want to major in, it can be a useful inclusion. The key, regardless of what you discuss, is to show genuine passion for whatever you’re writing about.

Other - Example

Find x. –Inspired by Benjamin Nuzzo, an admitted student from Eton College, UK

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Have you found X? If so, read on.

An X is made of two lines, two different parts that intersect. I see myself the same way – my life is composed of two parts and defined by the intersection of those parts. The first part of me can be found in the laboratory, study hall, and office hours. She finds new opportunities to gain knowledge through learning from her mistakes. The other part is out dancing, attending yoga classes, and playing the clarinet wildly; she’s spontaneous and creative in her ability to explore new modes of expression.

The ability to learn from my mistakes defines one part of me; my time researching the neurodegenerative disease Friedreich Ataxia (FA) has taught me to value it. After my first experiment went awry—I should have taken extra steps against cross-contamination—I was terrified to admit my error to the team, but I never would have guessed that I was actually going through a rite of passage for every scientist. I was stunned when a senior researcher beat me to the punch at our weekly lab meetings, telling us that she made the same error and discussing the protocol she should have followed. The small moment changed my perspective; I began to see research not only as living up to expectations, but as discovering new and improved techniques. Ultimately, what made the difference was a paradigm shift: beginning research afraid of mistakes, I finished with the Zen acceptance that these mistakes were an opportunity to self-correct. Now, I’ve become transparent, overcoming the awkwardness of admitting my own mistakes and freely sharing my learning experiences with others.

My other side holds my ability to comfortably step out of my comfort zone and into new, unfamiliar areas. Growing up as a classically trained dancer in the Indian style of Kathak, I was used to the familiarity of the beats, bells, and bhols (a sound used to identify rhythms). When I moved to the Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics, I left my former dance guru behind and prepared a radical change by signing up for modern studio dance. Initially, I struggled with hip-hop – popping and locking didn’t really blend with my classical upbringing – but giggling at myself as I swung my arms and jumped with my friends helped me enjoy the new style. This made for the perfect end to my junior year, when I rallied my creative juices, choreographed my take on a Bollywood dance, and performed with my floormates for our school talent show. I spun to the beat, remembering my roots and exhibiting my Kathak-hip-hop rendition of Andy Grammer’s “Good to be Alive.” Since then, I’ve explored even more forms of dance, and come to appreciate that inexperience is just an opportunity to find new interests.

X is found by sharing. In the intersection between a mistake and its solution or a habit and a new experience, there’s a moment we decide to take the parts of ourselves we understand and incorporate something novel. It’s always a bit scary; whether I’m sharing with my lab group or performing in front of my class, growing is at least as demanding as it is fun. Over the last year, I’ve come to embrace that intersection of effort and recreation. I’m no longer the girl who hesitates. Novel situations no longer flood my body with nerves—rather, I’m excited to face new situations and embrace the unfamiliarity they bring, as epitomized by the intersection of the two lines of the X.

Other - Analysis

There are several ways to answer these questions. The first, and perhaps easiest, is to answer it in the style of other college essays. When you do this, you display multiple aspects of your personality and background to the school, let them know what you’ve experienced, and what you’ve learned from these experiences. With a bit of creativity, you can even reuse other essays you’ve had to write when assembling the UChicago essay, even if all of the framing will need to be done anew.

The other way to answer these questions is to lean into it. Give an answer to the question at hand, no matter how absurd, and in so doing demonstrate how you think logically and approach the problems ahead of you. This is more difficult, as many of these questions do not, at first appearance, have reasonable answers. Therein lies the challenge, and doing this well demonstrates your ability to think critically about difficult topics.

In the example above, the author opts for the first approach. They use the first paragraph to frame how they will answer the question, and they do so cleverly. By making the question reflexive, and then finding the “x” which represents them, they are able to both answer the question, and tell admissions officers more about who they are and what they’ve done.

The first branch of their X talks about an academic extracurricular, performing research in a lab. They show what they have learned from the experience, maturing enough to own their mistakes, and acquiring a new perspective on their purpose while pursuing research. The material used here would work well in another essay, and has merely been reformatted to answer a question they asked themselves.

The second branch of their X is about who they are outside of the classroom, and discusses how they transferred from traditional Indian dance, to stepping outside of their comfort zone and attempting new styles. In many ways, this resembles a community essay, and while the message has been changed to fit, they were likely able to reuse material between essays.

Finally, they tie the strings together, covering the convergence of both strands into the X which is them. This is a strong conclusion, and demonstrates their desire to continue learning and growing, expanding upon who and what they are. 

The point of this essay is to demonstrate how you think and approach a novel problem. The questions are esoteric on purpose; how else will they deliberately provoke the sorts of answers they wish to see? If you decide to take the more esoteric approach to answering the question, then know that your reasoning and logic matter far more than the answer you give. There is no right answer to a question such as this, which means that they are not looking for rightness in a response. Instead, admissions officers want to see how you think, and how you apply your thinking.

There are a variety of prompts each year, some more like this, others geared towards letting you discuss your own achievements more easily. When deciding which prompt to answer, and how to answer it, consider your strengths, and how to play to them. If you have fantastic achievements in extracurriculars you long to share, you can find a way to work those in. If your extracurriculars were worn out from the personal statement, and you long to write and reason for their own sakes, then consider answering the prompts in their own style, and respond as you have been asked. We’ll give an example of how to do that below.

Dreamer - Example

Spanish poet Antonio Machado wrote, Between living and dreaming there is a third thing. Guess it. Give us your guess.

Inspired by Jill Hampshire, AB 08

Between the living and dreaming is a world of ideas. These ideas come as we are falling asleep, or just beginning to wake, and often flee with the remnants of dreams. But this state of ideas between dreams and reality is where the truly fantastical ideas come from. It is where anything is possible and nothing is forbidden, this strange landscape of our minds is where we come up with our most incredible ideas. This place cannot be called a dream, for you aren’t asleep, but you are not completely awake either. Technically it could be called daydreaming, but this is not quite correct. In daydreams we purposefully change our situations in ways we know will never happen, but wish were true. In the world of ideas between dreams and wakefulness are ideas that seem impossible, and yet just within our reach, if we only stretched out a little further.

Ideas exist between dreams and life because they combine elements of both. Like dreams they can be incredibly unrealistic or even magical, but like life you have some control over what happens. In dreams you are nothing more than a passenger, along for the ride, hoping it ends well. Ideas, on the other hand, can be changed or rearranged or even destroyed outright, if they do not suit our purposes as they are. In real life there are many things we are unable to control, but with our ideas, in the world of our minds, every detail and aspect can be made perfect. Transferring ideas to reality is much harder, but is not always impossible. Often the hardest part is coming up with a good idea in the first place, but that is where dreams come in.

In life, it seems everything that can be invented already has, and all else else is physically impossible. In dreams, however, anything and everything is possible, and flying cars are real and present as lightbulbs. In ideas, we combine the possibilities presented in dreams with knowledge from life experience. Before we could fly, someone dreamt of flight, saw the mechanics of birds, and combined the two into an idea of powered flight. Obviously this idea was not practically applied when it was first conceived, but the idea was there, and ideas have power. In the place between dreams and life, the ideas of others act as seeds in fertile soil, and give fruit to new ideas. The more knowledge and dreams there are, the more ideas can be conceived, and from them even more ideas. Ideas combine the impossibility of dreams with the practicality of life to bring new things out into the world. If we only had dreams, then nothing would be accomplished, because dreams are often impractical to the point of impossibility. If we only had life, and did not dream, we would have no inventions, and no sense of wonder. Ideas are the meeting place of the two, where impossible dreams are made practical enough to be able to succeed in life. Between living and dreaming are ideas, and from ideas the world as we know it was born.

Dreamer - Analysis

This essay seems to tell us nothing about the author. We do not learn what activities they did, where they succeeded or failed, what their life is like; indeed, this essay goes against most advice you will see on how to write college essays.

Yet the essay still works, because you do learn about the author through reading it, and because of what UChicago is looking for in these essays. The author shows us how they think, how they form an argument, and how they reach conclusions. Most importantly, they show how they fit into the ethos of UChicago. Among other jokes, UChicago is known as one of the most theory-focused universities. They did not add an engineering department until 2011, and it still serves grad students primarily, with undergrads an afterthought.

Thus an essay glorifying theory regardless of practicality fits quite well into how UChicago sees itself, and shows that the author would fit into what they are trying to build. By showing their ability to form and argue an opinion on a very weird topic, the author shows their intellectual capabilities. UChicago cares deeply about having students who are able to express themselves clearly through writing; a large part of the core curriculum is devoted to ensuring this. Thus demonstrating your ability to think and argue, especially on an esoteric topic like their essays provide, goes a long way towards showing your fit for the school. While the essay tells us nothing about what the author has done, it does demonstrate some of who the author is, and how they think. A perfect essay would likely cover all three, but an essay of logic alone is enough here.

