Supplemental essays are an essential part of any college application, but UChicago stands out among the top schools for its unique and sometimes mind-bending essay prompts. These prompts change each year and ask students to think in ways they likely haven’t for their college applications. Each of these essay prompts is designed to give Admissions Officers insight into an applicant’s mind, and the way one answers these questions can vastly affect their admissions outcomes. To give students the best chance of acceptance to their dream school, here’s InGenius Prep’s guide to the UChicago supplemental essays 2024-2025.
The UChicago Supplemental Essays 2024-2025
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.
Although there is no strict word limit on this “why UChicago” essay, don’t go overboard with what you like about the university. Admissions Officers already know it’s a great school. When reading your response to this question, Admissions Officers are looking for whether you’ve done your homework on UChicago to determine how much you’d fit into the college. Below are a few questions that Natalia suggests you ask yourself to brainstorm for this essay:
- Why is the Core important to you? (And don’t just copy/paste what you wrote for Columbia and vice versa—they’ll know)
- What specific majors are you interested in and why?
- Has it always been your dream to work with [insert professor here] or study abroad in [insert location here]? Why?
- Which activities are you excited to contribute to? Why do you want to be a Maroon (yes, UChicago has sports!)?
Emphasize the community aspect —how do you hope to find your people on campus? Is it the opportunity to participate in student organizations such as Humor Magazine or the intramural wiffleball team that calls out to you? Or are you keen to explore Chicago’s Revival Community Improv Theater within walking distance of the college? You might want to continue your community involvement work from high school by participating in the Neighborhood Schools Program, The Civic Knowledge Project, or one of the college’s several organizations that help give back to the greater Chicago community.
Since you have space, you can provide context on who you are, your passions, and the kind of values you hope to bring to UChicago. Whatever you choose to write about, make sure you prioritize what you’re looking for from your college experience and how UChicago is the ideal place to explore these interests or goals. Show Admissions Officers that you have done your research and can convincingly argue for your place at the school, clearly outlining the parts of campus you wish to commit to.
Question 2: Extended Essay (Required; Choose one)
Option 1: 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.
Many of the extended essay questions ask something very unique and unconventional. This is part of UChicago’s style for supplemental prompts, but one of the key takeaways students should remember is that Admissions Officers at UChicago want to understand the way your mind works. These questions aren’t necessarily asking about your accomplishments or your personal experiences—they’re more about getting an understanding of your thought process.
Natalia Ostrowski, Former Admissions Officer from UChicago, provided her insights for this first prompt, “What kind of student would this [prompt] be good for? Maybe an artist, maybe a linguist. Because you have two things: the expression itself and then the color. So how do those work together? There can be a lot of interesting approaches and each should relate to one another—or related to your area of interest to expand on your persona and make it more memorable.”
Option 2: “Ah, but I was so much older then / I’m younger than that now” – Bob Dylan. In what ways do we become younger as we get older?
Beware: students tend to respond very similarly to this question, even if they have wildly different profiles and academic interests. Here are Natalia’s thoughts:
“This is one of those [questions] where you can fall into the trap of writing about yourself. You can talk about being young, but that’s not exactly what Admissions Officers want to read about. So this is a more general question with a philosophical, academic point of view… This is going to be a popular question and probably going to be answered [by students] in the same way.”
Students should consider answering this question if there’s something unique or distinct about their answer they know will stand out from other applicants.
Don’t fill this essay with the first response that comes to mind. Given the theme, many students are likely to have very similar responses. Review the other UChicago essay prompts and see if there’s one you think would invite a more interesting response before choosing this one.
If you do choose this question, take the time to think about the idea presented and come at it with a unique perspective that you feel would make an interesting essay.
Option 3: Pluto, the demoted planet. Ophiuchus, the thirteenth Zodiac. Andy Murray, the fourth to tennis’s Big Three. Every grouping has something that doesn’t quite fit in. Tell us about a group and its unofficial member, why (or why not) should it be excluded?
This question invites students to discuss something that they know a lot about and are invested in. This question allows students to talk about something they’re passionate about—whether or not it exactly correlates with their academic interests.
Natalia added, “This is a really great opportunity to nerd out about your interests. Whether it’s your academic interests or just a hobby you have—geek out about it. People have strong opinions about their interests all the time. They talk about it with their friends and have discussions about it. So, this is a fun question, especially from the perspective of a fourth member who is or isn’t valid. So have fun with this one. I think it’s really fun, and it can also be more unique depending on a student’s interests.”