We should note that essays of this kind only work for UChicago. They ask weird questions in order to elicit weird and interesting responses, due to the kind of students they are trying to attract and admit. You should not write essays of this kind unless schools are clearly asking for them, and even then you do not have to. There is nothing wrong with writing a more standard college essay and making it fit the prompt. That said, if you want to write about something weird, and are capable of doing so at a high level, you can do so for these essays, so long as you demonstrate how you think.

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Hey everyone! I'm applying to UChicago soon, and I know they have some unique essay prompts. Can anyone share what kinds of essay questions they have seen or written previously for UChicago applications? I'm curious about the level of creativity they're looking for. Thanks!

Hello! UChicago certainly has a reputation for unique and quirky essay prompts that encourage creativity and outside-the-box thinking. While the specific prompts vary from year to year, I can give you an idea of the types of questions they've asked in the past to help you understand the level of creativity they're looking for. Keep in mind that you should always check the current year's prompts when working on your application.

Here are a few examples of past UChicago essay prompts:

1. "Find x." — This open-ended question allows you to take the concept of 'x' in any direction you choose, whether it's mathematical, philosophical, or metaphorical.

2. "If you could choose to be raised by robots, dinosaurs, or aliens, who would you pick? Why?" — This playful prompt encourages you to think about your upbringing and values while considering unconventional "parents."

3. "What is square one, and can you truly go back?" — This philosophical question pushes students to think about the concept of starting over and whether it's possible.

4. "A hot dog might be a sandwich, and cereal might be a soup, but is a a ?" — Fill in the blanks and argue your case.

5. "Alice falls down the rabbit hole. Milo drives through the tollbooth. Dorothy is swept up in the tornado. Neo takes the red pill. Don't tell us about another world you've imagined, heard about, or created. Rather, tell us about its portal. Sure, some people think of the University of Chicago as a portal to their future, but please choose another portal to write about."

These prompts encourage you to think creatively, and there's no "correct" answer or approach. What UChicago is looking for is how well you can develop your thoughts and express them in writing. It's the perfect opportunity to showcase your personality, interests, and writing skills. Don't be afraid to think outside the box, and most importantly, have fun with it!

For some in-depth advice on tackling the UChicago prompts, check out this CollegeVine article: https://blog.collegevine.com/how-to-write-the-uchicago-essays-2023-2024

Good luck with your UChicago application!

About CollegeVine’s Expert FAQ

CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.

Unique UChicago essay questions spark students’ creativity

August 20, 2021

By Lily Levine

AB'22, Writer, College Editorial Team

Whether it is finding where Waldo really is, considering who Sally sells her seashells to or exploring what can actually be divided by zero, every University of Chicago undergraduate since the 1980s has written an essay as part of the College admissions process. 

While the first supplemental essay on the UChicago application essentially asks “Why UChicago?”, the Extended Essay encourages creative liberty and provides a window into a prospective student’s personality and passions.

The legendary UChicago Extended Essay dates back to at least 1984, when a prompt invited applicants to imagine themselves as astronauts on Mars and asked them whether they would prefer to be teleported molecule-to-molecule back to earth, or to be the person running the teleporting machine. Prompts were initially developed by College Admissions staff, but in 2000, the practice of inviting admitted students to contribute questions first began. 

According to Peter Wilson, AB’10, MBA’17, assistant vice president of enrollment and student advancement and director of undergraduate admissions, the essay gives prospective students an opportunity to demonstrate how they utilize critical thinking and rigorous inquiry to confront unfamiliar situations. 

“When students come to the College, they will invariably be met with a situation or problem they have never encountered before, be it academics-related or otherwise” Wilson said. “This prompt gives Admissions counselors a way to evaluate how students will navigate those situations once they are at UChicago.”

John W. Boyer, the dean of the College, said the fundamental idea behind the Extended Essay is to invite prospective students to be creative in a serious but intellectually playful way in response to an open-ended challenge. 

“These essays not only reveal much about the qualities of mind of our students, but they also show our students something of the intellectually dynamic culture they will be joining if they matriculate here as members of our community,” Boyer said.

Each year, applicants choose from six essay options—five are prompts selected for that application cycle, and the sixth allows applicants to choose a prompt from past years or create one of their own. 

“We offer a number of options because we understand students are different—they have different interests and backgrounds, a wide variety of experiences and views, and they engage different parts of their brains," Wilson said. "We are interested in diversity in all its forms, and a wide variety of questions allows for a wide variety of ideas to be represented."

Selecting new prompts every year begins with soliciting members of the UChicago community, both past and present, and asking them to submit ideas. Those interested in sending in their ideas for the 2022-23 application cycle can expect to see a call-for-submissions email next May.

By engaging current students and alumni in the process, the Extended Essay connects prospective students with the UChicago community. After receiving an average of nearly 1,000 essay prompt submissions each year, a small group of Admissions counselors then meet to review and finalize the year’s list. 

Grace Chapin James, AB’11, is very familiar with the process, having served as the chair of the essay committee for eight of the 10 years that she worked in the Office of College Admissions. 

“When we give people these creative questions, the goal is to open up their minds and see if they have a level of creativity or flexibility and exploration that will lend itself well to being in a UChicago classroom,” said James, who is now director of student recruitment and admissions at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. 

Overall, Wilson says the essay shows prospective students that the University is interested in getting a sense for how they think before they step foot on campus. 

“It also signals to prospective students that we are an institution that values and celebrates novel ways of thinking and solving problems,” he added.

Below, view two of the 2021-2022 essay prompts for prospective students and the thought process behind their creation. The rest of the prompts can be found here .

Applications for the Class of 2026 are open through the Coalition and Common Applications. For more information, visit getstarted.uchicago.edu .

In Homer’s Iliad, Helen had a “face that launched a thousand ships.” A millihelen, then, measures the beauty needed to launch one ship. The Sagan unit is used to denote any large quantity (in place of “billions and billions”). A New York Minute measures the period of time between a traffic light turning green and the cab behind you honking. Invent a new unit of measurement. How is it derived? How is it used? What are its equivalents?

—Inspired by Carina Kane, Class of 2024, and Ishaan Goel, Class of 2025

The first thing that rising second-year Carina Kane, a pre-medical student and anthropology major, learned about UChicago as a prospective student was that it had unusual essay prompts. Because of this, she decided to apply.

“I really liked the freedom [of the essay], because I could pretty much choose anything and then weave whatever story or anecdote into it and make it my own question. And I definitely knew when I was answering the question that I wanted to include something that I was interested in, but I wanted to mostly talk about something that would give some indication about who I am.” 

At the end of her first year on campus, inspired by past prompts, Kane submitted her own with the goal of giving students freedom to present their stories. From chemistry to economics to architecture, nearly every field includes a unit of measurement, and Kane hopes applicants will apply their knowledge in their subject of expertise. 

“I hope students will choose something that they're really interested in, and take that freedom that comes with the question and extend their knowledge in that subject to a fantastical realm. Everything's rigid when you're working with certain subjects, and I'd hope that they could take that and turn it into something invented and imagined.”

"There is no such thing as a new idea" - Mark Twain. Are any pieces of art, literature, philosophy, or technology truly original, or just a different combination of old ideas? Pick something, anything (besides yourself), and explain why it is, or is not, original.

—Inspired by Haina Lu, Class of 2022

Haina Lu, a rising fourth-year majoring in economics and public policy, chose to submit a prompt because the Extended Essay was one of her favorite parts of the College application process. 

Her idea was partly inspired by the “ship of Theseus” paradox, which asks whether an object that has had its components entirely replaced fundamentally remains the same object. It was also inspired by late-night conversations with her housemates in Cathey Dining Hall. 

“The Extended Essay makes the overall undergraduate body more creative and colorful,” she said. “Having an Extended Essay prompt allows students to present their ideas in a more freeform way, which contributes to making a more curious and eccentric—in the best way— student body.” 

—This article also appears on the UChicago News website.

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University of Chicago

Find x anonymous, it is a creative response to the famous "find x" question from uchicago. it is written from the point of view of x which is trying to figure out it's identity in different ways..

I’m the heart of a million questions in your math textbook. Universally cursed, universally appreciated. I’m immensely thankful to have the privilege of enjoying a timeless celebrity status -the king of the Hollywood of mathematics. Don’t roll your eyes or cringe. I’m not a black and white outdated guy. I have made it to Hollywood several times - for instance, Captain Jack Sparrow’s map. SpaceX , IphoneX, and countless big brands have embraced me, placing me at the forefront of technology.

I’m not pretentious, self exaggerating. I’m honest and open to my insecurities and vulnerabilities. I face an existential crisis. I’m notoriously famous for being something that is not there. The problem was easy if I could just be a vacuum. But no, I’m 2 or 3 or 0.6666 or maybe even 3.141 depending on the circumstances. I don’t change my colors. It’s just that I don’t have a true color. Who am I? Why do you want to find me? And even if you’ve found me, have you?

As if the invisible cloak on me wasn’t enough, I even have the power to cast an invisibility charm on the numbers on your report card if I appear- clothed in red, on your answer sheet. Although I know you do hate me for this, try not to. I’m the symbolic equivalent for “NO” and...

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UChicago Essay Examples

Uchicago essay examples .

As one of the world’s top-ranked universities, the University of Chicago deeply values inquisitive and creative learners. For that reason, UChicago essays that worked are some of the most captivating and unique college essays out there. Hopeful applicants will benefit from reading UChicago essay examples. In fact, beyond just reading UChicago essay examples, closely analyzing UChicago essays that worked is an excellent way to prepare. 

Are you thinking of applying to UChicago but not sure what goes into writing UChicago essays that worked? You’re in the right place! In this article, we’re going to read some UChicago essay examples and see why they impressed admissions.

In this UChicago Essay Examples article we’ll look at: 

• Recent UChicago essay prompts
• Several real University of Chicago essay examples
• Why the UChicago essay matters 
• Tips for writing a UChicago essay, and more!

As one of the best universities in Illinois , the Midwest , and the world, UChicago demands top-tier essays. And with our expert analysis of UChicago essay examples, you’ll be better prepared to craft your own.. 

How many supplemental essays does UChicago have?

There are two supplemental essays required for the UChicago application. These prompts can be found on the university’s site as well as in the Coalition Application or Common Application . It’s important to note these prompts—and, accordingly, UChicago essay examples—vary from year to year. However, you’ll find similarities among UChicago essays that worked regardless of the prompt. 

The first prompt is required of all students and is essentially a “why UChicago” essay. A “why UChicago” essay that works will follow the general framework of any other “why school” essay. 

UChicago essay examples for the second required essay change the most between admissions cycles. This is because the second essay responds to one of several prompts created by UChicago students.

For both required UChicago essay examples, there is no set word limit. However, the University of Chicago admissions office suggests 650 words for the UChicago extended essay example. As for the “why UChicago” essay, the suggested word limit is lower, at 250-500 words. Regardless of your final word count, UChicago essays that worked use their words effectively, as we’ll see soon.

What are the University of Chicago supplemental essay prompts?

UChicago essays that worked will respond to the unique prompts in an innovative and inquisitive manner. That being said, UChicago essay examples vary greatly as the prompts change yearly. 

UChicago posts its current prompts as well as some of the favorite prompts of the past years. In fact, you can even find past favorite University of Chicago prompts from as far back as the nineties. As prompts change, so do UChicago essay examples; however, elements of Uchicago essays that worked are pretty constant. With that said, let’s look at the current UChicago essay prompts.

The first UChicago essay prompt is required of all students:

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., the second essay—the uchicago extended essay.

The second required essay for the UChicago application is inspired by current students. In the most recent application cycle, it asks students to respond to one of the following options:

Essay Option 1:

Exponents and square roots, pencils and erasers, beta decay and electron capture. name two things that undo each other and explain why both are necessary. – inspired by emmett cho, class of 2027, essay option 2:, “where have all the flowers gone” – pete seeger. pick a question from a song title or lyric and give it your best answer. – inspired by ryan murphy, ab’21, essay option 3:, “vlog,” “labradoodle,” and “fauxmage.” language is filled with portmanteaus. create a new portmanteau and explain why those two things are a “patch” (perfect match). – inspired by garrett chalfin, class of 2027, essay option 4:, a jellyfish is not a fish. cat burglars don’t burgle cats. rhode island is not an island. write an essay about some other misnomer, and either come up with and defend a new name for it or explain why its inaccurate name should be kept. – inspired by sonia chang, class of 2025, and mirabella blair, class of 2027, essay option 5:, despite their origins in the gupta empire of india or ancient egypt, games like chess or bowling remain widely enjoyed today. what modern game do you believe will withstand the test of time, and why – inspired by adam heiba, class of 2027, essay option 6:, there are unwritten rules that everyone follows or has heard at least once in their life. but of course, some rules should be broken or updated. what is an unwritten rule that you wish didn’t exist (our custom is to have five new prompts each year, but this year we decided to break with tradition. enjoy) – inspired by maryam abdella, class of 2026, essay option 7:, and, as always… the classic choose your own adventure option in the spirit of adventurous inquiry, choose one of our past prompts (or create a question of your own). 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.

Soon, we’re going to check out some UChicago essay examples. However, you may notice that our UChicago essay examples don’t respond to the current prompts. That doesn’t mean that these UChicago essay examples aren’t helpful! Responses to these prompts will vary greatly based on each student’s story. All UChicago essays that worked are valuable tools to aid you in writing your own college essays. 

Demystifying the UChicago Extended Essay

When considering how to write a UChicago extended essay example, think about how unique all of the UChicago uncommon essay examples are. There is no one-size-fits-all way to craft impressive UChicago essay examples; rather, there are infinite ways to approach them. 

While that may feel overwhelming for some students, try to focus on the creative liberty the UChicago essay examples allow. Because the University of Chicago essay examples are so unique, students have a grand opportunity to express themselves. 

What’s the goal of UChicago essay examples? Well, the UChicago extended essay example has a slightly different goal than “why UChicago” essay examples. The prompts are admittedly “provocative.” After all, this competitive university wants the most curious, inquisitive minds in the nation. Accordingly, successful UChicago essay examples prove that admitted students aren’t afraid of thinking out of the box. 

In the end, although the prompts seem quite different from other college essays, the goal is the same. UChicago essays that worked share more about each student: their interests, background, life experiences, or tastes. The exciting part about the UChicago uncommon essay examples is the rare opportunity to embrace your quirkiness or get serious. The choice is yours! 

UChicago Extended Essay Example

The first of our UChicago uncommon essay examples touches on some themes common in more traditional diversity/background/life experiences prompts. Read the first of our UChicago essay examples closely. How does the writer share more about themselves in an eloquent manner while still responding to this unique prompt?

UChicago Extended Essay Prompt:

A neon installation by the artist jeppe hein in chicago’s charles m. harper center asks this question for us: “why are you here and not somewhere else” (there are many potential values of “here”, but we already know you’re “here” to apply to the university of chicago; pick any”here” besides that one). – inspired by erin hart, class of 2016..

In a culture where Bollywood’s ‘item girls’ receive fame and glory for their provocative dancing and scant clothing, I am often filled with shame and even disgust for my own Indian heritage. Films and television soaps reinforce gender stereotypes of dominating male characters, while their female counterparts are either passive homemakers or desirable ‘item girls.’ These movies are mainstream and celebrated in my culture, watched by children and grandparents alike.

How can I embrace and respect my culture if this inequality pervades? Because I notice these things, and define them as blatantly sexist, does that make me less Indian?

In a culture where dowries are still regularly exchanged between families, I cannot help but notice the objectification of women that is culturally acceptable and ubiquitous. I cannot understand how Indian women all over the world permit their future family to request money and goods equivalent to their supposed ‘worth.’ This is the feminist and Western approach to dowries However, if I look closer, there can be a degree of justification to this practice. The parents-in-law are given money and luxurious goods for the bride in order to protect her if her husband and breadwinner can no longer work.

While this reasoning does offer some justification for the persistent existence of dowries in the 21st century, it brings new objections to the presumption that the bride will not contribute to the family’s income. I see the world through two lenses as the clash between Eastern and Western culture pervades my every thought and action.

During rare family gatherings, the few times I get to see my extended family, the joy of the reunion is mellowed by what I see. The men and children lounge into the couches, sipping tea and crunching bhel (Indian snack), while chuckling and debating over current events. In the kitchen congregate the women, busy cooking and giggling with each other, but in a constant frenzy to prepare the next meal or brew more tea. Distracted by the simmering chai, this room lacks the same fervent discussion of prevalent global issues. The living room and kitchen stand divided between the men and women. As a female young-adult, I am confused as to where I belong- to which room do I go? While we are one family, the divide remains firm. I feel sick to my stomach, as I alone perceive the waves of sexism that ripple beneath our facade.

Adding to this confusion are my looks. I am a rich mocha, but with too much crème, and suddenly I no longer look Indian. My unique ringlets add fuel to my accusers’ claims. Too pale, and too many curls. I have been called nearly every ethnicity in the globe, from African-American to Latina to Russian. When I explain my Indian heritage, aghast, they cry, “But you can’t be Indian!” Hurt, I leave questioning my appearance and the personality I project.

On the other hand, Hindu culture reveres female empowerment through the worship of powerful female deities such as Kali and Lakshmi. This hypocrisy baffles me. Why I am here? Why am I Indian, when everyone questions my ethnicity, and I, myself, question certain practices?