Option 4: “Daddy-o”, “Far Out”, “Gnarly”: the list of slang terms goes on and on. Sadly, most of these aren’t so “fly” anymore – “as if!” Name an outdated slang from any decade or language that you’d bring back and explain why you totally “dig it.”
Many students are likely to give a personal answer to this question, but it’s also worth exploring a more academic or historical angle.
“I think Admissions Officers would appreciate a more academic answer to this essay. For example, maybe your response has something to do with your family history… You can talk about a certain phrase that has meaning for you, and you can make a connection with that phrase and your family. If it’s personal, that’s great. It can also be something from a movie you watched, and you can talk about its significance at the time.” —Natalia.
Students with an interest in history (especially as it relates to their own background) may bring that perspective to this prompt and create a unique essay. Just make sure it doesn’t turn into a personal statement.
Option 5: How many piano tuners are there in Chicago? What is the total length of chalk used by UChicago professors in a year? How many pages of books are in the Regenstein Library? These questions are among a class of estimation problems named after University of Chicago physicist Enrico Fermi. Create your own Fermi estimation problem, give it your best answer, and show us how you got there.
The Fermi question invites a more analytical, logical-based response, and this is a great question if students want to take a more research-based approach to their supplemental essays.
Natalia gave her insights about this prompt, “This should not be another personal statement. This should be a thought experiment. Pretend you’re in a classroom and you’re giving your opinion on this based on primary text… It should be more of a paper rather than a personal statement. That’s a big distinction. And the more successful essays were those that showed how a student’s brain worked based on this idea. That’s why these questions are the way they are.”
Stick to the idea presented by the prompt, find an interesting angle for your Fermi estimation, and respond similarly to how you would a research paper.
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 don’t like any of the other options, take a look at 30 of the previous years’ questions that UChicago has provided to inspire you! The question “What can actually be divided by zero?” might appeal to you more than any of the new prompts for UChicago supplemental essays 2024-2025—and that is perfectly okay!
Note that UChicago is giving you an incredible amount of choice here by providing access to their past prompts. If you decide to go the alternative route and come up with your own question, it HAS to be good enough. It wouldn’t be the wisest decision to go with your own silly prompt with the plethora of options in your arsenal. Take the time to consider your topic and answer—but most importantly, Natalia adds, “Don’t use an essay you used for school!”
While UChicago doesn’t prefer that you answer questions 1-5 rather than 6, carefully weigh your options before you decide to pick number 6. Is there nothing you might have to say for the first five essay questions? If that is indeed the case, and you’re willing to take the risk (and UChicago appreciates risk-takers), put your unique spin on a previous—or completely original—question!
Additional Tips for Writing the UChicago Supplemental Essays 2024-2025
Now that you’ve taken a look at the prompts for the UChicago supplemental essays, here are a few tips to help your brainstorming process:
• Standout essays for standout prompts: The prompts for the UChicago supplemental essays 2024-2025 are, without a doubt, highly unique. It’s okay to feel intimidated, and you might choose a prompt that asks for a more academic-leaning response if you’re not a creative writer. While it’s fine to find an option that’s tailored toward your assets, note that other applicants will be writing all sorts of weird and highly imaginative essays. So you need to come up with something memorable and original to stand out from the competition.
• Don’t let the prompts discourage you from applying to the school: While the prompts set by the University of Chicago are definitely unusual and undoubtedly tricky, they are not impossible to answer. The school has set a standard for similarly quirky questions, and hundreds of students still get in every year. So the minute you see these on the Common App, don’t be tempted to run away and remove UChicago from your school list. It’s a great school, and if you have a strong application to compete with other top students, don’t miss out on the chance just because the supplemental essays seem a little intimidating!
While UChicago’s supplemental essay questions deviate from the typical prompts seen at most schools, these essays are still a great opportunity for students to stand out from the crowd! The way you approach these questions will give Admissions Officers a peek into the way your mind operates. Don’t just highlight your experience or focus on your personality. These questions ask you to explore ideas, and a compelling response can show Admissions Officers that you’re a free-thinker and a good fit for the UChicago community.
If you need further guidance from an admissions expert, InGenius Prep is here to help! Our team of Former Admissions Officers from top schools like UChicago know how to approach these questions. We can help you craft the perfect application and get you one step closer to that acceptance letter. Book a free strategy call and get started on your admissions journey today!