I realize, I am here to question and ponder, because thinking about the life and environment in which you live is critical. Because the fact remains that I absolutely love my culture. The passionate, unrequited urges to dance at every occasion in a flurry of vibrancy cannot be found anywhere else. I love the intrinsic and irrevocable respect for the knowledge and experiences elders bring. Also, I appreciate the emphasis on family as ultimate supporters and best friends. I even love the sense of duty and service that being a daughter brings. Outwardly, perhaps, I don’t conform to the typical model of an Indian girl, reserved and soft-spoken, with thick, straight hair and rich mocha skin, but I have the heart and soul of one.

Why This UChicago Essay Worked

With endless ways to respond, this writer’s UChicago extended essay example offers the reader a unique look into her life. She contemplates the many clashes in her own culture and her way of thinking and navigating the world. However, in her final reflection on precisely why she’s “here,” she affirms the centrality of her culture to her sense of self. 

The author of the first of our UChicago essays that worked dissects aspects of her culture that disquiet her. The reader sees an inquisitive person who’s always questioned cultural norms that others within her family might not have. Of course, she doesn’t completely reject a culture because she doesn’t completely agree with it. On the contrary, she’s able to find and appreciate the parts that have shaped her into who she is. Additionally, while she may not exemplify what’s “typical” of her culture, she recognizes that it’s nevertheless intrinsic to her experience. And she loves it. 

UChicago essays that worked often show growth. In the first of our UChicago uncommon essay examples, the writer shows how she’s navigated the inner conflict she experiences around her culture. In the end, even though she doesn’t come to a conclusive answer, the writer accepts the ongoing process of questioning. Moreover, she recognizes her culture and her surroundings aren’t mutually incompatible, but that she must find her own balance. This willingness to accept ambiguity and keep questioning is certainly important at an elite institution like UChicago. 

More UChicago essay examples

Let’s continue with the UChicago uncommon essay examples. Again, as you read this UChicago extended essay example, note features common among college essays—not just UChicago essay examples. 

UChicago Essay Prompt:

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., uchicago essay example.

Downton Abbey makes me fantasize about the elaborate fashions of the 1900s, with long taffeta gowns and hats bursting with feathers and jewels, each lady is a vision of elegance. Each episode and season leaves me fascinated by the grandeur and magnificence of the house, which stands in stark contrast with the peeling grey wood of the downstairs kitchens and servant halls. The servant’s staircase is shabby and dull, and runs parallel to the vibrant tapestry-covered marble staircase for those upstairs. I am puzzled by the smooth refinement of upstairs, juxtaposed with the panting bustle of downstairs.

I constantly marvel at the writers’ ability to craft characters to whom I can relate, despite the gap of a century. The world they lived in is so vastly different from today, yet people of all ages experience comparable emotions such as jealousy, passion, and shame. I am left breathless by the fact that each character faces similar challenges of familial disappointment, honor, and struggle to find a purpose in life; just as we do today.

Technology may change, but human nature remains the same. In addition, the rich historical background of Downtown Abbey provides intricate context to the larger historical events I learn in class. I am transported from merely learning about the implications of World War 1 and the Spanish Influenza, to learning about how these impacted the daily lives of people.

Downton Abbey is more than merely a television show to me. Calling my grandmother in England to discuss in the elaborate plot twists and new character developments has brought us together for a shared passionate experience in the same living room. We avidly discuss Mary’s slew of new suitors and Daisy’s latest heartbreak via video chat. Excitedly we giggle over birth of baby George and Ms. Pattmore’s witty retorts. In a unique twist, Downton Abbey has become something that transcends the thousands of miles that separate us.

In addition, Pride and Prejudice couples my love of fairytales with my irrevocable feminism.

Forever imprinted in my mind is the first time I attempted to read Jane Austen’s masterpiece, as a plucky third grader who brought the book to reading circle. At that young age, I was merely fascinated by the drama of five girls, each with their own tantalizing personality. But now, I realize the subtle life lessons concealed within each page. This novel makes me squash my teenage urges to judge and categorize people instantly, instead realizing that there is something to be learned from all people from all walks of life- especially the people from whom I am the most different. This subtle yet sparkling wit of Mr. Bennett reminds me to laugh more at the chaos and confusion life often brings.

The dysfunctional and hilarious family dynamic provides comedic relief and reminds me of the 19th century equivalent of a reality show. I admire Jane Austen’s subtle yet thought-provoking feminism through Elizabeth, as she pokes fun at her best friend for marrying without love for money and position, something she could never do. Also, I am inspired by Elizabeth’s passionate resolve against being ‘anybody’s fool! I am drawn by my love for English literature, which provides a window to discover historical intricacies that mirror a universal human experience.

Why This UChicago Essay Stood Out

The second of our UChicago essay examples hooks the reader and shows the author’s ability to connect with others. Much more than simply saying, “I like Downton Abbey because of the costumes”, the writer describes in detail the wardrobe and architecture. UChicago essays that worked provide ample details to help the main idea—and the writer—come to life for the reader.

Then the writer goes on to show how humans share the same feelings and experiences, which transcend time periods. This shows the reader how the writer is capable of empathizing and relating to people even through their differences. As the author points out, human nature is the same no matter the time period. Their personal understanding of this will ideally motivate humanistic, world-changing work at UChicago and beyond.

Focusing on the personal impact

Although this writer includes their grandmother in the essay, notice that the focus comes back to a lesson. Writing about experiences with friends or family in college essays is by no means off limits. However, those who do so should use a strategy like this essay. In other words, the essay should ultimately discuss personal impacts or lessons on character. 

Finally, the writer touches on the book Pride and Prejudice and the feminism portrayed within the book. Through this point, we learn more of the author’s values as well as traits in characters—in people—that they admire. She again ties the book to the underlying theme of her essay which is the universal human experience. 

This multifaceted essay engages the reader, answers the prompt, and allows some insight into the author’s values and way of thinking. 

How do you write a UChicago essay?

Logically, University of Chicago essay examples vary: a UChicago extended essay example differs in many ways from UChicago essay examples. However, while UChicago essays that worked may look very different, they serve the same greater purpose. Above all, writers must show admissions who they are and why they belong at UChicago. 

“Why UChicago” essay examples will follow the format of a “why school” essay. Students should get specific as they reference opportunities, programs, faculty, or extracurriculars found only at UChicago. Additionally, UChicago essay examples should demonstrate just why the writer belongs on campus. How do your values align with those of the university? What will you bring to the school’s community? UChicago essays that worked should also show that UChicago is a good fit for the student—it goes both ways. 

More ‘Why School’ essay examples

Before writing, check out some successful “why school” essay examples from a variety of different schools. Of course, pay special attention to the “why UChicago” essay examples. Additionally, don’t miss essay tips from the University of Chicago admissions team. Given the competitiveness of UChicago admittance, UChicago essays that worked must all stand out.

Why This College Essay Sample

As for the UChicago uncommon essay examples, they can be approached in a myriad of ways. Firstly, be sure to choose the topic that excites you the most. Which immediately catches your eye? If you can’t decide, brainstorm for each first to see what you can write. Then, choose the topic with the most potential for a meaningful essay you want to write. Successful UChicago uncommon essay examples are founded on genuine excitement about the essay, so choose a topic that excites you. 

You may want to free write to get your ideas flowing. From there you can choose the “meat” of your essay out of a slew of words. University of Chicago essay examples must be unique to get you admitted. UChicago essay examples that worked ranged from serious to humorous. Don’t be afraid to have fun and get creative. The main goal is to share with admissions more about yourself. And, of course, show off your writing chops!

Determining a College Essay Topic: Reflection Exercises to Try

Does UChicago care about supplemental essays?

In short, yes, absolutely! Understanding why different University of Chicago essay examples had success will do wonders for students writing their essays. The essays are a pivotal part of the UChicago application. And as one of the best universities in the nation, UChicago wants students with well-crafted essays

Of course, there are many factors that contribute to college acceptance, such as GPA and extracurriculars. Students will want to polish each part of the application, which starts early with your high school curriculum choices.

Making sure that you meet all of the University of Chicago requirements and the UChicago application deadline is also imperative. After all, there’s no use in writing perfect UChicago essay examples if your application is incomplete or late. Start planning your application early so you have documents in hand well before the deadline. With this in mind, most colleges use a holistic evaluation process when considering candidates. With such unique essay prompts, it’s clear that University of Chicago admissions wants students who rise to the occasion. That means students who passionately, creatively, and inquisitively respond to the prompts. 

You’ll notice that all the UChicago essay examples provide some valuable insight into the writer’s life and personality. These wouldn’t have been apparent from other parts of the application. That is to say, your essays should help to fill in your picture, so to speak. Admissions officers read essays to learn more about students to ensure that their values and goals align with the university. 

Need more help with your UChicago essays?

While we’ve checked out a couple of UChicago essays that worked, there are plenty more resources on the topic! In fact, you can check out more University of Chicago essay examples and see just why they worked, too. Reading UChicago uncommon essay examples will help inspire you to write your best UChicago extended essay example. 

The UChicago acceptance rate is one of the most selective in the nation at 5.4% . In light of that, applicants should do everything possible to make their application stand out. Read our how to get into UChicago guide for more tips on being a competitive candidate. 

While our “how to get into” guides cover each step of the application process, we have additional resources beyond UChicago essay examples. Watch our webinar for more valuable insight on how to write and edit your own UChicago essays. You can also take a look at UChicago admissions’ announcement of the most recent prompts in the video below.

Chicago Essay Examples – 5 Takeaways

What have we learned from these UChicago uncommon essay examples? Here are 5 key things to keep in mind to make sure that your University of Chicago essay examples are successful. 

5 Tips for Writing Chicago Essay Examples

1. start early.

This goes for all aspects of the college journey, from the demographic info to the essays. The UChicago application deadline can creep up with everything else busy high schoolers have going on. Don’t let it take you by surprise! Specifically, successful University of Chicago essay examples have almost certainly undergone more than one revision. Start your essays well before the UChicago application deadline to make plenty of time to brainstorm, outline, draft, and edit. Before applying, check out all of the application deadline options to see what works best for you!

2. Choose your topic carefully

In order to write your best essay, you’ll want to choose the topic that most excites you. Which prompt caught your immediate attention? And, can you respond fully to the prompt in a way that shows more of your personality and values to the University of Chicago admissions team? The strongest University of Chicago essay examples brimming with passionate language and excitement.

3. Get creative

You’ll notice that UChicago uncommon essay examples usually hook the reader. This is where the favorite writing phrase comes in handy: show, don’t tell. When writing your essays, don’t merely list your points. Captivate the reader with descriptive language and attention-grabbing narrative strategies. The successful University of Chicago examples almost read like a story that you just don’t want to put down. 

4. Meet the requirements

While there is no official word limit for the UChicago uncommon essay examples, there are “recommendations”. Successful University of Chicago essay examples are often 250–500 words for the first prompt and about 650 for the second. Obviously, be sure to answer both required essays!

5. Show who you are

This is the most important part of all college essays. Of course, comprehensively answering the prompt is also vital, but applicants must also tell admissions about themselves. Don’t just repeat other parts of your application; use the essays to share something about yourself that admissions wouldn’t see otherwise. Most importantly, be yourself! One of the most common mistakes applicants make is trying to write something that University of Chicago admissions officers want to read. Answer the prompts in an authentic and unique way. 

Overall, remember that UChicago uncommon essay examples are an opportunity to stand out among a pool of qualified candidates. At one of the most selective universities in the nation, UChicago uncommon essay examples catch the eye of the admissions team. So, be sure to read several UChicago uncommon essay examples possible before starting your own. They’ll surely spark inspiration as well as show what’s worked in the past. 

If you’re feeling overwhelmed after dissecting the UChicago uncommon essay examples, don’t worry! CollegeAdvisor’s Admissions Experts help students in every step of the college application journey, specifically with the University of Chicago requirements. They offer personalized support with everything from creating a college list to writing essays to applying for financial aid. 

Don’t focus on rankings and acceptance rates when planning your essays—just creatively show who you are through your prompt responses. Have fun when writing each UChicago essay! After all, people call them “uncommon essays” for a reason. UChicago wants you to think outside of the box when responding to their one-of-a-kind UChicago essay prompts. 

Sarah Kaminski wrote this article. Looking for more admissions support? Click here to schedule a free meeting with one of our Admissions Specialists. During your meeting, our team will discuss your profile and help you find targeted ways to increase your admissions odds at top schools. We’ll also answer any questions and discuss how CollegeAdvisor.com can support you in the college application process.

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18 Successful UChicago Essays

Updated for the 2024-2025 admissions cycle.

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The University of Chicago is a private research institution with a strong history and dedication to education quality, located in the lively, diverse city of Chicago. Founded in 1890, UChicago has long been a national leader in research, academic rigor, and cutting-edge technology. Known for its strong humanities and social science programs—particularly its economics department—the University of Chicago houses Nobel Prize-winning faculty and over 15,000 students from all walks of life. The school is also known for its deep commitment to social justice, and it has projects centered around economics and poverty, the environment, and global health. For students hoping to access a vibrant campus culture at an excellent Midwestern school, the University of Chicago is an incredible option.

Unique traditions at UChicago

1. Fundamentals: University of Chicago students, faculty and alumni perform a complex swing dance known as "Fundamentals" each year at the University's reunion weekend. 2. Rubbing the Russell: It’s believed that if you rub the staff of sculptor Henry Hering’s Russell on the Main Quad at the University of Chicago, you will get an A in your next class. 3. Scav-Hunt: The world-renowned Scavenger Hunt is a five day event hosted by the student organization organization, the Hysterical Society. Teams compete to complete tasks, photo challenges, and other odd tasks for the chance to win a trophy. 4. Kerplunk: Every year, the University of Chicago holds an unofficial competition called “Kerplunk,” in which teams compete to build an intricate, motorized sculpture and have it reach the top of the campus' tallest building. 5. Student Court: Each year, the University of Chicago holds a unique mock trial competition called the Student Court, in which students must put on a fully-staged trial in order to prove the innocence or guilt of one of the University's most famous alumni.

Programs at UChicago

1. Student Government: University of Chicago’s elected Student Government is a student-led organization that focuses on creating a more vibrant and passionate campus community. They host programming and advocate on behalf of students on a wide range of issues. 2. debate Team: The University of Chicago debate Team engages in preparation and research to compete with the highest levels of collegiate debate. It offers a unique space for students to both improve their debating skills and learn the importance of civic engagement. 3. Maroon Investment Group: This unique club provides University of Chicago students with the opportunity to develop their financial knowledge and to create and manage a real-world portfolio of local stocks and mutual funds. 4. Music Association: This student-run music association provides support for budding student musicians and creative expression. Through events, like jams and artist meetups, the Music Association provides a safe and collaborative space for students to explore various genres of music. 5. International House: Located near the main campus, the International House is a unique living space for students from all over the world to live together and develop a global perspective. The house also offers a range of educational, cultural and social activities that promote global understanding and cross-cultural exchange.

At a glance…

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Real Essays from UChicago Admits

Prompt: 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..

Reading about random things is fun. No seriously, have you ever tried it? Well, let me explain it to you! If a stranger could take a peek in my search history, they would find me dual-tasking subjects that have little to no connection, and leave with a puzzled look on their face. My after-midnight reading about the Collatz Conjecture is balanced with watching countless UChicago student videos filled with squirrels and hammocks. On other nights, they would see me looking through the New York Times, reading about the international disagreements of America, Russia, and China, all the while scrolling through the university’s vast, fascinating—and quite funny—meme Facebook page.

Because of my interest in exploring different topics, it has come to the pressing time where I need to make an important decision—which thematic track of global studies would I like to pursue at the University of Chicago? Law, Borders, and Security lets me dive into the complexities of borders, and how people immigrate to other countries to uncover new opportunities, as my Jamaican parents did. During high school, I conducted an independent study on misinformation and global politics. While researching, it led me to discover the ways these two things can create false perceptions concerning countries and migration. Reading the syllabus for Professor Solomon's course “Anthropology of Borders,” has made me excited to study the trends and practices of border crossings, and how the police and military play a role. However, the connections between different aspects of human life, from urbanism and environmentalism, compel me to consider the Health, Environment, and Urban Studies track. Getting lost in sustainable cities through my [Name Redacted] research, I learned about governance and the established policies for urban farming, while developing new solutions for food insecurity. Because of this, I wish to take Professor Schlutz’s course “Philosophies of Environmentalism and Sustainability,” allowing me to study the philosophical nature of land ethics, and the ways that humans have treated land.

Fueled by my night time Google searches, I’ve found myself intrigued with the stars up above and our genetic code. But there’s an easy fix for this, which also happens to be my favorite part of UChicago: the Core. My desire to take classes in these subjects is allowed by the various options within the interdisciplinary curriculum, and supported by the average class size of under twenty. I can apply all my searching and reading by being allowed to pick and choose what kind of classes I can take to fulfill the requirements. I can ultimately learn more about why stars shine so brightly and the development origins of cells. And, I can even ramble on and on about what I’ve learned to my future inquisitive and motivated UChicago classmates. Speaking of classmates, I have big plans to develop future friendships. Being able to spend time in one of many libraries—with my personal favorite being the automated Mansueto—we can study topics we’re deeply passionate about. At Hallowed Grounds, I can grab a snack and laugh with them over The Shady Dealer. And on Wednesdays, we can drink $1 milkshakes, while walking around the main Quad and talking about our lives.

UChicago allows me to keep up with my love for discussion and diplomacy through its Debate Society and Chicago Model United Nations. Providing accurate reporting is very important, so I aspire to get involved and become a positive influence in the UChicago journalism community. I wish to continue my journalistic writing I did throughout high school, by joining the university’s student newspaper, The Chicago Maroon, where I can report on campus, and cultural news. UChicago also fosters my interest in discovery and understanding, so I hope to conduct research in the Energy and Environment Lab. Here, I’m able to combine everything I did during my [Name Redacted] research, including when I studied the connection between food production and economics. I’m excited to work in this Lab where I can learn more about various aspects of city sustainability, including how to limit the impacts of air pollution and improve urban settings.

Ultimately, the university fulfills my desire to continue giving back, as many of my weekends are spent tutoring children in my city. The Neighborhood Schools Program allows me to keep my passion for mentoring by being able to help children around Hyde Park excel in various subjects. But, with everything that UChicago offers, it has left me with one final question: What impact do I wish to make? I have hopes of becoming knowledgeable about the laws that govern us in order to help people, but I also wish to pursue deeper research of global issues to benefit others. However, no matter where my future at UChicago takes me, I want to have a bit of fun by writing about it too.

Essay by Neverland

Political Science Major (Maybe Pre-Law we'll see lol) at the University of Chicago

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Someone with the same interests, stats, and background as you

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I wrote an original essay for every 2020-2021 UChicago Prompt. Here you go.

2020-21 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.

Doesn't. Too cold. Zero interest in banking.

Question 2: Extended Essay (Required; Choose one)

Essay option 1.

Who does Sally sell her seashells to? How much wood can a woodchuck really chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? Pick a favorite tongue twister (either originally in English or translated from another language) and consider a resolution to its conundrum using the method of your choice. Math, philosophy, linguistics... it's all up to you (or your woodchuck).

Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear. Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair. Fuzzy Wuzzy wasn’t fuzzy, was he?

He absolutely could still be fuzzy. And for you to imply he's not for such reasons isn't an indictment on his character: It's an indictment on yours.

Fuzzy doesn't mean "hairy". Fuzzy is a description: a thing people think about you. That they feel about you. It's like saying that because Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair, he obviously wasn't charismatic.

As a kid, I would wake up early to watch the owl who lived in our tallest tree circle the skies and then dive bomb to absolute merc some poor rat 200 feet below. I would jump and clap and be so excited. I felt like he was showing off because I was there. That he wanted to impress me. I named him Jeffery and cared about him deeply. He was fuzzy. If a hungry, murderous bird could be fuzzy, then a furless bear absolutely can be, too.

I own the fuzziest cat on Earth. Her name's Penny and she's a domestic shorthair. I got her the earliest possible point I could, which was two days after her spade procedure. They basically shave the entire bottom of the cat to do it, so I was handed an 8-week kitten that looked like a Chia Pet. I'd always had cats growing up, but they always liked my mom or my sisters more than me. To have my little shaved girl come and sit on my lap and be my buddy made me fall for her so hard immediately.

Her hair grew back, but she could still look exactly the same to this day, and I'd feel exactly the same way about her. Penelope Culkin is fuzzy as hell, and don't you forget it.

So I guess my answer is: I don't know if Fuzzy Wuzzy is fuzzy or not. And neither do you. For I look to a day when a bear will not be judged by the length of their fur, but by the content of their character.

EDIT: Dude, I don’t care that I put this up eight hours ago. This just hit me and I’m freaking out. No shit Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair. HE’S A BEAR.

Essay Option 2

What can actually be divided by zero?

Zero. Zero can absolutely be divided by zero. And maybe it equals one. Or also zero. Or maybe infinity. Or maybe all three. I don’t know. But you absolutely can do it , and I will never let this go.

My favorite TVTropes page is "Writers cannot do math". It's a general concept for whenever a foolhardy English major is tasked with writing about an advanced field of study he does not understand. If you've ever heard a "hacker" talk about needing to "enhance" a "computer" to "do something," you've seen this trope in action.

(You've also seen this trope in action if you were in my AP Stats test room in 2008. The one in which I scored a 1 and, instead of answering the last question, wrote a full-page essay apologizing to the grader for having to witness what I had done and explaining why math was obviously not the right career path for me going forward. I have always been me.)

Where I run into trouble these days is with my job. I'm a college admissions consultant. I mostly work with elite students trying to get into the very best schools in America. A lot of those students are interested in fields like Computer Science, Math, Engineering, Pre-Med, or Pre-Law. And these kids are the real deal. I have no doubt in my mind that many of them could jump right to grad school or working and be fine. Undergrad is merely a technicality.

But to get into undergrad, they have to write essays. And that's where I come in. I help them outline their thoughts and then edit the work after they've written it. It's a cool job, except that 70% of the time, I have no idea what they are talking about.

Parents pay me a lot for what I do, and there is no shortage of alternative consultants for them to pick instead. Part of getting chosen is looking the part: I wear fun college shirts and nice jeans and get my haircut at a salon. I've picked up hobbies like piano and worked on my physique. I talk openly about my life but with an air of positivity and determination that makes me seem like I have so much more figured out than I actually do. I have essentially transformed myself into the type of person who could get into Stanford. Because it's the only way to make it seem like I could do it for them, too.

So then, when a student mentions some coding competition or advanced physics formula to me, I have to play ball. I have to bluff that I totally know what they're talking about, only to frantically Google the topic when they go to the bathroom. It sucks, but it feels necessary. It's also forced me to learn piano, get in shape, update my wardrobe, write more, be funny and positive, and learn as much as I can about as many topics as possible.

And those are things that I know can't be divided by zero.

I know that's lame and makes no sense; I'm really bad at math.

Essay Option 3

The seven liberal arts in antiquity consisted of the Quadrivium — astronomy, mathematics, geometry, and music — and the Trivium — rhetoric, grammar, and logic. Describe your own take on the Quadrivium or the Trivium. What do you think is essential for everyone to know?

I'm a lot more adept at Trivium—being I'm a professional writer who also debates and also thinks about things sometimes. I'd like to focus on the writing aspect because there absolutely is one thing I'd like people to know:

The only way to get better at writing is to write.

I consider writing a trade. I'm closer to a pipe-fitter than I am a philosopher. I've also been writing and publishing work on the internet since I was 14. You can find my "first mixtape" if you want. Go to Gamefaqs.com and search for "The Sims Bustin' Out". Then click "guide" by the Gamecube version and click the second link written by “baubeta”

I am so sorry.

If you do unfortunately read it, you'll find that many of the style and flavor elements are shockingly similar to how I write today. What is different is in the quality of prose, grammar, spelling, and everything else that makes good writing not what that is.

If you then dig out other works, like my five articles for Cracked.com posted when I was 21 under the pseudonym "Matthew Culkin," you'll see a marked improvement. But even in those pieces, I can't help but spot inconsistencies with pace. Hell, go to my Website (CollegeWithMattie.com! Become a Zoomer today!) and read the stuff I published 10 months ago. I do not think it is as good as what I’m writing today.

So, it’s with that knowledge I get more than a bit annoyed whenever someone says, You want to write better? What you need is TO READ.

No. You don’t. You need to write, homeboy.

I’ve beaten over 1,000 video games. Can’t make one! Eaten tens of thousands of meals. Can’t cook shit!

There is absolutely nothing wrong with reading-- huge fan --but it does not make you a better writer. It just doesn’t. It so totally doesn’t why do people say reading helps you write it doesn’t.

My guess is it relates to why there are parents out there who think they could do my job for me if they just had the time. It’s also why writers don’t get paid food-wages unless they’re college consultants and/or famous. I think people assume high-level writing is much easier than it actually is.

Everyone writes, so being great at it seems like a short hop. But everyone drives, too, and you don’t hear Nascar Drivers telling each other they need to watch the Fast and Furious movies more. That hubris is what leads to the concept that if you want to write like Hemmingway, all you have to do is read his stuff, and you’ll have it all figured out. Short sentences. Got it.

But you won’t. For the same reason I can’t watch a bunch of Christoper Nolan films and suddenly be ready to rock a stage camera. I have been pushing myself as a writer for fifteen years, and I truly believe it is what I was put on Earth to do. I put my absolute A-game into everything I publish because I want people to understand I can go and that I do go. I think I am awesome at writing, and I know the endless mountains containing millions of click-clack words I have scaled to get where I am. So I'm sorry if I come off like a pretentious dick when opining that if you're now 27 and haven't written anything worth reading up until this point, you might need to do a bit more than read Game of Thrones again to step to my level.

The best reading will get you is ideas. I steal stuff I write all the time. But that comes naturally from reading the content I like and then forgetting that my hot takes someone else actually came up with. But even so, I then repurpose those stolen takes with my crafted sense of style and structure, making them my own. If you steal something but then paint it super nicely, doesn't it feel less stolen?

So go write. Write whatever the hell you want. Then get as much feedback as possible and then use that feedback to write better next time. Install Grammarly Premium, and use it religiously until passive tense makes you anemic. Instead of reading your favorite author, Google "author + writing analysis" and learn why he or she is so great. Elite writing is built every bit as much as it is grown. Learn the blocks and tools your heroes used, and then consider ways you could take those tokens for a spin. Figure out how to "close read" texts and do it, a lot. Don't you dare tell me this counts as reading; it's studying. Also, that advice is all bullshit because ALL I DID TO GET AS GOOD AS I AM AT WRITING WAS WRITEWRITEWRITE ALL THE GODDAMN TIME FOREVER AND ALSO GRAMMARLY PREMIUM HELPED ME SO MUCH TYTY AND ALSO I STUDIED THE BLADE.

Please, I want you to git gud at rite. Never stop writing-writing-writing ---and always be striving to write better today than you wrote before. Then go read something fun to celebrate.

Essay Option 4

Subway maps, evolutionary trees, Lewis diagrams. Each of these schematics tells the relationships and stories of their component parts. Reimagine a map, diagram, or chart. If your work is largely or exclusively visual, please include a cartographer's key of at least 300 words to help us best understand your creation.

That entire last essay was egotistical delusion. All I've ever done is shamelessly rip off Bill Simmons and Drew Magary but make it about whatever dumb topic I'm hyperfocused on that week instead of sports.

And that's something I'll never be able to divide by zero.

—Inspired by Maximilian Site, Class of 2020

Essay Option 5

"Do you feel lucky? Well, do ya, punk?" - Eleanor Roosevelt. Misattribute a famous quote and explore the implications of doing so.

“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent” - Clint Eastwood

The implication is that I’m a smartass.

Wait, here’s another

“Luke, I am your father” - Rosalynne Carter

There. I matched another first lady with another movie quote that isn’t actually the line from the movie. Look it up. Friggin UChicago got Mandella'd on their own supplement. HOW EMBARRASSING.

This prompt blows. I hope you didn't answer this one, kids. Max should have his diploma revoked.

—Inspired by Chris Davey, AB’13

Essay Option 6

Engineer George de Mestral got frustrated with burrs stuck to his dog’s fur and applied the same mechanic to create Velcro. Scientist Percy Lebaron Spencer found a melted chocolate bar in his magnetron lab and discovered microwave cooking. Dye-works owner Jean Baptiste Jolly found his tablecloth clean after a kerosene lamp was knocked over on it, consequently shaping the future of dry cleaning. Describe a creative or interesting solution, and then find the problem that it solves.

Writer Mattie Culkin published a dozen overwrought diary entries to Reddit and skipped seven years of having to build a college consulting career.

Here is how I describe my brain: Ten trillion lightning bolts, all desperately trying to escape the jar I happened to catch them in.

If I don’t write, I go insane. I mean it. I do write, and I’m still half-way there. I get these ideas in my head, and they bounce around like screeching demons. The easy release valve is to tell people about them. That’s what I do with my students instead of doing the work they’re paying me for. I go on long, aimless tangents about whatever is in my brain at that moment. All day, student by student, over and over. Sometimes I apologize for wasting their time. They always reply:

It’s OK. What you said is pretty interesting.

Because I have no idea. These ideas bounce around all day and then I Google them to see if I accidentally stole them from someone else and I didn’t but that makes me like the idea less because had I stolen it I'd at least know it was worth stealing. These bolts are mine, and I’m stuck in this fucking jar with them until I get them out.

So I write. And I publish. And I wait six hours for a moderator to actually publish. And I read every single comment trying to know if anything I put down was even good. Then I read it:

This was so insightful.

I feel my jaw loosen. My eyes quiet. OK. Cool. She said the I-word. It's always a she. That's the magic word she uses when my shit was worth the 15 hours awake and 18 hours not asleep I spent to summon it here. I have zero insight into how I am insightful. I have literally zero memories of writing anything ever. My brain turns off; my fingers turn on; lightning bolts shatter through glass and strike downward into mechanical keys where they may finally lay to rest; I wake up with half-ideas or a piece that's gotten dozens to treat their neurological health or a three-armed starfish wizard named Pat.

Or. Some girl in Rhode Island with 71 karma and 5 upvotes telling me I'm insightful.

I got one! I was insightful, guys :)

I'M INSIGHTFUL. It's the only word that people tell me about my writing that I both believe and makes me feel like I'm doing something of meaning with my life. I'm never insightful when I talk. I'm only interesting, which is bullshit. But then, when I publish something that made someone feel something different, I get to see my favorite word again.

Insightful. Insightful. I wouldn't trade that praise for all the depressed acorns in the world.

I would still be writing here if I never made a single dollar from it. It's serendipitous that I have. I love sharing my work with others, and I love providing insight that affects you in a way that makes your life a little bit better, however that might be.

And that is something that can be divided by

Because I am not a zero.

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UChicago's Find x: The Missing Ingredient

turntablespp 6 / 41   Jan 3, 2011   #2 wow! nicely done! I enjoyed reading this, and I do like this idea for this prompt. I can tell you that you are on the right track of answering the prompt, but I can't be too sure until it is finished. So post up the rest and i'll give it a read. But, this is definitely not a cliche topic to write about. I think it is rather fascinating! :)

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Essay writing tips.

As a former English and Spanish major, I have written a lot of essays. A lot. And as an admissions counselor, I’ve had the opportunity to read more essays than I’ve written in my entire life.

I really enjoy reading and writing (and even editing) essays, so for this post I thought I’d give you all some essay writing tips. I was initially planning to specifically focus on college application essays, but since it’s the end of the school year and many of you are probably working on final essays for some of your classes, I thought I’d broaden my advice a little bit. Hopefully you’ll find each of these tips helpful, whether you’re working on an essay for an English class or for a college application!

• Make sure you actually answer the prompt. This piece of advice might seem very obvious, but it’s something that often trips people up. I’ve read several essays where people don’t actually answer the question that was posed. I’ve even been guilty of this at times. There are a lot of things you have to focus on when you write an essay: structure, gathering details, grammar, etc. Sometimes people get so focused on all of those things that they never end up actually answering the prompt, or they briefly address the prompt and then veer off to talk about something that’s only tangentially related. One way of tackling this problem that I’ve found helpful is making sure to write your thesis statement before you write any other part of the essay. Depending on the type of essay you’re writing, this thesis may be a little bit vaguer or a little bit more explicit; the important thing is that your essay does have a central “point.” Once you’ve done that, ask yourself: “Does this thesis statement answer the prompt?” If it does, you’re on the right track! From there, each time you finish a paragraph, come back to that thesis statement and make sure that what you’ve written supports it. You may end up needing to tweak your thesis as you write and examine your evidence more closely (this almost always happens to me), but each time you do, double-check to make sure that it still answers the essay’s prompt.
• Don’t skip the pre-writing process. Before I write an essay, I always take some time to outline. First, I try to come up with a rough number of paragraphs that I want my essay to be. From there, I make a note of the evidence I’ll be using for each paragraph and write a brief description for myself of how I’m planning to use that evidence in my argument. This may seem like extra work, but it actually saves a lot of time later on in the process. You don’t have to think about what you should be doing next while you’re writing, which saves you from having your writing flow interrupted. Outlining also helps you stay on track and keeps you from repeating points you’ve already used earlier in the essay or leaving important things out. No matter what kind of essay you’re writing, outlining is sure to make the overall process easier.
• Do at least one round of edits. It drives me absolutely crazy when people tell me that they submitted a first draft without even looking it over once. One time, I edited nine different drafts of a paper before I turned it in (my friends still make fun of me about this to this day). I wouldn’t recommend doing this, but there is a happy medium to be found between nine drafts and one draft. To state the obvious, giving an essay at least a second read will help you catch small errors like grammar mistakes. It can also help you notice problems with the content. Hopefully you won’t have to do a complete overhaul with your second draft, but even doing some light editing can make the paper a million times better.
• Start early. If you want to write a second draft, it’s important to give yourself enough time to do so. I know it’s easier said than done to start something early. I can procrastinate with the best of them, but starting an essay early makes things easier all around. In addition to having enough time to do a second draft, you’ll also be less stressed. One of my biggest regrets to this day is not starting my college application essays earlier. I could have saved myself a lot of stress and worry by starting them a bit earlier in the school year, or maybe even toward the end of the summer before my senior year. The same thing applies to essays for school. It’s unlikely you’ll start working on any essays for your classes months in advance (unless it’s something like an IB Extended Essay), but even just starting to brainstorm ideas as soon as you get the prompt for an essay can make a huge difference.
• Don’t be afraid to ask for help, but don’t let your voice get lost. Getting help with your essays is always a great idea. Whether you ask a peer or a teacher to look at an essay before you submit the final version, getting a second pair of eyes on something you’ve written is always helpful. When you write an essay, you can get so entrenched in the material that you’re not able to see the mistakes anymore. Having someone else look at the essay can help you catch errors and see things that aren’t necessarily bad but could use some improvement. It’s also important to make sure that you ask the appropriate person for advice. Another way of putting that is to think about who is the most qualified to look at a particular essay. For example, teachers and counselors are both great resources, but the former is probably a better person to ask for help with essays for class, while the latter is definitely who you should go to for help with college essays. With all of that being said, you also need to stay true to your own voice when you’re writing an essay. Taking the advice of others can be helpful, but at the end of the day, it should be your work and your unique voice that is showcased in the final product.
• Have fun with it! This can be easier said than done at times, but you should try your best to have fun with whatever it is you’re writing. Sometimes you might have to write about something that’s not super interesting to you, but try to find some way to psych yourself up and get excited. And if you do have a choice between multiple prompts (like for our Uncommon Essay ), don’t just go for the one that sounds the easiest. Go for the one that most stands out to you! I can tell you that my writing was always miles better when I was working on something that I was excited about.

There’s a lot more that goes into essay writing, so this list of tips isn’t exhaustive, but hopefully they are a good starting point (or reminder!) for you. Best of luck to all of you essay writers out there, no matter what you’re writing your essay for! Now get writing!

How To Tackle The Weirdest Supplemental Essay Prompts For This Application Cycle

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Writing the college essay

How do you write a letter to a friend that shows you’re a good candidate for the University of Pennsylvania? What reading list will help the Columbia University admissions committee understand your interdisciplinary interests? How can you convey your desire to attend Yale by inventing a course description for a topic you’re interested in studying?

These are the challenges students must overcome when writing their supplemental essays . Supplemental essays are a critical component of college applications—like the personal statement, they provide students with the opportunity to showcase their authentic voice and perspective beyond the quantitative elements of their applications. However, unlike the personal essay, supplemental essays allow colleges to read students’ responses to targeted prompts and evaluate their candidacy for their specific institution. For this reason, supplemental essay prompts are often abstract, requiring students to get creative, read between the lines, and ditch the traditional essay-writing format when crafting their responses.

While many schools simply want to know “why do you want to attend our school?” others break the mold, inviting students to think outside of the box and answer prompts that are original, head-scratching, or downright weird. This year, the following five colleges pushed students to get creative—if you’re struggling to rise to the challenge, here are some tips for tackling their unique prompts:

University of Chicago

Prompt: We’re all familiar with green-eyed envy or feeling blue, but what about being “caught purple-handed”? Or “tickled orange”? Give an old color-infused expression a new hue and tell us what it represents. – Inspired by Ramsey Bottorff, Class of 2026

What Makes it Unique: No discussion of unique supplemental essay prompts would be complete without mentioning the University of Chicago, a school notorious for its puzzling and original prompts (perhaps the most well-known of these has been the recurring prompt “Find x”). This prompt challenges you to invent a new color-based expression, encouraging both linguistic creativity and a deep dive into the emotional or cultural connotations of color. It’s a prompt that allows you to play with language, think abstractly, and show off your ability to forge connections between concepts that aren’t typically linked—all qualities that likewise demonstrate your preparedness for UChicago’s unique academic environment.

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How to Answer it: While it may be easy to get distracted by the open-ended nature of the prompt, remember that both the substance and structure of your response should give some insight into your personality, perspective, and characteristics. With this in mind, begin by considering the emotions, experiences, or ideas that most resonate with you. Then, use your imagination to consider how a specific color could represent that feeling or concept. Remember that the prompt is ultimately an opportunity to showcase your creativity and original way of looking at the world, so your explanation does not need to be unnecessarily deep or complex—if you have a playful personality, convey your playfulness in your response; if you are known for your sarcasm, consider how you can weave in your biting wit; if you are an amateur poet, consider how you might take inspiration from poetry as you write, or offer a response in the form of a poem.

The goal is to take a familiar concept and turn it into something new and meaningful through a creative lens. Use this essay to showcase your ability to think inventively and to draw surprising connections between language and life.

Harvard University

Prompt: Top 3 things your roommates might like to know about you.

What Makes it Unique: This prompt is unique in both form and substance—first, you only have 150 words to write about all 3 things. Consider using a form other than a traditional essay or short answer response, such as a bullet list or short letter. Additionally, note that the things your roommate might like to learn about you do not necessarily overlap with the things you would traditionally share with an admissions committee. The aim of the prompt is to get to know your quirks and foibles—who are you as a person and a friend? What distinguishes you outside of academics and accolades?

How to Answer it: First and foremost, feel free to get creative with your response to this prompt. While you are producing a supplemental essay and thus a professional piece of writing, the prompt invites you to share more personal qualities, and you should aim to demonstrate your unique characteristics in your own voice. Consider things such as: How would your friends describe you? What funny stories do your parents and siblings share that encapsulate your personality? Or, consider what someone might want to know about living with you: do you snore? Do you have a collection of vintage posters? Are you particularly fastidious? While these may seem like trivial things to mention, the true creativity is in how you connect these qualities to deeper truths about yourself—perhaps your sleepwalking is consistent with your reputation for being the first to raise your hand in class or speak up about a cause you’re passionate about. Perhaps your living conditions are a metaphor for how your brain works—though it looks like a mess to everyone else, you have a place for everything and know exactly where to find it. Whatever qualities you choose, embrace the opportunity to think outside of the box and showcase something that admissions officers won’t learn about anywhere else on your application.

University of Pennsylvania

Prompt: Write a short thank-you note to someone you have not yet thanked and would like to acknowledge.

What Makes it Unique: Breaking from the traditional essay format, this supplement invites you to write directly to a third party in the form of a 150-200 word long letter. The challenge in answering this distinct prompt is to remember that your letter should say as much about you, your unique qualities and what you value as it does about the recipient—all while not seeming overly boastful or contrived.

How to Answer it: As you select a recipient, consider the relationships that have been most formative in your high school experience—writing to someone who has played a large part in your story will allow the admissions committee some insight into your development and the meaningful relationships that guided you on your journey. Once you’ve identified the person, craft a thank-you note that is specific and heartfelt—unlike other essays, this prompt invites you to be sentimental and emotional, as long as doing so would authentically convey your feelings of gratitude. Describe the impact they’ve had on you, what you’ve learned from them, and how their influence has shaped your path. For example, if you’re thanking a teacher, don’t just say they helped you become a better student—explain how their encouragement gave you the confidence to pursue your passions. Keep the tone sincere and personal, avoid clichés and focus on the unique role this person has played in your life.

University of Notre Dame

Prompt: What compliment are you most proud of receiving, and why does it mean so much to you?

What Makes it Unique: This prompt is unique in that it invites students to share something about themselves by reflecting on someone else’s words in 50-100 words.

How to Answer it: The key to answering this prompt is to avoid focusing too much on the complement itself and instead focus on your response to receiving it and why it was so important to you. Note that this prompt is not an opportunity to brag about your achievements, but instead to showcase what truly matters to you. Select a compliment that truly speaks to who you are and what you value. It could be related to your character, work ethic, kindness, creativity, or any other quality that you hold in high regard. The compliment doesn’t have to be grand or come from someone with authority—it could be something small but significant that left a lasting impression on you, or it could have particular meaning for you because it came from someone you didn’t expect it to come from. Be brief in setting the stage and explaining the context of the compliment—what is most important is your reflection on its significance and how it shaped your understanding of yourself.

Stanford University

Prompt: List five things that are important to you.

What Makes it Unique: This prompt’s simplicity is what makes it so challenging. Stanford asks for a list, not an essay, which means you have very limited space (50 words) to convey something meaningful about yourself. Additionally, the prompt does not specify what these “things” must be—they could be a physical item, an idea, a concept, or even a pastime. Whatever you choose, these five items should add depth to your identity, values, and priorities.

How to Answer it: Start by brainstorming what matters most to you—these could be values, activities, people, places, or even abstract concepts. The key is to choose items or concepts that, when considered together, provide a comprehensive snapshot of who you are. For example, you might select something tangible and specific such as “an antique telescope gifted by my grandfather” alongside something conceptual such as “the willingness to admit when you’re wrong.” The beauty of this prompt is that it doesn’t require complex sentences or elaborate explanations—just a clear and honest reflection of what you hold dear. Be thoughtful in your selections, and use this prompt to showcase your creativity and core values.

While the supplemental essays should convey something meaningful about you, your values, and your unique qualifications for the university to which you are applying, the best essays are those that are playful, original, and unexpected. By starting early and taking the time to draft and revise their ideas, students can showcase their authentic personalities and distinguish themselves from other applicants through their supplemental essays.

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